SilentStalker

I too recently started bowhunting and was steered toward John Dudley's videos at Nock On Archery. He has some awesome step by step tutorials on YouTube for form that really helped me progress quickly. I think he called them "weekly lessons" or something along those lines. He also has some basic 101 videos. I shot a ton from Spring - through hunting season to get comfortable. Good luck!

I asked my Euro guy to use an old piece of barnwood for a mount he did for me and I think it came out pretty cool, if you like the rustic sort of thing. He said a lot of customers have been requesting it after he showed it around.

Where's my Vig ?!?! I know you read the fine print in our contract...

Considering the items people will actually spend money on these days, you're likely to have a successful venture!

Lint is a good lightwieght tool to have in the arsenal to assist with fire starting.

We have some serious lookers on all of the Capital District news channels currently!!! Watching the news more than ever, even though I stopped listening months ago ....

There is nothing better than in-person training (if done by the right qualified people) for firearms safety. If given the choice, I would rather have a required in-person firearms safety course than an in-person hunter course. I know firearms safety is a large part of the hunter course, but there is much to be learned when handling a firearm, especially to someone who has never even seen one.

I wonder about this as well...I have a x-bow and compound and use each as the law dictates depending on were I am hunting. As someone who transitioned from x-bow to compound in the last couple years, I find the compound much more versatile when setting up stands and such. My x-bow shoots awesome and is deadly, but it's cumbersome in a tree when its game time imho. But its hard to discredit all of the + sides of using the x-bow vs compound.

Sorry for your loss.

So Trump was chastised for this way of thinking several months ago and now Andy will be hailed a hero for saving so many businesses on the brink....They basically said the same thing. I'm sorry, but this is hypocrisy at its worst. I know a bunch of people who have lost everything and for Andy to say this is a huge slap in their face. I know this because that's what they told me.

Nice, Love a good Euro. That mount is slick too, assuming it tilts?

Definitely keeping at it! I've been in parties where we've approached the 40'' mark, just wasn't my turn in the rotation. When I'm with my brothers and close friends, we often rotate flags so we can all catch something. A buddy catching a slammer on my rig is just as enjoyable as me as far as I'm concerned. Pay it forward as they say. I know about Durant, but my buddies always want to fish different water when we head up that way. Beautiful Northern!

While I am new to the game, my brother has researched extensively and is assisting me along the way. He echoes Culver's advice with Minnesota Trapline and also has had good experiences with Hoosier.

I never fished Oneida, should have when i lived in Oswego. I usually headed North for Northerns or to Otisco for trout/tigers. Still trying to catch a tiger, its bucket list fish of mine as is a 40" Northern.

Any diehards on here? I would hardly call myself a diehard, but icefishing is a close second to deer hunting for me. I love getting together with a few friends and brothers fishing with tipups and BS'ing all day. There is usually some gambling involved - biggest fish, most fish, etc. that by all accounts, the winner spends on rounds for all after a good day on the ice.

I do it more to see what it out there as well. Most of my favorite pics are not of deer, but other wildlife. I don't have cell cams and set my cams in areas that are near entrance/egress routes for less disturbance. That being said, I will do a quick scan at the cam location and may adjust where I sit based upon what the cam reports.

Sent my completed packet out yesterday. Will advise when i receive my certificate. That's assuming i passed! I agree, the handwriting requirement made this difficult for me. Was tempted to have one of my daughters write my answers in.

I need to see this thing in action asap - Double Tap!

I too was advised to do the in person as well when it comes back up.

Agreed, my bro is rather new to it (3rd year) and is loving it. He is "self taught" so i think that pushes him a little more to succeed. Kind of like tying your own flies and catching fish.

No problem guys, I know a few people who have received the packet in the mail and are working through it now.

Send an email request to the [email protected] . A specific DEC rep answered him, but I think the request goes to the shared mailbox.

