Tag: deer
Memories of the Hunt, the Old Sweater
Opening weekend of New York Southern Tier firearms season for whitetails is in the books as one of thirty four seasons spent in the great forests of my home state. Thanksgiving morning, holiday weekend hunts to follow are eagerly anticipated as in the past. Deer camp has certainly changed from a deer camp weekend with a monday opener to a Saturday opener. I do miss the weekend of camp as a prelude to opening day.
With thirty three seasons under my belt it is the time with others that I recall more fondly, reminisce about the most. It is during these solemn moments to recount the hunts of years gone by. Hours in a favored stand, before first light, the often quiet surroundings as the evening sets gives plenty of opportunity to ponder. The day ebbs and flows and is not a constant parade of quarry, and often times the moment of truth occurs in just a view brief moments.
I recall most all the hunts, in all melancholy, days I hunted alone, with others, what was seen, what deer we tagged. As I grow older it takes a bit more time to exact some of them. The task of returning to the truck were sometimes epic efforts before the commonplace of atvs that made for far less dragging and the sore bones and aching muscles. It was always a welcome pleasure to have a few in the hunting party that could double as a front line tackle for a pro football team.
Deer camp is always the best. Annual get togethers and catching up on another years worth of living. Difficulties were discussed in good company and you would have any and all support required. Announcements of job changes, retirements, weddings, the births of children, grandchildren and we would also learn of those passed and their presence in camp would be in spirit. As I said, it’s the best.
It is for the most part a heartwarming reminiscing in appreciation of others, time in the great forests, time with family and friends. It is also a time to remember those that have passed, time with fellow hunters whose lives have changed. placing them in far away places and past friendships that have concluded as people change, not always for the better. As such they are memories of places and times I am fortunate to have. Deer camp embraces a full cross section of folks and our way of life. Away from work, the demands of daily life that I truly love the traditions of opening day, opening weekend in a well known, and familiar deer stand.
My bride of 18 years and I would be the only ones on our ranch this past weekend, a first in a very long time. Sightings leading up to this past weekend were excellent, and our hit list was longer than many years in the past. One brute of a buck I named pile driver from an encounter I had with him two years ago. The buck was not captured on a single game cam. He went without being spotted before, during or after season last year. This fall he came back to the area, and grew in many ways. He still evades the cams.
Having passed on small does and bucks during archery season, it has been my personal choice to only cull a few does in keeping with our current management plan and take only racked bucks. It is not a statement on other’s choices, but is ours to reach a specific goal on our place. There was a time where a fork horn or small six would be big news on our hillside and where it was common to see 15-17 does for every scrub buck we saw. Eighteen years later we expect to see a few good eight pointers and a few in Pope and Young, Boone and Crockett territory.
With fresh snow and a day in the stand ahead, I donned a familiar old sweater. For some it is a trusted old shotgun or rifle that is a link to the past generations, for me this was a present for my very first deer season, from my parents in 1985. My father, and my grandfather had stopped hunting long before I became of age despite being hard core Adirondack deer hunters that would boat plane into remote lakes for weeks at a time. Knowing as I do now, I would have loved to experienced that so many years ago.
The old sweater is an offering from the Remington sporting line of clothing, heavy wool with a padded shoulder patch, and rather oversized. My “lucky sweater” is of great warmth and comfort in the most miserable of hunting conditions. For me it is a direct connection to my parents who now have both passed. A most practical gift and with an emotional attachment and comfort to still have it. It is an essential must wear item on many cold days in the forests. Far more meaningful than the knitting of wool threads and practical use it would otherwise suggest. In retrospect it is one of the very few items that has remained in use since my first season.
In difference to many deer tracks and beds spotted from the day before, only one doe was seen early. No shot opportunity with thick stand of saplings between us. Nevertheless, it was early light excitement and enjoyable to watch her walk along in a most casual way. The typical volley of shots we normally expect to ring out in the valleys below and on our hill were far less frequent than past years.
Lee and I would do a few short pushes to each other, with no sightings to report. Sunday was even quieter and we would come across fresh beds from the night before just above our log home. One bed and a set of giant buck tracks suggested a bit of mockery and a teaser challenge. Challenge accepted of course. On both days, my legs and hands would start to cool, my trusty old sweater kept me toasty warm as it had so many hunts in the past. I thank my parents for so much they did for me. I am inclined to silently repeat this often.
All in all, a quiet opening weekend. A good time afield and time on our land is highly coveted with the busy lives we lead. As the season marches on, I wish you many good days in a deer stand, a great deer camp with friends!
