Localqdm

X2

I'm all for the change during BOW. Gun is too scary now, but then again people shoot all hours around me law or no law. This was hard coming back from Indiana like a lot of states that allow 30 min either side. I don't know how many times they seem to come in rt at sunset and you're always gnawing inside about what minute is it.

haven't sat in a tree stand all season. There are definite advantages to a stand, but a lot of drawbacks if you think about them. One things for sure it is a lot more intense on the ground! Last week had a doe at 8 ft and later a 1.5 yr old 7 pt buck at 10-12 ft. Doe would be dead but she walked straight toward me nose to nose and finally picked me off. Any other direction she would be in the freezer!

I think Alsheimer uses kids bubbles. I like the milkweed seed too. I wouldn't really worry about any scent from bubbles cause if they can smell the bubbles you better believe they already smell you.

I'm no expert but think there must be a HUGE difference between Some fresh collected urine and the commercial bottled stuff

oh yeah, I think a face mask really helps

I have hunted exclusively on the ground this yr but don't like to use a ground blind. i find them a pain and they stick out. This time of the season is great there is so much 'soft' brush where I hunt that often I can stomp down some weeds that I can sit down in (might need a bucket or stool) and see through. the key is having a near perfect entry route, being down wind, and being absolutely still, and the Lord sending something your way. I have been blessed with lots of deer in range just not a shooter yet.

i haven't been in a tree stand yet this yr. I think i'm hooked on ground hunting. MUCH easier to be silent and extremely mobile. Wind shifts, no problem. And I've been blessed to have opportunities too, just not a big one yet--all young bucks. I've got 4 kids and a wife and a job, setting stands takes a lot of time. Then theres the grooming/cutting shooting lanes making noise and stinking up the area. Then when you get picked off by deer, you have to move your stand again, disturbing another area. i don't like hunting most areas very often so I would have to move my stands. And stands often make a lot of noise, squeeks, clanks and clunks. If you are like I was and think you have to hunt out of a stand, you don't. Give ground hunting a try. Oh and I don't really care for blinds either. Deer pick them out real easy and you should brush them in. Just think its actually more effective to NOT use one.

Buddy watched a mature buck run a doe into bedding area tonight. I Saw 2 1.5's chasing a young doe or a fawn. Kinda cool, when 2nd 1.5 came out after he ran her around a little he did the stare down w/the littler buck and gave a snort wheeze. never heard that before. I watched a really nice 2.5 come out and work a scrape too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rlsmith14 Breeding going on in OH already

Any other reason there would be 7 fawns running together?

I hunt 8h and tonight saw 7 fawns and possibly 1 yearling doe (so likely none of the fawns were hers). In my area I seem to always see a buck locked down w/ a doe by Nov. 1, but this kinda shocked me. 2 days ago I went to this same spot. I knew a big buck was hanging out there. There was a lone doe out in the beans as I went in at 4. by 4:10 the mature buck was out feeding too. That suprised me, but didn't think too much cause he didn't chase her around, 'must still be early' was my thought. Hindsight, I think he was locked down w/her. Probably one or two of those fawns were hers. What do you think? I'm thinking I need to go to rut mode and hunt funnels mid day.

I agree with you bainbridge that for a 1st buck he should go ahead and take it. The more time he spends in DIFFERENT woods his chances will go up. The more time you spend in one woods, your chances go down pretty quick after the 1st sit in a particular stand. JMO I would be more concerned about entry exit and wind than being scent free as that is not really possible w/their noses.

If he is bedding that far away, that may be why he only shows up on your cam at night. I wouldn't hang the camera near the stand it will draw his attention to your setup. I would hunt different areas, not just that stand so he can't pattern you. Be very careful on how you access these areas so you are not expecting the deer to cross your entry path or are blowing scent in the direction you expect deer to come.

+1 I don't really believe there is such thing as a 'cover' scent to deer. They are already differentiating thousands of smells a second when they bust us with or without 'cover' scents on.

I like 2 and 3, depending on where you access the stands--that is as important as the stand itself. You don't want to expect deer to cross your entry scent trail or have your wind blow by them as you enter and still have them come out to the stand. But I'm sure you were already considering that. I would move 1 either N closer to the funnel around the swamp or S like Gman said--especially if you are looking for a bigger buck. I like that transition line running S of the feeder creek. Looks like lots of good terrain features going on there, especially where you can find a few coming together in one place. Think you might miss out on some activity where 1 is.

This is a qdm 'compromise' (this thread was about QDM) between those who want AR (not me) and those who want to shoot anything. NY has perhaps the MOST liberal gun season (aka--oportunity to wack a buck) in all of n america when you consider the length and timing of the seasons with all other states. So I see it as a compromise, you shoot whatever you like and you still have a season comparable to every other state, it just is a little easier for a young one to survive. And Gman I agree qdm is way more than protecting young bucks, its just this is perhaps the easiest aspect that the state could find a way to improve over aspects of increasing cover, planting food plots, hunter management (target selection), etc.

I'm fine with letting everyone shoot whatever buck they are happy with, but shortening the gun season, pushing it back into dec, and a 1 buck limit, and stiffer penalties for poaching would be a GREAT compromise.

Wasn't basically all state hunting land bought with HUNTING license sales and through taxes on HUNTING equipment?--There is no Pittman Robertson tax on 4 wheelers or paintball equipment. In that sense I agree w/Doc, hunting should get the priority on state lands.

Doc, where do you hunt that you can get almost a mile in? I can't seem to find much state land around that is much more than a mile wide, and they all seem divided by access roads making them seem unlikely to find your own little corner of peace out there away from the orange crowd.

I think you are on to something. And I agree w/nyantler, we hunters shoot more of them. However, all of the bucks shot by poachers (and does too) are removed oportunities for the legal guy. I do think poaching is a much bigger problem here in NY than the midwest, just my opinion. I've lived in OH and IN and NY. The opportunity seems much greater here because of the habitat here and the easy penalties. Think about it, if someone jacks the only 120 3yr old around because everyone knows about the deer and the smaller fields and numerous back roads here make it possible, it has far greater impact than out west.

I'm sorry if that was judgmental. I don't have the 500 bucks to mount a 170, let alone something under 120. I guess to me a mount is more about the deer, but if its about your pride of what you shot and you've got the $, I guess I understand.

You would really have that buck mounted?

If it is a good transition area/funnel, travel corridor and there are deer in the area, I would hunt it even WITHOUT any sign after the last week of Oct. For the rut, a lot of guys hunt the land, not the sign.

I would thank God for the experience, shoot his sister and hope to see him next season!