New Guy

[elkhunter801]

Hello Everyone.

My name is Jared and I am from Utah and enjoy hunting anything and everything. I have always wanted to harvest a whitetail deer. My sister now lives in the big city in New York and I was think why not visit and hunt. I have been trying to read thru the regs on https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html trying to figure it all out. I will have a lot of questions of the best way to get tags. Anyways I thought I would introduce myself and look forward to having some fun on this forum

[mowin]

8 minutes ago, elkhunter801 said:

Hello Everyone.

My name is Jared and I am from Utah and enjoy hunting anything and everything. I have always wanted to harvest a whitetail deer. My sister now lives in the big city in New York and I was think why not visit and hunt. I have been trying to read thru the regs on https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html trying to figure it all out. I will have a lot of questions of the best way to get tags. Anyways I thought I would introduce myself and look forward to having some fun on this forum

Where is your sister located in the state? 

Might able to help you with that goal. 

[nywaw]

Welcome to the site @elkhunter801!  I'm sure the members here can help get you on the right track! 

[Splitear]

Welcome. I moved from the Midwest (Illinois), and it was definitely a shift in hunting strategy. The NY forum was definitely a big help for me in figuring it out. A lot of great and knowledgable guys and gals on here. 

[elkhunter801]

5 hours ago, mowin said:

Where is your sister located in the state? 

Might able to help you with that goal. 

She lives in Manhattan 

[Wolc123]

8 hours ago, elkhunter801 said:

She lives in Manhattan 

I live in western NY, about as far from “the big city” as you can get in NY.  I’ve only been thru there once, when our daughter’s high school field-hockey team made the “final four” two seasons ago.  

On our drive thru the borough of Queens, I did see a large-bodied  8-10 point whitetail buck laying dead, on the shoulder of the big multi-lane highway.  I’m not sure if any hunting is allowed right there though.   
 

We had to drive thru the big city, to get to Long Island, for the tournament.  While there, I met a guy who does quite well hunting whitetails on public land on Long Island, mostly with a bow.  He takes at least one decent buck, almost every year, along with a doe or two.  
 

Based on those  experiences, It looks like you certainly could get into some decent whitetail hunting, less than an hour’s drive from your sister’s place.  
 

In my humble opinion, as a pure “meat-hunter”, there is no state in the lower 48 that holds a candle to NY, when it comes to whitetail deer hunting.  
 

No where in the state is that better, than here in northern WNY, where the deer population is litterally bursting at the seems. It is higher right now than it has ever been, after the most mild winter in recorded history.  We have very liberal bag limits. Anyone (even non-residents) are allowed up to (7) antlerless deer in addition to (2) antlered ones, every year.  You can purchase up to (4) dmp tags yourself for some of these overrun DMU’s, plus get (2) transferred from others.  
 

If you buy archery gun and muzzleloader licenses, you will get (2) buck tags plus an additional antlerless tag, all of which can be used in any DMU in the state.
 

Many DMU’s are literally overrun with deer and offer up to (4) dmp tags per hunter, (2) of which can be used (on antlerless deer only) during a special September  gun season that started (2) years ago. 
 

Unfortunately, a ridiculously heavy work schedule kept me away from home and out of state for much of the hunting season last year, and I wasn’t able to put much of a dent in those numbers myself, taking just (3) WNY deer last year.  
 

From a pure numbers standpoint, it’s hard to beat the deer hunting in WNY.   That said, I much prefer the deer hunting up in the North Western part of the Adirondacks.  That is mostly because of the beauty of the scenery up in those mountains, which exceeds that of anyplace else I’ve been in the lower 48.  
 

It is no small coincidence, that Teddy Roosevelt found out that he had just been named the youngest President ever of this great Nation, while he was deer hunting up in them mountains, after his predecessor had been assassinated in the city of Buffalo. 
 

Then as now, there was no prettier place in the country, for a guy to go deer hunting.  Why wouldn't the second best President that this country ever had (IKE was #1) hunt here ?

These pictures are some of my recent kills, the first (2) are a buck and a doe from last year, the 3rd is my largest buck from (2) years ago, and the last is my target Adirondack doe from (2) years ago.  I had been after her for (3) seasons and she was about the most challenging deer that I have ever pursued.  

