Legacy- 2016 Deer Season

[Legacy]

In a month or so, another fishing season will be behind us and it will be time to chase the ever elusive, Bambi! I started a season long hunting thread 2 years ago to give some "real time" reports of the happenings in the woods. Everyone loves reading fishing reports, so the idea was obviously sparked that idea. Its obvious that many of us fisherman are also hunters but to my surprise the 2014 and 2015 deer threads are two of the biggest threads in LOU history. When i started the first thread in 2104, I thought the thread would be me rambling on and on (which it is) but it became much more than that. Not only was i sharing information but many of you began to also and it really turned it into something huge. It goes to show that a lot of us are just as passionate about trout and salmon fishing as we are about chasing whitetails so the idea of sharing ideas and techniques is an easy sell. 

 

2015 provided me the opportunity, for the first time, to harvest a buck that i had footage of and that was on the kill list. Its nice to see hard work paying off and was very cool to be able to accomplish this.

 

 

 

 

As i go through my notes from last season, Im noticing terribly low numbers. Deer sightings and number of hunts are down significantly for me over the past couple of seasons. The DEC doe only season really put a damper on my season early in October and the muzzleloader season. Definitely a slow start to the season but by October 23 I was in high gear.

 

My season in numbers

Bow Season

October 1 –November 20 (doe only first 2 weeks)

39 hunts (19 am and 20 pm)

86 total sightings (29 antlered bucks including 4 shooters)

Best days- rut October 30- November 8

Opportunities= missed a good 8pt (November 1 Am),  shot big 9 point (November 2 AM)

Regular Season

November 21- December 13 

17 hunts (8 am and 9 pm)

32 total sightings (5 antlered bucks including 2 shooters)

Best days- November 21 (opening day) & December 12

Opportunities= missed stud 10 point, blown chance at chocolate rack 10 point)

Muzzleloader Season

December 14- 22 (doe only)

1 hunt (1 am and 6 pm)

4 total sightings (1 antlered buck)

Best days- HA!

Opportunities= 0 (Doe only)

[BSmaster]

Your thread has become a daily read for me in the fall.  I look forward to it as much as the Christmas lights at the top of the page.

 

Thank you,

 

Joe

[Gator]

Awesome shot, Rob! I'm looking forward to this thread. Last year was my first hunting our new property and I spent most of my time learning about deer movement patterns and how to most effectively access different areas. I also found myself thinking about habitat work when I should have been paying attention to deer...I never figured that I'd get so into it, but it turns out that I really enjoy the effort, even when I know that most of it won't pay off for me in my lifetime.

 

That having been said, this Spring was a bust. We lost a significant portion of our conifer plantings, although the shrubs (ninebark, arrowwood, etc...) have hung on. I probably won't know the real extent of damage until next year, when it's apparent whether or not the "survivors" took up enough energy to leaf out in the Spring. The bottom line is that putting ~1600 plants in the ground--and protecting most of them--may have been a waste of time. 

 

And I'm looking forward to planting hardwoods this fall and more stuff next Spring. Crazy, eh?

 

I have ~100 hybrid Chestnut trees that I've been growing since February that are currently in Rootmaker 1 gallon pots and will get planted and tubed/caged as soon as the autumn rains start in September. Other than that, I'm trying to increase diversity with a laundry list of stuff to replace the invasives that have met their demise at the end of my chainsaw. With the help of a dab of Tordon.

 

I haven't plotted yet, but I may recruit some of the expertise that I know is on this forum to help next year in establishing some small kill plots. Just too much to do and not nearly enough time.

[Legacy]

Awesome shot, Rob! I'm looking forward to this thread. Last year was my first hunting our new property and I spent most of my time learning about deer movement patterns and how to most effectively access different areas. I also found myself thinking about habitat work when I should have been paying attention to deer...I never figured that I'd get so into it, but it turns out that I really enjoy the effort, even when I know that most of it won't pay off for me in my lifetime.

 

That having been said, this Spring was a bust. We lost a significant portion of our conifer plantings, although the shrubs (ninebark, arrowwood, etc...) have hung on. I probably won't know the real extent of damage until next year, when it's apparent whether or not the "survivors" took up enough energy to leaf out in the Spring. The bottom line is that putting ~1600 plants in the ground--and protecting most of them--may have been a waste of time. 

