Check In 2010

[20ftupatree]

Well I am sad to report my bow hunting season is OVER!!!!! I can't waste any more time in these woods! Once I heard of this logging going on I moved 2 stands to a far corner of the property where there was no trees marked for harvest, set up a camera and had deer! different days different times a couple bucks (one of them was a dandy) and a million does. Now my cams are showing nothing. I assume they're feeding on the browes and all the drop acorns but I can't  very well hunt these areas while the loggers are there and I can't figure which direction they're coming from or going to.

I have talked to so many loggers around my area and every single one of them said "oh I've shot the biggest bucks of my life right off my skidder" or "oh the sound of the chain saw is a dinner bell sh!t I'd fire the saw up and set it on the ground next to me, they come a runnin!" BULLS#!T!!!!!!! The amount of time I have in my stand to see one deer is not normal to say the least but like I say I can't have the stand placement if these loggers are running around from one end to the other.

The landowner says they'll be done in 3-4 weeks! So that brings me into gun season, so I've sadly decided to put the bow up spend the remainder in the north and go back with the gun when they pull out. It kills me to give up and put the bow away but I feel like I'm spinning my wheels.

[Cabin Fever]

I've been out for 12 more hours in the past 2 days and only saw 1 deer. It came by before it was light enough to tell if it was a small buck or a doe.

Frustrating...

[Doc]

And the wind keeps blowing ..... and blowing ...... and blowing. I finally gave up early tonight. I expected that any deer I might see go by would probably be tumbling, and I really haven't practiced my moving shots lately to see if I could actually shoot a deer that was going end over end.

I did notice some rather large limbs coming out of the trees this afternoon which kind of had me nervously eyeballing some of those dead limbs hanging out over my head on the big old oak that my stand is located behind.

The other thing I noticed was that the harder the wind blows, the more likely that each gust will be followed by a back-flow that blows right out to the trail.

I've been hitting it kind of hard since the season started so I guess I deserved a break anyway. I have some medical stuff to take care of tomorrow so that day is completely off. As I understand it, it isn't supposed to be any prize anyway. Saturday, I will be ready to resume the battle, fully rested and refurbished.

Doc

[growalot]

The winds have kept me in the last 2 days...sorry but Mr B and I went out yesterday to take care of a few things and found 2 more ..big healthy looking maples with the tops blown out of them....I said ...now you know why the tree lounge has been in the basement the past two years ??? ...Just too scary...We had to move a small up rooted tree and bunches of limbs off the trail...Wanted to go to camp this afternoon but they are due for worse winds than us...and I washed my cell phone  Weds. so...well no way to call for help if alone down there and need it ...Need to go shopping today any how.....

[erussell]

Bucks were moving like crazy this morning. Saw a few nice ones runnimg around this morning on my way back from work. I didn't get a chance to get out in the morning but was in my stand by 4pm and had a nice 6 point at 10 yrds not to soon after that. Let him go, had a pic of him on my cell phone but forgot to hit save in all the excitement. Then just at dark there was another small buck I saw come through making scrapes on the trails below me on the mnt. There really starting to get worked up, should be almost in full swing by next fri give or take a few days of course. 

[ny hunter]

Sat for 6hours today and saw nothing at all no deer were moving.I did fimd a few fresh rubs that were not there last week.I left at 12;30 this cold is now a very sore throat and fever.I should not have gone out this morning but we wait all year for this.Hope everyone else has a better day.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I didnt get out this morning, tried to hang a stand this afternoon on the new farm, thought I was gonna blow right out of the tree. That will have to wait. My buddy texted me a pic of a basket rack 6 point he shot today. Said it trotted right in on him a few hours ago. Im gonna go shower up and take my climber over to the state land for the afternoon.

