Is it legal to use rifles statewide in NY now, Stumpy?
Nope. Tioga County allowed them this year.
Saw a fellow on an ATV this morning in full camo except for a gray rag-wool watch cap. Now that's something I want to do: present a gray moving object on the back-side of a hedgerow. Especially along the shooting galleries some fields become.
Here's the good news (indulge me while I stick this in). Storm front pushing through: 20-30 mph winds and rain, called to turn to 3" of snow by nightfall. Sat in my funnel spot between fields this morning and thought: "hmmm, cold, wet and windy, barometer dropping with a bad storm coming, if I was a deer I'd be on a south face, near cover, and sheltered from the wind. Walked a mile to the other side of the road and humped up the hill to find the spot I wanted (near where the ATV went past at about 9:00AM). Again, I was in full blaze orange (with the removeable hood on, even, which I only do whan it's nasty). Found a spot, near where someone had chopped out a landing zone for his deer stand (I get a kick out of tree stand hunters who feel the need to defoliate everything within 30 yards of their stand. What deer steps out into a clearing?) Anyway, I found a spot nearby in the thick stuff with a couple windows and settled in. I put my back to the thick stuff, figuring the deer would be going there, and it was nicely blocked from the west by a steep 60 ft high ridge, with a hemlock swamp farther down the hill behind me. To get there I looped above the cover and buttonhooked back down into the spot from the open field above.
About half-an hour later I spotted movement and saw a buck lowering his head to look under a branch at me from maybe 40 yards out. "Poo" he saw me first. But he raised his head again and then looked downhill. I figured next time he moved I would snap the gun up and fire, as he would have to turn either direction to leave - giving me a broadside. Instead, he took a step and I raised the gun, and he took another step. Now, this is with me sitting facing him with nothing but low wild-rose thorns and blackberries that had beed crushed down by snow and frost already. Sitting at ground level on a tree-seat facing him from 33 paces. In other words, he had me dead Planters. But he didn't notice me, didn't react to me aiming the gun. Did react to the shot. :grin: I don't think any camo would have helped a bit. Blaze orange works for me.
This one is especially sweet because my plan to hunt the poor conditions worked almost immediately. That, or dumb luck. Either is good.
I wish I could say it was a flintlock, but it again was the bolt-action (with open, iron sights). :redface: A beautiful eight point that weighs about what I do, which is a good deer by any account.
Not up to Roundball's standards, but I'm mighty pleased. :haha: Old Grandad is helping me work some of the aches out from the mile drag with this deer that kept grabbing trees and picking up rocks. Must be 350 lbs, at least it felt that way. Well, maybe 190. Dragged it right past where the camo-clad ATV driver had his stand; which is also where the deer came from. Suppose it waited for him to leave and then made for the heavy cover? Oh, I hope so.
:rotf:
