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NFA-ADK

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NFA-ADK Rookie

NFA-ADK

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My name is Jeff Calderone and I am addicted to mature whitetail deer hunting.

With the exception of being on top of a mountain or fishing, I get no greater feeling then when I am deep in the woods. ANY deep woods... Any time...

I was never formally introduced to hunting but at 18 years old (1988) I purchased my first rifle (savage model 110 in 30-06) with one of my best friends and we started our 1st hunt in the Catskills with his family friend who lived upstate. To say things did not start off good was an understatement. We found out how to poach from a truck and trespass on private property which is all I learned from this idiot. That was the first and last time we hunted with him.

I took my 1st deer in Moose River in 2000 and have tried to up my game every year since. In 2001 I purchased a wall tent to eliminate the 45 minute drive to a motel. That was the year I purchased my 1st bow for extra time in the woods. Since then I have fallen in love with shooting my bow...

I try to hunt as often as possible yet that is usually only 2-3 weeks a year. I have never shot a doe yet I have practiced drawing on them due to getting busted during a draw on a practice buck from a stand. Now I do not draw on many deer as I usually do not hunt from a stand. I have passed on more deer then I have ever seen hunting in the ADK. I hunt an area with very few deer and hunters, yet this is part of reason I love it. Usually if you get a deer you earned it.

My biggest accomplishment was getting lucky with a mature 8 pt that I called back with a doe in heat call in 2010. Getting posted on NYantlers web site www.nyantler-outdoors.com and www.adkhunter.com was an additional highlight to a spectacular year!!!

My biggest disappointment was losing 2 mature bucks in Moose River on 2 dif. years that I had tracked the day before and ambushed at 1st light, one due to a fogged scope (Now I do not wait for anyone to come with me…or hold me up…) and one due to calling in a deer too close, 10 ft away with a gun sighted in at 50 yards No buck fever just did not compensate... Soooo upsetting... Third was shooting a 4 pt that I thought was a 6 pt again I was very upset…

I have hunted Green, Long Eddie, Roscoe, Port Jervis, Prattsville, Cooperstown, Brewster, Catskills, Moose River, Long Lake, Indian Lake, Blue Mt. Lake, Lake placid trail from Indian lake to Long lake areas, Tupper Lake, Newcomb, Warrensburg, and the cold river. I have hunted other spots but those are the area's I have hunted more than one time...

I do not hunt for meat yet I do eat my kill with pride. I pass many deer a year waiting for that one particular one with my name on him. I have been told I am a bad hunter due to this yet after explaining the concept of fair chase, exceedingly high ethics and a passion for observing deer behavior I am usually let off the hook.

Although I have had many doe in my sights I have yet to be able to pull the trigger. I realize as a hunter doe need to be controlled yet the area's that need control have owner restrictions on killing doe preventing me from taking one... Will I ever shoot a doe? I figure when the time is right it will happen...

I am usually the last person back to camp and beg my hunting partners to keep the radio on for me as I always get back to camp in the dark. I do not always get up early unless I have an ambush area I plan to get to... Those area’s are hard to find and change yearly, yet when I find one, look out!!!

I read many books on hunting especially during the off season. I never read while in hunting camp, I sleep, eat or hunt. I have gained a vast amount of knowledge though books. I figure if one books gives you one good pointer that you would not have thought of, it was worth it... Even with all this reading I find additional information that is gained while in the field is always the most reveling. The knowledge gained from books has helped me tracking more than anything else, with low deer population some times that is all I get to see…

I hunt from 10 am to dusk on a bad day and from before first light to after dusk on good days, depending on how much my hunting partners make me drink the night before… (I am not a big drinker at all, so it kicks my but!) I never come out of the woods for lunch and bring extra clothes for rain/bad weather. I never used a GPS until I purchased my 1st boat. After seeing how effective it was I started using it hunting and never leave camp without it now. Map, compass, GPS, extra food, clothes, deer calls, rabbit in distress calls a 2 way radio (no cell towers) and multiple fire starting tools and flashlights w/extra bat and bulbs. Day pack gets heavy but when it is time to eat lunch in the heavy rain or hike out 1-5 miles in the dark that extra protection is invaluable!!!

I shoot often as I feel I owe it to my prey and experience has taught me is needed to become a good hunter. As my age has gone up so have my morals and standards for hunting. Safety is a factor I will never compromise and rule with an iron fist at my base camp.

The woods can play games with your mind if you let it as many back country ADK hikers have found out. My first entry into Moose River Plains taught me to respect the woods and nature as David Boomhower was found that opening weekend, dead, on a remote mountain top, miles off his original course. His story still baffles many, including me!!! The ADK can take you to extreme levels of euphoria then slap you back into the pool of reality. With this the NFA No Fooling Around club began (Polite version). Respect Mother Nature, your physical abilities, your fire arm and your prey. These are things I value most as an ethical NY hunter.

