upstate

Went out this AM for a long , last sit in 2018 and things were busy early. Just before legal time a doe came within 5 yards and hung out long enough but I decided to pass. I did the same with a small spike horn. Have my Kansas buck and NY doe in the freezer and I was hunting a large 9 point I saw yesterday anyways. Hunting clothes all packed up, gear, climbing stands, sticks, all packed up and put way with exception of some items currently hanging to dry. I am thankful for the times I had this year, in a year I truly had no idea what would happen. I hope I can do it again next fall!

Sitting in 7F thick stuff. Season winding down. Just glad to say I was able to get out this year. Was a great year. I’m still here and hunting when a year ago that couldn’t be a given. Enjoyed a bow hunt in Kansas that messed up my NY hunting for a couple weeks. Hunted hard last weekend and back at it again today and tomorrow. I firmly believe that once we muddle through the nonsense our biggest issue is access. Finding quality hunting properties is very difficult. And expensive

Was a busy, cold weekend in 7 F We had deer moving every day so yesterday morning I decided to take a doe. Earlier in the season we noticed that the deer were walking the edge of the Oneida River, like within a few inches in spots. The snow really showed us their escape routes. So a stand was put in and this one was sneaking through with another about 9:15 AM- my buddy took a nice 8 point the week before. She didn't make it. Then we crossed river and went to some property in 7A. That's where things got weird. Another buddy sent us a photo of a doe laying down about 75 yards from him. I told him to take it but he thought it was dead. It wasn't . It was severely wounded, so he shot it. Upon further review, it had it's left rear leg just about completely shot off and it was relatively fresh since it had snowed. We tracked it back to posted property and backed off. What a terrible shot.

Damn, its chilly here in 7F

If you take the deer, and its been eaten, you still need to tag it, I believe, but that doesn't matter to me. I'd still want to know. Deer are incredibly resilient and you won't know what happened until you actually find it. Learn from it. We all have made mistakes.

Regardless of all of the factors you describe I would be out looking for that deer at first light after securing permission this evening. I've looked for wounded deer for 2 days because I can't rest easily until I know I did everything I could to find it.

There's a trooper substation about .75 miles away from us. They are waiting for him. I did not make the call. A friend texted me asking if I was out this morning, I said "that was not me" and he told me that the owner wished I was cause they have had issues with someone all week. I hope they catch him walking the railroad tracks, its another expensive ticket. I have some scans today so I'm not hunting.

Gotta love it when a trespasser gets pinched first thing in the morning for shooting 3 x at 6:30 AM in a decently populated area. What an idiot. I don't hunt the neighborhood deer til December.

Damn it... Its literally only one in state that has them on clearance... I'd buy 3-4 but can't get up there til Wednesday

which walmart is that?? Thats a steal...

Frankly I'm shocked. Multiple experts on deer, deer management, property management and trophy management disagree. This place is exhausting. the biggest issue that hunters face is ACCESS. They can't get to the deer that are hiding from them. They also want to sit in a tree/ blind all day until the big bucks they've been taking pictures of, and patterning by camera walk by so they can "harvest" That's not hunting folks, its TV

Never did make it back out this season. Bad cold a week ago kept me congested and I have a long road of treatment ahead if I want to hunt next season. Gotta be healthy and this frigid air was just not going to work for me. Thank you to all of the hunters posting their adventures this season.

2017 hunting season sucked for me. Unable to use bow I waited for crossbow with incredible anticipation. The day before I had a serious health condition diagnosed that resulted in major surgery less than a week later. Hunting season shot and frankly secondary. Two weeks later, with the help of my hunting buddies I was back in a blind. But, my son lost my tags so I had to have them reprinted. Then he found them. I spent 2 days out, then got a nasty cold. Right now I'm hoping to take out that smoke pole this weekend to take one more shot at it. Will I get in trouble if I use all my tags for my soup? Its great to get outside. It beats laying around my house. Cherish your time out there folks, you never know what lies ahead.

Son of a bitcxxx I can't be sick right now with some medical procedures coming up next week. I have a serious man flu. My weekend hunts are in great jeopardy. I hope muzzle works out better. What a terrible season for me. All you guys complaining about not seeing/ harvesting, it could be worse. Much worse.

I believe that ones idea of driving is very different. When I was in my 20's we would line up and walk, making noises, barking, etc. Then one day while on watch, with 3 other guys overlooking a ravine full of the thickest, nastiest brush, vines and other crap we watched numerous mature bucks slip away from drivers. Some a mere few feet from a driver. Every one circled back, through the drive. Fast forward to where we connect with a family of hunters who's idea of a drive was to line up and still hunt. Every driver's responsibility was to make sure that you were in a line, not getting out front. You walked, slow, real slow. You stopped, you glassed. You were on full alert. It took hours (on a cold day, watchers were frozen if unprepared). You know what? It worked. Deer moved in a way we wanted because they did not know where to go. After opening week, very few adult deer would be on their feet during the day. Most of our success outside these "drives" were catching deer laying down, in the overgrown fields. Muzzle was fun due to second rut. My $.02

