3A, how was your day? My first time hunting story

[Dorsilfin]

I was sitting on the mountain before dawn, I watched as the sunrise filled the forest with light. I quietly waited hoping something would walk by.

After a few hours of nothing I heard rustling behind the stump I was sitting next too and thought this could be it, I slowly looked over my shoulder and saw another hunter coming through the old logging trail. A quick wave he was not expecting scared the crap out of him haha. He mentioned that no one has hunted where I was in a long time and was not expecting to find someone up there. His group the other direction from he had not much going on so he went for a walk to loop around a bit and see if anything got kicked up.

Half hour or so after he left I decided that my spot wasn't going to yield anything. My hope was that if hunters came in from his side they would push something my way, but after he passed and mentioned the rest of his group was in tree stands back a ways I wasn't going to get the push I had hoped for since they hadn't seen but a pair of does.

I spent a few hours slowly creeping along the mountain looking for any activity.

I ran into another hunter well.. I heard a rack clacking as I was creeping around the mountain and slowly kept looking and wondering where the heck is that coming from. Long story short he spotted me first and threw a quick whistle out. He thought I was something coming down the mountain and I thought he was a buck lol.. I stopped up with him and had a quick chat.

I saw a few does and plenty of deer signs but no Bucks the entire day.

I enjoyed the adventure of wondering what every rustle I heard was, the mountain seemed different today.

The hunter I ran into and his buddies who were on another side of the mountain stopped by my uncles place and declared the mountain was empty, no one in their group of 3 saw any does or bucks and they were in before daylight like me and didn't come out till after the official sunset time.

I guess I should be happy I got to see a few does.

My body is sore and I'm glad to be back at the cabin sitting in front of the fireplace relaxing. I would call today a good day a day that makes me cherish the cabin and this mountain that much more.

Not sure, if ill head out tomorrow morning and try again considering no bucks were seen, and the antler restrictions that id need 3 on 1 side and no one even saw a spike.

How did everyone else fare?

-Dors

[MattBuffaloNY]

You can't just give up after one day of hunting, just because you didn't see anything. That's the whole challenge of hunting.

[Dorsilfin]

Dont think ill give up completely, just looking at the facts of the day. I heard a 4 shots all day and they all seems distant and from other mountains nearby, so I doubt anyone pulled a buck off this particular stretch of state land. Ill not be hiking in as far as I did and as early as I did, but ill probably take a look around for a few hours. Might just need to find another place to hunt state land that might yield a buck.

[BrianNY]

If you give up on whole pieces of stand land after 1 day of not seeing anything, I'm not sure you'll ever get a deer. Not being rude, its just the truth. You really need to put alot of time and effort into it. You're not going to see a buck every time you go hunting. Plus, what would be the fun in that? I'm sure there's bucks on the property, you just need to find them. They're not going to find you. Dont give up, just put some work in. Next year, do as much pre season scouting as possible. By no means am I saying you should hunt the same piece of land every day, but dont assume is has crap hunting because you didnt see a wall hanger on your first day hunting there. If you put the time and effort in, and have the right mind set, you'll get a nice one adventually!

Good luck!

Brian

[MattBuffaloNY]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Brian. It's all about persistence and getting your scouting done in the offseason so that when opening day does roll around, you know where they will be. But I think today was just a bad day for hunting. I hunt in 9H and only saw a few doe. Didn't hear any shots which is very rare. So just keep at it, your work will pay off

[BrianNY]

Dors, do you have a doe tag for 3A?

[Dorsilfin]

Dors, do you have a doe tag for 3A?

Nope, 3a does not issue any doe tags.

suiting back up and getting ready to head back in for a few hour today. Figured "why not"

[Dorsilfin]

Another chilly morning. Spent the morning sitting, moving and sitting. Saw a few does again but no bucks. Called it a day around noon to get home and get ready for the work week. All the hunters on the road reported not seeing a single buck, so maybe the mountain just doesnt have any this year, or none traveled in from other areas to mate with the does of the area. With 3A not issuing doe permits at the very least the ones that do get knocked up should hopefully build the group for next year.

All in all, I had fun and would call it a successful weekend of exercise and enjoying the ourdoors.

My neighbor offered to let me hunt his land back home (dutchess) 3F. if I find a shotgun I might take him up on that offer (shotgun only over here where 3a is rifle.) I stuck around for a while with him and helped him finish butchering his deer, wasnt skeved out about it so I think ill be just fine if I can manage to get my own dear dead and hung up in a tree =)

[BrianNY]

How long are you sitting before getting up and moving?

