New to hunting - Sterling?

[Vince1]

So Im new to hunting and been doing a lot of reading and building my bow skills in preparation for the 2014 deer season, I figure for 2013 I will start with small game and work my way up when my shots are consistent.

 

So in preparation I have been trying to find a place not to far from the city to start scouting. I narrowed it down to Sterling, Fahnstock, and one other that I can think of right now. But Im leaning on sterling because I plan on taking the family and dogs with me and making a lot of camping trips of it, and with harrimon and bear mountain right there I think that's good for them and gives me time to slip away while they nap ( 2 and 4years) for a few hours and scout then come back.

 

For 2013 I want to possibly hunt small game while continuing to familiarize myself with Sterling or wherever I choose to hunt. For this years opening weekend I plan on possibly spot and stalking / Still hunting. im still reading up on this but I think I would enjoy that much more than stand sitting from sun up to sun down, plus I think I would have more chances at getting game than stand sitting. Which gives me more practice for taking deer.

 

Does this sound crazy or is it something that makes sense?

 

also, I had planned to spike camp Sterling for the opening weekend. then I found out you cant camp in sterling. this just sounds crazy to me cause I cant see how in the world I am supposed to hike trails in sterling then make it back to harrimon to camp then hike back the way I came through sterling. just seems like a waist of time to me.

 

any thoughts are truly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

[shawnhu]

Hi Vince, all very good questions.

I started hunting not too long ago, and had similar questions. First things first, to hunt Sterling, you will need a parking pass, its $5 for us hunters an that'll enable you to park there during hunting season. To hike, you do not need this parking pass. This pass will be good for both small and big game.

Secondly, firearms are not permitting in Sterling until November I think. Despite the season opening for small game opening early September, you will not be allowed to hunt there with a gun. I do believe a bow is OK, starting Oct 1st. You'll have to look that up or someone here can chime in on the exact details.

The other popular spot for hunting is Stewart State Forest located in Windsor township in 3M. This area does not allow the possession of rifles and there are special parking rules that must be obeyed as it does get crowded during small game and big game seasons. During big game, you are allowed to drive into the forest and the hike is relatively short.

I hope this can steer you away from trouble and get you started.

[Elmo]

No firearms allowed in Sterling till Nov. 1st (that includes airguns).  Bows are allowed in Sterling the start of archery season but must be off roads and trails and away from general hikers.

 

No centerfire or rimfires allowed in Stewart State Forest.  Fahnstock allows limited (restricted by time and location) bow hunting of deer only.

[Vince1]

Yup thoight about stewart but seems like there will be alot of pressure there and i dont wana do something to get in peoples way. Planed on humpin far in near a pound or somethin and 3 day campin openin weekend and small game hunting. But since i cant camp out there i dont wana have to keep takin trips back and fourth. All depends on where i park i guess. Still gonna camp it. Just in harrimon and go back and forth

[Vince1]

E xcuse spelling. Phone typin

[Two Track]

Here are a few things to keep in mind if camping in Harriman State Park and then hunting in Sterling Forest:

1. no hunting or firearms in Harriman State Park except for lands west of I-87 (mainly an archery zone)
2. maximum of two nights staying in a shelter or back-country site
3. tent/shelter camping will require you to use a bear bag
4. Shelter/Tent camping means filtering/treating water from local streams
5. no pets along when camping in the back country (think fresh bear and coyote food)
6. 6' maximum leash when walking a dog

The Appalachian Trail does cross part of Sterling - that corridor can not have firearms in it.

    **one exception, one area that is a hunting zone is only accessible via the AT - gun must be unloaded while traversing the area.**

I suspect very few people hunt in that area. I would not want to dragging a deer down the AT and then be stopped by the DEC.

You will most-likely have to back track a couple miles with the DEC officer to prove you were in the hunting zone.

 

You may be able to sleep overnight in your vehicle for one night, but I recommend calling ahead first.

 

To get permit valid for opening weekend of deer season for Sterling, purchase license in August and then immediately apply for a hunting permit.

 

If scouting pre-gun season for deer, wear orange so the Archery deer hunters and turkey gun-hunters see you.  There is nothing like hearing something slowly approach you that you can't see through some pines and it turns out to be 2 guys wearing full camo just wandering around - it is a surprise meeting for everyone.

