About a week ago, Paul and I began the final preparations for our food plot at the family winery (you can read last week's post here). We've been doing most of the work by hand and it's been an extremely labor intensive process, especially for a relatively small 1/2 acre plot!


We decided to put a food plot in after hunting the winery last season, however, we got a late start and instead of a spring planting in April, we ended up with a fall planting in August. We mowed the outline of the plot over the course of three days with a lawn mower and weed whacker which wasn't an easy task with four foot high grass. Spraying the half acre with Roundup was another five hour job because we only had access to a 2.5 gallon backpack sprayer.


As a QDMA member I was familiar with the Westchester/Putnam and Hudson Valley chapters and reached out to some of my contacts at the local branches. I found out as a member of the QDMA I could borrow equipment from the Hudson Valley QDMA Chapter's Food Plot on Wheels program free of charge.


After Paul spent a good five hours plowing and disking with the 4' Plotmaster 400, I went up the next day, removed the plow from the machine and disked for another three hours including a section of the field that had dried out a bit since the day before and was unreachable by pickup truck the day before - another sign of our lack of proper food plot equipment. With an ATV or UTV this would have been a much faster process. Even with our mid-size pickup trucks, tight turns in a narrow field were not easy.


I'm not sure when the last time this field was turned over, if it ever even was, but I know it was longer than 8 years for sure. We wanted to ensure that we broker up the soil good enough to form a well prepared seed bed for our clover. Above you can see I buried the teeth on the disks all the way into the soil to help brake up the clumps of grass that used to call this field home.


After the first half hour of disking I noticed that the machine was bouncing a lot because it was so light - even with my truck in 4WD low and in first gear which prevented me from going faster than 5 mph the Plotmaster bounced around. Then I tried putting one of the 80lb bags of fertilizer in the seed bucket for extra weight and it definitely helped.

The previous day Paul had taken the extension arm off of the Plotmaster that had the cultipacker and drag. When I put the extension back on to cultipack the machine was even better because of the added weight. Next time we're going to try to plow and disk with the cultipacker on the machine and the drag out to help break up the bigger pieces of dirt as we're disking the plot. It will be interesting to see how that works and if it helps cut down the time it takes for us to prep the seed bed.

So far we have about 20+ hours into this 1/2 acre clover plot. Hopefully the weather cooperates for us and we get the rain we need. Paul and I are very excited about this plot and have had a lot of fun learning about food plots and putting this one in. If this one works it will be the first of many more to come.

The final days of summer are upon us and the bachelor groups of bucks have put on their final inches of antler here in New York. Before long the shorter days will bring a change to the whitetail woods as the bucks begin to shed their velvet and grow less tolerant of one another. Hunting season is upon us.

Earlier this month, DNA testing conducted by the DEC Wildlife Pathology Unit indicated that a mountain lion, which was spotted in December 2010 in Lake George, NY, was the same animal that was killed by a motor vehicle in Milford, CT in June this year.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) collected the carcass to perform a necropsy (animal autopsy), which revealed that the lean, 140-pound male was two to four years old, had an empty stomach, and most likely had never spent time in captivity.

Furthermore, genetic testing linked this mountain lion to a breeding population in the Black Hills of South Dakota, indicating he traveled a potential distance of around 1,800 miles; the longest distance ever recorded for a mountain lion.

Further details on the analysis of this mountain lions journey are available on our Special News and Reports (http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/74534.html) webpage.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently released a report indicating that deer hunting is undoubtedly the most popular type of hunting in the United States. According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, there were 10.1 million deer hunters in 2006, which is nearly four times greater than the second most hunted species: wild turkey. A wide array of information on deer hunter behavior and demographic patterns, from general participation levels to bag rates is included in the full report (http://library.fws.gov/Pubs/deerhunting_natsurvey06.pdf) on the USFWS website.

The report also includes highlights specifically for New York:

• 92% of NY hunters hunt deer.
• NY hunters spent over 5.7 million days hunting deer in 2006, roughly 60% of their total hunting time.
• On average, NY hunters spent 13 days hunting deer in 2006; 11 days for unsuccessful deer hunters and 17 days for successful hunters. This finding is a bit lower than results from our (DEC) 2007 and 2010 NY deer hunter surveys (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/74971.html), which indicated that deer hunters spent roughly 18-19 days afield per year.