My brother traps but some of our friends group have not taken the course. My brother reached out to [email protected] regarding potential course offerings and below is the response he received for anyone that may be interested. Good afternoon, In order for New York State to accept a hunter, bowhunter, or trapper education certificate, it must come from a course that meets the minimum standards set forth by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA). Unlike the hunter and bowhunter education courses, there is no pre-existing online trapper education course that meets this standard. This means that NYS will not accept any trapper education certificate earned online at this time. We are in the process of creating our own NYS online trapper education course, but this is proving to be a lengthy process and it will not be finished in time for this year’s (2020-2021 license year) trapping seasons. However, it will be ready prior to next year’s (2021-2022 license year) trapping seasons. We are currently offering a mail-in home study trapper education course for NY residents. For this course, we mail you the reading materials, worksheets, and final exam. You provide postage and mail the completed portions back to us. If you pass the worksheets and final exam with an 80% or higher, we will mail you your certificate. There is no need to go to an in-person course, but you are welcome to if you decide that you would like the hands on instruction; in that case you can show your certificate in place of the required homework. Please note that depending on the volume of home study course participation, it may take up to 2-4 weeks for your certificate to be mailed after your packet has been received. Additionally, if the governor mandates that our offices must close again, we will not be able to grade returned packets until we reopen. If you are interested in this option, please provide your full name, mailing address, and county.

TRUST YOUR GUT... Based upon past observations and cams, I hung a set in early October in an area I believe to be a buck cruising area between thick bedding during the rut. Not a ton of buck sign, but usually a couple active scrapes nearby. There was only one suitable tree without causing a stir in the woods with having to cut lanes, etc. etc. so I settled... Being a longtime gun hunter and new bow hunter, I have found myself setting up out of range for bow shots (Limit I set for myself is 25-30 yards - Comfortable to 40 at the range but we all know that means nothing in the woods haha). As I completed my 3rd all day sit from this location during Veterans week, i was happy with the action with younger bucks visible and actively pushing does. The majority of the does were funneling up or down the ridge at 40 yards and out of range for me on the edge of the cover trying to escape the boys. After watching this unfold over a those days, I told myself many times that the stand needed to be moved in tighter. I had the tree picked out and everything, it just needed some pruning work as it is very thick. However, I stayed put for two reasons - it's the rut, anything can happen and I didn't want to blow up the woods with a move as I had been undetected (as far as I knew) to that point. I decided it would be an off season adjustment. Fast forward a few days - It was a crisp cool morning and the wind was right, little dusting overnight - I was able to get set up with no issues and within 15 minutes, I spot one of the target bucks on the property coming through all alone. He was sniffing, but more or less relaxed. He comes across a small swail and freshens a scrape. He's coming right at the tree I'm in, game on. I was already standing and as he gets to 30 yards, he stops behind some thick brush to decide next move. If he goes straight or left, he's in range, if he goes right, he skirts me next to the thick cover and provides no shot. I draw with no reaction from the buck, but he chooses the path to the right, like many of the deer I previously witnessed had. As he slowly moves up the ridge, I let off and hit the grunt tube as he gets to 60 yards. It stops him, but only momentarily for a quick peek. He then meanders out of sight... After the encounter, I was both ecstatic at the opportunity to see such a deer so close, but also a bit dejected because he is a buck I had two encounters with the previous season from other stand locations and this was three strikes... Moral of the story - Had I moved the stand and all things remained the same, he's broadside at 10 yards...We've all battled the should I stay or should I move mental struggle, but trusting yourself and observed deer behavior should be high on the charts when strategizing. I am far from a lazy hunter, but I didn't adapt when i knew I needed to, even if the rut was in full swing. I was too concerned with spooking deer out of the area than knowing it was time to get aggressive. As far as i know, the buck made it through the season and I look forward to continuing the saga next year!

We are in year 5 or 6 at this point in the western ADK's, historically one of the lower deer density areas in the state. The logging has led to more wildlife sightings in general. We are running approximately 20-30 cameras at anytime during the year. For example, we have had moose sightings, hare sightings (never previously), turkeys (rare), more than usual grouse around, while also having more deer who wont go to yard at the first snowfall. We documented more bucks on our cameras this year than any of the last 16 I've been up there. Obviously many factors must be looked at when deciding why, but i find it difficult to not see the relation between the two.