-MJ
© 2018 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
#deerhunting #oldsweater #deercamp #family #deerstand
A Thankful Thanksgiving
A Thankful Thanksgiving
As the despot author of turkey-talk.com blog I take advantage of and make it a prerogative to steer nearly anything into to something about wild turkeys. Thanksgiving of course lends itself to it without any effort at all. My comments on our time honored holiday comes after a 27 hour stint working at my office.
When working thru an entire calendar day you become acquainted with the wee hours of the morning without distractions or the busy, busy of modern living. Not at all dissimilar to the quiet sanctum of the turkey woods which I so much favor. Easy to become a fan of early hours AM radio where you listen to some very bizarre and out there broadcasts as the night owls relinquish their very deep and most inner thoughts. It does give one’s self the time set aside to let your mind wander, and exercise how deep the rabbit hole goes.
In the work that pays the bills, designing image sensors, it entails long hours staring at very large screens. The discipline comes with its own technical language and deep concentration which is typical of the engineering vocations. While designing requires tasks such as DRC’s (design rule checks) and LVS (layout vs Schematic) one may have some time on their hands depending on how large a design it is.
On this thanksgiving I am thankful that in my work a task that would take not twenty years ago many man days to run on $200K-$300K worth of software in a half million dollar computer room now runs on a laptop ( a $5K-$7K CAD platform) and takes 90 seconds to a few minutes to run on $80k worth of software. To add to that that it is far more accurate, in-depth and more useful than it was just a few decades ago. It use to be you would set it up and hope to have some results the next day or maybe be a day or two later. The down side is you can stay on top of it and work far too many hours straight in one sitting. What would take several weeks to accomplish was finished off in a little more than 27 hours.
As owner of my own tech company I crack my own whip. I am thankful I live in a country where I can create my own job, my own lively hood, and continue with the profession I have dedicated my life’s work to. All this back ground sets up the late night experience where I could take inventory of pluses and minuses at my leisure.
Although my time afield currently is a fraction of what it might be of any other year, what few precious hours at the base of an oak tree or in a deer stand has been as they always have- monumental, and cleansing of the soul. I have yet to aim my cross hairs on a game animal, although I worry little about it as it is time in my sanctuary and the freezer will be filled when the timing, opportunity and preparedness align at the same moment. It is an end goal, a tangible conclusion, but not the prime reason to be afield.
As I often intertwine my love of the turkey woods with my work as an engineer, as a writer, they are a small snapshot of my being whereas my most important roles as husband, father, a son, a grandfather, a friend are what makes me whole.
In my pre-dawn hours of Thanksgiving morning slaving away to the digital gods that I call earning a living. I am most thankful for Lee, my wife who tolerates my all-encompassing live style and made an awesome thanksgiving feast this afternoon. I am most thankful to our children, grandchildren. I am also thankful to make a living and despite my flirting with the devil in so many long hours I am in reasonable health although not perfect or in my best representation. I am thankful for my time in the turkey woods, in God’s amphitheater for the time spent there, and for the life lessons taught while afield. I am also thankful for my upbringing and for my parents whom have now passed on. It is a heartache that they are now gone, yet heartwarming to have had them as my rock. It is the natural order of things.
It is my warmest wishes that you had an awesome time with loved ones, with family and that you find your days in your vocation, and your days afield truly inspiring
-MJ
© 2017 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
NY Southern Tier Fall Turkey Opener
Today marks the day of the Southern Tier opener for fall turkey hunting in the great Empire State. Although the afternoon is reported to be very warm, the morning greets us with abundant sunshine and crisp temperatures. The turkey woods I have had a few occasions to step foot in so far are loaded with acorns, beechnuts. The apple and fruit trees, berry bushes have bore fruit this year, maybe not as much as some years. Most likely they’ll forego the fields for acorns, and other nuts and seeds as grasshoppers and crickets are about done for the season. The reports of sightings so far have been very mixed from jakes and Jennies nearly the size of adult hens to the size of pheasants and yet again the size of ruffed grouse, A mix of first, second and third nestings. In my neck of the woods, the seven valleys of Cortland County, the numbers are still suppressed compared to five years ago, but I would submit a bit better than the prior two years, We have a way to go with warm dry springs and reduced bag limits to bring the flocks back up. Poaching remains as an issue and a scourge among our fraternity.
The past two fall reports show the reported takes are down which is the goal of the changes in the fall seasons. I am steadfast in the opinion that recommendations of gobblers only in the fall and restriction of taking turkeys from elevated platforms would further reduce the fall take while favoring the enjoyment of those who purposely wear a turkey vest in the fall and or engages in the time honored pastime of using turkey dogs to break the flocks. As a professed bowhunter I do understand the desire of incidental opportunities from a tree stand. However the numbers of those with the single minded purpose of pursuing turkeys in the fall are dwarfed by those that bag a turkey as happenstance while on deer watch. I find it ass-backwards that the seasons were not directly influenced/changed to suit fall turkey hunters, turkey doggers rather than the sidebar interests of deer hunters. It is still a bit disconcerting as to the decision making by our folks at the NYSDEC.
