Hunting News Daily » NYBowhunter.com

2012 Shed Hunting Contest Winners Announced

NYBowhunter.com — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:13:00 +0000

After miles of walking through the woods, this year's contestants picked up some really nice sheds. You voted and the winners of the 2012 Shed Hunting Contest are:

1st place - deerhunter1127

2nd place - autumnrush

3rd place - mbucks27

Thank you to all who entered in this year's contest and we hope to see you again next year!

Vote for the Winners of the 2012 Shed Hunting Contest

NYBowhunter.com — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:29:00 +0000

The 2012 Shed Hunting Contest has come to a close on the NYBowhunter.com Forum. Vote for the winners on NYBowhunter.com.

Today marks the final day of the 2012 Shed Hunting Contest on the NYBowhunter.com Forum. It was a great season for shed hunters across the state and we've had several entries into this year's contest.

Now it's up to you to decide who wins! Here's our contestants and some of their finds. You can see all the sheds found on the NYBowhunter.com Forum.

NYB member AutumnRush is no stranger to shed hunting and finds several good sheds each season. He's also got a knack for photography. This was one of the largest sheds he found this season under one of the largest rubs I've ever seen.

NYB member AutumnRush finds a 5-point shed antler underneath a giant buck rub.

Another shed fanatic on the NYB Forum is Deerhunter1127. He doesn't just find sheds, he finds A LOT of them! This year he came in with 54 sheds! That's incredible!

Deerhunter1127 found 54 sheds during the 2012 Shed Hunting Contest on NYBowhunter.com.

Some shed hunters stick it out to the end and NYB member Mbucks27 picked up shed after shed until the woods greened up after the warm weather hit in April. Check out his finds!

NYB member Mbucks27 found several nice sheds including a nice matching pair that he mounted on a reproduction skull.

During the 2012 shed hunting season, Psebrute picked up 6 shed antlers and found a skull of a 6-point buck.

Psebrute found these sheds on a mile and a half hike through the woods.

One of the coolest sheds found this season was a large palmated shed found by NYB member Mattysams.

Mattysams found some huge sheds including a giant palmated shed antler.

So now it's up to you to decide who wins! Vote using the poll on the upper right corner of NYBowhunter.com. Voting ends at 9:00 PM EST on Friday, May 11th!

A special thanks to our sponsors including Minnesota Workwear (like them on facebook)

New York State Record Archery Non-Typical Taken in 2011

NYBowhunter.com — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:26:00 +0000

Giarraputo buck taken in 2011 is the new number one Archery Non-Typical in New York.

After the required 60-day drying period, Mike Giarraputo of Suffolk County has taken the number one spot in the New York record books with his Non-Typical whitetail taken during the 2011 archery season.

The 23-point Long Island buck was panel scored by Steve Cook, Mike Chirico, and Paul Primavera at a remarkable 210 4/8" Boone and Crockett. The Giarraputo Buck pushed past the previous record of 205 1/8" held by the Mark Surdi in 1996.

DEC Proposes Changes to Deer Hunting Rules

NYBowhunter.com — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:44:00 +0000

DEC has proposed rules affecting deer hunting to implement the state’s Five-Year Deer Management Plan. Here is the press release to announce the changes, followed by some additional links to more background information.

“Regulation changes are needed to implement many of the strategies of the recently adopted Management Plan for White-tailed Deer,” Commissioner Martens said. “The changes to the deer hunting seasons, mandatory antler restrictions, use of Deer Management Permits (DMPs), and development of Deer Management Focus Areas will increase opportunities for New York hunters, consistent with input we’ve received from the public and deer management goals.”

DEC adopted the five- year deer management plan in October 2011 following extensive public input and can be viewed at: www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/deerplan2012.pdf.

Comments previously submitted on the draft deer management plan were important in finalizing the deer plan and developing this rulemaking proposal. DEC will accept public comments on this proposal through May 21, 2012. Comments on this rule should be specific to the proposals herein and should not be resubmissions of previous comments submitted on the full deer management plan or previous regulatory proposals.

