hunting season

[xrc800]

what is the story with 909 and hunting season? can we ride there in october/november and is there anything I should be aware of?

[burtondogs]

My guidelines are:

Deer shotgun season, night ride only, Day rides at Blue Mt.
Bow & Turkey wear orange

Some opinions differ.

[bbianchi]

have seen and heard a hunter out at 909 twice this week. i think it is small game. since i'm over 170 lbs. i think i'm safe. we'll see.

[oh_blinding_light]

According to my latest copy of the 2009-2010 Hunting & Trapping Guide, the big game (deer and bear) seasons are:

Muzzleloading and bowhunting: Oct 17 thru Nov 20th then Dec 15th thru Dec 22nd.

Rifle and Shotgun: Nov 21 thru Dec 14.

So basically, around here, there will be people out in the woods trying to kill deer and bears from next weekend till just before Christmas. I have a copy of the guide because I'll be one of them. I'll be hunting deer, but only in my backyard, so remember to wear orange if you drop by for a visit . And you might want to leave the bear costume at home when riding over the next couple of months.

The above dates apply to the southern region, which runs from NYC up thru Albany. One exception to the above dates is Westchester county (most of it anyway, the maps are hard to figure out sometimes) which only allows bowhunting from Oct 17th thru Dec 31.

The dates for small game hunting (bunnies, squirrels, quail, turkeys, coyotes, etc.) are much more spread out. There's stuff you can kill legally pretty much from Oct 1 thru late March.

In my experience muzzleloading and bow hunters tend to be pretty careful about what they shoot at. They typically only get one shot. But it's probably a good idea to wear bright colors starting next weekend anytime you are out in the woods.

The time you really need to start being careful is when the rifle and shotgun hunters are out in the woods.

The locals never scare me, because they know where the deer. If you never see deer in the areas you ride, you can be pretty sure the locals won't bother showing up.

The hunters traveling here from further south, are in my humble opinion, the ones you should worry about. Toward the end of the season, they'll start blasting at anything if they haven't bagged their deer yet. Weekends are probably scarier times to ride.

You are probably safe riding after dark, since it is illegal to hunt deer then, and most hunters will not mistake a cyclist with a headlight for an animal. It is however legal to hunt coyotes, bobcats, racoons, foxes, and lawyers ... err no I mean weasels after dark. So you may hear gunshots at night.

And of course Minnewaska is off limits to hunting, and the Mohonk Preserve only allows bow and shotguns.

OBL

PS I learn something new every time I look at the Hunting & Trapping Guide. Did you know it's legal to hunt deer in Ulster County with handguns?

"Well to tell you the truth, in all the excitement, I don't remember if I fired 5 shots or 6. But bein' as this here is a 44 magnum revolver, the most powerful handgun known to man, there's just one question you gotta ask yourself. Do I feel lucky? Well do you ... Buck?"

An excerpt from my new screenplay: Bambi vs. Dirty Harry
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Nimium est melior!

[oh_blinding_light]

All those confusing rules in this thread: http://www.fatsinthecats.com/?p=281

I think the important thing is to remember that there will be people out in the woods trying to kill deer between now and Dec 22nd. It's a real good idea to wear orange when riding in the woods during the day, for the next couple of months. Orange is a color hunters key in on, since they all wear it too.

Or you could ride half an hour after sunset. The only hunters you'll piss off after dark are coyote hunters, and they usually go out pretty late (after midnight in my limited experience), or folks poaching deer, who will mistake you for the game warden and split.

The scariest part of the season for me is Nov 21 thru Dec 13, since that's when hunters use high powered rifles, and some don't always think about what their backstop is.

And the scariest place to be during that time is anywhere near my house, since I'll be out with a rifle. My wife always encourages me to go deer hunting after seeing what they do to her garden every summer. She thinks the deer season should start in early January and end in late December. Me, I figure I can bag my limit with my rifle or the radiator grill of my pickup. I figure the rifle option will be better for all involved.

OBL
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Nimium est melior!

[Tim845]

Better on your table than my hood
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Pedal, b*tches!!

[burtondogs]

Use Caution on Bykhed.....

There is a new Treestand ,
Next to the new lower re-route, just over the border on private property.

They may not know that the trail goes much closer now.

Let em know your coming.