ORIGINAL: Rob/PA Bowyer
ORIGINAL: davidmil
Well it would really depend on where you're talking about in Central NY. BUT, that said, this isn't Illinois or Iowa. It's not a balanced herd you're hunting. There are does everywhere and not that many bucks. The rut can be in full swing and you won't see a lot because they'll lock down with a handful and hide. I'd rather go prerut in such a case. The bucks can't find a mate, they're ready, they're trolling and they're looking and receptive to a grunt or two. You're not hunting Illinois, you're hunting NY and a different herd and balance. Yes the rut would be in your middle part of Nov. No, it's not necessarily the time for your best hunting. I'd be going for the last week in Oct as a time to hunt hard. Second choice, the week of the rut because of the full moon screwing you earlier in the month. Rules for one area don't hold true for another state.
True D but I'm speaking on my experience from not only what I saw in IL this year but what happened in PA as well plus the 27 previous seasons. I've only seen or not seen as the case may be, lockdown past the 15th of Nov. I will always schedule my hunting in PA or anywhere else in the northern hemisphere as close to the 15th of Nov as I can get, give or take. It's been a fact TO ME that the big boys are on their feet at this time. I've had great success as well in the prerut but I've seen more and better bucks closer to the 15th not to mention the biggest days for killing such deer has statistically been the 11-15th. But, he can book his hunt whenever he choses, makes no difference to me but from what I've seen, again I'll push the 15th as much as possible with my vacation time.
Actually i did see a nice 4.5 year old buck get killed on the 15th this year near where we hunt, the guys said they were chasing does... maybe your on to something
