Hello All "I see Hunting is No Joke"

[sid727]

Good morning all, I started of as sports fisherman (fishing for 15yrs) and decided to upgrade to Hunting. This is my first year as a hunter, and boy is it hard.... I literally lived in Stewart Forest for 4 days and nothing what so ever. But most interesting experience was when I was driving i saw so many deer along the Highway it was unbelievable; I was saying to myself imagine how many Deer am going to see inside the forest. Boy was I right LOL…..

I spoke to several different people, and 97% responded that I need to get access to private land in order to harvest a good hunt.

As an inexperience hunter (ROOKIE) I can use some Tips on; where to go, what to do and what not to do…

Thank you all in advance, for your feedback and any good lead….

[Five Seasons]

start buy reading some of the longer threads here. Get a subscription to new york outdoor news, full draw etc and avoid the outdoor channel. Those hunts are not realistic and take place in other parts of the country and many of them are ranches/farms. In New York there is plenty of state land, but it is indeed pressured. The best thing you can do for private land is ask. If declined offer to lease for a fee after you scout it.

Hunting is hard and there's more to it than just sitting in the woods with a gun. 90% of it is good prep work, add 5% skill and 5% luck. Keep is simple at first and avoid calls and mock scrapes etc.Put in your time. With time you will learn from your mistakes. A lot of guys here have been hunting their whole lives and they're still learning. If you have a family or friend that hunts see if you can tag along. This really helped me when I dove into turkey.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Belo

[Sogaard]

It would help if you gave your general location. I know SSF is in 3M, but that doesn't mean you actually live there. I hunt turkey there in the Spring, but I live in the city.

I feel the most important factor in a successful hunt, especially if you are on state, is scouting. Don't expect to hop onto state land you've never been on before and come home with something, it's rarely that simple.

[shawnhu]

Stewart is my place to go for some small game, but I wouldn't want to go there for big game.

Try your hand at Sterling or some less pressured areas around 3M.

[josephmrtn]

its hard on private land too! lol one tip that ive seen posted on here is go where no one else is, one guy on here posted he has a steep cliff to climb down to get to where he hunts... also use the other hunter to your advantage... let them push the deer to you... believe me you WILL love hunting just as much as the rest of us... lol aint that right guys

[Elmo]

shawn and joseph is right...you have to scout, scout, scout, and find a nice spot that few others know about. Sounds tough but it's possible. Or just be willing to hike further than the other hunters will be willing to hike. Stewart is so heavily hunted by big game hunters that you're just playing the lottery there. You sit and hope a deer walks by. You don't get to truly hunt deer there because the deer are simply running for their lives there all the time.

Hunting takes a ton of patience and hard work but it pays off in the end once you finally land the big one. It's very addicting. I recommend all new hunters either start off with small game hunting or at least do it in conjunction with big game hunting because the success rate is better with small game.

[shawnhu]

And Sid, I felt the same way as you when I first started. Tons of squirrels in these NYC parks and unlimited pigeons. I would have never thought the forest is void of these things and how hard it is to get a glimpse at these abundant critters.

Same with the deer, tons of them when I camp and more when I fish, but as soon as you carry a gun or bow, they're gone!

I try to post up when I hit up places like Stewart or Sterling, as they are big enough to not cause any spot burning. Running into hunters at these places are a common occurrence, and I always enjoy chit chatting with other hunters and anglers.

You're welcome to join when we do have our squirrel hunts there.

[arrow nocker]

there is no such thing as a spot no one else knows about.But there is the spot that no one else goes.But on state land good luck.For every hundred hunters there are in that area there is at least one dedicated to getting that big one.He too willl be heading to that spot no one else wants to go to.Be steath,quiet,and scent free when you go there and your chances are greater.

Private land is NOT easy to aquire.But there is more state land in NY than you imagine.State land is great to hunt if you scout it.Use The DEC interactive mapping tool on google earth that is in a link in the general hunting thread i believe.Then go scout some out.

[Elmo]

You won't find the spot no one goes to but I think there's a difference between the spot 2 or 3 hunters go to versus the spot 20-30 hunters rumbles through.

[dirt_a_KISS]

Trust me scouting is the MOST essential hunting TACTIC ever. For my first 2 years of how hunting i seen little due to a lack of scounting. This past season did a lot of scouting and finally got my first deer bc of that. One little tip also don't hunt to hard in small game season, where you are going to hunt for big game(deer). For me the deer patterned me and i never seen one in the spot until i moved to a different one. Also take advantage of trail cameras and ask around to hear what others have seen in your area. GOOD LUCK!!

Edited January 5, 2013 by dirt_a_KISS

[sid727]

It would help if you gave your general location. I know SSF is in 3M, but that doesn't mean you actually live there. I hunt turkey there in the Spring, but I live in the city.

I feel the most important factor in a successful hunt, especially if you are on state, is scouting. Don't expect to hop onto state land you've never been on before and come home with something, it's rarely that simple.

Thanks for your feedback, I was in 3M st on Ridge Road 2 days P26 & 28, I sat on Barron rd 2 days P58 & 63; i see it's not as easy as outdoor hunting channel. Well as time goes by i will live and learn one step at a time. thanks for feed back

[sid727]

Man I see those outdoor channel can get you hype. thnaks for your advice, I am a fighter and will not stop untill i get a successful hunt!!

