genesee_mohican

I was on the bottom, East side, all day Friday below Guile Rd (22) and Saturday below Mile Marker 18, Ridge Rd. The river flow was normal. I get down there in the dark and usually sit all day. Friday I did a little walking around on the bottom. It's amazing to see how many tree stands are popping up down there. I'm a bit discouraged, but that's how it goes on state land.

Four Season Whitetails, With all due respect, I truly believe you have been misled by rumors. I live very close to the Park and the Mt. Morris Dam. I hike and scout the park year round and am in the park.....hunting.... sunrise to sunset for about 10 days each season. Deer sightings this season have been low for everyone in the area, in the Park, 5 miles from the park and beyond. I would say it's mainly due to the warm weather. Things have just been slow out there since early November. I will, however, shed some light on the rumors: 1) Letchworth did need to reduce the herd at the very south end of the park and used sharp shooters 2 winters ago to do so. The herd was in bad shape, over populated to the extent they were in poor health and damaging the vegetation in that area of the park. Beyond that, there has been no herd reduction by the park. If a management tool was implemented, it would be public knowledge. 2) You said...."New reports out of the park is that with all the complaints with lack of deer reported.The bottom was flooded to push the deer up into the hardwoods." This is totally false! I have been hunting the bottom during bow and the first week of gun so far. Sure, the river was up a few feet......... as the entire area saw over an inch of rain on Nov 22nd, and 23rd, but the bottom was not flooded. I was on the bottom, close enough to throw a line in, and can tell you that even within a few miles of the dam, the river was well within it's banks. Anyone believing deer numbers are down in the park should take a long walk there a day after a fresh snow fall. I think you'll be amazed at the amount of deer tracks you see. It has been an odd deer season for me and others. Lower than normal deer sightings and lower than normal shooting. Then again, it's been 25 degrees above normal and pretty windy. Let's hope the temps drop and some snow falls. Good luck to you Four Seasons, and all huntingny.com Deer Hunters!! GM

I had an adult bear walk by at 30 yds during bow in 8M. Big, beautiful animal. I was very thankful to see one.

A half a mile. I try to get as far off the road as possible and away from every one.

I use ALL Free and Clear year round for my cloths. It doesn't have any scent. I got the tip from an article by Bobby Worthington of North American Whitetail Magazine. I only use baking soda to brush my teeth.

Things have slowed and I think it's because they have been moving at night when the moon is full and the temps are cooler. I agree with WNYBuckHunter that the last few days of bow and early gun the activity will really pick up. I'm hoping it kicks in tomorrow!

Things were quiet in 8M the last few days. I sat all day Friday the 4th and most of Sat. Saw a few young bucks cruisin' for doe and chasing them and their fawns, but no sightings of a mature buck out making the rounds. Things should begin to heat up soon.

Post meant for Four Season Whitetails

Congrats New York Hunter, that's a nice buck. Are you hunting the West side or East?, not that it matters much as they cross the river with ease. I've had my trail cam out, and hunt on the east side, have seen a few nice bucks, but no giants. I've been hunting the park for 3 years now. I go deep and stay all day on many hunts, but have yet to get a shot at a shooter (in my book is 120 ish and up). I find there are many factors that make this a challenging place to hunt, so I tip my hat to you.

Last Saturday (the 22nd) I saw a 2.5 120" buck hounding a doe pretty hard. He was grunting and sticking to her like glue.

I like to let mine soak for at least 10 days. Then I swap the card out, add new batteries if needed and relocate them to a new area. I also try to be as scent free as possible when setting them up, and if you can put them out just before a hard rain...all the better.

Awesome pictures, some of the best I've seen. Great job on the setup.

Sometimes deboning in the field is the only good option, unless you want to spend days getting the beast out. I hunt a few miles off the road in pretty steep terrain. I always carry several bags and a knife ready for the task. Here is a good video that shows how to debone on the ground: **Note that you don't need to 'gut' the deer and you don't need a saw. With a friend or 2 you can pack the deboned meat, hide and skull out in one shot. As far as tagging goes: Per the NYS DEC website under the "Tagging" section: "You do not need to attach the tag to the carcass while it is being dragged or physically carried from the place of kill to a camp or point where transportation is available." http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html) You do need to tag each bag before loading into your vehicle for transport. Under the "Transportation" section: " All portions of deer or bear meat being transported by the taker shall be individually tagged and the tags shall include the name, address, big game license number, the date that the portions were cut, and the signature of the taker. " As far as leaving the ribcage behind....are you supposed to bag the gut pile and take that out too? G.M.

Great pictures and nice job on producing that video. Thanks for sharing. GM

I think they study how to bamboozle people. Somebody?

Here are some of my favs: Stream fishing for wild trout; Ultra lite spinning; Open lake Norther Pike fishing with live bait and casting; Perch fishing; Walleye in the Genesee and SM Bass anywhere.

In the fall I like to place my trail camera facing an apple tree that is dropping bushels of apples a week onto the ground. I also like to hang some doe lure about 15 feet in front of my set up during and after the breeding season. Another favorite set up is facing a farmers freshly picked corn field where there are dozens of bushells of dropped corn scattered about. During the winter months I have the camera set up in areas with a mix of pine cover and favored browse adjacent to picked corn fields.

Great pics WNY Bowhunter My trail cams are still showing a lot of bucks with both antlers in place here.

Feb 4th, 2008 3 F and heading out to the corn after dark.

I learned that going into the woods before dark and not coming out until after dark (spending all day in the stand) is very enjoyable and big bucks often move at mid day.

I agree with all that 132 eight pointer said. I hunted there during bow, gun and black powder season. Some days I saw deer, others I saw none. You have to be in pretty good shape to hunt some areas, but it's worth it if you want to get away from it all. They have antler restrictions in place. A buck needs to have at least 3 points on one side.

I've been bow hunting 32 years, and have shot my share of 1.5 old bucks. It was great. Today I choose to pass on smaller bucks during archery season and don't have regrets if I get skunked. I figure I can always shoot a doe later in the gun or black powder season for meat. I sit a lot of hours during bow and like being out there. I like the challenge of hunting older bucks and the rewards it can bring. In the past 3 seasons, I've passed at least 25 bucks that were year and a half old and have not filled my buck tag. I did take one doe with my bow in that time. I don't see changing as I'm enjoying bow hunting to the max.

"The difference between success and failure in your early-season exploits could come down to managing your stand setups effectively without broadcasting your intentions to the trophy buck you're targeting." http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/huntingtactics/NAW_stand_0710/index.html Great advise, check it out.