Stick & String/cable hunters have been chasing NYS’ favorite big game animal since October, and firearms season has finally arrived. NYS Deer management assures us that there should be plenty of opportunity to tag a healthy whitetail deer this year, but as always Mother Nature will play a role in that decision. There has been no shortage of rainfall and wind during the past two months and it looks like Opening Day will be less than ideal at least weather-wise.

Bow hunters reported sighting a lot of deer movement at the beginning of the month of November and the rut should have been well underway by now. Depending on what publication you read, the bucks and does should be on the move or traveling together, when the weather allows. According to recent reports the Opening Weekend for crossbow season Nov. 6-7 was “the day” to be afield. The weather was clear with little wind and the deer were on the move.

Jamie Wallschlaeger was in his tree stand before daylight on Nov. 7. Hunting on a clear cut in Eden, Jamie thought he noticed the outline of a buck standing in the distance. It was a brisk 26 degrees out that morning and the ground was frozen at his spot. The deer crossed in front of him and he let the 6-point pass. Jamie set out some doe estrus scent and freshened his mock scrape with dominant buck lure before climbing aloft. Wallschlaeger and his brother have a video show so Jamie set up his camera anticipating some action. Some doe activity alerted the hunter and he hoped his target buck would come into view. Using the grunt tube with a tending doe bleat followed by a series of aggressive snort wheeze calls the buck stood up in his bedding area. Positioning the cameras Jamie watched the buck at 30 yards approach the mock scrape. The buck was 10 yards away and a slight sound alerted the buck as the hunter came to full draw sending it quartering away at 25 yards. Using lighted arrow nocks Jamie watched as his arrow hit home. The buck took off and stopped at 50 yards panting and twitching it’s tail. All signs of a successful hit.

Jamie could see the location of the arrow, the deer then bedded down. Jamie waited two hours before moving out of his tree stand. Jamie and his buddies gathered at his house and together left to trail the deer. At first there was only a few drops of sign but at 30 yards the evidence indicated a lethal successful hit. The 11-point 185-pound buck will be mounted and the hunt will be on you tube under Deer Tippn’ the second year of filming. Jamie and his family enjoy big game hunting and process their deer, enjoying various meat products including deer hot dogs made by Wilson Farms. Jamie was using an Elite Hunters compound carbon express arrows and Thunder Head Fixed 3 blade broad heads.

Robbie Gloff with a nice 8-point buck taken on Nov. 7 with a cross bow. Submitted Photo

Robbie Gloff also had a successful deer hunt last Sunday at about 8:30 a.m. He was hunting the Van Buren area in his tree stand. He attributed his success to location, location, location. He watched as his 8-point buck came out of the vineyard and worked his way directly toward him. At close range the cross bow dropped the buck in short order. You readers may remember the big buck with drop tines that Gloff had shot about three years ago. Congratulations.

There will be plenty of opportunity to tag a deer this season. Be safe and make sure of your target and what is beyond. When field dressing your deer be sure to remove all the internal organs including heart and lungs and taking care not to puncture the bladder or intestines. Proper handling of your wild game will increase the quality of the meat.

Strong winds have prevented any offshore fishing opportunities this week, but all the recent precipitation has brought in a lot of fresh run steel head. Jim Markham from the Dunkirk based DEC Fisheries station commented that there has been good trout fishing at Chautauqua Creek, Upper Cayuga Creek and Buffalo. Cattaraugus Creek has been blown out for some time flowing high, fast and muddy. Anglers continue to find success off the City of Dunkirk pier on walleye, trout and an occasional flurry of yellow perch. This is the time of year when lake trout come into the shallows. There is lots of lake trout activity at the Lower Niagara River according to my contact Capt. Larry Jones.

Calendar: Note that the docks have been recently pulled from the Town of Hanover Boat Launch, Dunkirk and the State Launch at Irving. The DEC research vessel the ARGO has also been moved to its Buffalo location for the Winter.

There is a Pistol Permit Course offered at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club on Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. There is an $80 fee for this course. Call Gary at 366-3397 for details.

There is a chicken BBQ at the Con Club on Sunday, Dec. 12, around noon. Proceeds to benefit the Con Club’s Take-a-Kid-Fishing program. Open to the public.

If you have a story/photo you would like to share call 366-1772, 785-3659 or 366-3000, ext. 1 after 6 p.m. I may not be able to utilize all photos at once but I will save them for a later date. Thank you.