Coeymans Creek WMA 4B

[GreeneHunter]

Coeymans Creek WMA consists of 360 Acres ( 4B) and is located in lower Albany County accessible via Route 144 .  The road into the WMU has been recently paved and has a parking lot on the other side of the NYS Thruway !   https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/118954.html

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by GreeneHunter

[biggamefish]

Way to make this place a zoo!!!! Now everyone knows!!  Lol I always wondered about this place.

[Chelsea FC]

Hi, my name is Dan and I'm a Capital Region resident looking to hunt the area's public lands. Coeyman's Creek popped up in my research and I'm wondering if anyone has hunted here before and has any insight (deer trails, best access point - east or west, popularity/hunting pressure at this WMA). Any insight you have would be appreciated, and thank you very much!

Edited November 8, 2023 by Chelsea FC

[mowin]

Welcome aboard @Chelsea FC

I'm sure someone will chime in. 

[518BowSlayer]

That's a pretty new WMA... 2 maybe 3 years? A buddy of mine actually used to hunt there years ago when it was privately owned. Don't recall him ever killing any bucks there though. I hunted the Louise Keir WMA once for squirrel, not to far from the coeymans one. I saw and shot one squirrel there but I remember seeing some deer sign. Another friend of mine grew up right near there and they always had deer around and the occasional bear in their garbage cans. I grew up in that area so I figured I'd share what little information I have to give. Hope it helped a little and good luck! Also... welcome to the forum! 

6 hours ago, Chelsea FC said:

Hi, my name is Dan and I'm a Capital Region resident looking to hunt the area's public lands. Coeyman's Creek popped up in my research and I'm wondering if anyone has hunted here before and has any insight (deer trails, best access point - east or west, popularity/hunting pressure at this WMA). Any insight you have would be appreciated, and thank you very much!

 

[Chelsea FC]

Thank you @518BowSlayer! Appreciate any scrap of info I can get.

[biggamefish]

Not sure where you are located but partridge run is decent hunting all public.  Lots of land to roam.

Don't know anything about coymens. Best bet is take an afternoon and walk it. It is always fun exploring new places

[Chelsea FC]

Nov. 2023 update on Coeyman's Creek: it is BUSY. I showed up opening day at 6 a.m. at the east side access point off River Rd., and there were 13 cars already there. Another car pulled in as I was leaving. I decided to go to the west side access point and there was nobody in that lot (for good reason, as much of the property is cut off on the west side by Coeyman's Creek). I was able to cross the creek on some dead fall back to the east side (it was sketchy and I don't know how I would've gotten a deer back across had I shot one). I staked out a deer trail that runs along the creek for about three hours but didn't see any deer. I must've heard more than a dozen shots though. I didn't want to move at all for fear of interfering in another person's hunt. I then staked out a small field on the west side of the creek for about an hour but didn't see anything. Overall not a good experience at all, but much was learned.

I left around noon and looped back over to the east side of the property to see how many people were still there. There were about 8 cars and two parties loading up deer, a doe and what looked like a forkie. I talked to 5-6 guys and they said the pressure was pretty intense, and they had to walk way further than anticipated to find an empty spot. Turns out one hunter was on the same line I was about 150 yards downstream so it's a good thing I didn't move.

Which brings me to a set of questions about hunting public land if anyone wants to take a stab:

1. Is a blind a must for hunting public land? I assume you don't really want to set up a tree stand on public land because what if another hunter doesn't see it (or does) and sets up his blind in the same area? The only alternative to those options is just going out and sitting under a tree, hopefully with some elevation (which is what I did). How far away from another hunter is considered acceptable to set up your blind? 300 yards or so? I'm assuming the law of the land is first come, first serve, so get their early or not at all. But you still run the risk of someone not seeing you and setting up on top of you.

2. If everyone is setting up their blinds more or less quietly and in the dark, how do you know you're not setting up on top of someone or directly across a field from someone in a mutual field of fire? Do you hang an orange vest from the top of your blind?

3. Say you shoot a deer but you don't drop it and need to start tracking. You can't really go tromping around after it and ruin everyone else's hunt, right? If it wanders into another hunter's territory, is it fair game? It seems like if you shoot one you better shoot it dead, and that you can't really track during a pressure situation on public land. Is that accurate?

4. In terms of deer behavior on public land during medium to high pressure, how much value is there to hunting the afternoon/pre-dusk hours? In general are most of the deer too spooked and wary by then? Or can it be worth it to stick it out until sundown?

Thanks for reading/engaging if you still are. I'm obviously trying to get at some of the unwritten rules of hunting public land and any insight you have would be appreciated.

 

[blackbeltbill]

1 hour ago, Chelsea FC said:

Nov. 2023 update on Coeyman's Creek: it is BUSY. I showed up opening day at 6 a.m. at the east side access point off River Rd., and there were 13 cars already there. Another car pulled in as I was leaving. I decided to go to the west side access point and there was nobody in that lot (for good reason, as much of the property is cut off on the west side by Coeyman's Creek). I was able to cross the creek on some dead fall back to the east side (it was sketchy and I don't know how I would've gotten a deer back across had I shot one). I staked out a deer trail that runs along the creek for about three hours but didn't see any deer. I must've heard more than a dozen shots though. I didn't want to move at all for fear of interfering in another person's hunt. I then staked out a small field on the west side of the creek for about an hour but didn't see anything. Overall not a good experience at all, but much was learned.

