Hunting Deep Backcountry

[montcalm]

Oddly enough, 4 hours west of you, we had an epic Gypsy Moth year.

I don't think it was a particularly good mast year for us, Gypsy moths aside - so many oaks here many didn't get bothered at all.

[EagleCrag]

A few comments. Coyotes were not native to NY. Also, many of the hunting methods employed when the Adirondacks were being explored/settled would be illegal and considered unethical today. It's my understanding that using dogs to run deer was common and they would often run the deer into lakes (Long Lake for one) where the guide and client would row or paddle up to the deer and shoot it at close range in the water. Jacklighting deer was also a common practice. I'm sure there were woodsmen that knew the woods and would track and use methods more ethical by today's standards but I suspect many of the deer on those meatpoles were taken by other means.

[montcalm]

A few comments. Coyotes were not native to NY. Also, many of the hunting methods employed when the Adirondacks were being explored/settled would be illegal and considered unethical today. It's my understanding that using dogs to run deer was common and they would often run the deer into lakes (Long Lake for one) where the guide and client would row or paddle up to the deer and shoot it at close range in the water. Jacklighting deer was also a common practice. I'm sure there were woodsmen that knew the woods and would track and use methods more ethical by today's standards but I suspect many of the deer on those meatpoles were taken by other means.

Interesting - didn't know about the coyotes, but I'd assume wolves were native and the coyotes are filling part of that niche.


I very much suspected your second comments were true and that there were not the regulations such as there are today. That doesn't mean it's fact, but I'd put in the highly likely bin.

Also, regarding my original question, I think part of the answer is really that our deer population down south is highly inflated. I heard a number (from someone concerned with seedling regeneration) that it's about 10x what it should be in the Finger Lakes. Not 100% sure that's true, or what that's figured on. But a number of sources say this, and encourage hunting to reduce the population and help reduce deer browse.