public hunting in NY

[farm hunter]

I wonder how the average hunte perceives public hunting in NY (discounting an Adirondak hunt - which of course is more about tradition than what you harvest!)

[lost horn]

(discounting an Adirondak hunt - which of course is more about tradition than what you harvest!)

What is the tradition in the Adirondak? Why is it not like the rest of the state? I have never hunted in NY.

Thanks, lost horn

[Sylvan]

I haven't hunted public land very much in NY for about 15 years now but back then it was very good. Lot's of public ground with good opportunities. My public land hunting was primarily in Steuben county and more specifically the Erwin game management area. Seems to be a lot fewer hunters there now.

[Allseasonhunter7]

my dad and his freinds have tought me that its nt about what you harvest and i dont live in the mtns

[doughboysigep]

lost horn,

there has been a long tradition of hunting in the Adirondacks. Old hunting camps, old guides, lots of stories/"legends", etc. Deer hunting there is unlike anywhere in the Southern tier of NY (Catskills are similar). It's big woods with low deer/square mile. The deer are generally bigger/older and harder to come by. The hunting is hard (mountains, etc.) I belong to a hunting club in the southern ADKs. It was an old camp built in the early 1900s and has been "our" club since ~1925. There are many of these old camps. Ours started with 20 members and memberships are handed directly from father to son and then to friends/other family. That's tradition. We are lucky to get 1 deer a year (~30 guys or so over 3 weeks). I go and hunt some, but mostly go for the good times with friends and family. here's a pic of our camp (7 + miles from nearest paved road; 6 miles by 4wheeler on an old stagecoach trail)

[Summerflower]

Perceiving in what respect?

And is the "Dacks" only about tradition? Nope.....there sure is much more noted history about hunting in "my backyard" than there is in the southern zone that is for sure. Don't tell me that hunting the "big woods" is not about harvest! It sure is. All of the "dacks" are not mountains either.

As how I see public hunting. I sure do see fewer people on public land than private. Or at least "non-tresspassers"! iIs the quality of hunting better (as far as the numbers of deer).... on private land? It is really tough to say. Locally..probably. Although I do know some public land that is full of deer.


Doughboy....nice camp. I have been to a few of such stature!
Where is it located? I work in the southern "Dacks"

[doughboysigep]

North of Poland (~20 min.)

[farm hunter]

I hunt a family farm (no longer active), I've taken all my deer in 20+ years on this property - and I've seen things change back and forth with populations and hunter participation.

By Perception - I wondered are most people happy with the deer numbers they see? Is there too many hunters/acre? Etc.

I cannot speak much for Public land hunting - though I drive by some good looking state lands all the time in the southern teir, and I have freinds that regularly take deer there - Most of their experiences are good.

I excluded the Adirondacks in the post - because they are so expansive - and the weather/mast is really what dictates the deer densities there (not hunting pressure like most of the rest of the state). Also, traditionally - the low deer densities do not tend to give hunters a high percentage rate for deer take. And because - I love the Adirondak stories, and traditions - Some day I'd like to hunt there seriously.

FH

[lost horn]

Doughboy
That looks like my kind of camp it's great. The Dacks sounds like parts of Cameron Co. Pa. My group tented there for over 60 yrs. I did for over 30yrs. until the State traided the land to a tember company. Now we are in a camp, I am still trying to get ust to it, it is not the same.

Thanks for the info.
lost horn

[Outdoor]

I have hunted there my whole life...pic looks like the old camps only there would be a willies sitting out in front not a 4 wheeler!