This season, what do u rate it 10 being tops 1 being poor ??

[upstatehunter]

Anyone else seeing a pattern to responses from NY hunters.....Less deer sighted, but more bucks killed.....Some good ones too...
Might be that the herd dynamics are starting to change...Better buck to doe ratio.....As long as we keep doing what creates a healthy herd....taking some doe, letting deer age a little, we might not see the 20 deer a day, but we do see the ones we want to shoot..

[SilentStalker]

Anyone else seeing a pattern to responses from NY hunters.....Less deer sighted, but more bucks killed.....Some good ones too...
Might be that the herd dynamics are starting to change...Better buck to doe ratio.....As long as we keep doing what creates a healthy herd....taking some doe, letting deer age a little, we might not see the 20 deer a day, but we do see the ones we want to shoot..

Great point Upstate - Our camp for one has been experiencing this the last two hunting seasons. We have good buck kill numbers for 2010 and 2011, however doe/fawn sightings were way down and have been going down for several years.
It is a very worrysome time for many in our camp that they are seeing no does...We have decided it could be one of two causes...Herd dynamics changing or the club above us has killed way too many doe and the deer just arent there anymore. You see, they have implemented a QDM plan that allows them somehwere in the neighborhood of 20-30 doe a year. I dont know what the ladn manager uis thinking?? This is big woods, not farmland. This two me in our hunting area would have drastic long ranging effects on the herd. There just arent that many deer in that neck fo the woods to support a does kill like that, especially being in the snow belt just east of Tug Hill.
And since they started doing this, our sightings are down and they have only taken several shootable bucks over the almost decade they have been doing QDM. Yes, us seeing more bucks may be a result of this but its not like the deer are thick anywhere and honestly, I'd rather shoot a crotch horn and have many deer sightings during the year than a 10pt with him being the only deer seen.

[ramrod]

deer season as a whole a solid 9.5. plenty of deer sightings buck and doe. although the only nice racked buck i saw was shot soon after im ok w that. i have four nice deer (2buck 2 doe) in the freezer for myself, and between close friends and family i can think of  11 other deer that were harvested. and i got to celebrate. and thats what its all about
no complaints here.

[Somers]

I agree w/ less sighted, but not ready to say the sky is falling. 

I saw deer every outing, but no mast meant travel corridor hunts instead, so I expected it.  Unusually warm temps and different food sources had them moving a lot more at night and not moving at all if they could help it where I was.

Still passed on a lot of small bucks, took one doe, a 6, and a nice 8 during the peak rut.  Also agree about the buck sightings, but believe as I noted, does weren't moving nearly as much and bedding near food so the bucks were crusing more looking for them.

[FrankM]

I am sad to say my season overall was poor.  Only had one good day on 11/11 when I saw 2 bucks and got a shot at one.  The rest of the season both archery and gun was extremely poor with most days not even seeing a deer.  Only saw a couple fawns and no bucks at all during gun.  I am going to take the flintlock this weekend and hope I at least see something.

[LIBERAL HATER]

I would give my season an 8.  I harvested my first deer with a bow and had a chance to kill a nice buck but missed.  Saw a lot of deer and still have two weeks of primitive arms to maybe harvest 1 more.  spent some great time in the woods and had tons of fun hunting with some of my best friends.  Already can't wait to start scouting for next year.

[jlaclair]

Give it a 5 or 6 put in allot of time before season and during and didn't see many deer, the weather played a huge part in that, everyone I know back home saw the same thing... not much, can't even harvest a doe right now and I drove 4.5 hours to do it