Casey: a couple of eyars ago the winter was so severe in the Hamilton and Herkimer County areas that it nearly klilled off many of the herd there and the populations drapped noticeably. Also, with severe winters and heavy snows as they had there the coyote populations really savage the herds. We routinely take coyotes locally during the whitetail season and throughout the winter to help reduce both fawn and doe loss during birthing in the spring.
Your experience with the bucks sleeping it off during the daytime in fairly common - I will regularly glass the edges of fields and into the woods to look for unusal 'tree branches' that might indicate a set of horns on a sleeping buck.
I don't know what time you get into the woods or into your stand during season but even for me, next door to the Schoharie, I find that if I am not in place by about 5:30 they can either see or hear me coming in. I find that even at that time I have to walk slowly, as a whitetail might and stop frequently just to listen - cuz I can't see a thing at that time (almost), get into position and hope to see one chasing a scent or looking for a snack before bedding down for the day. I can usually see them between dawn (around 6-6:30) and 8:00, and then they are hiding out........
This usually means early to bed and really early to rise and knowing where you are going to keep the noise down. Of course, it doesn't help if the ground is frosted without any soft snow cover - which is why I try and walk like a deer - couple of steps at a time and then stop for a bit. I try to stick to the edge of the fields too.
The Schoharie has a lot of farms and whitetail who hang out near running water can often be found in the cornfields near streams or rivers in those areas. A lot of whitetails like to go high during the warmer part of the season where they can find nuts and other natural foods and hardwoods with Oaks or Hickory are good places to set up, especially near the edge of cutivated fields.
If you can find any of the local farmers in that area who might have problems with whitetail before and during harvest times you may find someone who will let you hunt their land.
I would also get some recent topographical maps and some Encon Traill maps that might help you find better locations and map out routes to get you in and out.
Also remember that if you are way in there somewhere you will have to haul your harvest out by your ownself so hiking waaaay back in there has both advantages and disadvantages.........and be careful while you are there - if you get hurt or cut and need help a topographical map with laid out landmarks near your position will help get emergency assistance to you more rapidly.
The Schoharie is a large county and there is a lot of agricultural and I believe timber concerns - perfect places to set up and wait. You will need permission from landowners and businesses if you want to hunt those areas but it is a good idea to get to know the landowners as you may be able to provide them with a service........ I used to know a apple orchard owner who had terrible problems with Whitetail getting his crop from the ground before he could get to it and he lost a lot of produce - Encon would only give him one extra doe permit which didn't help a lot but my buddy and I helped out for a couple of eyars and that reduced the numbers of Whitetail destroying his crop and it was a pretty good set up until he died and his family sold off the business.
Good luck on ya. Mikey.
