New York Deer Hunting
 

I' ve hunted the same 500 +/- acres in Mayville, NY (Lake Chataqua area, near the Erie PA border) for over 20 years.

This year was an unusually poor weather year, we had rain for two days, and two days of high HIGH winds. But we also had two days of snow-covered ground, making spotting deer, and tracking much easier.

Last year I thought I saw much less sign, but I figured it was only me. This year I' m sure of it. Last Saturday, I walked all over the area I' ve hunted for all these years, and I only found a dozen sets of tracks. Granted, it was windy, but the snow had been on the ground since Friday afternoon/evening.

Last winter was especially harsh for deer - lots of snow, or so my hunting friends tell me. Also, the coyote population is soaring in the area.

My brother, who hunts there for two weeks, only has one deer so far - he usually tags out. Nobody else in camp had taken even one deer after two weeks. I went home meatless for the second year in a row. (I could have taken a fawn, but the meat isn' t really all that important).

Has anyone else noticed a much lower than normal deer count, especially in the Chataqua county area ? If so, do you think it was last winter, coyotes, combination, or something I' ve overlooked ?

Patrick

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I have heard nothing but bad reports from everyone here in NY including myself.

I have hunted Western NY for 17 years and this is SLOW. I have been skunked on 24 out of 32 days in the woods archery and gun.........not even SEEN a deer. On the days I did see deer a few were running from turkey hunters and so on. My chances have been almost nill.

I killed a 13 pt on Thanksgiving making it a great year...........well, truthfully it was a great day in a lousy year.

I have friends from PA that come up to NY in a group of 25 each year to hunt for a week of gun. This year they went home with 1 spike buck for the entire group.

I couldn' t wait for the snow and found the same as you.........VERY few tracks. Has me worried a little bit that the DEC may be blowing some smoke up our cans about how many deer are really in the herd because last winter was by no means brutal and opening day of gun last year was a ice storm where I live so the deer take had to be way down which should have meant higher numbers this year that I just am not seeing.

Hope it' s just coincidence.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I live in St. Lawrence County, right on the Canadian border (6C). It is ironic, because I have seen fewer deer this year, but this has been my best hunting year yet. I filled my bow, rifle, and doe permit tags and two crop damage permit tags. I haven't seen harvest numbers yet but my impression is that the hunting up here is going well. The DEC did give out far fewer doe permits up here this year. I still have a muzzleloader tag I can fill next week.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I hunted Catskill NY on the first weekend of Deer season and saw no fewer then 12-15 deer total. I had 2 does in my crosshairs but no doe permit so I could't shoot.

Between the 4 of hunting we probably saw 25+ deer but they were mostly (90%+) and very few bucks over 1 1/2 years.

I was reading an article on ESPN outdoors saying how the area between NY and Mass has become a great area for deer between a lack of hunting and a huge increse in State lands bought from mines and lumber companies.

Maybe the west and north have seen too much pressure for too long?

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

Well....... first bowseason I've ever been skunked!! The deer population is without a doubt diminished. I think the winter really hurt. Yes the yotes continue to grow. I also think the 17 zillion tags they handed out last year was ridiculous. You could theoretically shoot 9 deer last season? Correct me if I'm wrong. Multiply that by the number of hunters and that's a hell of a lot of deer. Typical NY build up the herd then take it down to nothing. Least amount of deer I've seen during bow and definitely during gun. I hunt 7f (finger lakes)

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

i have 300 acres in hancock, ny. out of my camp and three other camps surrounding us, only 1 guy took home a doe. this year has been incredibly bad. between last years harsh winter and the coyote population increasing, its not gonna get better, at least for this year. opening day there wasnt many shots fired. i gave up for ny this year and am going to try pa for the last two weekends.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

My Dad and brother hunt Stamford, NY every year and came home skunked after enduring 3 rain soaked/fogged out/windy days. A total of 5 guys got absolutely skunked and discouraged.

I hunted Orange Cty near Pine Bush and saw 8 does and a monster buck too far to shoot. We tagged a spike out of 3 guys.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I WOULD AGREE WITH MOST OF YOU ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON.[:@] HOWEVER, THE LAST WEEK OR SO, WITH SNOW, AND LESS HUNTING PRESSURE, I'VE HAVE SEEN A LOT MORE DEER.:D I'M IN 9K.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I agree with that kingpin. Seems like the last 2 or 3 days they start to show themselves again. Most everyone has put up their guns for the year. I saw a buck last night. The bad thing was he laid there in the swail about 200 yards from me with his head sticking up tantalizing me. Never moved. I spotted him around2:30 yesterday and wathced him until dark.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I've seen plenty of deer this year. The first day of gun season stunk, I killed two this week. Everyone I know has killed at least two. My one buddy took two really nice 9 pts one bow one gun, they look like twins.

