Southern Zone season opens

Hunters have high hopes for the opening of big game season this coming Saturday.

This Saturday, Nov.17, has been circled on the calendar for several months by thousands of local residents. It is the opening of Southern Zone big game season. The next day or two will find sportsmen lining up their clothing, checking their accessories and gear, and running to local sports shops for any items they feel they need. All across the southern part of New York State, hunters will set out in pursuit of the nation’s most popular big game animal — the whitetail deer.

The weather forecast calls for cold weather and snow but that will not deter most hunters. They will don their foul weather clothing and adjust their tactics or locations to try and stay comfortable while waiting for a buck or doe to come into their sights. In fact, many hunters who have access to larger tracts of land will welcome snow both for tracking as well as increased visibility or contrast of their quarry.

For a lot of people it is “The” deer season. Opening day is still a big event for deer hunters, but it is a far cry from what it used to be. Due to the popularity of bowhunting in recent years, a lot of the anticipation and excitement of opening day of regular firearms season is lost.

These days many hunters take to the woods on Oct. 1 with their stands, compound bows, etc. and enjoy several weeks of seeing and trying to bag a deer. Also, the total number of deer hunters has declined in recent years for a variety of reasons.

Unlike other season openers, which are mostly psychological, or a welcome beginning of good times to come, the opening days of southern zone deer season are directly related to success. Statistics show that 55 percent of the bucks taken are shot on the first two days of the season. Thus, if you hunt later in the season, your odds of getting a buck are reduced, although there will still be bucks around. Remember, there will never be more bucks in the woods than there are on opening day.

Easier hunting conditions, the familiarity of hunting small woodlots or farms instead of bigger woods, and increased deer numbers and density all contribute to the immense popularity of southern zone hunting. Increased numbers of hunters afield also increase your chances of seeing deer since they often move deer from one area to another. Sixty percent of the state’s total deer harvest comes from the Southern Zone.

Because of the greater deer

density and easier hunting conditions, the success rate of hunters is greater. Roughly 1 in 15 hunters in the Northern Zone gets a buck while the success rate in the Southern Zone is approximately 1 in 10. When you factor in deer management permits, about 1 in 5 hunters will get a deer of some type.

Deer management permits allow hunters to take an antlerless deer in specific wildlife management areas. Their availability is determined by the DEC’s decision to stabilize the population at a desired level in each area. However, in those areas where does have been hunted regularly, taking a doe is not a certain, or easy thing.

Everyone has their favorite areas and tactics, but one of the methods that will probably still pay off if there are other hunters in the area is to be sitting on watch about mid day. Many hunters get cold, restless, or head out to the truck or nearby diner for lunch. In the process they often move deer that they never see. Thus, a large number of deer are shot by hunters on watch between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

There are a lot of different opinions and favorite methods, but if you are ever going to sit on watch much of the day, this should be the day. Hunters moving to and from their hunting spots and others in nearby areas still-hunting or driving are likely to cause deer to be on the move most of the day. If you have a good spot in likely cover or a funnel area, the odds are that you will make yourself comfortable and hope someone else moves a deer towards you.

Regardless of where you hunt, your number one concern should be safety. Be certain of your target and what is beyond it. Wear some blaze orange since statistics show that most accidents involve people who weren’t wearing orange.

Be sure and use caution if you are using a treestand. Statistics show that most hunting accidents are from treestands and not firearms. Old wooden stands are not safe since nails rust, etc. causing unsafe conditions. With the snowy and icy conditions, the ladder or other steps are likely to be slippery. Many people get excited at seeing deer and are likely to fall when moving into position for a shot so be sure to use your safety harness. Never climb up or down with a loaded firearm.

Finally, be sure and be an ethical sportsman. In addition to safety, you should be sure of your shot for quick, clean kills. Follow up every shot, even an apparent miss. Remember that even a fatal shot may not show any apparent effects. Follow even a bloodless trail for at least 200 yards. It is the mark of a responsible sportsman to make sure that every pos- sible wounded animal is found.

Good luck to all hunters next week and in the remaining season, which ends Dec. 9 in the Southern Zone. Even though you may not get one in the first few days, do not get discouraged. Although half of the bucks may be taken in the first couple days, less than 10 percent of the trophy bucks are taken then.

Be sure to let us know of any nice deer that you get or any interesting stories.

Outdoor Tips: Today many of our outdoor accessories from flashlights to cameras to radios or GPS units are dependent on batteries. The cold weather can quickly drain the power from your batteries so make the effort to keep them warm by putting these devices in an inner pocket. It is also a good idea to carry spare batteries so you will have power when you need it.

Camouflage is popular with hunters and outdoor photographers because it breaks up your outline and helps disguise you at close distances. But re- member that deer are colorblind (except for seeing the color blue) and it isn’t necessary at normal hunting distances. So when you are hunting with firearms such as during the Southern Zone gun season it is a wise idea to wear some hunter’s orange, such as a pullover vest in breakup orange pattern.

Deer detect movement, not the color. For example, last weekend I had three deer moving about me at a distance of about 25 yards for over 15 minutes while I was wearing an orange coat and hat. By contrast I once observed two deer spook at a hunter over 100 yards away while he was squirming around in his stand, even though he was completely garbed in camouflage.

Pat Salerno, a very successful hunter in the Adirondacks gives his advice about still-hunting. He says carry your gun at “port arms” position when you enter a likely area of thick cover where deer are bedded. It can save you those precious seconds when you need to shoot. Also by moving from tree to tree it helps break up your outline and can provide something to steady your aim when you shoot.

Deer Hides Wanted: The bow season has been open for weeks and the southern zone rifle season opens next Saturday so there should be an increasing number of deer harvested. For the deer hunters who have been successful and are wondering what to do with the hide, Jim Ward of Oneida Trap Supply is again buying hides. Call Jim at 363-2913 for information and hours.

Internet Trolls & Hunting Photos: Smartphones have become a regular part of many hunter’s gear. They are valuable for communication, emergency notification, and other things. Of course, people cannot help but snap some photos of success and then send them to family and friends. Pictures of big bucks soon go viral. This is fine but there are problems or concerns.

Of course there are always “trolls” who apparently have nothing better to do than trash someone. It may be an attack on hunting, or more likely questioning someone’s ethics or making the dumb comments like “real hunters wouldn’t use this method…” or “only incompetent people would shoot something like this…” etc., etc. They question the accuracy of the information, and the methods or ethics of the person posting the photo.

Trolls are not limited to hunting or fishing topics but seem to feel selfimportant by attacking someone else in the safety or anonymity of the internet. They fit in with groups like PETA, the NCAA, many NFL officials, or some Adirondack extreme preservationist organizations, i.e. those who contribute nothing to society!