Western NY Whitetail Hunting

[nygunguy]

Our whitetail season started this past Saturday, October 15th.

Last year someone started a thread that turned into a report of what was going on during the deer season in Western NY. I really enjoyed the thread so I thought that I'd start one this year.

I was out for about 3 hours and saw nuthin'. I did see a LOT of new scrapes so there must be a couple of bucks around. I'm looking for a tasty sized doe because I never could figure out how to cook antlers.

Anyone have any luck ?

 

[RCL]

Never got out
Had to work all day Saturday, and sick (probably from work) yesterday. I've got a new bow tuned as good as I can get her and I didn't get out in the woods:banghead:
A lot of the guys I talked to today are seeing scrapes, at least the bucks are ready!

 

[mikeb3185]

little valley

i do not bow hunt but neighbors near our cabin dont have much to report one medium size buck on atrail cam. good luck to all

 

[dfaugh]

Got a whole flock of 'em

On my property...There was a nice buck (well he was big, but not a very big rack) on Saturday...Don't bow hunt, so I gotta wait a bit more to go out, but there's plenty in my neck o' the woods

 

[nygunguy]

I messed up on Sunday

I hit a nice buck (decided that the rack would look good on my wall) on Sunday about 9:45 AM but my arrow must've hit a branch first. He walked right out in front of me at about 30 yards, broadside. It was a bit gray and gloomy so I must not have seen the branch. I heard a loud crack and saw the arrow high in the deer's back (not where I was aiming). The deer dropped and slid about 10 yards down the hill right in front of me and just laid there for about 15 seconds (long enough for me to be figuring out how much sausage I wanted) and then got up a took off over the hill.

I saw the arrow go flying. It was thick enough that I could only see him for about 80 yards. I had immediate blood but it petered out so I circled for 3 hours before finding more blood about 100 yards away; that too petered out after another two hours of circling and I was unable to find anymore blood or even a decent track through the woods. After a 5 hour marathon search I finally decided that I didn't hurt him that bad and gave up.

My first thought was that I had broken his back, but that hope was dashed when he got up and took off. Then I hoped that I had cut his aorta but he went too far and didn't drop enough blood for that. After taking a good look at the arrow there was a little bit of meat on the broadhead and not too much blood on the shaft; not enough penetration to do any real damage. I'm guessing he's out there chasing a doe right now (looking for a back rub).

As I was walking out at about 3:00 I saw a huge bodied, small racked buck chasing a big doe in one of our Biologic plots. The doe was trying to eat but the buck kept hassling her. I was so tired and sore from the previous chase that I had no desire to even try and hunt them.

Oh well.

Lot's of scrapes and rubs starting to show up now.

 

[Berek]

I sat out on opening day and got drenched (major rain/thunder/lightning for 15 mins...). But I didn't care. I had waited 10 months for this...

Oh yeah. I didn't get anything....

Berek

 

[jamz]

Good luck guys, my season starts next week.

-James

 

[RCL]

Well, another Southern Zone deer season has come to an end here in New York. Overall it seemed like a better season than last year, with a few more deer around, although they seemed to be scattered with all the mast that was available this year.
I wasn't able to make it out for the bow or firearm openers, or make it to Pennsylvania either. However, I did have some success this year, with a forkhorn taken on the last day of the regular season with my .30-06 down around Swain, and a doe in the same piece of woods with my muzzleloader a week later.
One of my resolutions for the new year will be to get out in the woods a little more. I'm already planning an archery black bear hunt in Ontario for late summer, and I made some mental notes of new areas to hang stands for next bow season.
Some how did the rest of you New Yorkers do?

 

[smokemaker]

I shot a big doe in Newfane two satudays ago, and for the first time in several years, nobody in my family got skunked. I saw way more deer towards the end of the season, including 13 on the last sunday of muzzleloader. And every deer I helped gut and drag, either sex, had more fat on them than I'd ever seen... bodes well for next year I hope.

