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Hi Everyone, It is current the last week for regular season in upstate NY. Living the life working and being a full time student, I have some time off this week and would like to take a ride upstate to do a gun hunt. Never have I hunted public land in the areas 3 G, F, or N and was looking for some recommendations and help! I had used the DEC info locator and found California Hill and thought I might go there. Is there any recommendations on areas to go to in any of the wmu’s? Or on California? Any help would be really appreciated!! best of holiday wishes!

I'm new to the area and looking for some places to hunt the next few weekends through bow/muzzleloader season. I'm living in New Paltz, and the place that seems the most promising to me so far is Vernooy Kill State forrest, and north into Sundown. Has anyone had any luck in these areas? Is there anywhere better in the area I should check out? Any info is welcome

Hi Everyone, My name is Raul and I am a new hunter! I've been hunting public land for now, but have been suffering. I've done 2 10 hour sits at Kings Park and 3 10 hour sits at Rocky Point and haven't seen one deer. I use a treestand and use scent blocker. I also get there super early in the morning. I need help! I plan to go again this friday. I scouted Rocky point after the first day and always see sign and I try to hunt the areas, but no success. I hunt around 42 and 36 I think. If someone wants the exact spot I can send them it on a map. I am really just looking for help in any areas and everything. I have put so much effort yet all i want is to just see one that will keep moral up. Any help is really appreciated!

We will be publishing the new list of available hunting leases on Monday, March 2, 2020 at 7:30 AM on our website www.cottonhanlon.com Cotton-Hanlon is a private timber company that owns land in NY and PA (sorry all our land in PA is currently leased). We have been leasing land since the fall of 1970. You will be dealing directly with the us, no third parties. Still working on the list but it looks like we'll have woodlots available in the following counties in NY: Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Oswego, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins. Make sure to check it out first thing that morning for the best choices. Thanks, Bob

Wondering if anyone has an extra DMP tag for 4W. Long shot I know and would be happy to get a 1C to exchange. Or trade my turkey tag. Wasn't sure where I would be hunting and never got a deer yet.

We're happy to offer a hunting parcel of 72+ acres on our 169.35 acre farm for you to hunt our many whitetail deer, turkeys, grouse and small game. The farm is a paradise for deer with over 300 wild apple trees throughout the property, open meadows, hay fields, deep timber and water in multiple places. We're only a ~3 hour drive from NYC making us a great weekend hunting getaway in a beautiful & serene setting. This is the eastern half of our farm. We're located 8 miles from Norwich and 18 miles from Oneonta where you can seek lodging, restaurants and shopping. Our 4 bedroom, 4 bath house, nice post and beam barn and 169.35 acres are available for sportsman interested in purchasing property. You can book your hunt on our property through our LandTrust profile here: https://www.landtrust.com/l/grassmere-farm-east/5d92408a-f38c-4f64-98c3-97251a8b626f

Hey guys i was wondering if anyone out there has hunted sterling state forest and if so where the hot spots were, what to expect on opening day, what time to arrive on opening day to get a spot, stories, etc....

Maybe im jumpin the gun a bit quick but..... As the 2019 deer season is coming fast and the live from the woods thread is going to light up like a christmas tree(better train this kid at work fast so i can follow up on all the deer porn)...The quickly approaching season has got new topics popping up and me getting antsy sooo...... Is there anyone with a new approach to this years season different from the past? Different preparations for the season,etc. Accomplishment's/goals you are shooting for in the 2019 season? Shorter/longer sits etc. A few of mine.. 1.Prep by shooting as much as possible 2.Spend as much time as i can in my "happy place"(always been my peaceful place) 3.Get my first mount done so i can hang it on the wall at the first house(bare spot!) 4.Get neccessary equipment for processing my own deer in the garage(needs a good cleanin before opening day!!) 5.See the smile on Jay's(turkeyfeathers) face with his first bow harvest!!!! 6.Be blessed and thankful to be able to spend time in the great outdoors.cherish every moment of the woods coming alive at day break(g/f doesnt understand it!!!)<<but im ok with that This year has flew by and season will be here before we know it.This post is a bit early but im pumped and ready for some woods time!!!!

Hey Everyone! I just uploaded a new video to my YouTube channel! If ya'll enjoy watching whitetails in the rut then you need to watch this! One of the coolest encounters that I've ever been able to video! All filmed off the back of my horse. Note: this is not on a deer farm. These are all wild free ranging whitetails! I'd love it if ya'll would give me some follows on my hunting pages! You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at Cross Over the River Outdoors! I hope Ya'll enjoy the video! God Bless!

Can anyone confirm this is ok? I hit a deer tonight with the car, went back later to get the back straps. They look fine. But look at the head is it okay? Every deer I've ever gotten has either been a buck with horns, a doe, or a spike of some sort but I've never gotten a deer where the antlers are gone. This is okay? Those holes are normal? Thank you very much. For your help.

I'm looking for feedback on which pistol cartridges are ideal for dispatching black bear and deer. I need a good sidearm to carry along for tracking and dispatching wounded game. I will always rely on a rifle or shotgun if I believe the animal's wounds are marginal. But for those situations where the animal's wounds are fatal but it life still lingers, I would like a reliable, widely available and effective pistol cartridge for dispatching it. The cartridges I am considering for this application: .357 magnum 10mm auto .44 magnum .41 magnum .454 casull I would prefer a revolver for its simplicity and reliability for shooting big cartridges. As well, I really don't see the need for anything more than 6-8 shot capacity for this use. That said, I would consider a semi-auto if the case for 10mm's usefulness can be made. With regards to the magnum cartridges and bears: I've seen a lot of people preach that "bigger is better." And while I acknowledge that something like a .44 magnum or .454 casull are well-regarded for killing big game, I would prefer a cartridge that is adequate for handling black bear rather than one that is overkill, if that makes sense. I have given .357 magnum much consideration for this reason. I would like to hear feedback from those that have experience with these cartridges, or perhaps others that I haven't considered.

I was waiting for the glass to break on this guy. Cool Video https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/nation-now/deer-wont-stop-knocking-on-guys-door/465-b62e3b2d-c05f-4b0b-b658-345dfe1a1242

2018 HuntingNY Bow/Archery Harvest Thread Post up pics of your 2018 archery season deer here! Only pictures with the associated story will be allowed in this thread. If you want to congratulate someone, please do it by clicking on the "like this" button for the post. There will be no exceptions. Feel free to start a new thread if you wish to have comments in addition to posting the photo / story here.

