What Do You Like To Hunt Most?

[DirtTime]

This has probably been asked, But I am curious.

What do you like to hunt the most that we can hunt in New York State?

Deer, rabbit, turkey, grouse, squirrel, duck, geese, pheasant, bears, coyote, or add to this list if you want.

#1 for me is deer. #2 is turkey.

 

[First-light]

Deer #1 but……if I lived at my cabin year round small game like grouse or rabbit would be up there. 

[greg54]

#1 deer #2 squirrels

[landtracdeerhunter]

I miss the days of watching a good bird dog work a pheasant in the wild. Then, capitalizing on the effort. There's nothing else like it. So pheasant hunting would have to top the list. Deer & Turkey has taken it's place and filled the void over the years rather nicely. I do so enjoy the time afield. I get lost in the moment. I would hope that some day pheasants could return to the wild.

[Skillet]

Deer & squirrels are even for me.

[Jaeger]

This has probably been asked, But I am curious.

What do you like to hunt the most that we can hunt in New York State?

Deer, rabbit, turkey, grouse, squirrel, duck, geese, pheasant, bears, coyote, or add to this list if you want.

#1 for me is deer. #2 is turkey.

For me it #1  Grouse and #2 Squirrel.  Both are very relaxing hunts.  Both I can enjoy with my dog.

 

I do love to deer hunt, but that is a much more equipment intensive and exhausting type hunt.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Jaeger

[grampy]

#1 is deer for me. I'm thinking about or doing something for deer hunting all year long.

[sssurfertim]

Ducks over everything, and bowhunting deer second

[ants]

Deer #1 Turkey#2 ( a very close #2)

Edited July 28, 2015 by ants

[wooly]

#1- shed antlers

 

[phade]

Deer and then turkey simply because of the feeling/experience I get with one approaching and the sense of accomplishment that comes with punching those tags.

 

Squirrel is fun, but it never provides the adrenaline dump. I enjoy it for different reasons. Not big into duck/goose but that is probably due to the overlap with deer hunting being a focus. Pheasant hunting with a dog seems like something I would enjoy, just never have had a chance to pursue it, especially knowing the commitment it takes to have a good bird dog.

[Grizz1219]

#1 is deer... fill my freezer with the meat for my family.... #2 turkey... I love hunting them and playing the game... don't need to drop the hammer to have fun either... I've called them in and let them walk away just to keep playing the game.. 

[Elmo]

Depends on the mood.  Like everyone else said, I enjoy deer hunting for the adrenaline rush and excitement.  But I find squirrel hunting relaxing and casual.  If I had to rank them though, it'll be #1 deer, and #2 squirrel.

[Deleted]

It's a toss up for me. Deer in bow season, and spring turkeys, depending on the time of year.

 

I like to hunt small game, birds, predators, and waterfowl too, but deer and turkeys have always been my favorites.

 

 

I like to bear hunt, but not being able to use bait here in NY makes hunting for them specifically, a tough proposition. For me anyway.

 

[wolc123]

I am a meat-hunting killer so my likes follow my stomach mostly.   There is nothing I would rather eat than venison so that is #1 when it comes to hunting.  It just offers the best combination of quality and quantity plus provides other valuable "side-benefits".   I don't care too much about antlers and 2.5 year old bucks are #1 on my hit-list.  Does slow me down butchering as I need to trim off all the extra fat.  Older bucks are not as tasty and younger ones don't provide sufficient quantity.      

 

To me, fishing is the same as hunting,  all about killing and eating.   Although technically its not "hunting",  I devote about equal time to the pursuit of smallmouth bass as I do deer.  We are especially blessed here in NY to have some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the world, making it no problem to gather up good quantities of those fish for the table which are unbeatable if properly prepared.   Again, I am not into targeting real big bass, keeping only 12-18 inchers for the table.  I combine my two favorite outdoors pursuits by taking 95% of my bass on lures I make from deer hair.   It is so much cheaper and more effective that way than bait or store-bought lures, plus making them lures is a good way to fight "cabin-fever" in bad weather. 

 

Some other game I like to hunt includes grouse and squirrel.  Both are great on the table but just don't offer the quantity to get them in the same league as deer.  I have no use at all for wild turkey which tastes like "cardboard" to me.  Rabbit is not bad, but less tasty than squirrel and harder for me to get in sufficient quantity to make a meal.    

[DirtTime]

I enjoy the challenge of deer and turkey. Squirrel was a pre deer season ritual we did so we could actually hunt while scouting in the fall. Rabbit was snowy days when I was a kid and I was the dog. Spring turkey then fishing.

Squirrel is relaxing, you can just go sit and wait for them or you can casually walk the woods looking for them.

[G-Man]

Grouse, turkey , and deer in that order

[Pygmy]

I have to make some qualifications...

 

I LOVE wingshooting...There is no better wingshooting IMHO than waterfowl hunting...Upland game such as pheasants, grouse and woodcock also rate high on my list...

 

However, where I live, opportunities for good wingshooting are very limited..I get maybe a day or two of good duck shooting, then it's over...Upland shooting is also very limited here..

 

SO, considering the hunting that is available to me, here is my list...

 

I have been a passionate spring turkey hunter over 40 years, and I have good gobbler hunting right at my doorstep, so I'd have to rate spring turkey hunting as #1..

 

I love to hunt squirrels and they are my favorite small game meat...Hunting pressure for them is very light and I can easily put 30 to 40 of them in the freezer per season, making for many tasty meals...

 

I also love to hunt rabbits with beagles, and although I don't have any dogs myself, a couple of my friends have them and welcome me to hunt with them..Rabbits are also high on my list as table fare..I'd have to rate squirrels and rabbits as a tie for # 2...

 

Deer are a distant  #3 place....If I didn't love venison and were not accustomed to have 2 or 3 deer in the freezer each year, I'd probably spend deer season doing something more fun, like hunting small game or fishing...

Edited July 28, 2015 by Pygmy

[Fletch]

Deer #1 and deer #2

[fishuntrapper]

turkey for the challenge, deer to fill the freezer.

[Mr VJP]

I enjoy Grouse hunting more than anything.  Deer hunting becomes what I do most once the season on them opens.

[DirtTime]

I actually thought everyone would have said deer or turkey at the top. Nice to see some waterfowl and small game up there too.

Edited July 28, 2015 by ....rob

[Doc]

Deer bowhunting first. Squirrel hunting second. Deer gun hunting third. We have no birds, and the rabbits are kept pretty well knocked down by hawks, foxes, and coyotes, so while I would like to include those two critters it isn't practical to go out specifically for them. I also have to stir in my annual hunts for predators ..... that can be darned exciting.

[n.y.grandpa]

I enjoy bowhunting deer #1 then probably rabbits with my .22

[growalot]

This will surprise some considering my posts but, Squirrel,turkey, bear and deer. The main reasons:

1.) weather

       I love the spring and fall weather temps are cool in the early mornings, the air has a distinct smell  to it. Later after a good frost or two no bugs.

 

2.) More of a challenge...squirrel takes timing and a good aim...turkey you really need to be on your game to call one in.  Bear ,well no baiting in NY so it takes skill to find them and more to get them in close enough...admittedly I'm still working on that.  I hunt them only with my bow...and having to go out in the dark with bear in the area with just a bow and seeing one even at a distance is exciting.

 

3.) Easy of cleaning the squirrel and turkey...hey I'm getting older...gutting skinning and butchering a deer is a chore.

 

The biggest thing I enjoy about deer season is the prepping for it and sitting in the stand watching the deer and other animals out there.

Edited July 29, 2015 by growalot