One Outdoor Writer's impression of the 2015 Opener

[Doc]

Well here's what the Canandaigua Messenger's outdoor editor's opinion of the opener in an area centering on WMU 8N. He did a much more thorough job of gathering info and opinions than I have, but for what it is worth, I have to say that in my little area of 8N, I have to agree with what he found.

 

http://www.callingducks.com/newsfeed_item.aspx?ID=92531

 

It is interesting that 8N is one of the primary WMUs that the DEC has claimed is over-run with deer.

[RSRAINS]

I couldn't agree anymore in the 3H as well.

[Nomad]

Time will tell won't it . What he says seems to be true for many I guess, then again this outdoor writer and Hunter is out of his stand on opening day at 9:40 taking his trash to the dump...... Perhaps some sort of opening day Alice's Restaurant tradition for me him ?

I heard less shots in my part of Canandaigua as well, but there was no shortage of deer on my spot and anyone could have got deer there that wanted . Well all but one.

One guy I hunt with complains that there are no deer . He still tries to hunt like we did 15 or so years ago when each woods had a bunch of guys who started moving around after getting out of there stands at 9:00.

That doesn't work, one has to adapt and I gotta head down now......

Edited November 30, 2015 by Larry302

[wheelieman]

  Every day that i hunted this week i seen at least 1 deer, I might not have shot them but i did see a small spike and my buddy seen the 8 point i have been looking for, I hunted for 9 days straight and took a doe on Thanksgiving morning for the landowner, When i went to the local butcher around 11am there wasnt a single deer in the holding area and nobody else dropping anything off. Between my friends and i since the beginning of archery season we have a total deer take of 5 bucks and 7 doe taken, Those numbers are low for our group, The thing im noticing is people are not up and moving the deer like they used too when it was slug gun country, When you can reach out and hit them at 300yds why do drives,  The deer are still nocturnal after just a few shots and if they are moving its just after legal shooting light, Some people dont observe the legal shooting light and im hearing shots well after. Those are the people that are harvesting deer in my area. But for the most part the deer are bedded daown during daylight hours, This weekend there will be people driving deer maybe something will come through the woodlot that i hunt, 

[gastrodoc]

I agree with the article. I also hunt 8N and have a little over 120 acres of prime habitat. I have several observations from this season.

1) The paucity of gunshots. Whereas other opening days sounded like a war zone, I couldnt even tell it was opening day this year. Similarly, I counted a total of 3 shots within earshot, likely miles away, on Thanksgiving morning

2) Complete lack of hunters parked on roads, at state land access points, etc

3) Minimal deer movement. I sat dusk to dawn on both Sat and Sun opening weekend, and yes saw deer, but nowhere near the numbers I have seen on past opening days. In the past, I was used to seeing 30-40 deer on opening day. This year I saw 6. All movement seems to be right at dusk and dawn. I have had several days of zero deer sightings which never happened in the past. Again, this is 8N an area that the DEC states is overrun with seer

[Skillet]

8N is overrun, my a$$. At least not my piece of it. Trail cams don't lie. I'm looking for 1 doe, down here, then DEC can stuff all these DMP'S where the sun don't shine.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Skillet

[Merlot]

Dead as a doornail opening day in an area of 9H where I hunt...strange.

[Nomad]

The issue is less hunters, and those that hunt sit all day while the deer bed in cover all day , in some sort of a Mexican stand off. Where I hunt 8h bow season gets better each year , tons of deer and lots of bucks.

Opening day we all saw multiple bucks and doe and that continued on Sunday as well.

By now they've caught on and just bed all day. One has to adapt , push them out, or sit in there , get on food sources mid day, I've seen many feeding mid day in fields. We don't hunt in gun like we used to that would be a waste of time . In the past we could just sit in the open woods and wait for them to run across the fields after getting pushed by guys in the other woods, that doesn't work anymore.

Someone's getting deer, the processor near where I hunt was turning away deer and the guy I go to is way up for the year .

[phade]

Did this guy hunt? Sure doesn't sound like it.

 

Was he one of the ones who didn't "feel" like going out? If so, his problem he notes - is partially his fault. Nobody is out hunting deer or seeing anything! But don't ask me if I went out...because I didn't.

 

 

[LET EM GROW]

id imagine most of this is true. i dont hunt 8n much anymore but i do drive through Bristol,Naples and middlesex nearly everyday to and from work, ill take different routes during the rut just cruising for deer. and i have noticed the deer sightings seem lower in recent years, nothing like what i used to see in my travels. But i think thats everywhere, not just 8N.. I do hunt my buddies place in Potter once in awhile. 

 

I also believe and think that a lot of hunters are being more selective in their harvests when it comes to bucks. 

 

My place in 8P has been very quiet for few years now on opening weekend, but a bunch of us practice a decent management program across a lot of our surrounding properties and on separate hills around us. 

