Cedar+Canvas

Beautiful 30-30! I’m just wrapping a week with the muzzleloader and taking a break from the big woods for a week or so in the spirit of marital preservation. Had one grade-A chance with two does but didn’t get the clean shot I wanted. Also had bear and ‘yote encounters in my crew. I covered 20-odd miles still-hunting with some 3-4 hour sits mixed in. Not a ton of rut sign kicking in yet in my area (5H). A few resident bucks on camera but not a ton of rubbing and scraping yet. Most of the fresh I’ve found has been down low, which makes sense considering the drought conditions. It’s still fairly dense, but there was lot of good wet weather for sneakin’ and peekin’. Sounds like license sales are way up this year and Ive never seen parking lots, trail heads, and paddling routes so busy this summer. Hopefully we can all push a few wall hangers to each other! Best of luck guys. -Tim Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For me personally I’d rather have some scouting time in an area before I get really slow and still hunt it. But if you can’t pre-scout an area and the terrain looks good I think a combination of still hunting mixed with short sits can be a good approach. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is what I was talking about. The milkweed is also an excellent suggestion. Can’t beat free... https://www.cabelas.com/product/Dead-Down-Wind-Wind-Detector/1206555.uts As for how to decide if you’re in a good spot, a lot of it has to do with land features for me. If I can find the right combination of high country with natural funnel and pinch points and low country with swamps and thick cover that’s where I want to start. Then I’m looking for fresh sign in a reasonably high density. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Late to the party in this thread but thought it was worth chiming in. I’m on the same area as SalmonRun and the only oak i see in our area are planted trees on private property. That said, I spend a lot of time up in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness and Vanderwhacker Wild Forest and there are sections loaded with oak up there. Bumper acorn crop this season. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I haven’t seen any predictions but there’s pre-rut activity going on in my area of the Adirondacks. Rubbing and scraping and lots of visitors to our mock scrapes. I’m guessing another two weeks and we’ll be in full swing. I like to cover as much ground as possible in the rut and focus heavily on travel corridors. I’ll sit preset watch for an hour max and then move on, still hunting to the next watch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hunt almost exclusively in the Dacks and still hunt most of the time. I actually worry less about sound and more about my pace and wind. In my experience deer in the “big woods” are very forgiving about sound and have almost no tolerance for movement or scent. So the name of the game for me is to cover the miles I need to cover to get into a hunting area quickly, then slow down so slow it’s almost hard to sustain. Even with “corn flake” leaves if you’re truly moving at still hunting speed it won’t be too loud. I also pay very specially attention to limit all unnecessary body movement. Keep my upper body stable, no swinging my arms, take small manageable steps. Counterintuitively, I like to wear tall, fairly stiff mountain boots while still hunting. I don’t feel the forest floor as much but i get much better balance when moving ultra slow. It’s also worth considering using a 3 point sling or no sling at all so you gun is also front and ready. I also carry a wind checker in my pocket at all times and check the wind often. It changes and swirls a lot where I hunt but I try to hunt the wind when possible. I hope some of that is useful! Good luck, the rut’s coming soon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome! You’re officially in league with some of the most badass (but mostly just stubborn and frustrated) hunters in the NY. Fire away, there’s lots of good knowledge floating around this thread. The colors are starting pop in my little corner of the Big Woods. Perfect time to start studying up. [emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can say the cabin fever has taken hold pretty strong over here too. I've actually got some winter trips planned that should help to snap me out of it a bit. Headed up to Algonquin Park with some old guiding buddies of mine to hit the hard water and do a little carousing. I'm planning to stop through 5H on my way up there to check in on our place and try my hand at a little predator control. Maybe give the gobblers a leg up for spring? I've pondered trying to sneak down to the Keys to throw flies at bonefish, but that one's probably a pipedream. There are some crazy cheap flights into Miami but we'll have to see how much time I can scrounge (not to mention patience from my lady). Otherwise, I'm just looking at Google Earth and Topo+ a lot trying to find that perfect travel corridor through the big woods...

A couple additions: It might be worth trying either a grunt tube or a can call and having it right in your pocket. I’ve had several mature bucks stop and hang up if I grunt or bleat at them immediately after I bump them. It might also be worth messing with a gillie suit. They’re less stealthy to walk in, but they definitely break up your profile. You can also keep that super clean on scent and store it in your pack until you’re starting to hunt. Also, to echo Buckmaster, deer where I am usually don’t bust very far. Lane Benoit has a big thing about always waiting at least a half hour exactly where you are any time you jump a big buck. There’s an excellent interview with Lane Benoit on the Big Buck Registry podcast. Also one with Joe DeNitto (sp?) Lots of good tips in both. Good luck in the rut! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beauties Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use stands early season in the Southern Adks. I have a ladder stand, a hang-on stand with tree steps and an ultralight climber. I basically just use them for bow and some muzzleloader and set them during the summer along runways leading into/out of zones where I find dense sign. All on state land, but nothing far from our camp. I killed a respectable six point from the climber two years ago and was full draw on a bear this year. I’m pretty careful about scent, but I see a lot of critters. By the end of early bow I’m very ready to start still hunting, but I do love the view. Where I hunt stand hunting is kinda like anything else, you have to be cool with few sightings but also ready for a bruiser to appear at any time. I do find that burning hours in a stand helps my eyes adjust to the deer woods and helps relearn how be patient. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve been up in 5H for muzzleloader this week and the weather has been good for movement. Snow over night a little bit stuck the AM. Cold and clear today. I reckon some bucks are gonna drop this weekend! Best of luck to everyone. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve also had good luck doing that with smaller deer. Never tried with a big boy though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Would love to hear how you end up liking that Badlands pack after a season. Been keeping an eye one some of there stuff but haven’t checked it out in person. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No need on my account. I’m sure I can dig up the specs online. Nice looking boots. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Badass. Are they real heavy? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I second that on the sloshy feeling. I’ve got a set of mucks I’ll wear during spring turkey if I’m on a farm but I never deer hunt in them. I’ve also been curious about the Lacrosse rubbers. Heard a lot of guys swear by them and the simplicity seems appealing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That was my initial thought, guys that hunt “backcountry” sections multiple miles from roads/trails/vehicles etc. That said, I’m always down to see cool camp and farm toys! Haha. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anybody here ever tried Schnee’s? They’re not cheap but look pretty sweet. Like Bean Boots with a more legit tread. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks I’ll check it out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s been my experience too. I’ve got them with the goretex/thinsulate liner and they’re bone dry and warm. Sometimes I think they’re warmer than an insulated boot because they’re basically layered. I have definitely wiped out with them on a few times but a lot of times, snow on an incline is not good. Generally the dry/warm/weight keeps them in the mix for me. It’s a nostalgia thing for sure too though. Fond memories of my dad and uncles lacing them up when I was still a kid wearing whatever hand-me-downs came from my cousins. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The “Tracker” crew, Joe DiNito etc, will tell you it’s not even worth going out unless you’ve got solid snow. I’m personally itching to get out the minute my tags are legal but those guys slay some beauties just getting on big tracks... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s amazing how smooth a drag can go with a little bit of snow and a Dead Sled... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s really the only reason why we skin and quarter. If there are a few of us and we can knock out a drag within a reasonable amount of time, I’d say a couple hours or so, that’s really preferred in our camp. A lot of the time though we’d be dragging all night. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, that’s great info about the First Lite sale stuff. I guess I’m officially in the market now. [emoji23] I’ve got a bunch of old Icebreaker and Smartwool base layers that I rotate pretty much every day once gun season open up North. That’s the stuff the really opened my eyes to merino. Hard to go back to synthetics for me... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk