Here are some more trail cam pics from one of our readers. This is a really nice 10 pointer and I don't think I'd be able to pass him up if he walked by while I was out in the woods.


The great thing about this deer is that it's frequenting the area. It comes during shooting hours in the morning and evening.


Good luck to our reader this season. It's hard to believe it's just two weeks away! I can't wait. Even though I've been having lots of fun hunting in CT, the big bucks I'm after this season are all in New York.

I recently received an email from the President of the NYS QDMA that outlined certain facts supported by compiled data from New York and around the country. The information was very interesting so I thought I'd share it with you.

Please feel free to voice your support for the state DEC to adopt more of the QDM principles into their management plan in general. The DEC will be holding public meetings over the next few weeks and you may want to bring some of these points to their attention.

You will also find a few of the top issues that were voiced by members around the state. Remember, we are not saying that you have to use this input but merely suggesting that if you would like to, please feel free.

These are simply a few topics and accurate stat's.

• Implementing some sort of protection of yearling bucks.

• Currently New York's statewide average annual deer harvest is comprised of 63% yearlings.

• New York ranks as the worst in the nation for the harvesting of yearling bucks.

• Our buck age structure is seriously out of balance due to outdated management principles.

• Rutting activity suffers as a result.

• Every survey to date (Both scientific and non scientific) shows that a majority of sportsmen in New York want yearling buck protection. Cornell HDRU, DEC, Tiger20Survey, NYSCC.

• A recent DEC survey in Southern NY showed that 67% of sportsmen supported Antler restrictions while only 20% were strongly opposed.

• According to a Cornell HDRU statewide survey in 2007, 75% of hunters said that there were too few older bucks for them to be satisfied.

• Some WMU's in NY have yearling harvest rates as high as 79%!!!!!! (Unacceptable)

• Satisfaction equals retention and recruitment. While hunter numbers around the nation are falling, states with a progressive and modern deer management plan in place show a slower decline than those without.

• New York is currently surrounded by states that have yearling buck protection. PA, VT and even NJ where they are preparing to expand their program.

• Currently 21 other states around the country have some form of successful yearling buck protection and that number is climbing.

• 78% of all hunters hunt deer. "Responsive management deer survey"

• Deer hunting is the number one driving force for economic impacts in the realm of conservation. It dominates the hunting industry with 50% of the marketplace being directed towards deer hunting.

Well here it is, the first video of the season! On September 19th I took my brother to Connecticut for an early season bowhunt and his first ever archery hunt. The morning was slow and all we saw was a red fox. That afternoon we went to a ridge where the acorns were falling in hopes the deer would move through the area as they left a nearby bedding area. This turned out to be a great plan, check it out!

Purpose:

• To provide an update on the status of NY's deer herd and an overview of DEC's statewide deer management program,
• To highlight the current challenges in deer management,
• To identify current issues and concerns of NYS deer hunters and the public, and
• To solicit input from deer hunters and the public on which issues are most important to them.

The next Westchester County Bowhunters Association meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00pm at the Teatown Lake Reservation on Spring Valley Road in Ossining.

The Agenda includes:
1. Dues payment for 2009 ($25 regular membership, $42 includes QDMA membership)
2. Update on Westchester County Parks pilot hunting program
3. Update on the Deer DNA Study
4. Update on other public hunt programs in Westchester
5. Review of Venison Donation Program
6. 50/50 raffle

Hope to see you at the meeting.

Well the season has begun in Connecticut and it's been a great start. I originally had taken off opening day, but after looking at the weather and seeing the next day having a 15 degree drop in temperature and a front moving through I decided to switch my day off.

On that first day I made sure to get into the woods extra early so I could set up my camera equipment. Unfortunately, right before first light I heard some noise behind me as I was setting up my tree arm base and turned to just make out a deer in the shadows - that proved to be the one deer I would see that morning.  That afternoon a steady rain moved in and nothing showed up. It was getting dark so I packed up and climbed down from the stand. As luck would have it I jumped a deer on the way back to the truck and another one right at the truck. It was too dark to make out if these deer were bucks or does, but it was good to at least know deer were in the area.

Friday morning I decided to hunt before work. I slipped into a thick bedding area and the wind was just perfect. Around 7:00am I caught movement in the thicket and watched as a deer quickly headed my way. I grabbed my bow and stood up just in time to see the doe walk out of the thicket and jump the stone wall in front of me. With the doe 25 yards away I drew back, picked a spot behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The deer went about 40 yards before crashing and I had my first deer of the season!

"Sure enough at about 6:30pm my brother turned to tell me a deer was making its way up the ridge towards us."