PS: Sorry so long yet I figured since I post here often It would give good insight.

NFA GETSOME

Jeff Calderone

Proud NY Deer Hunter

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PostedBoys Gallego Newbie

PostedBoys Gallego

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Nice intro. I come from the same boat as you, started out with the wrong crowd. I'm still looking to take my first ADK buck. This will be my third season trying. I hope to be out there 1 full week this time. Congrats on your ADK Bucks! Its a challenge that has become obsession for me...

As long as you eat the meat or donate it to the hungry its all good. I go for meat first, then try for a mature buck. I just couldn't imagine not having deer in the freezer for the year. Too used to that precious meat.

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Deerthug Newbie

Deerthug

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Enjoyed reading your intro. I consider myself a newbie (hunting 5 years - coming into my 6th year this fall). I, like Postedboys hunt for meat first and trophy second. But for the first time in 5 years I came out of the last season with no meat. It's a bummer and dissappointing, especially on a rainy cold day and I want to make some venison stew, but I'm still young and God willing I have many more years of hunting ahead of me.

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defrazzle Newbie

defrazzle

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Great Intro! You wrote what I stand for also, but never was able to put it to words like you did. I LIVE and HUNT and FISH in the Adirondacks. I was fortunate to purchase 4 acres, on a dead-end road, bordering over 100,000 thousand acres of forever wild ADK land. At the dead end is a beautiful "Pond" of about 700 acres in size and it is one mile away from the "Camp" I built. You need to pass my place to get into the pond. Big ADK bucks which elude me most of the time, BUT, typically I shoot one of something every other year.

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defrazzle Newbie

defrazzle

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Cool intro.. And i love seein a lever gun in a big buck pic

I agree with NYbuck50! Lever action, short barrel is the way to go in the "big woods". I have two rifles for deer/bear = A 1963 Remington 700 BDL in .308 and my 1965 94 Winchester in 30-30. The .30-.30 is my "go to" gun. Easy to carry, quick to bring up to the shoulder - peep sites!

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dave6x6 Newbie

dave6x6

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You big woods hunters have my complete respect.. And I must say that there is just something special about listening to and seeing pictures of life and hunting in the ADK. The history and legend makes time seem to stand still. When i hear a great ADK hunting story, my mind try's to picture it as i'm reading, but the date in my mind never seems to be modern times. It's just big woods mountain men hunting the same way it's been done for centuries up there... The hard way. and the way that seems to satisfy the soul..

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NFA-ADK Rookie

NFA-ADK

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Love the reply's guys! Figured some others have a similar view. In so far as the trophy/meat part, we need you meat guys that’s for sure!!!!! If everyone did what I did we would be overrun with deer and considered Tropy only hunters by all... Only 2 out of 8 have the trophy view in my camp, all others are meat 1st like many here. That second guy has yet to get his first deer, my partner since 1988, passed a 4 pt on a ridge with in arms distance one year.

Elmo my 1st buck was 12 years after I first started hunting yes. Taken in Moose River on a snow covered sunny day around 11:45 am. Since then I have spent many years hunting Moose River and loosing 2 other bucks was such a disappointment after so much work. Sent me to the next level... The next one was in 2010 making a 10 year gap between ADK bucks with one Catskill 4 pointer in 2007 that is the extent of my used tags. I would love to take an ADK buck with a bow yet it seems a myth, so I try harder... I have been shooting my bow with consistency at many ranges, taking 2nd in this week’s club shoot and wining a 10$ bet between 4 shooters at about 78 or 80 yard caribou hitting the 10 spot for the 40$ pool which was a better prize than the 2nd place Giants hat. B) Made my day! Taking 10$ from the guy that beat me by 1 point was nice too... He got the camo hat, arg. LOL

The best thing about hunting the ADK is just that Dave6X6, It”s is just as our four fathers might have encountered which adds to the enchantment. Rugged, brutal, vast and unforgiving nature at its purist. No matter what happens you will have a story to tell. If you hunt those woods with that attitude it does not matter if you get a deer just that you enjoyed the moment and the day!

The beauty of the ADK's nature, landscape and pristine quality of vast seemingly untouched lands make any trip in it a journey into the unknown adding to its mystic. It has taken many lives which adds to the element of danger. It is not a place to get lost in and has the ability to take the unprepared and prepared alike by surprise. DEC reports of hikers in distress are excessive as many come unprepared and calamity follows... Rangers, supported by a vast network of search and rescue teams are at the head of these rescues and are true woodsmen of the ADK; I always try to start a conversation with them as their exploits are vast and knowledge even more so.

