Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Just wondering if anyone in Steuben, Yates or Chemung has been using a rifle for gun season. Curious to see who likes the new rule,who doesn't or whateveryones thoughts are.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

I'm going to Yates on Saturday. I've hunted shotgun there all my life and I'm excited about using a rifle. I'll miss my 870 though. Ofcourse I can still hunt with it when I want.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

I was hunting in Ontario County last weekend and it was a releif to go back to the north country and pull out the rifle. Call me a wimp but it was quite a bit lighter.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Rifle hunting = 1 shot, small hole, dead deer

Shotgun hunting = bam bam bam bam bam ... reload ... bam bam bam ...

I wish Tompkinsand Cortland would make the switch. We hunt all over NY and this is the last area that is still shotgun. We hunt the tri-county uplands area. Only Tioga is rifle.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

More the operator then the equipment dont you think? Not everyone unloads on a deer with a shotgun, most people go, one shot one hole, dead deer, just has a slightly bigger hole! :)

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

I don't know. I hunted in a shotgun only county years ago and definitely heard much more shooting than I ever did in a rifle area. I don't know if this is due to fewer hunters in recent years, or something else. I know that someone who knows what a shotgun is capable of and knows how to shoot well doesn't need more than one round, but I think alot of other shotgunners take shots at deer beyond it's capabilities and that's where the rapid firing starts.

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RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Modern shotguns for deer are a vast improvement over the old pumpkin launchers. But make no mistake, a centerfile rifle is a far superior weapon.

Certainly not everyone unloads on deer. A rifle hunter unloading on a deer is a very rare event. A shotgun hunter unloading on a deer is not. Just listen to the woods in the counties that have changed (silence...pow...silence). And then listen to a county that has not (blam blam blam blam blam).

Shotguns are for rabbits, rifles are for deer.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

NH hunter here. I live in a shotgun town , but rifle starts about 25 minutes west of here.There are more deer haere and I have a doe permit for this area. I still drive the 30 min every day just to hunt with a rifle I enjoy it more.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Second post I've read saying the same thing. I live in Tioga County and have had rifles for 3 seasons now, I hear plenty of repeat shoots. Just depends on whether the person bought an auto loader, pump, or bolt action rifle. Bolts are pow......pow and the person isn't fast enough to empty the gun. The others are just like shotguns. I sincerely doubt there is less shooting with a rifle. If the deer doesn't fall the first shot, there will be follow up shots reguardless of the weapon. Just ask the people in PA. One small hole??? What about the people shooting 300 win mags with 150 gr HP bullets??? If you hit bone, you have to put the guts back in the deer before you can take them out the proper way.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Always hunted Shotgun, still do- Two times in my 25 years of deer hunting have I shot 4 times at one deer.Both times I had alot of time to shoot -and aim due to the circumstances of the hunt, and I could have easily done it with a bolt action rifle as well.

With a pump its pretty easy to get off two quick shots - and I've done that several times - especially when I felt really good about the 1st shot but the deer still ran. Always felt that if I had time, and could get off a second shot - then it was a shot worth taking.

That said, by far most of my deer taken with shotgun (50ish) - were one shot, and thats it. Even with a pump or automatic, most times where I hunt - thats all you're going to get.

I think those "magazine dumps" you hear onare field shots at running deer, by guys that have no idea if the can hit the deer or not. I've always thought that these types of shots were much more dangerous than any high powered rifle.

I'd welcome rifles in Madison county - hope it happens someday.

FH

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

I DON'T LIKE THE NEW LAW AND I REALY DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR IT (IN MY AREA ANYWAY - CHEMUNG & STEUBEN CO).I HAVE ONLY TAKEN A DOZEN DEER IN 20 YEARS, BUT NONE WERE OVER 75 YARDS AND ONLY A COUPLE NEEDED A FOLLOW UP SHOT. I WAS ACTUALLY SCARED INTO BOWHUNTING BY GUYS SHOOTING AT RUNNING DEER- 5 SHOTS IN 5 DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. HOW COULD THEY BE SURE OF WHATS BEYOND THEIR TARGET? IT ONLY TAKES ONE ACCIDENT TO RUIN A LIFETIME OF HUNTING. I'D FIND IT MUCH MORE EXCITING TO PUT AN ARROW IN A MATURE DOE AT 30 YARDS THAN TO SHOOT AT A BUCK 300 YARDS ACROSS A CORN FEILD ANYWAY. JUST MY THOUGHTS.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

One doesn't need to shoot 300 yards if they are using a rifle. Actually a study from Pennsylvaniacompared rifles and shot guns and found that slugs ricochet easier than rifle bullets, shot gun slugs/sabots can go just as far as somerifle bullets and rifles are more accurate which means if used correctly they will get the job done more efficiently with less meat loss. This study was in "Field and Stream" this past summer. Since starting hunting last year, I've taken 3 deer, 2 with a rifle and both have been at 100 yards or less.

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Our hunting camp is in Cortland County, which is still shotgun. We shot four deer this season and only four shots were fired. With that said, I'll take a rifle over a shotgun any day for deer hunting. I despise slug guns. If I didn't have to use one, I wouldn't own one.[/align][/align]My Winchester model 88308 Win. shoots right around an inch at 100 yards. My Remington model 700280 Rem. shoots under an inch at 100 yards. My Marlin model 336 35 Rem. shootsunder two inches at 100 yards. Allrecoil less then myfathers 11-87 20 ga, slug gun, the recoil on my 11-87 12 ga. slug gunis just flat out obnoxious. I'm not recoil sensitive, but why deal with it if you don't have to. There are only tworeasons I can see for using a shotgun for deer hunting. 1-becausea shotgun is the only gun you have.Unfortunately there are people thatdon't have the money to buy a deer rifle. 2- because the law requires you to use one. Just my $0.02! [/align][/align]

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

shotgun hunter all my life one shot one kill. just have to know you gun and your ability.
happy hunting

RE: Southern Tier Rifle Hunting
 

Quite honestly I like hunting with the shotgun. I do have the luxury of hunting all over NY and have been blessed to be able to take deer with a bow, shotgun, rifle and muzzleloader. The rifle has ALWAYS accounted for a one shot "flip out the light switch" kind of kill - but I truly believe it's more of a result based on the style I hunt when I carry the rifle (read sit on stand all day). Where I hunt with the 12 Ga. it's more of a ground game. No fixed stands and more people in the woods "pushing".

Believe me the slug gun is more than capable of wreaking havoc on a whitetail. Honestly a 300 gr. XTP out of a muzzleloader postholes 'em too.

In the end they all have their merits and I enjoy being able to carry different guns, at different times as the conditions warrant.