Opening day is of importance as given to national holidays and religious observances. This year finds me going into work to put in a 12-14 hour day and spending a little bit of the morning working on my laptop, with my bride and our two weimaraners. Despite long days, I do need to make a guest appearance at home from time to time. Although I might view not being afield a moral offense, I appreciate having gainful work and good customers which I’m smart enough to keep as customers.
Our beloved Jake who is turkey crazy and would love nothing more than to break a flock of turkeys. Actually he tries to catch them, not break them, it works. Yesterday he had surgery to remove what is believed to be a malignant skin growth (mass tumor) and will not be chasing much of anything until after the season has ended here. It is worrisome and we await to learn the prognosis. As in your homes, our weims are essential family members and we spoil them as you do yours. Abby, our female weim loves to chase turkeys, will bark at the break, but since having surgery seven years ago to remove a 10″ abscess, encapsulating a malignant tumor on her small intestine, her stamina has been reduced and does not range far or can go for more than short excursions.
With demands of my professional life, and not being able to bring along my favored turkey chaser with me, I’ll enjoy the stories I learn from your grand days afield later as the day marches on. I expect I will catch a few hours here and there over the two weeks of our season as a few hours in the turkey woods is a welcomed reprieve in what will be long days at work. There was a planned fall hunt in Maine that I looked forward too, but with the current demands of my tech company we’ll make the trip next spring.
From all of us at Joyner Outdoor Media we wish you a grand day in the turkey woods, full of adventures and memories to be had by all!
-MJ
© 2017 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
The Hunter, Blaze Orange? It’s The Golden Rules That Matter
With the news of a female hunter in Caledonia, NY succumbing to a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen during a deer drive yesterday afternoon, it is cause for a visceral reaction. Her name has not been released, and with due respect, not disclosed. Sorry if I appear to be a chauvinist. My reaction to this event is more pronounced, more upset, a bit sadder, and I’ll not apologize to feminists over this one. My wife hunts, at the behest of any and all the encouragement I can muster. Years of volunteering at Women In The Outdoors events has me inclined to support women participating in our favorite pastime. Yet, as much as I appreciate equal treatment of all, my sense of chivalry is disrupted by this very tragic event… Very few details have been made public as I write this, and my reaction is from what I know to be in nearly all cases to be preventable. I’ll not claim any wrong doing by anyone as the facts are not in yet.
This is the third such incident this fall season. Before I dive into an experience I had many years ago, let me first express my sincere condolences to the families in these tragic events. The loss of life, the possibilities of what if, the ripples in time from what they may have accomplished are our loss and more so of their families and loved ones. There is no upside for the persons who made the shots in these tragic occurrences. Their lives, their families will be changed in so many but different ways. With or without civil or legal repercussions, their lives will not be the same.
Our sport, our activity, is unique in that despite the common thought that it is a very dangerous, deadly pastime, it is polar opposite from the truth. The use of firearms understandably lends itself to that image as it is portrayed as such in movies and television. As reported by the NSSF in their 2015 report, the injury rate versus participation is 0.05%. This includes tree stand failures, falls, etc. All Non-Intentional Firearm Fatalities reported in 2013 are less than a fifth of that number. With over 17 million participants it is remarkably safe. To think you would be 30 times more likely to be injured while cheerleading would not be my first guess. No, I won’t be sporting pom-poms anytime soon.
In regards to those that have been fatally shot while afield, these numbers are meaningless. They offer no comfort to the families, to those involved in these incidents. The numbers are a yardstick to show progress, compare apples to apples, to affect rules, and policies.
In our sport, our ideal number is 0% fatalities, 0% injuries. We think one is one too many. You cannot apply this very well to automobiles, or medical practices. Actuary tables are applied to most activities, yet we preach in many ways, in many forms that 0% is the expected norm.
To illustrate where I am taking this, I’ll recount a story of my first deer going all the way back to 1988…
I was now into my fourth fall season of chasing whitetails with a bow, and my first full firearms season with my own shotgun. I had been a few times with a borrowed gun before that. Up to this point, I had not successfully filled a deer tag. A whitetail virgin if you will. Opening day I was in a preselected spot in a piece of open woods up on state land above the Deruyter Reservoir, not far from where I live now. I was with a crew of four other hunters. We would sit until late morning then do slow walks towards each other midday. We all sported blaze orange hats and vests or full jackets/coveralls. We meant to be seen.
