crokit

It is allowed by law to spot light, but not within 600 ft. of an occupied dwelling. Also, if you are within the legal set backs, and the deer runs when the light hits it, and an encon witnesses it, you can be busted for " Harrying the animal. There is a law on the books regarding harrying big game.

8 Pt. 1968. First deer I ever shot at. Turned 16 just a couple of weeks earlier. Hunting my Uncles farm in Hornby. I was on watch during a drive. Sitting on a stone wall hedgerow. I had an Ithaca Deerslayer 20 gau. Just as I got to the wall to sit, I realized I only had 2 slugs with me. A few minutes after drive started, the buck came out to my wall and started toward me. As I was waiting for it to get closer, another watcher on a wall above me, close to 200 yards away started shooting at it. The buck hung a hard left, running away from me quartering. I fired once at about 75 yds and saw the bullet kick up snow near it's ass. I led it more, fired again, and it went arse over end. When I got to it, couldn't see any wound. Rolled it over and still no wound. My grandfather gets there and and says " damn son, you gave it a heart attack." I rolled it over again and saw just a bit of blood near its ear. Bullet struck right behind the ear. Some great memories for a life time that day, especially of the man responsible for turning me on to hunting; Gramps.

I passed on a small buck Wed. up on RattleSnake hill.Coming home just after dark on the Ossian rd, near the barn with all the hubcaps, a huge buck, 140" class, crossed the road, headed toward the highway.

My remote base camp is over 5 miles from where I park my vehicle. I try to get up there 2x during the season; usually the week after souther Tier, and the week after thanksgiving, which is my favorite trip. Cold for sure, but all the preparation prior makes it fairly comfortable. Yup, it's alot of working getting in and out; usually 1 full day in and if there's game, sometimes two days out. Is it worth it, absolutely. I've never based the success of a trip on the need to score. Being able to get out there in a true wilderness setting, pretty much on even terms with the quarry and truly hunting for it is an event that still, after all these years, thrills me to no end, hopefully for a few more years. I was in my early 20's when I first started it, and I remember thinking then " if I can still do this when I'm forty, I'll be a happy camper ". Forty years after that thought, still a happy camper enjoying it. There has been time for sure that the trip was more like a survival trip, but that just adds to the stories for the Grandkids.

If you go with the intent of hunting the way you do in the SouthernTier, there's a good chance you will be dissappointed.. I've been hunting a primitive wilderness area of the 'Dacks in Franklin Co. for nearly 40 years. First two years I never saw a deer. Hunted like I do at home: Sat for hours at a time near scrapes and rubs. Learned some big lessons those first few years. It could be well over a week before a big buck { 130 + class } returns to a scrape. Also, they are near impossible to pattern, especially in the mountains { 2,500-3,000 ft.+ elevation}. My success began once I started going to find them aka still hunting. Starting from my camp, I pick a spot on my map that I intend to hunt for that day, usuall 1/2-1mile away. I don't waste much time hunting my way to that spot, more like a hike with my rifle. Once I get to the area I'm hunting for that day, I begin moving slowly, generally no faster that 200yds an hour. Every time you come to a spot that looks like a good watch, do just that. Give it time to produce, maybe up to 1/2 hour then move on. Even if just a few minutes later you come to another good watch, take it I try, rather than hunting with the wind dead in my face, to 1/8th. Bottom line, I don't care how good a hunter someone thinks thet may be, it's about being in the right place at the right time. It's not rocket science. Always be looking around behind you as well. Hunt the high ridges that have clusters of short pines and saddles with beech flats. Try to be above the deer when possible. Use the terrain to your advantage. Lastly, don't attempt a wilderness hunt until you are able to orient your map to your compass. While in the Southerntier, you may get turned around from time to time, but your almost never more than a mile from a road. Usually the worst that will happen is you'll come out on the wrong road. Up in the Primitive Wilderness areas, you can get truly lost, never to be seen again. Do yourself and loved ones a favor and become familiar with compass/map orientering. Enjoy it. There really is no other thing like hunting big buck in Adirondack Primitive Wilderness areas.

I'd say 122-125

Pretty certain rabies is found only in mammals.

I'd say age and score close.

Very nice!

Got to be near 155 gross. near 45-50 points in circum. alone. Lots of deductions tho, but so what

As far as cold, it will be tough to beat what we had in the southerntier last year, as far as back to back years. I'm 62 years old and in my remembering years, it hasn't happened. Winters of '77 and '78 while in Western NY, Attica, were close, with a ton of snow also.

Sign me up please! Crok

4 1/2 126-130 gross

The feed and genetics is here, Southerntier/western NY. Living to the age is what most buck in NY don't get. For the most part, the mindset isn't there among hunters. A lot talk the talk, but won't pass up a 120-130 3 1/2 old buck. Besides, if you do, a good chance some further down the line will take it. One reason why I love hunting the Adirondacks Primitive areas Public land with a very real opportunity to put the sights on a 5 1/2-6 1/2. They're there, just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Yup, 3 1/2