The NYS DEC is investigating reports of sick and dead deer in the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, NY. To diagnose the cause of mortality, tissue samples are being collected by the DEC's Wildlife Pathology Unit and sent to the Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center for testing. While test results are pending, the DEC does not consider this as a human health issue at this time. DEC is requesting residents in the Rockland County area to refrain from approaching any sick deer or deer behaving abnormally, and to please report these animals to the DEC Regional Wildlife Office in New Paltz by calling (845) 256-3098.

The new Bone Collector Scent Elimination Kit has everything you need to get you into the deer woods scent free. Included in the kit is the Scent Shield Scent Elimination Spray (12 ounce), Liquid Body Soap (12 ounce), Clothes Wash (12 ounce) and a pack of Breath Shield Deodorant Gum. This gets you and your clothes clean before you enter the woods and allows you to remain scent free while you're hunting. It's a deadly combo for weary whitetails.


Scent Shield's Odor Dry Storage Eliminator absorbs moisture from sealed clothing containers eliminating  odors and keeping your hunting clothes scent free. They can also be used in your gun or bow case to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

Preparing for the hunt is just as important as the hunt itself. Make sure you do everything you can to get into the woods as scent free as possible. Every little bit helps!

Each year archery manufacturers continue to improve and expand upon their line of products and Easton Archery is no different.


Expanding upon the popular Easton A/C/C Superlight arrows, Easton recently introduced the A/C/C Pro Hunter which is quickly becoming the arrow of choice for hardcore bowhunters who demand the highest quality arrow.


Easton also manufactures a wide variety of arrow components such as the Diamond Vane which is available in a variety of sizes to suit the needs of hunters and target archers alike.

Just thought I'd share some photos of the famous Rocket Broadheads chainsaw - it does exist!

I got to see this first hand at the ATA Show and it was a cool sight for sure. Although I wasn't there when they started it up I did hear it, but something tells me the chain doesn't actually move - that would probably be extremely dangerous!

It's something we've always talked about, but it wasn't until this year that we've actually made it happen (although even now I wish we did this back in April!)


On Thursday night Paul and I headed up to visit our friend Kevin who is the President of the New York State Chapter of the QDMA. The Hudson Valley QDMA has a food plot on wheels program for members and we were headed to pick up the 4' Plotmaster and a 500 pound spreader.

When we arrived we ran into some issues with the hitch I had on my truck and the old mount rusted to the receiver. A few good knocks from the sledge hammer eventually got the old rusted mount off so we could attach the ball hitch and hook up the trailer.


We dropped off the trailer at our hunting grounds and Paul headed back up the next morning to get started tilling the field. We had previously cut the grass, waited two weeks for the grass to regenerate and then sprayed the 1/2 acre plot with Roundup to kill the new growth. This was the first time this field had been tilled and even though we didn't have a tractor or ATV to work with, the pickup truck did just fine.


Paul was able to till the entire half acre plot except for a small 15 yard patch at the back corner that took a beating from the rain the night before and wasn't dry enough to drive through. After a few hours of disking it was time to spread some lime.


With a pH of 6.3 according to our lab results, we were supposed to spread 1,500 pounds of lime to bring the pH up to 7.0. However, since our soil is pretty good and clover will grow in a pH of 6.5 we decided to purchase 700 pounds of lime instead. This should get the plot where it needs to be for the clover to grow and next year we can spread more lime and fertilizer as needed.

Tomorrow morning I'm headed back up to finish the job. I'll be disking the lime in, cultipacking then spreading the Whitetail Institute Clover, 300 pounds of 0-20-20 fertilizer and then cultipacking again. Then it's up to mother nature to do the rest - c'mon rain!

On August 17, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill (S5602/A394-A; http://m.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S5601-2011) that establishes mandatory antler restrictions in the portion of Wildlife Management Unit 3A that lies south and west of State Route 28 (includes parts of Delaware, Sullivan, and Ulster counties).