I put up another post a few days ago about the buck I harvested and the favorable weather setup I took advantage of. A member replied asking me to expand on this and how barometric pressure impacts deer movement so I decided to make a new post about it. Cold fronts are one of the best catalysts for deer movement and there are three phases to any cold front which we will discuss later as it relates to hunting. I’ve generalized the wind conditions below which are based on our typical north westerly winds for cold fronts but we occasionally have a NE system come through: Just before: winds will typically shift NW to N and barometric pressure will start increasing as temps slowly start to drop During: winds typically still NW to N, barometric pressure is high (30.2+) but typically flattens out as temperatures bottom After: winds shift S to SW, barometric pressure starts dropping as temps increase Before we get to the hunting part I think it’s worth explaining why cold fronts impact deer movement and how the deer react and interpret the weather conditions. Cold weather causes deer to use more energy to sustain which means they need to eat more and thus must head to food more during day light. During the rut it also drives more movement because it’s more favorable for bucks to run around – think about working out on a 90 degree July day vs. a 60 degree September day; I bet you can do a lot more and be more comfortable in September than July. So how do deer react to a cold front? Deer can sense changes in barometric pressure - I believe through a sensor in their ear - and they know if it starts rising that probably means colder weather is coming and vice versa when it drops. This means you’ll see movement just before it hits because deer will sense the pressure rising and will hit the feed to try and get enough reserves to get through whatever is coming. Once the cold is here and pressure is high they will typically continue to feed heavy or if during rut running around like crazy (partly because does are out more trying to eat). Finally, once the pressure starts dropping deer will understand better conditions are coming which I find usually has one good day of movement where deer are out restocking feed reserves and getting their social fix; after the first day of warmer temps I find movement drops off pretty drastically. Now to the fun part – how do you hunt them? Most of you know how powerful a October or early-to-mid November cold front can be at getting deer – especially mature bucks – up on their feet and I think any one of the above phases is a good time to be in the woods, although I’ve seen the most movement in #2 when temps are the lowest followed by #1 just before it hits and deer are preparing for it. That all changes from my experience once we get past the middle of November - they are still just as powerful (if not more) at driving movement but require different tactics. The cold fronts are now much colder with typically higher wind speeds and the deer are much more run down from already going through the bulk of rut. This translates to much more movement on phase #1 when the first northerly winds come in and pressure starts rising (signaling to deer bad weather ahead and the need to feed) and phase #3 when wind switches out of the south, temps start rising and pressure starts falling (signaling to deer the coast is clear and better conditions ahead). I’ve spent many lonely cold hours in the stand during the middle of those cold fronts thinking deer would be out feeding hard when temps are the lowest but based on my observations they more so just hunker down in thermal bedding and forage on whatever is close to that. It’s almost like they avoid movement to try and conserve as much food reserves as they can which makes sense given the difference in temps (an October / early November cold front probably bottoms out at 20-40F while later season they will usually be single digits). I think the very low movement characteristics of phase #2 really enhance phase #3 which is by far my favorite time to hunt one of these cold fronts - phase #1 is good too and I definitely go out but I generally stay out of woods during phase #2 and do stuff like pull trail cam cards, put up new sets, etc. Deer are social creatures and become more like humans late season in that they don’t like nasty weather any more than us. Deer will crave social interaction after being bottled up for a couple days dealing with extreme cold so there’s two powerful factors driving movement in phase #3 (need to restore feed reserves and get their social fix). If you get one of these cold fronts from say 11/15 to 11/25 then you add another even more powerful factor and that’s the desire to breed with the tail end of rut. Bucks will finish breeding any does they are locked down with during the cold front but they don’t really go out seeking new ones until weather gets better so you can see some powerful seeking and chasing on the first south wind after a cold front (especially with mature bucks). This is exactly what happened on my hunt – Tuesday afternoon the winds shifted NW and pressure started rising so I jumped in an observation stand overlooking a creek bed and rye grass field on one of my properties and saw quite a few does and some bucks (including a big frame 10) hitting the tallest section of grass an hour before sunset. Temps dropped to single digits Wednesday and Thursday – I ended up hunting Thursday because it was thanksgiving and who doesn’t hunt on Thanksgiving (?!) but only saw a few does – I usually see at least one 3 year old buck and minimum of 10-15 deer every time I hunt this property so this was a very slow day. Friday AM was still very cold but winds switched to the south, pressure started dropping, and it was probably 35 degrees by 2PM when I headed out. I went to the closest spot I could get to where I saw the deer feeding in the rye on Tuesday which happened to be in a hedgerow – we didn’t have a stand on it so I put some brush together and made a DIY blind to ground hunt from. I had a 3 year 130-140 class 8 pointer cruise by within 60 yards of me less than ten minutes after I was set up and had constant action the rest of the evening (two mature bucks, two 3 year olds, three 2 year olds and ~15 small bucks and does). I had 8 does in front of me in the rye around 430PM when I saw one snap her head back to the creek bed at the head of the hedgerow I was on and a second later I had my buck in sight at a full run after her grunting like crazy. I couldn’t stop him and ended up shooting him on the run, but it was something I will never forget and is a good example of how powerful the action can be right after one of those brutal late November cold fronts. The best stand locations are pinch points between bedding and food or right on a food source (my favorite are green ones like winter wheat, clover, rye, etc. or a cut corn field). I like to sit an observation stand where I can see a lot of ground on the first phase so I can get an idea of where the deer are moving and then I move in on those spots and either ground hunt or do a hang and hunt on that first day of southerly winds (unless of course I’m lucky enough to already have a set hung there but I’m usually not that lucky). I hope this helps explain my strategy better and helps one of you put a nice buck on the ground! Definitely let me know if anyone has any questions or has different opinions or experience on the matter. --- Horn Hunter