[Doc]

I saw another two deer tonight. One was a buck, but I couldn't see him clear enough to see how big a rack. I saw the white of antlers, but he was quite a ways out and screened a bit by hemlock boughs so I couldn't make out any details. About 5 minutes before quitting time, a doe came down the trail. Got my wind and took off. She never knew where I was but knew I was there someplace. The wind was see-sawing back and forth all night. I'm actually glad that the buck stayed way off the trail or I would have educated him too. I probably should have gone home when I saw what the wind was doing. But if I ran home everytime the wind was screwed up this year, I wouldn't get any hunting in. Whenever I hunt up around the big ravine, I can count on circling winds. That whole area up there just raises heck with any wind direction. That's probably why the bigger bucks hang out up there. They have things pretty much their own way. They may not always know which way the human scent is coming from, but then they don't have to.

You know, looking back over the season so far, I have to admit that I have had some pretty good luck in terms of seeing deer from my stands. Only one stand where I saw absolutely nothing, and all that with some of the crappiest weather I have experienced in quite a few years. I seem to have them located pretty well, the problem is fine-tuning my locations to get those sightings to occur within bow range. The bucks are not on the trails which makes that pretty tough, but the law of averages says that sooner of later one of them is going to slip up.

Doc

[growalot]

Well last night I had 1 doe and 8 fawn file past.....two buttons had a shoving match 3ft from the blind.....got out finally at dark and bumped 14 deer...wht flags going every where between stand and house....just hustled along ...hitting the grunt call...no blowing or stomping they all just scattered

Night before blew a shot on a doe...couldn't pull the bow back...Got cold :-[ ...when I finally did she stepped behind a pine and there I stood ...getting dark ..thumb locked behind ear....when she finally moved...I just rushed it...I watched her drop and the arrow sailed over her back...she bolted just 5yrds and came right back...I knocked an arrow ...but it was to late....All this after a nice 6-8 point ran her past me at 18 yrds moments earlier...couldn't stop him ...she took him out 70 yrds an left him then came back....First mature deer in good range and non spooked...Oh well that's hunting...the arrow will be found after they eat the turnips :

Good Luck today...time to shower.............................

[WNYBuckHunter]

Last night I only saw 1 deer, a really nice 10 point across the winter wheat field. I tried getting him to respond to some grunts, and he stopped and looked, but then just continued on his way. Im heading back to that spot this morning.

[nyslowhand]

After a long, frustrating dry spell - yesterday was like some one turned on the switch!

Saw deer moving from 1st to last light.

Small buck appeared out of nowhere and we had a stare-down.

Another medium sized buck was chasing 4 does.

Saw some of the same deer several times, so they are finally  moving.

My bowhunter's log shows 2 bucks & 13 does for 10/30 with 10hrs hunted.

[biggamefish]

  Wholly wind this morning.  I got down out of my stand at 10 and went out to the parking lot (state land) and nobody was there.  I swear I never see anybody in that lot later than 9-930.  I guess nobody stands for more than 2 hours.  I will be back out tonight found a good trail and hopfully Iwill beat everybody in and they can push the deer to me.

[ny_deer_hunter]

Went out yesterday say 2 small bucks and a doe.  Wind was not in my favor,  seems to be the common thread this year.  Back up in the tree now,  actually had a some snow flakes falling this morning.  Nice day but no activity yet.  However I have a scrape and a couple new rubs up here. 

[erussell]

Went out last night and found a spot to set up on the ground in a blown down tree. At 5:30 a doe started making her away down the trail to me and was on line to pass me about 20 yids out when she stopped and looked behind her. I was like yes there is a buck following her. There was a lot of raucous  behind her in the brush and she took off like a shot and out poped a mama bear and  three cubs heading right at me. AT 50 yrds they didn't look like they were going to swerve off there collision course so I headed out the other way. I kept and eye over my shoulder and they never ran off just watched me leave.

