phade

If you like Ohio's management system, quit hunting in New York State and go hunt Ohio! Don't forget to bring your wallet either.$$$$$ You may want to re-read. In reference to the group's proposal, I never said..."I, me, we,".....I said "they"...which last I remember from school, meant a group that "I" was not a part of. My only insertion was my opinion of Ohio's system, and the relative lack of awareness of developing a "system" that likely isn't as good as what is already available for adoption. That said, Ohio should be the state all other state's look to, to manage their deer. They balance biology, hunters, and finances. They balance the trio perfectly. And, one of the best counter points to your lovely statement...ever look at the cost of an out-of-state license for Ohio vs. NY. Bet you can't guess which one costs more to deer hunt a season (bow/gun/mz)?

Nice job on the pics... Do you know anything about the corn as far as it coming down? Fresh cut corn fields are always worth inspection. If the corn is coming down, or recently came down, say within 2-3 days....I'd hunt in that area. Check for trails entering the fields, and ones that paralell the field. The parallel trails can be good places because deer can stage there in the evenings before entering the field. Depending on acorns in the area, the corn may be a real draw, especially if there's not much corn around in the area and acorns production is light. I live and hunt in farmland and can attest to seeing a buck at one place in the morning returning to bed, and seeing the same buck almost a mile away in the evening in a cut corn field. I'm sure other can vouch for similar experiences. Inside corners are also worth picking out. Because it's hilly, although you may have a predominant wind direction, you'll likely be playing the swirling winds and thermals game. Although not a steadfast rule, thermals will rise in the a.m. as the temp heats up and drop as temps do in the evening. Play the wind while on stand, and entering and exiting. I like the box in the lower right of the first pic, it's worth inspecting. The second pic...I think you answered your own question...although things can change in three weeks, your visual sighting is a good confirmation and a good place to "start out." At the very least, spending some time in a stand there may clue you in to a needed move, such as seeing deer take a specific trail that you were unaware of before. As far as scents, brands are like cars, bows, etc. People have their favorites. I'm leery of scents, and will only buy Trophy Blend from a commerical standpoint for ease of use. Specifically, I'll order fresh stuff from Northern Whitetails. But, I typically only use it when decoying and very limited as the breeding starts...trying to peg a buck that isn't locked down. Just remember not to get discouraged, and learn from mistakes that you recognize. I'm not the best hunter in the world, but some of the most valuable hunts I ever had were when I did something wrong and figured it out. I'd be inclined to doing a morning and evening set at two places, unless you plan on sitting all day. Two walks in and out to the same spot just increased your precense to the deer...some people do it regularly and that works for them. I do it on occassion, but prefer two different stand sets when splitting hunts. Plus, you are learning this place...spread your time out in different spots and take notes to clue you in on the local deer movements. That's half the fun!

Agreed. Best way to learn.

I think the devil is in the details.

Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. Ohio. There is a reason why Ohio has quality hunting on a much higher scale. Ohio's DNR is heads and tails above every imagineable state env. agency in the country...with only Iowa coming in, in a not-so-close second (IMO, of course). I don't understand why people who want change feel the need to reinvent the wheel when there's an "as perfect as possible" version that is readily adoptable. Follow Ohio's deer management system, and life will be great. They should simply pitch Ohio's program. Choking down OBR, a shorter gun season, etc. has the same odds as passing OBR and width criterion. And, safe to say, Ohio's been able to demonstrate success on a statewide scale...their system is proven.

