Legacy -The 2025 Deer Season-

[Reel-E-Hooked]

1 hour ago, Legacy said:

BBD!

 

 

 

 

Congratulations!

[Legacy]

Story...

The past 3 morning sits have been great. After seeing the weather predicted this week I took some time off from work. My plan was to hunt the same stand 3 days in a row. Cameras have been showing at least one of my shooters walking past my stand each day since the week prior to gun season. From that stand I saw 5 bucks Tuesday, 12 bucks Wednesday, and 6 bucks today. However today was different. This big guy showed up about 730 and I watched him tending a doe about 300 yards out. They slowly worked their way (which took about 45 minutes) from the timber to the field through the hedgerow and finally getting a clear shot. 90 yard shot without a rest ended up low, double lung shot. He mule kicked. And ran into the timber. Text my kid and had him meet there an hour later. Unsure of the shot and not seeing him go down i wanted to give it an hour at the least. I walked to the shot site at the end of the hedgerow and in disbelief no hair or blood in site. After scratching my head for 5 plus minutes we made out way into the woods and there he was piled up 20 yards in. Good stuff! Tag punched!

[Gill-T]

You saw 12 bucks in one sit …..Were you at the zoo?

[whaler1]

I haven’t seen a deer in days lol. 

[Legacy]

8 hours ago, Gill-T said:

You saw 12 bucks in one sit …..Were you at the zoo?

 

Apparently I was on the "X" that day. Probably the most I have seen in a sit!

[GAMBLER]

Congrats Rob!

[show me the money]

Had this guy on camera though bow season got him Tuesday 6” base  11” G2s nice to get your target buck

Edited November 21, 2025 by show me the money

[idn713]

Anyone else property just suck when it gets to gun season? I can’t stand it. We have a lot of CRP and I know deer want that high stem count when the pressure sets in but man. Gun season is just the worst. During bow it’s deer everywhere with bucks cruising and the second opener is done, it’s a ghost town until late season. 

[Eastforkmarine]

On 11/20/2025 at 6:18 PM, Legacy said:

Story...

The past 3 morning sits have been great. After seeing the weather predicted this week I took some time off from work. My plan was to hunt the same stand 3 days in a row. Cameras have been showing at least one of my shooters walking past my stand each day since the week prior to gun season. From that stand I saw 5 bucks Tuesday, 12 bucks Wednesday, and 6 bucks today. However today was different. This big guy showed up about 730 and I watched him tending a doe about 300 yards out. They slowly worked their way (which took about 45 minutes) from the timber to the field through the hedgerow and finally getting a clear shot. 90 yard shot without a rest ended up low, double lung shot. He mule kicked. And ran into the timber. Text my kid and had him meet there an hour later. Unsure of the shot and not seeing him go down i wanted to give it an hour at the least. I walked to the shot site at the end of the hedgerow and in disbelief no hair or blood in site. After scratching my head for 5 plus minutes we made out way into the woods and there he was piled up 20 yards in. Good stuff! Tag punched!

Congrats !! 

[Gill-T]

1 hour ago, show me the money said:

Had this guy on camera though bow season got him Tuesday 6” base  11” G2s nice to get your target buck

Great buck!  That doesn’t look like a NY deer. 

[whaler1]

12 hours ago, show me the money said:

Had this guy on camera though bow season got him Tuesday 6” base  11” G2s nice to get your target buck

Beautiful buck!

[Gator]

On 11/21/2025 at 6:55 PM, idn713 said:

Anyone else property just suck when it gets to gun season? I can’t stand it. We have a lot of CRP and I know deer want that high stem count when the pressure sets in but man. Gun season is just the worst. During bow it’s deer everywhere with bucks cruising and the second opener is done, it’s a ghost town until late season. 

Yep, you and I are in the same boat. Access becomes a real issue for me. You can't get away with crap like you could earlier in the year once the bang sticks start sounding. And the deer simply hunker down during daylight hours. Natural movement seems to not exist. Having a park across the street from the one property is a boon in terms of potential monsters, but they don't venture far from it during gun.

