Tag Archives: Deer Hunting

November 22, 2011

Roots of Hunting Passion Linked to Turkey Day

By Author

My brothers and I were among the less fortunate youth who grew up in New York State waiting until we were 16-years old to legally chase whitetails with a gun. Most states are far more accommodating to introduce youth to hunting deer at an earlier age – and I applaud New York for finally starting a youth mentoring program that gets kids hunting earlier.

Many years after those initial hunts with my dad (far right), my family still hits the field. This picture, from 2008, is only missing my oldest brother, Bud, from our core group.


In hindsight, that long wait years ago helped introduce me to archery and bowhunting as it afforded me the chance to get into the woods earlier. For that I am thankful.

But one of the things I’m most thankful for during this time of year, is that my dad let me accompany him on a special Thanksgiving Day hunt when I was just a little tyke.

Each year, dad would keep me held in suspense until after the tryptophan had nestled itself deep into our bellies before he’d invite me to join him, my two older brothers and my uncles for an afternoon hunt on Thanksgiving Day. I’m sure there was a bit of constant nagging by me leading into those moments, but being able to join made me look forward to that day more than most others during a calendar year. During those years, the season opened on Monday and the it was only four-days old each time we went afield.

It mattered none that I walked and sat next to my dad unarmed. To me, I was hunting. And you needed to look no further than the solid blaze orange hunting suit I wore to know I dressed the part!

I think I was a solid good-luck charm too. Very few trips to the woods ended with someone not finding luck on those hunts.

Something about those Thanksgiving hunts planted something in me that no amount of drugs can tame. Perhaps it was the anticipation of the hunt alongside my family. It very well could have been the opportunity to share something with my dad. Maybe it was a reclamation of my hunter roots. It might have had something to do with my birthday always falling somewhere near that day. More than likely, though, it was a combination of all of those things.

Regardless, the passion for chasing whitetails that those early hunts instilled in me runs deeper than the roots of a century-old oak. For that, to me, is something to be thankful for.

—

Cat Tales: With a little boy expected to join the world any day now, this marks one of only a handful of years that I’m unable to hunt with my family on our farm in NY during the opening days of gun season in New York. Obviously, it’s a lot easier to take when the reason includes such an awesome blessing as having a child enter our family. There will be many more “openers” in the future – and I look forward to sharing them with my kids. For starters, though, I can’t wait to take them on Thanksgiving! In fact, I’m likely going to take my little girl “hunting” (which will consist of a short walk in the woods) later this week here in NC. She has been asking to go all season!

5 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in 2011, General Tales

November 1, 2011

Earning an Outdoors Degree

By Author

Some degrees in academia take two years, some take four. Apparently, getting your degree in the outdoors takes a heckuva lot more than that.

I’m still seeking my diploma in the Outdoors (concentration whitetails) after more than 20 years in search of America’s most sought-after game animal.

Can you find the buck in this screen shot? This buck played the role of teacher last week in my search for an outdoors degree.


And this week was another lesson that professor Nature provided, leaving me as a stumped pupil hoping to not make the same mistake twice.

My hunting buddy Kenny and I made our near-annual trip to Western New York to chase whitetails with bow and arrow. It was its normally fantastic trip, yet neither of us were able to connect with a giant northern deer. I came the closest, yet never flung an arrow thanks to a minor hiccup by your faithful veteran blogger.

Let me set the scene.

It was chilly – a crisp morning with temperatures locked in the mid 20s. For any deer hunter who relies on their senses for how good a hunt could turn out, you would understand when I say it felt like a “deery” morning. Shortly after 9 a.m. I noticed a single doe standing in the woods. I decided to video her.

Shortly after I hit the record button, she made the all-too familiar glance behind her that signaled she was not alone. Was it a buck? I noticed another three deer walking toward her and figured those deer were the subject of her interest. I kept the video recording.

It was then that I heard the sound of a buck making a single, quick grunt. I quickly transitioned into hunter mode, pushing my camera arm out of the way in exchange for a clear lane to draw my bow. I kept the video camera recording, but the it was pointed at the tree I was perched in. As I reached to the other side of the tree for my bow, I could hear deer running toward me – a clear sign that this buck was bumping at least one of the does. In just a few short seconds, several deer went from 60 yards behind me, to being within 15-25 yards of my treestand.

By the time I turned back around with bow in hand, a doe and the buck were glancing my direction. I was busted. And he was a shooter – A chocolate-horned heavy eight-point with an “ain’t happening” stare.

