Day hunting the Adirondacks

[mauser06]

I've been really thinking about hunting the Adirondacks.


I have a sick obsession with big woods hunting. I enjoy it more than sitting in a stand. Can't explain it...I feel it's the ultimate form of hunting. And I have a high stress job and it's one of the few things that completely occupies my mind..kinda crazy knowing I could do other hunts..with better odds of better bucks...but I love it..

I enjoy still hunting and tracking and am slowly learning each tactic.

The last 2 years I had a girlfriend in NW lower peninsula Michigan..had a free place to stay..their gun season started early so I'd visit and hunt a week or so. Really grew to love it..

Long story short, she's gone...part of me says go back. Especially knowing I have some good spots and lots of area mapped out...But, a VERY small town and exes... wouldn't be good.


I was looking to go-to the Adirondacks. Probably skip this season and continue to do my homework and plan for next year.

I'd be solo and I've never been a camper. I could do it...but I won't lie...after a 8-10-12hr day in the woods, cold and wet, I enjoy a bed and drying my gear for the next morning.

I was looking for a run of the mill hotel. Don't need anything fancy..bed and a shower.

But then got to looking at road access and such and it looks pretty limited.

Im looking to find out if day hunting is worthwhile or not up there. I know deer numbers are pretty low.

I was looking at like the 2nd or 3rd week of November and hoping for snow and tracking. Don't necessarily need to find a track from the road. I'd be fine with parking access and hiking till I hit a track I liked.

I'd be fine with a drive every day. Under an hour from the hotel if it gets me to hunting grounds...

Is that worthwhile?? Or a waste of time and money?

[ghoasthunter]

for me most places i hunt start 2 miles off the road the locals like doing drives so the edge can get hit pretty hard. the best way to really get a buck in my opinion is to set camp at the 2 mile mark with a buddy and go from there. and try and go when there is snow. the rut can be great up there but one hot doe 4 miles away may cause every buck to vacate the area your in. i like later in season when bucks are resting and bedding. during the rut you could track a buck all day and never get close. but either way if you have never done it its still worth doing it deer or not.

[mauser06]

Thanx for the info!


I seriously couldn't come up with a buddy that would be in for such a hunt. Especially a low deer density hunt.

When is the snow usually on the ground??

I was kind of figuring snow by mid November and the rut action would likely be over...but maybe I'm wrong?

Michigan was similar... atleast where I hunted..low deer density and a hot doe could be a blessing or a major problem.


I was wondering how the locals hunted and how "accepting" they'd be to see a Pennsylvania license plate. I caught a little flack in Michigan till the locals came to accept me and realize I wasn't there to get in the way. Actually, they were surprised I was there to hunt and thought I was crazy going in so far..I wasn't sure I was in far enough till I talked to some.

Don't wanna come out to find they dropped a tree on my truck or something..lol.

I can't think of another place that would allow me the opportunity to hunt how I like...not worry a whole lot about seeing a hunter behind every tree..and see the landscape. Something about big woods...ridges and swamps.

[northeast beast]

Mauser....
So your from PA...I'm from south western NY. We hunt probably similar terrain...the Adirondack is for sure a different animal then the sw NY part. So just curious to what your goals are? To track a good mature buck or are you looking to fill a tag on any buck that you can trsck down? Also I get what you like about the tracking aspect. I also enjoy that tactic when I hunt the public stuff... I never deer hunted the Adirondack but I bear hunted it like I would deer hunt it and it was challenging! Tag soup! If you want the out of state experience and live out of your car there are some nice state chunks in allegany and Steuben counties...keep us posted if you get up there....also the rifle season opens early there right in the heat of the rut the .southern part of the state is a later gun opener...muzzle loader season in northern zone is also popular because you can shoot a doe or buck I also have found some real low budget rooms up there 50 a night...they may not be on the big Google searches but if you have AAA they know all of them ..just some more to look into ...good luck

[jman22]

I think you pretty much answered your own question. The obsession and intrigue are already a part of you. Plus you are single now. My advice would be to go for it and give it a try. What do you have to lose? The Dacks' are truly God's Country. Although I haven't hunted up there much, I spend a lot of time up there camping and seeing friends. It's beautiful and the deep hunting tradition and history that lies up there makes it that much more special. Might not be the "best"hunting, but that all depends on what your definition of the word is. Like ghoasthunter said, go and try it for the experience.

[mauser06]

Something about big woods bucks and the places they live....I just love it.

I have no "goal". I never know if I'm gunna pull the trigger or release an arrow...heck, there's been times I've surprised myself lol.

For me, a big part of it is the adventure and scenery. Testing myself and my skills. Michigan really tested me..the Lakeshore habitat and terrain was wild. Even when I went inland to the ridges, they were formed differently than what I'm used to. Some of what I knew applied..but i also had to learn a lot about the area and how those deer lived.


I really have nothing to loose. A little bit of money for an adventure. If I drop a buck that's icing on the cake. If I don't, I will come home refreshed.