The 2018 deer season is only a few short months away, and we are bringing back a deer hunting contest, The HuntingNY Whitetail Classic! You can sign up for the contest by replying to this thread, sign up starts now and will end at Midnight on September 28, 2018 at which time this thread will automatically lock. In the contest section, each hunter will get their own thread, in which entries should be posted. Contest entries must be submitted by Midnight on January 2, 2019 (Sorry, seasons that run into 2019 are not included in this contest). Contest Rules -The Deer must be taken in NY during the 2018 deer season (Oct 1 - Dec 31) -Deer must be tagged with regular NYS carcass tags (Buck, DMP or Either Sex). Deer tagged with nuisance permits or DMAPs will not count. -There must be photos of the deer included in the post(s), they must clearly show the hunter, the antler points of bucks, a clear picture showing the inside spread measurement (must clearly see where each end of the tape measure is touching), this year's tag attached to the deer as well as a contest card (details below) -Each hunter can enter up to 2 bucks and 2 does Scoring system -Each deer will earn 10 points -Bucks will earn 1 additional point per scorable antler point -Scorable antler points are 1 inch in length measured from the base of the point. Fliers, kickers, droptines, etc ARE scorable -Total score of each hunter will be added up at the end of the contest, highest total score wins -In the event of a tie, greatest measured inside spread of the entered buck(s) will be the tie breaker (if hunters are tied and each entered 2 bucks, the spread on each entered buck will be measured) Contest Card With a black marker, make your contest card on a sheet of white 8 1/2" x 11" paper. Write large enough so it can be seen in one of the entry photos. It should include the following At the top, write - 2018 HuntingNY Whitetail Classic below that include your screen name, and the date and location of the harvest (WMU) The card must be clearly visible in at least 1 photo of deer or that entry will NOT count. Youth Division There is a separate youth division for hunters under age 18. Exact same rules and scoring as above. Prizes We will be announcing this years prizes in a separate thread once we have the contest section ready.

Unsure if anyone's been posting on this topic lately, but up here in 4L, it looks to have been an early hard mast drop. Tons of acorns on the ground, and I have yet to find a beech tree that's holding. I've had limited scouting this year, but some staple spots look to be fairly well spent already. Anyone noticing similar/different situations in their area?

Wow, the 2018 Bow Season starts in just a few weeks, this summer went way to fast! As always we want to wish everyone a safe, fun and successful hunting season! Please make sure you keep us updated with reports of your hunts successful or not. The site was down for a day due to our server having some hardware issues, we have restored it to a new server while the old one is being fixed. During the restore process we also upgraded the forum software. There may be some issues here and there on the site but we are working to fix them, please let us know if you notice anything acting up. We wanted to point out a few important threads on the https://huntingny.com/forums/ forums to check out. The 2018 "Live From the Woods" thread is up and ready for live action from the woods, 9th year in a row! Post your sightings, stories and pictures -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47908-live-from-the-woods-2018-lets-hear-stories-and-see-some-pictures/ 2018 HuntingNY Whitetail Classic - You can sign up for the contest by replying to this thread, sign up is active NOW and will end at Midnight on September 28, 2018 at which time this thread will automatically lock. In the contest section, each hunter will get their own thread, in which entries should be posted. Contest entries must be submitted by Midnight on January 2, 2019 (Sorry, seasons that run into 2019 are not included in this contest). https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47098-2018-huntingny-whitetail-classic/ As always there are some amazing trail camera photos up, some real nice deer have been posted, check them out -> https://huntingny.com/forums/forum/23-trail-camera-pictures/ Be sure to also check out the 2018 Archery Harvest Thread -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47911-2018-huntingny-bowarchery-harvest-thread/ And of course check out the main Bow Hunting -> https://huntingny.com/forums/forum/16-bow-hunting/ and Deer Hunting forum here - > https://huntingny.com/forums/forum/11-deer-hunting/ Hot Topics! The Shot That Counts -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47369-the-shot-that-counts-2018/ Whats for dinner tonight, game recipies -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/23281-whats-for-dinner-tonight/ Hunter Harassment - Have you ever been harassed? -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47493-hunter-harassment/ Which hunting weapon and seach do you like the best? -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47874-which-hunting-weapon-and-season-do-you-like-the-best/ Most wanted bucks for 2018, some great pictures here! -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/46959-most-wanted-for-2018/ DMP / Doe Tag Swap -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/47909-dmp-tag-exchange-swap-donate/ If you are a Facebook user, please give us a "Like" our Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/HuntingNY and help spread the word. The site has grown leaps and bounds since started, there are over 685376 posts as of today! Please remember to tell friends and family about the site, you can even forward them this email / link. If you have a hunting related business (ex. hunting store / archery shop), hunting club or organization, or a hunting related website you want to share with members we have opened up a link sharing system here: https://huntingny.com/links Just select the category and click "Add Link" on the right side of the page. If you have any interest in sponsoring the site you can contact us by using the contact form located here: https://huntingny.com/forums/contact/ Thank you Be safe, have fun, and good luck this 2018 season!