This rule also proposes some adjustment of bear hunting seasons, which are generally concurrent with deer seasons. DEC is proposing to:

Establish a three-day youth firearms season for deer to occur during Columbus Day weekend in portions of the Northern and Southern Zone where deer may be taken with a firearm which will increase opportunities for junior hunters. Junior hunters (ages 14 and 15) will be authorized to take one deer of either-sex with a firearm during the youth season. DEC anticipates participation by approximately 16,000 youth hunters, roughly one youth hunter for every two to three square miles of deer habitat in New York. The youth season will run concurrently with early bowhunting season and is not expected to have any noticeable impact on deer behavior or bowhunter success, particularly in light of the more than 100,000 small game hunters also afield during the early fall. Youth deer hunts are held concurrent with bowhunting seasons in many other states, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Opinions of potential participants about a youth firearms season can be found at www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/ythdeer2012.pdf.
Lengthen bowhunting seasons in the Southern Zone by moving to a fixed opening date of October 1 to increase bowhunting opportunities. This will lengthen bowhunting seasons in the Southern Zone, and lengthen the regular season (bowhunting only) in Westchester County by an average of 15 days and include an additional four weekend days in most years.
Adjust the Northern Zone muzzleloader and regular season start dates by up to one week later certain years to increase bowhunting opportunities and accommodate the proposed youth firearms season. This rule will begin the Northern Zone muzzleloader and regular seasons one week later in 6 of 10 years allowing for a longer early bow season these years.
Establish a late bowhunting season in the Northern Zone, concurrent with the late muzzleloading season, to increase bowhunting opportunities. This rule will increase bowhunting opportunities in the Northern Zone by an additional seven days and will be similar to the concurrent bow and muzzleloader seasons in the Southern Zone.
Allow DMPs to be used during Northern Zone bow and early muzzleloader seasons to simplify regulations and increase hunter opportunity and choice. Current regulations allow use of DMPs in the Northern Zone only during the regular season and late muzzleloader season. This change will only affect those portions of the Northern Zone where DMPs can be issued (Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 6A, 6C, 6G, 6H, 6K), and this change will not affect the number of DMPs issued. WMU locations can be identified at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8302.html.
Establish mandatory antler restrictions in WMUs 3A, 4G, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4S, and 4W to reduce harvest of yearling (1.5 year old) bucks. The mandatory antler restriction will prohibit hunters during all seasons in all portions of the listed WMUs from taking an antlered deer unless it has at least 3 points on at least one antler. Hunters less than 17 years old will be exempt from the restriction. In 2011, yearlings comprised 49 percent of the total adult bucks taken in these units. This rule is expected to change harvest composition so that 15-20 percent of the adult bucks taken in these units are yearlings. The restriction is expected to decrease total buck harvest approximately 35-45 percent initially. Simplify the description of the area open for deer hunting during the January firearms season to include Suffolk County, subject to local discharge restrictions. Current regulations include a complex and lengthy description of open areas that are unnecessary considering existing local ordinances and legal setbacks from structures for discharge of firearms. Establish provisions for designation of Deer Management Focus Areas to intensify use of traditional hunting in specifically designated geographic areas to assist communities with the burden of overabundant deer populations. This rule will increase bag limits to two antlerless deer per hunter per day and establish a Deer Management Focus Area deer hunting season in late January. This rule will establish specific permit, tagging and reporting requirements in focus areas. This rule also defines the first such focus area in Tompkins County that includes portions of the towns of Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Enfield, Ithaca, Lansing, Newfield, and Ulysses. This area has very high deer populations and relatively poor access for hunters. Deer management focus areas will enable greater harvest opportunity for hunters who are able to gain access to lands for hunting, and are intended to augment on-going management activities in the affected area.
Adjust bear seasons in the Northern and Southern Zone to remain consistent with bow, muzzleloader and regular seasons for deer.
Correct a road name in the boundary descriptions for WMUs 5A and 5C, where Franklin County Route 24 was incorrectly identified as State Route 24.

