Hunting forecast

[Mike]

If its ok ii thought a change of viewing would be nice...I know there are a lot of hunters here and would be nice to hear from different areas....Here in northern VT it looks like it should be a great season....Apple crops look great and food plots are doing good.... Mike

[Gary R]

Leaving soon for 2 weeks for Colorado. Have early season high county Mule deer tag. All hunting done above timberline (12,000ft). It may kill me.

At home very few deer sightings. Food plots are weedy. Hardly any acorns, which is good. Archery starts September 26. Will hunt 6 days a week for 6 weeks.

Still plenty to do in the Sugarshack.:)

[mapleack]

Things are looking good at my house, had a nice 8pt eating apples in the yard when I got home last night, and there's a nicer 10 around. Several weeks ago there were 29 deer within sight of my house at the same time, and 15 were identifiable bucks. I won't start a debate about point restrictions and doe management, but things have definately improved in my area over the last 10 yrs!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Can't wait to chase those big bucks with stick and string this fall. Guess I get a little more selective each year which cuts down on the chance I even get a shot at one, much less kill one. I got a new Matthews DXT this summer, so I am probably cursed as I had killed 4 big bucks with the old bow, but guess too late to worry about that now. Either way, it is fun trying and I have off at least 16 days in Nov to chase those monsters not counting Sundays which hunting is not allowed if things go as planned and the Lord allows. Don't expect to kill anything and it will be a lot of hard work with the way I hunt, but I look forward to it for months and the many days of just enjoying God's creation sitting 25 to 30 feet in a tree from daylight until dark every day and spending aprox 3 hours each day walking to and from vehicle to wherever I hunt.

Mast crop and apples should be good, I hunt on public land and I do my scouting in October, so no way to predict as the deer are very scarce in most of the areas I hunt.

[maple flats]

Been seeing several deer in my area. Just put out a scouting camera on Monday, will check to see in a few days. I hope to break free enough to get in more time hunting this season. The last 4 seasons i have gotten very little time to hunt but I think I have gotten more of my work done this year so I can take a few days out to hunt. Last year I only got a few 1 hr sits, with no results. That was the first year in about 15 that I did not get at least 1 for the freezer. This year I hope to get 1 doe and 1 buck but will let real small bucks walk. My area gets so much pressure in the surrounding woods that the bucks are seldom left to grow up, so I just wait for a 6 or better. If i could get everyone on board i would rather do 8 or better, or 3 1/2 or older. The hunters here are pretty much the "if its brown, its down" crowd.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Gary R
Stop and get yourself a case of FAT TIRE best beer from Colo.

[Pete33Vt]

Mike, you are right for around here this year looks to be great. I have seen more deer this summer than usually. And the amount of and quality for bucks I have seen is unreal. Its not to offten you can see two very wide rack bucks together in the field. I can wait for hunting season. Which reminds me does permit list should be out today. Gotta go.

[Gary R]

Haynes,

Thanks I'll probably do that. I've had a few Fat Tires over the years. I have a few relatives out there and have been out almost 20 times over the years. Almost all hunting trips. I even attended the Great American Beer Festival in Denver about 9 years ago. I've since retired from drinking all that good beer. It's been to hard on the mid section and the wallet:)

Andy,

Maybe we should swap hunting area's;)

[Mike]

Pete, Yesterday was the deadline for sending in permits....I don't think the list is out yet...................Mike

[ennismaple]

After the severe winter we had last year the deer numbers are down. I`ve only got 2 tags this year - both are good for either buck or doe in archery season and one can also be used during rifle season.

I`ve been seeing a few bucks and does when I`ve been home to the farm and I got my trail camera out last week. Hopefully when I check it there will be a MONSTER buck in the area!

Good luck to all! I can`t wait until the Oct 1 bow opener.

[jrthe3]

picked up my new bow a parker wildfire xp have not had a chance to shoot yet plan on doing this weekend have had trail cam up for two weeks now lot of does one little spike and one very odd squirl that could not figure out what he had found got like 8 or 10 pics of him right in row had a friend show me some pics he got of some wild pigs seems like they are becomeing a bigger and bigger prob every year here in N W PA hope to get a shoot at one

[Maplewalnut]

Here in NE Pa, the game commission admittedly is on a quest for fewer deer. A doe season that used to be 3 days now has been 2 weeks for a couple yearscplus a special muzzleloader week in Oct for does only. The deer population has plummented. Antler restrictions have produced bigger bucks but you have to put your time in anymore to even see deer.....unless of course you drive through some of the subdividions and housing developments that have three or four deer in every yard eating ornamental flowers, vegetable gardens and manicured lawns.

