NYBowhunter.com

Big 9 Pointer Taken in Pound Ridge

2009-11-12T05:01:00.000-05:00

Wayne took this awesome 9 pointer on November 6th during an evening hunt. The buck was traveling a hillside 150 yards away when Wayne first spotted the monster. He let out a few grunts and brought the buck right in. At 30 yards Wayne let his arrow fly and the buck found its final resting place. Congrats to Wayne on an awesome Westchester County buck!

NYBowhunter.com Rut Report - The Chase is On

2009-11-11T05:01:00.008-05:00

This year we'll be doing a weekly Rut Report here on NYBowhunter.com. I'll let you know what I'm seeing and what some of the guys in the area are seeing while out in the stand.

Over the last 10 days I've been hunting hard every day in Westchester County, NY and in Fairfield County, CT. In both areas the bucks have been wandering around with their noses to the ground like beagles hot on the trail of a rabbit.

I have witnessed several bucks chasing does, but it seems to be mainly 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year olds.

On my 10 day hunt I only saw one deer that was definitely a 3 1/2 year old. He was a big 8 pointer and locked on a doe that probably came into heat early as I saw the same buck with the same doe two days in a row.

We had a drop in temperature one morning and that really helped with the deer movement. The most intense rut activity I witnessed was last Thursday the 5th. As I sat in my stand on a ridge the deer like to travel through I saw a doe making her way across the top of the ridge with a nice 8 pointer. I threw every call I had at this buck and he didn't have any interest in me at all - why should he though, he had the real thing right in front of him!

There was only one thing that could bring that buck in and that would be another doe. As luck would have it - I wouldn't believe this if I didn't see it myself - another doe appears out of nowhere and is headed directly for my stand. The 8 pointer sees this new doe, puts his head to the ground and charges as her. The doe runs towards me then puts the brakes on at 15 yards and cuts to her left hard running down the mountain. The buck was right behind her, but I had to think if he was a shooter or not and having that thought was enough to make me pass on this buck. He was a really nice 8 pointer out to his ears with decent tine length and small brows - a good buck, but I know there are better ones where I'm hunting and I am okay with eating my buck tag if I don't see one of the 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 year old bucks I want to take.

So the buck and doe disappeared, but the first doe was still up on the ridge feeding on acorns and waiting for the buck to come back. A few minutes later he was walking back up to his first doe - guess the second lady wasn't ready yet. I watched the buck through my rangefinder to get a closer look at his rack and see if I made the right call by passing on him when I heard something below me. I looked down to see a doe and fawn under my stand.

I wanted to see if I could bring the big 8 back for a second look so I blew on the grunt call not really caring if I scared the doe and fawn away. Well oddly enough, I let out a few grunts and then out from under my stand run the doe and her fawn along with a 4 pointer and a spike. Now the 8 pointer is angry and charges as these two bucks chasing them off. After that he got back with his lady and wandered off over the mountain top. Here's some video from the trip:

It was a very exciting 10 days with lots of chasing going on. The chasing is not being done by the bigger bucks yet though. I think the big guys are staying in the thick cover with some of the does that have come into estrus early and they won't be out chasing until they're done with their ladies and the younger bucks have tired themselves out.

The warm weather on the last two days of my hunt really slowed things down for me. On Wednesday, November 11th it is supposed to rain which will probably keep down deer movement a bit. However, Thursday will bring back the cooler temps and the weather should be perfect the remainder of the week to get those bigger bucks up and moving. I expect to hear more stories of big bucks on the move in the next few days as well as some more photos coming in of big rutting bucks down.

Get out there and get ready for all day sits! Good luck and be safe!

-Marc Alberto
NYBowhunter.com

Monroe County Monarch

2009-11-10T05:01:00.001-05:00

This big 7 pointer was anchored on November 2nd at 8:30 a.m. in Monroe County. He came right into a rattling and grunting sequence and gave the hunter a perfect 20 yard broadside shot. The buck had a live weight between 225 to 230 pounds and will score in the low 120's.

NorthCountry Whitetail Report - Week 3

2009-11-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest from our friends at NorthCountry Whitetails:

A quiet week and an “interesting weekend” would pretty much sum up last weeks activity. Once again we hunted oak woods and food plots all week. Of the two the oak woods were the most productive sits. The plots remained relatively quiet through most of the week with just a few sightings late in the evening on plots.