looks like a disc off a hand grinder that got corroded

One of the reasons I hate state land is people are idiots. It's a lot less crowded than it used to be but hunters who are walking around, deep in the property an hour before sunset suck just as bad as the ones doing it at sunrise. They screw up everybody, including themselves. As far as where you set up? Gun differs from bow because bow hunters typically wear no orange. I've whistled at, and been whistled at setting up for bow. I just move a few hundred yards cognizant of wind, What I hate, during gun, late muzzle are the drivers/ packs of guys that get all crappy about somebody being "in their drive. near their drive" If I'm in the drive, I get the hell out. I have had limited success on state land during gun/ muzzle but the success I had was because others bumped them. The last time I was walking a trail and it sounded like a pack of school kids coming the opposite way. I snuck off the side of the trail removing my orange so they would not see me. I am in no mood to discuss. I watch them turn in about 400-500 yards away , going the opposite direction I was in. 15 minutes later I hear a herd of deer and they're coming right at me. I pick a doe and shoot. Success. 30 minutes later all these guys are walking back and they can see me tracking. They all (11 guys) come up and start giving me the third degree. Did I know where I was? Who was I? Did I know they were driving the private property? They were not being nice about any of my answers, so I opened my bag as I found my deer and I had my 9mm in the bag. Well, they started giving me crap about hunting with a pistol and I dropped the clip and showed them the bullets, and said, "I'm not hunting with this, it's for protection. These are hollow points, slow as hell and I'll take my day in court for possessing my legal hand gun without hunting cartridges." They left, making sure I knew there was a private, posted line 200 yards away. I guess I shot their deer. Before you all get your panties wadded up. I know the ADA in the county I was in. I specifically asked how he'd handle and he told me, "You'll definitely get a ticket. I woudl not prosecute based on what you're telling me" So.... I hate state land and most hunters. Used to be you could meet up with guys and strike new friendship. Now you're taking what they believe is theirs.

Its nothing short of a miracle that I can even sit in the woods this weekend. My hunting buddies have made it so I can get to a blind or watch and they come and get me by walking to me. If they bump some deer nobody will complain. I hate to tell all of the "drive haters but where we hunt the deer are nocturnal. VERY nocturnal and skittish as all hell. You could sit every day, til the end of the season, and unless they're bumped, they're sitting tight.

I'm back at it folks. No treestands but I can sit in a blind all damn day if I want. Not bad for having pretty major surgery on 11/13 !! With great friends , who know what getting out means to me, I'm here and they're ready to work. Let's hope that I see a deer. It's been such a messed up season. You never know folks Life is funny, and cruel but beautiful and today, is beautiful 40 degrees, wind in my face. Fresh scrapes 40 yards out. good luck

The place is huge. We continually added onto it for more room over the last two decades. Problem is there's no deer there! I haven't seen a buck in 3 years. But, because we have other places to hunt, we only go there a couple weekends a year so there's not much time spent. We do what guys do. Hunt, drink, play poker, eat like kings, rinse , repeat. Here's a neat photo of the place I took in the spring

For the first times in their lives my sons, 24 and 22, went to our cabin on the Tug Hill, without me. They had 28 guys with them (with 388 acres of our land and 20,000 of state land, there's room) and had a blast but when I showed up with my buddy for dinner and some cards on Friday they got pretty emotional. I had major surgery on 11/13 so my season is cut short and staying at a cabin that is quite remote, wasn't a great idea. It was pretty hard for me as well but I honestly have many hurdles in my future so I just want them to retain what they were taught and to enjoy each day. Enjoy these children while you can folks. Before you know it they're men and women with additional responsibility getting thrown on every day

Seems a bit over zealous to me. No reason to "check" with landowner unless the landowner asked them to. I had access to a piece of property that was behind a big swamp. It was miserable getting through. The landowner told me I could take a path (small driveway, then logging road) on the next parcel and cut across once I got past the swamp. Well, one time walking out I ran into the landowner who corrected me on the perceived "right of way" that did not exist. He did give me his number and said he had no problem with me staying on that trail and cutting over to the other land. Very next time I went there the lady across the street goes nuts at me and calls DEC, sheriff , state police. I just waited by the car and explained to the cops the deal. Called the land owner who told them I was fine and had permission. They asked the woman to please listen to hunters that have contact info of owner.

I missed at less than 10 yards. Miserable day, rain, sleet, snow , all day. End of day walk. My buddy pushes 3 deer right to me. They stop, 20 feet away, or less, broadside, looking back. I pull up and shotgun blasts into ground. Action, frozen solid. I flung that old 870 right into the side of a doe. Off they went. The good thing was that the land owner watched the entire thing from his driveway. He loved it. I was instantly invited to the camp. It was the beginning of 25 years of some of the best times of my life. I miss the guys terribly.

There is not a deer in the world worth hurting someone over. This group of guys was involved in a walk where a 16 year old kid snuck into the middle of the drive, on posted property (local farm kid) , in carharts, and killed a deer. He got up to check it and there were a bunch in front of him between drivers. Drivers shot and killed a deer. And found him gasping for his life. He died. I would much rather take a slow walk, on land I know, with people I know. Than be anywhere around a group of clowns that haven't a clue how to hunt

My very first drive with the group I do it with I was a walker and I was shocked at how slow they went. I was second guy in and as we eased in I would only catch glimpses of guy to my left. About 200 yards in the guy on my right makes hand signs I take to be "I see 4 flat heads out front of him and I, be alert" Sure enough they come sneaking back right at me. On one knee I shoot 2. they take off right by me. Guy on my left? Comes walking right from where the deer where! His father in law was a watching and watched the entire thing. He saw the deer and ran out front to get up the hill to get a shot. I never saw him after I took a knee. Something else his father in law saw. When I saw this guy coming at me I was sick to my stomach. The old man threw him right off. Said , "second time this week Steve, no more drives for you" We never hunted with him again. It took them all day to get me convinced they were not crazy bastards. I have experiences that last a lift time with these guys. Like the time 4 watchers and 6 walkers got 13 deer, holed up next to an old town dump. Only dangerous thing that happened, a doe or two turned out to have legal bone