[maple flats]

I checked mt trail camera 2 days ago. I got a pic of a huge one, unfortunately it looked like me. The deer may not have switched to their fall travel routs yet or I am in trouble. Where I set my camera is at one of my treestands that has produced more deer over the last 25 yrs than any other. Usually get one at this stand almost every year. Alas, no activity here in a week. Things might have changed because a neighbor ran a new ATV trail about 50' north of my sight, they might be following that now. Not knowing everyone who might use that trail I hesitate to aim the camera on it fearing someone might walk off with my camera and it cost too much to risk. If I don't get any pics by next weekend I will move the camera to another usually good sight, back off the property line much farther. In this same general area I have at least 3 traditional travel routes to scout. Next weekend I will decide if I will move this camera and either way I will set up my second camera on one of these other routes.

[Gary R]

Mule Deer hunting in Colorado went OK. Our party went 3 for 3. All small bucks though. The terrain was more demanding than I thought. Then we got chased off the mountain by waking up to heavy snow Wednesday morning. PA bow season is less than 2 weeks away.:)

[super sappy]

Just back in from the first scouting mission of the year and things look promising here in Easton. Back field no deer. north field no deer , south field 12 total ( 20 acre field mowed about a week ago) 5 bucks , 1 real big rack large 8 or better . 2 were fighting so bad I couldnt tell how many points but each had nice big horns. The last two were both 6 ptrs. I walked right up to those wile they were watching the fight. I have never seen deer fight in the wild like this before. they were standing right up on 2 legs and running into each other locking horns and driving each other into the dirt, it went on for at least 20 minutes. I left when it got dark and they were still at it. I may buy a permit this year after all.-SS

[super sappy]

Just back in from the first scouting mission of the year and things look promising here in Easton. Back field no deer. north field no deer , south field 12 total ( 20 acre field mowed about a week ago) 5 bucks , 1 real big rack large 8 or better . 2 were fighting so bad I couldnt tell how many points but each had nice big horns. The last two were both 6 ptrs. I walked right up to those wile they were watching the fight. I have never seen deer fight in the wild like this before. they were standing right up on 2 legs and running into each other locking horns and driving each other into the dirt, it went on for at least 20 minutes. I left when it got dark and they were still at it. I may buy a permit this year after all.-SS

[maple flats]

I see deer and lots of tracks at the front of my woods, but in NY we can not shoot within 500' of any dwelling except our own. At the front I have neighbors on each side of my 600' wide woods and to hunt I must be in the rear half of my 14.5 acres because of this law. I have had my scouting camera in 3 usually good locations, at least a week in each. No pics yet on the first 2, have not checked the third yet. Even with this I still know there will be deer in my woods come gun season, and hopefully during bow season too. Here bow open 10/18 and runs til 11/14 and again 12/8-12/16. Reg gun runs 11/15-12/7 and muzzle loader runs 12/8-12/16. I hunt all these. My best has generally been in muzzle loader, when other hunters have over hunted neighboring properties and driven deer to my woods. They also naturally come to my woods when there is lots of snow on the ground and if that happens during the hunting season it is fantastic hunting. My woods have been a wintering yard for years because i work the woods which opens up lots of feed opertunities for the deer. I do not plant food plots but having a woods with a healthy understory provides both food and shelter for the deer.

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

Well the hunting season is off to a start for me, left on Sunday for Portage Maine, in hopes of tagging a moose. After 2 days with only seeing 1 spike horn and one cow, we managed to finish 8:30 wednesday with a 575 lb small bull.. Not a monster but should be good eating..