This week we logged 19 bucks and 60 does with 38.5 hrs. of sitting. This nets out to a little over 2 deer per hr. This is down some from past weeks but we generally experience a ‘lull” just before things begin to pick up. Our camera pics are also off from past weeks as were the three live cams at our other farm. Check them out at www.wonation.org. Last week was definitely the calm before the storm but the storm clouds began to gather over the weekend.

We observed a few noteworthy events this weekend. First, we passed our first “almost mature” buck of the year. We have photographed some nice “shooters” but as most of you can attest, a scouting cam pic. taken at 3 a.m. is a far cry from a point blank bow shot. Our hunting partner Steve had a nice 3.5 yr. old at 15 yds. Saturday morning and decided to take a pass. A true “catch and release” as we have this fellow full framed on camera for him to put on the wall. Next year the 9 pointer will be a “man” but…

We also observed much more aggression and posturing by younger bucks, especially in the 2.5 yr. old range. We watched a few bushes getting torn up, saw some tough guy attitudes, heard some grunting and even some snort wheezing. We also saw some interesting doe behavior including a shortage of does on their old familiar haunts in favor of doe groups hanging out in out of the way places like thick brush and steep ledges. Clearly they are feeling some buck pressure and trying to make themselves hard to find.

Craig watched 12 does and fawns moving steadily through the woods single file on their way to a food plot for a late (almost dark) brief feeding frenzy. They were crossing an oak flat after leaving a brushy clear cut area. Occasionally we see doe-fawn groups moving like this during gun season when the are “coveyed up” trying to stay alive, but this early? Usually the does move around in family units of 3, 4 and occasionally 5.

Our neighbor Barry shed some light on this when he reported a spike “guarding” a food plot for an entire evening. The spike took up a position at the top edge of a 1 acre plot located on a side hill. Each time does came into the plot he rushed them and ran them off only to return a few minutes later to take up the same position and rush the next group of does who showed up. Kinda like that dog that chases every car that comes by the farm house. No wonder the does are staying off the plots (at least ours) with the yearlings out there patrolling all the familiar places.

As expected, we saw a number of bucks “on the march” just moving through, not really sure where they are going or for that matter why. But we definitely photographed fewer bucks this week than the last two. Any ideas out there? We had been pulling film every week so they may have gotten camera shy. Most likely, many of our does have pulled off the plots and the bucks have followed. Any ideas?

We expect the switch to be thrown sometime this week. This can get pretty “site specific” as the does start to come into heat so many of you may already be seeing great activity. We have seen plenty of “rush and flushes” to date but have yet to see our first “tongue out, hot and heavy, run or be gored” chases. Those are the ones we wait for, when older age bucks truly are stupid. We have also not yet seen the “age turn over” when older age bucks begin replacing younger bucks in the overall mix of numbers and show up in observable locations during daylight hours. These are the markers we always look for.

This week we will concentrate on hunting travel areas to intercept cruising bucks. We will begin moving into our core areas (have been staying out of them) to try to get in the middle of a real chase or even a “breeding party”. We’ll hunt mornings and evenings and when we see the critical markers kick in we will hunt pretty much all day. It should be an interesting 10 days.

Note; A number of classrooms and young hunters and outdoorpersons have started monitoring our remote scouting cameras at www.wonation.org and reading Neil’s blog. Are you checking them out with your kids and grandkids? If not, don’t complain when they want to go to the mall or listen to CD’s with their friends next time you ask them to go to the woods with you. This is a great way to get kids and the whole family into watching deer and other cool outdoor stuff; all in real time with the click of a mouse from the comfort of your home.

Be safe,
NorthCountry Whitetails

Herkimer County 9 Pointer Down

2009-11-09T05:01:00.006-05:00

This buck was shot on October 27th in Herkimer County by Shared Obsession TV's John Valenta. This is an awesome New York 9 pointer that has great mass and tine length. Congrats to John!

Steuben County 6 Pointer

2009-11-08T05:01:00.001-05:00

A combination of grunting and doe bleats brought this big Steuben County buck in on October 29th. The buck was first spotted in a food plot about 150 yards from the hunter and he was heading away. After a doe bleat with the can and several grunts the buck came within 30 yards, but in thick cover. The monster buck was lip curling and trying to find the makers of the noise.

Once the deer turned broadside at 22 yards the archer let his arrow fly and watched as the buck piled up 40 yards from the tree. The buck was a 6 pointer (no brow tines) and had an 18.5" spread.

