Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Open Invitation
I'll be the Ithaca area for the winter break. If anyone wants to tag along on a hunting or fishing trip, just drop an email and we'll set something up.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Scouting Report: F6
This morning I did some scouting/stalk hunting in Cornell's EAB Zone F6. This is one of the EAB properties located in the 7R WMU, which is where my doe tag is valid.
F6 is an interesting piece of property. On the north it is bordered by two soy fields, which have already been harvested by this time of year; on the south it is separated from one of the local pheasant game farms by an eight foot high fence; slicing through from east to west is a decent size creek - 15 feet wide and up to two feet deep; and smack in the center is a triangular field of wild grass. The remaining wooded area is very dense, so there are a just a few major deer paths. I've indicated these on my map below.
And here are a few photos of the area:
In terms of deer sign, I found that the main paths were heavily used, and there were also many smaller paths cutting through the thick brush. There were lots of tracks and lots of scat, but there weren't the large numbers of rubs that you can find in some other zones. I found some sign indicating that there is at least one big buck in the area, but you'll have to go look yourself if you want to find his exact location.
I also found the full skeleton of a mature buck that probably died last year. Someone had sawed off the horns as you can see below. Not sure what set of events led to a dead buck with the horns sawed off, but its always a shame when a deer goes to waste.
Back to business... I see three great ways to hunt this area:
1) If you're looking to put up a treestand, the place to do it is definitely along the edges of the triangular field, especially in one of the three corners. Indeed I found three treestands overlooking that field (two new and legally marked, one old and unmarked wooden stand).
2) If you are looking to set up a ground blind, I would try the main north-south deer path in the center of the zone, especially in the small area north of the creek.
3) If you don't have time for either (or if you're a busy college student) theres a super creepy empty shed with open windows that's ideally located for use as a ground blind (see orange star on map and image below). Just bring a bucket to sit on and you'll be dry and well concealed.
Also be sure to check yourself for ticks after you're done in F6 - I had one on me when I got home. Good luck!
F6 is an interesting piece of property. On the north it is bordered by two soy fields, which have already been harvested by this time of year; on the south it is separated from one of the local pheasant game farms by an eight foot high fence; slicing through from east to west is a decent size creek - 15 feet wide and up to two feet deep; and smack in the center is a triangular field of wild grass. The remaining wooded area is very dense, so there are a just a few major deer paths. I've indicated these on my map below.
And here are a few photos of the area:
In terms of deer sign, I found that the main paths were heavily used, and there were also many smaller paths cutting through the thick brush. There were lots of tracks and lots of scat, but there weren't the large numbers of rubs that you can find in some other zones. I found some sign indicating that there is at least one big buck in the area, but you'll have to go look yourself if you want to find his exact location.
I also found the full skeleton of a mature buck that probably died last year. Someone had sawed off the horns as you can see below. Not sure what set of events led to a dead buck with the horns sawed off, but its always a shame when a deer goes to waste.
Back to business... I see three great ways to hunt this area:
1) If you're looking to put up a treestand, the place to do it is definitely along the edges of the triangular field, especially in one of the three corners. Indeed I found three treestands overlooking that field (two new and legally marked, one old and unmarked wooden stand).
2) If you are looking to set up a ground blind, I would try the main north-south deer path in the center of the zone, especially in the small area north of the creek.
3) If you don't have time for either (or if you're a busy college student) theres a super creepy empty shed with open windows that's ideally located for use as a ground blind (see orange star on map and image below). Just bring a bucket to sit on and you'll be dry and well concealed.
Also be sure to check yourself for ticks after you're done in F6 - I had one on me when I got home. Good luck!
Central NY hunting season dates
"Hey, there's a rabbit… are they in season yet?"
"I just got three squirrels… wait what's the bag limit?"
With so many hunting regulations in New York, questions like these can come up often. Uncertainty about the answers can mean letting a sure shot walk off, or worse, inadvertently making an illegal kill.
Everyone has their own method for staying on top of the regulations. I wanted to share the method I use because I suspect it might be helpful for others as well.
Each year I update the following document with new season dates; then I print and cut it out and it folds nicely to fit in my wallet. You're welcome to print a copy for yourself if you find it useful:
A few words of warning: These dates and regulations are valid for most WMUs in central and western New York, but not all. It is also possible that I have made a mistake somewhere on this document, so please use it at your own risk. Before you use this document you should read through the DEC rule book and double check that the dates and regulations are all correct for the specific places you plan to hunt.