 

[danurve]

Took a nice doe on the Archery opener. then a long dry spell and one more doe by the season closer. Had better years but it could have been worse.
Hey my fall Turkey season was over in a day, scored both birds on that opener as well. It's kind of like how the GreenBay Packers season went.

 

[birddog]

I shot a doe with the muzzleloader during the last Saturday of gun season, then another doe the following Saturday during muzzleloader season, both in Newfane / Hartland area. The best part? I got both while still hunting down a lane that bisects the property we hunt. Shot them both in their beds, in thick thick cover, where they were assuming they were invisible if they stayed motionless. One shot was about 50 yards, the other about 70.

Also killed a 5 pointer in Hartland with the bow this year. No big bucks, unfortunately.

In October, I also killed my first turkey with the bow while walking out from bowhunting. So it's been an interesting year, even with nothing to hang on the wall.

Joel

 

[Berek]

I made it out like 4 times total. 3 during bow and 1 during rifle. I came down with a serious respiratory infection halfway through bow season. By the second weekend of shotgun season, my daughter came down with chicken pox. The following weekend, I wound up with the flu. I got over the flu and broke out in chicken pox.

This year sucked... Oh well... that's how it goes, right?

 

[nygunguy]

Better late than never - I guess

All my action was in archery (see previous post). In firearms season I spent most of my time bird dogging for the kids. My future son-in-law got a small, but nice, 8-point on opening day of regular gun (his first deer) and then a button buck later on (he thought is was a doe). My nephew saw more deer than anyone else but no antlers and they were all small ones - I'm proud of the 17 year old for not shooting. I had several shots at doe but since I had the only DMP tag between us I passed them so the future son-in-law could keep hunting. The last Sunday of regular gun I had a 1-point at 15 yards but didn't shoot - already had enough venison in the freezer. It's kind of nice having all that venison without having to gut, grag, hang or butcher .

All-in-All it was a great season ! I Can't wait til next year (I'm getting a flintlock)!

 

[RCL]

The archery opener is just a few days away here in Western New York, and it's time to bring this thread back to the top page........
From my scouting trips so far it appears there are more dear this year (and turkey), so hopefully the reduction in DMP's is having the desired affect.
Something that concerns me somewhat this year is the lack of a hard mast crop in my area (Allegany County). There seems to be few acorns, some beech nut and walnut..........
On the other hand there seems to be an abundant soft mast crop (wild apples, etc.).............but these won't last long once it gets cold and we get some snow on the ground.
So what say the rest of you guys who hunt in WNY, how do you think it's looking this year?

 

[nygunguy]

Starting 2006 - Thanks RCL

There's a lot of mast in our woods this year. I haven't seen too much deer sign as of late but they were hitting the food plots earlier in the Summer. I'm predicting that 9P will be a bit slow this year. Lot's of turkeys this Spring !

More updates to come -

 

[danurve]

Went out on Oct.1 for Turkey & to see what's cookin in one area.
Didn't see any deer suprisingly, but mad tracks & paths everywhere.
Heard a few birds, even saw a few, picked-up a nice Grouse that morning. Later I had a set up busted by a huge coyote haulin through.

 

[fordman650]

SNOW

hey nygunguy did you get any of that snow on friday,i am from Niagara Falls
but have been gone many years ,glad i was't there yesterday. i sure wish we had the deer numbers that you have back there. stay safe and good luck
Larry

 

[nygunguy]

Hi Fordman

I live in a Western suburb of Rochester. We got the very edge of the snow and had no problems with it. Batavia, fifteen miles to the west, and points west of there got buried and are still somewhat "offline". Here's a somewhat bad pic of a Western NY Whitetail from 2004. I was over 200 yards away with my Kodak DX7590.

 

[fordman650]

nice deer

you got lucky with the snow ,that a nice deer ,we only have two more week
ends to get one
Larry