176" Tioga County Giant

2009-11-07T05:01:00.013-05:00

This giant was killed in Tioga County on the morning of November 5, 2009. The monster buck rough scored 176". Greg called the buck in across a field and was able to put an arrow in him at 30 yards. Congrats to Greg on a dandy buck!

Wild Hog Shot in Allegany State Park

2009-11-06T05:01:00.026-05:00

On Saturday, October 31st Mark was deer hunting the Limestone Run area on the border of New York and Pennsylvania when he noticed something odd from his treestand. The hunter got down and stalked closer to see what it was and then realized it was a hog. Mark was able to stalk within 30 yards of the pig and put it down.

There were apparently a few more with this one. Hopefully they don't settle down in New York otherwise we're going to have a real problem. Feral swine are a harmful evasive species and would be detrimental to other wildlife in New York if their numbers increased.

According to page 20 of the 2009-10 Hunting & Trapping Guide, hunters with small game hunting privileges may shoot and keep feral swine at any time and in any number. If you shoot or see a feral swine, the NYS DEC asks that you please report it at fwwildlf@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

Huge Adirondack 10 Pointer

2009-11-05T05:01:00.001-05:00

Alvin Austin was hunting in the Northwestern Adirondacks with his hunting group when this deep woods bruiser showed up. What a giant buck! Congrats to Alvin.

Monster Long Island Buck - New State Record?

2009-11-04T12:01:00.003-05:00

This monster buck was apparently taken in Long Island a few days ago. It looks like a New York State tag on this deer. I've never seen a buck quite like this one - lots of mass, double main beam, drop tine with sticker points. This buck has it all! If anyone has any info on this buck drop us a line.

UPDATE: This buck was taken in Brookhaven by Bjorn Holubar on the afternoon of October 26, 2009. Holubar rattled and grunted to lure in the buck around 4:45 p.m. The buck had 20 points and a third main beam. The buck unofficially scores 209" and will likely rank as one of the largest deer ever arrowed in New York State.

131" Westchester County 9 Pointer

2009-11-04T05:01:00.002-05:00

On October 30th Jeff was in Westchester County bowhunting whitetails. He had passed up several does and a few small bucks when he saw a nice 8 pointer. The deer never offered Jeff a shot and he watched as the big buck walked off. A little while later Jeff noticed a buck walking in on the scent trail he had laid on the way to his stand. This buck was huge! The big 9 pointer came in and offered Jeff a 25 yard shot. The buck piled up within 40 yards and grossed 131" Pope & Young.

The Bigger They Are the Harder They Fall

2009-11-03T05:01:00.002-05:00

Last weekend my cousin Ken made it out to one of his new properties in Dutchess County that is just loaded with deer. After seeing six does in a group make their way down the ridge and cross just out of range Ken turned just in time to see this big old doe sneaking in behind him. The doe was just at 20 yards when he drew back his Hoyt Katera and let the arrow fly. The Rage broadhead did its damage and the doe crashed within sight. Ken was pumped! Congrats to Ken and his first bowkill with his new bow.

Giant Wyoming County Buck

2009-11-02T05:01:00.002-05:00

This monster 8 pointer was taken recently in Wyoming County, NY. I don't have any other details on this buck right now, but it's definitely a monster!

Chautauqua County 10 Pointer

2009-11-01T05:01:00.001-05:00

It was a great night when this giant 3.5 year old New York 10 pointer came into two yearling bucks sparring. The big 10 pointer showed his dominance by rubbing a nearby tree and then posturing as he walked towards the two younger deer.

He chased one of the little bucks off and proceeded to follow him and then snort wheeze. Reaching for his grunt tube the hunter gave a deep grunt and after the third grunt from his call the buck starting coming in.

At 25 yards the hunter let the arrow fly and watched as the arrow hit its mark. The buck took off running and stopped at about 100 yards before crashing.

QDMA Youth Hunt in New York

2009-10-31T05:01:00.001-04:00

Getting the younger generations involved in our great tradition of hunting is something all sportsmen should strive for. Whenever you have the opportunity to take a youth hunting or fishing you are helping preserve our life long tradition of the great outdoors.

Recently the Central New York branch of the Quality Deer Management Association held a youth hunt. This year Brooke was one of the nominees for the hunt. The twelve year old young woman put the first deer on the meat pole with an excellent 85 yard shot. Brooke took the largest doe of the group and was very excited about her hunt.

