Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

            <<< Note 1404.0 by 31803::PAPPALARDO "A PURE HUNTER" >>>
                         -< "The opening Day monster" >-

    
    Rick,........
    
		Good reading, but what a morbid sense of humor ;-)


		May your cap spark, and may your powder be dry. Good
	luck.

	Red     

    That sounds familiar;') insert doe though instead of buck;')
    Good luck everyone this weekend...

    Gus

    
    
    Rick,
        Your a sick man :) .
    
    Fred
    
    

    
      You DID put me right in my stand tho.....what a feeling! I can't 
    
    wait. 24 loooooooonnnnnnngggggggggg hours and I'll be there looking
    
    for #2 on the season. Thanks.
    
    
                                                           Eric
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
         Good luck, Gus.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    What a horrible thought! 
    
    Had a dead fire the other day at the range, pulled the trigger while 
    my secondary saftey (Modern) was on... all I heard was metal on metal, 
    a similar scenario to the one you described went thru my mind...
    
    The first part of that note was beautiful!
    
    Good luck and safe hunting to all.
    
    -donmac (who'll be snapping off a few caps and loading up the smokepole
             tonight)  

    
      Ditto. Put the morning stand up Monday and doctored up a scrape
    
    under a hemlock about 30-35 yds. away. The night stand hasn't 
    
    been visited since the buck sighting. Boy, I hope those tarsal 
    
    glands from my bow buck pay off for me....I'll be hanging them
    
    to bring in Mr. Buck....(first name "BIG")!  <8-)
    
    
      Good luck, DonMac.....Rick. I just gotta christen that Thompson
    
    Greyhawk.....not to mention get my first ever firearm deer!
    
    
                                                       Eric             

    
     I heard a rumor and wondering if anyone can shed some light on it.
     A friend of mine said he was reading a hunting book that had an
     article on N.H. He said that the article showed great numbers of
     deer in the southern portion particularly L and M sections. Now the
     part I have interest to. He also said that in M section, a hunter
     whom filled a tag then had the option to receive yet another tag from
     the check in station.  Has anyone heard anything like this??
    
     Lets get this note file busy guys. Only 2 more days ;*)
    
    Lance
    

    I went through the whole NH Orange Book this weekend and I saw no
    mention of such a thing.
    
    Mark.

    
    		The Fish and Game did get the OK for the the extra
    	tags but they still have to work out the rules and regs.  
    	Maybe next year.......
    
    			Bob

    
    
      I'm not sure if I agree with the F&G on this one. I have been hunting
     in "M" section now for 17 yrs. And I have to say I have my share of
     "TAGS" still attached to their licenses. ;*(  One doesn't exactly have
     to worry about getting run down by any deer as far as I can tell. I
     would much rather them hold off on this idea. I think we need ALOT
     more deer in this area before they even think of such a plan. 
     At this point I'd like to fill my one tag, never mind thinking about 2
    
     Lance
    

    
    	I hunt area M also and am in full agreement with Lance.
    
    Fred
    
    

    
    		That is exactly what they don't want to happen
    is to have so many deer that you see them behind every tree.
    I too hunt this zone and besides last year, of which I missed
    a very nice buck, I have scored just about every year.  This
    year I was able to get out three times (having a 10 month old
    son sure changes things) and I saw and actually shot at a 6-8
    pointer the first time, had a hang fire the second time, and
    shot my deer the third time.  I know a few guys at Dodge Grain
    and they have all filled their tags already.  One of them has
    got a deer with his bow AND muzzleloader.  I live in Fremont 
    and hunt locally.  The deer I saw were in two different areas
    in two different towns.  They hunt in other areas and actually
    passed on a few too.  I guess some of us are luckier then others
    sometimes.......I would love to get another tag but I can still
    go out with my bow for now......
    		My only problem is whether to have a nice round steak
    or some loin chops tonight..... ;^)
    
    			Bob  

    .12: Bob is right on.
    
    The issue is not to provide more deer for the purpose of giving
    hunters better opportunities to fill their tags.  Rather, there needs
    to be a curb on deer populations - especially in the Seacoast area
    where these is a dramatic decrease in habit and a moderate increase in
    deer population.
    
    In short, there ain't enough room in the Seacoast for more deer.
    
    Mark.
    

    
    I also hunt in area M.  Fremont is my hunting grounds...The last two
    years I've taken Bucks that made the N.H. record books and usally
    see deer more these days than years ago.
    
    The issue is not to provide more deer because there is more deer.
    
    The issue is to open some of the posted land in M, we've got to much
    posted land and the deer are increasing in those areas.
    
    You guys who hunt in M know what I'm talking about...There's some
    areas where bucks are dieing of old-age but we can't get into those
    posted woods.
    
