16. ga hunter

like mine affordable accurate light to carry its a wolf first two shots right through the center of thpaper plate straight outta the box can't complain. Would like to do a precussion kit gun but just so i can have something i built/ finished exactly the way i want it but..

yes the area i hunt on the nwr seems to have been vacacted by the deer since the snow litterally no sign at all not one track they will more than likely move back in after the snow has been here awhile they like to feed on the old orchards during muzzleloader the spot i sat tonight is a mojar travel route both historically and by tracks in snow they ussually come out of the swamps to dry ground about an hour before sunset although when i went out to the car i did see another hunter trudging out of the swamp grass so they may have been pushed back tonighnt i did hear a couple different rucasses coming from the back edge of the swamp grass but no deer to come out.

right hear ya there ussually have them in the back pack & put on to sit don't wlak with them on myself but have in the pass depends where i go

wear carharts alot blaze from the waist up feel comfortable sit alot when the carharts are on

wed 12/1 woke to rain got ready to head to oak orchard and wathched the news said rain was shifting to snow in buffalo so i headed out to make oak orchard at 800. arrived and rain was shifting to snow headed out behind look over pond lots of sign sat until 1130 snow was coming hard headed to car to go grocery shopping on way out took shot at doe across creek good sized one went out to end and crossed bridge went to look for blood could not find any found her bed with 2 others that i never saw. kept checking because i knew i had a good bead on her with the 16. gauge kept retracing her tracks found a maple sappling that was only 3 ft tall due to my slug ripping it in half clean miss on the doe. guess thats why its called hunting. tested the new hip boots though and they work great. headed to car to find roads to be complete crap decided it was safer to keep hunting rather than drive on the wet sloshy snow covering the roads.Went to the swamp oaks where i missed the buck on thanksgiving but the snow had all the trees hanging low and you could not see far at all headed to car to hunt a more open woods. found fresh tracks at 100 just after the snow let up followed them all after noon but never caught up the deer went onto the no hunting zone. still hunted back toward my car wich was a good distance away. made the road i crossed at 345 saw dec coming as i walked down to the next hedge row he stopped to chat and asked how i was making out. then checked my liscence and asked if my car was the red one the next road over i tiold him yes to wich he asked how i got where i was told him traking he wished me luck and told me that they like to cross the field by my car at dusk went and set up till dark no deer. thursday 12/2 got a late start after walking all day yesterday made it to oak orchard at 930 hunted on iriqouis till 200 saw no deer hunters or sign set up on a filed that butts up to swamps for the afternoon sat until dark no deer. saw six on my way home and another half dozen behind look out pond need to find a shorter way to get out there lots of sign but the 1 mile plus hike really sucks going to check the near end to see if i can find a swamp crossing i can manage with the hip boots very little hunting presure out there saw 2 pheasants back there yesterday

need to catch up hunted wed 11-24 at oak orcahrd started the morning out setting up where i have seen a big buck in the past and sat till my dad arrived after working the night shift. fairly quiet morning heard a rooster cackle a few times after first light hten spotted him in the field milling about he never saw me. my dad pushed the brush to me but no luck. we then went and did our little mini hedge row drive i bumped one doe for him but she was small and running full tilt he did not take a shot.i went and set up at the end of the pines so he could walk them out to me. on the radio my dad said there a hunter i the pines and that he would swing around so i could push the small woods that was to my back. while waiting for him to say he was ready i saw a doe leapt across the row before the pines but saw her too late for any type of a safe shot.pushed the woods with no deer. we then walked a dyke out into the swap and my dad set up for the afternoon where 3 dykes converge i walked the dykes slow and back around to my car spent the afternoon on iriqouis no deer. woke early on thanksgiving and headed to iriqouis pulled into the parking lot at 605 and there where 12 trucks decided to hunt oak orchard instead. set up overlooking a field and some swamped oaks for the mourning about 20 minuets before sun rise it sounded like world war 3 had started on the other side of oak orchard thought it was early myself but later found out it was western new york labrador club hunting ducks i presume. had a small deer which i belive was aa button buck pass at about 800 let him go he headed into the oaks. about 10 minutes after he went in i heard 3 grunts and a deer start haulin through the woods sat until 900 went to the car and finished my coffe/had a smoke. decided to investigate the grunting. headed into the oaks and meandered my way through the high spots. found a nice open area and decided to sit unbuckkled my backpack and a huge swap buck bolts from a brush pile had my gun not been leaning against my hip i would have had a nice broadside shot we he first got up. when i finally got the scope on him i only had a small shoulder running away shot that i took. i listened and could tell he did not go far. waited and started looking for blood could not find any. followed his general direction another 500 yrds he got up again and ran dead away this is when i noticed he was 2 incehs outside of his ears and at least 15 high a vice nice buck no shot it was getting to be about 1130 so i headed home to clean up for dinner.