I was fortunate enough to introduce my brother to deer hunting last year. We ventured onto some public grounds during the shotgun season and, similar to Brooke, he took a nice buck at 75 yards. That hunt got my brother interested in deer hunting, enough so that he took his bowhunter safety course this past summer.

This past September I took Derek on his first bow hunt and he had a great time even though we didn't see any deer that morning. That afternoon we had two deer come out of a bedding area and one came close enough for a shot, but wouldn't stop when Derek bleated at her. About an hour later the second deer came into range and Derek dropped it in its tracks.

It doesn't take much extra effort to take someone new into the outdoors. The experience is rewarding and to be a part of that person's first hunt is something you and they will never forget. So next time you have the chance, introduce someone to the outdoors and share with them our hunting tradition.

Big Bucks on QDM Properties in New York

2009-10-30T05:01:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I hunt some of the QDM managed DEP lands in New York. I've had great success on them and there are plenty of deer. It's a tough hunt, but if you're willing to wear down some boot leather you'll find that there are some giant bucks roaming the woods. Check out this monster buck that's walking around on public land - yes, there are big bucks on public grounds!

NYBowhunter.com Presents: In a New York Minute

2009-10-29T05:01:00.024-04:00

If you read my post from last weekend where I missed that nice 8 pointer, you'll be glad to know he's not lost forever. The miss will live on through this video so I can watch it over and over again! In all seriousness though, it is awesome to have the opportunity to watch video of your hunt after and relive the sometimes brief moments that happen in the deer woods.

Unfortunately, I'm new to videography so sometimes I do things like bump the camera when I'm about to shoot the deer and film a tree instead of the deer my arrow is flying at! It's still a pretty cool video - nice 8 pointer, two bucks fighting and a buck chasing a doe and grunting. The pre-rut is one of the most exciting times to be in the woods!

St. Lawrence County 8 Pointer

2009-10-28T05:01:00.001-04:00

This father and son team had this buck's pattern pinned down. The trail cams showed this giant showing up several times in a small creek bottom surrounded by hardwoods. On the afternoon of October 18th the buck showed up and didn't make it more than 70 yards before finding its final resting place.

Big Bucks in Pound Ridge, NY

2009-10-27T05:01:00.001-04:00

Here is a nice Westchester County buck that was shot in Pound Ridge, NY. The buck was taken on an afternoon hunt on October 19th. Mike put a double lung shot on the buck at 20 yards.

Just a few days later on October 21st this hunter also took a nice buck in Pound Ridge. Looks like Pound Ridge is the place to be right now! Congrats to both hunters!

Nice NY Opening Day Buck

2009-10-26T05:01:00.000-04:00

It was opening morning of the New York archery season and this hunter only had an hour to hunt before heading off to work. He grabbed his climber and headed to the deer woods. Never having hunting this spot before the hunter was unsure of what to expect.

He saw a scrape under a big oak tree and decided to set up near the scrape. Not more than 10 minutes after sitting down the big 8 pointer came walking through the clover field and headed directly for the scrape!

At 10 yards the 8 pointer turned broadside and the arrow was on its way. The buck dropped within 40 yards making for an easy tracking job in the rain.

The One That Got Away

2009-10-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

Date: October 25, 2009
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: Westchester County
Temperature: 52 degrees
Skies: Sunny
Wind: From NNW at 9 mph

I haven't been writing many field reports this season because I haven't been seeing any shooter bucks or letting any arrows fly at does. Well that all changed this morning when I was out filming myself on my first New York hunt of the season.

This was the first time I would be deer hunting this spot and my buddy Joe directed me to walk 50 yards off the main trail, cross the stone wall and set up in the third tree to the right of the fallen pine - yea, okay, you try doing that in complete darkness!

So onwards into the darkness I went until I crossed the stone wall and found a tree I could get my climber around. As it got light out I noticed I wasn't going to have many shot opportunities due to the vines and branches that surrounded me. I set up with my back to where I thought the deer would be coming from so they wouldn't see me. At 7:30 a.m. I looked to the trail about 80 yards away and saw a big bodied deer. I quickly got the camera on and started filming.

At first I thought this was the big bodied 6 pointer Joe had told me about on the ride over, but then I quickly realized it was a nice 8 pointer and one I would like to shoot. Now I had to film the buck and grab my bow at the same time - the video shows my disorganization quite well.

