Can’t believe how many people

[rachunter]

Today is the gun opener up in the northern zone. I can’t believe how packed it is. The spot I’ve been hunting with the muzzle loader had 9 trucks parked along the road there’s a parking area about 6 miles before it loaded with trucks. The camps where 3x6 deep with trucks. I hope it quits down by the 12th I have two weeks off. Going to rethink where I’m going to hunt. 
sorry for the rant

[-sro-]

Ugh what do you think is the attraction to the area you were going to hunt?

[mowin]

If you think that's bad, come down to the southern zone opener.  

[nyslowhand]

Still remember local diners opening up early (4AM) on SZ opening day of regular deer season, Places were packed! Sadly, so were the bars after about 10AM..

[Hock3y24]

LOL come hunt the PA Gun opener if you think NY SZ opener is bad, its like a damn Orange parade everywhere. 

[Rattler]

Some areas of the SZ have few hunters on the gun opener.  These would be the areas with the antler restrictions.  I hunt 4P on the opener and find it to be very unpopulated, much to the chagrin of the local businesses that would like to see lot's of hunters in town.

[greensider]

In Dutchess county all of our mua land has been disected into hiking and biking trails you cannot safety hunt them anymore 

[rachunter]

It was more of a surprise to see that many people hunting up here after a week of no one during the muzzle loader season. The area I was hunting didn’t even look like anyone ever hunted it. That’s way I checked it out. Back to the maps when I get home.


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[Northcountryman]

Yeah you’d be surprised how many people still hunt; guys at my club say that 30 yrs ago, there’d be trucks lined up and down the road on opening day. Although it’s no longer like that, I saw a lot of guys in the woods first weekend, guys everywhere. As far as hunting being a dying sport, it is and it isn’t 

[Buckmaster7600]

Out of curiosity, where were you? You can PM me if you’d rather. I see more and more people in the adk’s every year. But most of it still seems to be closer to the towns and city’s.


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[DirtTime]

I only had a few hours on Saturday to be hunting. There were a bunch of guys/gals waiting to head in, and I passed one driving in as I was backing out to hunt a different area on the same land. In the afternoon we drove down to North Creek and there were a ton of cars and trucks parked along the road and in parking areas for the public lands. I was a little shocked myself. It had been years since hunting up that far north, and years ago I would hit the back roads and not see a soul.

We are going back next year, and I might not even bother taking a rifle unless I can save a bit more for added gas to maybe head back down towards Piseco.

[rachunter]

26 minutes ago, DirtTime said:

I only had a few hours on Saturday to be hunting. There were a bunch of guys/gals waiting to head in, and I passed one driving in as I was backing out to hunt a different area on the same land. In the afternoon we drove down to North Creek and there were a ton of cars and trucks parked along the road and in parking areas for the public lands. I was a little shocked myself. It had been years since hunting up that far north, and years ago I would hit the back roads and not see a soul.

We are going back next year, and I might not even bother taking a rifle unless I can save a bit more for added gas to maybe head back down towards Piseco.

I'm bellow piseco lake.There where trucks from rt.8 down rt.10 and across rt.29a. The funny thing is I was there all week for the muzzle loader and there was no one around.I'll be back up from the 14th to the 28th i'm going to go in a little deeper, I was averaging 3 miles in one across and three out in an upside dow triangle.

I give you a lot of credit for doing it with a bow.

[pitweiler]

I think opening the season on the weekend is a terrible idea. Given that weekends are the only time most people have to hunt like someone said it turns into an orange parade. I think moving the regular season open days to Monday and then extending each season by a few days would benefit everyone. You wouldn’t have a huge influx of people on one day, the public lands wouldn’t get hammered so hard and it might just move people around a little to help with congestion. I pretty much refuse to hunt any public land, especially WMAs on the weekends because it’s just too crowded. 

[Tughill Tamer]

Hunting pressure on the area of the tughill I was on was quite low on opening weekend. There was only 2 other trucks on the same Rd Saturday.

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[DirtTime]

On 10/28/2019 at 7:54 PM, rachunter said:

I'm bellow piseco lake.There where trucks from rt.8 down rt.10 and across rt.29a. The funny thing is I was there all week for the muzzle loader and there was no one around.I'll be back up from the 14th to the 28th i'm going to go in a little deeper, I was averaging 3 miles in one across and three out in an upside dow triangle.

I give you a lot of credit for doing it with a bow.

Thanks for the heads up. Next year, I will head North more.

 

There are a ton of back roads up there that will put you in "No Man's Land". No houses, light poles, and at times the paved roads turn to dirt roads. Just need to look at maps and make sure your $#!ts on point. If you really want to get away from the masses, you go where the masses won't go. I won't lie here, I can no longer head out to the most remote areas, but I was able to locate a few areas of interest for next season that I'm pretty sure most of the people who head up for the thrill won't go to.

 

Yeah, two of my three hunts were with my bow. I know what I was getting into, and I still had great hunts even though I didn't kill a deer. It's the vibe from up there, the challenge! Full on fair chase.

[DirtTime]

rachunter, not sure if or when you will be going up next year, but perhaps if the times match up and we are both up there at the same time frame, and you want to travel a bit further north, we can get a morning hunt in.

[SuperMag]

On 10/28/2019 at 8:08 AM, Buckmaster7600 said:

Out of curiosity, where were you? You can PM me if you’d rather. I see more and more people in the adk’s every year. But most of it still seems to be closer to the towns and city’s.


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I actually noticed the general area where we both are seemed to be a bit busier too. Not packed by any means, but saw some large groups of people getting ready for drives and full camps that i haven't seen full in years.