 

[Vince1]

Again, thanks for info.

Im into Archery so im good as far as

Harriman, I asked if I could bring my bow in

and they said it is suggested you don’t. So I

won’t bring mine but my kids will bring theirs,

they are 4 and 2 with bows that can hardly go

far. I figure if we are a mile off a trail it should

be an issue, a four year old pulling a bow aint

gonna send it that far anyway.

Bear Bag – do I really need this? buying a

loaaaad of stuff from fishing to archery to

camping gear for 3 plus my hunting gear,

waders… trying to eliminate the stuff I can

duplicate with things at home. So will simply

hanging my food pack from a tree between

two trees work? get it up maybe 12 feet?

Also, when I go solo cant I just sleep with my

dog in my tent? Or will that attract bears and

coyotes? I wanted to take him hunting with

me but ive seen mixed answers about this on

the net. I read I can train him on small game,

but that his scent might scare off dear. But if

im down wind will it matter? Thinking about

leaving him in the car when im after deer. Im

still up in the air on this one

[Elmo]

I use a diving sac to store my food and hang it off a branch away from my tent. I figure if a bear did get to my food then it was time to call the trip short and head out. As far as dogs go, I don't know. I have a Maltese and she's useless. (Well, she did help me get a few phone numbers when I was single).

[Futuretrash]

I backpack Harriman all the time, and surrounding areas. Bears are no joke. A hiker was just killed in New Jersey by a black bear 2 weeks ago. I'll tell you a story about my experience up at Balsam Lake bowhunting for bear in the early season ...

 

I got there at about 11pm Friday evening, got my pack with my sleep gear and water and my bow and hiked out to where I usually sleep. I ducked under some brush to enter one of the designated camp spots and shined my light up into the clearing and it was swarming with bears, maybe 3 cubs all into this guys food and one trying to get into his hammock. The Sow was up in a tree and dropped out of the tree and cracked the tree dropping out with a huge crash. The guy had his food hung about head high and I'm assuming was cooking all night there. Not smart.

 

I killed the light and walked back and slept in my vehicle. I'm not confronting a Sow and her cubs in the dark, no thank you. 

 

When it comes to food, my recommendation is this, and I've never had a late night raid like that one ever...

 

Cook your food and eat before dark if possible. Wash your cook kit FAR away from your sleep spot. At least 50 yards, 100 is better. Brush your teeth where you cooked. Bears love mint. 

 

Walk a bit away from where you cooked, the scent will be all over the trees as with the water you washed with. Once you have all your smelly stuff in a bag, take a nice length of paracord and tie it around a rock on one end. Throw the rock and cord over a high branch, I shoot for 15+ feet or more, just don't smack yourself with it in the head when it comes back down. Try to get it out far on a branch away from the trunk of the tree. Then untie the rock, tie the bag to that end, and then drag the bag up into the air, hanging well under the branch, and well off the ground.

 

Black bears can go right up a tree. You want to make it very hard for them. If you keep the food hung away from where you cooked they will likely not even know it's there. 

 

Never eat food in our around your tent, or worse in your sleeping bag. And I use descenting soap on all my gear as well so I have a scent free campsite. 

 

For me they don't scare me too much, but I get a crazy rush of adrenaline when I come across them at night and then find it impossible to get to sleep after that ... 

 

This is just what I do, but I'm by myself a lot, and I have kids so I don't like to take chances. If you can, wash after you cook as well in a stream or a lake. That's best, you can use descenting soap and then you'll be in a sleep spot with no critters knocking at your door while you sleep soundly. Even mice getting into your gear is a drag, I have a great ultralight bag from REI that's shredded from mice trying to get at something, maybe a tube of lip stuff or something. They even got in my car as well.

 

As far as the dog goes, I'm new to hunting as well, but I'll tell ya man, dogs aint quiet and they stink, I think a bear for sure and likely deer wll want to avoid that smell, so I don't think there's a benefit to having a dog with you while you're hunting. I have a boxer and love him in the woods with me when I'm camping but I never leave him alone (especially tied up) and haven't considered bringing him hunting with me.

 

Hope this is helpful, just be safe when it comes to bears at night, they're hungry this time of year, the berries are going away and there's pressure to fatten up before hibernation time.