I never pulled the trigger in Michigan. Passed a 1.5yo barely legal 5 point opening day last season. I put myself on deer regularly.. pretty much daily the 2nd season. Eating my tag didn't bother me...I loved the hunt. My phone is full of pictures.






Michigan was easy though..had a place to stay and worked in the area for 3 summers and knew the area a little bit..never scouted it..but at least I knew the roads and access and places to start...I guess that'll add to the fun of the Adirondack Adventure.

I've always dreamed of hunting the Adirondacks. Why not make it come true and check it off the list???

I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be checked off the list...I have a feeling I will fall in love and make it an annual affair.

[Dewey]

I say go for it. The bigwoods gets in your blood and sounds like you figured that out. Some never get it and I feel really bad for them because they are missing out on so much. Going one on one with a mature bigwoods buck is to me the ultimate challenge. Some of my greatest early hunting memories came from hunting the UP of Michigan and remote areas of far Northern WI. It’s addicting and like you said the adventure and scenery is by far the biggest part of it. My times spent in Northern MN and far Northern Ontario on fishing trips were also experiences I will never forget. Many times I just find myself in awe of my surroundings and can’t help but just sit back and soak it all in. Times like that I don’t even think about catching fish or filling deer tags. It’s so much more than that. Really makes a guy grateful to be alive while experiencing mother nature at her finest.

Hunting the Adirondacks sounds like a really cool adventure. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[sdonx]

We havn't been back to the Adirondaks for maybe 8 years. We have hunted it a week in November maybe 6-8 times with a little bow hunting thrown in.
The way we do it is to hike, boat or both way in with a ton of gear and set up a Base camp. One year we camped right on a main road and set out from there. From base camp we spread out and hunt. There are many trails that go deeper in. Some years we would hike further in and do a spike camp that was really cool.
One year the water we boated in on froze, we left a day to late. We had two deer and a bear. We had to use a large stone tied with a rope to smash the ice then drive up on top of it to crack it up just to get to the main body of water.
The deer for what ever reason are not that big, I have taken a few average 8ptrs out of there, all fantastic hunts. The fact that the forest are forever wild and you can see behemoth pines and oaks is cool.
Sometimes when I'm way out there I imagine that I am the first human to step where I am stepping...cool feeling/ probably not true.
I need to get back there...

[Swampbuck]

I would do exactly as you have thought of. Get a hotel and drive the hour.

I've done both and camping and hunting hard wears me down fast. Getting to recharge in the room has you fresh for each hunt and makes it enjoyeable. I did the hotel last year and it was exponentially better. And an hour drive is nothing. The closest I hunt from my house is an hour so that's no issue either.

I say go for it, I think you will have a blast going that route

[tbunao]

I have never hunted the adk but have spent sometime there. If you are looking for a place to stay check out bed and breakfast places in some of the small towns. There actually maybe cabin rentals as well. Maybe do 50/50, camp halfway through your stay, go get a shower and bed rest then go back at it. Plenty of paper maps of canoe access and hiking routes available that you can conjoin to make a plan as well as apps like on maps. Don’t expect service lol. The Salerno brothers are basically “king” there. They get it done!! I believe they have some videos that you could get a feel for it. I also believe wired to hunt had a podcast with a guy last year? Who only hunts adk.

The adk Is daunting in size and an adventure without a doubt. Do it!!

[mauser06]

Thanx all! Good stuff!!


Dewey, you put it into words well! I wouldn't classify Michigan as big woods...but, it was wild scenic territory...and enough ground and light hunting pressure to give me that big woods vibe. I especially like having snow to track. I won't claim I am really good at it..a lot of it is just not having enough practice. I'm getting better..but I enjoy it. To me, it's the ultimate form of hunting. One on one.. tracking down a deer. Doing it in a big woods setting takes you through amazing places. Just makes for a fantastic hunt.


Swampbuck, that's how I feel...I'm not too manly to admit it lol...aside from enjoying the comforts of a shower and bed and dry gear and decent meals, I'm tackling it alone. I wouldn't say it'd be "impossible" to hike/canoe in a couple miles alone...but, I feel like it'd take some joy out of it and turn it into a lot of "work" and "misery". Getting the gear in/out, setting up/breaking down camp, managing firewood, being tired and dirty..not the most comfortable sleep...not the best meals...I can certainly see how that'd add to the adventure of the trip...but to me, especially being alone, I can see it being very rough. I'm not a camper...let alone back country camping alone in the winter....lol.

I feel fine with my skillset to take care of myself in the wild need be...and navigate etc...I'd certainly be packing a little more than I usually do just incase of emergencies. I want to hunt...not camp. I feel like I'd need many hours of daylight to manage camp... I can drive and hike in the dark....

If I drive, park, hike, I can get full days on the boots. And full days "hunting" not packing in/out etc.

Maybe in the future I'd get to the point I'd WANT to back country camping or even setup a campsite near the road so I can knock out the drive...or maybe a camper in the truck etc..


I have some planning to do.