The law prohibits hunters from taking any antlered deer except those antlered deer that have at least one antler with at least three points. The law applies to all public and private lands and all hunting seasons. Only hunters under the age of 17 are exempt and may take any antlered deer with at least one antler measuring three or more inches in length.

This law goes into effect immediately, and hunters are expected to comply with the new law during the 2011-2012 hunting seasons. Deer hunting regulations in all other WMUs were not affected by this legislation. DEC is in the process of updating our website to reflect the new law.

Treestand safety has been a big thing over the last few years in the hunting industry and for good reason - falls from treestands are the leading cause of hunting related injuries. Safety harnesses should be worn at all times when you're climbing up to your stand, hunting from a treestand and when climbing down from a treestand.

The new Lady Pro from Hunter Safety Systems is cut to fit a woman's body providing a comfortable, snug fit which is especially important to bowhunters. The Lady Pro features six pockets, ventilated mesh and a binocular/rangefinder strap just like the men's version of the safety harness.

The Lady Pro retails for $149.95 and has a maximum chest width of 56 inches and weight capacity of 250 pounds.

I've had several close calls with climbing stands where the bottom of the stand fell from the tree and it was my safety harness that kept me from falling to the ground. It's not just when you're climbing up a tree that you should be wearing a safety harness. Last season I made the mistake of not wearing a harness while taking down a double set of fixed stands after the season. As I let the two stands down the rope I was using caught onto one of my climbing sticks and pulled it sideways so I couldn't step on it. I had no harness and had to use the stick I was standing on and the one sick above me to descend the tree. It was a very slow process and my arms and legs began to ache as I climbed down the tree a mere six inches at a time. If I had a safety harness I could have easily climbed down the tree and safely returned to the ground.

Make sure you and your friends are wearing a safety harness on all of your hunts from above.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens today announced that 2011-2012 hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and Deer Management Permits (DMPs) may be purchased beginning Monday, August 15.

Licenses and permits can be purchased at one of DEC's 1,500 license sales outlets statewide. Sporting licenses can also be ordered by mail or by telephone and via the internet at www.dec.ny.gov. The 2011-2012 sporting licenses are valid beginning October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012.

"Hunting, trapping, and fishing opportunities in New York are fantastic, and DEC is committed to helping provide outdoor enthusiasts with numerous recreational opportunities to enjoy the beauty of our state throughout the year," Commissioner Martens said. "With a new deer management plan soon to be adopted, statewide management plans being developed for black bear and furbearers, and construction of new or upgrades to existing boat launches, we're continually working to make improvements to better serve the public and protect our natural resources."

Due to unforeseen delays associated with production of the hunting and trapping and fishing regulations guide books, they may not be available at license sales outlets on August 15. Those purchasing a license and not receiving a guide can download a copy from the DEC website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37136.html for the hunting/trapping guide and http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html for the fishing guide) or return to any license vendor at a later date and request the 2011-2012 guide(s) desired.

DEC Automated Licensing System
DEC's Automated Licensing System (DECALS) is New York State's program for issuing sporting licenses and tracking license sales and revenues. DECALS may also be used for donations to the Habitat Access Stamp Program, Venison Donation Coalition, Conservation Fund, and the Trail Maintenance Program. DEC continues to improve and enhance DECALS to better meet the needs of sportsmen and women. For questions regarding license purchases, please call DECALS Call Center at (1-866-933-2257). Hours of operation for the Call Center are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday from August 15 to October 15, 2011. Regular weekday hours of 8 am to 5 pm will resume on October 17, 2011.

License buyers should have the following items ready when applying: complete name and address information, customer ID number if you have it, proof of residency information (driver's license number or non-driver's ID number to qualify for a resident license), and, if purchasing by phone or internet, credit card and card expiration date. Hunting license purchases require individuals to provide proof of hunting education certification or a copy of a previous license, or this information must already be contained in their DECALS file.

Sales of all sporting licenses are deposited into the Conservation Fund which is used for the management of New York's fish and wildlife populations and for protection and management of wildlife habitat.

New Regulations for 2011-2012
Hunters and trappers should be aware of several new regulations in effect for 2011-2012:

Crossbows may now be used for hunting big game (deer and bear) during the early bear season, regular firearms seasons, the special January firearms season in Suffolk County, and all late muzzleloading seasons. See www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/68802.html for more information.

