whats your first date for hunting this fall?

[fasteddie]

October 1 for me . I just checked the calendar to see what day that is and it happens to fall on a Monday this year . Not sure where I will hunt on opening day ( Walworth , Geneseo , Mendon , ??? ) .

[DirtTime]

I have been a out a few times after red squirrel since the Spring turkey season, not many around me where you can hunt the Summer. I always try to get out 9/1 for grays. Also trying to work in a camping trip on private land the weekend of 9/8 for scouting and trying to get a better set up for the wife to hunt come the regular season up north.

If possible ( still waiting for my buddy to get back to me ) I want to be in the NZ for the bow opener 9/27. If not, 10/1 will first time for deer. Weather dependent, last season it was great to be out there early in the bow season, but washing hunting clothes every time I was out due to sweating got a little...... It got to be a PITA.

It's hard to determine an exact date when I/we( the wife and I ) will hit the woods, I hunt small game and enjoy it. I hunt deer both in the SZ and NZ. Like many have mentioned, weather plays a big part. Especially on how I am planing this season.

[Fletch]

Oct 1 for me unless we get unseasonably cool weather maybe some squirrels.

[wolc123]

I am going to try to get out for deer and bear, up in the northern zone with my crossbow, on Friday October 12.  After that, a couple days with my muzzleloader (opens on Sat Oct 13).  I hope our venison from last year makes it that long.  We still have lots of roasts and back-strap, but are down to less than a dozen packs of grind.   The kids really love those venison tacos, but they might have to get by with chicken for a few weeks.   My wife hit it out of the park with tonight's dinner: crock-pot venison roast, mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh picked sweetcorn. 

  I don't care for hunting small game, until after a good frost or two slows the bugs down, so I will probably spend my free time fishing up until then.   If it does cool down a bit, I might put the cheap scope on the pellet gun that my daughter got for Christmas, and see how it works on squirrels.  I had left it with open sights because that is what they use on rifle team, but she has decided that she will try out for some more "girly" sport instead.   I think that the silent report of the .177 cal pellets might be an advantage.   Those pellets are a lot cheaper than CB .22 rimfire ammo. 

If you are looking for a decent way too cook geese, the breasts are not too bad in the crock-pot, with a can of cream of mushroom soup.  That makes a good gravy ,to put over mashed potatoes, and the goose tastes similar to a beef pot-roast.   Not as good as a venison roast, but better than any form of chicken (I never was a white meat fan, except for ruffed grouse).         

[philoshop]

My first date for the hunting season? Janice. She's smart and funny.

[ATbuckhunter]

I might try going out for early bear in September, but if not Ill be taking oct 1st off for the opener. Although I did just kill a woodchuck in my grandparents garden so I guess that date was today? 

[ATbuckhunter]

2 hours ago, wolc123 said:

I am going to try to get out for deer and bear, up in the northern zone with my crossbow, on Friday October 12.  After that, a couple days with my muzzleloader (opens on Sat Oct 13).  I hope our venison from last year makes it that long.  We still have lots of roasts and back-strap, but are down to less than a dozen packs of grind.   The kids really love those venison tacos, but they might have to get by with chicken for a few weeks.   My wife hit it out of the park with tonight's dinner: crock-pot venison roast, mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh picked sweetcorn. 

  I don't care for hunting small game, until after a good frost or two slows the bugs down, so I will probably spend my free time fishing up until then.   If it does cool down a bit, I might put the cheap scope on the pellet gun that my daughter got for Christmas, and see how it works on squirrels.  I had left it with open sights because that is what they use on rifle team, but she has decided that she will try out for some more "girly" sport instead.   I think that the silent report of the .177 cal pellets might be an advantage.   Those pellets are a lot cheaper than CB .22 rimfire ammo. 

If you are looking for a decent way too cook geese, the breasts are not too bad in the crock-pot, with a can of cream of mushroom soup.  That makes a good gravy ,to put over mashed potatoes, and the goose tastes similar to a beef pot-roast.   Not as good as a venison roast, but better than any form of chicken (I never was a white meat fan, except for ruffed grouse).         