I sounds like it's time to start doing some yote hunting in some area's.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

i hunt in 3h sullivan co. i shot a nice 8 ptr. opening day,saw plenty of small bucks and does.i think that where i hunt there is little hunting pressure any more.the road i park on to get to my stand had only 3 trucks on it opening day .15 years ago there would have been 10 or so. but every where i turn everybody is asking where are the deer as the population as a whole is declining.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I havent seen a buck yet this season, and it ends P.D.Q. I hunt in a couple places in 6G (jefferson county). Around here i think the huters are to blame for the low population, I mean the hunters who take ALOT more deer then legally allowed.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I live and hunt mostly in 6c....east of Lake Ontario. I took a doe with the bow and a buck with a rifle this year. I stoppped deer hunting after that due to spousal pressure! I was told that the freezer was already full. Generally, in my area, it has been boom or bust. Agricultural areas seem to hold more deer. The "big woods" areas have been somewhat of a bust for many hunters I know.

KimberRuger..."I' ve hunted the same 500 +/- acres in Mayville, NY (Lake Chataqua area, near the Erie PA border) for over 20 years."

My daughter and son in law live in that area...not far from Jamestown....near the small community of Gerry. They will be having our first grandchild this spring....so I have a lot more reason to visit. I was hoping to do some hunting down there, but you don't sound too optimistic about things there. I was interested in the bow season. Beautiful area!

I agree with some others here. DEC is too slow to respond to the needs of hunters and to the reality of field conditions here. Bureaucratic mess!

The so called "nuisance permits" continue to anger me. I talked to a farmer yesterday who was given 6 of them. So far, he has been unable to fill any of them. He has not had the opportunity. If the deer aren't there, why are they handing out the permits? They are abused by some...they are used in other areas. This same farmer....and many others...are given these nuisance permits...but their land is posted up tight against other hunters. The rationale that is used in handing out the permits....that deer are damaging crops....if these farmers are truly concerned about crop damage, then why not allow hunters to hunt their land? The reality is....some of it is just plain greed...they want permission to harvest as many deer for themselves as possible...and some are doing just that.

Hopefully DEC will respond in an appropriate manner to reverse the current situation here in NY...but it will probably be later than most of us would like.

Clint

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

I hunt a wooded area in Eastern Orange County(3P).The Forest Manager advised me that the acorn crop was poor this year,and the deer count is down. The deer take has been down also. Me,I did'nt see a tail in 8 days of hunting.
I think that the poor weather affected me,more then most.
Frank

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

i keep hunting logs for the past 10 years. this season has shown over 50% less deer sightings for myself. Also, i have a circle of about 40 hunters i talk to daily (i own a tavern) and out of all these guys only 7 have seen scrapes in the woods this year. i personally only saw one, and that was the 1st day of bow season!
I am just now beginning to see rubs, but still no scrapes. i know the deer are around, (tracks , droppings) but i can't believe the lack of rut activity here in the capital district. these are areas that usually have the woods torn up by bucks by the opening of turkey season!
deer overpopulation my a$$!
moose

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

13 yotes and counting this season.

clint,
I couldn't agree more. "nuisance tags" are a joke. The DEC is so ready to hand them out too. I would bet that 90% of these tags given out are for no other reason than you stated. So cooter and the boys can shoot as many deer as they can. That's a shame and I can't believe the DEC doesn't see it. Actually they probably do but like you said will wait until there is 2 doe running around all of NYS.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

Ny Bowhunter...I have been interested in Coyote hunting, but have never done it. I know some local hunters who hunt them with dogs. Is that the method you employ, or do your use calls to bring them in?

Curious, Clint

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

NY.....

"nuisance tags" are a joke. The DEC is so ready to hand them out too. I would bet that 90% of these tags given out are for no other reason than you stated. So cooter and the boys can shoot as many deer as they can.

Hey, I know of one family who gets those tags. They have a large heated treehouse and a huge baitpile. They have even rigged floodlights so they can extend their "hunting" hours. They are a joke. Yep...a whole bunch of cooters!

Clint

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

clint,

I shoot them when they walk by my stand while deer hunting. That's my technique lol. Its' scary how many there are to be seeing them in plain daylight like that. Sounds a little discomforting walking out of the woods at night in my area.

RE: New York Deer Hunting
 

It was the weather. I own 40 acres in Steuben County 8T. I took 2 weeks off for deer season and then continued to hunt everynight after work. I had groups of hunters in from all over, including most from Mass. Everybody got deer but me the first week. Each night in town at the local tavern the talk was nobody was seeing or taking any deer. The local DEC Officer said, it was because the deer had already grown their winter coats and it was way to warm for them to move around with these on. I had game cam out all season, and sure enough I had new deer pic's everynight. No pic's at all during daylight hours. Thanksgiving day/weekend it was in the 70's here. I drove down the road and seen heads sticking out of the golden rod fields. Too hot for them to move. The third week snow came and cold temperatures. I started seeing Bucks and Does during daylight. On Monday, Dec 8th, the next to the last day, I took my buck. Had taken a doe the day before, and one the day before that, and one the day before that. Tuesday the last day roads around here were flowing with blood and drags all over the place. A guy from Buffalo took a nice doe from my place. He hadn't seen anything for 3 weeks where he hunts. It was the snow and the cold. Wednesday my muzzleloader hunters arrived and within 10 minutes, scored! Total take on my 40 acres so far is 8 bucks, 10 does. Game Cam is still out and showing more bucks each night, some as early as 2:00 pm in the afternoon. Note: Don't give up till the last day ! Hint : It was also the moon phase. I'm now an expert on that, since having a game cam. Feel free to write me. [email protected] PS I guided 15 different hunters this year.