benny spies is grat imo drag racing a camper nice.... one duck for 30 shots more like the majority i would say and who hunts a golf course??? as far as seeing big bucks have seen one so far this season on my 3rd trip out

hmm weren't midevil archers trained in long and crossbow? i would say a crossbow is archery equipment

what about the guy that passes on a young buck but ultimately shoots one late in gun or muzzle loader because it cuts his meat bill in half for the year? i personally think that hunters need to worry less about what others do and more about themselves if age structe is such an issue what f the state said no bucks for a year or 2? what ould the ar guys say then?

i was thinking the same thing you want a liscence answer these questions. i have to do it to hunt woodcock every fall any how why not. would really get to the bottom of what ny sportsmen and women want

shots were about the same for me hunters did seem down abit on my usual state tract but quite afew when i went down the road. was only able to hunt ast. one thing to keep in mind is that times are changing and many of us younger generation do not have the normal 5 day work week i for instance work as an auto tech and my weekend is wed& thur.

The opener of deer season is finally here, as i head out the door for camp i realize i may have to start sneaking the gun out as to not upset my cocker spaniel. She had a look of dissapointment when i told her to go back in. I made camp at 9:30 and shot the crap with my dad and uncle to plan our opener and decide where we were going. I awoke at 445 to prepare for my journey through the darkness and had some Dr. pepper as not to get razzed by the older men of my clan about not drinking my coffee like a man Black! We were out the door and heading to the woods at 5:25 as we headed off one of the newer fellas at camp had handed his new 870 to my uncle to hold for a min, he then turned and started off with my father and made it halfway to the road before my dad asked what he was doing for a gun.We all had a good laugh first thing too funny. My uncle and i made our trek to our chosen spots together. I needed him to light the side of the ravine as i setteled in for my daylight wait due to the fact i found out that my 2 year old son decided that daddy's hunting flashlight makes a good toy. As i sat and waited for day break i thought how that sun was making a nice apperance slowly over the crest of the ravine i had chosen to sit on for the morning. Day light came but no deer. At about 900 i heard a shot above me and turned my radio on I thought it was my uncle unleashing his bolt action marlin on a ny whitetail but the radio stayed silent until check in at 930. Found out later that the shot had indeed been "spike horn" at 900 but had a radio malfunction and could not inform of his success. I sat on the ravine till 1000 hours but had not seen a single animal all morning and was getting the tingles from my legs falling asleep so i decided to walk the bottom ravine over to "machine gun alley" the walk took me about 45 min. as i crept my way quietly up the gently meandering steam checking the hillsides for a beded deer.I found my new perch atop the crest leading into "machine gun" and could see about 200 yrds up and down both ravines which have historically been crossing points for the herd of woods deer we have hunted since 89 i of course did not start guning for them until 96 when i became of legal age but served as my dads second eyes since i was about four. Sat until 1200 but no luck i began to wonder what was going on its noon and i have not even seen a squirel??? Decided to head into use the latrine and rework my plan. I decided to head over to a spot i had seen while working Bailey on grouse the week prior that looked promissing for the afternoon. By 12:30 i was making my way up the road to my afternoon sit. when i made location i found a very nice natural blind made of a couplke of downed tree and a thorn bush at the base of a good sized beech. Again i could see along way in all directions and felt confident about my decision. It was 1:15 and i heard a crack off to my left as my heart started to thump alittle faster i grabed my binoculars to investigate i glassed to the left and made out an orange cap through a thicket so i sat and waited.Finnaly the group arrived and the lead man seemed frustrated that i was in this spot of state land but i waived and gave a nod of good luck. Around 2:00 a group of chickadees made its way into my area to provide entertainment for the afternoon it was pleasant watching them chase each other as i waited for my quarry.The wind started to pick up at 3:00 and the chickadees headed to for cover. The wind made it very hard to hear but there was not much action for the rest of afternoon. At 410 i heard a crash come frome my right rear i began to search the woods hoping i would see a nice whitetail heading my way instead i discoverd a hunter clad in camo and a blaze hat hoofing it through the woods at almost a full sprint. I stood up so he would see my full blaze upper no sooner did i stand up he started beelining it towards me. I waived and he spoke up in a nervous and worried voice "hey man do you know which way the road is?" he seemed relieved when i told him the way he was heading and that it was not too much further although i could tell he had no clue where he was. We spoke breifly about our day but niether of us had seen a deer. As he walked off i wondered if his father had ever taught him how to use a compass as a young boy i know mine has saved me more than enough times when i have goten "turned around".I sat until legal sunset at 4:42 then unloaded my trusted H&R 20 gauge and flipped the sling around so i could carry the gun across my back with the muzzle pointing down on my way out.The gun is acurate but by the end of the day can feel like your lugging a mountain howitzer through the woods. I made my way to the road and eventually back to camp contemplating my day the whole way,dissapointing overall but still very enjoyable. I may not have seen a deer but i know they are around the shooting in the am told me that i packed my things and headed for home i had to work sunday on my way home i started to plan out my next hunt and hoped that my elusive "swamp buck" has made it through to do battle with me agian this year at last spotting he was atleast a 10 like last season but im kinda hoping he will be a twelve when we get up close and personal again. He is very smart and only gave me a quick glimpse as i was wandering about the deep water this summer i will have to wait and maybe wedensday will tell and make it my 4th season of hunting him.

