Northern zone opens in 2 months

[Whitetailhobo]

Not much talk of northern zone big woods lately around here. Early bear will be happening before you know it. Bow ,Then muzzle will be on . I’m headed first weekend of aug to bushwhack in for our backcountry camp. Get some fire wood cut and prep a site for the tent setup. We will drop a couple cameras and get back to everything when muzzleloader starts . Anyone hiking in or canoeing in for the hunt this season . It’s hard to believe we are headed for August already. Hope to spend 10-14 days at camp between muzzle and the end of nz    rifle .

[wolc123]

I am really looking forward to the NZ hunting this year, especially the early ML week.  That is my favorite time up there.  It is the only time of year when the hunting and fishing are both very good.  This will be the third time that I will be able to stay that whole week up there.  I might even catch the last hour or so of daylight with my crossbow on the Friday before.  

There seems to be a good antlerless population around camp up there this year and I hope I am able to punch that tag.  It looks like our venison supply will be gone by then,  so I will have plenty of incentive. 

On past trips up there on that week, I mostly hunted the first and last couple hours of daylight and fished for smallmouth bass on the lake in between.  I will do some of that again this year, but I am also going to hit a trout stream that winds around back of a mountain ridge.  

I always hear deer down in that creek bottom when I am walking along the ridge.  This year, I am getting a pair of waders and I will carry my little carbine sidelock 50 cal ML along with my fly rod, as I wade that creek at mid-day.  I would be happy with a doe or a few brook trout.

Here are a few pictures of doe or two that I saw on trips up there on President's weekend and the fourth of July.  Hopefully, we meet up again in October when I am packing. 

I will probably stay thru the opening weekend of Rifle again this year.  Last year I blew a chance at a big Adirondack buck on opening morning when I did not pay enough attention to a twig snapping on that rainy morning.  

My last trip up there this year will likely be Thanksgiving weekend.  I have taken two bucks in the snow up there on that weekend over the last 7 years.  The snow makes it a lot easier but I have to get thru opening weekend of SZ gun season with my buck tag if that is going to happen.

I may up my minimum for SZ opening weekend criteria from 3 points on a side to 4, just to get another crack at a NZ buck.  The scenery and solitude up there make them worth twice as much or more to me than SZ bucks.

I tried a little early bear hunting last year up there with no signs of any.  From now on, they will probably just be "targets of opportunity", if I happen across one, while deer hunting.

Edited July 24, 2021 by wolc123

[Whitetailhobo]

Early muzz is a favorite week of ours as well . The woods has a different  feel to it that week . a great way to start the hunting season off . I think we will have the camp packed and pulled out by thanksgiving. 

[Robhuntandfish]

I hunt primarily nthe southern zone but I plan on spending at least one day up there still hunting.  Did that last year and got to within 40 yards of a 3 point but I let him pass.  It was a great hunting day though. 

[Salmon_Run]

It simply can't happen quick enough for me....I usually head to camp for some early bear and then most of November (I'm retired) and stay until December or snow gets too deep to get back and forth with the UTV.

I'll start scouting very soon with a few cameras and hikes while brook trout fishing...

Good luck...

[DirtTime]

Our cabin has been booked for a few months now to hunt the NZ the last week just before the regular season opens up there. Once again it will be me and my bow trying to connect. I think I'll be trying a different area this year on a couple days, the area me a few friends camped at back in May looks worth checking out.

Then it will be a few weekend hunts up in the NZ with the wife on some private land for the regular season.

[Daveboone]

Opening week of ML every year at my camp on the Tug. I am very excited to be hunting this year with  a flintlock for the first time. I sold my t/c Triumph a ways back...never liked it. For really rotten days I will fall back on my faithful Lyman Great Plains Rifle.

[wolc123]

We are camping about an hour north of my hunting spot this week, up on the St Lawrence river.  It is all bass fishing now up here, but seeing a couple deer (spotted fawn and 3 point buck) while driving into camp the last couple days has me thinking more about hunting.  That, and we are down to just one deer left in the freezer at home.

