2021 HuntingNY Gun Hunting Harvest Thread

[Trad bow]

11/23/21 at 12:14 I jumped this guy while still hunting/tracking in our first snow, shot him with my Remington 760 in .35 REM.

[Bolt action]

Sitting till dark in a different spot trying to catch one more coming into the field. I have signal, so here's the story from the deer earlier.

I was walking in around 2 for the pm sit. There's a strong WNW wind. My plan was to walk south along the tree line all the way to the bottom of the field, then still hunt into the wind heading west until i hit the hedge row, then North up the hedge row until getting to my spot where I can watch the creek that runs along the north edge of the field. Wind would be in my favor for most of that walk.

I'm about 300yds in along that tree line when a buck pops up 10 feet in front of me! I was watching him as motionless as i could. My wind was going right to him and he was watching me. I expected him to bolt any second. It was weird though. He just sat there and appeared to be a little off balance. I'm thinking he might have been injured. After two or three minutes with my wind in his face and him watching me, i slowly brought the gun up. Put the X on his chest and pulled the trigger and watched him flop over. I'll watch for sign of an earlier injury when I get him home. 

I'm stoked that i got one for the freezer. Between work and family obligations, i won't have many more chances to get out this season. Grateful for the harvest.

Edited November 26, 2021 by Bolt action
Cold fingers

[Steuben Jerry]

Daughter’s buck;
Stephanie got in the same stand that we got two bucks from already. She had some quick activity in the field with the same does and spikes that we’ve been seeing. She had one group of does at 150 yds that were hanging around feeding for about 15 minutes when this guy stepped out at the far tree line. She said he wasn’t going after the does but was interested in them, just hanging around watching them. After a couple of minutes he gave her a perfect pose at about 140 yds. Nice 9 pointer dropped in place with a .270.

So daughter’s family takes home 2 bucks and a doe from their annual visit. Great week!

Granddaughter Evelyn, the Chief Whitetail Inspector approves of mommy’s buck!
Had trailcam pics of her buck too.

 Daughter likes to edit Josh Allen jumping over things photos, lol. 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2021 by Steuben Jerry

[wolc123]

This busted up 8 pointer cruised thru the woods behind my new tree stand 5 minutes after sunset.  I wanted to save my buck tag for an Adirondack trip next weekend, so I was looking for one that had at least 4 points on a side. He still had 5 on the right, but only three on the left, having lost that side’s brow and g-3. 

No big deal for me, being mostly a meat guy, and with a 42-1/4” chest girth, he should provide plenty of that.

When he stopped broadside at 50 yards, his front and rear ends were hidden behind big trees. The 1.5 Weaver on my old Ithaca 37 16 ga was fogged over from the cold and snow.  I brushed the inside lens with glove, still all grey, then brushed the outside lens.

Fortunately, he kept still long enough for me to get the scope cleared. I held as close as I dared to the front tree. The slug caught him right about on the diaphragm, midway up.  He mule kicked and left a decent blood trail in the snow from the entry hole.  
 
It took me a while to find the trail as there was just a light dusting of snow.  He piled up after about 50 yards.  I did a quick gut job in the dark and didn’t save the nuts.  I found the slug intact inside when I got him home and did a thougrough cleaning.  It must have stopped against a rib on the outboard side. 
 

[2012_taco]

I scored yesterday at my friend's place in Chautauqua.  Not my biggest, but this guy has a big body.

I was doing a slow stalk to try and move something up the hill to my buddy and I caught this guy in his bed. He never saw me as he was distracted by a shot to the north, I caught him turn his head at the sound of the shot. He was bedded in some thick stuff so I didn't have anything but head to shoot at. I could only see 1 side of the rack and it looked like at least an 8 pt  so I put it on the white spot on his throat and fired. He never got up, I probably ruined most of the neck roast. 67 yd shot with 30-06. Perfect weather for hanging so I probably won't cut him up until Wed? 

It's great not having to drag him the 3/4 mike back to the truck!

[UpStateRedNeck]

Time-wise, I think this should be first in the thread!  It was all over at 705 am in opening day.  Was sitting in the edge of thick crud/swampy area, heard a couple grunts.  Doe comes out of the pines, heads away from me towards the swamp.  Gave her a couple of good big grunts, she turned around and came back on a string, and brought her boyfriend with her. 

He came in hot, grunting and thrashing, all stuff legged.  Very enjoyable hunt, everything you'd want.  Not the biggest deer on the farm, but I'm happy!

 

I'm pretty sure he's the same buck I saw the day before and said I would pass. Oh well, chest freezer has 15 points in it.

[Nomad]

Tonight I killed a deer.

200 yards offhand ,measured on my hunting app.

[Lawdwaz]

Shot another doe this morning.   For those interested; 7mm-08, 120gr Barnes TTSX at about 90 yards.  Area 8H…….

 

[Splitear]

With the arrival of our 2nd daughter in October, I knew my time in the woods would be hard to come by this year. I decided early on that I wasn’t going to bow hunt, as I wanted to spend as much time with my 2 year old as possible before her sister arrived. We have had family in and out for the past several weeks, leading right up to the start of gun season. It was great, but we never really developed a routine with our parents here.