My favorite time to deer hunt in my favorite spot (the Adirondacks) is the early muzzleloader week in October.  Not only can you often catch the peak fall color of the leaves at that time, but the smallmouth bass fishing is also at its seasonal best up there at that time.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Wolc123

[elkhunter801]

Guys thank you so much for the replies. It appears I will start looking at the western and north western part of the state. Do yall recommend any mapping software. I use ONX maps to make sure I know where public private land is. Those look like some great animals to harvest I am excited for this new adventure. If anyone has any questions about hunting out west please ask I would like to return the favor.

[mowin]

5 hours ago, elkhunter801 said:

She lives in Manhattan 

I'm in northern Columbia co. 

Keep me in mind when the season rolls around.  I'd be happy to put you in a tree. 

[grampy]

Welcome Jared! The Catskills are just north of NYC. Lots of great whitetail hunting there. I'm in the hills of Albany County just a bit farther north. Lots of deer here and some bear too. Would be happy to host you, should you get to these parts.

[elkhunter801]

Thanks again. For the offers. Everything but cougar and general elk tags are a draw in utah and wyoming as a non resident. These results come out in 3 weeks and then I will knowhow busy my hunting schedule will be out here. Is there a better season than another back there that I should focus on? And as I read are all of the permits over the counter. I have harvested deer and elk with rifle, bow, and muzzle loader over the years out here so I am familiar with all types.

[Buckmaster7600]

If my goal was to kill a decent buck in New York without the ability to scout I would plan on hunting the late muzzloader season before or after Christmas. Most likely to have snow, without scouting snow is the equalizer! The Catskills have plenty of public land and good deer numbers. 

[Wolc123]

Are you mainly looking for a large antlered buck, good scenery, or meat ?

If it’s meat, it would be hard to beat the early September gun season in WNY.  That is the time of year that the deer are at their top physical condition, and best to eat. 
 

If it’s scenery, there are several  good options.  In my opinion, as I already mentioned earlier, early ML week in the NW Adirondacks (mid October) is tough to beat.  There are some large antlered bucks up there,  but they are few and far between compared to WNY.  
 

The ability to take an antlerless deer up there, with the smokepole on that week, greatly increased your odds of success.  
 

As far as the best  scenery up there goes, it’s almost a toss up between peak fall leaf color in early/mid October, and first good snow cover in November.  That often hits on Thanksgiving weekend.  By then, it’s gun season and does are off-limits.  
 

Besides being beautiful, that snow cover makes it at least 10 times easier to kill a buck up there.  Even myself was able to bring down a couple of them up there on Thanksgiving weekend, when I had a buck tag left, and there was good snow cover.  
 

The snow makes it many times easier to see them, and it shows you where they have been.  It can be as easy as just following their tracks, until you catch up for a shot.  I prefer to find a good spot, take a seat, relax and wait for them to come to me though.  Buckmaster can help you out with the tracking technique.

This was my first Adirondack buck, that I took at my in-laws place, on a snowy post Thanksgiving Saturday, a few years ago.  

Some places offer a pretty decent combination of scenery, big antlers, and numbers.  Letchworth state park in WNY is one of those. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Wolc123

[grampy]

In NY, the best part of the whitetail rut is right around November 10th. At that time, most bucks are on their feet and actively pursuing doe.

[elkhunter801]

Good to know. As far as goals I would like to hunt and see it all. In utah the majority of our deer seasons take place before the rut, so I would like to experience a rut hunt, but my wife has a good shot at a late season bull elk tag that is in November so it will depend on if we get lucky in the draws. Size wise I think given the chance would always want to get the biggest possible but it is not the end all of the hunt, I enjoy the experience as much as anything I wouldn't let antler size ruin a hunt. As far as muzzle loaders, I was trying g to figure out what is legal. In Utah we can use powder pellets primers and high power scopes(our muzzle loaders are more single shot rifles). With that said my muzzle loader is illegal to use in Colorado. Wondering if I need to buy a new one and set it up to the rules and regulations of new york. I could leave it at my sisters house to make traveling easier. So any insight on that would be great

[grampy]

The muzzle loader you have been using in Utah, will be legal here in NY. Inlines with scopes are welcome in most all of this state.