Otis pike... skunked

[greybeard]

I went to Otis Pike for a few hours this morning for crow/squirrel, and a little push for cottontail. I haven't been to these spots in a while.

 

There is going to be some kind of Audobon(I can't spell it right) Christmas Bird count in some spots in the coop , I think it said Dec. 27th, but don't go by my lousy memory, I repeated it in my head all the way home and I still may be wrong. It's around then anyway. It will be done in certain spots so those spots open later that day, I THINK it said the designated spots open at  11 am. I'm writing this because some guys here bow, and small game hunt there and may want to call to verify this . I didn't ask, it was on a sign, and don't rely on me, my brain is empty. So call if it's of interest

 

I got nothing so that's the bottom line, so you may not want to read further.. A BIG 0 !!!

 

There was almost  no water in two of the ponds .Some ice on the little water that was there. I didn't check other ponds.

 

I started at a rabbit/crow spot.. There's no snow, so no tracks, but I saw coon tracks in mud and rabbit pellets.

 I tried , but didn't see any rabbits.  Then, I tried predator calling, and had heard a a squirrel barking a lot, then birds were acting spooked. That's a good indicator of  fox, or other predator, but I didn't see anything, so maybe it was nothing. I really should have called longer, but I wanted that squirrel, more than seeing a fox, so I went looking, but to no avail...

 

I was very surprised that, there were no crows around, but the damn Canada geese flew over my head a few times, but I got lead, and am not signed in for waterfowl, so no shooting for me.

 

I moved to my crow spot... this was always my go to spot for crows.. I ALWAYS saw them at this spot, lots of them!!. I didn't always get them, but they were always there.I haven't been there in a while, but until today, it was always a winner to see crows, and quite often call them in.. Again, geese, no crows. I didn't hear, or see any. I'd blame my calling, but there was no crows to hear me.

( There were no crows ANYWHERE today.) I saw only one on the way there, and none while I drove around, and none on my way home...VERY unusual, and don't know why.

 

I tried a squirrel/pheasant spot for an hour and got 0...

I found a dead pheasant(rooster), that was half eaten and a dead button buck that was partially eaten. It has to be those damn Mountain Lions !!!

I plucked the feathers from the pheasants tail, so something will get used , The deer stunk, and It's probably illegal to cut anything off of him, so I left him, and later told the DEC...

 

After I checked out, of course, I saw 2 pheasants walking near the check station, I had a good laugh with another hunter about it.

 

 

 

[Stretcher Guy]

And here I thought you were going to tell how you got sprayed by a striped cat.

 

[greybeard]

I'm glad it wasn't that

[First-light]

What number did you hunt.

[greybeard]

First-light... All Otis Pike:

 

                  Spot 40(Fresh Pond Road).. rabbit/crow spot where I heard the squirrel

 

                  Spot 36(25a)..( I'm pretty sure that that's the #), It's east on 25 from the check station..

                  left from 25 to 25a(you see the jet on the right before the turn).. 2nd parking area, it's on the right..used to be my crow spot  .     I have gotten pheasants there, but birds are stocked so in my opinion it's a crap shoot.

                         

                  Spots 10 and 12      

[First-light]

We are hunting 9 and 10 on first day of shotgun. Last year while

Hunting deer we saw a good amount of all game.

We also walked many miles.

[mbucks27]

You see any live deer in there the piece on 25a

John

[greybeard]

I saw 2 rubs at 10 today.. The dead button buck was at 12.

I don't deer hunt anymore, but I still find myself looking for deer sign.

 

I like spots 9 , 10 and 12, because, as you wrote, there is a good amount of game. There are a lot of good spots, as I'm sure you know. I don't know which are best for deer.

 

I took a friend once  to the coop to show him what it was like. I took him to spot 2. When we got back by the ponds  he was fascinated,, he said that he couldn't believe that we were on L.I.

That day, he found a beautiful 8 point rack on a skull. I have unsuccessfully looked for sheds for years and never found one, he goes one day and finds that.

 

I guess that the bucks haven't shed yet because I saw a small fork horn last week when I was out.

 

Good luck on your hunt.

[greybeard]

mbucks27.. No, not today, but I wasn't very quiet moving into my crow spot. I walked fast  so I wasn't paying attention at that spot, I had crows on my mind, and wanted to get to where I thought I'd take some crows.

 

I paid more attention at spot 10 and 12 because I was looking for squirrels.

 

Are you thinking of deer hunting there ?

 

 

 

.

 

 

[First-light]

Grey beard I thought the same thing about that spot spectacular!

[greybeard]

 First-light..There's pheasants back there too. The day he found the rack, I shot a hen pheasant..

 

I used to hunt that spot a lot.....It was a long time ago, but I used to coon hunt in there too.It's a good chunk of huntable land for here...

 

 

 

 

 

[mbucks27]

I have hunted that spot a lot over the years for deer. Always see a lit of deer in there but never anything big small 8s and small does. I'll be out tomorrow but not there but close by. Good luck next time out. I would think spot 2 by Rocky point would be food for small game

John

[greybeard]

mbucks...thanks, I have hunted spot one in Rocky Point, but don't remember if I hunted spot 2, I'll check it out ..

I have my favorite spots in Rocky point, but tend to hunt in Otis Pike. I guess it's because at some point in the day I want to hunt the fields for crows in Otis Pike..

 

Thank you for that info. I think my next hunt out there will be Rocky Point, and try spot 2 

 

Good luck today, I hope that as I am typing this you are gutting your big buck..

Bob

[Danny]

Rock Point #2 is next to a giant field

 

the bucks are beginning to shed, I know someone who found a nice fresh droptine shed last weekend