On Saturday I returned to the woods with my brother on his first bowhunt. Last year I took my brother on his first ever deer hunt and he was able to take a nice buck with his slug gun. It was enough to get him hooked on deer hunting. This past summer he took his bow safety course and started shooting one of my dad's old bows. We practiced all summer long and I got him up in a tree stand to get used to being up in a tree and shooting from the stand.

While no deer showed that morning, we had some better luck in the afternoon. After about an hour in the stand I caught movement in a bedding area about 100 yards away and told my brother to get his bow ready. Within 15 minutes the two does made their way towards us. I filmed the big doe as she fed closer and closer to us. When she got to about 25 yards my brother grunted to stop the deer, but the wind was swirling and she turned and walked off, never giving him a shot.

I told my brother not to get discouraged as the deer would likely come back as it got closer to dark. Sure enough at about 6:30pm my brother turned to tell me a deer was making its way up the ridge towards us. I put the camera on the deer and watched as it made its way towards us. At one point it looked as if something spooked the deer as it took a few quick steps and then changed directions. This proved to be the deer's fatal mistake as it came closer and closer with each step. At about 10 yards my brother stopped the deer and let his arrow fly. We watched as the deer went down and my brother shook with excitement as the adrenalin flowed. It was his first bowkill and I had it all on film!

It was definitely a great experience and one I know we'll both never forget. Stay tuned for the upcoming video featuring Derek as he takes his first whitetail with a bow.

Here are a few pictures of a big mature whitetail that's been hitting the same bean field night after night. I wish I could say these pics are of a deer I'm watching, but they're not. So good luck to the hunter and let us know how you did come opening day, hopefully he's still hanging around.

Hunting season is still way too far away. These pictures won't make it come any faster, but they sure are nice to look at! Thanks to all our readers who submitted these photos.

There have been some great photos of New York deer showing up on various hunting forums and there is no shortage of big bucks this season!

It's coming down to those last final days of summer for the whitetail. The velvet is shedding and the hard horned bucks are polishing up their headgear.

Growing up I had the pleasure of having the "heavy metal" uncle who made sure I got a real education in Rock N' Roll. Uncle Anthony made sure to crank it up for me at a young age so I could rock out to Aerosmith. I grew up listening to Aerosmith, went to my first Aerosmith concert with my Uncle and still listen to them today - Train Kept A Rollin is my favorite song.

Recently I came across some news that Aerosmith's lead guitarist, Joe Perry, is himself a deer hunter. He's got a passion for stalking deer in the woods near his home and has been hunting since he was 12.

Although he had to give up hunting while Aerosmith took off, he's recently had the chance to get back into hunting and fishing. Joe has a place on Lake Sunapee, New Hampsire which he calls his get away. Steven Tyler has joined Joe Perry on a few fishing trips and shooting clays.

Joe Perry respects the fact that not all his fans like the idea of hunting, but he eats what he kills and nothing is wasted. "Hunters are conservationists and their heads are in the right place...(Deer hunting) really gives you a great opportunity to keep in touch with reality," Perry said.

While I haven't seen too many big bucks this summer I know they're out there and these pictures prove it! Some of our readers have been scoring with photos of some big whitetails.

This is a whitetail that would make any bowhunter quiver at the knees. I only hope that I get one like this on film this season. Stay tuned for some exciting footage of our hunts this year.

This is a unique 9 pointer with an atypical point shooting off its main beam near the brow tine. It's almost like this buck is growing two brow tines which is unique. Usually you would see a fourth point further along the main beam near the others.

The first time I looked at this buck I swore I knew him. Last season I had two pictures of a beautiful 8 pointer - the biggest on the property I was hunting in Connecticut - and he looked just like this guy. Unfortunately, I never found him. Fortunately, the season opens next Tuesday and I can try again!

With all the talk about deer season coming up I was beginning to forget about black bear season! Pretty soon the Adirondacks will open up their early black bear season and hopefully a few lucky hunters will be able to take a hefty bruin.

I'm no expert when it comes to bear hunting, but this guy is huge! I don't think I would hesitate to release my arrow on a big bear like that. I'm still on the fence about going this season, but I might make a good long weekend trip to bear hunt again this season and try my luck.

Seems like black bear are just as lazy as deer and would rather walk through a hole in the fence - or rock wall in this case - than go around it or over it.

Not a black bear, but this was a cool pic of a coyote and some pups. That's a pretty vicious looking snarl, I wouldn't want to be the pup that upset mom!

This afternoon started as a typical afternoon. I got home from work, sat down to check some emails and the phone rang - it was Joe.

John has come through again with some nice trail cam pictures, looks like he has a few to choose from this season. I only wish my trail camera was still working and I could get some pics like these: