Here's another picture from one of our readers of the drop tine buck that's obviously doing well. His rack is larger than in the previous picture we had and he's now moving through the area during the daylight hours!

It's been a different story for me on the other hand. While I've obtained a few new properties to hunt that are littered with big buck sign, I can't seem to get a single picture of them. So far this five pointer is the "big" guy around. If things keep up like this I'm going to have to hope for a mature buck to cruise by during the rut!

It might still be summer, but it's not too earl to start thinking about hunting season. Each year in New York hunters across the state purchase Deer Management Permits, or DMPs as they're called, based on the Wildlife Management Unit(s) they plan to hunt. 

New York has limited DMPs based on the WMU you are hunting in so its important to know where to apply for your permits. Recently the DEC released their odds of selection for DMPs on their website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30409.html

As a reminder, the license fees have changed as well, and DMP applications will now be free only for holders of a Junior Hunting or Junior Bowhunting licenses and for hunters who purchased a Lifetime Sportsmen License prior to October 1, 2009. All other license holders will be charged $10 for the DMP application. The $10 fee covers application for 1 or 2 DMPs.

Another change to be aware of this season is that some Wildlife Management Unit boundaries have changed. Make sure you review the new WMU boundaries so that you are able to apply for a DMP in the correct unit. Once you obtain a DMP permit you can't change the unit it's valid for.

I hope that Anthony has another picture of this buck to send me in the future, only next time with the deer by his side. Good luck Anthony, let us know how the season goes!

Take a look around and let us know what you think. There's more to come!

Mason has good reason to be excited. Here are the two deer from last year that Mason and his hunting buddy harvested on film! Guess they ran together one too many times.

Last season I was also lucky enough to kill one of the bucks I captured on my trail cam. I shot the deer from a treestand a few hundred yards away from where I originally caught the buck traveling through the area. Surprisingly, what really tipped me of to be certain I killed the buck I had on film was the tear in his left ear. Have you ever killed a buck you have trail cam pictures of?

The bucks are moving throughout the day as they usually do during the summer months. It's always interesting to watch the bucks as they grow throughout the season and put on inches of antler.

Looks like John might have a problem deciding which buck to shoot come bow season - now isn't that a problem we'd all like to have!

Check out this buck's right leg. Near the bottom it's obviously deformed. Looks like this buck could have broken its ankle and somehow it was able to heal. This buck seems to be doing just fine considering the injury to his leg.

The deer weren't too afraid to let us get fairly close and my Canon 70-300mm lens let me reach out and bring the deer close.

I had a chance to photograph this buck several times, but was anxious to put the DSLR down and pick up the video camera so I only took a few pictures. The ISO setting was set pretty high because of the low light conditions so the colors aren't great, but his rack sure is for a young one.

This buck would be hard to pass up this year, but he was with a much larger 8. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of the larger deer, only video. This 8 pointer had a split G2. Next year he'll be a dandy.

In our hour and a half adventure through the suburbs we saw well over 60 deer! The highlight of our trip was a bachelor group of three bucks that were busy feeding on a field edge. The smallest was a 2 1/2 year old 6 pointer, followed by a 3 1/2 year old 8 pointer with a split G2 and a monster 4 1/2 year old 8 pointer with a spread over 20" and a sticker point off his G2. Not bad for a buck in early July!

For the most part it was does and a few young bucks, but I got some great footage of a bachelor group of bucks that includes two beautiful 8 pointers. 

"One is a shooter this season with a kicker off his G2 and the other 8 pointer needs another year and has a split G2"

I also got some footage of a doe and fawn which was pretty cool. It's funny to watch the little deer as they learn and do "kid" things.

Stay tuned for the video which will follow shortly!

PROS: Incredible amount of useful information, practical tactics that can be used in any part of the country, a good way to help you kill bigger bucks.

CONS: Video is a little on the long side, but that's not exactly a bad thing.

This isn't going to be your typical Gear Guide here on NYBowhunter.com. I'm not going to talk about a piece of equipment I use to help me take big bucks. This is a piece of the puzzle that helps me locate monster bucks prior to the season.

Last year I came across this video called Hunting Marsh Bucks from Blood Brothers Outdoors. This group of hunters knows what it takes to kill big bucks year after year and that's what I'm interested in learning about. The big buck I'm going to shoot this upcoming fall comes from a variety of things - scouting all year long, shooting my bow all year long, reading deer hunting books, bowhunting magazines, watching educational hunting DVDs, and speaking with other experienced hunters. Information is the key to killing big bucks year after year.

The newest release from Blood Brothers Outdoors is Hill Country Bucks. For us New Yorkers this is a must have video. These DVDs are long and feature few hunts for a reason. They want to show you what to look for and how to hunt a specific terrain specifically for big bucks. Their approach is logical, requires hard work, and has proven itself time and time again. 

I hunt a large tract of public land that is very hilly and also has swamps. I am able to use the tactics from both of these videos to key in on big buck habitat and set up accordingly. Hunting hill country is tricky because of the winds, thermals, terrain and location of bedding areas and food sources, but with this video it will become a whole lot clearer to you on how all those pieces fit together. 

Usually I'm trading in and out of gear rather quickly, but these two DVDs are two that will be in my collection forever. The information they provide is at the very least an excellent refresher course, but for most, myself included, will be a greatly appreciated learning experience. 

Dan was able to take this beautiful buck off of his own land in New York. Nothing like being able to take deer like this off of your own land, congrats.

Kubes was lucky enough to find this bruiser during the archery season. The arrow hit its mark and he had his first P&Y buck on the ground - can't beat that! This buck was taken on November 1st in Cattaraugus County.

If you want to get a buck like these this season, get out there now and do some scouting. The guys who are successful have a few things in common - they scout year round, always look for new properties to hunt, and practice, practice, practice!