Rebel Darling

Heading into the Pine Bush in Albany this morning. I'll count the MA and VT license plates... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Hope it's going well, and thanks for doing that... I'd like to learn more on blood trail tracking techniques...

Extra time in the tree this evening. A doe and her fawn took their sweet time moving through. Great experience. Packing it in now. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Sitting in a tree at a pint between two swamps and at the base of a little ridge. I saw some sign that this is a cut over path, so here's to hoping. Good luck and be safe out there, especially if you're swinging in the trees. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Nice buck, DanielT! Well done, man...

Thanks for this thread. I have been thinking on this point for a while. My first harvested deer was a button buck, and I think the two of us were the dumbest animals in the woods that day. I struggled with that harvest for a while, having only realized that it was a button buck after tracking him. As a new hunter (this is my second bow season, and third season total), I am still developing my personal harvest criteria. I imagine that my criteria will change as I continue to gain hunting knowledge and experience. I have not had the fortune of having a mentor, but I can say without a doubt that I have benefited from many on this site who have shared their views and experiences on a variety of subjects. But when the moment comes to choose to kill, or to pass, I have not had anyone with me to guide my judgement. This year, I've been fortunate to have time to spend in the woods which gave me the confidence to pass on a doe fawn. The next morning, I harvested a mature doe I had been patterning from a different stand, which yielded more meat. However, if the day I saw the fawn was my only chance to be in the woods, I would have harvested that fawn. I hunt for food. I recently finished David Peterson's "Heartsblood: Hunting, Spirituality, and Wildness in America." He included a chapter titled "Bambi Must Die" in which he describes the regret he initially felt after harvesting a very young mule deer. After an internal debate, and conversations with wildlife biologists, he decided that harvesting young animals is more of a social taboo than a herd management issue. According to the book, and I'm inclined to think this way, fawns have less of a chance of survival than an older deer that has already proven itself through at least one winter. I think Wooly posted some pics on another thread of fawns who succumbed to winter kill. I'm sure some of them starved to death. These viewpoints helped me work through my button buck harvest. Another issue the book raised is natural predator selection, specifically meaning that natural predators such as coyotes, or mountain lions, or bears, etc., tend to kill the young, inexperienced deer, or sick, or wounded deer, thus improving the overall health of the deer in the area. This raises an interesting point in my mind about what we humans do when we harvest the top genes and experience in the area. Is our sense of accomplishment at having out-smarted an experienced animal taking priority over maintaining the healthiest, and strongest genes possible in the deer herd? Over the long-term, are we harming the herd? I don't know the answer, and I imagine that it lies somewhere in between and influenced by many points of view, but I can say that after having read Peterson's debate and subsequent realizations, I have no issue with harvesting a fawn if the opportunity presents itself, and the time is right for me. At the moment, I'm thinking that if enough hunters employ a variety of harvest criteria, the deer should be fine over the long-run. But if all hunters took fawns, or all hunters focused in on large racked bucks all the time, the deer population would be in trouble over the long-run. I've not yet come across a mature buck while hunting, but my accumulating experience and knowledge are leading me in that direction. I hope to see one. Maybe I'll pull on the bow. Maybe I'll let it pass. From what I've read, he won't taste nearly as good as that button buck did.

I think I'll head into the Pine Bush one day this week. Maybe tomorrow morning. Have yet to be in it this year, and I'm hoping to punch at least one of those 4J tags. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Good hunt, particularly negotiating all that movement without spooking the deer... The story has got me all fired up for this afternoon's sit! I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Was just showing my buddy the slate turkey call in the backyard, and it called in a young buck. Couldn't get a good view of his headgear, but it was exciting all the same. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Now: live from Towne Tavern. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Live from the fireside... Pouring rain and snow mix up on the mountain in 4L. Temps around 40 F. Steady wind at 20-25, with gusts up to 50. Wind advisory in effect until tomorrow evening. I'll be hunting a funnel tomorrow evening. The deer up here will be ready to move freely. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Tough crowd...

Hope that fella's doing all right. To Dom! Cheers... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

I also enjoy how the report admits that accessing land in 4J is an obstacle, but the goal of reduction remains the same, even if the Pine Bush is the ONLY public land available to hunt. Those are some pressured deer, for certain. I didn't read up on 4B... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Yep. Definitely folks out there picking those tags up and knocking deer down elsewhere. Forcing hunters to acquire the tags in 4J will definitely cut down on some of the abuse, but won't prevent some (especially this side of the river) from heading over and grabbing one or two. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

4L - No new scrapes, no new rubs up on the mountain. Trail cams are empty. Patterns changed over the past week.

Here is DEC's harvest forecast for whitetail during the 2016 hunting season: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/deerforecastr4.pdf Interesting info... I doubt my WMU, 4L will ever have doe tags, and it's interesting to read that DEC is concerned by possible "misuse" of the 4J doe tags.

In my case, it's a personal lull. I tagged an early season doe last week, and am now doing my best to be patient and let the woods settle down, so I haven't been out. The weather has also been an issue: warm, wet, and/or windy. I was thinking a couple of days ago that Monday looked good, but now it looks wet and windy. My plan is to hunt the first two weeks of November pretty hard and hope for a buck prior to rifle season. I'm hoping the weather cooperates with a few days of consistently cool, crisp, and calm mornings. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Nice vid! Despite the lack of zoom, it's better than many I've see on YouTube. At the moment, I'm going to stick to writing. Ha... That's a whole new rabbit-hole, and I can imagine myself slipping right on down without much effort.

This might be a good resource for those of you looking to film hunts: http://www.filmingyourhunts.com/pages/hunting-cameras/camera-mounting-systems

Rebel Darling is the name I use when I play music with the fellas. It fits our style, as well as my songwriting approach and my general demeanor. - Mike

Pilot program signed into law on June 18, 2007 (Chapter 296 of the Laws of 2007). Made permanent on July 21, 2008 (Chapter 357 of the Laws of 2008).

Judging by the forecast for my area in 4L, I'll be sitting out until Monday afternoon, until after the rain rolls through. I'm going to use the opportunity to scout some new land in 4K, and hopefully sit within the corner of a field edge with sign. That's the dream, anyway... I'll probably end up in some hardwoods, just like everywhere else around me. Ha. If the forecast holds true, walking in should be relatively easy with a steady wind from the west, and wet leaves to walk on. I'll be trying the climber out for its first hunt. Sunday also looks to be a good evening hunt weather-wise, but I don't think I'll have the time to get out. As a general statement on the weather, I'm tired of the dramatic changes, and would prefer some slow-moving shifts and gradual changes, if only for the sake of the trees, plants, etc.

Venison stew and hand pounded bread. The last bit of last year's late season doe. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

I have hunted the Pine Bush, and plan to do so again next week. Lots of ticks... There are a few WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas) and state parks in the area to check out as well. This link to DEC should help get you started on finding spots that are reasonably accessible: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8286.html