I had ranged a few trees earlier and one was at 40 yards which was where the buck was headed. When he got to the small opening I grunted with my mouth and he stopped. I thought I had the camera on him, but I had bumped it so I was just off - another rookie mistake!

As I held the bow at full draw I started to think that he was further than 40 yards and I should maybe hold high, but then I thought, maybe I'm just thinking too much, I already said he was at 40 so just shoot him like he's at 40. That's what I did and that's how I missed. The arrow flew on course the entire way before dropping right under the deer. The buck turned and ran out of there as fast as he could.

I thought it was a little odd that the buck ran out of the area so fast, but it was probably because he was an older smarter deer that had been shot at before. Well, when I found my arrow it turns out I did hit the buck, which explains why he ran off. However, the arrow looked as if it skimmed right under the rib cage. There was white hair on it, some fat and a spec of blood. Even though I was confident the buck would live and it was just a superficial wound, I searched for the deer with Joe anyway. We came up empty handed and couldn't find a single drop of blood or hair. We're both confident he's still alive and hopefully I'll get a second chance!

Another Cayuga County Buck Down

2009-10-25T05:01:00.029-04:00

On October 19th, Steve stepped out into the crisp autumn air to hunt a nearby swamp. The frost covered leaves and thin ice in the swamp made it difficult to keep quiet.

Not too long after settling in Steve heard some noise behind him and looked to see a doe making its way towards him. The doe began snorting and then ran away after figuring out that something was up. As day continued to break another doe appeared and was headed right for Steve. When the doe got within 30 yards she turned and started walking away from the hunter.

Suddenly a buck appeared where the doe had just been not more than 35 yards away. The buck slowly made its way down the same trail the doe had used, nibbling on some browse along the way. As the buck turned to leave Steve used his grunt tube to let out a soft grunt. The buck turned and started coming right in to see what was up.

At 25 yards with his head behind a tree the buck stood broadside giving Steve the perfect shot. Steve's arrow flew true and the buck crashed through the swamp and made its way back up towards the field edge.

Steve waited in the stand to give the deer time to bed down and climbed down 40 minutes later. When he recovered his arrow he only found half of the arrow shaft and was having trouble finding a blood trail. However, with half an arrow in him, this buck was not going far. As Steve approached the edge of the field he saw a sight that makes every hunter jump with joy - the deer he had worked so hard to get was lying on the field edge, not more than 70 yards from where he was shot.

Monster Buck taken in Cayuga County

2009-10-24T05:01:00.032-04:00

After eight years of bowhunting, Mike has taken 5 deer with the biggest weighing in at 125 pounds. Last Sunday one of Mike's friends gave him a call to go hunt his grandparents house in Cayuga County. When his buddy called, Mike wasn't too thrilled knowing he would have to wake up at 3:15 a.m. and make the 3 hour drive to get in before first light.

Mike woke up and made the 3 hour drive with his friend. The morning was perfect - cool and no wind. Not more than 10 minutes after getting set up in his stand Mike heard something over his left shoulder and glanced to see a monster buck headed his way. With no time to stand up, Mike drew back his bow and settled the pin - it was now or never! He let his arrow fly and the buck took off.

When Mike climbed down from his stand he found his arrow and saw good blood on it. At 9:40 a.m. he radioed his buddy to come help track the bruiser buck. The buck didn't make it more than 100 yards and weighted in at 205 pounds dressed - now that's a big buck!

Big 8 Pointer in Horseheads, NY

2009-10-23T05:01:00.016-04:00

On Sunday, October 18th Dan finally made it out for his first hunt of New York's 2009 archery season. The plan was to get to the stand around 3:00 p.m. and sit until dark. It wasn't until 6:00 p.m. that Dan saw his first deer - a big 8 pointer slowly making his way towards the hunter. As the buck got closer the wind swirled and the buck turned and started walking away. Dan only had one chance. The buck made it to a window 40 yards away and let the arrow fly putting the buck down in sight.

Scrape Activity in Putnam County

2009-10-22T05:01:00.011-04:00

Joe sent in some pics of a nice Putnam County buck working a scrape on October 11th. I think he'd be hard to pass up.

This is a nice buck with some good tine length. Taking a little closer look at the third pic, it looks like this buck is missing its brow tines. Not sure if they were broken off or if he just never grew them.