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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 10, 2011 5:16:25 GMT -5
Bow season begins Oct 15 in NYS. Last 4 weekends have been spent tuning up stands, trimming lanes and re-spiking a few trees. 2 brand new spots. Total of 30 stands.
The woods is starting to show signs of rubbing and scraping and it's always exciting to see areas in the woods where there are several big saplings all tore up.
We left several very nice bucks out there last year that could be very big this year. A good crop of 100-120 bucks also made it through. Everyone in camp got 2 does tags for our area.
We get (1) either sex for bow/ML (1) antlerless for bow/ML (1) buck tag for regular season and then you apply for more antlerless tags. Since we are getting (2) each that makes a total of 5 tags for the year. THEN....we are allowed to have (2) add'l antlerless tags signed over to another hunter. SO...if your wife, kids or anyone else that won't be using their tags, you can get 2 of them to use. That makes a total of (7) tags you can fill legally yourself. THEN....if we use the DMAP permits we have we can wack several more does. Usually have 15 of these for 2 different areas. I think the rule on them is that the farmer can only give a max of (2) to the same guy. We have 2 different batches issued to 2 different landowners (who are also part of our hunt group) so they can each give me (2). At least that was the rules on them a few years ago.
I'm already pretty sore and beat up from all the stand work and doing last minute outdoor chores at home. Haven't had "a day off" for a month. And now it looks like it may be another 9 weeks with no days off. ;D ;D
At least the Yankees are out....Now I won't have to stay up until midnight and get up at 4:30 to hunt. (That's a real catch 22 when that's going on in early bow season) Now if the Bills can start becoming losers again I won't feel bad when I miss the games while in a tree....but they actually look good.
Good luck New Yorkers! (DB, you ready?)
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Post by DBinNY on Oct 11, 2011 10:16:03 GMT -5
Pretty close.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 11, 2011 20:01:47 GMT -5
Was thinkin such
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Post by DBinNY on Oct 11, 2011 22:32:18 GMT -5
Yeah, I just hope we get some enjoyable weather. It's been great of late but it's supposed to go downhill fast. Probably won't see the sun again 'til June.. The Hoyt seems to want to go.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 12, 2011 5:06:56 GMT -5
Enjoyable to me is 30-40 degrees and cloudy with a steady 3-5 mph breeze. A steady light wind makes picking a stand easier IMO.
It is supposed to be rainy and fairly windy here Saturday so it doesn't look ideal. Hopefully the morning will be OK for a few hours because my Hoyt already warned me that she's going.
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Post by dougedwards on Oct 12, 2011 18:18:58 GMT -5
Go ahead and just hunt in the rain. Hoyt said so ;D
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 15, 2011 3:38:38 GMT -5
Looks dangerous out there. Will probably go to camp and mess around. Maybe unload the ML after 10 months of waiting and see how the rest off the weekend turns out.
No sense to walk in the dark with all these high winds. 34 more days left. Leaves ought to disappear at a high rate this weekend
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Post by toosensitive on Oct 16, 2011 14:49:14 GMT -5
We have a nice buck working the area. Grandson almost took it early youth season last week. Just a tad out of his range.
Had to remove an "intruder" stand today. Folks just don't want to go through the trouble asking permission to hunt. They assume they know the boundries and just plop one down wherever.....The stand was less than 125 yds from a dwelling too, which is also a big no no in our state during firearm season. I have State Police on speed dial just in case the critter shows up again. I guess they dispatch for DNR.
Getting back to hunting. I hope my grandson (10 years) has an opportunity to get this buck (or any deer) with his new T/C .50 cal. muzzleloader. Looked like a big 8 point. That would be sweet.
Seeing some rubs but no scrapes yet. Deer should be really moving soon.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 22, 2011 3:49:35 GMT -5
Made it out Sunday am for 3 hrs last week...that's it. Did see 4 bucks. 3 small ones and 1 pretty nice one.
This weekend looks much better...will be out there in about an hour from now.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 22, 2011 10:50:47 GMT -5
Passed on 2 nice 8 pts this morning...sorry about the picture quality. Whenever the flash is employed with low light in the woods, it detracts from the quality. These bucks had already given me shots right under the stand and I decided to try and get some photo's   |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2011 12:01:08 GMT -5
That second one would be DRT if he lived in my woods, cool pictures,thanks for sharing.
GH
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 23, 2011 18:50:29 GMT -5
Was a great weekend to be in the woods. The deer weren't moving much...no chasing yet...at all. But around here, halloween tends to bring the trick or treat bucks out. Any time after next weekend I suspect things will be heating up and time in the stand will be anytime possible.
Gotta let these guys go if you ever want to push the 140 envelope...which I want to do.
Guys at camp are also the same way. Later in the season it seems like we end up shooting a few of these potential good bucks. That's fine, but they don't get big if you don't let them. I am as guilty as anyone for shooting this type of buck as I have many, many times
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 29, 2011 4:07:29 GMT -5
Well this week took forever to get over with and it's time again. 3 weekends left of bow season. Going to a new stand this morning. It's set up for the rare south east winds, which we have this morning. Deer should be getting frisky and I'm hoping to stick it out a little longer then usual....unless I score at 8:00.