 

And I'm looking forward to planting hardwoods this fall and more stuff next Spring. Crazy, eh?

 

I have ~100 hybrid Chestnut trees that I've been growing since February that are currently in Rootmaker 1 gallon pots and will get planted and tubed/caged as soon as the autumn rains start in September. Other than that, I'm trying to increase diversity with a laundry list of stuff to replace the invasives that have met their demise at the end of my chainsaw. With the help of a dab of Tordon.

 

I haven't plotted yet, but I may recruit some of the expertise that I know is on this forum to help next year in establishing some small kill plots. Just too much to do and not nearly enough time.

 

wow. Crazy amount of work!

[Legacy]

Hunting seasons= http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/huntseasons16.pdf

Hunting regulations guide= http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37136.html

[JakeyBaby]

And it begins!! Haven't fished in since August 2nd ( except for last night) due to the constant work that the upcoming deer season requires. This year we have 8 kill plots/ food plots and praying that this rain we have this morning helps them out! Clover, chicory, Turnips, Winter Weat, Oats, are what we went with this year. Sure hope all the work pays off! Can't wait for that first crisp morning!

[Legacy]

So the introduction of the 2016 version of this thread was all sparked by the realization of the calender date. This hit me like a freight train two days ago and sent me into a mass panic. Its too damn tough to bust away from a hectic work schedule and from lake fishing to walk the woods in the middle of summer. I always tell myself that I will but it never happens. In case you dont know... tomorrow is september! I need to get things done and the preseason panic has begun for me! So far this week i have hung 3 cameras (with 2 more to go) and I did my preseason check on 4 stands. I also relocated a set that wasnt quite right. The location seemed great but no matter the wind direction it was never quite right. Now 60 yards away, it seems perfect.

[Legacy]

sunrise/sunset, moon phase, moon data

 

http://www.solunarforecast.com/solunarcalendar.aspx

[BSmaster]

Panic here too.  I let everything walk last year so I am anxious to see if the quality has increased.  I have some pre rut stands and some more I think will be better for rut to put up and also some gun stands that I need to relocate.

[PeltHunter]

I finally got the go ahead on some new land to hunt so I'll probably be walking that and setting cameras this weekend. As for my usual spot I have no cameras there now but I did after the season last year and the 120ish 8 that I let walk nine or ten times was, much to my surprise, still walking 3 weeks after the season so hopefully he really blew up this year.

[Legacy]

Movement with the Moon: White-tailed Deer Activity and Solunar Events

 

http://www.moonguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Movement-with-the-Moon-White-tailed-Deer-Activity-and-Solunar-Events-2016-03-01-1.pdf?mc_cid=7230a92356&mc_eid=47ac238ef4

[Gill-T]

You guys don't know panic. Last year I missed opening of gun because of a destination wedding. This year I have two more destination weddings in NOVEMBER!! My wife's family are not hunters. To them "the rut" is a bump in the road.

[Gator]

It will make the time that you do get to spend in the woods that much more special. I love hunting, but it's funny how the things that we prioritize change over the years. I used to be a dyed in the wool duck hunter. I'd start practicing calling months before season, plan the Northern and Southern openers well in advance, hunt 4 days a week in graduate school. Opening Day was sacrosanct. Then life intervened. 

 

I'm not saying that those times weren't precious. I look back and it makes me feel good. But i hardly duck hunt now for various reasons (lost a dog, lost some spots, friends stopped hunting, etc...) and it's not the crushing blow that I thought it would be. Bowhunting has filled it's place, but even with new land last year I recognize that bowhunting too is not the end all and beat all. 

 

I mean, yeah, it's worth giving up sleep, food and work for two months, but other than that? 

 

Seriously though. Prioritizing your wife will pay off dividends long after bowhunting has lost some of its luster. You chose...wisely.

