thunnus

Regarding spotlighting: I'm more concerned w/ people effectively casing the joint to see what (game) I have inside my property lines and poaching-coming in and stealing it. Consider it this way, having some guy w/ a slimjim (in his hands or in it's case-it's of no consequence or relevance) looking into your car to see what stereo you have inside is a concern. But becomes a much bigger concern when they break into your car and steal the stereo once they have looked to see what's inside. How many stereo thieves do you know that break into a car w/ out looking inside first?. I think everyone, myself included, finds it hard to find fault in what they enjoy doing. If it is private land, especially where the owner pays taxes into the community to keep the civil services we all enjoy, you should not harass the game inside of it. It simply isn't yours. Don't forget county taxes fund the public lands we all enjoy hunting. Let's take a very simple example. You're my neighbor and we have a field split by our property line. Anytime you see a deer on my side you honk a horn or blind it w/ a 1/2 million candlestick light. Remember how many more rods deer have in their eyes than we do and much more sensitive they are to it. I understand that you may enjoy peering into cars to look at stereo trends or even what your neighbor may have but W(ho)TF are you to do so? Don't walk on private property, don't harass game on private property and don't poach private property. (And just w/ reference to the previous post, it's a slippery slope when you justify your actions to those that are simply legal and not what may be moral or right)

Thanks state police and dec told me it was legal as long as they weren't shooting. I'll look up that article and law, thank you!

Called the state police in town, a bunch like to hunt. Will see if one is willing to post and patrol in return for being the only person not escorted by me to hunt it. Again I appreciate all the perspectives even the ones I really do not agree with (I'm only looking in his car to see what kind of radio, bags, keys he has you know if something falls out of the car out of their property). Don't walk on my land, don't disturb my game, you can shoot it or shine it when it's on your land, not mine.

Well Bubba it's gotten to the point that I see more deer on state land in Suffolk County then I seen 200 private acres upstate of hardwoods swamp ponds and streams fields conifer including hemlock Groves

I really appreciate all the responses. Due to the amount of road frontage and the slope of the land screening is not practical Spotlighting is how they find them and there's really no reason they should be doing that I'm less concerned with that than with someone shooting me in my own woods, taking deer we manage or simply the liability associated with poachers hurting themselves or eachother. I was shot by the careless guest of a friend on a pheasant hunting trip in Northern California back in 07 from 5 feet with a 20 gauge believe me it's no fun I got to get them off my land You can only prosecute if you post and all they do is tear down the posted signs. Metal signs are expensive, almost willing to give someone access to the land for a year if they post it and patrol it. When I say patrol it I mean be stern with those that need to be Sternly and get them prosecuted

It's posted, 1/2 is patrolled (a slower w/ Age ex and great deer hunter and ex marine). There just doesn't seem to be any respect for people's property. Land we purchased, maintain, finance, insure and pay an exorbitant amount of tax on. It's posted, they tare it down. People Spotlight our fields then spread the word of the bucks they see. I've spent 10 years pushing people off land, paying to keep habitat right/mixed, and culling bucks w/ bad genetics. The dividends are paying off, but the more monsters they see the more of a problem the poachers become. Separate thought, why is spotlighting legal at all, let alone on someone else's private property? Any advice much appreciated. It's just gotta stop, it's literally theft.

Thanks for the responses. It's for a hunting area where we are contemplating installing internet and have a huge problem w/ trespassing poachers. Bad enough they take our deer, would like to make sure they don't take our camera gear/SIMM card etc.. Too remote for cell service, 100 miles from where we live.

I hope that this is the right forum. Have a scoped marlin 336 lever action where hammer doesn't hit primer hard enough. Pretty freaky to take out a 35 Remington round w/ a dimpled primer. Sending it into marlin will take too much time and didn't want to remove scope. Has anyone here had a positive experience w/ a gunsmith in Sullivan, orange, Nassau, Suffolk, westchester, or dutchess counties? Anyone fix this w/ a marlin 336? Had it professionally cleaned but same problem. Thank you in advance

I was under the impression it was a 10acre minimum in east hampton as well from conversations w/ the town clerks office (unless you are a resident owning or leasing just sufficient that you are 150 feet from road or inhabited dwelling - that includes summer people's places). Worse yet, if you wish to hunt the numerous town hunting properties you have to be escorted by a local resident who is licensed to hunt. But almost all the parking spots are limited to one car and one hunter. Meanwhile they are contemplating hiring sharp shooters to cull deer at night over bait. The good news may be that the 150' from a house may open up some other opportunities in other east end towns. Also there is a fair amount of state and county land in east hampton from cedar point to Montauk lighthouse

Anyone else have trouble getting the firing pin on the marlin 336 to engage the primer? Took a 5 year break from hunting, didn't fire gun once. Back in the field, took a five pointer. Follow on shot didn't engaged, blamed ammo. Fast forward a year, fired and didn't engage. Took it to local gunshop, they blamed carbon buildup and cleaned it. (Durring season afraid to send deer running didn't fire till I had a large buck dead to rights). Didn't fire again same problem. Can't find a downstate gunsmith and don't want to remove scope and ship to marlin

A spike dwarfed by most pics on this site, here it is as we butchered him

Works in Norway

Couldn't go through the spine. Stuck out like a pin cushion. Archery store told me w/ youth bow, use hornets (thin broadheads), vs wasps. I shot a wasp and haven't been happy w/ penetration. If you fish, Think of it like using a thinner hook on lighter line. In any case just my humble experience and opinion. Wish I had access to ballistic gel.

Epilogue: thanks for the encouragement, offers to help and perspective. Stayed out of woods yesterday couldn't this morning. One of those perfect days, hunted from ground (to be more sure of shot), passed on a doe as I was waiting for a buck in tow, passed on a second doe as at end of my range. A spike followed her trail, waited for him to present a broadside shot. Took it, instantly doubted shot. This time I waited. No hair, no blood at sight, had breakfast and I waited 2.5 hours. Not a drop of blood, 150 yards east, there he was, placidly posed like he was bedded down. Forelegs folded, lying square between his haunches. Bloated (diaphragm expanded) new instantly got the lung(s). Field dressing, both lungs shredded, shot relatively high in the rib cage, all the blood pooled. Thanks again for the lesson and encouragement to get back out, have the patience to wait (for the shot and retrieval) and the faith to keep looking blood or not.

W/ youth bow, had trouble penetrating spine and thick muscle of shoulder from above/stand-horrible experience of lost/injured game. From the ground, was able w/ light bow from ground "button hole" the animal, clean kill double lungs in and out of rib-cage. I didn't think it would matter till it happened to me. Not saying it's gospel, perhaps anecdotal, but I'm not shooting deer from a stand w/ my youth bow any more.

I wouldn't suggest diamond edge from stand but clean through double lung on this spike from ground.

I'm floored that you found the sheds then the former owner. As an ex biologist makes for one heck of a study. Well done!

I'd agree w/ longbow, that's how I started. First I couldn't reach top then dad was strong enough to bend it and string it for me. Ironically I shoot a youth diamond c: ok set up, been meaning to switch drop away rest for whisker biscut. Shoots (or claims to) 300 fps at full draw (29" vs 26" or so). Good thing is that it is adjustable and super light. Had a clean kill from ground at 40 yards first year I had it. Shot 100 grains broadhead into a deer directly below stand and couldn't penetrate spine. Made that sound like when you miss a target for wooden backdrop and stood straight up, didn't seem to penetrate through/around bow. Lost a deer last weekend (myriad of possible reasons) and has me questioning if I should get a grown-up bow. It's just so much lighter and cheaper to equip: kind of like carrying a 20 gauge into the field vs a 12

Good morning guys: hope you are reading this from the stand as you wait to climb down and field dress a deer this Saturday morning. Searched high and low on the net and this forum. Is there a trail cam, security cam, app for a motion sensor on a go pro, that if my camera is w/in range of my wifi or wifi repeater it can email or text me pictures? If there is a forum that addresses this, I apologise and ask you direct me to it. Remember looking to send via my wifi at home vs cellular service. Thank you in advance!

My sympathies. W/ a dr note you may not have to loose the season if you have access to a crossbow

I remember reading in an ornithology article to set up the dummy in a different manner, more gradual, as a sum of the parts not a person. First set out boots, introduce gloves, a week later put pants in boots, a week later a torso, stuff sleeves, etc. The thing that really stuck out was to of course dress the same way, replacing the "dummy" but also to introduce exaggerated eyes one at a time. Hope it helps.

I am sorry that I do not have an update since yesterday's bad news, an animal and a resource squandered. Tried calling in a day off to continue search and didn't go over well. Did speak to the dec about ethics of "unretrieved" game. Said I could call it in as a kill against my dmp, but as a doe in 1c they would issue me another tag. Having the heavy debate if I should go back in the woods. I think the only way to do it would be from a ground blind and to take a lot of the (educated) guess work out of arrow placement and have a better shot at lung-ideally both lungs-w/ a lot less guess work.

Story doesn't end well, but some lessons learned. 1) Even from short range and a stand, wait for a broadside shot. 2) Steer away from stand sites where there is a large area for deer to drop where you can't see >5' from you. You may be 10' from it the entire time you are walking through it and will never know it. 3) wherever that shot lands/hits, there is no reason not to wait to search for that deer (if shot in the morning) for at least 2-3+ hours. 4) call ahead and see what leashed dog tracking services are available in the area you wish to hunt (don't count on 1) there being one in that area & 2) or even available) 5)when hunting public lands after the open (especially on dry windy days) be aware that you can cross bloodtrails. 6) the H2O2 trick you read about doesn't work in practice, will by some of the illuminating blood/trail finder. :. I) Ask the dec to have game reporting for downed or lost game, this way they have better figures for the actual deer killed vs harvested and people in the field II) see if every county could have a dec officer w/ dog to search and find game, even poachers (optional 5$ stamp on tags could fund it)

I've been back searching. She ran off w/ arrow in her. Trudged through swamp and didn't find arrow. Back on blood trail, significantly tougher to find as blood has dried. Will give it a couple more hours, then wait till rifle season. Will update if I have good news. Once again, thanks again

To everyone, thank you. To jb4900 my second season w/ a bow but 10 for 10 w/ rifle upstate. Waited an hour before climbing down. Packed everything out (other way away from deer) and didn't start search for 90 minutes. To your point, not enough experience yet to get this right. Thank you again, will follow your advice.