[greg54]

I haven't seen any deer in 9a at all. I believe the writers observations have merit.

[deerpassion]

Opening day in 8G was extremely slow! Was hunting Darien lake in the morning , saw one doe, and a total of 8 different series of shots .... That place is normally like the 4th of July ! Packed it up early n moved to the Iroquois National Refuge that borders Tonawanda WMA(Alabama swamps) and the lack of cars was rediculous .... When I parked there were two trucks where there would normally be 20+.... Heard 3 shots for the rest of the evening (close or far) .... Shooting picked up a bit the following morning and got a doe , but still a large lack in trucks as I drove around both public lands on my way out ....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[New York Hillbilly]

Same observation on my property in 7M.

[CharlieNY]

Same here on my property in 7F. My trail cams (which don't lie) show that the deer have become almost totally nocturnal and are moving well after sunset until the early morning hours way before sunrise.

[The_Field_Ager]

Maybe the bow hunters got nervous about their season and cleaned up, as per the orders from on high? (sarc)

[Critter4321]

well if it matters in 3M you have to drive slow in the morning to avoid running them over but they seem to be bed down before dawn and not move again until around 6-7 o clock at night per car versus deer police reports.

     Understandably the full moon has effect on deer movement, I hope the second week turns around as for as hunter pressure goes its no doubt been lower this year then past years.

[growalot]

Or like many have mentioned in the wearing no orange to not be seen by "trespassers" in other threads.Perhaps there are many more guys now using bows in gun...They can use their cross bows now. hunting in the areas mentioned in the article...If I recall Those areas have some pretty dense up close shooting in them. Though that doesn't account for the lack of cars seen. Unless in deciding to go crossbow........... they have now opened up areas to hunt they were not able to before...and closer to home.

Many variables to look at...guys complained about the opening weekend "madness" they may have spread out and gone during the week...I'm out everyday and I'm still hearing shots daily before opening, 8-9am,12-2pm and then 3-5pm...Plus the duck hunters in the area must be having a good season.

No doubt there are fewer out there..it's hard to compete with the NYS school system being allowed to indoctrinate the kids  against it(teachers personal opinions). The fact that hunting is "work" and video games,walking the malls,and typing on ones phone isn't.

Edited November 30, 2015 by growalot

[upstate]

When the deer become nocturnal you have no choice but to go and kick them in the ass...sometimes literally.

[Nomad]

It's all relative, are deer numbers down ? Sure from all time highs! Guys talk about when the roads were lined with cars and campers, hunters up from Penn ,bars and hotels packed.

Yep we had way more hunters and far fewer deer back then too, but guys hunted to hunt, because with far more hunters we killed way less deer then today.

I started when it took 2 or 3 of us to,get one doe tag( party permit).

Then the golden age of ny deer hunting came and guys saw 15 ,20 heck 30 deer a day, now seeing 6 is a bad day. I wonder how many here would hunt if they could take one doe between 3 guys and a buck in range made a good season.

[landtracdeerhunter]

I didn't want to push a like.  I am watching this thread very closely though.

[Rebel Darling]

I wrote to Len, and figured I'd share my comments:

 

 

"I’m a new hunter, this being my second year, but I figured I’d share my opening weekend experiences with you.  I hunt both bow and regular seasons.

On opening weekend for regular season, I hunted on my property (13 acres) within WMU 4L, Rensselaer County, NY, Southern Zone.  I sat in a stand from before sunrise each day, taking a mid-day break to warm up (I would have preferred to sit all day, but I just can’t keep my fingers and toes warm) and then sitting again from 1 pm until after sunset.

Saturday - 11 doe.  A group of 4 around sunrise, and a group of six in the afternoon (3:00 p.m.-ish), and a single doe around sunset (my neighbors spooked her).
Sunday - 4 doe, 1 spike buck.  The same group of 4 right around sunrise, and a spike buck rushed them, and then trailed them up the hill to flatter ground.  The same group of 4 returned in the evening, but my neighbors spooked them again.  

I heard around a dozen, give or take a few on either side, fired around sunrise and sunset each day, but have no numbers on how many deer were taken, or whether they were doe or buck.  I also hunted the property Wednesday, and Friday.  I saw nothing, and heard very few shots, less than a handful.  I’m leaving the property alone for the week to bow hunt in 4J.  I saw a cruising buck in 4J on Saturday, no doe.

Earlier this year, I was chatting with a friend of mine from the North Country about the timing of the regular season.  I’m unsure of which dates the season ran looking back many years, but I noted that this year’s season started a full week later than last year’s.  From what I’ve been reading, most of the rutting behavior is seen prior to November 15, and most does are bred on or before the same date, give or take a couple of days.  To me, that means that bucks are less active in daylight hours past November 15.  Regular season started on November 21 this year, and, judging by what I’ve read, most of the rutting behavior was already complete by regular season opening day.  

