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Post by erict on Dec 17, 2011 21:16:41 GMT -5
Never thought I'd make it to the last day of muzzleloader season without any venison in the freezer, but it happened. I hunted quite a bit this year (starting in archery season) and have never seen less deer and heard less shots than this year. I don't think that the numbers of deer are that far down, just seemed like they weren't out in the daylight hours at all. (most of my hunting was weekends - Saratoga, Oneida or Oswego Counties)
So - how was your season as far as SEEING deer?
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sirswin
OUTDOORS IS WHERE I BELONG!!!
Posts: 25
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Post by sirswin on Dec 17, 2011 23:15:31 GMT -5
appears to be the same as yours seen 1 buck all season.
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Post by oakhilltrappin on Dec 17, 2011 23:44:26 GMT -5
BUST...definitely a bust...tomorrow is my last chance...huntin from sun up to sun down!! I f I dont get a deer tomorrow its going to break a 20 year streak for me...this year would be 21 years straight without being skunked....never hunted bow season this year but I have only seen 4 deer since the beginning of firearms season !! Thats sad !!!! The weather...lack of hunters..coyotes...who knows for sure I guess, but I know this....worst deer season I have seen in my 27 years of hunting !! Wish me luck in the morn boys !!!!
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wcs
Posts: 1,159
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Post by wcs on Dec 18, 2011 10:14:47 GMT -5
Partial bust for me. I got a small doe for the freezer on Thanksgiving morning. First time since I was 18 that I did not get a buck. I am 36. Kinda my own fault as I passed a spike and a small 4 pt ealry on waiting for soomething more mature. Second half of teh season was painful with pathetically low deer sightings. And I happen to live in an area with tons of deer. Not sure what the problem was. Oh well, still enjoyed being "out there" and in the game.
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Post by arplinker on Dec 18, 2011 12:11:35 GMT -5
Iffy year. I took a doe in Chenango County opening weekend and one of my sons took one the Sat after Thanksgiving here at home but through Bow season till now it doesn't seem like the deer have been moving during the day. I know in my home area its the lack of acorns (non at all) which usually keeps them moving through our stands.
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Dec 19, 2011 11:57:26 GMT -5
Seems to always be this way for me. When I have a stellar year, everyone else doesn't. I took 4 deer this year, two bucks and two does. However, I haven't seen a deer or heard a shot, other than goose hunters, since the second weekend of gun season. I saw 11 different bucks during archery, 7 on the same day, and a multitude of does. This is the third year in a row like this here. Great deer populations during archery and then gun season, they all disappear to the thicket of pines on the property 300 yards away that we can't hunt.
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Post by Brunner on Dec 20, 2011 19:14:33 GMT -5
Can't say this year was a bust. We saw and killed deer. However, it was a "different" year. Large mast crops and an extreme lack of hunters overall made things different then years past.
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Post by predate on Dec 20, 2011 21:06:16 GMT -5
Seems to always be this way for me. When I have a stellar year, everyone else doesn't. I took 4 deer this year, two bucks and two does. That's the same exact scenario for me! I had my best season(quality wise)! I didn't see more bucks this year, I just made the sightings count!!! I got totally skunked last year so I know the feeling!
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Post by barrington on Dec 21, 2011 10:39:47 GMT -5
I had a good year,Put 3 in my freezer,2 doe on opening day and a few misses. 2nd day I gave up my stand to a friend and he got a 5 point at 7:30. Not to be outdone I was in the stand in the afternoon and got a seven point at 4:00. The following weekend my friend got a nice doe from my stand. the next weekend I walked a farm I'm trapping and got a doe and i gave it to my neighbor.Muzzleloader I got a shot at 10-15 feet and never found the deer, I think maybe the blast took LOTS of hair but I dont think I hit her hith the slug. The rest of muzzleloader was a bust. I did see a buck yesterday AM that probably made it through yesterday. I hope We didn't shoot Too many of my farm so next year is good .
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Post by Brunner on Dec 21, 2011 20:02:47 GMT -5
Last night while driving up my road after a long day of hunting, my headlights caught a set of eyes coming off the bank to the road. I swerved the truck over to the shoulder to illuminate the deer better. A beautiful buck was stretching his legs after avoiding gun fire for the last 2 months. He'll be a dandy next year. ;D
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Post by hunt6246 on Dec 28, 2011 20:41:38 GMT -5
Niagara County - I'm not a new comer to deer hunting by any means and have taken my share in the past. But, this was the worst season I've ever had or seen. I hunted a few hours a day, spread out over archery and gun seasons and never saw a deer. After opening day, there was very little shooting in my area. Just once in a while you'd hear a shot. Mast crop this year was very poor and the corn was standing near me for most of the season. Out of 4 of us, only one got a deer (no shots during gun season) and that was near the PA border with a bow.
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Post by woodsdweller on Dec 28, 2011 21:07:11 GMT -5
well i have to agree worst ever i finnaly filled my buck tag on the last sat. of the season only buck i saw besides the 5 pt my 15 yr old son took on thanksgivin morning, it was a spike with 1 antler 3" the other 2 5/8. i refuse to take a doe the deer numbers are so down here in the catskills. as far as i am concerned u can keep your antler restrictions. with what i pay in lic. fees for my wife, 2 daughters,son and myself we only put 2 in the freezer.
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Post by bob110 on Jan 11, 2012 8:16:11 GMT -5
Harvested a 6 pt. at my camp in HamiltonCo.(6J). Typical Mtn. season you just don't see alot of deer. My hunting property near my home(shared with 4 others) produced ZIP. First time since 1995(when property was acquired) that not one deer was taken, terrible. Way too many DMAP (farmers) permits given out. These permits pretty much goes unchecked, not recorded, and abused. Disgruntled hunter from St.Lawrence Co.
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Post by wcanadacreek on Jan 11, 2012 19:22:38 GMT -5
Bust here also. Had 5 different bucks on trail cam up until rifle season (north) and all were taken after dark as none of my neighbors and myself got one.Heard shots down the road one night during bow season, found skeleton of small deer the 2nd week of rifle season. Shots all night long spot lights from ATV's at night. Heard 11 pt taken with three .22 cal bullets in it. Just cant win doing it legally.
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Jan 13, 2012 7:56:55 GMT -5
For those interested in stats. I am was a deer processor in Wayne Co (8F) for the last three years, but this year I found something interesting.
During archery season, I had 14 deer dropped off at my shop. 13 of those deer were bucks, the other was a 120lb doe.
During the first week of gun season, I had 26 deer dropped off at my shop. 3 of those were bucks, 2 were fawns (under 50lbs even) , 2 were 80 lb button bucks, and all the rest were doe that ranged between 80 and 130lbs.
Never seen such a fluctuation in numbers from one season to the next in my area.
Wayne County is apple country, where DMAP's run rampant and go unchecked. I have students that hunt local farms here where 3 years ago, deer ran all over the place, and this year, they saw one deer all season. My hope is that this new method that DEC is trying with the Deer Management plan will help even things out, but I know I am a dreamer.
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