How far...

[Borngeechee]

What's the deepest you trekked into the woods to find where the deer are?

[stoneam2006]

When i hunt the adk it's nothing to put over 5 miles on easy....the drag out would suck but be worth it....I've hunted smaller parcels locally and I'll go as far as i can basic ly get away from everyone else....i drug my deer for 2 hours last year....was in quite aways.....look at topo and sat maps they are very helpful on unfamiliar lands

[NFA-ADK]

7+ Miles, WOW I was shot!  About 15 total.  DEC closed a road and I wanted to check a hot spot from the year before, it was cold!  Two guys saw me walking back and offered a ride seeing how I was basically stumbling, I declined because I was a quarter mile away and was determined.  (Stubborn!)  Doubt I will do it again a drag would have been crazy. 

 

 

[Doc]

It's not always about just distance. I get about a mile off the road, but that mile is a pretty ugly climb. I won't say that it's hands-and-knees kind of steep, but it sure makes that mile seem a whole lot longer to those that are tempted to get up there.

 

Also, there are areas down in the valley that are right next to the road that have some pretty good deer that hang out there. A lot of that does not get hunted because of the thick multi-flora rose that has taken over. The whole area is basically a "man-trap". Guys walk right on past that stuff and won't even attempt to hunt in that crap. Some of these areas are great deer sanctuaries when the orange army invades the woods. For those that want to take the time to find or cut trails through that stuff to get to some of the more open areas on the insides, some pretty productive areas can be hunted.

 

So it is more than just distance that gets you away from other hunters and into the deer.

[gfdeputy2]

Doc That sounds like the area we hunt in 8N

nasty up & down

[G-Man]

some of the best hunting is 100 yards fro my house everyone walks by in an effort to get deep in the woods.. like doc said its more important to be away from hunters than to be far off a road..

[thphm]

On L.I. some were a mile,one was 3 hours with 4 of us.In the Catskills most were short one was 2 hours.That was a gut shot.

[Big Indian]

When I first started at the age of 16, my dad had an awesome spot about 5 miles back and straight up ( it seemed), we did that so many times I could do it in my sleep, and most times I did because I should have been sleeping at 4 am. When I got ohe older and smarter, I found a better way to get there that did not involve as vigorous of climb, but of course my dad did not find it so it was not "the best way"

 

We got some nice deer out of there though and the memories are awesome !!!!!!

[Doc]

One other observation that I have made is that going to areas that are distant or hard to get to do not guarantee isolation from gobs of hunters. There seems to be a health and fitness craze going on now that makes a lot of guys relish long and strenuous hunts. We have a hill that is ugly-steep and yet, unbelievably it is laced with mountain-bike trails everywhere .... on the side of the hill .... on the top and on the bottom. I have seen joggers during the bow season prancing by in the middle of the top of the hill. The bikers pretty much can cover everything up there as they travel in packs, hollering back and forth. What used to be semi-wilderness, now has a bit of a Coney Island atmosphere to it .... lol. Yes, things in the state land are changing rapidly as hunters lose ground to the lands they used to hunt in pretty much ideal isolated conditions. So, there are cases where no matter how far in you want to go, you may still encounter interruptions in your hunt, and a herd that is predominantly nocturnal because of all the crazy raucous commotion during daylight hours.

[genesee_mohican]

As long as I'm healthy enough, I will make the trek to the quiet places where I see very few hunters and have a good chance to see a nice buck, along with all other kinds of wildlife.   2.5 miles in, fairly steep in some locations. All day hunts, I live for those days.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2014 by genesee_mohican

[Uncle Nicky]

Scouting? Probably 5 miles. But I try to sit within a mile of a road when actually hunting.

 

I've walked much further in trying to find turkeys, but the walk out with a 20# bird vs. dragging an 150# deer is much easier.

[Borngeechee]

One other observation that I have made is that going to areas that are distant or hard to get to do not guarantee isolation from gobs of hunters. There seems to be a health and fitness craze going on now that makes a lot of guys relish long and strenuous hunts. We have a hill that is ugly-steep and yet, unbelievably it is laced with mountain-bike trails everywhere .... on the side of the hill .... on the top and on the bottom. I have seen joggers during the bow season prancing by in the middle of the top of the hill. The bikers pretty much can cover everything up there as they travel in packs, hollering back and forth. What used to be semi-wilderness, now has a bit of a Coney Island atmosphere to it .... lol. Yes, things in the state land are changing rapidly as hunters lose ground to the lands they used to hunt in pretty much ideal isolated conditions. So, there are cases where no matter how far in you want to go, you may still encounter interruptions in your hunt, and a herd that is predominantly nocturnal because of all the crazy raucous commotion during daylight hours.

That sucks. If that continues hunting in NY will slowly die or all hunting will be done on private land.

[biggamefish]

Remember to keep it reasonable also.  On a scouting trip you can hike somewhat quickly.  When hunting you don't just want to go tromping into the woods.  plus you will have more gear with you.  So remember it will take longer when you are hunting.  

[Mr VJP]

I once did a week in the Adirondacks 14 miles in.  We did it on horseback though.  We were hunting the deer/bear muzzle loader week in October.  Never saw a bear, or a deer good enough to take, but did see lots of big grouse and had a great time.  Now I do that trip just to hunt grouse.

 

I heard a good joke about this years ago.

 

How far can a hunter go into the woods?  Answer:  Half way.

 

Why?  Beyond the half way point, he's coming out of the woods again.

[NFA-ADK]

I agree with Doc, sometimes you just need to figure out where the other hunters do not go and that can be a great area.  Long excessive hikes are not always needed to get away from the crowd.  I once stayed right next to the truck and saw more deer at lunch time and again at last light when everyone was exiting the woods.  

 

Stupid me I will probably go back this year and hike the 7 miles in to see if the hot spot is being utilized again.  This time I think an overnight stay will ease the trip. 

[Elmo]

That sucks. If that continues hunting in NY will slowly die or all hunting will be done on private land.

 

As long as there is land where you legally hunt you'll be okay.  You just have to try and figure out how the deer will react to all this mountain bikers cutting through the woods.  The deer will be pushed to another location and so you just have to figure out what that other location is.