i said i carry 15 which i do my single shot gets "unloaded" on every deer i have a good leathal shot at and i don't get a follow up i carry the fifteen just in case. i hunt swamps and have had rounds slip out of my butt holder i have fumbled a round into knee deep water not to be found. i just like to carry extra. also i start with 15 and finish the season from there as i shot my number goes down. it has also been said about muzzleloader yes i load one and have 2 speed loads but also have the rest of my bullets 15 primers some pellets ect in my fanny pack. i guess it becasue i leanred young to be prepared.

hawks deffinatly take here share of small game of all sizes. i remember 2 years go while target shooting with my muzzle loader at ttondowanda wathcing a red tail try to take a pheasant 3 tries and empty clawed each one only because that rooster wash weaving like a grouse when mr. hawk would get close. it was quite a sight my dad and i both were rooting for that pheasant naturally

i hunt from the ground almost exclusively use a stand on occasion but 90% of the time i am on the grond i usually look for openings in hedge rows downed trees pine stands ect to conceal in. but also still hunt alot slow paced and stopping to look can work great

thanks its pretty rewarding seeing all the work over the summer paying off

i'm too young to remember the good old days but those ways of hunting you talk about are the ways we use in camp. not endless driving but no trail cams or butt loads of scent cover ect. just us and nature no going after or wanting to create huge mature bucks just the guys going out to enjoy what we can and maybe get a deer these are the same ways and traditions i will be teaching my young son so doc. not all is lost in this technology craze.

full day 2 sandwiches some pretzels 2 cans cheap cola and some paydays

i start the season with 15 one in my chamber 5 on the butt sleeve and 9 in holder loops in my blaze vest never restock though