I knew my opportunity was gone. There would be no way to get my bow drawn and make an effective shot on the buck at that point. I decided to reach for my camera arm and try to steer it toward the buck to catch video of him before the doe and he took off. I was able to capture just a couple short moments of video. And it was over.

I knew at that point, because our trip to NY was so short, that this might be my last opportunity at a good buck this year with my bow. And a rookie mistake of not anticipating a possible buck being with those does ended up costing me.

Lesson learned. And there will be many more before this hunter receives his diploma.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 2011, Day Afield

October 9, 2011

When Deer Attack …

By Author

Among the several reasons I share for hunting deer, I can honestly say “self defense” has never been one of them.

After an unusual deer:human encounter last week in Preston, Idaho, I think protecting citizens from deer is a fine enough reason to hunt.

The screen shot shows the corn field where a struggle with a muley took place (image borrowed from localnews8.com)

AHT reader Jason Shell sent along the following story.

According to LocalNews8 in Idaho Falls, jogger Sue Panter was attacked by a shady mule deer as she ran alongside a corn field. She knew right away that something was unusual about the animal as it walked parallel with her as she made her way down the roadway. Could you imagine the fear?

Thankfully, for Panter, Michael Vaughan and his 17-year old daughter Alexis were able to play the roles of hero to make sure the buck didn’t kill Panter in the freak accident. And according the report, it was Alexis who should most be credited with going to combat against the muley.

The story is well worth reading. Click here for the written and video stories. Perhaps a rut-crazed young buck? Idaho officials are in search of the deer to try and figure that out.

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 2011, General Tales

June 19, 2011

A Hunting Future in Peril?

By Author

If you’re anything like me, the next couple statistics will scare you. They will make you think. And they may just make you consider introducing someone new to hunting next time you hit the woods.

According to a recent management plan released to the public by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the number of deer hunters in that state has decreased by 40 percent in since the mid-1980s.

Management Plan for White-tailed Deer in New York State 2011-2015


Further, an article by John Ozoga in the August 2011 issue of Deer & Deer Hunting notes that only 69 hunters replace every 100 who stop hunting nationally. Some states are as low as 26 new hunters per 100 churned out.

Not one thing about those statistics is good.

Few who follow the hunting industry can be surprised by those numbers. For years, we’ve been exposed to the steady decline of hunters in the woods. The aging population of America coupled with the growing movement of our country’s population to more urban environments is driving the significant drop.

As hunters, it’s time for us to put our crosshairs on recruitment – not just to save the future of our sport, but also to introduce new people to a sport that is cherished by so many of us.

I applaud New York’s DEC (something I rarely do, by the way) for initiating and developing a plan that includes a significant recruitment plan as part of its deer management. While still in the review stages, the DEC invested more than two years researching, assessing and developing the current plan. It currently includes six goals:

“1) Manage Deer Populations at levels that are appropriate for human and ecological concerns; 2) Promote and enhance deer hunting as an important recreational activity; 3) Reduce the negative impacts caused by deer; 4) Foster understanding and communication about deer ecology, management, economic aspects and recreational opportunities while enhancing DEC’s understanding of the public’s interest; 5) Manage deer to promote healthy and sustainable forests and enhance habitat conservation efforts to benefit deer and other species; and 6) Ensure that the necessary resources are available to support the proper management of white-tailed deer in New York.”

I personally think six goals is a bit lofty. In reading the 50+-page plan, I think No. 3 could be whittled down as it would be a likely output of accomplishing several of the other goals. That said, with the exception of getting a few objectives that really would be defined as strategies or tactics, the plan is well thought out and includes consideration for much of the feedback the DEC heard from hunters via several research-gathering tools.

So how does NY plan to recruit to help the hunter deficit? There are five objectives laid out in the plan.
1) Promote recreational hunting among all New Yorkers, as a safe, enjoyable and ethical activity and as the primary tool to manage deer populations.

2) Establish deer hunting seasons, regulations, and programs that are effective for deer population management and that encourage hunter participation, recruitment, retention and satisfaction.

3) Promote efforts to reduce harvest of young (less than 1.5 years old) bucks.

4) Improve hunter access to public and private lands.

5) Consider other forms of outdoor recreation with or affected by deer management.

The plan dives further into each of those strategies with several strategies for each objective. I encourage you to read these, and other elements of the plan. There are several elements of the plan that can help each of us come up with little ways we can do our part in recruiting new hunters.

Our sport’s tomorrow depends on us doing something about hunter recruitment today.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 2011, General Tales