Hello All, Just thought I would drop a message saying 'thank you' for the add and hoping that you all have great luck and stay safe this (and all) seasons. I enjoy the outdoors and decided to get licensed last year. I'm new to the game but always looking to learn and try things. If anyone ever feels like they want to teach a thing or two, I'm open to invites to outings. I've got 4 kids to feed and I'm hoping to put some food on the table and enjoy some relaxation out of the office. I welcome all tips and tricks! First question is opinion - your preferred caliber for hunting deer and black bear (and why)... one rifle & caliber to cover both animals... and... go! Thanks!

300 acres of mostly wooded property available to lease for hunting on beef farm that grazes, grows grains, soybeans and hay on remaining 200 acres. Plenty of game and privacy. ATV's only for setting up stands and bringing out game. Small group of safety-minded hunters receive exclusive access. Good neighbors are respectful of boundaries. 2.5 hours from NYC. $5000/year. Call Andy at 607-829-5592 or email [email protected]

Hey guys, I’m brand new to the forum and I like it already. Good to read updates on all the topics! I have decided to leave the processor I have worked for within the past 9 years and go on my own. I found out quickly that it takes time to find customers. Well, I’m putting it out there for anyone around the Syracuse area that wants a clean friendly, fast turnaround for deer processing can contact me. I have a large walk in cooler to store up to 20 deer and new equipment. I make sausage and vacuum seal everything with a commercial unit. Cube steaks year round and anything else custom. Basic cut is $85. EVERY DEER IS DONE INDIVIDUALLY AND YOU GET YOUR DEER BACK! Any help would be appreciated. Hopefully I can get the word out enough to keep me busy. As of now I have one deer to process and it will be done tonight. Your deer will not lay on the floor in a pile! Thanks guys. Good luck hunting to all!! My email is [email protected] thanks!!

How long before daylight do you guys go out? Need some advice. i feel like 2 hours in too early and 1 hour before is a little late but not sure. What do you guys do?

We are only a day away from the 2017 Regular Gun Season for the Southern Zone, the Northern Zone kicked off their Season a few weeks back. We want to wish everyone a safe, fun and successful hunting season! Please make sure you keep us updated with reports of your hunts successful or not. Again, please be safe and have fun. We wanted to point out a few important threads on the http://huntingny.com/forums/ forums to check out. The 2017 "Live From the Stand / Woods" thread is up with quite a few posts already for the 2017 season of live action from the woods, 8th year in a row! -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/40154-live-from-the-woods-2017-edition/ I just added a new topic, What did you do to prepare for the 2017 Season and what are your Hunting tradtions? This is always fun, please go ahead and post here: https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/40214-what-did-you-do-to-prepare-for-the-2017-season-and-what-traditions/ As always there are some amazing trail camera photos up, some real nice deer have been posted, check them out -> https://huntingny.com/forums/forum/23-trail-camera-pictures/ Be sure to also check out the 2017 Archery Harvest Thread -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/40137-2017-huntingny-archery-harvest-thread/ - lots of great deer taken this year already during archery. And of course check out the main Deer Hunting forum here - > https://huntingny.com/forums/forum/11-deer-hunting/ Hot Topics! Bucks Movement, How Far Will They Go? - > https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/40942-bucks-movement-how-far-will-they-go/ Why would gun owners want a shorter hunting season? - > https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/40836-can-you-explain-why-hunters-would-want-to-shorten-gun-season/ Buying Deer Bait - > https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/40195-buying-deer-bait/ Whats for dinner tonight, game recipies -> https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/23281-whats-for-dinner-tonight/ 2017 DMP Swap Thread - > https://huntingny.com/forums/topic/39343-2017-dmp-swap-thread/

Anyone here hunt or has hunted Taconic State Park in Copake Falls, NY?

Is there any wmu 6c hunters here?

Hey everyone I'm knew to the sport and looking to learn as much as I can. I was suppost to go up to sterling with a friend of a friend but the guy had been dodging me. So I've decided that I will head to sterling or Stewart forest by my self this Monday 10/09/17 and wing it. Maybe walk around with my bow and see if get lucky. Worst case scenario I get good excerside out of it. If anyone could help out either teaming up or letting me know where to go I would greatly appreciate it. Also if anybody knows of a butcher and the prices so I can take my deer when I harvest one. I live in NYC even tho I would love to see my neighbors faces as I carry a deer from my car to the 5th fl of my building I don't think it will work out. thanks in advance for any help and for taking the time to read my post