Recent legislation lowered the minimum age for youth hunters to purchase a Junior Bowhunting license for big game hunting from 14 to 12 years of age. See the Junior Hunter Mentoring Program for detailed information on youth hunting requirements.

Bear hunting is now open in new areas in eastern New York and bear hunting season dates in central and western New York have been modified to create a uniform season across the Southern Zone. See Deer and Bear Hunting Seasons for season dates and locations.

Woodcock season has been expanded to 45 days. See Woodcock Hunting Seasons for dates.

New legislation now allows use of rifles for big game hunting in Wyoming and Cortland counties and in the portion of Chautauqua County south of Route 20.

More detail for each of these regulation changes is available in the 2011-2012 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37136.html.

Anglers should be aware that although the majority of fishing regulations have not changed from 2010-2011, significant changes have been made to the regulations for use and transportation of baitfish. Transportation corridors through which uncertified baitfish can be transported in motor vehicles have been established for Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and adjoining waters, as well as the Hudson River see: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/47282.html.

Deer Management Permits
DEC issues Deer Management Permits (DMPs), often called doe tags, to move the population closer toward objective levels in each Wildlife Management Unit (a map of WMU boundaries across the state can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8302.html). The target DMP allocation for 2011 varies by unit depending on the management objective, but overall DEC intends to issue approximately 10% more DMPs than in 2010. In addition to the Adirondack and Tug Hill units where DMPs are not authorized, WMUs 3A, 4L, 4S, 4U, and 4Z will be closed for DMPs in 2011. Applicants are reminded that DMPs are only valid for antlerless deer in the WMU specified on the permit.

For specific boundaries of the WMUs mentioned in this announcement and for all current hunting, fishing and trapping regulations, access the DEC website www.dec.ny.gov.

DMPs will be available at all license issuing outlets and by phone, internet or mail, from August15, 2011 through close of business October 1, 2011. DMPs are issued through a random selection process at the point of sale, and customers who are selected for DMPs will receive their permits immediately. Chances of selection in each WMU are available at License Issuing Agent locations, at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30409.html, or you may call the DMP Hotline at 1-866-472-4332. Chances of getting a DMP remain the same throughout the application period, so hunters do not need to rush to apply for a DMP on the first day of sale.

If a significant number of DMPs are still available in a WMU after October 1, leftover DMP sales will commence on November 1, 2011 and will continue on a first-come/first-serve basis until the end of the hunting season or until all DMPs have been issued in the WMU. Additionally, Bonus DMPs will be available in the bowhunting-only WMUs 3S, 4J, and 8C and in Suffolk County (WMU 1C). For information about Bonus DMPs see www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/10001.html.

Be a Mentor to a New Hunter or Trapper
Adult hunters and trappers are encouraged to pass along their traditions and become a mentor for a junior hunter or trapper. The junior hunter and trapper mentoring program allows 14-15 year olds to hunt big game with a firearm and 12-15 year olds to hunt big game with a bow while accompanied and supervised by an experienced adult hunter. Unlicensed youth less than 12 years of age may also accompany and assist a licensed and experienced adult trapper. More details about these opportunities are available in this year's Hunting and Trapping Laws and Regulations Guide and at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/46245.html.

Take the Pledge to introduce someone new to the sport of fishing
Anglers are encouraged to "Take the Pledge" and help grow the sport of fishing in New York State by taking someone new fishing this year. Over 11,000 New York anglers have participated in this joint program of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the Department since its inception in 2006. Anglers interested in Taking the Pledge can do so at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/fishing.html. Together we can create a future generation of anglers that value the great outdoors we all cherish.

Contribute Via Habitat Stamps, Trail Supporter Patch, or donation directly to support the Conservation Fund or the Venison Donation Program

DEC encourages all outdoor enthusiasts to consider purchasing a Habitat/Access Stamp and/or a Trail Supporter Patch. These stamps and patches help support the DEC's efforts to conserve habitat and increase public access for fish and wildlife-related recreation and maintain non-motorized trails. Buying a $5 stamp or patch or donating directly to the Conservation Fund is a way to help conserve New York's fabulous wildlife heritage and enhance outdoor recreation in New York State.