To see more detailed explanations of these proposals, including instructions for providing comments, visit the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/propregulations.html. The proposed rulemaking can also be viewed in detail in the April 4, 2012 publication of the New York State Register, which is available at www.dos.state.ny.us/info/register/2012.html.

The public comment period will remain open until May 21. Please do not submit comments by replying to this email message. Rather, please review the proposal documents and use the mailing address or email link provided with the proposal documents at www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/propregulations.html (see Parts 1 and 4 - Single Species and Species Management Areas [White-tailed Deer and Black Bear]).

For additional background on these proposals, I encourage you to review Appendix 2 (Proposed Deer Hunting Season Structure) and Appendix 3 (Alternative Buck Harvest Strategies) in the Management Plan for White-tailed Deer in New York State, and the Assessment of Public Comment on the Draft Deer Management Plan, all available at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7211.html#DeerPlan. You may also find information regarding some of the proposals, including the youth hunt, changes to bowhunting seasons and mandatory antler restrictions, on our website at: Deer and Bear Hunter Surveys (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/74971.html) and Antler Restrictions in New York (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/27663.html).

GEAR GUIDE: Margaritaville Kingston Sun Glasses

NYBowhunter.com — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:58:00 +0000

PROS: Polarized lenses, spring hinges, sculpted polymer frame for comfortable fit, rubber temple pads, integrated leash system, nose cushion pads, zippered sunglass case and cleaning cloth.

CONS: The downside of having a sculpted frame and the sunglasses sitting closer to your face is they can start to fog up if you're running or hiking up a steep mountain and working hard.

MSRP: $79.97

A few months back I got an email from Margaritaville Eyewear to try out their new line of polarized sunglasses. Margaritaville Eyewear has eight pairs of sunglasses in it's lineup with frames made of heat sculpted polymer, forged alloy or a proprietary composite material.

The sunglasses I chose was the Margaritaville Kingston which is a heat sculpted polymer frame with black polarized lenses. The first time I really got to take these sunglasses out and put them to the test was on some winter hikes through the snow covered hills of Connecticut.

With the bright sun reflecting off of the snow it was extremely important to have polarized lenses to cut down on the glare and help me find shed antler that would only have a tine or two sticking up through the snow.

I really liked how these sunglasses fit my face because I usually have trouble with sunglasses fitting me properly. This felt like they were made for me and completely protected my eyes. The rubber temple pads kept the sunglasses from sliding forward which was especially important when looking down as you typically do when you're hiking through the woods. The rubber nose cushions kept the pressure off the bridge of my nose and made wearing these sunglasses for an extended period of time comfortable.

Another nice feature of these sunglasses is the integrated leash system that allows you to hook up a lease to the end of your sunglasses to wear around your neck to prevent loosing the sunglasses if they happen to fall of your face. This is a nice feature for winter snow sports and various water activities during the summer months - fishermen will also appreciate this feature.

Overall I was extremely impressed with my Margaritaville Kingston sunglasses. The fit and finish was top notch and the hard shell zipper case and included cleaning cloth make it easy to protect the sunglasses. If you're looking for a new pair of shades for your next fishing trip, hanging out on the beach or snowboarding down the mountains, give the sunglasses over at Margaritaville a try.

Shed Hunting Season Winds Down in New York

NYBowhunter.com — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:45:00 +0000

Robert sent me this photo of a giant set of shed antlers that his brother Donald found in Dover Plains. The landowner ended up taking possession of them, which is kind of interesting. There's really no laws specific to shed hunting in New York, so do you think the landowner was right in taking the antlers from the hunter that found them?

Jimmy Serra of Baldwin, New York was helping a fellow hunter track a doe on the last day of the Suffolk County shotgun season when he came across this matched set of antlers from a 10 pointer. After finding the first side of the rack and admiring it, Jimmy noticed the matching side only 20 feet away. The 10 point shed antlers scored 125 inches.