Happy hunting!
"I just got three squirrels… wait what's the bag limit?"
With so many hunting regulations in New York, questions like these can come up often. Uncertainty about the answers can mean letting a sure shot walk off, or worse, inadvertently making an illegal kill.
Everyone has their own method for staying on top of the regulations. I wanted to share the method I use because I suspect it might be helpful for others as well.
Each year I update the following document with new season dates; then I print and cut it out and it folds nicely to fit in my wallet. You're welcome to print a copy for yourself if you find it useful:
A few words of warning: These dates and regulations are valid for most WMUs in central and western New York, but not all. It is also possible that I have made a mistake somewhere on this document, so please use it at your own risk. Before you use this document you should read through the DEC rule book and double check that the dates and regulations are all correct for the specific places you plan to hunt.
Happy hunting!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Scouting Report: A1
The Scouting Report will be a regular feature on the blog until we get profiles of each area. This week (or month) were profiling A1.
Lets just say that A1 provided a great lesson on the importance of following up your internet scouting (google earth, blogs, forums, etc.) with some good ol' boots-to-the-ground scouting. That is, it was nothing what I expected (open woodland) and everything a hunter fears (a think mat of impenetrable brush). To top it off, a swampy marsh divides the property down the middle. There are a few openings, replete with Oak trees, and the marsh seems to provide some browse that could become valuable as the season wears on. At times, though, I found myself crawling to get through the brush, while other times I found myself shin deep in a thick slew of mud.
Still, there are definitely deer there, although I have yet to figure how they actually occupy the space (travel corridor, feeding ground, bedding area, all of the above?). And in general, I prefer to hunt areas that I know other hunters will avoid, and this plot definitely fits that bill. There's also a two hunter limit. So for me, it works. Just be prepared to fight the brush until you figure out how to navigate the area. The trick is accessing the few open spots without spooking the deer. And if you figure out how to do that, drop a line the Good Hunters' way, because we have yet to figure it out.
Lets just say that A1 provided a great lesson on the importance of following up your internet scouting (google earth, blogs, forums, etc.) with some good ol' boots-to-the-ground scouting. That is, it was nothing what I expected (open woodland) and everything a hunter fears (a think mat of impenetrable brush). To top it off, a swampy marsh divides the property down the middle. There are a few openings, replete with Oak trees, and the marsh seems to provide some browse that could become valuable as the season wears on. At times, though, I found myself crawling to get through the brush, while other times I found myself shin deep in a thick slew of mud.
Still, there are definitely deer there, although I have yet to figure how they actually occupy the space (travel corridor, feeding ground, bedding area, all of the above?). And in general, I prefer to hunt areas that I know other hunters will avoid, and this plot definitely fits that bill. There's also a two hunter limit. So for me, it works. Just be prepared to fight the brush until you figure out how to navigate the area. The trick is accessing the few open spots without spooking the deer. And if you figure out how to do that, drop a line the Good Hunters' way, because we have yet to figure it out.
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| All this awaits you in A1. |
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| Be prepared to crawl in order to navigate the thick brush. |
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| This marshy area divides the plot. |
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| Deer seen by Good Hunter two days before the opener: 14! Deer seen by Good Hunter since the season began: 0 . |
Cornell's Deer Management Program
For those who haven't heard, Cornell is in year three of a five year deer management study that utilizes hunting in combination with other sterilization techniques to control the ever expanding deer populations (and the damage they reek) on university lands.
The hunting aspect of the study is broken into two primary programs: Earn-a-Buck and Natural Areas. As of this year, hunters may sign up for only one program and may not alternate between the two as in past years.
I have hunted both programs, and both they have their pros and cons.
In general, the Earn-a-Buck (EAB) program is a little more structured, requiring you take two does before harvesting a buck, which means you must pass on any antlered deer until you become buck eligible. But in general, so the theory goes, Earn-a-Buck lands hold a denser population of deer so harvesting a doe is somewhat easier (so the theory goes). The biggest downside to EAB is that you must check in and out of a central check station before and after each hunt. Because each plot of land is allotted a maximum number of hunters and sign up to hunt those plots is first come first serve, you never really know if your plot will be available to hunt until you show up at the check station. The biggest upside to the program is the denser deer populations and the fact that you can bring a non-hunting friend along.
