Darien Lake State Park.

[Backyard]

Hey guys/gals. Since I didnt have any success with gun season this year on my property I was thinking of taking my bow to Darien Lake State park for the late bow/muzzleloader season. Has anyone hunted here and is it going to be a waste of time? I dont have a portable tree stand so I would be hunting from the ground. I have heard there has been ALOT of hunters there for the regular season and I would think it will calm down some for the late season. There are parts of the park where you cannot carry a firearm so I would think the pressured deer have been hiding out there. I have never hunted here but I am just looking for a change of scenery and a last chance at a deer for this year. Any tips will be appreciated as I say I'm done for the season but I just cant manage to stay out of the woods! I'm addicted!

[G-Man]

I've only hunted pheasant: there but would expect deer to be there still close to no hunting areas and surrounding private land, same areas ;as the pheasants end up.

[Five Seasons]

i've hunted deer and pheasant there last season. Most guys park off broadway and walk in there and it's pressured a lot more than the 77 entrance by the fields. I hunted early archery and saw 2 dow and a small 6 i could have taken but it was early and i had higher aspirations. There's a nice spot about a 1/4 mile in on the right between 2 fields that they use as a transition and i've never seen another hunter there. However this is a decent hike with a climber. good luck if you go and bring a cart, quad or something cause it'll be a nice drag and you cannot drive a truck in.

[tughillhunter]

its doe..... not dow.

[Five Seasons]

sorry for the monday morning typo. please ban me for trying to help someone out

[tughillhunter]

monday morning typo.......... lame.

[G-Man]

oh no grammar police on patrol... ease off...

[Backyard]

I think if I stick to the bow only area in theory there should be deer there. I wouldnt think too many guys were using bows during gun season but some of the gunners may have wandered there but we will see.

[16. ga hunter]

have always seen deer while bird hunting but whatever you do do not ride a quad on there. not legal and will cause the park service to close it down. i often wonder why i see trucks with quads parked by state lands evidently now i know. higher aspirations? maybe man up and drag the deer rather than pass a six and then recomend others abuse public lands.and at 1/4 mi. you have barely touched the available lands.

[Five Seasons]

Wow man. I don't even own a quad and had no idea they were illegal. Like you I have seen trucks with quads and I know they allow snowmobiles so i guess i just assumed. I hunted there a total of 3 times for deer, twice for squirrel and twice for pheasant. Everytime I walked and had a cart in the truck. Ive hiked the whole park with my wife and dog and was only recommending a spot i had luck with probably closer to a half mile in when i think more about it. But please flip out some more.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Belo

[fishuntrapper]

hey Backyard,

the bow only section should have some deer that are not as spooky at least by now. and dont worry about the gun hunters wandering over there by accident. if they got there, it was on purpose as eleven mile creek is quite a challenge to get across and well posted as being no gun hunting. be sure you have the free permit that is available at the kiosk on harlow rd. there will be some m/l activity on the gun side to keep the deer moving. i may hunt up to three days there my self. most parking for the bow only area is on harlow. there are plenty of deer left and remember, next year trophy is still out there. good luck. two deer from this year taken in DLSP.

Edited December 12, 2012 by fishuntrapper

[Five Seasons]

forgot about the bow only area. great recommendation.

[WNYBuckHunter]

You can use ATVs on state land with a special disabled permit. Look on the ATVs that some guys may have there and you might see the permit taped to the fender. Just a heads up so you know not everyone out there is doing it illegally.

[16. ga hunter]

wny i understand that and have no problems with qualified individuals using thier atv legally. normally these individuals are out using them to take game not stashed in the back of thier truck....just get very agrivated with abuses of lands ect. that i see

[Backyard]

Well I hunted Darien Lake SP yesterday afternoon and had no luck. I believe I was the only guy in the bow only section so it was pretty quite. I only saw 1 other hunter in the distance on the gun side with a muzzleloader but that was it. There was a ton of deer sign and some trails that looked like they were used ALOT. Even the mowed paths looked like they were heavily used by deer. Having never hunted there before I basically stalked around as quite as I could and then would sit for a bit then move on. It appears there are alot of deer there but unfortunately I didnt see any. It was nice for a change of scenery and nice to see fresh deer sign which has seemed to almost vanish from my property at the start of the regular season.

[dbHunterNY]

i've had luck hunting there when i used to live in buffalo. archery only section on the other side of the creek is good but a lot is tough to get in there undetected and the wind swirls too much in a couple of the hollows. another spot people over look is the swamp on the south end in the middle. there's a guy that gets a big one out of there every year according to the guys in the maintenance shop where you sign in. there's some pine stands and swamp continuing to the south east corner that hold deer this late. hunters come up from the south end because of the houses there. they don't make it that far in. across the road you can ask the FD to park in there lot of the way, and that way you're right there to walk in. done that before. the mowed paths deer feed on at night mostly. we would ride mountain bikes in there to get places quicker if you're not carrying a stand.