Hope all of your bow seasons went well in NY. I grew up in Chautauqua County on the western end of the state, and return there each year to hunt the rut. I had a monster 8 pt under me at 8 yards on the 3rd day of my New York bowhunt, but he never offered a good shot. I'm pretty sure that this was the buck I shot over the back of at 12 yards the previous year across the road. The weather was sunny and nearly 70 degrees for the first 4 days, and generally nothing was moving except for early morning and the last half hr of the day (the big guy showed up at 4:30 PM, sunset was about 5). I decided that I'd give that stand a two-day rest to let it "air-out", even though he did not obviously smell me.
Unfortunately, bad weather (rain and snow) was moving in, and to top that I was developing a nasty toothache. Fearing an abscessed tooth, I was able to get in to see my parents' dentist the next day, and got to my least good-looking stand about 2 PM, in my T shirt (again, about 70 degrees). After getting set and not 15 minutes later, I heard a deer marching to me through the dry leaves. As he came through the trees towards me I saw that he was a small 8 pointer. I had a decision to make - pass and take my chances with a bad tooth and terrible weather with the hope at getting a shot at the big guy, or the bird-in-the-hand deal. I decided that if he did not stop for me, I would not try to stop him. However, when he was broadside at 12 yards he caught a nose full of the James Valley doe-in-heat scent that I had out on that side of my stand. With his head facing away from me and front leg forward, the decision was automatic. Perfect pass through shot, heart and lungs (or at least the lungs facing me). He went maybe 25 yards, and ended up on an old skid road that we could drive the tractor right up to.
A few days later when I went to pull the stand under which I saw the big 8 pointer, I could see (in the new snow) that he had been back, and one of his scrapes near the stand was now almost wide enough for me to lay across! Oh well. Now I'm holding my breath that the orange coated gang-bangers don't get him so I can try next year. So far he has made it through the first week, and heavy snow falls are hampering the orange coats!
Topic: NYS southern zone hunters (Read 10509 times)