[peacemaker]

well to all u ny and vt deer slayers good luck hope it ends early fur ya ... sounds like its gonna be wet

[super sappy]

I am now an official hunter with a permit, tag and everything. Dusted off the 30-06 sighted it in. Went down to the farm and met up with my friend Jolly, He had just run over his rifle with his 4 wheeler. We fixed up his gun popped off a couple of shots and off we went hunting. I went into my stand and got up the ladder and was fartin around getting comfortable and noticed some deer watching me. They walked off, then on about 3:00pm a hunter walked into my watch. Then another hunter walked by. Then right before dark a small spike and doe came out and stood right under me. I felt the spike was too small to shoot and a tiny deer to boot so I made a fart noise and they took off right toward those other hunters. Some how they made it out alive, One of the guys I saw in the woods was back at the farm and he said that he had seen a "trophy spike horn" running with a doe but they were too quick and he couldnt get a shot. I think Ill go back to visiting the greenhouse on saturday and go hunting somewere else. -ss

[peacemaker]

seen 5 doe yesterday no horns

[Maple Restoration]

Hi everyone it’s been awhile since I have been on, glad to hear some of you just starting into your deer hunt. We just finished our two week deer season for rifles on the weekend. For the first time in many years we finally had no-resident tags so we had my cousins up from PA. They took home a nice 120 lbs spike horn, from what she was saying that would be a large deer for them back home in weight that is.
We finished the weekend with one more spike horn , cleaned and dressed we pack the freezer with 90 lbs of meat, now time to get back to the bush and work on new lines for the spring and maybe one last bow hunt for the year.

[Fred Henderson]

I have dropped four so far. I kept 2 and gave two away. Still looking for a nice rack buck. Now that the weather has turned cooler they will be moving more often to feed.

[Gary R]

As we've said, PA has ruined deer hunting in most of the state. Our archery season ended last weekend. I hunted 31 out of 35 days in the season. With the exception of 2 of those days, I seen 5 bucks and 7 doe. Nothing to shoot at. Those 2 days, I hunted up at Sugarmaker's neck of the woods. Seen 13 deer those 2 days. One was a nice 8 point that ran by at 10 yard's chasing a doe. I couldn't get him to stop.

In a week and a half we break out the rifle's. I sure hope there's one buck around for our family.

[peacemaker]

go to jersey thats where the hunting is amazing and u can hunt from sept till feb if u use a bow shotgun and muzz. with doe the daily limit is ...unlimited ...
there is alot of state land and more deer and so many bucks u can let them walk by and pick the one u want .... can u say 12 years of deer managment .... down there they started with earn a buck no horn limits just if u shoot a doe first u get a extra buck tag ... we shot a nice 8 last year that was being chased by a record 12 ... he just wouldnt pause for us

[Gary R]

I like the earn a buck plan. We already shoot more does than bucks anyway. The guy looking for 1 deer for the freezer would go home and leave the bucks alone to grow. I doubt it would ever happen here. To much tradition. Also the state is fairly big. I don't know how the would check in does and then give out buck tags. Maybe some day.

[peacemaker]

jersey has check in sattions run by the state and lgun shops gas stations ... it works well for like buck week the college kids studying to be bioliogist man the stations and yup more does are shot to fill the frezzer and now there shot record bucks down there that are huge and if u want good eating u want them young does anyway ...taste like veal

[super sappy]

Well after a couple of days and no deer for Jolly he decided to run his gun over with the 4 wheeler again.(second time )Got it patched up again , so a dispondant and semi depressed jolly decided to drive the whole farm by himself ( 400 acres +-) He walked thru everyones watch and basically pissed off everyone. Wile everyone else was leaving all mad Jolly went into his tree stand and shot a beautiful buck. He said it was trotting by and he couldnt hold his gun steady so he had to break a branch off the tree he was sitting in to rest the gun on like a shooting stick. Jonny went back and measured the shot 280 yards. 1 shot right in the bottom of the head /top of the neck on a moving target. I have seen this guy carry on like this for years and alwayse an incredable head shot. Last year he made one like it on a doe running away like a bottle rocket at 175 or so. He said that he learned to shoot like that in Vietnam. I am having a great time hunting this year. These retired guys are fun to hang out with. -SS

[Tweegs]

Nothing yet.

Rifle season ends here on the 30th. Lower half of the lower peninsula, where I am, does not allow rifles, everything else is OK.
Have had a .44 mag on my hip since opening day.

Several smaller bucks hanging around the property prior to the opener. All vanished once the shooting started.

Been kinda quiet during the week, one doe spotted rummaging around the apple trees when we pulled in last night. Tomorrow holds promise.

[super sappy]

If I get the buck I saw tonight . I will Quit drinking ,swearing, looking at women , and adding taps for this year! And I will try to go to church if a 10 pointer hangs off my buckpole tomorrow. So be it -Super sappy

[ennismaple]

I've only managed to get out bow hunting one morning and one afternoon since the start of October. I passed on a small doe first time out.

In rifle season I shot a huuuge buck in our sugar bush walking in to my watch on opening morning. He's a solid 8-pt that nets 126 even and dressed out at 216 lbs. Thursday afternoon I shot a 107lb doe. Deer numbers are down in our part of Ontario because of the heavy snow we had last spring.

[peacemaker]

sappy i think u gonna too far now ....looking at women for us is a religious experiance ... its like buying a ice cream and not eating it

[tuckermtn]

Peacemaker- check your pm's- need to send you your shirt...

-tuckermtn

[peacemaker]

hey thanks sometimes it tells u u have them sometimes it doesnt

[super sappy]

Peace - Hey i bought a bottle of water that day too. Didnt get the buck. I think he is an alien or something. Been doing some hunting with a guide from the adirondacks , he has deen giving me pointers on deer behavior and just basic hunting tips. The guy knows his stuff I got into an area yesterday and was completely surrounded with deer - if they had guns Id be hanging - Even had a small spike catch me in an opening we had a pissing contest for about 30 minutes. he was acting so cocky I almost let one fly just to show him how stupid he really was . I wont waste my last tag on a small deer. I have never shot a real big buck and I want to bad. I gets worse when you see one and its on the neighbors property and all he has to do is sidestep 15 feet and hes yours.

[super sappy]

I think that coming out of hunting retirement was about the smartest thing I have done in years. I was sitting on watch tonight and saw a bobcat just walk by then stalk a chipmunk. We also seem to have a small population of black bears, my friends wife showed me some video that she shot of one in their christmas trees.They come around every so often , my mother in law got one down by the hudson a few years ago. Smoked it with her Subaru. Oh yea- The Bambi thrashin buck slayers are 4 bucks shy of a 12 pack. Alot of small bucks this year, I have been letting them go, but my one buddy wont, There is 8 days left to deer hunt then I am going to trade in the 30-06 and get a shotgun. The woods around here are loaded with Phesant, Ruffeled Grouse and The turkey population is healthy too. I think I will even give coyote hunting a shot this winter. I have seen 9 different dogs in the last 10 days. I hope that with my rekindled love for hunting I have time to get my sugaring stuff ready-Super Sappy --- out__

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Sappy- If you need help killing something let me know=I'm all ready to make some noise BIGTIME.

[super sappy]

If I drag another NH hunter in here Deer hunting the locals will lynch me. We can set up some bird , rabbit or whatever , - Another project-At the north end of my road turn left go 1.5 miles cross the hudson and you are at the site of the Battle of Saratoga. I know of only one guy who religiously metal detects those fields down by the river,Ushally after they plow in the spring. I even think that the Hessian soldiers that were sent to rob supplies from Bennington walked over Wrights road into the sights of the green mountain boys. Do you see where I am going with this? I wonder if revoluationary war cannon balls and or artifacts are worth anything. They have to be there somewhere 1o thousand or so soldiers scraping it out for two weeks are bound to make a mess. - As a side note to a previous post I made adout those guys from NH being handy with a gun. I read that It was a sharpshooter from NH that shot English General Frasier in the gut and ultimately killed him and threw the tide of battle in the favor of the American forces in Saratoga.- Man that battle field is full of huge bucks , hasnt been hunted since 1959. I do know a guy that got drunk back in the day and tried to set the park on fire to drive out the deer.He said It started out ok then the cops showed up and he had to dust. What people will do for a wallhanger.

[Sugarmaker]

Just saw Kim's message about political issues on this web site.
We hunters may be the next to go. Would it help if I said I like maple mustard on venison burgers? :)
Site in day at our place. Wife will go to town because she doesn't like the noise in the back yard and Eric and I will make sure the 06's and 243 are ready for Monday Monday A.M. Had some slop taken out of the hammer side play on the old 760 Game-master and it is back in action for another 50 years!

Good luck to all those that hunt whitetails.
And keep the maple chatter coming!
Yeah, and where is that WV Mapler/ deer hunter?

Chris

[peacemaker]

todays it for me as far as riffle goes then a week off and dust off the cap gun ...but as a funny note well for me not my brother in law he had a nice 8 which is the one i think i missed in his cross hairs at 40 yds pops of the safety of his rem 270 semi auto squezzes off to the old snap with no bang miss fired ... drops down below his umbrella reloads comes back up he is still there looking around off with the safety again squeeze u guessed it snap no bang this time big boy trotted off .... he survives again

[super sappy]

Neighbors son got the trophy buck that I kept seeing on their property. It was his first buck .10 pointer 23" spread a real beauty but a small deer only about 130Lbs. I told him to enjoy- it is all down hill from here. His head was somewhere around cloud nine so I dont think he heard me. I really was happy for them he was with his grandfather when he got it. Good times for them. That stuff is priceless. I think I will hunt some more this week but I am anxious to cut up some down wood I found. Also saw a huge coyote today biggest one yet . he walked away from me ,that one had some attitude. Also found some trees to tap if I can get permission I will go and ask later. -I bagged up all of the rest of the returnable bottles at the greenhouse today . I think some of the guys have a drinking problem 860 budweiser cans in I think 12 days. I am glad I dont hunt with them much just an accident waiting to happen . Root'in toot'n straight shoot'n ,super sappy-out- Ps good luck to all you Pa guys tomorrow, I think your rifle season opens on dec1?

[peacemaker]

supper sappy as big of a dog as we saw this summer

[super sappy]

Peace - this one was about 25 feet away when he decided to get up- He looked at me like maybe I might be dinner for him . I am not an expert on dogs by any means - and I know that a winter coat on a coyote can add weight but Id have to say 75-90 lbs and real healthy looking. All of the others that I have seen ,I go Beep Beep like the road runner and they dust . This dog just looked at me and walked away It was kind of erie if you know what I mean. We will meet again I am sure < He better not be so arrogant next time or I will make a thong out of him to wear to the beach next summer.-ss

[peacemaker]

as long as you dont wear it to work .... that one we saw heading up that field was 70 i bet he was huge ...

[peacemaker]

oh and why isnt he dead already ....u say nieghbor kid do u mean the nieghbor kid

[tuckermtn]

peace- check our PMs

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

I went out today for the last of our season, What a hard day to hunt, the snow was noisy and hard to walk.. I did manage to bag a house cat, that was stalking a chicadee.. We call that justice for the songbird. I did call one of the Gov's favorate chineese restaurants, but they figured after a 30-06 it would not be worth skinning... Hopefully when muzzle loader starts I can get the dog, that was stalking the cat!!

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Last night you would have gotten me down at the buffet. Almost made it again tonight as the wife called me at work giving me the news that there would be no cat ribs at home tonight. I had her make me some french toast and i loaded it right up with some exlir... I had them make me up a couple of seagull wings last night/haven't see any in town since last summer??

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

thats awsome, do they ever have crab legs???? If they do what night of the week? I need the moneY!!

[super sappy]

No peace not the molester. If I saw him in the woods Id have him straped to the front fender of my truck, heck theyd elect me Mayor of Easton, We might have to tolerate the "600 acre non for profit gay mens resort", but child molesters NO- NO NO. the molesters grand pa came over thanks giving Am looking for syrup, Answer- NO SYRUP FOR U - I might have to change my handle to the syrup nazi. ---VVS is there a northern and southern season in vermont? we still have one week left.I thought VT started on the same day as us in the south ,maybe I am confused.

[802maple]

You are right that Vermont started on the same day as your southern tier season and we ended yesterday. We do not have a southern and northern tier season like you do.
We all get to get our old smokies out next week and pretend to be Daniel Boone and then it is all over for another year, atleast here. I may have to go back down your way for your smokie season as I have a New York tag left to fill, I got to look at the freezer situation to see if there is any room.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Snoop- Imperial Dragon in claremont has legs every night of the week=While your at it you can apply for the "Shift Managers" job that i see they had posted on the sign out in front of Burger King yesterday while your over there.

The ? is though are you qualified enough?? maybe move right up to company president in a hurry?? A little grease here and there can go a long way you know.