Question about hunting Adirondacks

[Hunter007]

I have this dream of one day going up to the  Adirondacks  and just walking off into the woods for 2 or 3 days  Spot and  stalk hunting  still hunting how  ever you want to call it .

I got a few places mapped out that I drove by in the summer time .

But realistically what are the chances I  can spot and shoot a buck in the Adirondacks ,

When I dont live near by and have limited time . I am sure it will be fun all the same ,

 

But what are the chances I even see a buck up there in only  3 days  ?

How much time  do you need to have half  chance at it  up there ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pygmy]

Enjoy your walk in the woods...If you even see a DEER you will be lucky....

But ya never know...You may shoot a slammer...Or a bear...

[Hunter007]

Just now, Pygmy said:

Enjoy your walk in the woods...If you even see a DEER you will be lucky....

But ya never know...You may shoot a slammer...Or a bear...

 

That's what I thought I go up there almost every year in summer time ,  never winter or fall and have only seen deer 2 times in my life up there   did not see horn but the bodys were massive. 

Even so I think it will be  a adventure all the same.  I'm thinking if I dont do it soon I'm physically not going to be able to soon getting old sucks . 

 

[DirtTime]

There are people who do well in the ADK's every season, but most live up that way and get more time in. I have always just considered seeing a deer up there a successful trip.

What area you plan to hunt? Many people on here might help out with some decent public land.

I am going up next season for a week. Renting a cabin and hunting as much as possible. The dates we have planned will be early bow, but may also go into the regular season, won't know that until next years season dates are posted by DEC. It's going to be tough with only really 4 days to hunt, but it's the adventure part that's just as important as killing a deer to me.

[Hunter007]

16 minutes ago, Rob... said:

There are people who do well in the ADK's every season, but most live up that way and get more time in. I have always just considered seeing a deer up there a successful trip.

What area you plan to hunt? Many people on here might help out with some decent public land.

I am going up next season for a week. Renting a cabin and hunting as much as possible. The dates we have planned will be early bow, but may also go into the regular season, won't know that until next years season dates are posted by DEC. It's going to be tough with only really 4 days to hunt, but it's the adventure part that's just as important as killing a deer to me.

In the summer I always go to around lake George and usally drive across  to old Forge area . Last summer I  GPS marked  a few spots  along the road going between those to areas  I pretty much drove all of the main roads on the lower west east and south areas of the park . Up to lake placid 

The only parts I have not drove around is the upper  northern west side of the park. 

 

Really I want to go up there with snow on the ground so I can maybe pick up on some fresh tracks 

[NFA-ADK]

I set up camp in Moose River for usually a week or more.  Hunting this area is hard, like stated above if you SEE any deer it is considered a successful day, this is typical of the ADK woods with some exceptions like town areas tend to hold more deer.  That said the more you are familiar with the area the better your chances, some area really has less than one deer per square mile.  When you start to pick up on doe herds, patterns and general travel routes you can help improve your chances.  Check out the Salerno brothers, they have some good information on how to hunt, like going up on top of the mountain and hunting down.  So many really good hunters today, he are a few pod casts I tend to listen to often as these guys are simply great at hunting whitetail in the ADK.   

On a side note make sure you know what you are doing...  These woods are no joke and every year it takes lives of the ill prepared.  

Tracking is awesome IF you get snow.  I plan all my hunting without and when it comes its such a bonus!  

 

[Hunter007]

13 minutes ago, NFA-ADK said:

I set up camp in Moose River for usually a week or more.  Hunting this area is hard, like stated above if you SEE any deer it is considered a successful day, this is typical of the ADK woods with some exceptions like town areas tend to hold more deer.  That said the more you are familiar with the area the better your chances, some area really has less than one deer per square mile.  When you start to pick up on doe herds, patterns and general travel routes you can help improve your chances.  Check out the Salerno brothers, they have some good information on how to hunt, like going up on top of the mountain and hunting down.  So many really good hunters today, he are a few pod casts I tend to listen to often as these guys are simply great at hunting whitetail in the ADK.   

On a side note make sure you know what you are doing...  These woods are no joke and every year it takes lives of the ill prepared.  

Tracking is awesome IF you get snow.  I plan all my hunting without and when it comes its such a bonus!  