If you know the address, go to bing/google earth, etc. Get the most detailed aerial and throw it in MSPaint and remove the relevant location information...then post it up here. The aerial will provide much more info to all of us and we can point you in the right general direction and explain why. That'll prove to be a much greater learning experience for you, and you'll retain the info a little better. Fields are all situational in my book, at least at this time of year. Unless the does are on the field in the evening like clockwork, I'd start looking for staging areas, funnels, and travel corridors between bedding and food sources. Bucks are going to start roaming a bit this weekend and I'd want to get in a spot that puts me as close to them as possible at some point. Fields can be big and once they're on it, there's no guarantee that the buck will come close enough to you. I prefer being off the field, on a staging trail or on one where the buck can see/scent check for does in estrous. Bring the calls...people have different techniques for what works at this time of the year. Go with your gut. Sometimes too much calling can be done...but there's also times where agressive calling seals the deal. Same with scents. If you want to play it safe, bring the calls, and only use them if you see a deer that's out of range and does not appear that it will come within shooting range.

What about the ticks? Don't they have rights, too?

One of the THE biggest mistakes hunters make, in my opinion, is being too fearful of a move in-season. Granted, it needs to be done smart, but the people who do this generally are more successful than if they simply remained status quo. Heck, I've moved stands 10 yards, and it made all the difference. Do it keeping your scent in check as best as possible, play the wind, and enter/exit smart. First time in rule is in effect. Get it done!

Practice to 45-50. I've been fortunate to have some up close stand shots the past few seasons, but I typically range 0-25. I have a few stands where 40+ yards are available. Situation needs to be right to consider a shot over 35.

Him and his hunting partner wrestled with the buck for a few minutes...I doubt the first thing he was really thinking about was the deer's tongue. They were high fiving and chatting for about 5 minutes before reaching down for the buck, at which point it came alive. Hearing it first person was amazing...you could tell in his voice that it was quite the event. Choosing the words for print was even more challenging, ha!

Depending on where you are in relation to the noreaster..I'd say hunt. Seems like I see plenty of deer movement about 50 percent of time time when windy. Generally the wind will be constant in one general direction, so choose the right wind stand and hunt. The real key is IF you are not seeing deer during the heavy winds, then you are out there when they stop blowing so hard. Deer will be up and moving to feed after the front/storm passes. If that means sitting through a bit of wind, then so be it. I see lots of people saying I'm gonna sleep in and hunt the afternoon....to me, there's a big difference between riding out the wind in the morning and being right there in the stand at the time movement picks up, and slumbering out the stand AFTER the winds die. You're either missing the movement or walking in it. That said, the afternoon should be good though.

yeah...I'm checked out. Only a few more hours of work. At least I am working from home today...I'm mixing in some hunting clothes washing in between work stuff. Can't wait!

SB/SS for everything but the field spray. Always used the HS Scent Away. Not much science has been used comparing them, but one study showed HS was way ahead of other brands.

Ohio. That's what we need....they are a great managed state as far as DNR. Move gun season to Monday after T-day... run it for 9 or 11 non-consecutive days - Mon-Sun for first week, then one or two Sat/Sun following weekends. OBR. No AR. Not a huge fan of OBR, but it can help. Only 5k or so hunters report two bucks killed in a season (don't bring in the reporting situation...I understand some may not report). Still, I think it would limit hunters to being VERY SURE of the tag being filled. I personally don't like the idea of not being able to take a buck with family during gun season if I've tagged during bow, but I guess I could deal. That's just a tough personal pill to swallow. As mentioned, it'd be a cold day in hell here before this flies.

Dan is a serious bowhunter...it's all he does. He runs a custom gunsmithing shop in Lancaster (I think) and only has time to chase whitetails...not much other hunting. He's taken quite a few big bucks...he actually had to wrestle with this one along with a hunting friend. Quite an interesting story. He credited some of the success to a scent trail he laid down...it gave him just enough time to shoot. His gunsmithing abilities apparently are world-renowned...I think he's a big player in the handgun shooting circuit...

I'm jealous. Do you have a meat pole? I'd love to hear about the other "amenities"...Went turkey hunting in Chenango Co. with a friend this year who had a cabin set way back. I enjoy turkey hunting, but it doesn't hold a candle to deer hunting for me...yet that weekend hunt was right up there with the most memorable hunts ever. had one heck of a thunderstorm the first evening there...fired up the wood stove and I slept like a baby.