MJR10

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is true that if I hunted the adirondacks or big woods where you would see one deer in a week I might have a different opinion on things. My opinions are only based on what I experience hunting. I can tell you that seeing 20 deer in one day is not reality. If you hunted where I hunt your opinion might chane as well and you might let a 4pt walk just knowing teh chance for a "bigger" deer is reasonable. Your comment of "like at an arcade shooting gallery would not be much of a challenge" is exactly why I am not in favor of rifles. To me it takes the sport andchallenge out of it.

Steve863

Maybe in the area you hunt a rifle would not be challenging, but again you are suggesting that rifle hunting should be eliminated statewide on the basis of YOUR experience only. If rifle or shotgun hunting would be banned, then the DEC and game management in general would take a huge blow. Not enough successful bowhunters to take up the slack. And NO if I hunted in the area you hunt in I don't think I would be passing up buck after buck in order that I might see the big one. You can if you wish, but big antlers do very little for me. I don't see one bit of difference between the "macho" guy you were talking about in a previous post who kills the forkhorn just to say that he killed a buck or someone like you who somehow feels the need to kill big bucks only. Boosting ones ego comes into play for both just the same and no one will convince me of anything different.

Newtown

I feel like Steve and I are ganging up on you but youropinions reflect yourlimited hunting experience. When Cattauragus, Allegany and Steuben went to rifles the bird barrell went back on my 870. Now I 'sneak n peek' and track on the larger pieces of state land in the southern zone just like we do in the Adirondacks. Now if I was sitting in a ladder stand overlooking a food plot that I hunt all season regardless of the weapon, I might not see the value in rifles.

Once you butcher a deer with a small 270 hole versus a cannon ball slug hole (or more) with hemorraged blood all under the hide you will like rifles. Once you aim a rifle at a deer, pull the trigger and see feet in the air, you will like rifles. Once you jump a deer still hunting and it runs 100 yards and stops to look back at you and bam, feet in the air, you will like rifles.

MJR10

Yeah quit ganging up on me would ya...just kiddding. I hope I am not offending either of you. I find it interesting to see other peoples point of view. I have not suggested that the DEC ban gun hunting. I actually go out with my shotgun and muzzleloader still. I just find archery hunting much more fun.
Like I have said before everyone is out there hunting for different reasons and none of them are wrong. If you shoose to take teh first legal deer you see thats great. If I choose to wait on what I consider a mature buck, thats my choice. And yes I go plenty of years without getting a buck. But I do get a doe the first week of archery almost every year for the freezer...

MIKECC

THANKS FOR DOING THE SURVEY I HOPE IT HELPS.

Newtown

No offense at all. You are passionate about deer hunting and that is something I respect. If you get the opportunity to hunt in places that are very different than your home turf, jump at the chance. I have been very fortunate to hunt with some old woodsman in the north country, big woods of PA and out west in the Rockies. And I have friends that could not give up one weekend in the old stand and wondered why I would want to hunt where there are so few deer. Now I come home with the stories and experience that has enriched my hunting. And some encounters with some great bucks, some of which have come home with me.