The camper is only big enough for my wife and our two girls, I am stuck out in the tent.  I cant wait for hunting at her folks place an hour south of here, where I will have the whole 1st floor of thier lake house to myself.

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by wolc123

[Whitetailhobo]

On 8/2/2021 at 6:40 AM, wolc123 said:

We are camping about an hour north of my hunting spot this week, up on the St Lawrence river.  It is all bass fishing now up here, but seeing a couple deer (spotted fawn and 3 point buck) while driving into camp the last couple days has me thinking more about hunting.  That, and we are down to just one deer left in the freezer at home.

The camper is only big enough for my wife and our two girls, I am stuck out in the tent.  I cant wait for hunting at her folks place an hour south of here, where I will have the whole 1st floor of thier lake house to myself.

 

We started hunting the cedar river flow area from a truck camper years ago .quarters were tight but we had good hunting and was nice when the weather went to hell . Couple seasons I went by my self and felt like I was at the holiday inn express with all the camper to myself.. miss those trips now . Some of the guys aren’t with us no more .. good times when I think of that setup .

[wolc123]

55 minutes ago, Whitetailhobo said:

We started hunting the cedar river flow area from a truck camper years ago .quarters were tight but we had good hunting and was nice when the weather went to hell . Couple seasons I went by my self and felt like I was at the holiday inn express with all the camper to myself.. miss those trips now . Some of the guys aren’t with us no more .. good times when I think of that setup .

Prior to my in-laws building thier Adirondack retirement home, they used to rent a small , "off the grid" cottage on a remote lake for a couple long weekends each fall.  One always fell on opening weekend of rifle or ML season.  

I had the camper to my self back then, while everyone else was in the cottage.   The first one I had did not have a thermostat on the furnas so I was always too hot or too cold in the mornings unless I guessed right on what setting to adjust the heater to.

My wife didnt care for that old beat up camper (besides the furnas issue, few of the windows worked, and the interior was rough).   That prompted me to upgrade to my current one which is a little rough on the outside but like new inside.  All the windows work well and it has a thermostat on the heater.

It is real nice when I have it all to myself, and better yet when it is just me and my wife.  It dont work so well with our two teenage daughters added to the mix, hense the tent for me now.  That was much better last week, since I sprung for a big cot.

Edited August 5, 2021 by wolc123

[wolc123]

My Adirondack hunting accommodations are a lot more comfortable these days:

[Whitetailhobo]

 Our slide in camper had the two hot to cold furnace without the thermostat also. Your hunting accommodations are looking much better now . 

[Salmon_Run]

Can't wait; I had a young bear by camp Tuesday. He wasn't much past 150-175 lbs but looked great shape.

However, he wasn't all that concerned by me and I hope it's not one that has been "fed" by area do-gooders!

[ognennyy]

On 7/24/2021 at 6:50 AM, Whitetailhobo said:

Early muzz is a favorite week of ours as well . The woods has a different  feel to it that week.

 

Yeah I agree.  It has the feeling that there are deer on the public land in the woods and I have a chance at killing them, as opposed to once the rifle season starts and you know they've all promptly moved to private land and your odds have tanked haha.

[ognennyy]

I'm always stoked just because it's great to get out in the woods, and the excitement level is high.  These past few years though I have had a rough go of trying to find deer for the early bow season.  But excitement is still high and so is my commitment to not drinking beer and watching football and instead keeping in proper shape to find deer in the big 'Dack woods!

[Whitetailhobo]

 With  just a couple more weeks to go  .time to button up a few honeydew projects and a few things at work before we head to the big woods. One more   Trip up to the   Woods drop some supplies pull game camera cards and then it will be nothing but hunting.  

[rachunter]

59 minutes ago, Whitetailhobo said:

 With  just a couple more weeks to go  .time to button up a few honeydew projects and a few things at work before we head to the big woods. One more   Trip up to the   Woods drop some supplies pull game camera cards and then it will be nothing but hunting.  

