New York State Hunters
- Thread starter Hawken50
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birddog
Member
Thanks for the post, Hawken....Good news.
nygunguy
Member
Everyone thinks this is a big deal but...
No offense to anyone intended.
First, one needs to be able to hunt. Just because a guy or gal picks up an ought-six doesn't mean that they’re going to have a monster buck walk right up to them. I'll stick my neck out and guesstimate that 10% of the hunters take 90% of the mature deer on a regular basis (we can probably figure that out). A good many hunters take a yearling or two every year (drop by the butcher on opening day and see what I mean). You don’t need a rifle to kill a deer that’ll walk up and sniff your lunch box. I'm talking about mature deer – the big bucks and does that most folks only see with a spotlight.
Secondly, one needs to be able to shoot. Just because your average nimrod is holding a .308 doesn't mean they can hit a deer at 200 yards. There's a lot of air around a deer at rifle range. Making a shot at 200 yards is a VERY big deal for most folks, especially when you consider crosswind, flinch and bad sight-in jobs. Call me cynical but I don’t think that the average hunter has any better a chance at hitting a deer at 200 yards than does Andy Pelosi (NYAGV Spokesman) at shooting down a 747 with a Barrett.
So pardon my yawn at the rifle stuff. The folks that can hunt and shoot are going to get their deer no matter what weapon they use. The folks that can't hunt or shoot will get lucky at the same rate they always did.
No - hold that yawn! Maybe I'll now have just the excuse I need to justify buying one of those very cool Marlin lever guns in .44mag or getting that .270 barrel and new scope for my Encore. Even more exciting is that maybe the gun store owners have some pull with the Albany crowd after all! My wife is going to love this too - not.
No offense to anyone intended.
First, one needs to be able to hunt. Just because a guy or gal picks up an ought-six doesn't mean that they’re going to have a monster buck walk right up to them. I'll stick my neck out and guesstimate that 10% of the hunters take 90% of the mature deer on a regular basis (we can probably figure that out). A good many hunters take a yearling or two every year (drop by the butcher on opening day and see what I mean). You don’t need a rifle to kill a deer that’ll walk up and sniff your lunch box. I'm talking about mature deer – the big bucks and does that most folks only see with a spotlight.
Secondly, one needs to be able to shoot. Just because your average nimrod is holding a .308 doesn't mean they can hit a deer at 200 yards. There's a lot of air around a deer at rifle range. Making a shot at 200 yards is a VERY big deal for most folks, especially when you consider crosswind, flinch and bad sight-in jobs. Call me cynical but I don’t think that the average hunter has any better a chance at hitting a deer at 200 yards than does Andy Pelosi (NYAGV Spokesman) at shooting down a 747 with a Barrett.
So pardon my yawn at the rifle stuff. The folks that can hunt and shoot are going to get their deer no matter what weapon they use. The folks that can't hunt or shoot will get lucky at the same rate they always did.
No - hold that yawn! Maybe I'll now have just the excuse I need to justify buying one of those very cool Marlin lever guns in .44mag or getting that .270 barrel and new scope for my Encore. Even more exciting is that maybe the gun store owners have some pull with the Albany crowd after all! My wife is going to love this too - not.
RCL
Member
And I just happen to have "one of those very cool Marlin lever guns
in .44mag" FOR SALE..........
Pretty much agree with what you say-having a rifle isn't going to make the slobs any better.
That said, if I'm in the right area, I'll be carying the same Model 70 .30-06 that I've used in Pennsylvania the last 20 years.
in .44mag" FOR SALE..........
Pretty much agree with what you say-having a rifle isn't going to make the slobs any better.
That said, if I'm in the right area, I'll be carying the same Model 70 .30-06 that I've used in Pennsylvania the last 20 years.
nygunguy
Member
RCL you're killing me !
I bought an Encore and a laptop this year so I promised my wife that I wouldn't buy another gun or computer until she got some new furniture. Otherwise I'd be knocking at your door.
And speaking of the right area...
A problem (at least for me) with this rifle stuff is that in some cases the borders between the legal and illegal areas are not well defined. The Southern border of my property is the Allegany/Livingston County border and except for some 100-year-old barbed wire and spray paint there's not much to tell you what county you're in. If my neighbor shoots a deer on his property (with a rifle) and it runs on to mine, does he have to go home and switch guns before chasing it? If I want to hunt on my neighbor’s place with my .30-30 will it be legal for me walk across my backfield to get there? What if I run into Megabuck on the way over? What if I'm standing in the neighbor’s field and Megabuck is in my field? What if I start out in rifle legal territory, get into the thick woods “up on top”, get twisted up and wind up in Downtown Hunt (Livingston County) with a .30-30 in my hand? It could happen. At least the DMUs have better defined borders (hint, hint).