You might want to check the regs again if you're able to use the cross bow. Something tells me you wont be able to. 

[wolc123]

1 hour ago, ATbuckhunter said:

You might want to check the regs again if you're able to use the cross bow. Something tells me you wont be able to. 

I just checked, and the 2018 regs show northern zone crossbow starts on October 10 and ends on October 19.   That's really only (3) days for crossbow, since muzzleloader open up on the 13th.   I will not carry my crossbow after the 12th unless it is real wet.  The reason for that is because my crossbow has an effective range of 50 yards, while my muzzleloader is good for 150 yards.   

There has not been many years lately, where the weather has been cool enough for good deer hunting before October 10.   I am very thankful that I have access to some very good deer hunting in the northern zone, and that crossbow season includes the whole rut in the southern zone, where I live.

You can never be too careful when it comes to the regulations, and I appreciate the reminder.  I also made sure that I still have the crossbow safety certificate in my wallet, that I signed back in 2014, and that it is still legible.  

I have been hunting, around those same days in the northern zone, since 2014.  Last year, the only deer that I saw were on the Friday.  I could not get a shot at them with my crossbow, because they were at 125 yards.  That would have been a relative "chip shot" with my in-line, scoped muzzleloader.  In 2016, I skipped hunting the first few days, because it was too warm (over 80 degrees), but I killed a nice doe with my muzzleloader on the third day.  

Antlerless deer have been legal during muzzleloader season on the side of the road where my inlaw's camp is, but not on the other side.  I have never seen a bear up there, but it looks a little better for them across the road.   I scouted out some decent looking areas when I was up there over the Fourth of July holiday.  

My father in law wants to decorate his house with "native species".  I got him a nice 8-point whitetail buck for  shoulder mount in 2014 with my rifle.  Now he really wants a bear rug.  I will probably hunt Friday across the road with my crossbow, because at least I can shoot does over there on that day, and there might be a better chance at a bear.  I usually see about 6 does up there for every buck and since my need for venison is more important than his need for a bear, I will stick to his side of the road on Saturday and Sunday, where I can legally kill the antlerless deer with my muzzleloader.                    

    

Edited August 18, 2018 by wolc123

[Adkhunter1590]

Headed north into the ADKs after bear in September. Looking like the 21st we will be headed up. Going up this Sunday to do some scouting and pick out a nice campsite. Should be a good time even if we don’t kill anything. Would like to at least see a bear or two.

[Robhuntandfish]

8 hours ago, Adkhunter1590 said:

Headed north into the ADKs after bear in September. Looking like the 21st we will be headed up. Going up this Sunday to do some scouting and pick out a nice campsite. Should be a good time even if we don’t kill anything. Would like to at least see a bear or two.
 

Good luck, hope you see one.  I went up last year at about that time and it was a record breaking 93 degrees each day.  We went fishing instead of bear hunting cause it was so hot.  A person in a cabin near us saw a bear by our boats one early morn.  Other than that nothing. 

 We went and had a great time just fishing and having a few beers.  Not going this year , we are gonna just make it a fishing weekend.  

Post up some pics of the trip if you can. 

[Adkhunter1590]

Good luck, hope you see one.  I went up last year at about that time and it was a record breaking 93 degrees each day.  We went fishing instead of bear hunting cause it was so hot.  A person in a cabin near us saw a bear by our boats one early morn.  Other than that nothing. 
 We went and had a great time just fishing and having a few beers.  Not going this year , we are gonna just make it a fishing weekend.  
Post up some pics of the trip if you can. 

Nice! I’m hoping we get some cooler weather than you experienced. But we already have fishing poles on the list of stuff to bring. Most bear activity is at dusk anyways so I’m thinking if we do a little too much beer drinking one night, we might just spend the morning sleeping in a bit and fishing. Our hopes are not high for tagging out, we are going more for fun than anything.