    We need F&G to maybe offer the land owner a tax incentive to open-up
    these large tracts of land...especially in the seacoast....
    
    Rick.
    

    
        Part of the extra tag rumor is leaning towards a tag just for
    muzzleloading. The state mostlikely feels that an extra tag for this
    fast growing aspect of the sport may help areas that in their opinion
    have to high of a measurment of deer per square mile. The rumors I
    heard said this additional tag would show up next season.
    
    
                                                     Guy

    Gawd, that wind was awful today!
    
    Still hunting was very good early AM.  I practically stepped on a nice
    doe at about 8:30.  I had literally just finished eating a sandwich and
    downing a cup of coffee not 15 feet from where she was bedded down.  As
    soon as I stood up she bounded. 
    
    Still haven't figgered out how to shoot a deer with a gun that's
    leaning against the crotch of a tree :^).
    
    The wind was so bad this afternoon, I punted at 4:15.  Didn't see
    another hunter all day (Durham NH am, Rye NH pm).
    
    Mark.

    Yep- the wind was strong, gusty and a significant chilling effect.
    I was almost underdressed.
    
     We didn't see anything all day (area k), and tried three separate
    spots. None of the sign looked fresh either. Hunted from sunup to 4 pm.
    
     We need to find a spot in area M.

    
    
     O.K Guys....I think that must be the difference (seacoast area of "M")
     I hunt and live in Brookline and we could sure use some more deer out
     that way. We hunted hard yesterday in that freaken wind and never saw
     a single deer. I only heard of one other hunter bagging one too.
     Wouldn't you know the weather would have to be much better today. Now
     that I'm stuck at work and not out in the woods.  Hurry up weekend.
    
     
     Best of luck to all of you.
    
    Lance
     

    
    Re: 17..
    
    Stay out of area M....Besides, there ain't no dee'a ove'a hee'a.
    
    Go to area I... 
    
    Rick (ha,ha)
    

I hunt areas H and K. Got my deer in K this year. 

I called F & G in Concord, and they said that what happened was that the
legislature OK'd a 2nd permit for NEXT year, depending on whether F & G 
thought that the herd would need it . This winter will be the deciding factor,
I would think. Also, Outdoor Life said that the 2nd permit in NH was targetted
at the Seacoast Region, and the Mass/NH border (sounds to me like H,K,M).

Last night, as I was driving back to NH from NY, I almost hit a buck on Rt 101
in Keene, and a half hour later, I almost hit a doe on 101 in Peterboro.
This was around 7 PM. I'm seriously considering a cow-catcher on my Sundance.

I too, think we could use MORE deer in NH. Ther herd is estimated to be 
around 70,000 strong now (as opposed to 40,000 a few years ago). Compared to
NY, our deer density in NH is very small. BUT, I must say that hunting the
forested hills and swamps of NH is QUALITY hunting, and certainly not fruitless.

My favorite thing about NH hunting is the long season, and opportunity to
hunt pre-rut and peak rut. Our buck/doe ratio is VERY GOOD - probably 1 to 3,
whereas in northern NY it's about 1 to 10, and you can't harvest does.

The other great thing about NH is the quickly increasing moose population.
This year I ALWAYS saw abundant moose sign everywhere I hunted (Jaffrey, Temple,
Peterborough, Stoddard). Also had no problem seeing bear sign in Stoddard and 
Temple. 

My 2 cents.
Dave

    interesting to read about the seasons elsewhere. here in MN the deer
    season starts tomorrow. i'll be going to SD next weekend for the opener
    where our 4-some have 7 tags to fill. 5 mulies, and 2 whitetail. deer
    everywhere. literally. see ya afterwards.

    Okay, I've had it.....
    
    Due to business travel commitments, I couldn't make the annual trip to 
    Moosehead Lake, Maine with my father and buddies.   However, my trip
    to Hong Kong has been pushed out to January and here I am sitting in 
    my office getting woefully behind and saying, "screw it...I'm headin'
    North."
    
    Just got off the phone with my wife who said my Dad called to say my
    buddy has a 209 pound 8-pointer hanging on the pole.  Then my wife
    says, "why don't you surprise your father and show up at camp tomorrow
    night."
    
    Come to think of it, I think I will.  
    
    I'm outta here this afternoon...gonna fix up some bambi chili, gonna
    pack my bags, gonna stop at the Kittery Trading Post to get a license,
    and I should be at camp Tuesday at dusk.
    
    See y'all next Monday.
    
    Mark.

    
    Hey mark! Wait for me, I'm coming too!
    
    Walt

    
    
    hey!..Hey! HEY!....boy he didn't even give us a chance..he's gone...
    
