Rochester........or Ogdensburg?

[New York Hillbilly]

Well folks, as I said I have a job interview next week in Rochester and have been looking into hunting and fishing there. I also interviewed in Ogdensburg yesterday. No offers on the table yet!

So for anyone in the know, how about enlightening me about hunting deer that far north. I am keenly aware of the fishing because I have done a ton of it up there over the years. But am totally clueless about the hunting. Rochester VS Ogdensburg for hunting..............how about it!

Edited January 5, 2013 by New York Hillbilly

[Fletch]

Both have deer. Ogdensburg is west enough of the dacks to have more deer friendly land and north enough so not too much snow like the tug hill. There is a lot of great fishing around too with Black Lake and the Indian River Lakes, I would love to have a camp and land around the Indian River Lakes!! Anyway the deer hunting is ok and Northern zone. Rochester area has way more deer but probably a lot more pressure and less big wood like up north, maybe some of the Rochester guys could elaborate on that. For a decision on just deer hunting I would say Rochester and it is an actual city so a lot more going on than Ogdensburg and probably better choices in schools and such. Guess it really matters what else counts in your decision.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Fletch

[growalot]

Go to this link and compare what the DEC forecasted for each region last year and compare

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37304.html

[josephmrtn]

ogdensburg is very nice deer country but i cant speak for rochester...

[JFB]

Depends on your priorities and 'style'... Up north will have that more country feel I assume with world class fishing of the 1000 Island region, Black Lake and tribs. I don't know about the hunting but others have said it's good so sounds like a very nice option if your priorities are hunting/fishing.

On the other hand, if being closer to a 'big' city feel is high on the list, Rochester also offers fantastic fishing and certainly hunting (if you can find a spot). You are likely to have a neighbors house within spitting distance living in Roch area while perhaps up North offers a bit of distance associated with more country? Drive the area's you'd likely buy a house in based on your budget and get a feel.

If all seems equal to you, guess you got to go with the better job.

[ncountry]

I live 15 minutes south of Ogdensburg. Deer hunting is hit or miss depending on the piece of property. We do not have the deer #s of ten years ago,but there are still plenty to be found.If unpressured state land is what you are looking for there are 10s of thousands of acres within a 15-45 minute drive. I hunt every day I possible can ,including a 10 day trip to Letchworth south of Rochester. For sure my best chances at a mature deer are downstate . Hunting around home I see less people all season than I have seen in one day downstate though..lol...I have always thought we have an outdoors persons paradise up here. Rivers ,streams,ponds, lakes , and state land up the wazoo!! I have fished at least 40 different rivers and learned 5000 acres of state land pretty well and have not even scratched the surface in the last30 years... On the other hand you better enjoy hunting and fishing because we is lacking in cultural opurtoonities...

[New York Hillbilly]

I'm curious about the lower number of deer up north these days. Back in 1973, I spent a summer working on my uncles farm in the Hammond area, and never saw one deer all summer. These reason for no deer I was told, was because they were shot pretty much anytime they were seen, season or not. Well, I would have no way of knowing it that was correct or not, as it was a long time ago, I was only 13 at the time, and was only there for one summer.

I was told, and have read, that over the years the deer population seemed to grow like crazy, as many of the small farms went out of business and the land use changed. In any of my road trips up that way for business or pleasure I would see deer in the fields as I drove along, which sort of supported that claim.

Now we have had a few winters hat have been really mild, low deer mortality due to weather, and with such low hunting pressure, common sense would tell you there should be even more deer. But, both comments on this site and the DEC reports tell a different story and say there are less deer. Why? With so much land, so little pressure, the thought that you would have a better chance at a mature buck elsewhere confuses me.

I read sometime back on this site that there was a group of Amish guys bragging about shooting a pile of deer. I don't remember if it was in or out of season. I'm not finger pointing or blaming any one group here. I'm only bringing up what I read on this site, and makes me wonder if there are others out there doing it as well, and to what degree poaching is having an effect on the deer population up north. In other words, is it a return to what I was told back in 1973?

PS. Are there any snowshoe hare or a decent population of rabbits for my beagles to chase?

Edited January 6, 2013 by New York Hillbilly

[cwhite]

One reason for lower numbers is that St. Lawrence county is one of the poorest counties in NYS. Seems that everyone has a tag and usually every tag gets filled, sometimes twice. Not to mention all the southern tier doe tags that are filled up north also. Hard to build a population up when everything has a target on it from September 27-mid December.

[growalot]

Taking a look at how DMP's are given out will give you a good idea of what you'll be seeing....like here....I can receive 4 tags alone and then have 2 more assigned to me.....drive two miles to my west and your lucky to get one DMP given to you....and it's been like that for years..