I finally figured that if I left to go hunting when our 2 year old started eating lunch, after which she goes down for a nap, then I would only be strapping my wife with both of them for an hour or two before I got home. I tried this method out last Wednesday, and it went really well. I let a spike buck walk, and made it home in plenty of time to take up the yoke.

Today I played the same game. I left the house at around 11:45, and was up in my tree by 12:30. I had left my climber out on Wednesday, which meant the seat was plenty wet. However, I purchased a Muddy “Complete Seat” to put on top, and let me tell you, that thing is legit for keeping a butt toasty warm. It was a beautiful afternoon, with gentle snow showers throughout. At around 2:30 I heard something crashing around behind me, but since the woods was so thick behind me, I never saw what it was. I figured something had winded me. Then, at 3:30, this guy stepped into the swampy area that I was overlooking. Getting a clear shot at 100 yards, I took it and dropped him. The entry was in the right shoulder and exit through the neck. Then the real work began. I drug him the 100 yds across the semi-frozen swamp, tied a strap on him, and after crashing my own way through a creek, I pulled him across. Then I field dressed him and drug him another 200 yards to the hay field edge. At this point the land owner arrived and helped me drag him across 2 hay fields (his 4 wheeler was down and it’s wet enough that we didn’t want to drive on the fields) and I got him loaded in the back of the Subaru. The processor I use in Charlton was able to take him tonight as well, which my wife was really happy about

This one was special to me, as I took this deer with a rifle that was gifted to me by a family friend. I documented my resurrection of the old Remington 760 in a previous thread. It really felt nice to take a deer with a rifle that’s approaching it’s 70th birthday, not to mention period optics to boot. My mom showed the picture I sent her to the old man that gifted me the rifle, and he was over the moon. I can’t wait to tell him the story the next time we go back to Illinois. Additionally, this is my first rifle deer and my first NY buck. He’s by no means my biggest buck, an 8 pointer, but it’s meat in the freezer and I checked a lot of “firsts” off this afternoon.

If you read this far, good for you. I didn’t mean to write a book here, but it was a special hunt for me. Now I get to enjoy the holiday season with my family and we can have some grilled tenderloin for Christmas!

Edited November 29, 2021 by Splitear

[Tughill Tamer]

Finally was able to fill a doe tag.

Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk

[DanD]

Can count on one hand how many deer I've shot after 2pm. Well opening day bucked that trend. Had a group of three does come through some thick stuff around 3pm. The biggest doe of the group stopped at about 60 yards and gave me a front on shot, so I gambled a neck shot with the muzzleloader and it somehow found it's way to the target...through the target...and an unfortunate tree caught the remaining wrath of the Barnes TMZ sabot. Otherwise my season/deer action have been incredibly slow in 8X. 

[grampy]

Sunday the 5th. Alarm went off at 4am, but my body wasn't having anything to do with that! So got to the farm about 9. Asked my partner to take a ride to the east side of the property, to scope out a spot I could sit close to where I'd park my truck. After just a little searching I found a spot on a bluff, overlooking the back side of a woodlot. Good enough. Not even 100 yards from where I'd park, and all I needed was to bring a milk crate to sit on! Will be perfect for a sit sometime. 

After leaving that spot and getting my wheeler I was going to a short ladderstand to watch the brushy end of a pasture where we had seen a nice buck a couple times. Not far from the stand I see someone sitting in the stand. A trespasser. I posted about this part of the day in another thread.

By the time that issue was worked out it was almost 3:00. I thought about just heading home early. But remembered the spot I found earlier. So grabbed a milk crate and off I go for the last hour or so. Walk the 75 yards or so, put down the milk crate, look around and 10 minutes later I see something moving! I'm watching as a big bodied buck stepped out from a tangle of brush! His rack doesn't fit his body, and he looked like one we'd had on camera a couple times? So I decide I really want him!!! Had to wait for him to slowly work his way to an opening for a clear 50 yard shot. My 270 Sako barked, he made a run of 20 yards before lying still. A solid 3 year old that dressed in the 190s!!! I can't begin to say how happy I was!!! I almost fell off the darned bluff jumping for joy! Been a tough season for me. But this was a great feeling.

 

[airedale]

Way to go Grampy, that guy has a big body for sure, beautiful rifle you have there and I see you got that handloading down pretty good too, A sour starting day turned into a sweet one, Congratulations.

Al

[Hock3y24]

Was getting the itch to hunt again, wife was nice enough to sign her doe tags over to me. Sat at a small 15 acre property I haven't shot a doe in a few years that has a small tree shack to sit in. sat just before 2 pm, nice light snow falling, was enjoying the evening not caring if I even saw a deer. Had to work at 6:45 so decided if I hadn't seen a doe by 4pm I wouldn't shoot any, of course at 3:55 two good size doe pop out at 80 yards. Gave me a slightly quartered too shot and the 140 grain 6.5 Creedmoor found its mark dropping her on the spot. In the base of neck, out the opposite shoulder. 

