nyantler

I still have yet to take a buck with my recurve in 12 years... I am trying to get a P&Y from the ground at 20 yards or less... I have passed on some nice bucks that were just not 125"... and many young small bucks... I had my first P&Y buck at 20 yards this year, but couldn't find a spot to fit an arrow through before getting winded... I know it seems kinda nuts to go that long without taking a buck with a bow, but I really enjoy the challenge... kill or no kill I have had some pretty exciting hunts in th last 12 years... it will be a special buck when/if I finally get one... that's what its all about for me... I love a good challenge. I have been trying to take a good longbeard in the spring with it as well... using just a natural blind (blowdown)... have yet to have one at 20 yards... 25-30, but nothing at 20 or less.. but again.. still exciting.

Now there is carelessness that blaze orange won't fix... horrible way to learn a valuable lesson.

The longbow could be considered a lesser weapon compaired to a good compound.. all things being equal... but most trad bow hunters are highly practiced and considerably reduce their max shot yardage.. usually to 20 yards and under... with a good sharp arrow the deer probably doesn't know the difference when hit by one or the other... and most of the trad bow hunters I know would shoot similar groups as a compound at 20 and in. We really have to pull the unpracticed shooters out of the equation all together... they will be less proficient no matter what weapon they're shooting.

I guess I'm one of the cold ones... although I am very sensitive towards wildlife and have a great love for animals.. I just never really get rapped up in the whole standing over a deer I just killed and feeling sad... I try to look at it as business... a means to an end... that end being the perpetuation of the species... I couldn't see myself being able to even pull the trigger if I thought any other way... I assume that maybe its the way I hunt... the fair chase element keeps those emotions in check for me... at least while I'm hunting.. I sometimes reflect on how lucky I am to be able to be a part of conservation, making sure that a species of animal will continue to exist because of the efforts made by myself and other hunters...but usually at other times than after a kill... actually it seems strange to me that I don't get more emotional, I'm much more sensitive than that away from hunting... I will say that being closeup to a whitetail after I have killed it.. I sometimes am taken by how majestic the animal is... almost a perfect specimen... but I'm never saddened by the event.

Two I have on my bucket list 1) Flintlock on a snowy day... 100" buck or better... Adirondack Mts...Tracking ... hard just keeping powder dry. 2) Recurve... cedar arrow... P&Y Buck.. from the ground.. inside 20 yards.. this one I have had all the elements a few times but without a clear shot... pretty exciting watching a 125 class buck walk by inside 20 yards without a shot.. be even more exciting when I do get a shot.

That would definitely be a challenge for most!!

Sure.. now you have me thinkin'!! I like it!!

Hmmm... seems like maybe we won't have much info then on how the crossbow hunters did... seems strange to me. But, that's NY for ya.

LOL... I can hear what you're thinkin'!!

They didn't ask you what weapon the deer were taken with?

Yeah I already made that point earlier... its not good logic..that was the idea of the post...I thoroughly expected that some of you were not going to be paying attention.. and take the attack the poster route.. instead of getting the point... You, of all people, I thought would want less DEC intrusion based on how you don't like how they handle your complaints... what makes you think they would handle enforcing a mandatiry BO law any differently? I understand that the law would make everyone "feel good"... but my point is why stop there?... lets just start picking apart all the issues everyone complains about and just start hammering out more and more laws to save us from ourselfs... starts to get a bit out of hand IMO Maybe it would just be easier if we all just played video games instead and every time you kill a deer in the video the DEC goes out and kills a real deer for you... then we'll all be completely safe and nothing will be left to chance.

LOL.. legit question about the treestands, don't ya think??... Just trying to show how out of hand things can get if we just start making knee jerk reaction "feel good" laws... I'm sure I'll get the "he hates treestands" comments now...for the record I don't hate treestands at all...

Of 29 fatal hunting accidents in the last 10 years in NY.. 15 were mistaken for deer or other game and were not wearing any orange.. another was in the line of fire and killed (no orange).... but 13 of the 29 were not even visual related fatalities... I am assuming those 13 were probably not related to shootings but to other factors.. like treestand falls and such... seat belt requirements maybe for treestand use? Or better yet outlaw treestands all together? Or treestands only 4 feet off the ground? With nearly half of all hunting fatalities coming from non blaze orange related incidents, shouldn't we be just as concerned about creating laws to avoid those deaths as well? Of course not...the list would become endless... continuing good safety education is always going to be the answer to keeping the number of hunting fatalities down without taking away the freedom of choice that so many of us claim to charish. That in no way means that I am against wearing blaze orange while gun hunting... we just can't continue to cherry pick one thing over another... there will always be those that will continue to throw a wrench in the works for any activity and create some percentage of undesirable incidents... that won't change no matter how many laws are created...

