I just registered, this is my second post.

My name is Michael, I'm 28, and live/hunt on my property in Sullivan County, NY.

Opening day was a day I will NEVER forget, and it is by far without probably the besr day of my life. My dad, and I always deer(rifle) hunt together, and I have been by his side hunting since I was 12. Well after all these years I have finally had the PRIVILEGE to see a big buck while in my tree stand. It was about 10:45am when I heard a thrash to my left, so I out of reflex I quick turned to see the flicker of a deer run through this dense pine section. After I caught that glimpse, I saw/heard nothing, so i sat as still as possible, and about a minute later I heard crunching coming fast from directly behind me, so i sudtley turn around, and its a nice buck slowly trotting directly to my tree. The buck ends up half circling my tree about 15' from my tree, then swings back in and stops literally right in front of me, in the direction i was facing all morning. I sit roughly 15-20' up in a climber, and he was about 20' from my tree, so he was at a steep angle, so as quietly, and as smoothly as I could I picked up my rifle, and took aim, and fired. It was a good clean shot, and he did not got far. I could not be happier, my dad was about a 5 minute walk away in his stand, so to experience this all with my dad, is a dream come true. Earlier on at approximately 7:30am he harvested a 7 pointer as well, but not as large. What a great day, that we will never forget!

Thats awesome, I hunted Sullivan county for many years and ever since they made the "3 point" rule the amount of big bucks we have seen has sky rocketed.

Are you in Sullivan County by chance?

I like the 3-point rule, while this is my only large buck that I have ever seen(hunted 15 yrs so far w/father), I just feel its best all around to let the deer live a bit before harvest.

I had the deer weighed tonight at the taxidermist, it weighed in at 175 lbs, im soooo excited.

I'm not in Sullivan any more but I was for many years, the best bucks we used to ever see were spikes but then the 3 point rule happened and we got four 8 pointers in two years. Now I hunt dutchess county and its bow/muzzeloader only and no 3 point rule but I still let any young ones go. People in NY have the bad habit of if it's brown it's down mind set

Very true. I understand taking spikes etc for your first buck, and all, but I feel at some point that should get out of your system.

To each his own though.

I agree with you as well, I don't understand shooting a spike when you can shoot a doe especially when the same person is looking for a trophy buck.

Congrats to all.

If any of you are out this week, you are a braver man than I!

Our windchill here is below zero today.

Anybody in western NY?!

Nice buck MJN, welcome to the site!
-Jake

I don't know if this intended toward my earlier post?

Generally, I agree with you.
In fact, when our area stopped issuing DMPs I ceased hunting the regular season because anything and everything with antlers was being taken; the brown goes down philosophy.

For the past two years I have had no time to hunt any season, and really haven't this year either, so my decision to take a spike was based solely upon putting meat in the freezer, though I did pause a bit before pulling the trigger.

I am an unabashed meat hunter. Though I have taken some decent bucks in my time, I find the "trophy" doe to be a much tougher hunt.
While a spike is not necessarily my first choice, it is sometimes a workable option.