Just Lucky

Maybe next year you won't be disappointed in your harvests. Perhaps next year you will wait for "your " buck, and won't settle for the first one you see. I had quite an enjoyable year of deer hunting, good memories, learned a few things, and hopefully will be able to apply that to next year. After 27 deer seasons I still learn new things every year. If you open your mind you may learn what hunting is all about.

This deer season was good for me. Going into season I had some nice bucks on camera. I was able to spend more time in the woods this year then the last couple. Had a few good outings with my father, who hasn't gone far from the house the last 3 seasons due to stage 4 cancer. This year he was out with me a couple hundred acres deep. I gained access to another 180 acres after gutting a neighbor's deer for him. I got a buck with the crossbow, and got a buck with the muzzleloader. Had several encounters with other deer, had 2 different encounters with bears, shot a coyote opening day with bow. The 2 negatives of the season were the unexpected passing of my mother in law, and a dandy of a buck I shot during regular season that I didn't recover.

If you recall correctly, fsw fell short this year of connecting with "his" target buck. It seemed to be a disappointing season for him, add to that he was worried someone else may have gotten that one during the holiday season. Worse yet after the antlers dropped.

That was my thought

If you want a daily driver back and forth to work, buy a GMC. If you want a work truck, and gonna abuse, buy a Ford. If you can't afford a truck, buy a dodge, lol. That said, as a technician for over 25 years, 3 of which was spent in a Ford truck shop, I hate working on Fords. They corrode terrible and fight like hell coming apart making life miserable, add turbos which increase heat and additional broken bolts, I really dislike Ford. GMC trucks feel very lacking in performance compared to the other brands, but are fairly mechanical friendly. Ram have the best sounding powertrain, plenty of acceleration, ride very nice, interior is nice, including clarity of back up camera is superior. But coil springs? Real world payload is not that of the other 2. Also Ram are the most mechanical friendly IMO. I haven't much experience with the tundra, other than a few failed waterpumps, nor the Titan.

Thank you, I got the deer skinned and went back out. Did not see anything this evening but was better than sitting on the couch. Good luck to you

Had a successful holiday hunt this am with my father. I walked, he sat. I got this buck about 930 am. Nice way to spend the day off after Christmas

That is very kind of you to try and save his season. That is the holiday spirit that hopefully this new season will bring.

My wife drives a 2019 caravan. She loves it. Bought it because the caravan has been the same for 10 years. To me that shows reliability. Working in a dealership, I always say on bad weather days Subaru, and soccer moms with caravans will show up for their appointments.

Some days I will shoot what I would let walk the day before or after, not really sure why. I pursued a 13 point hard this year. Would not have scored well. Thick and wide main beam with short points. Only seen once during bow early. Not the prettiest buck around but unique. Found out a couple days ago a guy I work with got him opening day of gun about 2 miles away chasing a doe. Gonna print pics for him. Got pics from june to September

We call them polish bucks. Biggest body deer I ever got was late season with dropped horns.

Couple from previous years.

My free range crossbow buck this year. Not my place to share others deer harvests, so I wont show theirs to you.

Couple vs. a few does matter, to you. It's all about the inches. You say it all the time. Too bad you didn't get the inches you so desperately wanted. Maybe next year you won't settle for mature. This fool will be doing it differently this part of season. Late season hunt, is certainly not the same as early bow, crossbow, gun, ect. Any human made food plot late season is a waste of time. The bucks will be bedding, and unless bumped, won't move. This time of year it seems deer will be lower on the hills. During gun I like ridges with briars, and shelves. This time of year I like valleys out of the wind with big and small pines. More shelter, and food source. And maybe I will decide to take a doe or 2 since I have been quite successful at seeing and watching deer this year. I hunt about 600 acres of land between mine and the neighbors. Late season I hit valley's and over looked brush lots near homes I have access too. Last weekend I watched 8 deer at different locations doing this. 50 yards behind barns near manure pile, down side of pond in a brushlot, behind neighbors house in pine rows. Hopefully everyone that goes out for the holiday hunt has some success with their family and friends this holiday season. This could turn into the best week of the season for some.

I wanna see tape on those 2 bucks. No way a few hundred inches. In my world I have had a very successful season, managed alot of woods time, spent time with my father, doing what has always brought us together. Scored an 8 point during last week of crossbow, several opportunity at other deer, 2 bear encounters, 3 coyote encounters, one which I shot opening day of bow. Seen some beautiful deer before season, and some friends who got a few of them during season. Could not be happier for them, and am still quite content with the size of my p#$!$. And now to have another week of season to enjoy deer hunting, kinda has me excited. The colder the better I think. I always enjoy late season. Maybe NY should promote this late season more and push opening of bow back to October 15th. Kinda off set the added pressure some are worried about. But seriously I do not think this late season will have an impact on the whitetail deer one way or another.

The way he talks about the poor hunting conditions in Ny I don't believe he was very successful in his opinion, but you make a good point. FSW does still have time to get a fair chase deer with the holiday hunt. Hopefully he takes advantage of the opportunity with the rest of us bad hunters, and can save his season

It's not nice to rub your success in fsw face. It seems he didn't have a successful year

If it was all about getting meat, or antlers I would just use a spotlight around 11 pm in the nearby fields. For me it will be a little more. More time scouting for next year, more time with my father who may not be around for many more seasons, more time passing on the process of hunting with future generations. More stories to tell and hear, again. And mabe a new tradition of hunting after Christmas, guess we will see how I feel about it.

I will be out because if season is open, and time available, why not. I can not answer if I like it or not. As of now, not sure how I feel about it.

Found out today the 13 point got killed opening day of gun about 2 miles away. The smaller of the 2 tens got killed by neighbor during crossbow. No news on the big ten. He may still be available for the holiday hunt. Or next year.

Sorry to hear about your friend. Could have? It is like this morning the news reported that the vaccine may have saved millions of lives. Both are opinion, and neither are most likely. I could, most likely get covid and be fine without having recieved the covid shot. In your opinion is this a fact?

I knew a guy who learned to shoot when he joined the marines in the early 80s. He said he flinched bad when he started. He told his instructor he couldn't help it. After that the instructor kicked him in the ribs everytime he flinched. Didn't take long and he didn't flinch anymore.

Poor guy, now everyone knows where his secret spot is.

Got handed a mask by a store manager yesterday in a convenient store. I said nothing back. Set my soda on the floor and left. Went elsewhere for gas. I won't return there even after the mandate is lifted. Figure 50 a week× 52 = 2600 a year just on gas. That's one person. I Know 3 others that had the same experience with that company. Again, if business want to enforce then I will take mine elsewhere. Guess some businesses may have to weigh out which decision will effect them more. Not being forced to wear a mask at work. Figured if they tried I was gonna take 14 days to quarantine because of possible exposure to covid. I am done with bs mandates that serve nothing.

I like the way deer season is in ny. I enjoy being in the woods and having many opportunities to fill tags. This year I have noticed a change in deer patterns, from early in bow. Most my sightings have been with in 200 yards of houses. I am located in 8Y, without new home development. It has made me wonder why. I killed a coyote with the bow, seen 2 others, and have had 2 beer sightings on different properties. The coyotes sing almost nightly.I wonder if predators are starting to have a greater impact on the deer herd than any regulations dec could pass for management. It seems alot of people deer hunt, but very few actively predator hunt around my area.