I think logging is a great thing.. just not when politicians are the ones controlling who, what when where and how... better when you actually have a stake in the land itself and also use it for another purpose... most NY politicians have never even been to the adirondacks..lol

No problem dave.. Merry Xmas

That was my point exactly... it's not only a stretch.. it almost reaches the point of ridiculous.

I was going to say just what you said, but the way the question was posted. I thought he was asking if we should let an out of control fire possibly destroy surrounding populated areas... but you have to remember.. we're talking about NY State being the one to control the timber harvesting... we all know what happens when they get their hands on something... in Maine they have areas with controlled harvests.. for every tree cut.. there is another planted. There are limits to the size of clear cuts... in some areas there is a progressive cutting and planting system.. where you can literally see the difference in the ages of adjoining forests... the hunting is terrific in these areas and the negative impact on large tracts of land is minimal... These controlled harvests are usually done as a part of some study being done and seem to serve the forests and wildlife populations well... a program like that would be one to be considered... a program based on collecting revenue for the State would end up being a huge mistake I think for conservation, forest preservation and wildlife... just my opinion.

Actually if you're considering selling them... the liability should be a big concern... it's not a matter of how good your talents are... if some goofball buys one and doesn't install it correctly and falls out of it.. I promise.. you will be the one fighting off a law suit. I don't think Doc was trying to be negative.. just pointing out something that you might want to think about if your considering selling them to the public... that doesn't mean it's not a great idea... just something to think about.

I think the argument against madated BO is much the same as the argument most have for AR's... why should the State decide what we have to wear? If the argument is that its because it would be safer for all... then the same argument could be made for being selective about what buck we take... having to identify a buck and the size of his antlers ensures that the hunter knows and has identified his target.. which we all agree is safer and reduces the chance of shooting something other than a deer... so if increased safety is what we're looking for with mandated BO.. then we must look at mandated AR's as an additional safety procaution that should be mandated as well. I'm sure most won't see it this way... but if we're saying that safety is a reason to mandate then we must consider all means of ensuring safety... not just cherry picking the ones we like. My eyesight is beginning to fail a bit and for my own purposes and the safety of others I will be having them checked and do what is necessary to fix that problem... Should I be required by law to wear glasses or install a scope on my gun? This is the road we go down when we're talking about creating new laws and limiting the choices of people... I absolutely see Docs points and agree with his concerns... but I'm just not ready for the State to be the one to dictate the solution.

I personally think wearing a seat belt is a good idea and does save lives... but do not like the mandatory seat belt law... accept for children who don't get a chance always to make there own decisions I'm more for education instead of legislation when it comes to adults.. although I wouldn't lose any sleep over such laws because I already wear my seat belt & BO. I just hate losing another freedom.

Well of course not LOL... that would be potentially dangerous to the surrounding communities and public safety... the population of whitetails in the ADK's pose no such danger... the deer in fact are doing quite fine... any supposed problem with the whitetail population is only related to some hunters perceptions of how it is affecting their personal hunting experience. Which is subjective. For every hunter that thinks there is a problem with deer in the ADK's there is another that doesn't. I'm not against or for timber harvesting in the ADK's, accept as it relates to deer.. I'm just voicing my opinion about the potential for screwing up the best example of a natural whitetail existence possibly anywhere in the US. I just don't trust the State to make the right choices when it comes to trying to manage the adirondacks thats all. I may be the last great wilderness in America.. certainly the largest.

I'm sure quite a bit... there are safety regulations for all treestand manufacturers

It may be Doc.. I'm not sure either... if not it absolutely should be... young kids don't always get to make their own decisions and shouldn't be put at risk by the stupidity of an irresponsible parent.

Sorry for your loss Larry.. the silver lining there is that he had 89 years on this earth.. that is something... lots of years of memories that wil last forever.. I'm sure his spirit will fill everyone on Christmas Day.. making it a very special Christmas.

You're right culver I agree.. but being because what has happened in the ADK's is not man made but natural progression of nature... there is no reason for man to intervene. I believe that fixing habitat should be limited to that destroyed by man... NY's lack of logging the in the ADK's, although seemingly bad for the deer as you described, would be manipulating a woods that mother nature intended naturally... it will be many years, but the woods will transform itself again. I'm torn between doing what you describe and leaving the woods alone... Seems to me that whenever man gets involved they tend to find a way to mess things up in a different way.... deer have been in the ADK's long before many of us were born, it is one of the only places in NY where there is a good buck/doe ratio and age structure.. I personally would not like to see it become like the rest of NY State.