2004 harvests and pics

[bubba]

Hey guys try this one for keeping us posted on what you have taken this year. You will not see any from em yet as I am meatless.

[bubba]

Dont forget the stories too

[Raging480]

I don't have pictures right now, but I do have stories.  Back in late October, I took my first deer with a bow.  Some doe came by where I was hunting from the ground, I saw three of them, and I took a shot at one at about 30 yards.  The arrow sailed under her, but she wasn't that alarmed by it.  She got a little closer, about 22 yards, and I whacked her.  She died about 25 yards away, rather quickly.  I was very fortunate, because it was a gut shot.  I must have clipped the liver...She dressed out at about 90 lbs.
On opening day of SZ gun season, I got another doe, this one was quite bigger.   I shot her with my Desert Eagle pistol, from about 20 yards.  It was a heart shot, and also broke the offside upper front leg.  She went about 15 yards and flipped.  Now my freezer is filling up, but I still got tags...This one dressed out at about 145 lbs!
Spencer and I went to the Catskills this weekend to hunt black bear.  We went out all day yesterday, but didn't see a thing.  We didn't hunt this morning due to the heavy rain.  We stayed at my Aunt and Uncle's house, and a real good time nonetheless.

[bubba]

I am just starting to see real deer movement. Up until this weekend I had only seen 3 deer. One in September to far away for the bow. A small spike that I passed on cuz my black lab was bigger halloween weekend. I saw another doe a week ago that was small and I passed on. If I had chosen to take 2 60 pound deer I could be done for regular season. In the past 4 years I have harvested 14 deer, all of which were legal. In one 100 acre alfalfa field I have hunted over, last year I was seeing any where between 10 and 15 deer on a regular basis. This year there has not been a deer in the meadow. we are making drives on state land with no success. It really seems to me like the population has been so decreased in just a years time. Earlier in the season during bow and muzzleloading I was seeing coyotes in broad daylight in the wide open. Since there is more of a human prescence there, they are staying out of sight. I doubt they took that many deer, but something has happened to them. I have not had a season this slow since the late 70's early 80's when deer were very sparse here. I guess it would be an overstatement to say I am disappointed because I am still out there in nature. However I am very surprised. I hope they eliminate dmp in my area next year. The group I hunt with out of 8 we had 6 dmp and they have been usable since 10/16. Not a one has been filled yet. This weekend I just started seeing scrapes and trees rubbed up. It is by far the weirdest season I have ever spent. Regular season closes here in a week, then a week of late muzzleloading. I hope it gets better in the 2 weeks, but, I have my doubts. DMP were just started here in my area 5 years ago. Before that you had to take a doe with either a bow or muzzleloader. It just seems to me since they have become available and can be legally signed over to people, deer hunting has become more a competition as to how many you can take, not how many you can use and leave some for next year. Quantity has taken the lead over quality. Just my rant of the week

[Huntyeraws]

Oh, I wish it were mine!

Here is one that my brother got up in the Northern Zone near LaFargeville with his .243 about two weeks into the season.   It dwarfs three bucks - 8, 10, and 12- all relatively nice bucks, that are on his wall now.  It will likely score in the 150's.   By the way, my brother is 6'2" and 230lbs.   The deer dressed out at 220 lbs.

[bubba]

That is a nice deer. I am about 35 minutes from Lefargeville a bit more North. I guess I am hunting the wrong area lol

[Huntyeraws]

For those interested, I got a call from my brother the other night, the buck pictured above scored 173-3/8 non-typical.  He will enter it in the NYS Big Buck Club Record Book for 2004.