Newby in the ADKs

[Spartan91]

My 15 year old son and I hunt our home state of Wisconsin, hunt out of our camp in the U.P and also make it down to Arkansas every year for a week to muzzle loader hunt. I have been drooling over hunting the ADKs for some time now. We are all about hunting the big woods still hunting or tracking when the snow drops. My questions are, what’s the preferred method of accessing the remotest areas, pack in with a tent or canoe in? What are the odds of having snow for the rifle opening week in the northern zone ?

[DaxWoodsGuide]

For accessing those far back places, packing in on foot or with a canoe is really your main option. There definitely are more obscure ways of getting out there though, like using a horse or floatplane where it is legal, or hiring a guide to pack in and set up your camp.

As for snow on the rifle opener, that is probably a little more difficult to chase. The 2024 early muzzleloader and rifle opener were so warm we were wearing t-shirts and shorts around camp and ripping off layers in the woods. If you wait for later half of regular rifle or the late muzzleloader season your chances of snow would be much more guaranteed.

[Spartan91]

We are used to northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula where the wolves have decimated the deer herd so the population is extremely low in most areas. What would be a good guess as to the number of mature deer, 1 ish every couple square miles or is that too high?

[DaxWoodsGuide]

I guess it really all depends on the area, which I know is an anticlimactic answer. I hunt pretty much only public land in the Adirondacks, and see plenty of deer out there.

Just this last season my buddy killed a very nice 6 point back in some state land, less than a week later I went stalking through that exact same spot and jumped a buck that dwarfed the first one my buddy shot.

[Spartan91]

Thanks for the info. Am I reading the regs correctly that a non resident license is only $100??

[DSettahr]

Yeah, snow doesn't really persist in the ADKs until mid November at the earliest, and even then it's usually only a few wet inches as best. Snow deep enough to pull sleds over doesn't typically show up until sometime in December. Higher elevations start getting dustings overnight in mid to late October, but it melts pretty quickly during the day.

It sounds like you're interested in camping for a week, so make sure you understand how the camping permit system works. You need a permit to occupy any single campsite for more than 3 consecutive nights. Permits are obtained from the local ranger, and you should at least contact the ranger well in advance of setting up camp to ask for the permit (they may just mail it to you, or may have additional instructions for you).

A lot of permit hunting camps in the ADKs tend to be roadside sites. There's hundreds of designated roadside campsites scattered across the park, and every fall it's fairly common to see camper trailers, canvas wall tents, etc., occupying quite a few of them. Most of these sites are located on seasonal dirt roads away from any developed areas, so even though they may not fit your criteria of "remote," they are nonetheless often well situated to access the backcountry.

With regards to true backcountry hunting camps away from any road, folks will use any number of methods:

• Float planes are permitted to land on some backcountry lakes. There's a couple of float plane outfitters in the ADKs that can facilitate access this way (Paynes in Old Forge and Helms in Long Lake).
• Where access is feasible via old roads, some groups will pull gear in using wheeled carts.
• Horse packing outfitters is another method. This isn't frequently utilized in the ADKs but it is nonetheless an option some hunting groups will rely on. Newcombe Farms is one option for this (he generally operates out of the town of Newcomb).
• Some areas of the ADKs are readily accessible to boat access, whether it be machine powered (motorboat) or legally restricted to human powered (canoe, row boat, etc).
• Old fashioned grit- just hauling everything in on your back.

[Spartan91]

Appreciate all the detailed info. I did not realize the ADKs were remote enough that float plane fly ins were a thing. Not that we would use that mode of transportation but it is very intriguing that the country is that wild.

[Tug Hill]

Many things to consider if you want to set up a remote tent camp in the Adks. Coming from WI I would assume you are an only going to hunt for 1 or 2 weeks ?
So your time would be better served setting up a camp close to an access road so as not to spend several days packing your gear in and out. This would give you more time actually hunting. I learned that many years ago, but we always have a permit for the entire season. The down side of setting up 3 miles off the road, is when season closes you have to remove all of your gear, and there’s a chance by then to have several feet of snow. We now set up close to access roads and spend our time hunting 3 miles plus of the road. There are several large private property’s with conservation easements on them allowing hunting with limited motor vehicle access.

many of these easement properties hold a higher deer population because of improved habitat due to active logging. Most of the Forest preserve would likely have a buck population of substantially less than 1 buck per square mile. Even though there is a low deer population most hunters who hunt the Adks, do it for the wilderness experience and the chance at harvesting a mature buck . There are deer there that have never seen a human and most mature bucks die of old age .
One of the more recent successful ADK deer hunters, Joe Dinitto of the ADK trackers, his bucks over the last decade have averaged 6 1/2 years of age, with one I think being 11 1/2 years old.

If you do use a float plane service, remember if the lake ices over while in there , you will have to hike out with your gear. Same if you canoe into an area.

If you are holding out for a mature buck 3 1/2 years old or older, IMO and the ADK Trackers, post rut is best, mid November until close of the rifle season, always 1st Sunday in December. And lately that’s been when there is snow, however snow can come at anytime.

[Spartan91]

That is very sound advice about where to camp and why, makes a lot of sense. I have watched all of Joe Dinittos content on YouTube. That guy is a big buck killing machine. I also like to watch ADK Cowboys hunts as well. Those boys kill good deer every year and by the looks of it have a helluva time back at camp. I have so many questions about the ADKs but most would have to be answered on the ground as we explore. It isn’t about the kill for my son and I. We would come to New York with the thought of not punching a tag, but laying a lot of boot leather on the ground looking. It’s all about the journey and memories we make going on these adventures together. At 14 last season in the Upper Peninsula my son and I double teamed a buck on a fresh snow, windy day. He put one in it at 10:00 AM and finished it off 4.65 miles later just before dark. By the time we got back to the truck we had 11 miles in on the day and loved every second of it. If we see another hunter or hunter sign, we turn around and go somewhere else. It’s easy enough in big woods to get away from people. That’s what’s so intriguing to us about the ADKs is the solitude.

[Tug Hill]

Yes, I know and am friends with Joe, Steve, and Jim. Plus I use to hunt with some of the ADK Cowboys, know them well.

[Spartan91]

Has to be a good bunch of people to know. Seems like they are just genuinely good human beings beyond the hunting. Are there many oak ridges in the ADKs?

[DSettahr]

Has to be a good bunch of people to know. Seems like they are just genuinely good human beings beyond the hunting. Are there many oak ridges in the ADKs?

Oak is pretty rare across most of the ADKs- it's too far north/too high in elevation for it to grow. One exception to this is the lower elevations on the east side of the park, facing Lake Champlain (Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Lake George Wild Forest). You do regularly see red oak down that way but it's still not pure stands of oak like you get further south (PA, Virgina, etc.).

[Cold River Bob]

Look for your Beech trees if its a good year that where they will be

[Tug Hill]

Good advice on the mast crops, but it’s an annual hit and miss. The Salerno Bros. have had good success in the area of the Adks that hold some oak as Dsettahr states.

The ADK Trackers and Cowboys success is due to knowing the terrain, snow and general persistence.

[Spartan91]

Have any of you guys packed in, camped and hunted in the interior of the wilderness areas? I like the idea of initially camping along one of the trails as DeSettahr mentioned. Much easier to branch out and scout versus committed to one area. It would be an adventure but quite foolish to drive 1,300 miles, pack into the interior of the wilderness area and think we would be in the “spot”.