I had previously built a small makeshift blind out of dead tree limbs that would conceal the lower half of my body while sitting. It wasn’t much, but I liked the spot, and deer crossed out in front and along both sides of my blind. Using a smooth bore barrel and a 1-4X scope limited my shots out to 100-120 yards if on a rest. I was relieved to find it unoccupied as I walked in. The morning was full of action including hunters walking about at 7AM as they couldn’t sit for more than a half hour. It wasn’t that long of a sit when deer started moving. I had a big doe pass out in front, well past my ability to accurately hit where I would aim. Just the same I was thrilled to see deer moving. Several more would come across from my right side and continue on, without offering a shot within my reasonable distance. Mid-morning I noticed movement to my hard left. Eighty yards out to my left. There was a thicket that ran down along to my left that was 150 yards long and finished out down range out in front.
With deer moving about, it was a promising idea that I would fill my first deer tag. I began to see patches of tan/brown moving along the thicket, then an occasional flash of black. Adrenaline was flowing. My gun was up and ready, and I knew that I would get my chance as the deer would eventually pass one of the two openings in thicket/hedgerow. The movement was slow and deliberate. Even with my scope, I could not make out a head, antlers, or a shoulder crease that I would want for an aiming point. Being that I had tags for either sex, I was giving thought to preferred choice of cuts at the butcher.
As the patches of brown neared the first opening, I was more than excited, the moment of truth was just seconds away….
Into the opening, a hunter appeared. After surveying the open woods I was watching, he looked my way. I had lowered my shotgun by the time he looked back. Rattled to my core, I was shaking. I had pointed my shotgun at something I would never intend to shoot, worse yet, another hunter. Unlike my apparel of blaze orange, the unknowingly lucky hunter sported well-used carhart overalls with a matching jacket and a black felt hat. His gun was also painted black which is what I saw in the underbrush of the thicket. I managed not to throw up, but in hindsight, it might have settled my stomach sooner. He walked off, without any acknowledgment, none the wiser. It would be the last day I ever hunted from that spot. Some time later I did fill a doe tag on a nice sized doe that crossed out in front of me and within range. Later in the day as I recall it.
Even after so many years, it upsets me to think how bad it could have all turned out, and how much both of our lives would have changed because if it.
Like all hunters in New York State, I attended hunter safety class and passed the written test given at the conclusion of training. I paid attention, for my sake, the sake of the foolish hunter I described, and for your sake. To those unfamiliar to firearm safety training, firearm golden rules, I’ll recall a few for your wellbeing.
- Assume every gun is loaded
- Control the muzzle. Point your gun in a safe direction
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
- Identify fully, be sure of your target, foreground. and beyond
- Don’t rely on your gun’s safety button/lever for safe handling.
- Never shoot at sound or movement without fully identifying the target
These short and very simple rules can keep you safe from tragic events when everyone practices safe, ethical hunting. As a shooter, blaze orange is not a fix all or prevent all as shown in my example. although I was clearly lit up like a tree, it did not deter my hunter friend from sneaking about in the very colors of our quary. Had he sported blaze orange I am absolutely certain I would not have pointed my shotgun in his direction. If he had worn a deer costume, as anti-hunters have been known to do, maybe it would turn out badly. My adherence to the basic safety rules kept me from a very tragic possibility. This was over stressed by the instructors at my class, and I owe them much for engraining that into my training. Despite my ill-advised hunting friend engaged in suicide by deer hunter, I owed him, any other hunter, and any deer I chose to shoot to clearly identify my target, and a proper aiming point. It is impossible to ensure a clean efficient kill without doing so.
As a hunter, blaze orange does not guarantee that you will be seen. As odd as that seems, it takes just a little bit of cover, terrain, alignment of trees to interfere with being seen. In general, blaze orange does the job of making you stand out as much as possible. As ugly or unattractive I might be, I have yet to look remotely like a gobbler or a whitetail at any distance. You as a hunter owe me and my fellow hunters the respect of identifying your target, a safe sight picture, no exceptions.
On deer drives, if it is hurried, or the shooter is snap shooting, it may not give enough time to acquire the entire scene, and the target, or more importantly another member of the drive in the wrong position at the wrong time, Taking a little longer to take it all in may cost you a deer downed from time to time, but you’ll be safer for doing so. Deer drives I have been on are slow, methodical, where the pushers tend to get the shot opportunity, and the watchers are in very open areas in which to see what is coming and more importantly, who is not in the line of fire. My statements are not absolute and it is only your dedication to the basic safety rules that ensure we all go home safely from a great day afield.
As one who believes that nearly all of these tragedies are preventable by simply following safe practices, my words are not in judgment of those that have experienced these unfortunate circumstances. The goal is always 0% injury, 0% fatality. To prevent or contribute to this not happening again is worthy of being written. Again, to those that suffer the loss of these recent events, and those that suffer the consequences, the aftermath, you have my sincere condolences and wishes to learn and heal from it.