The Plantations Natural Areas program is less structured. Sign up is via the internet and reservations can be made up to three weeks in advance, which is convenient but sometimes people abuse it and it becomes difficult to get into an area. There is no requirement to harvest a doe before harvesting a buck, so if ol' drop tine walks by, or his smaller cousin, feel free to drop the hammer and fill the freezer. In general, natural area lands are less urban and feel more like a traditional deer woods. So far, all Good Hunters this year are signed up for EAB, so this is likely the last you hear about the Natural Areas Program.
The hunting aspect of the study is broken into two primary programs: Earn-a-Buck and Natural Areas. As of this year, hunters may sign up for only one program and may not alternate between the two as in past years.
I have hunted both programs, and both they have their pros and cons.
In general, the Earn-a-Buck (EAB) program is a little more structured, requiring you take two does before harvesting a buck, which means you must pass on any antlered deer until you become buck eligible. But in general, so the theory goes, Earn-a-Buck lands hold a denser population of deer so harvesting a doe is somewhat easier (so the theory goes). The biggest downside to EAB is that you must check in and out of a central check station before and after each hunt. Because each plot of land is allotted a maximum number of hunters and sign up to hunt those plots is first come first serve, you never really know if your plot will be available to hunt until you show up at the check station. The biggest upside to the program is the denser deer populations and the fact that you can bring a non-hunting friend along.
The Plantations Natural Areas program is less structured. Sign up is via the internet and reservations can be made up to three weeks in advance, which is convenient but sometimes people abuse it and it becomes difficult to get into an area. There is no requirement to harvest a doe before harvesting a buck, so if ol' drop tine walks by, or his smaller cousin, feel free to drop the hammer and fill the freezer. In general, natural area lands are less urban and feel more like a traditional deer woods. So far, all Good Hunters this year are signed up for EAB, so this is likely the last you hear about the Natural Areas Program.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Squirrel hunting over fall break
For the Good Hunting Club, Columbus Day and Cornell's fall break meant an extra opportunity to hunt some squirrels. We took six squirrels this weekend (4 gray and 2 red) on two morning trips to the Danby State Forest.
When I got home I tried a new recipe for Squirrel Nuggets that proved delicious:
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| Leaves are starting to cover the seasonal roads at the Danby State Forest. |
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| See if you can guess which is the giant male that aggressively responded to my new Lohman Distress Whistle. |
When I got home I tried a new recipe for Squirrel Nuggets that proved delicious:
- Chunk squirrel into bite size pieces
- Dip a piece into milk, then coat with seasoned flour (mix your own blend)
- Drop into an inch of hot oil and fry until light brown
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| About one squirrel's worth of nuggets makes a tasty snack. |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Calling Deer in the Rut
Archery season is fast approaching, and with it the peak of the 'rut'. The rut is the mating season for deer, and here in central New York it usually peaks between the last week of October and the first week of November (smack in the middle of archery season). During this time bucks are so focused on mating and fighting that they let their guard down somewhat. They become more active during the day and more likely to respond to calls; and this makes them a bit easier to hunt if you know what you're doing. In this post I want to share some information on deer calling that has helped me take advantage of the rut and become a much better hunter.
I used to think, as i suspect many hunters do, that a few short calls on my grunt and the occasional rattle from a set of old horns might attract an inquisitive rutting buck. I regarded deer sounds as simply noises rather than communication, and I thought it was impossible to call deer in the way you might call turkeys or coyotes for example.
Now I feel silly for having thought that way. It turns out that there are lots of great videos available online for learning about deer communication, and knowledge of just a few deer behaviors and sounds can help you call deer just like any other animal. After watching some of these videos I was able to confidently call in this buck I took last year:
Some of the best videos I found were by a group called Wild Talkers, and it is now my firm belief that the following videos should be required viewing for all archers. This first video is a fast paced overview covering several different deer calls and some deer body language during an exciting hunt. It is definitely a must-watch.
For more details on each of calls and behaviors illustrated in that first video, check out these followup videos. Each is much shorter than the first one, and each contains a 30 second intro that you'll want to fast forward through after you see it once.
