nyantler

All the ADK woods I hunt are heavy woods... not many long distance shots.

No, But that would be an interesting photo...

Here is a good one for ya... I've seen more deer in the ADK's this year than I've seen in 5 years combined... early season was tough but the last 3 weeks made up for it! Southern tier has been just the opposite... saw lots of deer early and few in the last 3 weeks. But, there is always the muzzleloader season!

That would be the size of a garage in comparison to what I consider big woods... big woods to me is a set of woods where you can walk the rest of your life in all directions if dropped off in the middle of that woods.

Not to be too harsh, but if you could describe where the buck was last seen in enough detail to prove that the buck was yours... you should have been able to recover that buck. I don't understand the motivation for wanting the rack anyway... the only story you'd have to tell every time someone asked about the rack would not be a hunting success story... If you want the rack to make knife handles, maybe I could understand... but for what other reason could you want the rack? I can't see collecting a rack to celebrate the "one that got away".

Some of you have me wondering what you consider "Big Woods"...

Light and short... exactly my thoughts... being a tracker my shots are usually 50 yards and in... perfect for the short barrel... light is good because of the amount of walking I do, carrying around a heavy weapon can get tiring.

Because I shoot a single shot... I have no idea what shooting too fast is... LOL

Yeah... I wasn't really referring to anything going here as much as hunters on other hunting pages and other forums. Seems to me that hunters on this forum tend to be more responsible than elsewhere. Oh NO... I can't believe I just said that!

I'll go one better and say the Rem 760, 30-06 ... I like the older model pump better because it has the same feel as my old Rem 870 Wingmaster... not sure why I haven't gotten one yet... maybe because I need another gun like I need a hole in my head. My buddy lent me his for a few hunts some years ago... I took a nice 8-point in the ADKs, and 2 bucks in Maine with it... the thing was a tack driver.

Not sure why... but this thought entered my head a bit ago. We have been hearing from many, many, hunters about the lack of deer they are seeing this season... most of them questioning the DEC's assessment of the deer population and complaints about the number of does being killed and tags being given maybe causing the lessening population. But, in all the talk about the lack of deer I didn't hear a single hunter say that they would be okay not filling their tags. Seems to me if a dip in the population is what you think the problem is you wouldn't be working so hard to add to the problem by going all out to fill tags. I'm not sure I agree with the lessening population thing, but I found the lack of hunters willing to personally not fill tags to keep from continuing the "population plunge" interesting.

H&R Handy rifle... single shot 30-06

Actually the only reason anyone should get shot in the woods is if they are hunting with attire that can't be seen by other hunters. I can see someone shooting at a deer not knowing someone is sitting against a tree 100 yards away in the same path. All the rest that has been mentioned may be reasons why hunters get shot, but all can be avoided simply by hunters doing what they were suppose to have learned in their hunters safety course. the real reason shootings occur is because a hunter has made killing a deer more important than safety.

I add a camera, cell phone, small flashlight with extra batteries, whistle, fire starter, compass, a hand full of small candy bars, a paracord bracelet and a leatherman tool

Yeah... the days of the deer drives have dwindled as well. Probably less shots at running deer. More Blaze orange. Less hunters. Scoped rifles. More private land with limited hunters. Self imposed antler restrictions. Many factors have changed since I started hunting that would tend to curb accidental shootings.

Silver skin cooks away in the crock pot... pressure cooker works really well too.

The crock pot will make any cut of meat tender if you cook it long enough... try making a yankee pot roast with the neck... need to add just a little suet to fatten things up a bit and make a gravy... but it's delicious

To my knowledge the buck has not been officially scored or entered in the NYSBBC... but the scores posted look pretty accurate as gross scores to me

Because there is no reason to doubt until there is proof of wrong doing... you wouldn't like people questioning the legality of your deer without proof... still innocent 'til proven guilty in my book. There is no justification for accusing someone of something based on nothing. If someone has proof, provide it or shut up I say.

Anyone stupid enough to go into the vast wilderness without the proper equipment... most likely will not have the smarts to survive if they get lost. I've been hunting the ADK's for 30 years and consider myself a pretty good woodman and survivalist... but I would never enter those woods without at least a compass and something to make a fire... and if you don't know how to properly use either of those two things... they will be useless to you anyway... in which case knowing a good prayer is helpful to make good with God before you die.

I can say with certainty I will not be eating testicles... they might be great, but I don't swing that way.

The difference is those guys did something wrong... this guy hasn't. The truth is some NY hunter's have never seen a buck that big and don't believe they exist in NY... LOL Those same guys question and deny anyone else's success until they get a deer... then they plaster their deer photos everywhere like suddenly they became the worlds best hunter... it's just how some people are... the old "ya can't fix stupid thing"

That buck could possibly make 170... but only because it's a main frame 6x6... and has enormous mass... tines are not super long but there are a lot of them...there are also a couple points questionable as to where they come of the beam and if they have a common base with another point or not... it will for sure gross very high.. we'll have to see beyond that. This is one of those bucks that the score matters little as to how nice a buck it is. That buck will score as a typical probably if there are no issues with common points... only 2 extra abnormals otherwise

there is another photo I'll post later

Working on him now.. we'll have to wait and see