-MJ
© 2016 Joyner Outdoor Media
For The Love Of The Hunt
As an exercise of thinking out loud, to convey a collection of thoughts, please take my observations as a very personal perspective of my passions that I care so deeply about and in some ways define us and our roles in the natural world. It is not all inclusive nor singularly about me, as from many of your expressed views, you and I share a deep bond in our love of our great forests, and the game we pursue, even those we do not.
Like our political division we are in one way or another sucked into the “mean season.” In my humble opinion it has splashed over into other aspects of our lives. In particular the fraternity of hunting is of my concern. The social media hunting pages show this continuance of mean season in startlingly bold ways. Whether it be a trophy buck, a small buck or doe to fill the freezer, young turkey, old boss gobbler, how it was taken, where, by a woman, first time hunter, or a young hunter, the comments made fall very short of congratulations, or any sense of civility. Very divisive, disparaging remarks by hordes of “master hunters” or more correctly, keyboard warriors in full internet bully mode. Post after post of trashing successful hunters, trespassing, stolen stands/equipment, hunter harassment, lack of courtesy, embolden displays of disregard for the quarry, game laws, and land owners. Are we as part of the hunting fraternity willing to idly watch our ranks stoop to such depths or poor behavior, especially towards each other?
Personally I think we could do much better than what I currently observe in the public purview. I’ll stick my neck out in that it is doubtful this is the impression we wish to convey to non-hunters as to our love of our favored passion. How are we to be taken seriously when we berate each other in such fashion?
Like each of you, I have methods, choice of implements, and preferred strategies that I employ while chasing deer or turkey, other quarry. There are just as many other choices I may not be so keen on. Where it be illegal or unethical, I may speak out. Otherwise, why not enjoy the success of other hunters? Do our ego’s require that only ourselves have our hands around the biggest set of antlers or spurs? Like many of you, I have experienced, and admired the lengthy pursuit of an exceptional quarry spanning an entire season or in some cases many seasons. Not all of these epic adventures end with a happy hunter posing for a hero photo. The memories I’ll submit are for the love of the hunt. Yet after stating this, do we not also enjoy the brief alignment of the stars and fate for a chance encounter that comes and goes in a brief instant? Even as a professed admirer of “preparedness meets circumstance,” you can talk me into buying a 100lb bag of dumb luck all day long. Does it make it a lesser experience, or any less of a hunter for experiencing the hunt in this way? Of course not. Each of us experience the hunt in just as many different ways, and even more over time.
Admittedly I have some advantage of perspective with 32 seasons worth of memories to reflect on, to learn from. Fair to say I am in the phase of being a hunter that savors the hunt every bit or more than that actual taking of game, and find every bit of enjoyment and satisfaction in learning the experiences and successes of other fellow hunters. This is the lens I see through.
It would be a shortcoming to make these points or the case without some resolve to improve upon it, to make it a perceivable amount better. I’ll continue to admire, like and make positive comment of the successful hunts of my hunting brothers and sisters. I’ll continue to be fond of first time hunter success and especially young hunters. I can assure each of you, should we meet on a ridge, in the middle of a deer drive, I’ll not ask for your voter ID card, but I’ll ask how your season is going and offer congrats or encouragement. At the butcher shop or the taxidermist I’ll be quick to congratulate and admire a good day afield. Lastly in the public forums, I’ll be just as quick to enjoy your successes as my love of the hunt extends to the hope that you enjoy and love the hunt as I do.
-MJ
© 2016 Joyner Outdoor Media
A Whitetail Season Opening Day- Final Season… Almost
Opening weekend of the Southern Tier whitetail firearms season is now in the books. Judging from social media posts, there are a lot of happy hunters out there. I’d say the taxidermy business might have a good year also. It is a bit odd for an opener that has gone from t-shirt weather to near blizzard conditions on Sunday late morning.
I was able to hunt the morning and late afternoon and a few hours Sunday morning, as has been the norm in recent years, work limits my other otherwise die hard desire to go at it from before sun rise to after sunset. In early ahead of the crowd, Out late as to not bump any deer on the way out. Still I am thankful for work and being gainfully employed.
Stan Sawicki, our good friend, scored early in the first hour with a nice 8 point buck on the ‘J’ Ranch. My wife saw deer throughout the morning. I would eventually lay eyes on a monster buck at 10 am, which provides a very different story as follows…
Going on towards 10 AM, I had yet to see a deer from a favorite stand. Over the years it has been deemed a meat stand as it covers several well used deer paths with nearby scrapes and rubs, and well known escape routes when bumped by other hunters on adjoining properties. This year not so much. It was getting warm out, time to retrieve Stan’s buck, and get him out of the woods to be taken care of. I got down, and slow hunted my way over to and down a ravine to the main creek on our property. Our ATV was parked above the creek on the other side. Having bulldozed a path some years ago, it makes for a convenient spot to park it. Where we cross the creek has several smaller ravines and feeder creeks meeting up together there. Deer cross the same spot for much of the same reasons.