 

Yea I drove on 28 around moose lake /moose planes  one of the first places I went to check out that summer  .

If I go I  want to time it when there is snow on the ground then i feel  I have half a shot  of at least spotting one .

Edited October 4, 2018 by Storm914

[sits in trees]

Adirondacks hunting is tuff. I've hunted there and the Northern Catskills for years. Great for scenery but unless your a local the deer are few and far between. I've hunted southern Ulster for the last 10 years and have killed three times more deer than I did in 30 yrs of the northern mountain hunting. Enjoying scenery gets old. Just for the record I did find one of the biggest shed antlers I've ever seen up in the north woods. Had to be a 150 class or better buck

[wolc123]

You are dreaming the right thing.  There is no place in the world where I would rather hunt deer, even if I had access to unlimited funds (which I do not).   For me, it is the scenery combined with the lack of hunting pressure that makes the difference.   The fewer deer per square mile adds to the challenge, and the satisfaction, when you are finally able to bring it all together.   Plan on seeing about six antlerless deer up there for every antlered one.  Snow makes a world of difference, adding beauty to the scenery, making it easier to see deer and where they have been. 

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

Look into Clinton and frankli n counties. Our deer populations are on an up according to dec. This year is looking good for deer numbers. Lots of state land and lots of opportunities problem is up here is a lot of hunting clubs attached to state land and a lot of baiting going on. I hunt paramount mountain region and union falls and around Barnes pond and burnt him wild forests. Good hunting but I've been in the woods and lucky to see one buck a year and usually i kill it cuz I may not see another one and want meat in the freezer. Send me a pm and I'll try to put you in a good spot for success.

[DirtTime]

Quote

On a side note make sure you know what you are doing...  These woods are no joke and every year it takes lives of the ill prepared.  

^^^ This right there!

I have hunted some areas near Benson and Speculator where driving back roads I left seeing houses behind for an hour.  Pretty desolate areas, and you feel it.

Also Storm914, you mentioned driving the main routes close to urban areas. So another question is, what's your plan on staying in the area? A hotel/motel? A cabin? Pure hike and hunt? 

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

I'm located between Plattsburgh and lake placid saranac lake region. Lots to offer and plenty of state land. The southern adirondacks are great for producing beautiful bucks yearly there up here to just work really hard to get one.

 

[wolc123]

I am heading up there next weekend, for one day of crossbow and a day and a half of ML hunting.  For most of the 6.5 million acre Adirondack park, antlerless deer are off-limits during ML season.  I might venture a little deeper into it, on that one day with my crossbow, because an Adirondack doe is worth more to me (especially now when we are nearly out of grind) than a flat-land 8-point buck.  I scouted out some good looking state land, in WMU 6F, on the NW edge this past July.   I will stick to WMU 6C, with my ML, on Saturday and Sunday, where does are fair game.   It does not look like there will be any snow then.  I have yet to kill a buck up there without it, although I have managed to take out a couple of does.   Getting an antlered buck up there, during peak fall foliage, would be about as cool as it gets.   Hopefully the plan comes together next weekend.

I don't know many folks who "luck" into a buck on their first trip up there.  The more times you return to the same area, the easier it will be to put the puzzle together.  I killed my first deer up there (a big doe), the year after I heard some snorting up on a ridge next to the lake I was fishing on.  The following year I was up on that ridge to meet them, on opening day of ML season.   I got pretty close to getting a buck with my rifle a few years before that, down around Lewey lake (just south of Indian Lake).  It was my second year at a camp there.  The first year I walked around a lot, looking for sign with no help from snow.  The second year I concentrated on heavy cover adjacent to the only deer sign I located:a few hairs on an old barbed-wire pasture fence.  Unfortunately, when I jumped those deer in that cover, I could not put antlers on the two that I got my crosshairs on.  I used the wind to my advantage, and got into an easy shooting position on those two antlerless deer.  A third, significantly larger deer went off in a different direction and never offered me a shot or a look at his head.  I say "his" due to the size and shape of the tracks in the mud compared to the other two. 