Thinking of trying out a honey burn in the afternoons though. Hike back in a bit setup a burn and let it go the last few hours before dark and see if anything comes in.

I’ll take lots of pics and make a thread about it when we get back.

[Chef]

10/1 I put in for the day off this morning


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[Bolt action]

On 8/17/2018 at 4:27 PM, BigVal said:

Any chance you can share?

I'll to my best not you get this wrong..

Breast the bird. Cut the best in half so you have two big flat pieces of meat. Pound them with a mallet to flatten and tenderize them. Soak them overnight in a saltwater brine. Then soak them overnight in a marinade of your choice. I use a soy teriyaki ginger garlic mix that works pretty well. Grill them to your liking. I go about 2minutes per side on a hot grill. Then take a loaf of italian bread and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out some of the guts to make a bread bowl. In a pan, cook some bacon. Remove the bacon and saute onions garlic and mushrooms in the bacon fat. In the bread bowl, layer the bacon, then the veggies, then provolone cheese, then the goose, then another layer of provolone. Put the top on, wrap it on foil, and Todd it on the oven. 350 for 15 minutes or so..

Edited August 23, 2018 by Bolt action

[BigVal]

That sounds awesome thanks alot

[mlammerhirt]

Never goose hunted....whereabouts do you hunt them in early September?

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[The_Real_TCIII]

That sounds awesome thanks alot

It definitely sounds better than my “give them to someone I don’t like”
Recipe


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[BigVal]

10 hours ago, mlammerhirt said:

Never goose hunted....whereabouts do you hunt them in early September?

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Mostly fields for me, any field they feed in. Sometimes I'll hunt water as well but generally doesn't produce as well .

[mlammerhirt]

Mostly fields for me, any field they feed in. Sometimes I'll hunt water as well but generally doesn't produce as well .

So the key is to find cut fields??

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[BigVal]

23 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

So the key is to find cut fields??

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Cut fields that they are using yes 

[martin]

Sept. 1st....Crow

[The_Real_TCIII]

Sept. 1st....Crow

I had forgotten about crows!

[Lawdwaz]

On 8/27/2018 at 11:55 AM, BigVal said:

Cut fields that they are using yes 

Yes, scouting is imperative for most waterfowl but especially early goose.  Once you find them then you need to procure permission. 

Note: where they are today means little on 8/31.........sure it’s a help but you have to know exactly what field they are hitting on the 31st. 

[BigVal]

49 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Yes, scouting is imperative for most waterfowl but especially early goose.  Once you find them then you need to procure permission. 

Note: where they are today means little on 8/31.........sure it’s a help but you have to know exactly what field they are hitting on the 31st. 

Agreed. Secured permission on a new spot this morning, holding numbers in the several hundreds, I'll be keeping very close tabs on it this week. 

[wolc123]

I might try to get out for grey squirrels, sometime in September.  We have been hitting the venison and fish pretty hard lately, and a few squirrels would be nice to change things up a little on the dinner table.  I put the scope on "my daughter's" new pellet rifle a couple days ago, and that thing is a real tack-driver.    With the target at 25 yards, it would almost put the pellets thru the same holes, after I dialed in the scope.   I was afraid it would be all over the place with the scope, because it mounts to the receiver, but the barrel must be cocked on a hinge to charge the air-cylinder.   I never even sighted it in with the open sights, which attach directly to the barrel.   

I can't wait to try it on some bushy-tails.   It would probably be easier to take a few from the same place, with the relatively quiet pellet gun, compared to the significantly louder .22 rimfire, or the much louder .410 shotgun, that I usually use for squirrels when the leaves are still on the trees.  I was going to try my crossbow for early squirrels for the same reason, but those pellets are a lot cheaper than the bolts and the noise is about the same.   

[greg54]

I usually walk the woods at my sisters for some squirrel, as long as temps aren't to high.