Fletch

Put it that way and it makes you think. But I think my bow has a better chance of going through two ribs or two shoulders than the 410 has of going through one. Not knowing the ballistics of a 410 though I am just another opinion.

11/16 am 39 d 2 hours in the climber behind the in-laws and not a thing. Kinda slow last couple days. Out again in the morning and afternoon tomorrow. Winter storm watch coming in.

I would say if the officer witnessed you shooting after legal time he would give you a ticket. And when you gave your excuse that it is not a law to wear a watch he would piss himself laughing and you would still have a ticket.

That is certainly true. Learned to hunt from my grandfather, still the best man I ever new. Passed away over a decade ago. He is with me very time I hunt.

Congrats!

I would not be an advocate for the 410 on a deer, just not enough sustained knockdown power. Yes it could kill deer in the right hands but not an efficient weapon for the chore.

11/14 pm 55 d Snuck out to the close field stand out behind the house for the last hour. Only thing I saw is my dog trailing me to the stand after I was in it for about 15 minutes. Shoo Shoo go home!! lol

Way to go!!

I always come out with more crap than I brought in. It is real bad the weekend before gun when all the guys are sighting in their guns all over the freakin place where they should not. Like where I am bow hunting and without and backdrop so the bullets go wizzing through the trees!! And after I get the sheets scared outa me on the trail coming out are targets, cans, shells and shell boxes. I wish the DEC would deputize me and give me 10% of each ticket I write, I would be a rich man staking out state land spots and photographing the scum. I know most of us are good but man the few sure make us look like sh*t!

Good comments all. I remember my first deer after 3 years of hunting. I was just a teen and I shot a button at 87 yards with a shotgun and dropped it. While I am gutting it a guy comes up the trail from down below. He says to me yea he went buy me a bit a go and he was just a little pup so I let him go. No congratz or nothing. In a manner my mom raised me better than after he turned and walked away I flipped him the bird and finished up and dragged him out as happy as can be. Never cared a whole lot about what people I do not know and respect thought. Still don't!! I am always happy for any safe, legal hunter who gets a deer, any deer.

+1

You best know the times though. I have gotten stopped after dark coming out on state land due to a mile walk and been asked the time legal hunting ends by the DEC. I copy the chart in the books and laminate and put in my license holder for reference. It has adjustments for location in the state. I am plus 10 minutes. I wish we were like in other states that are a half our before in am and a half hour after in pm.

11/14 am 50 d Sat in the climber behind the inlays for 2.5 hours. Man not a thing. My mil said there was a big buck in the back yard yesterday at 7 am.

Guy that works for me hit two with his Avelanch on the Thuway the other day. $7000 damage. Ouch

Bear rattling! Sounds like a eventful trip.

Would it be wrong saying shoot the 1.5 year old buck. The doe you saved will have 1 or maybe even two buck fawns so for 1 deer you saved 3. And the 1.5 year old buck eats real well!! Farmers would agree with me, antler hunters not. That being said do what will make you happy. No one can tell you what is a success to you. I have the problem that I see more bucks than does. I know not a problem right! It is if you want to harvest a doe. My # 1 objective is do not leave an empty freezer. I pass a lot of small ones up and have been rewarded the last few years. This year I was running out of time and took a 1.5. I can not count on even getting a shot at any deer after the regular shooting season starts here.Now if I had a private set up on a good chunk of land that might change my answer.

Way to go!

Any hunting season is a good season. If I am out I am happy. I would say this season has been one of my worst in the last 6 or 7 years for sightings. I have been in stand for 67.5 hours up to this am with 11 buck sightings and 9 flat head for 20 sightings total. So 1 buck every 6.13 hours in stand and 1 deer every 3.3 hours in stand. The 3.3 is over twice my usual and the state average of 1 deer sighted evey 1.54 hours on stand last year. The buck sighting is about normal. Out of the 11, 10 were 1.5 year olds. I would say it is a good year for me. I missed a shot at a doe that was too close! I should have got a shot at the one mature buck I saw and I did take a small buck last week. So I have had my chances. And to tell the truth I think this week Thursday and Friday are going to be the best days of bow season this year. So it is not over yet.

11/13 pm 61 d Well got back from my trip. I think I got home at 2:50pm and was in my stand down in the hole at 3:30pm. Warmer than I thought it was out and nothing moving until late. At about 4:30pm had a small buck maybe a 4, 5 or 6 pt. come by in front of me. He caught my wind and realized this was the one day I was not up to par with my scent control. Being young and dumb though he stood in my shooting lane broadside at under 20 yards for 10 minutes. Then very slowly circled behind me and away. It is now past legal and I am just waiting to get him out of range so I can get down without spooking him. Of course I hear another on coming so I wait and another walks by behind me. It was too dark to see any headgear but by size and it was alone I would guess another 1.5 year old. My brother was also out and did not see a thing. I am sleeping in tomorrow the last 3 nights have been long. I also saw over 50 dead deer on the drive back yesterday, most bucks and most between Harrisburg and Binghamton.

Way to go Zem!! Happy for ya man! You are a confident man, you give away the second deer not the first!! jk I know a lot of people will enjoy it.

Congratz to your sons! You have been putting in the time. Hope you get one this morning. I can not imagine how much a pain in the azz it is to put up a ladder stand alone. It is a pain with two of us!! You must be a bad dude!!

I just bought a big bottle of Sawyers this weekend from Bass Pro. I got it on the reccomendation of a fellow hunter. It has no scent and is supposed to last for weeks even after washing clothes. As I started on another thread this season is crazy with ticks. My brother pulled one out his chest yesterday after just sighting in his guns out behind the inlaws.

That is a pretty impressive 5 year run. May I ask what part of the state?

I would suggest looking at some arials and topos to try to find some areas to check that may hold more deer. Benches, beaver ponds power or gas right of way.... that and keep doing what you are doing and burn up some shoe leather to find the more promising areas.It certainly sounds like a thin population.