[Gill-T]

Take a walk though the park regularly and bump the deer back over to your side. Take your dog and a loud whistle 

[Gator]

11 hours ago, Gill-T said:

Take a walk though the park regularly and bump the deer back over to your side. Take your dog and a loud whistle 

I'm sure it's been tried. It's a big park though, with a couple miles of frontage, and with my luck I'd "bump" a buck right into traffic. IMHO, the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

 

Also, we walk our dog - in a blaze orange vest - at Oatka and Mendon Pond Park all through gun hunting season. The deer just step out of our way, then continue on as if we weren't there. Suburban deer gots smarts.

[Gill-T]

Maybe the answer is plant more apple trees?  

[Gill-T]

Doe n’heat drag rag from the park to your property?  

[idn713]

21 hours ago, Gator said:

Yep, you and I are in the same boat. Access becomes a real issue for me. You can't get away with crap like you could earlier in the year once the bang sticks start sounding. And the deer simply hunker down during daylight hours. Natural movement seems to not exist. Having a park across the street from the one property is a boon in terms of potential monsters, but they don't venture far from it during gun.

Good to know I am not alone on that one. Every bow season, I can just feel gun season applying more and more pressure for me to get it down before it pretty much shuts my year down in terms of big bucks. Honestly, I've reached a point where I might start scouting some thick, nasty state land just to feel like I am in the game with a gun in my hand. 

[Gill-T]

Tons of state land that goes quiet after opening weekend. 

[Gator]

7 hours ago, Gill-T said:

Maybe the answer is plant more apple trees?  

Gill, I love your enthusiasm!! Over the past twelve years since buying the property, we've reclaimed 57 (as of the most recent count) wild apple trees and planted dozens more. We've also engaged in lots of chainsaw management and put over 3000 stems in the ground, including hard and soft mast like persimmons and shrubs to create desirable thickets and to diversify the property.

 

I couldn't have done all of this without the help of a half dozen buddies, all of whom hunt and fish together throughout the year. One of the best parts of owning land IMHO is the ability to share it with others, and these guys know that they have my honest gratitude for both their help and their companionship during hunting season. Brian's son shot his first buck last weekend on one of our places - it was great to share in the thrill of a kid achieving this milestone. 

 

As for dragging a urine soaked rag through the woods...maybe next year lol.

[whaler1]

Funny time of year. You see nothing until you do. I’m glad I still have a tag and an opportunity. Coffee tastes best up 20 feet in a tree anyway. 
 

[Smat64]

Im ready to have an opportunity at something or anything?

[fisherman21]

This time of the year is the worst. Skunk after skunk lol. Unless you are Rob. If you are Rob you see about 30 deer every sit still. 

[NETBOY101]

I'm in the same boat as a lot of you going through the grind. The only thing that gets me up in the morning is seeing those night pictures and hopefully one of those big bucks just comes out. Got to be positive. It'll come hopefully and hopefully I get to shoot one and tell the story to you guys

[Legacy]

11 hours ago, fisherman21 said:

This time of the year is the worst. Skunk after skunk lol. Unless you are Rob. If you are Rob you see about 30 deer every sit still. 

 

Naaaahhh

It gets slow for me also this time of year. The first week of gun is usually business as usual but with rut winding down, gun season pressure, and warm temps make for a quiet woods right now. Bring on the snow and late season! Morning sits start to get real slow unless you can get deep in the cover. Typically after the holiday weekend the pressure is much less, as people get discouraged, and the afternoons only get better and better. The last week of gun is when I typically switch to hunting afternoons only. Start looking for those food sources now! Move those cameras around! Those bucks are gonna flip a switch and food will be the single most important thing again. When that cold front moves through this week and puts snow on the ground that is where those deer will be! Still a lot of the season left and the fat lady isnt singing yet!

[whaler1]

Buck down for Tommy. The buck he was chasing the last few years got shot opening gun weekend while he was in Kansas. I’ll post a pic when I get one. 
Rainy and nasty out here but I guess you never know.