Quiet Opener

[monkeyman2269]

I think dec isn't telling the truth and the deep population is way down. I heard maybe 120 shots all day yesterday. Usally hear more then 500

[skully]

Just driving around you could tell numbers of hunters are way down.  There use to be trucks all over the side of road now you barely see them.  My father said that in 1985 there were 40 people hunting on opening day at gun club and this year there were only 7..........

[The_Real_TCIII]

I used to hunt state land on opening day, get in super early and all set up and here comes a flashlight. I'd shine my light at them and they'd see me and go ahead and setup right next to me anyway. This happened two years in a row. I finally got down and asked the guy if he enjoys having half his hunting cutoff or what, why not go another couple hundred yards??!! His reply was of course "I always hunt here". I told the guy to go ahead and get in my stand I have another and he proceeds to tell me it's illegal to hunt from a tree stand during gun season

[The_Real_TCIII]

Just driving around you could tell numbers of hunters are way down. There use to be trucks all over the side of road now you barely see them. My father said that in 1985 there were 40 people hunting on opening day at gun club and this year there were only 7..........

i just drove from Cherry Creek to Clarence and only saw a handful of hunters, I was really surprised

[Nomad]

Deer everywhere yesterday ! All 3 of us had multiple young bucks and a few doe under us , morning and afternoon . Bucks chasing in the fields , one monster in thick stuff but no shot due to well all the thick stuff. I even grunted one in from well over 300 yards !

He turned and ran right in , turned out to be a small racked one though,still fun though.

Oh I got on stand around 6:40 just as it got light .if I had to get in the woods at 1 AM or even 4:30 like some of you I think I'd hang up the gun and bow. But well good luck .

Edited November 22, 2015 by Larry302

[jjb4900]

very quiet as far as hunter #'s......hotels/motels with vacancy signs and 2 or 3 cars in their lots, local restaurants and bars far from busy, local supermarket a ghost town, gun shop same, State Land another shadow of what it once was (a good thing).............and this is in the heart of the Catskills where 10-15 years ago it was dangerous just to go on State Land

[thphtm]

Only 1 shot heard by me yesterday , deer were not moving or were not there , I was on the tractor all day long cleaning up trails and plots and the tractor does not bother them ,they will come out and feed when they get hungry. Lack of hunters could be that they cut back on the doe permits by us and the 6 point rule.

[The_Real_TCIII]

This was the state land parking lot by me at 10 today. Not one vehicle had been there

[skully]

Only 1 shot heard by me yesterday , deer were not moving or were not there , I was on the tractor all day long cleaning up trails and plots and the tractor does not bother them ,they will come out and feed when they get hungry. Lack of hunters could be that they cut back on the doe permits by us and the 6 point rule.

 

Lack of doe permits has squat to do with it.  The younger generation does not go in the woods.  Im 40 and barely any of my friends hunt and you keep going down the line and it is worse and worse.  Now the oldtimers are retiring from woods, Alot of people are working 6 days a week and put it all together.

[Uptown Redneck]

Does anyone know how many big game hunting licenses the state sold this year? While I enjoy heading out with friends for hunting me and my friends will all admit that we prefer fishing over hunting. The weather is much more welcoming and the views available on the water, mainly that of  bikini clad woman, sure beats the views found in the woods, but hey, to each their own.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Uptown Redneck

[jjb4900]

Lack of doe permits has squat to do with it.  The younger generation does not go in the woods.  Im 40 and barely any of my friends hunt and you keep going down the line and it is worse and worse.  Now the oldtimers are retiring from woods, Alot of people are working 6 days a week and put it all together.

lack of new hunters, lack of doe tags, antler restrictions and a few other factors play into it.....someone mentioned a 6pt rule, that doesn't exist.

[HunterDan1]

It was quieter in 3m than prior years. 3 does were bedded near my parking spot. They blew out of there. No deer sighted for the am hunt besides those. Way fewer shots heard than usual. Not many shots between 9am and 1pm.

[skully]

why would antler restrictions have anything to do with it?

[skully]

If somebody is worried they can not shoot a buck with 3 points on one side then they are clueless and do not belong in the friggin woods.........

[jjb4900]

If somebody is worried they can not shoot a buck with 3 points on one side then they are clueless and do not belong in the friggin woods.........

hmm, because maybe by the time it takes to count points the opportunity is gone.....but since you sound like quite the genius we'll leave the real answer up to you.

[skully]

By the time it takes to count 3 pts is the reason people are not hunting?  Your kidding me right???

[skully]

I really highly doubt with that last response your an elite anything.........

[jjb4900]

By the time it takes to count 3 pts is the reason people are not hunting?  Your kidding me right???

umm, no...but the deer that someone may have shot at 3 years ago just because it was a buck, is now getting a pass because they can't be certain it's legal......you're kidding me, right? I cold have killed half a dozen bucks in the last few years that I had to let walk because I couldn't count points......

[jjb4900]

I really highly doubt with that last response your an elite anything.........

at least "elite" enough to understand some of the factors that create a quieter season then in years past in some areas.......

[wdswtr]

Was pretty quiet this year at camp as well. Number of shots heard were probably 25% compared to years past.  Still heard plenty of the 5 shot I forgot to aim on the first one guys though.  Ironically I took an hour break at 1 to get warmed up and eat, jumped in truck and took a quick drive around and only vehicles around in the area were all Pa plates.  As far as deer numbers I seen the most deer on opener than I have in a good 15 plus years. 

[Critter4321]

It was quieter in 3m than prior years. 3 does were bedded near my parking spot. They blew out of there. No deer sighted for the am hunt besides those. Way fewer shots heard than usual. Not many shots between 9am and 1pm.

 

3M sounded like a ghost town compared to years ago

[Taylormike]

I think deer numbers and hunters are down!!!

[Zem18]

Hunted 4W yesterday and it was also quiet. Saw 3 doe (no tags) but shooting was down. Back at it tomorrow.

I did have the biggest, fattest porcupine climb a hemlock next to me...must be eating good.

Where in 4W? I was in Lordville for the weekend. Counted 18 shots from 6:30am til noon. Very slow. Full moon Friday night, warm weather, less and less DMPs. All contributing factors. Saw zip for the weekend.

[Freytown]

umm, no...but the deer that someone may have shot at 3 years ago just because it was a buck, is now getting a pass because they can't be certain it's legal......you're kidding me, right? I cold have killed half a dozen bucks in the last few years that I had to let walk because I couldn't count points......

 

Exactly, I don't know why anyone doesn't understand this. If I had to think about all the bucks that have passed me in the last 12 yrs and I couldn't verify...well I'd start to cry. There is NO Biological reason for saving spikes, Y's just to grow more bone for next year. But many want an "ate pointer" so those that were happy with the 3inch and up just get craped on. FT

[Freytown]

Where in 4W? I was in Lordville for the weekend. Counted 18 shots from 6:30am til noon. Very slow. Full moon Friday night, warm weather, less and less DMPs. All contributing factors. Saw zip for the weekend.

 

Cannonsville (NYC Watershed).