Fletch

Just printed as well. I have some ground to use up so will let you all know how it goes.

Well it is the day before opening of the 2010 southern bow season. I have a few broadheads to touch up and need to go shopping for some snacks and lunch stuff but otherwise I am ready. The weather looks like a blast with rain and 20 mph wind so we will see how it goes. ??? I will be out with a brother or two in the am. Now I got to figure out what time it gets light out again. I very rarely see the sun come up when it is not deer season!! Peace

For the past four years I posted a running journal of my deer hunting seasons on another site. It was quite fun and a few others enjoyed them as I did reading their exploits. Well any how that site is dead now and I will continue on here. I live and generally hunt in the central part of the state near Syracuse. I do at times get up north as well. I work full time but am lucky enough to be in a position where I work from home and can move my hours around pretty good. I also have a 10 year old daughter, an eight year old son and a very cool wife who knew my addiction before she agreed to marry me. I hunt a lot and will get out over 50 maybe 60 days for at least one sit. I do have a small bit of land right out the back door and the permission of a neighbor as well so being able to have a quick sit out back is perfect. I shot a great 9 point last season back there in bow. Bow hunting is my passion and my favorite season. I also hunt with rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader. I hunt a lot alone but my brother and brother in law hunt with me a lot as well. They get out a lot less during the week. My dad will also get out with us a bit in shotgun season. We only have one private spot and one semi private, the rest is all public land hunting. Good luck to all of you this year and here goes another adventure, season 2010.

I use all four; built, chain on, ladder and climber. I find my climber to be the must comfortable and safest. It is an older API as well around 22 pounds. The ladder stands would come in second but limit my height. I use a bunch of these now since they are so easy and affordable. The plus with the chain on is I can put them just about anywhere and high if needed. I do have some big metal racking coming that I will be making a big box stand out of. I bet my most comfy will change to that next year but it will be limited by where ever it goes it will stay since it will weigh many hundreds of pounds. The perminent wood one I have now is ok but it can not be moved and constantly needs checking. I do not build these anymore the safety degrades to quickly with the elements.

I am doing laudry still just need to touch up broadheads and knife. Buy some snacks. I am dying to go even though the first week to 10 days is not my favorite time.

Got mine Saturday. I gotta be around 10 years doing it as well.

I gotta agree with Doc here I have seen no pattern where deer only head into the wind. Where I hunt the wind blows west or northwest all the time pretty much so if that was so all my deer would be in Buffalo. They will bed with wind in mind though for sure.

Way to get the season started guys!

I shower every day with non scented shampoo and soap during the season and wash my hunting clothes regularily. That said I quit smoking a few years ago but when I smoked I shot as many deer as I have since I quit. I hunt a lot of suburb areas so I think the deer are used to a lot of contaminating smells. Out in the big woods I think it matters a lot more.

My biggest dressed 186 took with a bow in suburbs of Syracuse. Last year took one 173 dressed with bow out back. No 200 dressed yet!

I have had a few mishaps over the years and was lucky enough to be young and a lot less brakeable. Like someone said back 20 years ago there was no big thoughts about safety harnesses. I put my hand in a bees nest one time when I was a teenager close to 20 feet up a tree, I hate bees and I hit the ground running. I still do not know how! Now I use a linesman strap when hanging and checking stands and always have a harness in while in a stand. And my setups and stands are way safer than we used back then. Glad you came out not worse than you did and hope they get that foot fixed. I have had kidney stones a few times and I always worry about having one of those hit me in the stand. They can come on fast and I have had a couple that just floor me and imobilize me for hours. That would not be fun in the air!

I would follow the others advise and carry compass and map and a GPS. First aid/ survival gear. First go online and scout the area and buy or print a topo and circle some likely areas. Wear comfy boots and cover some ground and possibly find a couple key areas to focus on. And look for beechnuts.