Damien sends me great photos from scouting, deer hunting and shed hunting each season. This year has been no different and Damien has already collected 20 sheds this year.

Finding sheds is easier in January and February before things start greening up towards the end of March and early April.

This is an awesome photo of a great 5 point shed with some serious marks in a massive pine tree. Hopefully Damien comes across some of these bucks next fall.

If you've been finding sheds this season don't forget to enter the Shed Hunting Contest on the NYBowhunter.com Forum. Prizes include a Carhartt jacket in Realtree AP and gear from Muzzy.

Extreme Archery Named Premier Dealer by Hoyt

NYBowhunter.com — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Extreme Archery in Mamaroneck, New York was presented with the 2011 Premier Dealer award by Hoyt for its sales of Carbon Matrix bows during the 2011 season. Extreme Archery had the fourth highest sales of Hoyt's carbon bows throughout the country which is an extremely impressive feat as the store is during it's sophomore year of business.

Congrats to Ernie, Tommy and the entire Extreme Archery crew on their achievement.

Westchester County 10 Point Archery Whitetail

NYBowhunter.com — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:43:00 +0000

Here's a story from one of our reader's, Will Macri, about a buck he took in Westchester County a few season back:

It was the first Sunday of bowseason and the windiest day of the season (35-40 mph swirling winds all day). I was set up in a handmade ground blind on a break in a stonewall separating some awesome bedding areas from hardwoods.

After standing on the ground in horrible winds for at least 3 hours, I finally had some movement coming out of the bedding area. One by one the does filed out until there were about eight of them within 50 yards of me. That when the buck came right behind the does.

The does hung around for about ten minutes before they started wandering off one by one and none of them came through the break in the stone wall like they normally did. Finally all the does were gone and the buck wast just standing there. Still near the bedding area, the buck slowly started walking towards the break in the stone wall.

When the buck came to the spot where the does turned off the trail, he paused. The buck looked in the direction of the does and I immediately thought it was over. Then suddenly the buck turned to look back towards the break in the stone wall and started coming in.

The trail led the buck right to the stone wall and with the buck standing broadside at 12 yards, I drew back, put the pin behind the shoulder and gave him a little grunt. As soon as he stopped is as quick as the arrow hit him. The buck ran off in the direction I was staring at all afternoon, but about 17 yards into it he did the the old shake and wobble and dropped.

It was the most exciting day of my life I was on cloud nine all day and night and even the next couple days at school. I couldn't ask for a better season than filling my buck tag with a monster on day two of bowseason.

Story by NYB reader, Will (BJ) Macri

2012 Westchester County Adaptive Deer Management Program

NYBowhunter.com — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:20:00 +0000

I know it's only March, but it's time to start thinking about deer hunting in Westchester County, New York.

For those interested, the 2011 Westchester County Adaptive Deer Management Report and the 2012 applications are now posted online.

Feel free to pass around or contact us if you have any questions.

http://parks.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2549&Itemid=4435

Deer Hunting with a Recurve Bow

NYBowhunter.com — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Here's a great buck that was taken during the 2011 archery season in New York. After a slow November things started to pick up on Mike's trail cams in early December. Mike gave his old college roommate Neil a call and invited him to come hunt in Westchester County.

Neil lives in the Adirondacks in a town called Tupper Lake and each year he tries to make it down to Westchester to hunt with Mike so he can actually see some deer. Hunting the Adirondacks is hard enough with a gun and Neil does it with his recurve.

Early in the season Neil was able to harvest his first deer with his bow - a 130 pound Adirondack doe. When Neil came down to visit, Mike put Neil in his stand and sure enough around 4:15pm Neil was able to harvest this nice 8 point buck.

Neil spotted the buck at about 80 yards and was able to get him to change directions with a couple grunts and a doe bleat. The buck came straight in and presented him a perfect 18 yard broadside shot.

Congrats to Neil on an awesome buck, especially with a recurve. Also a big shout out to Mike for letting his good friend sit in his treestand for the weekend - that's what hunting is all about.