GOOD LUCK, New York Bowhunters!!!

[woodchucker]

It was my pleasure, Ken!!!

The way he was shooting... The deer are in trouble!!!
Take care, Brother!!! Talk to ya soon!!

[woodchucker]

Been out most every day, for a few hours, mid-morning or so...
Mostly scouting, new area, getting the lay of the land...

So far, only Does, and "Spike"... He eats in our yard, and I've seen him about a dozen times in the woods.
I think he wants to be my friend??

This morning, the hound took me for a walk, and I found the first 2 fresh scrapes up behind the pines.
The first, was a real puzzler.... Under a spruce branch?? NEVER, in all my years, have I found a scrape under a pine tree. I have seen them rub cedars, and hemlocks, but never found a scape under one. Let alone, a spruce.
Definetly a scrape, with a "licking branch" shoulder high. That one, was a head scratcher....

The second one, was about 3ft diameter, fresh BARE earth, and a popular branch chewed and beat to hell!!

I've been tempted to pull the camera cards, but I'm gonna wait...
Little Bear likes to check them when he comes home for the weekend.

It's getting to be that time of year!!!

[fmscan]

Did a 3 hour sit this morning, passed on two doe, I did see two bucks one close but wrong side of tree. Nice Redtail Hawk who was hunting squirrels was very close for a while. Cold but nice morning and action is picking up for sure.

[Wapiti Chaser]

Been out a few times the Covid kept me from the woods last week. Had a four point and six point sparring around the base of my tree Saturday morning.  The six came back three times and sniffed my ladder but never detected me . Hopefully the big boys get moving in the light pretty soon , I have my eye on special one …

[woodchucker]

Good Luck, Bob!!!! 

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Congrats Sean. Good luck fellas.  Go get em chuck. The 3 pt rule is good but that tool should be used ocassionally and not as a permanent fixture.

[woodchucker]

Politics Charlie, that's all it is.....

From the 2022-23 Regulations Guide
"This program will continue as the DEC encourages hunters elsewhere to practice voluntary restraint.
Over time, as more and more hunters in the broader region opt to pass on young bucks voluntarily,
it may be appropriate to lift the restrictions."

Key words being "elsewhere" and "broader region"

When NY turns into a bunch of "Boxblind & Foodplot" deer hunters.... Things will change.

This whole QDM Big Buck mentality, is killing traditional deer hunting....

[R. Combs]

Shot this nice doe with my selfbow on October 14th. Osage orange bow, 64” ntn 46@28”. Sitka spruce arrows.

[Pine]

Nice bow Rick, and good way to break it in. 
 

[GCook]

Excellent!!  Nice doe with the self bow.!!

[shick]

Congratulations Rick;  nice sized doe with any bow.
Shick

[woodchucker]

CONGRATULATIONS, Rick!!!!!

 

[swampbow2]

 Been out a number of times and had a few does and a couple of small bucks in close but no bigger bucks yet. I missed a mangy coyote the other day as he trotted by . They never seem to stop moving  and only run faster when I try to stop them. I think its a later rut this year as I'm not seeing any cruising yet and the normal spots that get a scrape every year are not opened up yet. Last year by now I had scrapes everywhere and had a buck down and a lot more sightings. Good luck..

[woodchucker]

Give it another week Marvin....
Full Moon is Nov. 8th, and the woods should explode!!

[glenbo]

Congratulations Rick. Nice work 🏹

[woodchucker]

Sitting on the porch tonight, having a beer after dinner....

Just before dark, I see a big Buck in the laneway, heading to the field. Too dark to tell, but I think it's the 7pt I saw before? I watched him feed in the field for a bit and I'm trying to sit as still as possible...
Then, he slowly walks across the field toward the pines. He stops at one of the openings leading into them...

He paws the ground...  He puts his hind legs together and urinates on his hocks.
Then, he rubs his forehead and antlers on the branch above, and proceeds to lick and chew it.
I have just watched a big buck make a NEW scape, in my son's new yard!!! Under a Spruce tree!!
(I walked the hound this afternoon, there was no scrape there)

He walked through the pines and up to the tree line behind the house, where I think (It was getting pretty dark)
He made another scrape? I was about to slide forward in my chair to get a better look, when I caught movement in the corner of my left eye.... It was "Spike" and he was eating about 5 feet from the porch steps.
So... I just set still, and watched him.... He never knew I was there. Or didn't care??

God I LOVE it here!!!!

[woodchucker]

The hound took me for a walk this morning....

Found not 2, but 3 new scrapes that he made last night!!!
Getting to be that time....

[Catskill Longbow]

Sounds like you need to grab a couple sticks and get out in the woods Chuck!

[R. Combs]

 Was able to connect on this 6 point this morning. Used the same Sitka spruce arrow that I used on the doe a couple of weeks ago. Sitka Spruce has been my favorite shaft material for quite a few years now! Good luck and stay safe everyone!

[Pine]