[sid727]

Thank you All for the advice, I really appreciate it. Guess I need to learn to walk before I decided to run. As a rookie I can use all the advice, tips, and help to become a good hunter. Please feel free to drop a line or two; the more I read the more I learn. At this point every little tip will be a great help for me….

Like most people said, hunting is not an easy sport and now I understand why; however I am not giving up that easily, after all I am a HUNTER not Quitter….

[Paula]

Just ask alot of questions! Start small game hunting, ask alot of questions and don't watch hunting shows like someone said. No question is too foolish to ask

[wheelieman]

Join some local clubs, Rifle and pistol or archery clubs in time you will find a few good buddies that will help you, Tv shows are entertainment and are never realistic to hunting in New York, and All the scouting in the world means nothing if you cant decipher what the sign means spend some time observing your area, read some articles in magazines But the best way to learn is trial and error, never sit in a stand if your not seeing deer, If from your stand you are seeing deer 200 yds away go into the area quietly during mid day and hang a stand then be back early that night to hunt if the wind is in the right direction, But don't just sit there and watch them you have to get in the game in order to play the game, All the calls and scents in the world cant make a deer go where it doesn't want to go, And again observe the deer from a distance if you can, Watch where they come into the fields and exit the fields, under normal circumstances also watch where they leave the fields when they get spooked sometimes its the same place sometimes its not, but that will give you a good idea on where to start,

[crappyice]

While replies here will be helpful to your questions, if possible try it hook up with someone who hunts. For one, it makes the hunting experience social so even if you see little action, you are creating experiences and memories that make your time worth it even if you aren't successful harvesting any game. Hang or at gun shops/bowshops and talk to the locals who frequent those establishments. While many will withhold info about their "honey holes" the will be more than apply to talk shop.

[ATbuckhunter]

A lot of people disagree with me but i learned a lot about bow hunting from tv shows. My favorite is deer and deer hunting. I also subscribed to their hunting mags. This forum and a couple others like bowhunting.com and D&DH.com will give you a lot of info how to hunt. As long as you research and put your time in the woods, public ground can be fantastic.

[Elmo]

Until they come up with a show or a book titled "How To Hunt Near NYC", books and TV shows are not 100% reliable. That said, it doesn't mean they're useless. They'll explain deer behavior and tactics. You then have to figure out how the close proximity to NYC will alter those behaviors and tactics (or if they effect them at all).

[nyantler]

You read all the books, take all the advice, hunt the best areas and that still will not gaurantee success. Many of us have hunted for decades and still experience years when things just don't work out the way you planned. It's th nature of the beast... it is much better to define a successful hunt by the amount of enjoyment you got from that hunt... if success becomes just about killing a deer... you may be more dissappointed than not as a hunter. I try to learn something new about where I am hunting everyday... over time you gather knowledge about whitetail habits that increase your chances of seeing deer. I might get a bit of slack for this suggestion, but if you are brand new to hunting and you're going to the same treestand on public land everyday (especially having not seen anything for a couple days) and expect to learn anything or see deer consistantly.. you are on the road to disappointment. Experimenting with different locations on public land, getting off the beaten path, doing a little walking, anything but staying in the same spot for days on end will serve you far better in the long run and add to your experience in the woods. Be patient, for some it just doesn't happen over night.

[Five Seasons]

A lot of people disagree with me but i learned a lot about bow hunting from tv shows. My favorite is deer and deer hunting. I also subscribed to their hunting mags. This forum and a couple others like bowhunting.com and D&DH.com will give you a lot of info how to hunt. As long as you research and put your time in the woods, public ground can be fantastic.

you can learn a lot from "some" of the shows. But the problem with these shows at their shooting mounters every week and they can deter the average hunter who sees no deer or only doe. They just don't provide an accurate depiction of what is normal. If you can get your head around that they're are some shows that give good pointers.

A classic example is my second season of bow hunting. had a nice 8 right below my stand. A 5 yard shot. He was walking very slowly and all i had to do was let her fly, but I kept seeing the guys on tv stop the deer with a mouth grunt. Scared the deer and he took off. Not needed that close.

[sid727]

Boy am in for a huge test? Regardless of how hard I need to work, I am prepare to go extra mile. Once again thanks for all of your feedback

[sid727]

And Sid, I felt the same way as you when I first started. Tons of squirrels in these NYC parks and unlimited pigeons. I would have never thought the forest is void of these things and how hard it is to get a glimpse at these abundant critters.

Same with the deer, tons of them when I camp and more when I fish, but as soon as you carry a gun or bow, they're gone!

I try to post up when I hit up places like Stewart or Sterling, as they are big enough to not cause any spot burning. Running into hunters at these places are a common occurrence, and I always enjoy chit chatting with other hunters and anglers.

You're welcome to join when we do have our squirrel hunts there.

[sid727]

Please let me know when is a good time to team up with you. Or you can reach me at (646) 302 - 3627 so I can tag along with small game. Thanks

[shawnhu]

I'm thinking the Sat after this one I might rally the squirrel squad together and do an organized assault on the critters. I'll keep you posted.

[Elmo]

Please let me know when is a good time to team up with you. Or you can reach me at ###-###-#### so I can tag along with small game. Thanks

Sid. You should private message Shawn directly. I wouldn't recommend posting your phone number on a public forum.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Elmo