I left around noon and looped back over to the east side of the property to see how many people were still there. There were about 8 cars and two parties loading up deer, a doe and what looked like a forkie. I talked to 5-6 guys and they said the pressure was pretty intense, and they had to walk way further than anticipated to find an empty spot. Turns out one hunter was on the same line I was about 150 yards downstream so it's a good thing I didn't move.

Which brings me to a set of questions about hunting public land if anyone wants to take a stab:

1. Is a blind a must for hunting public land? I assume you don't really want to set up a tree stand on public land because what if another hunter doesn't see it (or does) and sets up his blind in the same area? The only alternative to those options is just going out and sitting under a tree, hopefully with some elevation (which is what I did). How far away from another hunter is considered acceptable to set up your blind? 300 yards or so? I'm assuming the law of the land is first come, first serve, so get their early or not at all. But you still run the risk of someone not seeing you and setting up on top of you.

2. If everyone is setting up their blinds more or less quietly and in the dark, how do you know you're not setting up on top of someone or directly across a field from someone in a mutual field of fire? Do you hang an orange vest from the top of your blind?

3. Say you shoot a deer but you don't drop it and need to start tracking. You can't really go tromping around after it and ruin everyone else's hunt, right? If it wanders into another hunter's territory, is it fair game? It seems like if you shoot one you better shoot it dead, and that you can't really track during a pressure situation on public land. Is that accurate?

4. In terms of deer behavior on public land during medium to high pressure, how much value is there to hunting the afternoon/pre-dusk hours? In general are most of the deer too spooked and wary by then? Or can it be worth it to stick it out until sundown?

Thanks for reading/engaging if you still are. I'm obviously trying to get at some of the unwritten rules of hunting public land and any insight you have would be appreciated.

 

Not much of a Deer Hunter here. I only Hunt MUAs /State/Public Though. There is a carry over though as far as Hunting Areas that can get Crowded.

   You arrived at 6am to see 13 Vehicles on the opener.

I always arrive at 3.30am to no later then 3.40am.  99% of the time,I am parked first.  Most guys start to arrive at 4am with a Trickle and many more by 4.30am.

 On the NY + NJ Turkey Openers,I arrive at before 2.30am. Nap and Coffee. 

 Get There The Firstist With The Mostist-- General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

  Park at before 4am next time even if someone  else is there.

 These Guys here will help you further. 

[GreeneHunter]

7 hours ago, Chelsea FC said:

Nov. 2023 update on Coeyman's Creek: it is BUSY. I showed up opening day at 6 a.m. at the east side access point off River Rd., and there were 13 cars already there. Another car pulled in as I was leaving. I decided to go to the west side access point and there was nobody in that lot (for good reason, as much of the property is cut off on the west side by Coeyman's Creek). I was able to cross the creek on some dead fall back to the east side (it was sketchy and I don't know how I would've gotten a deer back across had I shot one). I staked out a deer trail that runs along the creek for about three hours but didn't see any deer. I must've heard more than a dozen shots though. I didn't want to move at all for fear of interfering in another person's hunt. I then staked out a small field on the west side of the creek for about an hour but didn't see anything. Overall not a good experience at all, but much was learned.

I left around noon and looped back over to the east side of the property to see how many people were still there. There were about 8 cars and two parties loading up deer, a doe and what looked like a forkie. I talked to 5-6 guys and they said the pressure was pretty intense, and they had to walk way further than anticipated to find an empty spot. Turns out one hunter was on the same line I was about 150 yards downstream so it's a good thing I didn't move.

Which brings me to a set of questions about hunting public land if anyone wants to take a stab:

1. Is a blind a must for hunting public land? I assume you don't really want to set up a tree stand on public land because what if another hunter doesn't see it (or does) and sets up his blind in the same area? The only alternative to those options is just going out and sitting under a tree, hopefully with some elevation (which is what I did). How far away from another hunter is considered acceptable to set up your blind? 300 yards or so? I'm assuming the law of the land is first come, first serve, so get their early or not at all. But you still run the risk of someone not seeing you and setting up on top of you.

2. If everyone is setting up their blinds more or less quietly and in the dark, how do you know you're not setting up on top of someone or directly across a field from someone in a mutual field of fire? Do you hang an orange vest from the top of your blind?

3. Say you shoot a deer but you don't drop it and need to start tracking. You can't really go tromping around after it and ruin everyone else's hunt, right? If it wanders into another hunter's territory, is it fair game? It seems like if you shoot one you better shoot it dead, and that you can't really track during a pressure situation on public land. Is that accurate?

4. In terms of deer behavior on public land during medium to high pressure, how much value is there to hunting the afternoon/pre-dusk hours? In general are most of the deer too spooked and wary by then? Or can it be worth it to stick it out until sundown?

Thanks for reading/engaging if you still are. I'm obviously trying to get at some of the unwritten rules of hunting public land and any insight you have would be appreciated.

 

I could probably walk there or ride my ATV there  from my house and will go there sometime next week ... during the week of course ! I've never been in there except by the Railroad Tracks riding the ATV !