I asked my friend for his thoughts on why regular season started a full week after rutting behavior is expected to slow down.  I offered the following suggestion:  DEC is toying around with the idea of implementing a statewide buck management program, as written about in the 2015-16 regulations guide.  Maybe DEC is running around the implementation of the rule by shifting the season’s dates and achieving a decreased buck harvest through scheduling a season with less deer activity.

Currently, I’m finding numerous fresh scrapes, but the bucks don’t appear to be moving much at daybreak, or in the evening."

[Critter4321]

It's all relative, are deer numbers down ? Sure from all time highs! Guys talk about when the roads were lined with cars and campers, hunters up from Penn ,bars and hotels packed.

Yep we had way more hunters and far fewer deer back then too, but guys hunted to hunt, because with far more hunters we killed way less deer then today.

I started when it took 2 or 3 of us to,get one doe tag( party permit).

Then the golden age of ny deer hunting came and guys saw 15 ,20 heck 30 deer a day, now seeing 6 is a bad day. I wonder how many here would hunt if they could take one doe between 3 guys and a buck in range made a good season.

 

ya your right I also started before there was even any doe permits in 3M not that I want to date myself LOL But like you said there was more hunters then and we hunted it has been way to easy to fill tags for the last couple years, seems everybody now wants to put out trail cameras and things to help them pick a certain deer out of the herd and when that don't work they get frustrated and blame the no deer left clause. Theirs deer out there sure its a off year brought on by a harder then normal winter and a full moon but to my knowledge they have not started hiding in caves.

 

[phade]

I wrote to Len, and figured I'd share my comments:

 

 

"I’m a new hunter, this being my second year, but I figured I’d share my opening weekend experiences with you.  I hunt both bow and regular seasons.

On opening weekend for regular season, I hunted on my property (13 acres) within WMU 4L, Rensselaer County, NY, Southern Zone.  I sat in a stand from before sunrise each day, taking a mid-day break to warm up (I would have preferred to sit all day, but I just can’t keep my fingers and toes warm) and then sitting again from 1 pm until after sunset.

Saturday - 11 doe.  A group of 4 around sunrise, and a group of six in the afternoon (3:00 p.m.-ish), and a single doe around sunset (my neighbors spooked her).

Sunday - 4 doe, 1 spike buck.  The same group of 4 right around sunrise, and a spike buck rushed them, and then trailed them up the hill to flatter ground.  The same group of 4 returned in the evening, but my neighbors spooked them again.  

I heard around a dozen, give or take a few on either side, fired around sunrise and sunset each day, but have no numbers on how many deer were taken, or whether they were doe or buck.  I also hunted the property Wednesday, and Friday.  I saw nothing, and heard very few shots, less than a handful.  I’m leaving the property alone for the week to bow hunt in 4J.  I saw a cruising buck in 4J on Saturday, no doe.

Earlier this year, I was chatting with a friend of mine from the North Country about the timing of the regular season.  I’m unsure of which dates the season ran looking back many years, but I noted that this year’s season started a full week later than last year’s.  From what I’ve been reading, most of the rutting behavior is seen prior to November 15, and most does are bred on or before the same date, give or take a couple of days.  To me, that means that bucks are less active in daylight hours past November 15.  Regular season started on November 21 this year, and, judging by what I’ve read, most of the rutting behavior was already complete by regular season opening day.  

I asked my friend for his thoughts on why regular season started a full week after rutting behavior is expected to slow down.  I offered the following suggestion:  DEC is toying around with the idea of implementing a statewide buck management program, as written about in the 2015-16 regulations guide.  Maybe DEC is running around the implementation of the rule by shifting the season’s dates and achieving a decreased buck harvest through scheduling a season with less deer activity.

Currently, I’m finding numerous fresh scrapes, but the bucks don’t appear to be moving much at daybreak, or in the evening."

Many states, some of the best for whitetail hunting, have firearms seasons well after the rut. This season's opening date wasn't arbitrary, its just the calendar layout for the same opening date formula that has been used since we moved to Saturday opener (and even before with the Monday opener, just switch to the Saturday logic).

[growalot]

Just go to the future calenders and you will see how the gun opener...3rd Saturday of every November will change:

 

http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/accent/calendar/G.htm

[CFHunter]

 

No doubt there are fewer out there..it's hard to compete with the NYS school system being allowed to indoctrinate the kids  against it(teachers personal opinions). The fact that hunting is "work" and video games,walking the malls,and typing on ones phone isn't.

 

This one could not be more true. I almost flipped when I heard my daughter, then six tell me what she learned in school, how hunters are hurting mother nature. I was so pissed!!!! Instead of causing a scene at school, I explained how hunting helps the animals people love to see in the wild and she went back to school to tell all her friends. Teach them what they need to know not your opinions!!!!