First deer harvest of the season.

Shift4200 · Oct 21, 2014

adirondackmtnman said:
As long as it's not a pistol, you should be OK

That was my understanding. I'll probably call the state police and double check.... just as a CYA.

Thanks and good luck!

-J

nybirdman · Oct 21, 2014

Your .357 rifle is totally legal in NY;a little bit light in power but legal.I lived and worked in the Oswego area for a while and they shoot some big deer there.

Dr_Zinj · Oct 21, 2014

Archery season is in full swing here in NH. Muzzleloader season doesn't start until the first of November (on a Saturday so I don't have to take time off from work /smile). Normal firearm season starts the day after Veteran's Day. I hunt my 20 acres I live on; and while I'd like to get that 8 pointer running around, I won't be passing up any of those does that have been fattening up on my garden and bushes all summer.

Shift4200 · Oct 22, 2014

nybirdman said:
Your .357 rifle is totally legal in NY;a little bit light in power but legal.I lived and worked in the Oswego area for a while and they shoot some big deer there.

I've engaged in this convo many many times in regard to using .357 for whitetails. My woods are thick, so rarely is a shot over 40-50y. I've not had any problems with power, and at those close ranges accuracy isn't an issue either. First time I hunted the area I carried a my Rem700 Heavy Barrel 308. I had no idea what the country was like and it was like dragging a 14lb anchor, NEVER again. Now, when i beat the woods... I take the lil guy. When we hunt the family corn farm, I take the big boy. Back in RI its mostly my bow.... with a side order of Muzzle Loader.

Family farms are just north of Oswego.... could even be partially in/out I'm not really sure. They live on venison year round. First time there my Uncle-In-Law says "got a deer hanging in the barn, wanna see?" i go in and see 4 bucks and 6 does hanging. Impressive to say the least. Blows my mind the number of tags they're allowed.... guess it's relative to the amount of land they have.

-J

nybirdman · Oct 22, 2014

The pistol caliber lever actions are sweet for sure;I have a couple friends that hunt with the .44 magnum versions and are successful.My lever gun is a little bigger and heavier;.444 Marlin.I wouldn't want to carry it too far;it's sure not a walk around gun.
Good luck in the deer woods.

Shift4200 · Oct 22, 2014

nybirdman said:
The pistol caliber lever actions are sweet for sure;I have a couple friends that hunt with the .44 magnum versions and are successful.My lever gun is a little bigger and heavier;.444 Marlin.I wouldn't want to carry it too far;it's sure not a walk around gun.
Good luck in the deer woods.

Thanks!

Eventually I'd love to get into a 30-30 or better, but budget is always a concern. I spend so much money on guns and other bs that is centered around hunting as it is. It's hard to justify a new lever gun that i can only use once a year (less target shooting). So, it's been a "use what you got" kinda scenario. Likely the story would be completely different if I lived in Oswego vs just visiting.

How's the bird hunting up your way? "Dismal" comes to mind when describing it on my end. If it's out there... it's stocked.... and it's stupid.

-J

nybirdman · Oct 22, 2014

My bird hunting is quite good.I happen to own an uplands preserve!We are small and do about 1,000 pheasant a year.We have and raise English Pointers and recently Beagles.
Grouse numbers seem to be down this year but the cotton-tail rabbits are all over.
Good old NY state stocks 30,000 birds a year;South Dakota kills 2 million roosters on average per year.

HCJtractor · Oct 22, 2014

Interesting thread. As an avid hunter, I enjoy reading about hunting elsewhere. Got my first buck of the year. For SC , this is fairly decent , about 200 lbs. I am amazed at the size of that doe in the first post. Dang, I've see smaller horses . They don't get that big here!
I almost passed on this buck but had a new rifle and my new girl friend in the stand, so decided to pull the trigger ! Now I'll focus on bow hunting for does and hope to see a bigger trophy.

Shift4200 · Oct 22, 2014

HCJtractor said:
Interesting thread. As an avid hunter, I enjoy reading about hunting elsewhere. Got my first buck of the year. For SC , this is fairly decent , about 200 lbs. I am amazed at the size of that doe in the first post. Dang, I've see smaller horses . They don't get that big here!
I almost passed on this buck but had a new rifle and my new girl friend in the stand, so decided to pull the trigger ! Now I'll focus on bow hunting for does and hope to see a bigger trophy.

View attachment 395696

Great looking Buck HCJ, congrats! Not sure why you'd let that one pass....

Shift4200 · Oct 22, 2014

nybirdman said:
My bird hunting is quite good.I happen to own an uplands preserve!We are small and do about 1,000 pheasant a year.We have and raise English Pointers and recently Beagles.
Grouse numbers seem to be down this year but the cotton-tail rabbits are all over.
Good old NY state stocks 30,000 birds a year;South Dakota kills 2 million roosters on average per year.

Not sure the numbers on what's stocked here, but it's less than impressive. I've witnessed the stocking and it's no more than a guy in a pickup tossing birds over the side. The area i was hunting is roughly 1000 dry acres (1400 including swamps), and they stocked 10 birds. Anything not shot up by the first round of guys going thru are killed off by the coyotes that night. So, pheasant hunting around me lasts from (roughly) 7am Saturday morning... until about 9am that same day. If you're brave enough to go out there after em, be prepared for a few pellet showers.

Dismal.

-J