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Empire State Deer Hunt

I'm just back from a very generous offer to deer hunt on private land with a fellow Nitro Express member, MKresinske. M is Martin and he invited me to bring a friend and come reduce his whitetail herd in western NY State. His area is near the Finger Lakes Region south of Rochester, New York. The area has a varied terrain which includes mixed agriculture, hilly woodlands, brushlands, hedgerows and watersheds. Martin maintains his own property very well with plenty of deer coverts and food plots. He hunts several hundred acres in private land leases and also takes hunting clients.

So I called a hunting gal pal, Phyllis, who lives an hour or so away and asked if she wanted to tag along and go deer hunting. I didn't have to ask twice so we both packed our gear and I drove to my friend's house and we drove from there. Martin's area is approximately an 8.5 hour drive from my house.

We arrived late Saturday afternoon and got licenses and situated in a very comfortable apartment atop one of Martin's partner's barn. We were hunting for buck and doe to put meat in our freezers. Phyllis and I were shown unparalleled hospitality for our four days hunting. I was hunting with a CVA in-line in .45 cal with Hornady SST sabots and 110 grains of Hodgedon Triple 7.

So, on to the hunting!

We were taken out Sunday morning and situated in a large watershed area, which consisted of oak and hickory hardwoods with no nearby residents. Martin situated me on a ridge above a small stream next to a large red oak. As light dawned and the sun rose I watched squirrels scamper about as the frost slowly vaporized. I saw my first group of six deer run about 150 yards in the bottomland below me through the woods and then they leaped a small stream and came up the ridge to my east. There was too much cover between them and me so no shot was possible.

At around 0900 I decided to still-hunt my way along the old logging road, which ran along the ridge I was sitting on. About an hour later a group of yearling bucks ran from the bottom land with one coming up the ridge 30 yards in front of me. He had no idea I was there and I decided to fill my buck tag on him. He was just a 3-point but I knew the meat would be good and tender. I made a quartering too shot on him through his right shoulder, which shattered his humorus bone and blew the heart up. When the smoke cleared he was gone but I heard him running up the ridge through a stand of pines. I found him piled up about 25 yards from where I shot him.

Martin found me not long after and gutted and dragged my little buck out.

No luck on a rainy Monday morning but saw a skipper (fawn) that I passed on and a doe with two skippers in tow after shooting hours.

I missed a yearling doe on Tuesday and filled a doe tag early Wednesday morning in the watershed area again on a mature doe. She was moving through the woods and I estimated a spot between some trees where I thought she would pass. She entered and I fired. I wasn't sure if I connected so I waited a few minutes and then went to the spot where I shot her. No hair but a few paces later I saw some blood. I cleaned and reloaded the muzzleloader and grabbed a roll of toilet paper to track. Good thing I took the TP, I needed it. The blood trail was very scant in the beginning and as time wore on it did begin to show larger amounts. I was worried about this thinking liver or gut shot. I ended up with a very long track through the watershed with the deer eventually crossing a large deep ravine down below a large dam.

The doe made it nearly to the top of the other side and finally expired in a thicket of briars, fallen logs and small beech trees. I dressed the doe and indeed found I was on the right level with a vitals shot but with her walking at my shot I fell behind the vitals into the gut. Thus my loooong track. Well, I earned that cleaning job. This was a large mature doe with molar teeth worn to the gums. Martin followed my toilet paper trail and we got the carcass out after lunch on his Gator ATV. I watched and he did the dragging, being a girl has benefits.

Thanks Martin!

My friend Phyllis was unable to connect with a deer on this trip but did make a few and missed one shot at.

Martin and his partners have a great area and deer numbers are obviously high. There were lots of rubs and scrapes, which told me there was a good buck population on the lands they manage. Martin had shot a very nice 2.5-year-old buck a few days prior to our arrival. He sent us home with the meat from that deer. If you are looking for a good eastern whitetail hunt give him (or me) a call.

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~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures