Hi fellow NY hunters! I have had a great season so far!
Opening day, my brother-in law got a nice 1 antlered buck, and decent sized 3 pointer on one side witha 3 or so inch broken on the other, as well as a button buck! The Tuesday after, I shot a small doe from the field behind oour house at first light! I shot at a big doe, but it was decntly long (for me) with my shot gun, even though I was using rifles sabbots, and I missed. I also missed her this past Saturday! I went out with a family friend that had come up opening day as well. ON our first slow walk in the red pines, he found a nice 9 point skull in the brush! Very cool! He had taken the longer walk on that trip, so when we got to the top of the hill, and crossed to the pther side of the gully, it was my turn to go in deep. I crossed the swamp, at the top, an was going to walk the property line in the hardwoods. I got just on the other side of the swamp, and was just above a logged tree top. I looked down, and saw a big boddied deer. I looked the my scope, and saw he had 1 scraggly antler! I went to bring my shotgun off of my shoulder, and idn't realize there was a tree branch above me!! It made a decent amount of noise when I hit it, but the deer never lifted his head off the trail, and I wasn't more then 25-35 yards off. Strange, but I wasn't complaining! I readied my scope on the other side o the tree top, and waited for him to walk into my crosshairs. When He came, I pulled the trigger, he bucked slightly, and I knew I had hit him good. Well, I radioed my friend, and told him I had hit a buck and that I was going to look for him. I walked down to see i there was blood, and idn't see any instantly, so I though I would walk to where he ha ran sinc3e I knew the woods well. I walked a half circle around, and found a dead deer! I told my friend I had found him, and he said he would come in and meet me. Well, I get to the deer, and thought to my self... This can't be my deer, it has no antlers!?! I went over and lifted the head, and realized that the right side was broken off the a 1/4 in nub, and the other was totally gone! The let side had broken of as he stumbled down the hill, and I never could find it anywhere! After we dragged it out, it was getting dark pretty quick. I dragged it to the front yard, and my friend headed for home. When I was showing my older sister, and looking closer at the fallen off antler, I realized there was a decent ammount of puss coming from the area where it was attached to the skull. Upon researching the internet, and finding some info, I called the DEC. I didn't get ahold of anyone, as it wasn't an emergency, and it was after 9PM. I had deftermined it to be CAS (cranial abscesation syndrome). I got ahold of the DEC oficer the next evening, and he came ou tot take a look. He had never heard of it, andf after examiningf it, gave me a replacment tag. He advised against consumption.. SO! Unfortunatly we can't eat it, but hopefully it was not in the more advanced stages, and I relieved him from any suffering. Then, Sunday evening, I saw some deer on the hill across the road fom my house. My fiance said she wanted to walk up with me, to have the experience with me! We successfully snuck up on the deer, and I missed a large doe, but got a small button buck! it was fun, and my girl enjoyed herself. She wants go hunting with me, as a hunter herself, in the hear future. So 3 deer ( 2 edible), and I am happy! My larged family of 11 living at home, am me getting married in the summer can use all the meat we can get! SO I still go out as often as I can with college!
Sorry about the novel, but I enjoy writing my storys out to share with everyone! No pictures of the doe, except the one on my phone. None of the button, and hopefully I will post some up later on to show the buck!