Yeah why pay $62 and god only knows how much in camo, shells , guns etc to just sit in the woods. I take both my sons age 6 and 10 and they can`t just sit in the woods. They want to see deer. I hunt b/c I love the feeling I get when a deer walks in and I either decide to shoot it or see if I can not spooke it and let it walk by.

Stretchunts, How are we to brake in young kids to hunting, when we sit in stands for hours and see zip. Kids get more out of sitting in front of a TV or computer than sitting out in the cold and see ship! When i started hunting we went out and saw a number of deer not any more. The DEC is screwing up big time they needmo money, got to sell them party permits and give out some more special permits to them land owners that claim them there deer are doing a ton of damage. Sure they are in city limits not out in the country. Rich

I have never heard that you pay for extra doe permits in the areas that have extras nor for crop damage permits. Hmmmmm must be just at your place?? And maybe teach em how to hunt not just shoot.

The deer population in my area (4W) is still off of the high water marks of years past but for the first time in 4 years I actually saw deer on each outing. Was actually fortunate enough to get a nice 8 on the second morning. My Father passed on a few small bucks opening day and one of our neighborsnailed a big 11 on the day after Thanksgiving. I think in our area we are seeing a slowrecovery of the deer pop. Most of this is as a result of the zero issue of DMP'sover the last 2 years plus the light winters, not to mention the area was logged 3 years ago and is now loaded with browes.
From my perspective,I would actually like tosee the DEC expand theAR in my area. I thinka solid QDM strategy (this is different from the current AR pilot)would actually add togreater hunter satisfaction and increased licenses sales in the long run. Yeah, some would complain the first couple of years as they do not the opp to shoot a deer but which one of you would pass on a 8 or 10 pointerto takea small buck or doe? DEC needs to decide if they will manage for the long or the short term.I realize this statementmay not be popular with all but thats my opinion.

Fletch what do'es it cost you for a permit if you just buy a big license. Good night

Landowners are then
[/align]responsible for issuing the
[/align]coupons to licensed
[/align]hunters who, in turn, will
[/align]apply with the appropriate
[/align]fee, to the Game Commission
[/align]for a DMAP Harvest Permit.

It's about the money.They are charging a fee for free permits from the farmers.
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Well, i didn't realize I was going to cause such a crazy little chat over this statement. I do agree with you guys.. I like to see deer also... I love to have that heart beat skip when a deer walks out and the feeling of the shakes if it's a buck. But come on don't kill me.. I was just making a upside too it. We all can't see deer everytime out, but the dec has decided to help us see less and we all noticed it in the last few years. The only people to blame is the DEC. and they don't really seem to care. I don't pay $68.00 to sit there and see nothing either, but it's still better then being at work, and I love that. I'm hunting 13 years now.. and only shot 3 bucks in that time,this year being my best and whether or not i get anything the next 5 years... i'll still be there open day. that was my point.
But, on the flip side... how do we get kids to hunt and like it if we keep seeing less and less deer ?

Try to get the kids involved in other ways of hunting. "Seeing" deer isn't the only thing that matters. I understand that is the ultimate goal to peek a kids interests, but there are tons of other things to get them involved.

Take them out with you and your buddies setting up stands and trimming shooting lanes. Explain to them why you're setting up a stand where you are. Talk to them about the wind and where you think the deer will be traveling to that particular stand. Show them food and bedding areas and where they travel back and forth. Take them scouting. Show them deer beds, scrapes, rubs, heavy used doe trails, etc.... Talk to them about the moon phases, cold fronts, the RUT. Explain to them everything that affects deer movement and why. Give them a feel for putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Start them out young with the knowledge that it's more about throwing up a stand in some tree hoping for a deer to walk by. If you sit and don't see deer on a particular hunt explain to them why that may be (other than the DEC has the entire NYS herd screwed up[:-]). Let them hang around you and your buddies when you tell your war stories. They'll feel like one of the gang and get interested. If you want, shine some fields after dark in your area so they know deer are around.

I stand corrected I did not know crop damage permits cost money. I have never seen one. I have a lifetime sportsman license and get doe permits free. At $500 14 years ago it is already paid for itself and I am hunting and fishing free for the next 50 years!! Not that60 to 70bucks is a lot for unlimited fishing, birds, small game, turkey, bear, deer..... I put over 300 lbs of fish and game in the freezer a year maybe more.

Of course seeing deer is an important part of the hunt. But I think a lot of people are very unrealistic in how many deer they think are out there and should be out there and there skills in finding them. There are more deer in this state in the last 15 years that ever in history, and less woods for them to hide?? It is a reflection on society and Americans that everything is so fast paced and stimulating. Imagine a family from today back just 75 years ago!! No TV, computers, ipods, cars, cell phones.......what would they do with themselves??

That would be 1931 the depression era. Most people would be listening to the radio and some did have tvs that could afford them.So you are saying that we know how many deer was out there and now we don't know if it was realistic on what we seen in the past up to these last couple years that we are thinking unrealistic now about how many deers we think we seen from the past that we are being unrealistic now because we never seen that many deers in the past?When you become a hunter in the woods as many here are,You will see the decline in the deer as many of us have.