Originally Posted by
NY Bowhunter
Not sure where I fit in this discussion. I havent' missed a hunt in ... as long as I can remember (aside from EXTREME weather). From opening day to they tell me I can no longer be in the woods with a weapon I'm in the woods. A good chunk of it on all day sits. I bust my rump in the off season both scouting and aquiring new land.
That being said, the deer numbers here in NY are WAY down. Not from lack of adapting or effort on my part. Simply put, they aren't around like they used to be. I believe it has to do with the herd slaughtering tags the NYS DEC started handing out like popcorn a few years ago. So be it IMO. I like it hard.
We have become an instant gratification society and I think it carries over to hunting. Not singling out anyone here or really trying to stereotype. I just think there are a lot of hunters that want to go out on opening day and expect it to be handed to them. Whack their deer or two on opening weekend and call it a season. Just not the case anymore. I think it gets more aggrevating for a lot of people just because the way it is today with time constraints, priorities, money, etc.... Almost like they are pressured to get it done quicker and with less deer that will walk in front of them, it aint going to happen.
I'm in a different situation that allows me to spend the time that I need to be successfull (or to not be successfull). Either way, personally thats how I like it. May sound crazy, but I want it to be hard. I want it to be VERY hard. I want to have to work harder than the next guy to get it done. More rewarding for me. Seriously what fun would it be to hop in a stand on opening day and whack a 125" buck? Then what?
Anyway... just my .02.
I agree with everything you stated.Again,it's all about perspective.I hunted all day on the last day of flintlock season.I started off trying to sit all morning but I couldn't sit more than 2 hours without turning numb.The snow was about 16 inches deep so walking was tough as well.I hunted the entire day without leaving the woods once.I also didn't see a single solitary deer.I saw tracks here and there and mnay of them were fresh.A the end of the day,I hiked back to a spot that I'd been meaning to hunt for the past few years.There were alot of tracks SO i SAT THERE FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS WITHOUT SEEING ANYTHING.About 5 minutes before shooting hours were over,I got up to call it a season.I hadn't made it 50 yards when two deer came running past me.I bleated at them to stop and made a nice 50 yard offhand shot with a flintlock.That was probably the best and most satisfying hunt I had all year despite only seeing 2 deer all day long.I didn't get that deer back to my truck until about 7:30 pm but it was worth it.