has anyone killed a deer in the NY Northern zone EVER???

[adkmountainken]

i rarely hear about anyone killing a deer here in the Northern zone. has anyone had luck this year or EVER??? i know Bowspirit killed one 2 years ago and Adirondackman has taken a couple but man its rare.

[frank the hunter]

2 years ago up by old forge a doe

[KentuckyTJ]

Time to pack up and move Ken. Life's too short for crappy hunting grounds. What would the Indians do?

[wv lungbuster]

Does the area have a low deer population, or just hard to hunt?? I'm with TJ.

[gnihsifnamk]

I am up in saranac lake, no luck for me this year. I was in bow range of does 4 times but could never get a shot off.

I pretty much have all the woods to myself up here, hardly ever see any other bowhunters out, even wheelies.

[Catskill Longbow]

A friend invited me up to Hoffmeister last year for early bow.  I passed because when we rifle hunt the deer are few and far between.  He ended up shooting a doe with his compound, but I think it is a rare occurance.  In Old Forge you can shoot tame ones in your yard due to all the feeding, but back in the woods is a different story.

[JoeM]

Originally posted by wv lungbuster:
Does the area have a low deer population, or just hard to hunt?? I'm with TJ.

Its both!!  Big woods I mean BIG WOODS to the tune of 100's of thousands of acres with more bears than deer.  Similar to northern Maine.

[Izzy]

I was very successful back in the day when I hunted Indian Lake with wheels and guns but like Catskill Longbow says I learned the hunt the corridors between camps and cabins. Bird feeders and apple trees had them easy to pattern. Im feeling like Im gonna hunt those areas again next year, I miss it.

[Stumpkiller]

   

There was that one time I heard about a rumor of a deer killed in Jefferson County.  But it turned out to be a hoax.

Personally, the Southern Zone hereabouts is hardly showing a pulse.  I heard something on the cruncy frosted leaves in a brushlot Saturday at sunrise, but it was moving in from directly down wind of me and scooted off before I saw what it was.  That was the only action in the last four days I have been out hunting.      :(    

Tracks and droppings all over the place.  They're fully nocturnal from what I can tell and bedding in secret caves??????

[ron w]

Deer density is low, 1/2 a buck per sq. mile, 1 1/2 total deer per sq. mile. Most of the State land has not been logged for 100 years. Mature forest,very little under growth. Private areas that have seen timber harvest have better deer numbers but this just creates pockets of deer. In keeping records since 1988 I average seeing 3 deer a year. On the other hand your not going to hear a school bus, a dog barking or see another hunter for days at a time if at all.Bear population is good but no baiting is allowed and moose are making a come back. With no food source and no defined edges it is almost impossible to pattern a deer, still hunting and watching food sources [ mast crop when available] are the best tactics. Personally I'm leaning towards KentuckyTJ said ....I'm going to move!

[ron w]

I will add this, I ran into an older fella at the range one day ,we got to talking. When he found out I shot a recurve he went to his car and got some photos. They photos he had taken of him and his brother bowhunting in the Adirondacks in the late 40's and early 50's. They had a float plane service and flew in to the Cedar Lakes region. They shot some real slammers, 130 to 150 class bucks. Really neat stuff.......but that was over 50 years ago!

[Tom Leemans]

Didn't Christopher Walken shoot one with a rifle years ago?
  :p

[kat]

It may be time to update your numbers Ken.

Bowspirit has a story to tell, about yesterday.

[kat]

Sorry.  Spoke too soon. It wasn't taken with trad gear.

[crotch horn]

I have taken deer north but not with trade gear. Rifle, muzzle loader & wheelies. Liver shot a doe this year but the yotes got her. Not easy. On the other hand, in 5 seasons of trad I have taken 2 black bears. Its all good.

[katie]

Ken-
Get a IA tag and come on out to our place!  Not the amazing views you are use to, but we have loads of deer.

[Oak518]

hunting adirondacks for over 40 years wall tents, camps and clubs never had luck with trad but had the best times of my life my heart is in this type of hunting the hard core buck hunters are a breed apart

[Izzy]

Heres the last deer I saw in Cedar River while trad hunting. She was just beyond the Limekiln campgrounds and totally  legal but was on the road. I could have shot her as soon as she stepped off if I would have followed her and I would have been legal too but thats just killing and would have left a bad taste in my mouth.

[VTer]

Hey Ken....sounds to me like the answer is "nope".

[Izzy]

This is what brings us back to come away again and again, deerless usually. Thousands of acres of public land full of unmatched beauty just not so full of deer. Until my kids are grown and gone which I dont look forward to  Ill never have the time to get up there and effectively scout enough to have better than a lucky fools chance of killing a deer but Ill keep going back once or twice a year, I dont mind being a lucky fool.