On Sunday, September 11th, Dave Johnson headed to his New Jersey hunting spot to try an take a doe as part of the states earn a buck program which requires hunters to kill a doe before being able to kill a buck. Now that Dave had killed his doe, the hunt was on.


Earlier in the season Dave had been getting pictures of a nice buck on his trail camera. The nine pointer was wide with good mass and Dave had his sights set on this deer. On September 13th, the same day Dave took a big buck the previous year, he headed out for an afternoon hunt.

Once Dave got to his latter stand he decided that sitting in the sun in the heat of the day wasn't going to be fun. Instead, Dave decided to hunt off the ground and hid himself in the bushes using his pruning shears to cut a few shooting lanes.


After two hours on the stand, Dave saw little more than a few doves and some songbirds. Then as he looked to his right he saw the big buck! The buck was 90 yards away on the opposite side off the field raking his antlers against the brush. After watching the buck for a half hour it disappeared back into the woods. It was a long twenty minutes as Dave patiently waited for the buck to reappear. When the buck emerged from the hedgerow it made it's way towards Dave's stand and was heading right for one of Dave's shooting lanes.


Quickly, Dave fumbled with his camcorder to get it on so he could film the kill shot. As he finally got ready with his camera, the buck made it's way to the shooting lane offering Dave a quartering away shot at just eight yards. The arrow buried into the buck and the deer took off.

Dave made a mental note of the last spot he saw the deer and after walking to that spot he found his buck just  yards away. Congrats to Dave on a great New Jersey buck!

For a link to Dave's YouTube video visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/bowhunterdave?feature=mhee#p/a/u/1/ms6Qkuk1lZQ

This Saturday, October 1, 2011 marks the start of a new license year. Hunters should clean out their pockets of old tags and begin carrying the 2011-2012 hunting license and tags this Saturday.

October 1 is also the deadline to apply for Deer Management Permits (DMPs, "doe tags"). See www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30409.html for where DMPs are available and the probabilities of getting selected for 1st or 2nd choice DMPs in each Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). We've issued roughly 70% of our DMP target so far, which is fairly typical at this point since many hunters, like me, wait until the last few days of the application period to purchase their license and apply for a DMP.

Additionally, October 1 is the opening day of Regular Season for deer in Suffolk County (WMU 1C). Deer hunters in WMU 1C may use their Regular Season Deer Tag, special season either-sex or antlerless tag, or DMP tags for WMU 1C, but all deer hunting during the Suffolk County regular season is with bowhunting equipment only. Bonus tags are also available to hunters who take an antlerless deer on a DMP for WMU 1C. Remember, responsible hunters report their game harvest. Not only is reporting your deer, bear, or turkey harvest required by law, it is also good game management. If you have not yet reported your take via our website, give it a shot this year. Click the reporting icon at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8316.html or follow the "Hunt" link from our home page www.dec.ny.gov for the internet harvest reporting system. It's quick, easy and it provides us with important data to manage effectively.

This is the first post that's part of a new series on NYBowhunter.com - the Big Buck Profile. It's a special feature on a single buck and the history behind the deer. This week's Big Buck Profile is on the "G2 Buck" - a buck I first saw last season.

This week we have a guest post from Mike Cramer with a review of the the Matrin Threshold Adventure Series Bow.

Retailing for just a hair under $200, the Martin Threshold Adventure Series Bow is an affordable way to get into the woods. It is available from several retailers in a complete package with Wildman components, making it one of the best deals on the market.


The Threshold is a single-cam bow with a 35” length axle to axle, and a draw length adjustable from 28 to 31 inches. Its brace height is 7.5” and it weighs 4.2 pounds. The package deal includes a Wildman Spring Away rest, a Fiber Optic Striker site, a six arrow twist and lock quiver, and two carbon arrows.

Supposedly, you can take the bow out of the box, put it together and be shooting right away. Of course it’s not quite as simple as that. With my bow, the arrow rest attached just fine with the enclosed Alan screws, using the provided Alan wrench. The quiver went in fine to, as did the cable guard bar. But when it came time to mount the site I was stumped. I couldn’t’ get it to work. Not knowing what to do, I took the bow to my bow mechanic at D.F. Brothers Sporting Goods here in Brooklyn, and he said they had shipped the wrong hardware. I was relieved that it wasn’t my incompetence. Knowing what a hassle an exchange was likely to be, I had him install a new TruGlo site, along with D loop and a peep site.


The ads tout the box as a carrying case, but it’s just cardboard and would disintegrate after a few days in the field, so I bought a new plastic case for it. The arrows were way too short for my long arms, so I didn’t even bother with them.