I used to think, as i suspect many hunters do, that a few short calls on my grunt and the occasional rattle from a set of old horns might attract an inquisitive rutting buck. I regarded deer sounds as simply noises rather than communication, and I thought it was impossible to call deer in the way you might call turkeys or coyotes for example.
Now I feel silly for having thought that way. It turns out that there are lots of great videos available online for learning about deer communication, and knowledge of just a few deer behaviors and sounds can help you call deer just like any other animal. After watching some of these videos I was able to confidently call in this buck I took last year:
Some of the best videos I found were by a group called Wild Talkers, and it is now my firm belief that the following videos should be required viewing for all archers. This first video is a fast paced overview covering several different deer calls and some deer body language during an exciting hunt. It is definitely a must-watch.
For more details on each of calls and behaviors illustrated in that first video, check out these followup videos. Each is much shorter than the first one, and each contains a 30 second intro that you'll want to fast forward through after you see it once.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Scouting deer at Cornell
Scouting is one of the more critical elements in a successful deer hunting experience. Even those who hunt the same property year after year always have to be diligent about observing where and when the deer move so they can fine-tune the locations of their stands. Scouting is especially important for archers, who need to be within ~35 yards of their quarry to safely take a shot.
With this in mind, Travis and I went to scout one of the Cornell Campus Earn-a-Buck plots in preparation for the upcoming archery season (more on Cornell Hunting Lands in a future post). One thing was clear from our scouting trip: the deer population at Cornell is out of control. This will surely come as no surprise to residents of Ithaca and Cayuga Heights. Yes, we saw and photographed plenty of the typical deer sign a hunter would look for, like rubs, tracks, and scat (below).
But the amazing part was the number of actual deer we saw on our scouting trip! In total, about eight deer came within shooting distance of us during our two hour hike (while we were making no great effort to be stealthy). Take a look at the spike buck and small herd of does in the photos below for example.
In addition, we found the ~30 acre plot of land was totally devoid of young saplings, and every mid-size sapling either had a fresh deer rub, or had been rubbed withing the past two years. This is perhaps why we found this monster and two of his bachelor buddies grazing in the adjacent soy field.
Although big bucks are the most challenging and coveted game, it's does that really need to be harvested in order to control herd size. Earn-a-Buck (where a hunter must harvest two does before he/she may harvest a buck) is the method Cornell is now employing to reduce the size of their deer herd. A side effect of Earn-a-Buck is that more bucks live to reach an age of peak maturity and size - a method of Quality Deer Management (QDM). It's hard for me to tell whether the population reduction aspect of Earn-a-Buck is working yet (I expect that it will), but I think it's pretty clear that the QDM aspect is working. We were fortunate to see several large bucks in one short scouting trip, and I'll sign off with the following links to Cornell trail-cam photos from this September as further evidence: Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4, Pic5.
With this in mind, Travis and I went to scout one of the Cornell Campus Earn-a-Buck plots in preparation for the upcoming archery season (more on Cornell Hunting Lands in a future post). One thing was clear from our scouting trip: the deer population at Cornell is out of control. This will surely come as no surprise to residents of Ithaca and Cayuga Heights. Yes, we saw and photographed plenty of the typical deer sign a hunter would look for, like rubs, tracks, and scat (below).
But the amazing part was the number of actual deer we saw on our scouting trip! In total, about eight deer came within shooting distance of us during our two hour hike (while we were making no great effort to be stealthy). Take a look at the spike buck and small herd of does in the photos below for example.
In addition, we found the ~30 acre plot of land was totally devoid of young saplings, and every mid-size sapling either had a fresh deer rub, or had been rubbed withing the past two years. This is perhaps why we found this monster and two of his bachelor buddies grazing in the adjacent soy field.
Although big bucks are the most challenging and coveted game, it's does that really need to be harvested in order to control herd size. Earn-a-Buck (where a hunter must harvest two does before he/she may harvest a buck) is the method Cornell is now employing to reduce the size of their deer herd. A side effect of Earn-a-Buck is that more bucks live to reach an age of peak maturity and size - a method of Quality Deer Management (QDM). It's hard for me to tell whether the population reduction aspect of Earn-a-Buck is working yet (I expect that it will), but I think it's pretty clear that the QDM aspect is working. We were fortunate to see several large bucks in one short scouting trip, and I'll sign off with the following links to Cornell trail-cam photos from this September as further evidence: Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4, Pic5.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Calling Squirrels
After our first trip to the woods this year in search of squirrels, I was frustrated that I couldn't seem to get their attention using the Lohman Bark Squirrel Call I've had since I was a kid. I remember having success with this call on one occasion in the past, but on the whole I've found it more frustrating than useful.
