I have a couple farmers that I help out on weekends during haying season when I can, and they allow me and my sons to hunt their land in exchange. Saves them from having to hire someone and gives us a place to hunt without having to worry about alot of other hunters. Don't cost us anything but a little time and the farmers love the help. You can also help in the spring building fence they seem to like that too:)

Gotta add my 2 cents on this one.
Regardless of weapon in the woods, it is all about responsibility. If you are a true sportsman, (that is the term of the 21st century, not hunter), then you are well versed in the use and application of your weapon, and the reason you are afield is not just about the kill, but the joy of being there. We do not fear each other when we go afield, we fear the nonsportsman who is just out there for the kill, and has no clue about the game he is after or his reponsibility to that game and to the other sportsman afield. Like the road rage driver, all of us want to avoid this person from a safety standpoint, but also, we do not want them around for the sake of maintaining the sport. With decreasing numbers of sportsmen, and the increasing age of those of us who are sportsmen, we need to take the lead in setting a good example to the next generations going afield or afloat for that matter.
No doubt the DEC needs to keep the deer harvests at certain levels to maintain proper herd numbers, so adding rifles in more counties is their way of making it "easier" in the minds of many to fill a tag. I would love to use a rifle in Seneca county, (currently not allowed), only because I have never really enjoyed the shotgun kick. Either way, when the shooting starts, I only sit in stands in the center of our property, as the hunting club gang that rents the neighbor's land has some of those nonsportsmen that I prefer to avoid. In a perfect season, my harvest is done before the shooting even starts, and I'm hopeful that can be the case again this year.
Greg

It is all about what kind of hunter you are ....... I will not shoot any gun at game unless I can make a clean kill. If everyone of us hunters used the same thought we would all be safe in the woods w/shotgun,rifle or handgun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe rifles have the ability to make clean kills with smaller shot windows. With that said take the range factor out. My .30-.30 will shoot 1 inch groups at 60yds. This is better than the average shotgun in the woods. Most accidents are not caused by one well placed shot, they are caused by shots 3, 4, and 5 at a running animal. Any weapon we use has the potential to kill anything it hits. The weapons don't need management the people do. Maybe we should eliminate drives or limit hunting to single shots (rifles and shotguns) and see how many shotgun"hunters" complain then. I'm willing to bet most people who fight rifles have never shot one or killed a deer with one. They would rather track a gutshot deer 4 miles from a drive than respect the animal and sit and wait for the safely planned out, one shot humane kill. This I think is an ethics issue not a safety issue. If you want that side of the story and look at balistics of ricochets and errant bullets (which shouldn't exist) rifles are no worse than anything we use now. Justin knows my point of view on this topic, we have debated this time and time again. Honestly even now that we can use rifles I don't have anywhere to hunt where its necesarry to break out my .270WSM.

This is just my opinion but I feel very strongly about it. If you do plan on using a rifle this season at least ok it with the landowner they should have the last word on it.

This is just the short version. If you want more ask.

I'm with you 711. But is this conversation on this forum like preaching to the choir? The frustration with poor sportsmen is you cannot get the point out to them about the dangers they pose to themselves, others afield, the game their after, and most importantly, the future of hunting and fishing for that matter. Every incident that occurs afield is fodder for the antihunting movements that get stronger all the time.
Greg

The point I was trying to make is the morons that come up here are even scarier carrying rifles. This is how bad it is Last year a big city "hotshot pulls in the local gas station bragging about his "buck" he killed which in fact was somebodys goat that got loose.A few years before that a farmer lost a jersey cow , and another lost a donkey to these highly educated people. Cmon do those type of poeple need to be carrying rifles. I know they are as safe as the person carrying them. The othert issue is the size of the rifle. The 300 and 7mm and such just seem a little big to be shooting 150-200lb whitetails. As far as the landowners permission that is a great idea because there are a few in this area that said no way, not here. Everyone has opinons and that is mine. I was trying to get the general consensus on the issue. I was not trying to ruffle any ones feathers. Hunt Safe and have fun.

i'd feel far safer with people shooting one shot of a rifle than the too-common unethical hunter who shoots five slugs at running deer.

if a hunter is hunting from a tree stand, the bullet will go into the ground, whether from a rifle or shot gun

also, given that much of the hunting in the fingerlakes is heavily wooded, even a rifle bullet fired from ground level is unlikely to go much further than a slug (will be stopped by trees)

personally, i'd like to see rifles legal but semi-automatics and pump guns illegal. I believe an ethical hunter doesn't take more than one shot without moving the gun from his shoulder = bolt or level action is fine (for a second follow up shot, but not for 3-5 shots that are obviously low percentage shots)

andre