    Hey Walt...they name one way streets after him....
    
    Good-Luck Mark....
    
    Rick
    

    Don't take them, take my wife, then I could sneak out and go!
    
    
    Lucky stiff,
    Wess

    See 270.547.
    
    Mark.

    
    
      	Well the start of the 1994 gun season was about as misserable as
    it could be. I departed camp at 3:30 am, I arrived at my hunting
    location at 5:30, no vehicles present, so I donned my hunting atire.
    
       during scouting saturday I found a nice hemlock to set my stand in,
    so at 6:30 the stand was set and I loaded the gun as quietly as
    possible with a pump action shotgun, then the rain started, then if
    that wasnt bad enough the lightning started, at 7:15 a tree ~100 yrds
    in front of me gets lit up, ~5 seconds later I am now on the ground 
    figuring that its not much safer but it would be better than falling 30
    feet outa that tree.
      
         So I set up under the hemlock which stopped some of the rain but
    not nearly as much as I would of liked, watch reads 7:25, something
    moved...... wait a second something moved????? a deer, a HUGE deer 
    walking up from the hemlock trees below me, get the gun up wipe the 
    scope lens off, he picks up his head and RACK! he starts trotting
    parralell to me ~100 yrds, I hold the shot, this animal is so
    beautifull that a poor hit is the last thing I want plus its pouring
    rain so a good blood trail is really needed if he doesnt drop on the
    spot.
        Ok now I am psyched, I knew he was here I saw him but maybe my good
    judgment of not shooting will be rewarded with another chance, at 8:10 
    I see another deer walking up the same path, this one steps out at ~70
    yards, works to about 50 yrds, broadside the whole time, I had the gun
    up, looked over the rack a small 4 pointer, put the crosshairs on the 
    shoulder, back to the head to look over the rack again, back on the 
    shoulder, ease off the safety, ever so slowly start a steady pressure 
    on the trigger, eased off the trigger put the safety on and layed the
    gun down, watched him for probably 10 minutes feeding before he walked
    on out the ridge.
       at 10 am I started rattling along with the grunting I had been doing
    every 15-20 minutes, at 11:00 I see a deer walking towards me across
    the ridge bench I set on, he has his head up, pure white antlers, he
    walks within 60-70 yrds of me, I count 6 small points, and probably a 
    decision that I will regret but I passed on him too. 
    
      And that buck at 11 am was the last deer I saw till the doe crossed 
    the road in front of me at 6pm when I was leaving in the truck. it
    rained steady all day except for a total of 40 minutes. 
     
       We got snow today, so I am gonna be back out in the woods in the 
    morning, and I hope to get back to the olean area friday if not I WILL
    be there before light saturday for an all day hunt. then its off to PA 
    for the opener of buck season on monday.
    
     I consider my hunt sucessfull, I knew the big buck was there, its the 
    same buck I was really after last year but took the small 7 pointer at
    9 am in the same area, this year I really wanted that big buck. like I 
    said hopefully passing on what I would consider a poor percentage shot 
    on monday I will be rewarded later.
    
    
                             Good luck to you guys.
    
                                         Lee
    

    Well sometimes you get them sometimes you don't. Woke up 3:30 am
    Monday morning to snow/rain. dad and I decided we were up so let's
    go. Got part way there and I started sliding all over the road then
    finally got stuck. Dad pushed us out I turned around and went home.
    Knowing what hills were ahead and the fact that snowplows were out yet
    made me realize the going was just going to get worse.

    Tried again at noon time, got there with no problem. Walked up the cart
    road and saw 4 trucks  parked within 50 yards of the path. Had one set
    of human prints walk right up to the path and keep going. Went in to dad's
    stand. The snow showed that 2 deer had walked within 30 yards of dad's
    stand, then 2 more within 20 yards. I left dad there and went to my
    stand and saw where 2 had walked behind my stand also. Sat there all
    afternoon and saw nothing. Our stands are on a small knoll and during
    the afternoon there were 2 deer taken, one on each side of the knoll
    by other guys. So back again tues/wed and nothing was seen. Took a long
    walk on tues at noon and saw nothing.   

    So i have come to a few conclusions. This spot is hot on opening day.
    The trails are well used escape routes but after opening day there is
    no reason for the deer to go thru there. on tues/wed I saw one other
    hunter in the woods so the pressure was very light after opening day.
    I think what else is happening is that the deer are up on the oak ridge
    behind us about 200 yards cause of the shots we heard while in our
    stands. So you learn every year. next year we plan on hunting our spot
    on opening day then heading in towards the oak ridge after that. Still
    may get to go out one or two more times, we'll just have to wait and
    see.

    Walt