I thought my son would be upset ( I took out his new 6.5 rifle without him knowing lol) but he was happy. Half this deer is going to a neighbor with stage 4 cancer, the second half to a family in need down the road. 

[DanD]

Friend of mine hit a small buck on the second to last day of gun season at last light. We found some hair and light blood and decided to backout until we had more light as we were getting close to the border between public land and private land. Next morning, he continued to follow blood while i looped around to see if he chased anything out of a thicket he was going into. Deer started piling out like mad, but nothing with any size would stop. This old girl was the last to come out and she slowed down just long enough to get a shot off. Wish I had a scale as she was probably the largest doe I've ever killed. 

[XGX7PM]

On 11/21/2021 at 3:06 PM, XGX7PM said:

This is supposed to be Logunn's first year hunting with the recent age drop to 12. However, he injured himself carving a pumpkin and can't shoot until his cast is off. (Severed flexor tendon on the pinky of his shooting hand, hard cast with only the thumb hanging out.)

Fortunately for me, his spirits are still high and he came out for a dark to dark crossbow sit previously and continues joining me until Thanksgiving morning as ł work to fill my tags. 

Despite the cold and this all being new to him, he has jumped right in and is endeavoring to prove himself as a hunter. 

Yesterday, 11.20.2021 we were out well before legal light and nestled in to our tower blind for a dark to dark sit, quiet as can be hoping there may be some action once the moon light was replaced by the rising sun.

We made it until after 4pm without seeing a thing except melting snow and a squirrel. Despite the lack of activity, Logunn was very attentive and took two short breaks to read and a 15 minute nap.

Around 4:30 ł seen movement coming from the ridge down the slope of the hill we're set up on, ł whispered to him and worked to get him focused on the movement. We exchanged 10⁰clock? 11⁰clock and even descriptions of shrubs/trees to get his eyes on it. ł tell him ł think it's a coyote as it seems awfully small and has a very odd walk, he catches movement as it enters a strip of wild rose and sumac. Moments later ł see a nice bodied deer come over the ridge in the same area, nose to the ground... Quickly drawing Logunn's attention working to get his eyes on this deer, ł hand him the range finder and direct his attention to the only green shrub in front of us, "Look at the green bush, he's above it to the left of the dark tree"... Logunn made some sudden movement and the deer caught it and is now posturing, beginning to snort and stomp. ł wasn't able to work his eyes towards the deer anymore, threw a round out paused and threw a second. It was a very tight window to shoot through with far too many branches but it was manageable even with my .243 

The buck was stomping and had moved his head towards us as ł shot, he did a bit of a kick and seemed to spin around on his side but it was tough to tell as he disappeared behind the thick stiff for a moment. Next thing he was up on his feet, angling up the hill towards blow downs, not running down towards the ravine. Against my better judgment we got down to check for blood with a little over a half hour of legal light left. 

Logunn went first and ł followed, catching a nice sized deer running the opposite direction ł assumed he was startled but unscathed and heading off on a new route from when we had last seen him.

We made our way to where he was when the shot was taken, referencing landmarks and teaching him how to locate the possible kill sight to begin tracking. We bumped the tiny doe which appeared to be walking odd due to an old injury.

Once at the site, ł explained that we could see the stomping in the tracks and we checked for blood, ł picked up leaves rubbing them against my hand, nothing. 

ł explained we needed to walk the tracks regardless, setting out in the same direction we followed them and ł explained how we could tell apart the running from the slowed down walking. Fooled for a moment by a crossing set we quickly doubled back and found the buck had jumped over a large log and landed a few feet away and we were back on the tracks. 

We found him piled up in the blow downs, his reaction when he realized the buck was down is priceless. Byfar one of my best hunting moments yet. We made our approach and once the kill was confirmed ł let him grab the rack and pose for a picture, he gave me a thumbs up with his immobilized shooting hand. 

The shot went through the neck.

We stopped and ł let Logunn watch a video on how to gut a deer and then ł explained each step as ł gutted and drained the chest cavity.

We dragged the buck out, carefully avoiding any standing water, eventually passing our tower and worked to hang him from an "A" frame  at the cabin. We had to relocate him to a high branch on a maple tree in front of the cabin because his head was on the ground when hung from the "A" frame.

What's odd is that ł shot a very similar 8pt after my great uncle put in a bit of work to get me in a good spot years' back... after struggling to get our spot ready in time this year with very limited time off of work and to have to hang it from the same spot as my past 8 pt in that very maple tree, it was almost as if my great uncle was smiling down on our adventure together.

All in all we made memories and meat. ł couldn't be more proud of him and can't wait for him to fully enjoy the experience once he can handle his rifle again. ł've got a hunting partner for life.

 

 

 

Couldn't edit the original post so simply quoting it. 

 

 

Nature's Prize in Akron did a great job on the dip.

It's glow in the dark / winter camo.

Explained it was a Christmas gift for Logunn and they turned it around QUICKLY.

Can't wait to see his reaction in a couple days.