Good luck!! The apple trees are loaded right now.

[Salmon_Run]

On 9/14/2021 at 7:09 AM, rachunter said:

Good luck!! The apple trees are loaded right now.

At least near me the apple trees have fruit only every few years; not sure why but is definitely cyclic in nature. This year the trees are loaded, but the apples are very tiny and starting to drop.

Shortly the bears will invade the old orchard and strip the trees barren seemingly overnight. 

The trees are changing and the season is around the corner.....

[rachunter]

3 hours ago, Salmon_Run said:

At least near me the apple trees have fruit only every few years; not sure why but is definitely cyclic in nature. This year the trees are loaded, but the apples are very tiny and starting to drop.

Shortly the bears will invade the old orchard and strip the trees barren seemingly overnight. 

The trees are changing and the season is around the corner.....

The same thing down by me,but this year there plump fat granny smith looking apples the branches are struggling to hold them up.I'm really taking a liken to that area up by you,a beautiful area for sure.

[Whitetailhobo]

 Couple pictures from paddling into deer camp this weekend. Water was a little low on some spots.  We’re about 2 miles in on the river two sections about 100 yards each i needed to get out walking tagline the boats .  Just an amazing Sunday on the water  .   Dropping supplies and checking what is for the remainder of the blueberry crop .  There isn’t an apple tree to be found up there . We’re really chasing beach nuts blueberries and other soft browse 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Whitetailhobo
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[wolc123]

I was also up north this past weekend for my brothers wedding.   They had the ceremony on this little island out on the St Lawrence.  My hunting spot is about 40 miles south, as the crow flies, but about an hour and a half by bad roads.  
 

The leaves are already starting to turn and I am certainly ready for some Northern zone deer hunting after slugging it out with the skeeters for the past 9  days for the southern zone early antlerless season.

 

[GGNYC]

Wow, that is a beautiful spot. 

It was cooler this morning than it has been in awhile and it's starting to feel like fall. I'm definitely getting excited for the upcoming season.

 

Good luck everyone.

[Whitetailhobo]

2 week count down . Final prep and pack for northern zone . These next 2 weekends will be busy . Weather is cooling so the excitement is building.  Anyone heading out for bow today I wish the best of luck to you.  Some waterproofing to do this weekend wipe a few pair boots down.  Figure out the deer cart situation and how that’s going to break down and load in the boat this year .  Then there will be another few things that will come up I’m sure. You never know what you forgot until you get there . I almost forgot I have to put a few loads through the smoke pole make sure that still shooting straight .  I had ordered some stuff through midway hopefully that will arrive this weekend also .  Nothing too excited in that order just a couple New York State compliant orange hats . 

[wolc123]

I am not heading up until October 15, so plenty of time yet to get ready.  I need to tie up a few more 1/8 oz bucktail jigs, which work real well on the smallmouths, along the shoreline in October.

I have checked the zeros on both of my ML’s and located most of the other gear I will need, including my tree hammock seat.  
 

I just finished setting up my last southern zone tree tree stand this morning so I should be all set for opening of crossbow here a week or so after I get back from up north.  Hopefully my buck tag will already be punched up there with my ML’s, but I should still have 3 dmp’s to work on, and maybe my gun season buck tag.  

[rachunter]

1 hour ago, wolc123 said:

I am not heading up until October 15, so plenty of time yet to get ready.  I need to tie up a few more 1/8 oz bucktail jigs, which work real well on the smallmouths, along the shoreline in October.

I have checked the zeros on both of my ML’s and located most of the other gear I will need, including my tree hammock seat.  
 

I just finished setting up my last southern zone tree tree stand this morning so I should be all set for opening of crossbow here a week or so after I get back from up north.  Hopefully my buck tag will already be punched up there with my ML’s, but I should still have 3 dmp’s to work on, and maybe my gun season buck tag.  

What's the name of that tree hammock I wanted to get one over the summer but forgot about it.