woke early this morning at 530 and found the wind had died down and it to be quite pleasant out. I fed and watered Bailey my white and chocolate american cocker spaniel and put on my upland hunting gear. As i put on my red and plaid over shirt the pup was at the back door ready to go out she must have wolfed down her breakfast i thought as i let her out. i went to the drawer to grab the days needed loads and decided to grab some # 4's as well as my usual # 6 loads. rembering how the birds are flushing farther out.i let the dog back in and she started to wine as i unsheathed the 16.ga from its gun sock and headed to warm the old beast my 88 dodge 4x4. we headed to oak orchard again as we have been flushing plenty of birds there. we arrived at 7:00 and i decided to work a thin thicket that ran the length of a grass field first thing. we walked the maintance trial to where the thicket ended the headed over too it, the field had become water logged since the last time we worked it but made it out to the thicket with no birds flushed. the cocker became birdy as soon as we got to the head of red bruch on thorns working hurridley back and forth the length of it. had to whistle her back about half way down as she was pushing the edge of gun range. when i caught up she went back to work and in 10 yards a bird busted up but to my supprise no cackel shouldered the gun but saw it was a hen. Not sure if the state is releasing hens she flushed hard though so i can only hope she is some of nys last wild birds. finished working the thicket with no birds flushed. Decided we would work unussual covers this am due to the pressure all the fields have benn getting and headed to a small brushy patch of woods the state had logged a few years back. the dog jumped out and was working before i could load the #6 into the chamber followed by 4"s in the mag. worked the flooded thickets to no avail but did bump 2 doe the pup paid them no attention wich i am glad of that is a horrible habbit to have to break in a bird dog. headed out to the log road wich has a good ammount of brush and cover on it just as we make the trail i catch a glimpse of brown thinking to my self those does did not go far i spot him broad sdie at 70 yrds a nice 8 pointer, too bad it isn't saturday the dog made him also but did not seem to mind. We headed to the road with no birds flushed but she was birdy most of the way and quartering quite well. We then headed to one of the dykes that has a few thicket fields off the sides of it I let the cocker lead the way and she worked both thicket fields well but no birds. headed down the dyke and she was checking both sides hard and swimming out into the swamp in some places we were about 200 yrds. down and she bolted towards some cattails and jumped right in i heard the commotion of a bird and readied the gun seconds later a drake took flight. i told the pup good jobs but also reminded her we are looking for pheasant. we went another 70 yrds and again she leapt into the cattails i saw the cock run and shouldered my sportsman 48 in anticipation of the flush but he ran through some brush out into the swamp a little way we could see him from the dyke but the cocker was hesitant to give chase. She started to bark and i told her to hush and flush that bird she crashed into the water with a big leap and flushed the bird with a quickness i was ready and shot him on the rise he fell back into the brush. i was very impressed as the cocker grabbed his rear leg and began to try to return the bueatiful cock to me but could not seem to pull him free. i encouraged her to try for e few minutes not wanting to have to go through the what appered to be shallow swamp. when she could not free him i realised i was going to have to go out and help. the first 10 feet of water was only ankle deep so i assumed i was good with my next step i was thigh high in swamp water but only had 3 feet to reach the bird. i freed him and turned to head back and found what i think was a downed tree but may have just been solid ground and had a nice shallow walk back to the dyke. i allowed the dog to carry the bird back as she had nipped at his head as i turned. when we were back on solid ground i took the rooster from Bailey and checked im over a nice bird with plenty of green and some blue in his plumage he nust have been out awhile as his tail feathers were quite battered up from running the brush. I then found my shell and collected it to keep for memories. that old autoloader can really chuck them out. We headed back towards the truck huntiong our way out and contemplated trying for our limit but my water logged boots had other ideas so we headed home. i should get some hip boots so i can stay dry in these situations. My young son was very excited to see the bird that "dada and bebe" shot this morning telling me he want hunt too. i think he also will be into this wonderful sport wehn he is old enough. got a few shots of me the pup and bird then cleaned him up and told the girlfriend we should change the menu for dinner she agreed. turned out to be a very exciting last hunt before deer season for me and bailey my 8 month old flushing american cocker.

took mthe pup out for one last hunt before deer season this am with success she is really shaping up well as a bird dog

hunted at oak orchard today. started at the tower field and saw no birds or carcases from the fox either went and worked one of the dykes and flushed 2 roosters the first went up over the swamp so i held my shot my cocker looked back at me as to say what are you doing. kept working the dyke about 100 yrds further she flushed the second cock out of some cattails and he went up the lenght of the dyke flying away the first shot from the sportsman 48 16. ga crippled him and he hooked right i let the next round go and the bird folded tumbling head first into another thicket of cattails the dog and i both marked where it fell. spent the next 35 min searching the reed for it the young cocker was having trouble busting through the strong reeds so i resorted to wading through them in shin deep swamp water back and forth through the width of the cattail stand it was about 15 yds long by 10 yrds wide. unfortunatley i was un able to locate the bird. this sickens me when i take game i can not recover. my young cocker is starting to fill out so hopefully she will be able to bust a lil better by next year. i will also have to work with her on retriveing.she was doing all she could to help this am despite her young size. i just wish i had recovered the bird . the fox population is high at oak orchard this year so i am hoping something can ake use of the rooster that is downed somewhere in that reed thicket.

h&r ultra slug 20 Ga heavy bull barrel banner 1.75-4x30 scope lightfield hybed exp slugs vaery heavy set up but very accurate as well

i also think it may be due to the fact that a muzzle loader is not he idea wepon to commit a crime with plus if a felon really "wanted" a gun for crime purposes he would not be shopping at a gun dealer any way

state land i hunt will have a few other hunters that i know thier routines stay out all day and let them move the deer to me going to and coming from lunch