As I neared the bottom, I got a phone call that a buck was just shot nearby. Having heard the shot, I thought Stan or Lee may have shot. While on the phone I thought I had heard something, only to look up to see a monster buck coming up over the knoll not 15 yards away and coming straight at me. I had no where to go, as he would pile drive me 20 yards further to the creek just below me. Given that his rack was 5-6″ out past each ear, with long dog catchers (brow tines) and impressively long G2-G3 tines, I would not survive the imminent impaling. For an immeasurably short moment in time, It would be my final moments. The pure power of such a large buck was breathtaking at the same time.
I dropped the phone, and awkwardly went to retreive my 30-06 from my shoulder. The buck then threw out his front legs in an effort to stop as he didn’t like this big ugly hunter in his path, and maybe just as startled as I was. His lower jaw nearly touch the ground as he slid. He came down the knoll with so much power that his hind end came around the side and up over, basically flipping over, swapping ends for a lack of a more precise description. He slammed down in front of me at less than 5 paces. Aside from being a bit more than thankful for not being driven to the creek and ventilated in 5 or 6 places, this bizarre and violent circumstance was his finally moment before piling up… not.
As quickly as he went down, he was back on his feet, motoring back up the hill. Having finally got the gun up I found his leading edge of his chest, and shot. Never touched him, but I can center punch a sapling like nobody’s business. I could not get back on him again as he traveled up and over. I found the blood trail coming down the hill, where he went down, and back up. Mostly a few drops here and there. After meeting up with the hunter (shall remain nameless) that put this all into motion, we tracked the deer for several hours, out into a 100 acre crop field and down to the river. Finally determined it to be a flesh wound. Upsetting to wound and lose a deer, but merely disrupted him from chasing does. Hope to see him again in more ballistic friendly circumstances.
Lee and I went back out later that afternoon before the storm came in. We both passed on a fork horn buck that went by both of us a half hour before legal sunset. Uneventful sit by any comparisons of the day. It is about as excited, elated as I might possible get while totally terrified, and fearing my last moments given a fateful brief moment in time. I am humbled and thankful that this was not my last day of deer hunting, and your learning of this from a memorial page. In all my 32 years of hunting whitetails this was a first. I have heard stories from others of rutting bucks aggressively coming at them, either on purpose or incidentally while giving chase on a hot doe. I know a neighbor that dropped an aggressive buck just mere feet in front of him, at closer range than my encounter. That buck did not get back up…
Good luck to all of you for the remaining days of the season and that your whitetail close encounters be less precarious than what you have read here of mine.
-MJ
© 2016 Joyner Outdoor Media
2015 Fall Seasons, Looking Ahead To 2016
2015 Fall Seasons, Looking Ahead To 2016
It will be interesting to see how things shake out for the 2016 deer seasons, and especially the fall turkey season. A lot of fellow hunters I talk to have serious concerns, questions as to the NYSDEC’s ability to give any weight to hunter inputs. There are some including myself that wonder if public input on pending wildlife issues has any impact at all on the decision making process. In central NY which I am most familiar with, deer/fall turkey seasons was in general very disappointing. One cannot place blame on the decision makers for the weather, hunter practices, but may certainly question changes in rules that contribute to situation we now have. The fall harvest I am told reflects just as much in the numbers gleamed in successful hunter reporting.
One can question the wisdom currently coming from Albany. For my personal experience I never laid eyes on a whitetail after November 21st. I did fill a fall turkey tag on a nice sized Jake, but overall I saw very few turkeys in any of my favorite haunts. Lack of hunter participation? Reliance on deer stands over deer drives? A perfect storm of hunter variables, wildlife management directives, and weather to bring harvest opportunities down. Hunter satisfaction is something I question in a big way when it comes to changes in NYSDEC policies. For deer season I’ll chalk it up to a down year. Turkey population is certainly down especially when compared to peak populations of the late 1990’s. Having expressed my opinion on the handling of fall turkey season, I am not yet convinced that they’ll make the right moves to reduce hen take in the fall, and instead cater to the satisfaction of deer hunters during archery seasons. Mind you I am not against deer hunters in any way as I started my hunting days with a bow in hand.