DB....how is that snow treating you?
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Post by DBinNY on Oct 29, 2011 10:25:03 GMT -5
Just a touch of snow here and it's pretty well melted. Went last night and saw one large yearling or small 2 1/2. Watched it for a while at 150 yards till a coyote chased it off.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Oct 30, 2011 3:49:06 GMT -5
Saw very few deer yesterday. The bucks (4) I did see were all with a doe and sticking with her. One guy in camp saw a jaw dropper yesterday but was too far away for a shot. Things are beginning to cook
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Post by Mid_Tn_Plowboy on Nov 1, 2011 0:55:12 GMT -5
Woods here is starting to shape up also. I always figured the farther North the earlier the rut? We are having 30's for lows near 80's for highs and the gnats are still awful. Joys of early season
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Nov 1, 2011 5:10:46 GMT -5
Sunday a.m. had me about almost in position to arrow a huge 8 pt that I roughly scored at 140. He was with 2 smaller bucks that came right under and by the stand. For some reason he held up, took a hard right and walk 20 yds further away and bedded down for 20 minutes. Got up and walked 200 yds further away thru a goldenrod Field and disappeared into the woods. Had bucks in sight all morning from 1st lite until 9:00. Then it just shut down completely as the sun rose up past the trees.
My only chance at this guy was a 47yd broadside shot out in the goldenrod. I declined because that's past my self imposed effective range where I feel success and lethality is assured
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Post by dougedwards on Nov 1, 2011 9:04:02 GMT -5
Sunday a.m. had me about almost in position to arrow a huge 8 pt that I roughly scored at 140. He was with 2 smaller bucks that came right under and by the stand. For some reason he held up, took a hard right and walk 20 yds further away and bedded down for 20 minutes. Got up and walked 200 yds further away thru a goldenrod Field and disappeared into the woods. Had bucks in sight all morning from 1st lite until 9:00. Then it just shut down completely as the sun rose up past the trees. My only chance at this guy was a 47yd broadside shot out in the goldenrod. I declined because that's past my self imposed effective range where I feel success and lethality is assured Geeeesh.....sounds like the things that happen to me when hunting. It seems thatvsome whitetails have another added sense in addition to their keen sense of smell and hearing. It's like they know something is wrong. But honestly, that is the type of situation that makes hunting interesting. Hope you win out in the end. Doug |
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Nov 14, 2011 5:40:09 GMT -5
Spent my last evening of bow hunting in the swamp last night. Had a very big 8 point (like the one in my avitar except with 6-7" brows and a kicker off his right G2) with a doe working the woods I was in. wind was south and they were to the west of me...so good. Doe ended up walking straight toward the stand towing the buck. At the last minute she drifted toward the north and slowly got close to where my scent should be. Then, a little luck happened and she changed directions again and took a path that would bring her 10 yds past my stand....to the west...broad side. Things didn't pan out and while he was thinking more about her, she was thinking about everything mature does think about. She caught a little scent she didn't like...stopped...took a step back and stared straight at me a blew. I knew it was over then. He was 30 yds away facing me but looking only at her. For the next 1/2 hour they stayed in the woods with me and stayed about 60 yds away. THEN they began making the same route back to my stand! Weird. However this time they got even farther to the north and when the doe started toward the stand you could tell she was on the hunt for me.
All this time a medium 6 or 8 pt had come in from the swamp from the south and had been watching these 2 deer for all this time without ever moving one step. He was so dark I thought he was almost black. Anyhow, when the 2 deer around me made their move, they both ran toward his direction, picked him up, and went as far as I could see 200 yds thru swamp woods to the south west. With my nerves totally shot, arms and legs weak from standing at the ready with the bow for an hour, I decide to get out. There was only about 10 mintes of light left.
I let my bow down, unhooked my safety belt and descended the tree. I was half way down when I thought I heard the wind picking up and blowing in the tree tops. But then I heard a crack. It was those 3 deer coming back at Mach II. My back was to them but turned just in time to see them as they flew past at 60 yds away and entered the crop field to my north that deer go to at dark from the swamp.
My buddy was on the other side of this field on the ground coming out of his stand and they ran right by him.
We both talked and re-hashed the story a few times out by the road and I came home and had a few beers to relax and made supper.
I scored him as a big 8 pt about 140 and his right G2 has a 2-3" kicker pointing back at the base. This will make him very identifiable when we try to gun him next week. He's been seen (or one like him, I'm the only one to notice the kicker) in this crop field 3 of the last 4 nights. Several stands available to watch this field.
I have 1/2 day of vacation left to schedule. Friday is the last day of bow and I MIGHT give it one more try. If not it's over for this year. Passed up bucks every day and saw a few in this class that never gave me a shot. So although I didn't arrow one, I sure had an exciting season and got to conduct a lot over interviews for gun season
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Post by dougedwards on Nov 14, 2011 18:08:40 GMT -5
Good story
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