This morning had a basket rack eight point pass by under my stand then 10 min later a nice 4 came by under my stand. There was a deer up the hill moving around and he started walking up to see what it was. At 60 yrds he hopped onto another trail and made a scrap. Then he snapped to attention and started this deep grunting and took off like a shot and right into the side of another buck. They went around and around smashing over trees and beating the crap out of each other for 5 min. It was the most awesome thing I have ever seen in the woods. They actually battled for about a minute pushing and shoving and grunting up a storm. then rested for about a minute steam pouring off them in the cold morning air, then they went back at it pushing each other around again

till the 8 point ran off with the 4 points antlers up his arse.  The four stopped and the 8 point stopped about 40 yards from him and then they did something I never would have believed. The started snort wheezing at each other.  ( I have always said there was no such thing as a snort wheeze, that it was made up by the call companies to sell more calls)  So I stand here today corrected bucks in a fight do snort wheeze. Well the 4 point must have done better because then the eight point took off. All I can say is today was freaking awesome.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Sat in my stand till almost 11 this morning. Saw 4 or 5 deer feeding toward me in an alfalfa field, they ended up going down a different trail and I never had a chance at them. I headed back to the truck when I could tell there was rain coming in. We got a pretty good bunch of sleet right after I was done loading up. I have to pick up my daughter later this afternoon, so my hunting is done for the weekend. Ill be back at it later in the week.

[biggamefish]

Erussel that should go in the why we hunt forum. Sounded way cool

[outdoorsman]

It was a great evening hunt. I seen 3 bucks and two does.  The first sighting was a doe with a six point and a four point following. Both bucks were yr and halfs.  About thirty mins getting close to dark a doe came in with a good 2 1/2 yr old (big six or , but the doe must have smelled me and the hunt was over then. The chase is ON! This week is gonna be good for day light activity I believe.

[erussell]

My buddy came over today  and brought a video of a couple of 130ish class bucks and a monstrosity of a 10 point that is going to def score over 150 that he saw Saturday, the mass is spectacular.

[erussell]

Got in stand around 3:30pm and around 4 had 2 bears feeding on the acorns around me. They were both very small probably last yrs. They stayed there for 2 hrs feeding back and forth in front of me. I decided the deer hunting was shot so I stood up and scared the bears away then got down. I was packing all my stuff up on the ground and turned around and there were 5 doe standing there looking at me. Stupid Bears.

[ny hunter]

Thats awesome at least you saw some action I just watched birds on Saturday.Oh well

[gundeck]

After a long wait, I finally got my first bow kill and my second in the same day.  I have posted the whole story in the Hunting Success Stories post linked below.

http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,2068.msg23784/topicseen.html#new

I don't know who was more excited, me or my son.  We have a two seater stand and he was with me for the first kill.

Have seen quite a few deer despite the wind.  I still have three tags left.  This could be my best season yet!  I taken deeer with rifle, shotgun and (now) bow.  Still need to take one with a muzzleloader!

[Doc]

My stand was ruined again by small game hunters blasting up the woods all around where I was trying to get the deer to move a bit before dark. That situation is getting pretty frustrating. But the whole afternoon hunt was pretty much a joke. These guys kept up a steady barrage between 3:30 and 5:30. I don't know what the heck they are shooting at. maybe each other.

I keep trying to hunt the area because I know there is a pretty decent buck that works that area. He's scraping and rubbing like mad, and if I could just get a break, I might be able to close the distance on that guy. I've seen him a few times. You would think that hunting on a Wednesday a guy might find things a little bit peaceful. But apparently no body works anymore ..... lol.

Doc

[Geno C]

man is it just me or does it seem to be on the slow side lately? always seems like its either windy or guys on quads or something that end up ruining the hunt...

[ny hunter]

Its always something.You wait all year and bam some guy on 4 wheeler screws things up in 2 seconds.Oh well what are gonna do?

[Doc]

man is it just me or does it seem to be on the slow side lately? always seems like its either windy or guys on quads or something that end up ruining the hunt...

I've put in a lot of hunting seasons, and seen a lot of changes, and I can tell you that each bow season interferences get worse and worse. I don't really think that most of the time it is anybody's fault. But with hunting land access shrinking, and more toys available, and some people with a lot of free time, it is a natural change. The problems that I have been having with small game hunters on state land is really nobody's fault. In fact, if I wasn't bow hunting, I would would be joining them (and by the way, I would have a whole lot more meat in the freezer by now .... lol).

So, I think these things are just annoyances that we have to get used to. No need to think they will ever get any better and I fully expect them to get far worse with each year. Of course that won't stop me from whining about them, but in most cases, I do understand what's going on and I try real hard not to get too irritated.

Doc