As for what we can do despite political management of our beloved natural resources? Each of us can purposely hold back on harvests, educate our fellow hunters when it comes to helping build back wildlife populations. While management decisions are made post seasons, or after sighting studies are conducted, we as hunters have direct in the field intel. There are always going to be game hogs, those that poach and routinely disregard game laws. The good news is that they are not the majority. Each of us can make a personal choice and contribute as we see it. As a hunter, as a participating steward of our wildlife we can all make personal choices not to over hunt areas of depressed populations or fill a tag just because. We certainly do not require a directive from Albany to hold back in areas that could use a season or two of reduced harvest, etc.
© 2016 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
Post Deer Season- Time to Implement a New Game Camera Strategy
Seems kinda an odd idea doesn’t it? Give me a few minutes of your time to follow what I lay out here and you may agree or take with you a few ideas you may adopt. It is much more about critical thinking on how things are done as it is not so much being a slave to technology. Once you read through this you will realize that marketing has overdone their job, and you really don’t need an inventory of $600-$800 cameras to have an effective and state of the art setup. It is just as easy to waste your hard earned dollars and have them not do the job at all or being stolen as quickly as you put them up. To preface how I intend to layout my thoughts across here, think in the perspective of a detective, after all you are looking to collect covert data correct? I design image sensors for a living and do a fair amount of camera work for the US Navy and other military/police services, this makes all of this second nature. To be frank, you and I cannot afford most of what the military gets to put into service (although I get to test some cool stuff), but the principles and methods which they are used are applicable to catching big bucks on camera just as you might poachers and thieves.
Technology primer (one of much confusion)
- For starters, do not let marketing fool you into more pixels is better, same confusing misinformation used in selling cell phones. most of the game cameras out there use 1/4″-1/3″ format sensors and once in a while you see a high quality deer cam with 1/2″ or 2/3″ sensor. Unless it is a large format sensor with a high quality glass lens in front of it, you are getting duped. Think optical system. Fine resolution comes from the increased ability to resolve a feature in front of the lens. Without detailing all the math of lines-per-mm and a second issue of crosstalk(where the truth is actually told) it is safe to say you are not getting more resolution in a 1/4″ sensor past 3-4MP with a cheap plastic lens in front of it. When you see them at high pixel counts with out increasing sense area (format size) and not using better lenses you have more pixels looking at the same resolved spot, and you also get less dynamic range as smaller pixels have less capacity to capture photons (light) I get counter arguments all the time to this. Talk to the news photographers who toted Nikons/Canons with 3-5mp 1 inch or full frame sensors and compare what they got against 10mp-20mp cameras that are cheap and again with small format sensors. The resulting pictures are worlds apart in quality. To make the point even simpler in terms of economics, the cost is directly related to size of the sensor and to a lesser extent the cost of supporting electronics. Sensors are made on silicon wafers and it boils down to a simple real estate equation and yield during manufacturing. Unless you plan on making huge prints or require significant digital zoom/cropping you really have little case for spending big money on deer cams. As I lay out my preferred set up, there is a call out for three cameras per setup,and they each have different functions/costs/requirements.
- Flash- if you are only interested in what critters are passing by during shooting hours, flash and the expense of it, makes no sense. For the rest of you, black flash is the way to go especially for security. There is a misuse of the term IR (infrared) in the game cam industry. This has to do with distinct wavelength bands and that is an entirely separate topic Anyone in the military dealing with weapon sighting systems would understand my comment. Essentially all of them are near-IR and barely so. Many of these cameras have a red glow giving away their location, standard strobe flash is an obvious giveaway to criminals which can be useful for decoy cameras. There are some studies that show where black flash does not emit a visible glow to humans and also not to spook deer. A low pass optical filter eliminates any energy in the visible spectrum. For those interested in geeking out on definitions: wiki/infrared
One of the disclaimers I need to make here is no matter how good or sophisticated a system is implemented, it can be defeated by two distinct groups. First is the professional, as they will have working knowledge on how cameras work, how they store /transmit data, and how they get power. Like any predator they will be steadfast studies in your movements, and be keen on any clues you leave behind. You do design your camera setups to make it take a long time to disable. A professional will pass up spots if they cannot get in and out quickly. The second is the other end of the scale, and you can’t fix stupid, they may destroy your stuff, but will likely be around long enough to get caught. The real goal here is to deter. As a land owner or someone who leases land, having to deal with the hassle of court, and bad relations that follows will leave a bad taste in your mouth, making your victory over crime seem less appealing. What we are addressing in reality is the low hanging fruit and the majority of folks that will bug out once they become aware of your intent of tracking deer but to also manage your place/property against trespass and or theft. I cover the security aspect first here as it doesn’t work well to have deer cams if they disappear before you get to check the pics of deer you hope to see.
