NonTypical

BTW, every slug that I have recovered all expanded perfectly every time,

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned Federal Trophy Copper sabots. I first started shooting them when they used a Barnes slug. They've always been extremely accurate as well as having incredible knock down power.

Here is my Halloween buck from last week. The taxidermist aged him at least 5.5 years. He was an old bully that liked to fight.

Thanks for the comments from everyone. I do love nontypicals! Even though I do have some larger deer mounted, I am seriously considering having him mounted because of his age and he has so much character, not only with his rack but with his cape as well.

I took this old fighter on Halloween. He came in after hearing a few bleats with the can. The shot hit its mark and he only went 30 yards and fell over. I guess my aluminum arrows and 100gr Thunderheads can still do it even at 35 yds. This buck was a real fighter as he has scars all over his face. His left eye was even swollen almost all of the way shut from a recent brawl. I haven't had him aged yet, but I believe he's and old timer and was in decline. He has unbelievable mass on the bases and main beams. His face and head are very gray, and he's missing quite a few teeth in the front of his mouth. Any thoughts or guesses on his age?

I took this old fighter on Halloween. He came in after hearing a few bleats with the can. The shot hit its mark and he only went 30 yards and fell over. I guess my aluminum arrows and 100gr Thunderheads can still do it even at 35 yds. This buck was a real fighter as he has scars all over his face. His left eye was even swollen almost all of the way shut from a recent brawl. I haven't had him aged yet, but I believe he's and old timer and was in decline. He has unbelievable mass on the bases and main beams. His face and head are very gray, and he's missing quite a few teeth in the front of his mouth.

Enough said. End of conversation. Thread closed. Thank you...

Wow! That a great buck! I sure wish there were still deer on LI like that. Not anymore though. I'll be hunting in WNY this season. Lol

WNY is where it's at. There are no big deer left on LI anymore.

It's the false rut.

My Weimaraner Cody.

The first 2 weeks with the exception of the first day or two of the season are probably the hardest time to try and kill a buck. What I have a problem with is, it's also the least desirable time to kill does because of the warm temps. I can easily hunt most of my spots and stack up the does during the early season, but I won't because of the weather. I keep one deer for myself a year and anything else will be given to friends, relatives, or donated. If I harvest a deer in the early season, then it is a mad scramble to process it before it spoils. Maybe you do, but I don't have a walk in freezer. What I have a problem with is the DEC has a goal that I agree with but they just went about it the wrong way, which will effectively result in the goal not being met. It started 2 years ago when they took away the privelage of shooting a doe then receiving a deer of either sex tag. On LI we can get up to 4 doe tags per person. Everyone that I know would fill those tags over the course of the season and then get either sex tags hoping to shoot another buck at some point, but in reality end up with tag soup at the end of the season. Why in the world would they take away something effective like that unless they had a hidden agenda?

My biggest was taken on Long Island in 99. It went 205 dressed.

I just got my license the other day. There was no mention of the new regs regarding the no buck rule anywhere in the syllabus, nor any other notice of change. I even asked the guy at the desk if he knew anything about it. He didn't have a clue. I have to wonder how many bow hunters actually know about these new regs.

I have a doe that lives close by that has a broken front leg. It is bent backwards. We call her Peggy as she can only walk on 3 legs. Would you believe she is at least 10 years old and still has at least 2 fawns every year.

They are better at patterning us than we are of them. Not long after the workers leave, it will be business as usual.

Crank one out...

Still shooting 100g Thunderheads after 25 years. I can walk into any sports store and buy more blades. You can't say that about most other broad heads with the exception of Muzzy. Oh yeah, I always get great penetration unlike most expandables.

I just did some research on deer take numbers for Long Island for the last several years. So basically what you're saying is that even though we shot almost 500 more deer on DMP's and totaled over 600 more for the year, making it the highest ever, we still didn't do our job? Granted, more do need to be taken out of certain residential areas. Opening more land will help reduce the numbers further. Even the wildlife biologist for Long Island agrees. So I don't think we are being punished, like you implied. I just think that DEC is making some very bad decisions as far as herd management is concerned and they are going about it the wrong way. It's not the first time they have had their head up there own ass. They can't even manage many saltwater fish species. Striped Bass stocks are collapsing and winter flounder almost non existent. Should I keep going...

I agree herd management should come first. But let's be honest, this plan is not going to help. It is counter productive. This is obviously going to keep many hunters out of the woods during the early season, myself included. It would've been more productive to make a doe only season in December when temps drop and hunters could harvest as many does as they would like without having to worry about them spoiling if they don't get them processed asap. I will still be shooting a bunch and donating them, but it won't be in October.

As far as it not being able to cull the herd enough, a huge problem on Long Island has always been access and having a 500' setback. Now that they have reduced the setback to 150' and are trying to open up more public land, they take away an incentive for hunters to shoot does. I just don't get it. When hunting in Wertheim Wildlife Refuge, the Feds got it right trying to reduce the herd. You have to shoot 2 does before you can get a buck tag. This encouraged hunters to take does, and has worked very well to reduce the herd. I am all for shooting does, but if I had my choice I try to do it later in the season when temps drop. If they imposed an Earn-A-Buck program, I would empty my quiver on opening day and stack them up.

You are correct. It changed last year.

I agree Tim. Late season is where it's at for me for harvesting does.

Here on Long Island, we used to be able to shoot a doe using a DMP. Then have it checked in and we would get another tag for a deer of either sex, and keep doing that until you shot a buck, then that tag would be dead. They took that incentive away from us last year. Why??? I have no idea. We can get as many as 4 DMP's per person without sharing them. I like many others, would fill a few tags during the course of the season. Then at least during the late gun or bow season, we would still have some deer of either sex DMP's left just in case we had an opportunity to harvest a buck. That would rarely happen, so more often than not, we would end up just harvesting another doe. What they should have done is have an earn a buck program where you have to shoot 2 or even 3 does before you could harvest a buck. When hunting on a certain federal wildlife refuge here on the island, they require you to shoot 2 does before you can shoot a buck. It has worked pretty damn good in there by knocking the numbers right down. I can guarantee you that if the state imposed an earn a buck program, at least here in 1C, there would be many hunters willing to stack up the does at some point during the season. Without a doubt, the population here on the island is out of control and something does need to be done about it. Instead of taking incentives away from the ones who can help control it in heavily populated areas, they should be creating incentives like an earn a buck program.

Here on Long Island, we used to be able to shoot a doe using a DMP. Then have it checked in and we would get another tag for a deer of either sex, and keep doing that until you shot a buck, then that tag would be dead. They took that incentive away from us last year. Why??? I have no idea. We can get as many as 4 DMP's per person without sharing them. I like many others, would fill a few tags during the course of the season. Then at least during the late gun or bow season, we would still have some deer of either sex DMP's left just in case we had an opportunity to harvest a buck. That would rarely happen, so more often than not, we would end up just harvesting another doe. What they should have done is have an earn a buck program where you have to shoot 2 or even 3 does before you could harvest a buck. When hunting on a certain federal wildlife refuge here on the island, they require you to shoot 2 does before you can shoot a buck. It has worked pretty damn good in there by knocking the numbers right down. I can guarantee you that if the state imposed an earn a buck program, at least here in 1C, there would be many hunters willing to stack up the does at some point during the season. Without a doubt, the population here on the island is out of control and something does need to be done about it. Instead of taking incentives away from the ones who can help control it in heavily populated areas, they should be creating incentives like an earn a buck program.