OMG defrazzle I think I looked at that property on ADKbyowner.com, beautiful area, loved the house!!! Land looked extremely promising!!! Ended up staying on LI because Mom was very upset I was going to move upstate to hang out with the deer...

Love my Model 94AE, it's in 44 Mag. Great gun! Just like Defrazzle said, easy to carry,(with barrel pointed down it doesn't hit the ground requiring no shoulder harness) and no scope fogging or leaving on 10X power issues with open sights, follow up is easy making it an ideal stalking/brush gun for long distance hiking with low weight and ease of use. I used it on both ADK bucks.

My 2000 buck was taken due to a truck "pushing" the deer into me. (I had hiked about 350-400 yards in 14 inches of snow to get back to this dirt road we drove in on trying just to escape my hunting partners lol, no GPS as this point so I had no Idea I was 100-70 yards from the road.) My 1st perfect broad side shot missed as the hammer block was on and only drew one ear in my direction from the deer. At this point I am saying "OMG 10 + years and I am going to miss this deer", shocked he did not run I squeeze the trigger and pull back the hammer to make no sound when recocking and take the safety off. Steady on his back shoulder I fire, kaboom he takes off. This is my 1st ever shot at a buck and he is running like I missed. I fire off 4 more rounds as he bolts and I am empty as he rounds a bush just out of view. I hear Ding Ding Ding like a key is still in the ignition and then I hear "He is down!". I walk up to the area where the deer went out of view and see a guy and kid come off the bank from the road about 50 yards and the deer on the ground. They said it was like watching ESPN. Guy states "had I waited 5 more seconds he would have taken that deer"... First shot was a heart shot with 4 lines from follow ups with hair missing and no penetration on any of them. Heart shot was found on discovery only with my friend pointing it out in astonishment. Sometimes it good to be lucky! Less then 60 yard drag to the road was simple as he was about 165 dressed. 9 pt with one broken G1 making him a 8 I estimate at least 2 1/2.

Don’t get me wrong as much as I love the ADK, hunting for deer in any woods gets my blood going and is just as much fun and valued as being five miles deep in the ADK!!! The ADK just has that extra wildness that is so alluring. I can only hope I still have many years of seeing it's beauty, experiencing it's nature and introducing it to others so they can have their eyes opened to its vast space, beauty and disregard of man...

PS: Thanks for the complements on the writing!!!

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defrazzle Newbie

defrazzle

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Hey NFK-ADK - "OMG defrazzle I think I looked at that property on ADKbyowner.com, beautiful area, loved the house!!! Land looked extremely promising!!! Ended up staying on LI because Mom was very upset I was going to move upstate to hang out with the deer... "

The owners of "ADK by Owner" live across the street from me! Laura and Keith. I remember well the day they moved from PA to the house they are in now.

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NFA-ADK Rookie

NFA-ADK

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That is too cool, Defrazzle. Best of luck with the property, looking forward to seeing pics or your success! Love that ADK by owner site. Many great houses and easy navigation. I will have to wait a while before looking at property upstate again, arg... Tell Laura and Keith I love the site!!!

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defrazzle Newbie

defrazzle

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That is too cool, Defrazzle. Best of luck with the property, looking forward to seeing pics or your success! Love that ADK by owner site. Many great houses and easy navigation. I will have to wait a while before looking at property upstate again, arg... Tell Laura and Keith I love the site!!!

My wife and I will I'll be going to our "camp" this coming weekend when my sister is visiting from Lon Gisland, NY (LOL) she lives in Albertson! Every time she comes she has a hard time falling asleep - she says it is too quiet!

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defrazzle Newbie

defrazzle

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Here is one 6-8 point that is still around my camp. Check out the dates and times - right around the peak rut up here in the North Country. Hopefully I can see him this year and see what he looks like now.

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NFA-ADK Rookie

NFA-ADK

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He looks like a beauty! Should be a real bruizer this year! Good luck with him, hopefully he made it! Snow cover in april, wow. That doe looks healthy!!! Save some of that snow for November, it makes me feel like a tracking expert. Ahh I miss snow while hunting...

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defrazzle Newbie

defrazzle

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I love to track in the snow! I attended several seminars put on by the Benoit Brothers and I have several of their videos. If you get a chance don't miss their presentations. Also they have several books and videos on how they hunt the "big woods". Their father Larry Benoit was on the cover of Sports Afield in 1970.

http://www.benoitsbigbucks.com/

I see more deer during my tracking then sitting. Of course sitting has it's advantages also especially during the rut and dry, crispy walking woods!

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