[Dorsilfin]

Saturday I was at my opening spot from 6am - 10. then a slow crawl along the mountain ridge line. sat at the top of the valley between the two mountains for maybe 2 hours. then moved to the other peak and sat there till sundown.

Sunday I sat on the 2nd peak from 6 -9 and then crawled the valley between till 11ish and then walked out.

Also side note, its all mountainous terrain (Steep rock) with a few outcrops here and there. Its all state land and the hunters in the area do not use/setup treestands on it as its a hassle just getting yourself in and out let alone carrying anything heavy. I think I made the best of the area and maybe its just not all that great of a spot for a beginner. but with everyone my uncle had checked in with reporting nothing i dont feel like it was a bad experience or waste of time.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Dorsilfin

[the blur]

Don't feel bad. I sat a full day opening day, and 1/2 the day today. I saw 2 big doe, but that's all. nothing within range.

[Dinsdale]

3A is thin on deer in general, don't be discouraged, thats a tough unit to cut your teeth on for a first time hunter.

[Dorsilfin]

3A is thin on deer in general, don't be discouraged, thats a tough unit to cut your teeth on for a first time hunter.

Im guessing on top of being thin this year is even worse. I noticed no fresh acorn drops so the mountain didnt really give the deer much to feast on. My Uncle said its a weird year, Usually the does that visit his property attract in bucks from all over and they are around a week or 2 and then gone again. the only buck he had seen was a small 4 pointer that born this year from one of the does.

Ill hopefully be able to put some more time into the mountain and maybe get a lucky roamer.

Im hopeful but not expecting anything at this point with an empty opening weekend for everyone on the mountain. if all else fails ill go fill my Doe tags in 3M with my cousin who has a place to hunt in orange county. Im kinda even iffy on that, I like the idea of making my first deer a buck from the mountains that I hike and play on year round.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Dorsilfin

[jjb4900]

I hunted bow season in my area and saw plenty of deer, bucks included, went back opening weekend and saw zero......if it wasn't for all the deer I saw during bow, I'd be pretty discouraged as well, but will be back up later when things quiet down and get back to normal.........I've recently become a big fan of the late muzzleloader season.

[Suilleabhain]

My club in 3A saw a bunch of does a 4-pt and a 5-pt they couldn't get a shot at. Like anything else, you are going to have to pay your dues before you get rewarded. East Aurora, Erie County I saw 28 deer in three days, spooked another 4 in the dark, 4 were bucks, two had good racks and I missed a standing 60 yard shot at a doe. First miss since 1994 go figure. Sitting back, catching my breath and cursing myself knowing it was a clean miss, no flinch, no scrunched back, no tail corkscrew, just flag up and big bounds out of sight, I turn and her boyfriend is right next to me, so in rut he couldn't care less of me. Couldn't take a shot at him before I did a real good check for hair and blood soooo he got a pass. Then had one more buck coming in at 4p.m. and by the time he eased his way through all the heavy cover all I could see at 30 yards was the white around his eyes and chest. Too dark, had to pass that shot. I sit in one spot 6 a.m. until its too dark to shoot. There's all kinds of reasons to be discouraged, not seeing deer is the last of them. Far as I'm concerned I had a great 3 days, 28 deer, 3bucks, turkey, hawks, owls, and I didn't gut shoot that doe, yes I had a great 3 days

Edited November 21, 2012 by Suilleabhain

[Dorsilfin]

Had the day off and drove upto the cabin. Went out this afternoon for a few hours, Saw 1 buck but only had 2 spikes with no points coming off it. It was amazing how fast my hands started shaking just seeing a buck and then fumbling with my binocs to see how many points. I hate to say it, but I might very well be unable to make a good shot with the adrenaline pumping if a legal buck walks in front of me.

Tomorrows thanks giving, Im going to hit the mountain bright and early and stay in till about noon. Got family things to attend to in the afternoon but sunrise to noon gives me a good stretch of time and at the very least a chance.

I've not given up yet.. Just seeing a buck today is promising even tho it wasnt legal to take. My uncle saw a 6 pointer this morning chasing the does round his yard so he said dont give up. Sometimes you see nothing and other times a monster will simply walk by but its never regular or able to be predicted, just a matter of being in the right place and the right time.

-Dors

[Suilleabhain]

Just heard one member took a 6-pt right behind the house at my club property. D, you will learn to control your breathing and bring the heart rate and shakes down. Takes practice. Well, you saw deer & horns, things are looking up.