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Back when I was young and hunted the Dacks, drive hunting was popular. I remember one I had to be 17 maybe and a guest at my Uncles club, thousands of acres. It was extremely organized with the old timers deciding what drives and directions. I was a rookie and got taken to a stand and that is where I stayed and was given precise directions on where everyone was and so forth. Safety was paramount. I did not see any deer that day but a few guys did. As the years went on we always did a bunch of drives middle of the day with 4 to 6 guys. And as the years went on we turned the drives more into still hunts with no noise unlike the old day drives with barkers. Deer moved a lot slower and the drivers saw a lot more deer. We do a lot of 2 and 3 guy pushes this way in select areas. They have been very successful at times and a useful tool in hard hunted public land. And if you think some of the drives we do are easy. That is a hoot. Swamps and mass blowdowns and greembriar thickets 12 feet tall. I have pushed places my feet never got all the way to the ground cause it was so thick!! Or swamps with water up to my pits to get deer off of little humacks. And we are very careful and no one drives with us that has not been with us a good while and deemed more than safe and responsible, and no shots at flying deer, shots are either stopped or walking. On the other hand I have been scared silly by other peoples drives! I watched one group push a woodlot one day with two standers in the middle and three drivers on each end all driving to the middle!!! I also hunt public land now every year in shotgun. I have a big group from up north that do a ton of drives. Last year they came by me opening day before 9am! I wish they would not do it early season but it is an ok spot and I have shot deer before they get there and they have pushed me a few over the years. And I also have to rely on public land most of the time after bow season and hey it is all our land. As someone above said I would not judge another style of hunting. There are idiots in all groups. And I really think shooting a deer past 30 yards is not sporting just shooting. Just kidding but you get my point.

Very good advise. I have had that issue more than once! It happens to me when a deer gets up to shooting distance by surprise and I rush. My best cure so far is target practice to really focus on telling yourself every time to pick a spot. crease, hair....just something small.

I also try to cut minimal so I have good cover. Once the leaves are down I do not want to be standing out like a sore thumb. I have also noticed if you cut a nice trail the deer will use it because it is easier. But do not count on the big bruiser doing that unless he is on an interesting doe.

I got an email back from them, Ed, in three hours. Said it was mailed last week and if I did not see it by tomorrow to shoot him an email and he would send another.

As a kid I started on rabbits but man that can be hard these days. I never did squirell until later. But I have places loaded with squirrels so it is a great option for the kids because as we know they need action and not get bored. My son and daughter both like to go.

I have done the log for many years and did not have mine from this year yet so shot them an email. We will see what I hear. On the other topic... Not to give the DEC excuses but I imagine being at about half staff after what about a decade now of no hiring and pushing layoffs and all the budget bs I am sure they are spread thin. They do have a history of poor comunication though.

Bow season - Diamond Marquis Shotgun - Ithica Deerslayer II 20 gauge Rifle - Rem 700 in 7mm mag for big spces or Winchester lever action 30-30 anywhere else ML - TC Triumph Those are the deer hunting tools.

Quit cold turkey back in January of 2007. I did not smoke until college and smoked for 20 years. I just got pissed at myself for letting something have that much control over me and got stubborn and quit.

welcome, what part of the ste do you hunt?

Thanks, just for reference I am 6'2" and 220# and you can see by shadow I am standing even with the tree about 6 inches behind the deer. Made a lot of nice steaks!!

Last year 9 point bow kill. A couple of days later a monster Pope and Young came by me under 20 yards in same stand and no buck tag. Oh well hope to see him this year. I was real happy with this dude. He dressed out 173 pounds. Shot on Halloween.

I shoot a 20 gauge Ithica it shoots flatter and it does not kill my shoulder when target shooting. I will sight in my shotgun each year and as well if I bump the gun or scope. Also it is a must if you change amo. I usually only carry it opening weekend or if we do a drive and I may get a chance to take multiple deer quick. Otherwise I enjoy using the TC Triumph more. I shoot my Gamo and 22's year around to keep up good shooting form.