C
Catskill
Guest
Well, I guess I've procrastinated long enough on getting my 2010 hunt summarized and posted to share with you guys. I just couldn't decide how to do it. I started with the 2010 Hunt Adventure Challenge but, since I live back east, I didn't have exciting scouting pictures, videos and stories to post. After starting the Challenge, I realized that I wouldn't really have much to say until I returned from my hunt. I also realized that I'd prefer a format that was interactive because I enjoy reading everyone's comments (both positive and negative). I only made one post and let my thread drop to the bottom. I'll be telling my story here using several medium sized posts beause I don't have the attention span to type it up in one sitting. Please feel free to comment as we go along and I hope some find it to be interesting reading.
I live in a semi-rural area of Upstate NY so please don't envision me as some New York City rich guy - Not that there's anything wrong with that but it's not me! I've been hunting for 40 years and I enjoy all sorts of it. I chase turkeys, deer, grouse and woodcock with shotguns, rifles, bows and muzzleloaders. I've been fortunate enough to have gone on several Western hunts over the past 15 years. I try to get out there every other year or so; some hunts have been guided and others DIY. I've learned alot on these hunts but I'm still a real novice when it comes to Western hunting. I apply for a few tags each year so I guess I'm one of those dreaded Non-residents that also wants to hunt your animals. Please forgive me for that addiction; I was just born in the wrong place!
I drew a nice Mule Deer tag last year and the so the process of hunt preparation began. Like anyone else, I had a ton of things to do but this is the fun part for me. I had to:
~ Decide on guided or DIY
~ Make sure I was profecient with my weapon at a reasonable range for the hunt
~ Learn the unit and deer behaviors during my hunt timeframe
~ Figure out how to scout
~ Decide on where to sleep
As many of you know (and despise), the internet has made all of this work alot easier. Game and Fish websites, Google Earth, Discussion Groups (like this one), magazines (Huntin Fool/Eastmans), are tremendous resources and it would be foolish not to take advantage of the information. I was not foolish. I spent countless hours staring at my laptop trying to gather information. The info typically comes in small tidbits and its amazing how many generous people I met while researching this hunt. I guess I'll cut it off there for now. More to follow and I promise to post a picture of my hands wrapped around some deer antlers in the end.
I live in a semi-rural area of Upstate NY so please don't envision me as some New York City rich guy - Not that there's anything wrong with that but it's not me! I've been hunting for 40 years and I enjoy all sorts of it. I chase turkeys, deer, grouse and woodcock with shotguns, rifles, bows and muzzleloaders. I've been fortunate enough to have gone on several Western hunts over the past 15 years. I try to get out there every other year or so; some hunts have been guided and others DIY. I've learned alot on these hunts but I'm still a real novice when it comes to Western hunting. I apply for a few tags each year so I guess I'm one of those dreaded Non-residents that also wants to hunt your animals. Please forgive me for that addiction; I was just born in the wrong place!
I drew a nice Mule Deer tag last year and the so the process of hunt preparation began. Like anyone else, I had a ton of things to do but this is the fun part for me. I had to:
~ Decide on guided or DIY
~ Make sure I was profecient with my weapon at a reasonable range for the hunt
~ Learn the unit and deer behaviors during my hunt timeframe
~ Figure out how to scout
~ Decide on where to sleep
As many of you know (and despise), the internet has made all of this work alot easier. Game and Fish websites, Google Earth, Discussion Groups (like this one), magazines (Huntin Fool/Eastmans), are tremendous resources and it would be foolish not to take advantage of the information. I was not foolish. I spent countless hours staring at my laptop trying to gather information. The info typically comes in small tidbits and its amazing how many generous people I met while researching this hunt. I guess I'll cut it off there for now. More to follow and I promise to post a picture of my hands wrapped around some deer antlers in the end.