So... like any modern hunter, I turned to YouTube. I decided that I would try to listen to some recordings of real squirrels to see if I could imitate them. I found a squirrel's actual bark alarm call (below) to be impossible to convincingly replicate with the Lohman Bark Squirrel Call.
I had slightly better success shaking the call to create "chatter". Fortunately my search through YouTube also led me to this next video. This video is remarkable because it is the only video I could find on all of YouTube that actually shows a hunter using a squirrel call... with REAL squirrels responding!
The best price I could find online was at wingsupply.com, where I got it shipped to my door within the week for $11.94. The only downside was that the call lacks a lanyard, so I had to add my own.
Sure enough when I took it right away to the nearby woods I had a number of squirrels responding with bark alarms from the treetops. I couldn't get them to come right in to me like he does in the video, so it will probably be easier to nab them when a few more leaves start to fall. Needless to say I am anxious to take it on our next hunting trip!
So... like any modern hunter, I turned to YouTube. I decided that I would try to listen to some recordings of real squirrels to see if I could imitate them. I found a squirrel's actual bark alarm call (below) to be impossible to convincingly replicate with the Lohman Bark Squirrel Call.
I had slightly better success shaking the call to create "chatter". Fortunately my search through YouTube also led me to this next video. This video is remarkable because it is the only video I could find on all of YouTube that actually shows a hunter using a squirrel call... with REAL squirrels responding!
The best price I could find online was at wingsupply.com, where I got it shipped to my door within the week for $11.94. The only downside was that the call lacks a lanyard, so I had to add my own.
Sure enough when I took it right away to the nearby woods I had a number of squirrels responding with bark alarms from the treetops. I couldn't get them to come right in to me like he does in the video, so it will probably be easier to nab them when a few more leaves start to fall. Needless to say I am anxious to take it on our next hunting trip!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Squirrel Season Opener!
It may sound crazy, but yes, people actually hunt squirrels--and eat them too. In fact, for most (eastern) hunters, the squirrel woods holds a special place in their treasure trove of childhood memories. It is where most hunters learn the basics of hunting--patience, stealth, patience, patience, and more patience--usually alongside a beloved family member or friend. And no matter how old you are, the squirrel opener always acts as a prelude to the upcoming hunting season, which never seems to come soon enough.
So on Saturday, John and I headed over to one of the local state forests. Neither of us have been there before, so it was a quasi forest exploration trip too, which always makes for good fun. Sadly, we both forgot our camera, so you will have to settle for before and after photos. Luckily, though, we got one squirrel and a whole bunch of mushrooms.
So on Saturday, John and I headed over to one of the local state forests. Neither of us have been there before, so it was a quasi forest exploration trip too, which always makes for good fun. Sadly, we both forgot our camera, so you will have to settle for before and after photos. Luckily, though, we got one squirrel and a whole bunch of mushrooms.
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| The basic necessities: Gun of choice, my favorite wool flannel, a pair of jeans, knife, license, and some blaze orange. |
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| The Loot: black trumpets and some boletes. I've never seen so many mushrooms! And that's coming from a guy who has lived in the Pacific Northwest, mushroom capital of the world. For the life of me, I couldn't convince John that they wouldn't kill him. The black trumpets were selling for $6/20 at the farmers market this weekend. |
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| Too many to eat in one sitting. So I dried them--via the inordinate amount of heat that comes from my computer. |
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| Squirrel and trumpets fried to perfection. I cooked the trumpets with a few dashes of olive oil. For the squirrel, I dip it in egg batter and then smother it in corn meal before sending it to the fryer for about 15 minutes. |
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| The finished platter: squirrel, black trumpets, and some beans from my garden. The best meal I've made for myself in quite some time. |
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Blog up and running
This is the official blog for the Good Hunting Club at Cornell University. For more information on the club, please see our About and Upcoming Events pages. Check back regularly for updates.
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