monahmat

I wear a rock climbing harness with my climber and the standard harness that you get free with stands when using my hang-ons. I'll probably be upgrading the standard harness this year. I use lifelines on my permanent stands. I used to be very concerned about suspension trauma which is why I went to the rock climbing harness but I now feel the likelihood of falling and not being able to reach my sticks or stand is almost zero. Whatever you opt for I'd practice with it. I hung from both the rock climbing harness and the standard harness and the pros and cons of each are immediately evident.

One was cut chain with lock. The other was a strap and I don't recall if it was cut or not. It was a cam buckle that I replaced with ratchet strap. These were obviously deer setups left behind from the prior year and had been laying on the ground a while.

One of the properties I hunt has a landowner imposed "shotgun only" rule. I've hunted with Browning BPS and Mossberg 500 there. In reality I could do all my hunting with a slug gun since it's all hard wood forest and I seldom get a shot over 75 yards.

It may not have been rangers but I can't think of anyone else going through the trouble of cutting them down and then leaving them there. Like I said, it was April, the stands weren't labeled per guideline and I was the only person in the parking area. They were up for grabs.

I just got the same gun in November. I am shooting a 300grn Hornady SST over 100 grains of Blackhorn 209 and CCI 209 primer. I'm using the Blackhorn breach plug. I like the 209 because it burns clean so I've been able to fire numerous shots without a need for cleaning in between. The 300 grain SST's group great but I may change to something a little ligher for added speed next year. I'm having some issues with blowback on the primers so I'm likely going to experiment with others.

A lot of times forest rangers will go in after the season and cut down any stands left after the 30 days. Hunters have until Jan. 17th this year to be within the 30 days. A couple years ago I was geocaching on state land in April and came across 2 brand new Ameristep stands deep in the woods that rangers had cut down but didn't want to hump out. I humped those stands out! 2 stands, 2 sets of sticks for free! Most fruitful geoaching trip I've ever had.

So from my research if it is a Wildlife Management Area you need to carry in/carry out every sit. If it is State Forest you can leave it in place but it has to be labeled and out after the season. I hear of a lot of theft off State Land and most people avoid this buy hanging the stand and taking the bottom sticks out or using a climber. The other option is leaving quick hang brackets in trees and taking the stand out with you. I'm not familiar with Federal land so I will let someone else chime in there. I'm curious about that as well..

Wow, it has gotten a lot harder to find this information on the DEC website! I believe the below is what you are looking for. http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/19maps.pdf

I'm pretty impressed by the 'disappointments' a lot of guys are listing. Failure to put a friend, family member or first time hunter on a deer, missing out because a quality shot never presented, concern and follow through on bad shots. While those things are disappointing it really speaks to the integrity of you as hunters. Nice to see so many that care so much about the sport and setting good examples.

I've been researching this as well and I'm torn. There is a weight savings but I don't think it is as significant as portrayed at first. Regardless of saddle or stand you need a way to get into the tree so weight is equal there. Then an ultralight stand runs around 11lbs. The saddle typically runs about 2.5lbs. Then add another 2lbs for a platform or added steps. Then another 2.5 lbs for bridge hardware and accessories. The pro's are 4lbs lighter and can shoot 360°, the cons seem to be comfort and negotiating the bridge. A quality saddle and ultralight hang on seem to be priced about the same. I'm leaning toward lightweight hang and hunt setup but I'd like to give a saddle a try. After how cold this season was my fear is a saddle wouldn't be comfortable in lots of layers. Very curious to hear others thoughts on this.

My bow went in today for new strings and cables. I shot some of the new 2020 offerings while I was there. I'm ready to start shooting 3D already!

More time in the woods during bow season and transitioning from a climber to hang and hunt. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

Personally I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for when to use them. How much snow is on the ground is just one factor. The type of snow, terrain, size and style of the shoe all factor in. When ascending steep hills in slippery snow I feel snowshoes provide a lot of extra traction and stability even if it is just 6" or 8" of snow. At times when there is a crusty layer of snow a large shoe can keep you from breaking through and enable you to move much quieter. The best thing to do is strap them on in the off season and figure out what works for you in what conditions. I've worn mine in 6" of snow and said this is a waste and I've also turned around in 6" of snow wishing I had worn them.

Cold, overcast, perfect wind, snow pending. This is the day you'd order up if you could. Now where are the deer? Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

It looks like my current hunting land is being sold and I am searching for a new lease or land to purchase. I am looking to stay within a 1 hour drive of Cooperstown. I am open to partnering with others on a lease or purchase. I am a responsible hunter willing to put in the time and money to secure and improve some good land.

Agreed! This seems to be statewide. Definitely less hunters and everyone seems more inclined to sit in one spot.

I purchased the Blackhorn plug the same time as my muzzleloader. The first time out to the range I had forgotten to put the Blackhorn plug in. It worked but much less consistently. If you've got the money I'd recommend making the change. Without the Blackhorn plug I had a hangfire after a couple shots and groups were erratic. With the Blackhorn plug I fired 6 shots without having to run a patch and my last 3 shots were 3" group at 100 yards. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

I work in your area and hear constant complaints about the Amish. I know two co-workers who relinquished their leases last year because they believe new Amish neighbors eradicated all the dear. They are definitely a concern of mine as I look for a lease in that area. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

There was a lot of shooting going on in 4F this afternoon. I'm not sure if the temperature change got them on their feet or hunters were just doing a final push. I heard more shots today than opening day. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

Nicely done! I shot mine the same time tonight but she's nowhere near the size of that beast! Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

Punched a tag in the final hour tonight. This is my first doe ever and shot with my grandfathers rifle that hadn't killed a deer in nearly 50 years. A nice end to a challenging rifle season. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

1 hour to go. Haven't seen a deer in 4F since bow season. Really hoping that changes tonight. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

Was this the Konus scope or something different? I've yet to site mine in as I'm still waiting on bullets.

I had a lot of issues previous years with cold feet and switched to these: Cabelas Mens Zone Comfort Trac Insulate Rubber Boots One important lesson I learned is you don't want to be packed into your boot. I used to wear two pairs of thick socks. I had no extra room in the boot and my feet would get cold. Then I switched to one pair of quality middle weight socks. I now have more room for circulation and my feet are much warmer.

This is my current harness: ABC Guide Harness This will likely be my next harness: Black Diamond Vario Speed Harness