Once those little problems were passed over the bow was fantastic. It’s easy to carry, limber, and shoots like a dream. It has a 70 pound draw weight with a 70% let off. At full draw the bow the string just locks in and stays there. I could hold all day if I wanted to. On release it flings arrows downrange at 305 fps. They fly flat and fast and land right on target every time. 

Make no mistake, this is not simply an entry-level bow. This is a bow anyone would be happy to take into the woods, and one that will bring home a lot of deer.

It's been a rough year for me in terms of getting out into the woods. Earlier this month I purchased a house and since then I've been working to get it ready for the big move in October when our lease is up.


Luckily I got a head start on my trail cameras this year and knew the bucks in the area. I even had a few surprise bucks show up. The 8 pointer above is a nice deer that I've never seen before. I hope he sticks around for a few more weeks. He's got a nice symmetrical rack with decent tine length. Oh, and if you're wondering why the ground is so clean in this area - it's my failed attempt at a hunting plot. Guess I proved that nothing grows when the soil pH is below 5.0!


This buck seems to have a wide rack like a big crab claw 9 pointer that I had pics of last December in this area. I haven't seen the crab claw 9 or the big 7 from last season, but I hope they show up in October.


While I was busy at work on opening day of the Connecticut archery season, this guy was hunting in my spot. I have no idea who he is or where he came from, but my father and I are the only ones with permission from the landowner.

Word is out that a possible Non-Typical Archery State Record buck was recently shot in Connecticut earlier this week. The buck, which unofficially scores 226 6/8", was taken by a bowhunter in East Haddam, Connecticut.


The buck field dressed at 170 pounds and was spotted a week earlier by the hunter as it walked down his grandmother's drive way.


It seems that a few local hunters had history with this buck and were after the deer.

All I can say is this is one awesome buck! If you have any additional details on this buck please email us at info@nybowhunter.com.

It's been a late start for me this year and everything has be happening last minute. I sighted the Slick Tricks in just a few days before opening day and didn't get to hunt until the day after the opener. I got in the woods "on time" today, but had to set up a hang-on stand. By the time I got the bottom strap on the stand I was staring at two does just 40 yards away with my bow 20 feet below me - a great way to start the morning hunt.

The rest of the morning was quiet so around 8:15 am I climbed down and headed to work - luckily work is only 10 minutes away.


Since I missed opening day I decided to take a half-day at work and get out to a second spot to hang a second stand in a tree I picked out at the end of last season. I had previously put steps in this tree, but didn't quite know where the stand was going to go. I ended up putting the stand in the fork of the tree which would completely hide me from the deer below no matter which direction they would come from.

At 4:45 pm I caught movement about 100 yards away as I spotted a deer along the edge of a pond. I put up the binoculars expecting a doe, but was surprised to see antlers. Although this wasn't the buck I was after, the young seven pointer had recently shed his velvet and was thrashing a young sapling with his red antlers. Once the buck beat up the sapling he started making his way towards my stand until eventually he was within 20 yards. However, the buck brought a friend with him - a lone doe. I never knew the doe was around until she popped out at 20 yards right next to the buck. She instantly knew something was up and could smell something was not quite right, but the two deer couldn't make me out. After hanging around me for a good 45 minutes, the two deer finally moved off and headed up the ridge.

The rest of the evening was fairly quiet minus the crickets and the squirrels. I don't know where these deer ended up, but I hope they come by my stand tomorrow morning. Check back soon for more updates Live from the Stand!

On August 8th, Harry Walker, a Region 3 representative of the New York Bowhunters, Inc. organization was bowhunting the rugged Sangre De Cristo Mountains of Colorado in pursuit of Bighorn Sheep - it took twelve years for Harry to draw the Bighorn tag.


On the 3rd day of the Colorado season when Harry took this beautiful 3/4 curl bighorn ram just 25 miles north of the New Mexico border.


After a four hour backpack into base camp it was another two and a half hours to the bighorn "hot spot" in one of the roughest areas to hunt in Colorado. At 6:30 pm Harry and his guide spotted the ram and by 7:00 pm Harry was at full draw settling his 20 yard pin on the bighorn for the steep 35 yard shot.

Congrats to Harry on a hunt of a lifetime and a beautiful bighorn sheep!

Over the past year, DEC and Dr. Angela Fuller, Assistant Leader of the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University, have begun two black bear research projects in south-central New York. The projects will provide information on black bear populations that will assist in developing effective management strategies for this expanding population. Specifically, the projects will generate an estimate of how many bears exist in the study area and will provide an understanding of where bears spend time and how they move through landscapes. This will help DEC predict where bears may continue to expand their range and where human-bear interactions may occur in the future.

With one field season now complete, we recently received an update on the research progress.