First- Main Camera
My basic approach to each location I wish to check for game movements or security purposes involves a minimum of two cameras and in most of my installs I use three. 1st camera is my main workhorse, a 3mp to 8mp camera ideally black flash, and depending on budget, a cell type that transmits SMS to save money on data plans and send pics directly to your cell phone. I also use a common system of RF transmitters that go to a DVR that sends email of pics when movement is detected. For remote locations or where a center base of operations is not applicable the game cams with cell capability are showing great promise and the pricing has now broke though under $200. I use these main cameras to capture whatever my main interest is in the location. Faster triggering cameras do have an advantage, but it is also one that slower triggering cameras can be overcome when placing cameras to look at deer coming straight on, or angling in. I personally want to see the width of their headgear. But for setups that only offer side profile and deer walking through perpendicular, the faster triggering cameras are a must. Marketing points out the great advantages in one particular scenario, and omits the other possible setups. My point is buy the feature where and when you need it. This allows you more money for more cameras and lets you think about where you really do need to spend the extra dollars. As a side note, as much as it is desirable to share deer cam pics with your buddies, they also provide clues to those with less ideal intentions. Not only can location be figured out, flash range, blind spots, or even how far one need to be to not get a clear defined image of lets say a thief in progress? Sharing exactly what you have and showing enough pics will give those that understand imaging enough clues to thwart your efforts. In my case, I have the luxury of updating and testing new stuff all through the year, and I do not disclose much. Having pics show up on your smartphone is a quick way to let others know that you are on top of your place, and matters little if your home or not. We have found that to be useful as public information.
Second- High Security Camera ( I want to keep and own my main camera)
The second camera sole job is to monitor my first camera. It can be a cell transmitting type but it adds cost. I prefer a 3-5mp camera with SD card, small footprint,long battery life, the ability to accept external battery is handy (I’ll modify it if it does not, not a particularly hard modification to do) and camo case if I can get it. They now have some with bluetooth for remote viewing when nearby. which is great as this camera should be hidden, high, above normal sight line. Keep in mind that when snow is on, or a muddy area, footprints reveal where you go as well as everything else. In terms of catching thieves this is the most important camera and should be the most difficult to find and least accessible to remove. Borrowed from an observation in the hobbyist world of game cams, one can give the appearance of remote transmitting with the addition of a 1/4 wavelength rubberized antenna, and it is difficult to know whether it is real or not. Truthfully any camera can be modified to adapt an rf /or cell transmitter. The power for it is another discussion. Depending on your model camera a 6V lantern battery (many cameras run on 6V, but you do need to check) and the addition of a small solar panel to trickle charge the batteries is advised. Using brown/grey wire they can easily be routed/placed in the crotch of the tree and made difficult to spot.
Third- Decoy Camera
In an ideal setup, this is actually your most import piece in the puzzle. It should also be the least expensive purchase. This should be the first thing any one sees no matter which direction of approach. Key word: Highly visible (not neon). Do not for any reason buy off the self fake cameras, they are a dead give away even among the least intelligent criminal among us. Flashing LED- dead giveaway . In fact the solution is super easy. Get on craiglist, ebay , garage sales etc, look for needs-repair, broken, as-is deer cams and or security cameras. they can be got from $5 to $30. Remember you are not interested in getting them working, otherwise you are paying for the possibility of that. You are looking for used or like new outer appearance but not broken and obviously not capable of working. Same deal for lens. Remember most deer cams do not appear to do much of anything when working. Why some game cam companies insist on having a led signal when a pic is taken is beyond me, I can see it for test and setup, but once it is set to go, the deer could care less. You can put in old batteries to have realistic weight if you like. I also do this to make it realistic. If you can get your second camera to monitor the first camera and this one it is a plus. I normally setup this way. You are just more likely to capture a thief stealing the decoy camera.
Why do I disclose all this? As a designer/engineer It bothers me to see folks pay for technology that they don’t need and in some cases does not serve them well at all. I have no fear that my disclosure will make it easy to disarm my setups, as only the installer knows which is which and would take more than a few minutes to figure out. By that amount of time, their images have been captured and emailed, and is a losing proposition for the criminal. I know of fun stories of perps having their faces captured an emailed while they stole a cell enabled camera. some also now have GPS location (or triangulation from cell towers which makes police work even easier.)
Late season camera scouting
when the guns are oiled and put away after the big deer chase, it is ideal to put up new cameras. especial with the addition of boot leather scouting. Where deer go when pressured, when things settle back down is all good intel for next season. Most hunters want to know what deer made it through the season and other cool stuff like when they drop their antlers. I personally like it for tracking turkey flocks as spring and fall seasons are my particular passions. You can also benfit from end of year sales, post season sales as most places do not want to carry inventory for another 7-8 months. Plenty of good reasons to enjoy your deer cams.
BTW for some great information and reviews on game cameras, tips, and modifications check out:
© 2014 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
RSS - Posts