[Reel-E-Hooked]

I don't find much enjoyment in watching the hunting shows on TV. They do little to show the average hunter anything more than promoting gear and hunting guided hunts. I did recently start watching midwest whitetails chasing november on YouTube and have been enjoying it. It definitely has got me excited for the upcoming season. Check it out its not your typical hunting show.

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[iceman05]

Check out bowhunt or die on YouTube. They have 7 seasons. All the "pro staff " are just average guys hunting public or leased land and most of the hunts are self filmed. It's a decent show without all the filler of promoting new products or fancy named food plot seed. None of the "here we are on a small food plot of lee and tiffanys super green rage 160 class monster buck protein filled brassicas." They also don't almost fall out of the stand flailing while crying and praising Jesus for letting that particular buck walk out.

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[Silver Fox]

I don't find much enjoyment in watching the hunting shows on TV. They do little to show the average hunter anything more than promoting gear and hunting guided hunts. I did recently start watching midwest whitetails chasing november on YouTube and have been enjoying it. It definitely has got me excited for the upcoming season. Check it out its not your typical hunting show.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

The exact reason I can't stand hunting shows. I'll check out the you tube show. Thanks!

Check out bowhunt or die on YouTube. They have 7 seasons. All the "pro staff " are just average guys hunting public or leased land and most of the hunts are self filmed. It's a decent show without all the filler of promoting new products or fancy named food plot seed. None of the "here we are on a small food plot of lee and tiffanys super green rage 160 class monster buck protein filled brassicas." They also don't almost fall out of the stand flailing while crying and praising Jesus for letting that particular buck walk out.

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[MeanMachine]

Check out the Whitetail Adrenaline videos. They're fun to watch with a lot of spot and stalk action with bow and gun. No ads and they take some great deer.

[BSmaster]

There are a few shows I can not watch - most notably "Bone Collector". 

 

I like to watch them (in general) because I think it is the closest I will come to experiencing the real thing. 

 

On a different note - I finished prepping the last stand on Sunday so I am feeling good.  Going to start cleaning and prepping my hunting clothing now.

[DJ 17]

Gator,

I too spent a lot of time this spring planting hundreds of trees. Like you probably lost all of the conifers I planted as road screens.  I am guardedly hopeful that the brush species I planted(Gray dogwood, arrowwood, highbush cranberry, toringo crab apple, and a few others) made it through.  For next year I am looking into Miscanthus.  Check it out on mapleriverfarms.com.  Looks to grow quickly and make good screens or cover.

[Gator]

I read about Miscanthus on one of the forums. It seems worth a shot if you need fast cover. I'm in a different boat. I have tons of cover, but I could use more food, specifically hard mast. Given tree's slow growth, It may be a few years until that happens...

 

Like 30.   And only if my oaks and chestnut grow. Maybe my grandkids will reap the benefits someday. More likely though the trees I plant now will end up harvested to make way for a new China Buffet or some such thing!

 

I guess you do it cause you love it.

[Legacy]

I read about Miscanthus on one of the forums. It seems worth a shot if you need fast cover. I'm in a different boat. I have tons of cover, but I could use more food, specifically hard mast. Given tree's slow growth, It may be a few years until that happens...

Like 30. And only if my oaks and chestnut grow. Maybe my grandkids will reap the benefits someday. More likely though the trees I plant now will end up harvested to make way for a new China Buffet or some such thing!

I guess you do it cause you love it.

Pear trees are a great addition also. And they produce after just a couple of years

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[DJ 17]

I hear ya. My dad and I planted (with help from the ASCS office) 15,000 spruce, and Pine on our farm when I was in junior high. Now they are getting to large, and need to be  selectively thinned to create more understory.  I am in the same boat as you Gator as I have twin 5 year olds that are into the outdoors, so 95% of the work I'm doing is for their benefit down the road.

[Silver Fox]

Pear trees are a great addition also. And they produce after just a couple of years

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Yup, just planted 3 on mine. Going to get more when they go 1/2 price.

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[JakeyBaby]

I too have pear trees on my property, although they haven't yielded any fruit the last 2 seasons. But when they do the deer are all over them!

[DJ 17]

Yup, just planted 3 on mine. Going to get more when they go 1/2 price.

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Where will they be half price?