The toughest thing about Adirondack deer hunting, is that after you do put the puzzle pieces together and enjoy a little success up there, it takes a lot of the luster out of hunting anywhere else.   As far as places to stay: I have rented a cabin on Lewey lake with full amenities, and stayed in an off-the grid private cabin and a truck camper up in WMU 6C.  Now, it is almost as if I have died and gone to heaven up at my in-laws place, since they moved into their fully-appointed retirement home.   The only problem there is that my mother in law's cooking is so good that I don't always stay out hunting as long as I should.                 

[Steve D]

4 hours ago, Storm914 said:

I have this dream of one day going up to the  Adirondacks  and just walking off into the woods for 2 or 3 days  

Make sure you have a compass, map, and if possible a gps. There is limited or no cell service in a lot of areas up there and while it is beautiful country it is not a place to be lost. Numerous people get lost and or injured up there every year. When you are lost up there it just may be for good. BE PREPARED.

 Just having a compass and map will not get you out so it may help to learn how to use them if you don't already know.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Steve D

[KMurph332]

All of these deer are from the adks nothing big but there is 5 different bucks all on public land

[KMurph332]

[KMurph332]

[KMurph332]

[Salmon_Run]

Oh,  there's a few deer and bear around them parts..

[Salmon_Run]

In all seriousness, check out some of the posts in the "Big Woods Hunting" forum here and make sure if you venture into the woods you are physically and mentally prepared with proper equipment that you know how to use.

The big woods are easy to get screwed up in and weather can be nasty at times. A few of us here love that type of hunt and it can be rewarding just being "out there" but please do so wisely....

[Buckmaster7600]

The odds of you waking up there and shooting a deer are very very slim. The saying that 90% of the deer are killed by 10% of the hunters is very true in the ADKs. Success rate is very low but the few that kill them usually kill them regularly. My cousin built our camp in 2001 hunted up there for 3 weeks a year every year and killed his first buck last year. He spends daylight until dark in the woods, and hunts any conditions. I bought into the camp in 2014 and have killed 3 mature bucks up there.

The key to hunting the adks is having the right gear “as little as possible” because if you’re tired after walking a half mile because you’re carrying a ton of shit you don’t need will hinder you and being able to capitalize on your chances because you won’t have many!

Most successful adk hunters cover ground and know what to look for. It’s common for me to hunt for 2 weeks and never see a deer then see 4 or 5 bucks in a morning. Deer are in pockets during the rut the problem is there may be 10 miles between pockets.

I shot my first adk buck at an age I won’t admit to on the internet and have killed 11 bucks since turning 16 and I’m 30 now, 9 of those bucks were 3 1/2 or older.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hunter007]

2 hours ago, Rob... said:

^^^ This right there!

I have hunted some areas near Benson and Speculator where driving back roads I left seeing houses behind for an hour.  Pretty desolate areas, and you feel it.

Also Storm914, you mentioned driving the main routes close to urban areas. So another question is, what's your plan on staying in the area? A hotel/motel? A cabin? Pure hike and hunt? 

Hotel motel or sleep in the vehicle even   I dont want to bring a bunch of crap up there .

 

[Steve D]

9 minutes ago, Storm914 said:

Hotel motel or sleep in the vehicle even  

Hotel or Motel might be a good idea. I have been camping/hunting up there and gone to sleep with temps in the 40's and woke up to 4" of snow on the ground.

[Hunter007]

37 minutes ago, Salmon_Run said:

In all seriousness, check out some of the posts in the "Big Woods Hunting" forum here and make sure if you venture into the woods you are physically and mentally prepared with proper equipment that you know how to use.

The big woods are easy to get screwed up in and weather can be nasty at times. A few of us here love that type of hunt and it can be rewarding just being "out there" but please do so wisely....

Yea I here you I will bring my 2 GPS devices and 2 compasses maps   magnesium stick lighter and even some fuel to start a fire even in wet conditions  And a good knife 

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Storm914

[Hunter007]

7 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Hotel or Motel might be a good idea. I have been camping/hunting up there and gone to sleep with temps in the 40's and woke up to 4" of snow on the ground.

Yea hotel motel probably 

I'm much more into hunting then camping but I love roaming tracking on a  lot of ground .   Near old Forge there is this nice hotel I stayed at when I was up there last summer exploring around  route 28 probably stay there.  

Edited October 5, 2018 by Storm914