Hoping to hike into Italy Hill SF or High Tor WMA in Yates County

[gruffian]

Hello to All,

 

New to this forum. I'm an old fart archery hunter. I live in VT but do a lot of hunting in the Lake George area Adirondacks. It's tough bow hunting and even gun hunting is a real challenge. This year I'd like to broaden my horizons...... I'm planning to drive out to Yates County this coming weekend just to hike some public land and am considering either High Tor WMA or Italy Hill State Forrest. Anybody have any experience hunting either of these areas? I'm sure they get a lot of pressure during the gun season but I'm wondering how much pressure they get during the archery season. Thanks!

Edited February 8, 2016 by gruffian

[Skillet]

    Welcome. I don't hunt Hi Tor for deer, but it's a great spot for squirrel, in the early season. I know a couple great stands of white oak. My camp is only a few miles from there. I know guys who've archery hunted there, & it gets some pressure, but not too much. You should be able to get away from other hunters during bow season. Gun hunting is a joke there.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Skillet

[growalot]

If your going to be out this way you should consider Harriett Hollister Spencer park...not sure how busy it gets... Now I do not know why but they gave the wrong address...it is no where near Dansville NY...so second link gives directions from Hightor area

 

http://www.nysparks.com/parks/164/details.aspx

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Naples,+NY/42.694424,-77.525795/@42.6751689,-77.5423481,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7

Edited February 8, 2016 by growalot

[wildcat junkie]

Italy Hill SF has trails along the ridges that are wide enough to drive a vehicle on if they weren't gated. They are accessible form the North and South. There is a nice camping spot on the North end that fills up for gun season but if you get there early on a Friday in Bow you should be able to get a spot.There is a foot trail that you can climb up onto the ridge from Italy Valley. The topography is very steep to the West of the ridge but there are some large gently sloping ares to the East.

Edited February 8, 2016 by wildcat junkie

[gruffian]

Hey thanks for the info guys. Are these areas all wooded? Any places where they border ag land? Hadn't considered Harriett Hollister Spencer Park. Is hunting allowed there?

[growalot]

Yes to deer and no to everything else I believe??...the link explains..but do other Google searches for in-depth info on that. Area of good swamps, woods and big buck...there are also bear...it has a very large private hunting acreage not far . Away. Also is not far from the source of the Cohocton river.

[Zag]

If your going to be out this way you should consider Harriett Hollister Spencer park...not sure how busy it gets... Now I do not know why but they gave the wrong address...it is no where near Dansville NY...so second link gives directions from Hightor area

 

http://www.nysparks.com/parks/164/details.aspx

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Naples,+NY/42.694424,-77.525795/@42.6751689,-77.5423481,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7

Gosh some steep areas but some good buck potential. Being close to it i know some people who own land next to or very close and have tagged some nice bucks.

[stoneam2006]

I deer hunt and small game hunt at hi tor my whole life not a bad spot can be a hike but if up to it there are opportunities for game. This past gun season was slowest I have ever seen it there with 0 shots on 5 different occasions and 1 truck in lot where I park. Shot a nice doe there 2 seasons ago thanksgiving day after 10 min in the woods. Archery there is substantially better but with the posted lands on all sides the deer know where to go come gun season....muzzle season it calms down a bit too...good luck

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[Lawdwaz]

Gosh some steep areas but some good buck potential. Being close to it i know some people who own land next to or very close and have tagged some nice bucks.

 

Steep?  Oh my................................................

 

Big assss country, big bucks and all the solitude you can "hike".

[PREDATE]

I hunted HiTor during gun and it sucked! It is loaded with sign, but they have so much posted land around that they don't need to step foot on state land during legal shooting time. This was the first year in 20 years of deer hunting that I didn't score at least 1 deer. I'm done with public land!

I May have just scored 80 acres to hunt down around PennYan. I'd rather drive 40 minutes and actually see deer than 10 minutes to waste my time.

[gruffian]

Well, I think I'm going to put off hiking this weekend. Supposed to be in the single digits during the day! I'll wait for a warmer weekend

[growalot]

Ya my trip to camp got put on hold as well...7 degrees here...wind chill zero

[gfdeputy2]

I know this is late but I have been going to High-Tor for 10 years 1st 2years were gun season (Never again) rest for Archery. only 2 years have we come home without a deer one was last year & the other was the first year we archery hunted there but it was more of a scouting trip. It is big with all types of terrain. Did you make it out there?

[Doc]

Hi-Tor is such a huge and diversified area that there is nothing definite that can be said about the massive swamp at the south end of Canandaigua Lake all the way up the steep hills, to the flat mixtures of abandoned ancient farmlands and large and small blocks of hardwoods and brushlots. And yes in years past, I have seen state parking lots that were over-run with cars and trucks. But I have also seen cars pulled over along the edge of some of the roads tat looked like they has a whole lot of elbow room.

I often thought it would be a good idea to take two cars (one parked at the bottom on 245 and the other parked somewhere up on top), and still hunt super-slowly down the hill. I suspect that you might encounter very few other hunters, and anything you get would be a downhill drag.

Of course there is the West River Swamp which I think holds tons of great deer, but are more of a challenge to hunt than most people are willing to undertake. I have seen the massive trails going into the swamp, but it isn't too far before you get to boot-sucking mud and pockets of deep water.

[gfdeputy2]

Seen quite a few deer on the slopes of the 245 side I just need to remember to stay away from Conklin Gorge. If You have seen me come down that trail it would be a memory you will never forget. I slide down the trail on my knees grabbing every tree or root on the way down. last year I lost my $100 release on the way down & refused to go back to look for it. One of my hunting partners went back the next day & retrieved it for me.

[gruffian]

Hey gfdeputy2, No I did not make it out there this past winter but I have a couple of bow hunting trips scheduled in mid to late October. I'm staying in Bath. Probably will do quite a bit of scouting and a couple of afternoon sits. I'm sure there is a big learning curve on where to set up. Here in VT it's been an abnormally dry summer and I assume the same for Hi-Tor area. Much of the mast is already dropping and it's very widespread making it hit or miss when hunting in Oaks. Any suggestions for a first timer?

 

[stoneam2006]

I love hi tor hunt I yearly

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[PREDATE]

It's tough for me to not hunt Hi Tor because I only live 10 minutes away, I'm gonna try It 1 more season

[stoneam2006]

It's tough for me to not hunt Hi Tor because I only live 10 minutes away, I'm gonna try It 1 more season

I'll be there and a few other stateland spots within 10 or 15 from there too

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