[Fresh Track]

Mauser, your enthusiasm and sense of adventure makes the Adirondacks a perfect place for you. I have been hunting the ADK's for 30 years and it all started with me going off on my own with no one crazy enough to join me to hunt the big country with limited deer and more importantly no place to stay. All these years later I have learned so much and was lucky enough to have met and become friends with a few guys that I have run into back in the deep woods with the same passion and sense of adventure. I started staying in and still use periodically the motels that are located in some of the small towns located in the central ADK's. Yes, it may be a 30 min driving to the area I want to hunt but having the luxury of being able to have heat, shower and a good meal with a good night's sleep does so much to help you get up and do it all over again the next day. Having the ability to dry clothes is also important, I would also highly recommend having a set of electric boot warmers to dry out your boots so their ready in the morning as well.
If I had a week to go, I would choose the last week of the season. This year NY's Northern Zone regular rifle season ends 12/2, I would hunt hard for the last week leading up to that date. The last week has many advantages, some that have already been mentioned, the bucks have slowed down considerably not stopped, but slowed down in their constant search for does, this is also time of year the bucks are feeding heavy and doing all they can to build back up their fat reserves and recoup from the exhausting rut. I love to track as well and this is the week that your going to have the highest percentage all season of having snow on the ground. It's not uncommon during this same week to find the buck track your looking for that may be 12-24 hrs old and be able to catch up and be hunting a that same buck with a fresh track in a mile or 2 only and after walking past a dozen beds and feed marks. One season I found a mature track on old snow that was 2 days old, because the 1/2 inch of snow in the track was from 2 days prior, I started on the buck at 9:00am and caught up and shot him 1:00pm. He was feeding heavy and bedding often, he was a 6 year old 9 point all rutted out, and only weighed 155 lbs dressed. My point is your chances of catching up to these bucks increases at this time of year, and more importantly your chances for finding a mature track increase as well when the snow you do have sticks around from day to day because this is the week temps are most likely the coldest of the season and any precipitation or lake effect will give you a new clean slate on the ground to find new tracks.
The hardest part besides finding a mature ADK buck track is having the confidence to go off and try something new all on your own, to put yourself in a situation where all the odds are stacked against you and the only thing you have is the will power and determination to succeed makes a trip like this something you will not soon forget. And of course when you do succeed and walk up on your buck that you worked so hard for to get, that moment I guarantee is a moment you will never ever forget !!
Good Luck !!

[NYBackcountry]

Hey Mauser, go for it man. People up there are generally pretty cool, never had an issue. In fact, stop and talk to some people. I have found some pockets up there with good density and beautiful bucks just by talking with random people. One guy I met had only been hunting for 5 years, he shot 3 bucks and all of them were your typical dark antlered heavy bodied ADK deer and he even went as far as to show me trail cam pics of some other big boys he had, real good guy. This particular instance the guy was hunting ridges from his stand on a nearby mountain. My point is there is a variety of hunting, you can track, you can stand hunt and you can still hunt, its awesome country.

A few things to consider.

The ADK park is huge, and not all of it is low density. There are pockets like everywhere else. You have your northern areas (high peaks and west of it) that are really remote, id bet my truck you dont see another person if you get far out. If you hunt the moose river plains area during gun season you will run into lots of hunters, mainly from down by the city at least that's been my experience. There is the southern edge of the Adirondack park , basically Lake George area north to Schroon lake basically the I87 corridor, you can get a cheap place to stay and be within an hour of some pretty decent deer density and still get the big woods feel. You have the Newcomb area, this area has lots of camps and leased land but also huge tracts of public to get lost in. Also decent density for big woods. Basically the further north you go the lower the density gets, the high peaks wilderness is tough. All of this is anecdotal and just my opinion but the further north you go from Newcomb especially north west and really get into the park the lower the density gets. If you stay on the southern edge and head west over to the Sacandaga lake area you have huge tracts of land out by the town of speculator. The Old Forge area has some cool big woods hunting as well.

This is just my perception of the park, and what i've experienced. I say go for it and google some of the towns mentioned above, ask around and im sure locals will point you to some good places to stay and hunt.

[Swampbuck]

I'm exactly the same way man, I can hunt like a mule but the camping part wears me down. A good night sleep, a warm place to dress and a shower recharges me every day and keeps me driven. I did the hike in thing once and the camping a couple times elk hunting and by day 3 I'm burnt out and start not caring. Rain gets your stuff wet, no shower, cold mornings, having to cook and all that just wears me down. I'm just not that tough when it comes to that part lol. But I really enjoyed it far more staying in the hotel. At least you know yourself and see it ahead of time

[brancher147]

I have been wanting to get back to ADK's for about 8 years now...Unfortunately I live a lot closer to VA, OH, and Kentucky, so it's too far away. But if I was to go back I would do just what you suggested, staying in a hotel and driving to hunting areas. There are so many places to go you could do that the rest of your life and never hunt the same place twice. You are a lot more mobile also that way. If you hike in miles and setup camp you are stuck in that area. I like to bounce around and find the best areas before committing to an area. I hunted for a couple years with out of state plates and never had any problems with locals. Only saw other people once and they were doing drives during gun season and were very friendly. Nothing like those big North woods...