As far as hunter density...well that needs a second look as well....here we are overloaded with hunters and of those adult hunters you have all their youngsters coming into hunting...both boys and girls...for it's a country life style..and farm country...kids were raised with hunting parents grand parents and school friends...They are in 4-H and the scouts...lots of gun clubs and archery teams around...Lots of stuff to consider on what the future hunting in an area will be

[ncountry]

One reason for lower numbers is that St. Lawrence county is one of the poorest counties in NYS. Seems that everyone has a tag and usually every tag gets filled, sometimes twice. Not to mention all the southern tier doe tags that are filled up north also. Hard to build a population up when everything has a target on it from September 27-mid December.

Hate to say it but there is truth to this..When they changed the rules and started issuing dmps up here deer started disappearing . Bad enough that everyone had 2-3 (their own,their mothers, their sisters etc..)buck tags to use on every 1 1/2 year old buck they see.

At the same time the hunting culture up here is changing. In the past a guy could get permission from any # of small farmers to hunt. These smaller farmers are disappearing quickly. Bought up by a few hand fulls of larger farms farming thousands of acres. They for the most part hate deer and they and their help use many destroy permits. More than one has been caught in the past dumping dead deer by the dozens into the farms dump. There is also a trend of paying to hunt. Either by out of the area guys buying up land or leasing it.....With some work private land is still available just harder to find without costing money..

[New York Hillbilly]

So it sounds like the old saying is true, about the best predictor of the future being the past.

[josephmrtn]

JFB ur right!!!! there is some SWEET fishing up on black lake.... thats where i caught my 18 in Largemouth bass summer before last

[New York Hillbilly]

Super fishing on Black Lake over the years, Indian River, and Butterfield, Red, Clear, lakes. Also, tons of fish on Chippewa Bay.

I still want to know about snowshoe hares and rabbits though. I'll hang onto my land down here and come back for deer hunting I guess, even if I move north.

[ncountry]

Super fishing on Black Lake over the years, Indian River, and Butterfield, Red, Clear, lakes. Also, tons of fish on Chippewa Bay.

I still want to know about snowshoe hares and rabbits though. I'll hang onto my land down here and come back for deer hunting I guess, even if I move north.

I have not hunted rabbit in years.. Seems like I am seeing a lot more in the woods though. You r correct. The Indian river lakes are great. We have a camp on yellow lake.I won't tell you how many 20"+ bass I caught In some of them last year.lol.

Biggest stringer of bass I have ever seen out of a northern lake came out of Moon.

[New York Hillbilly]

Things feeling really positive for Ogdensburg right now. Perhaps it won't be long before I'm puttering around up there. Always thought I would be moving to a warmer climate when all was said and done. When it comes to me staying in the snowy North East, I guess it just goes to show you, never say never. LOL!

Edited January 9, 2013 by New York Hillbilly

[DeerStalker22]

I live in Ogdensburg, and have hunted and fished all around it my whole life, there is plenty of state land around, between Fish creek near Black lake, and Upper and Lower lakes near Canton, i have hunted both and have killed a variety game in both sites, as for the fishing, I dont think you can beat it in the area with the St Lawrence right there in Ogdensburg

[New York Hillbilly]

Well, I have a tentative offer in Rochester. Still have nothing solid in my hands for Ogdensburg. I was looking at the area out by my daughter was wondering if anyone could tell me what I'm looking at on Google Maps. Out on "Plank road", towards "Nine Mile Point" something or other road, is that a "race track" of some sort? It looks like a huge dirt track for motocross. Also, has anyone on this site ever hunted that area?

Thanks for the help.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Looks like someones kid's motocross track in their back yard. Its Webster, better be ready to pony up for any land there.

[New York Hillbilly]

Hey thanks WNY. That must be some lucky kid to have a track like that. It looks huge!! As I zoomed in it confused me because it looks like a big garage/shop type building, with lots of scrap and junk all over the place.

[phade]

Access is going to be your biggest issue in Rochester as far as hunting goes, unless you own.

Webster offers residents a hunting program. Pretty neat. The hunting is good, but again, access is hard to come by. And, land prices there are pretty high comparatively (east side is generally the wealthier side of Roc). You have good hunting all around that area though...you can pretty much drive any direction and run into it (sans the city itself and Lake Ontario). If you can tolerate a 1/2 hour drive, there's plenty of less costly hunting land.

Cottontails are making a comeback in my hunting areas. Pretty surprised.

[New York Hillbilly]

Well if I end up living there Phade, i'll bring the beagles and we'll keep them bunnies in check.

[cynthiafu]

i would so love to move up by blake lake love it up there .

[cynthiafu]

lol black lake

[cynthiafu]

see i got all excited lol couldnt type or read lol