Additionally, anyone - not just hunters and anglers - can help feed the hungry by contributing to the Venison Donation Program at all license issuing outlets. Individuals should inform the license sales agent that they want to make a donation of $1 or more to support the program. Since 1999, the Venison Donation Coalition has paid for the processing of more than 330 tons of highly nutritious venison, the equivalent of 2.8 million meals served. For more information about the Venison Donation Coalition, go to www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8351.html.

Participate in Citizen Science to Benefit Wildlife Management
Each year, thousands of hunters, trappers, and anglers help DEC monitor wildlife populations by recording their wildlife observations while afield. To learn about how you can participate in the Cooperator Ruffed Grouse Hunting Log, Bowhunter Sighting Log, Winter Wild Turkey Flock Survey and other citizen science programs, see www.dec.ny.gov/animals/1155.html.

The latest updates on New York's fish and wildlife can be easily accessed by subscribing to Field Notes (www.dec.ny.gov/about/63801.html), a free online e-mail list.

I was off to a late start with the trail cameras this season and didn't get mine out until the first week of July. I usually like to have the trail cams out a few weeks earlier. I left the cameras out for the full month of July to avoid repeated visits to the area and disturbing the deer.


With two cameras running on a 3 shots burst mode with a 30 second delay I had over a thousand pictures to go through. I was very excited as I had four big mature bucks from the 2010 season I was hoping to see - somehow, none of them showed up.

So far the biggest buck on camera is this buck that looks like he might be a 7 pointer by the time opening day rolls around. I'm hopeful that some big boys show up once the acorns start dropping and will have the stands set in few weeks. Looks like early season is going to be for the does.

I was just checking out the Nikon website and they have a $60 mail-in rebate on the Archer's Choice or Archer's Choice MAX Laser Rangefinders going on now through September 31st.

I've owned both the Archer's Choice and the Archer's Choice MAX rangefinders and I'd highly recommend them. My personal preference is the Archer's Choice because I'm not a fan of the reticle changing from black to red in low light conditions.

Visit the Nikon website for more info: http://www.nikonpromo.com/archers_choice_savings.html

I was recently contacted by Adam over at Musket Creek Hunting & Outdoors to do an interview in preparation for the upcoming hunting season.

We talked about how I got into hunting, the gear I'm using for the 2011 season and what to expect this year on NYBowhunter.com.

You can read the interview on the Musket Creek Blog: http://www.musketcreek.com/blog/an-interview-with-marc-alberto-of-ny-bowhunter/

The Hudson Valley Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association and the Watershed Agricultural Council are hosting a Deer & Habitat Field Day on Saturday, September 17th.

Topics include: 
Antler Restrictions and Forest Management for Wildlife

Instructors include:
Dick Henry- Retired NYSDEC Wildlife Biologist
Mike Callan – NYSDEC Forester

The Deer & Habitat Field Day will occur rain or shine! This is an in the field and classroom exercise so dress appropriately.

Pre-registration is required and lunch will be provided.

When:
Saturday – September 17, 2011 8:30 am- 3:00 pm

Where:
Clearpool Education Center
33 Clearpool Road
Carmel, NY 10512

Registration:
Pre-Register by 9/6/11, contact Matthew Paul at 845-616-1656 or mcpaul29@yahoo.com

Cost:
$15.00 fee due the day of the event.

The NYS DEC conducts the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey annually during the month of August to estimate the average number of wild turkey poults (young of the year) per hen statewide and among major geographic regions of the State. This index allows us to gauge reproductive success in a given year and allows us to predict fall harvest potential. Weather, predation, and habitat conditions during the breeding and brood-rearing seasons can all significantly impact nest success, hen survival, and poult survival.

You can help the NYS DEC evaluate turkey reproductive success by participating in the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/48732.html). For the entire month of August, you can report turkeys you observe by recording their gender, age, and number of turkeys in the flock.

On the survey web page you can download the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey Form for recording your observations or you can review past survey results. You may also ask for survey forms by calling (518) 402-8886 or by e-mailing fwwildlf@gw.dec.state.ny.us.