phade

I can see why people are turned off at the TV antics, but trying to address how people celebrate in private...that's uber-douchey in my view. If someone shows remorse, I don't knock them. That's their response and that's fine - hunting means different things to different people and the respect is paid in different ways. If someone wants to whoop it up because they are genuinely excited (with nobody around, lol)...go for it. It was so warm last year, I didn't either. Mine was caped in the field (I HATE doing that) and then we pretty much quartered the front shoulders off and brough the rest up. Wasn't really truck photo worthy at that point. Plus it was like midnight when all said and done. Next one poses in the carpeted sissy truck.

I don't like it when I make a bad shot for the reason of the animal suffering more than it should ideally. If I down a buck, I don't care what you think. I'm celebrating in the way I see fit. It won't be overboard, but I don't really care if you think it is. Celebrating at a succesful hunt is warranted. I put in the hard work. I reap the rewards of success or share in the success of a friend. I spend more time prepping for hunting than I do actually hunting. It's meeting a goal. It's completing a mission I have. One thing that always irks me, are the ones who say taking a pic of the buck in the back of a truck is in bad taste. That you need to have nice field pics. Sure, a nice field pic is indeed fun. But, what I remember most, is the buck in the back of the truck, and that's the pic I like to have, if I can. The journey ends there, for me. If you don't like it, pound sand.

That isn't the QDMA's fault...that's the idiots practicing TDM passing it on for QDM. It's like saying Algebra and Geometry are the same. One is completely different than the other - despite both being math (or a management style). Do you raise deer? If so, I can understand your frustration with the QDMA and their take on captive whitetail herds. You never answered that question last time. Back to the general topic. I don't want "guys" running the hunting season. I want sound principles paired with sound management and hunter tools. A balance between biology, hunter desire, and management. Face it, most of the AR crowd doesn't know AR from a hole in the ground - they simply think it means bigger bucks running everywhere to shoot at. If you deny that, then you must lack "common sense" as NYAntler says. After 10 years of Antler Point Restrictions in Mississippi, research conducted by Mississippi State University revealed 4 serious problems. 1. High Grading causes reduced antler mass and tine length in bucks of all age classes. 2. A class of permanently protected inferior bucks is created. This group becomes larger over time, using up valuable resources and doing much of the breeding. 3. Saving yearling bucks does not increase the harvest of mature bucks in the future. 4. The total buck harvest drops significantly over time. Antler size within the same classes decreased 5-9 inches on 2.5 yo and 10-17 inches on 3.5 yo. You stated that there has never been evidence of AR being a bad management tool...well, there you have it. Every study I have ever read on AR has shown a decrease in antler size per age class after long-term AR implementation. Permanently protecting inferior bucks is also bad for management because the numbers compound over time - I could care less about genetics in nearly all cases, but allowing bucks that won't meet the AR standards to compound and live long lifespans, consuming resources and breeding...that's not sound management. It all boils down to trigger control. Educate, don't legislate.

Wow...that's good pricing for vaccum seal for my neighborhood. Most places paper wrap at that price.

Common sense? AR is common sense? Your world is twisted, sir. AR is a poor management tool for a variety of reasons, amongst hygrading, removing choice of buck harvest, and the fact that it would still require major changes to the management system to accomdate a statewide use of AR (even AR catered to specific regions) - similar to any other change anyone here has proposed. If AR was common sense, there would be MAJOR push from biologists, the QDMA, and all of the major university labs saying to do so statewide/regionally on a governmental/agency level mandate. AR isn't plug and play. You want people knocking on the door with fire and pitchforks - try telling those non and low DMP units they can only shoot bucks with 3 points a side. You want to decide on 3 or 4 point a side rules in historically rich buck hunting counties? The fact is - and this is as much of a fact as your common sense statement - is that AR is nothing more than a veiled attempt to control others' decision making process on what they choose to pull the trigger on so those who want AR, can have big bucks behind every tree. You don't have big bucks on the wall or running on your ground? Become a better hunter - NY has plenty of big bucks. Become a better land or resource manager. Make AR the rule on your private ground if you so feel inclined. Have that discussion with the neighbors, etc. Jeremy Hurst is our state's deer guru. Like him or hate him, he is our man. If he was convinced it was "common sense"....there wouldn't be the position the DEC has on it today. So, your "common sense" that you portray isn't exactly sound. And trust me, if AR was the end-all be-all, the QDMA would be on board for mandates across the board. They are not. What's that say? The last thing we need is more legislation. Period. One more thing - this notion that hunter numbers are declining - shows you are slowly losing touch with the hunting populous. Hunting numbers have been ticking up - NSSF, QDMA, and even NY license sales indicate it. The upticks have been big in archery, ML, and even female hunters. Is it perfect? No. Is is much better and not "on the cliff" bad like it was 10-15 years ago? Yes. We had a huge thread about it earlier this year and showed that hunter numbers are slightly on the rise as a trend - not a 1 or 2 year bump, but a slow, steady uptick, sort of the like the economy.

And enjoying the benefits of having a video viewed millions of times. Some people view it stupid...some people view it as a moneymaker. I'd dress in a fox outfit for that kind of revenue stream.

Don't toss them. They make great shooting target stands.

1. Sunrise/Sunset 2. Tag filling/reporting/using other tags AND DMP abuse - using wrong DMP WMU 3. Trespassing

Some people get it, some people are in the process of getting it, and some people will never get it.

That's funny talk on this site. Many here bank on plopping in a funnel in November for success. OP - Not really following "damaging" something? What are you trying to "save from damage"?

Odd, the harder I work at becoming a better hunter, the luckier I get.

That wasn't clear. You said another hunter, which indicates knowledge of said hunter.

And, there you have it. Your ground, fine. Statewide mandate...irresponsible.

I hope they never jump on bandwagon with AR across the board. It's just not kosher imo.

IL, WI, OH, etc. etc. etc. all have short gun seasons and manage deer numbers just fine and argubaly better than us. It's not illogical to say that we can't do the same...shorten the season and still manage the numbers effectively. AR isn't a tool that is merely implemented and everything "returns" to normal. You eliminate a % of the pool to be harvested and remove choice. OBR provides choice - shoot anything you want. Once you are done, you are done. AR is just bad ju-ju. Simple as that.

Double standard much?

Sometimes its better to not mess with something that works and works well. He has bucks in daylight, so obviously that is working well. That tree works well because it is in cover and near buck bedding.

Nothing beats mandatory check-in, but that's going the way of the do-do in nearly every state. Even Ohio dropped it last year. The next best thing is what the DEC does now. It's hard for many to believe the #s this way, but guess what, choke it down baby. I don't care how good or bad it tastes. It's what you've got to live with at this point in the current conditions.

I don't see NY doing anything other than the whackos spouting off enough to keep pushing the AR agenda. Don't limit my buck tags or season length, but let me dictate to others what they can shoot even more than we do now. Makes total sense. Bow and first week of rifle AR makes zero sense. Zero. Day 8 of the gun season would be nothing but a massive statewide drive-fest. I think it would drive me out of hunting for the season at that point and time. Bow also proportionally represents a small % of the overall harvest...so there's really no benefit to restricting bow. I'm not sure where the logic is in that. All you'd do with gun is shift the harvest % per day in the season to day 8 and beyond. Educate, don't legislate on what people can shoot. OBR...I don't mind it, but again, it's not something that will ever fly. Me on my high horse mode in la-la land - I'd love to see a similar system to IL on the tag allowance. They let resident bowhunters burn both buck tags in bow season if I remember correctly. I'd let the gun hunters have what they have now and not moan if I could burn both my tags in bow season. Then again, they have like half the gun season we do.

Agreed. Too much variation in it, especially from a bowhunting perspective. Hunting a field edge would net me more shootable light than say if I were in deep timber Oct. 1. I can't tell you how many times I've crept out of a spot in timber and made my way to a friend's stand where he still had plenty of shooting light. Let the situation dictate the shooting light or at least allow what Ohio does.

What do you think those brake repairs represent? It's a slippery slope...but a case could easily be made throwing hay and repairing brakes...

Nobody can blame an owner for taking lease money. But, when they don't want it, and instead value the relationship, that's just a great all-around experience. Good to see that's the case here and that the brakes are getting done. What I would do, is take the $1,500 and sock it away each year. He could die tomorrow and you'd be out.

AR as it pertains to current use in NY is to move 75% of 1.5s to 2.5. 3.5 is also not mature, although I consider it "mature" for NY standards, lol.

Nothing wrong with saying to know the deer and the ground you hunt on. But, there are certain themes that generally span any neighborhood or environment. Deer are adaptable, but at the end of the day, it's still a deer. Those principles apply to deer, not the adapted "characteristics".

The referenced article in F&S is the "style" of hunting I practice and a few others here...like gjs4, moog, Sam Potter, and even WNYBuckhunter has talked to me about it and I believe he is incorporating the tactics into his hunts this season. It's generally referenced as "beast" style hunting although not everyone refers to it as that. If you want more info on it, pm me.