I bought an Encore and a laptop this year so I promised my wife that I wouldn't buy another gun or computer until she got some new furniture. Otherwise I'd be knocking at your door.
And speaking of the right area...
A problem (at least for me) with this rifle stuff is that in some cases the borders between the legal and illegal areas are not well defined. The Southern border of my property is the Allegany/Livingston County border and except for some 100-year-old barbed wire and spray paint there's not much to tell you what county you're in. If my neighbor shoots a deer on his property (with a rifle) and it runs on to mine, does he have to go home and switch guns before chasing it? If I want to hunt on my neighbor’s place with my .30-30 will it be legal for me walk across my backfield to get there? What if I run into Megabuck on the way over? What if I'm standing in the neighbor’s field and Megabuck is in my field? What if I start out in rifle legal territory, get into the thick woods “up on top”, get twisted up and wind up in Downtown Hunt (Livingston County) with a .30-30 in my hand? It could happen. At least the DMUs have better defined borders (hint, hint).
RCL
Member
nygunguy, I know exactly what (and where) you talk of. I hunt up on "The Snake", and depending on what direction I walk, I could end up in Livingston or Allegany. As you say, management unit boundry lines are much better defined.
It may be time to invest in a GPS.
It may be time to invest in a GPS.
birddog
Member
NY, I know what you were getting at in your first post...but at the same time if you take it one step further, the good hunters are also going to be proficient with ANYTHING they hunt with. Personally, I hunt all over the state. I use a shotgun and .44 mag revolver back home (and have gotten bucks with both) here in WNY, and when I'm in the Catskills or the Adirondacks I have my .06, and I'm proficient with that too. Why don't I carry the shotgun or .44 in the Catskills? I'm good with both of them, but if a buck steps out at 200 yards, they aren't going to do it for me. With the .06, I can reach out and touch them. My last big buck in the Catskills wouldn't have been killed with a shotgun. It's just a matter of practicing with what you use, no matter what it is.
But, you're right, a rifle is not magic. Like any firearm, it's as good as the person holding it.
But, you're right, a rifle is not magic. Like any firearm, it's as good as the person holding it.
fisherman66
Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2005
- Messages
- 379
NY;
I think I get your drift about the rifle bit. However with practice most people can master them in a short time. You are right that a rifle is not going to make the hunter, but accuracy instills confidence and confidence leads to better shooting. Are there going to be some yahoos taking pop shots? Sure, and some of the better yahoos are going to wound deer. Time will tell if the yahoos with rifles are worse than the yahoos with shotguns.
But, I take no offense at someone removing a 3 point, old doe or very young doe (if the population is high).
Now, the people shooting 6 and small 8 point deer are doing nothing positive for the gene pool. I shot a button a couple years ago mistaking it for a yearling doe. I was disappointed that I potentially negativly affected the potential for the genetic future.
I'm happy to hunt purely for meat until the land is yielding a magnificent animal. Until then I'll have to pass on would be trophys.
I wish our neighbors had the same perspective.
I think I get your drift about the rifle bit. However with practice most people can master them in a short time. You are right that a rifle is not going to make the hunter, but accuracy instills confidence and confidence leads to better shooting. Are there going to be some yahoos taking pop shots? Sure, and some of the better yahoos are going to wound deer. Time will tell if the yahoos with rifles are worse than the yahoos with shotguns.
But, I take no offense at someone removing a 3 point, old doe or very young doe (if the population is high).
Now, the people shooting 6 and small 8 point deer are doing nothing positive for the gene pool. I shot a button a couple years ago mistaking it for a yearling doe. I was disappointed that I potentially negativly affected the potential for the genetic future.
I'm happy to hunt purely for meat until the land is yielding a magnificent animal. Until then I'll have to pass on would be trophys.
I wish our neighbors had the same perspective.
smokemaker
Member
It worry's (or is it worries) me a bit to think of all those guys out there for the first time with centerfire rifle blasting away until the magazine is empty, just like they do with slug guns. Alot of guys are talking big now... 300 yard shots, etc. Guys who have never used a centerfire rifle for deer and have no idea what they're doing. A buddy of mine asked me how to sight in a 7 mag. He said he had no clue how to sight in a rifle. shees!
As for me, I'm using it as an excuse to hunt with the rifles I always wnated to take out. First up is the Rem 700 classic in .35 Whelen. After that one of the leverguns. Maybe the 1895 in 30-06 or the 1886 carbine in 45-70. But that's down the road. After the first weekend I'll be back to muzzleloaders anyway.
As for me, I'm using it as an excuse to hunt with the rifles I always wnated to take out. First up is the Rem 700 classic in .35 Whelen. After that one of the leverguns. Maybe the 1895 in 30-06 or the 1886 carbine in 45-70. But that's down the road. After the first weekend I'll be back to muzzleloaders anyway.
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