Project Update
The study area (1,013 mi2) encompasses portions of Steuben, Allegany, and Livingston Counties. Beginning in May, 2011 the research team (graduate students Matthew Adams and Catherine Sun and their 8 technicians) under the advisement of Dr. Fuller, has been collecting hair samples from black bears using barbed wire corrals and has been trapping and tagging black bears. They will use genetic techniques to identify individual bears from the hairs collected from the barbed wire. The tagged bears are being tracked using radiocollars that send the researchers hourly text messages with a GPS location of the bear. The research team captured 42 black bears (25 males, 14 females, 3 cubs) and fitted 20 bears (11 adult males, 5 adult females, and 4 yearling females) with radiocollars. Over the course of 10 weeks, they deployed 223 barbed wire corrals and collected hair samples at 115 sites. The research was conducted on both public and private lands, including 154 private landowners, 26 state lands, parks, and county forests. The researchers are extremely grateful to the 154 private landowners, who have participated in the research by allowing access to their lands.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced two recent changes to laws affecting big game hunting this year in Cortland County and in parts of Delaware, Sullivan and Ulster counties. These bills were signed into law in mid-August, therefore, they are not included in the hardcopy version of the 2011-2012 New York Hunting & Trapping Regulations Guide, but are reflected on the DEC website and in the electronic version of the New York Hunting and Trapping guide.

Specifically, hunters should be aware that:

In Cortland County - A new law allows the use of rifles for big game hunting in Cortland County, but does not allow the use of crossbows in this county during the regular big game season. However, crossbows may be used in Cortland County during the late muzzleloader season. To view a map of where rifles, shotguns, vertical bows and crossbows can be used for big game hunting and for details about hunting with crossbows and the required Certificate of Qualification visit the DEC website. Separate legislation authorizing the use of rifles for big game hunting in Wyoming County and in the portion of Chautauqua County south of Route 20 also allows the use of crossbows during the regular big game season and late muzzleloader season in those counties.

In Delaware, Sullivan and Ulster counties - A new law establishes mandatory antler restrictions in the portion of Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 3A that lies south and west of State Route 28 (this includes parts of Delaware, Sullivan and Ulster counties). The law prohibits hunters from taking any antlered deer except those that have at least one antler with at least three points. The law applies to all public and private lands and all deer 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. Deer hunting regulations in all other WMUs were not affected by this legislation. To view a map of deer hunting seasons including the area with mandatory antler restrictions and for information on antler restrictions in New York visit the DEC website.

These laws are in effect for the 2011 hunting seasons.

DEC has confirmed that approximately 100 white-tailed deer found dead in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, over the last two weeks were killed by Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). EHD is a viral disease of white-tailed deer that is transmitted by the biting midge in the family Culicoides. The EHD virus does not infect humans and humans are not at risk by being bitten by the infected midge also known as a no-see-um or punkie.

DEC wildlife biologists collected a sampling of deer carcasses in Rockland County and submitted them to the Fish and Wildlife Health Unit for necropsy. Tissue samples were then sent to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory where the diagnosis of EHD was identified.

The EHD virus was last confirmed in New York in 2007 in Albany and Niagara Counties. EHD outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall when the midges are abundant. The symptoms of EHD include fever, small hemorrhages or bruises in the mouth and nose, swelling of the head, neck, tongue and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated. Frequently, infected deer will seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source. An infected deer may die within 1-3 days after being bitten by the midge or the disease may progress more slowly over weeks or months. There is no treatment and no means of prevention for EHD. The dead deer do not serve as a source of infection for other animals.

EHD outbreaks do not have a significant impact on deer populations in general but may have a noticeable impact in the immediate area. Generally, EHD outbreaks occur in a specific geographic area and about half of the EHD infected deer may die in an outbreak. In the North, the first hard frost kills the midges that transmit the disease and the EHD outbreak ends.

As general wise practice, hunters should not handle or eat any deer that appears sick or acts strangely. DEC will continue to monitor the situation. Sightings of sick or dying deer should be reported to the nearest DEC Regional Office or to an Environmental Conservation Officer. For more information on EHD and helpful related links, visit the DEC website directly at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39767.html.

One thing that's always tough in my pickup is finding a spot to put my bow where it's both easy to access and out of the way. I have a tiny crew cab so rear storage room is extremely limited. The Back Seat Bow Sling (pictured above) is the perfect solution to this problem. Now you can store your bow with quiver attached and all your bow accessories without loosing any cargo space.


Taking the Back Seat Bow Sling one step further is the Back Seat Bow Case. The Back Seat Bow Case mounts to the back of your bucket or console seat with attachments at the headrest and around the base of the seat to securely hold your bow in place during transit.


What's really cool with the Back Seat Bow Case is that  you don't have to remove the case to take the bow out.

If you're looking to free up some space in the back of your hunting truck check out the Back Seat Bow Sling and Back Seat Bow Case by Trophy Hunting Products, you won't be disappointed.