NYSDEC is a joke
Just keeps getting worse and worse around here. Deer numbers are so low that even the clowns at the DEC had to come clean and admit it because they heard the rumbles of an all out revolt by hunters statewide. Of course they blamed it on "harsh winters".......you must be freakin' kidding me. Harsh winters??......anyone who has lived in this state knows very well that the last couple years have been no better or worse then our run of the mill NY winters. I can't friggin stand when I see them force feeding this BS to NY hunters with a straight face and expecting us all to just nod our heads in agreement like idiots who don't know any better and will believe anything.
What a coincidence that these "harsh winters" just happen to fall right after record slaughters of deer in NY due to the DEC giving out permits by the truckload........they were either too stupid to realize they were giving out too many permits and really had no idea of the actual herd count or they were too busy counting the money from extra license sales to care. Now that deer numbers are so low that you have entire camps not even seeing deer they want everyone to ride out the storm for a few years until the numbers get back to a respectable level.
I have hunted for over 6 weeks now........perhaps more then I ever have in a single season before. At least 5 days a week with an average of probably 5-6 hours a day. I would say I have been in the woods for over 150 hours easily with bow and gun combined and there is still 19 days left to hunt including ML season. I have seen 1 racked buck in all that time.......that's right......ONE.....and he was a 4 pointer. I saw pitifully low numbers of deer......mostly does and 6 month olds. The rut was an all out joke. It hit right in shotgun season (which made the DEC happy I am sure) My brothers, friends, father, other hunting club members, and 99.9% of the guys I have talked with this year have had similar experiences.
This is not a public land sob story either. I hunted private land more this year then I ever have. It is just an all out joke..........and it's not funny at all.
I just can't believe they have screwed this place up so bad. The Saturday opener backfired right in their face even though they would never admit it. A lot of guys that used to take vacation for opening week didn't this year because of the opener on a weekend and thanksgiving on thursday. They hunted Sat and Sun morning and then went home and didn't come back until thursday (if at all). I have NEVER seen so few shotgun hunters in the woods after opening day..........I really think guys are just saying F' it after not seeing anything or hearing any shots on opening day and going home.......or not even going out at all.
I hunted 90 acres of private property in Stueben county for opening weekend and all the surrounding property is is stocked with the orange army.........heard about 6 shots all opening day and 2 were from my dad and brother.......sunday we heard and saw NOTHING. What a rediculous and embarrassing example of what the DEC has managed to do even to private hunting land in it's big buck capital. Truely a sad situation.
I cannot believe how hard I had to hunt this year to put meat in the freezer......I feel so sorry for the average Joe in NY that can only get out on the weekends or a few days here and there.......seriously, they should save their money and not even bother.......may as well spend the $68 on the powerball because the odds aren't much worse.
Can't wait to go out all weekend and see nothing again...........just got back a few hours ago after walking for 4 hours through yesterday's snow and not finding one single friggin track. Thanks a lot NYSDEC........thanks for being so stupid and ruining the deer herd in NY. At least PA got a smokescreen fake story behind the destruction of their herd........our DEC wasn't even smart enough to come up with anything better then "harsh winter"
Morons.