Written by Frank Carbone Jr.

“The lost watch buck”

The week of November 18 was the opener of the Southern Zone deer season here in Southern New York State. I hunted all week with family and close friends, mostly on the Stewart Buffer Lands, situated within the Towns of Newburgh, New Windsor, Montgomery and Hamptonburgh.

On one particular day I was hunting with my son Frank III. We were each planning to hunt in a different area but still be in contact with small walkie-talkies. Even though I was seriously deer hunting that day I also needed to find a wristwatch that I thought I had left in the woods at a deer stand the previous day. I hunted for several hours from one ground stand near a stone wall then proceeded to “still hunt” back to the stand that I thought I left my watch sitting on a tree stump.

For those readers who are non-hunters “still hunting” is a technique where the hunter walks very, very slowly and quietly, in the deer woods, looking for deer or movement and hoping to see them before the deer sees the hunter. The term “still hunting” may be somewhat of a misnomer in that the hunter is actually moving but extremely slow. One measure of a good “still hunter” is that if you are seeing small animals, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, pheasants etc. up close and not alarmed then you are “still hunting” properly.
 

Other methods of deer hunting in New York State include putting on planned deer drives, hunting from a tree stand and ambush hunting from ground blinds -- both natural and man-made.

But getting back to my story about “still hunting” back to the spot where I thought I left my watch. As I walked along a trail used by both man and animal I noticed a hunter sitting in a large oak tree about 50 yards from the trail. The hunter was wearing a fluorescent orange vest and hat band making the hunter easy to see. He also had a camouflage face mask on. As I passed the hunter he whistled and motioned me over to the tree. My first thought was that he had dropped something from the tree and wanted help getting it back. But when I motioned back as to what the hunter might want he motioned me on. I then continued to still hunt away from the hunter and toward the spot where I thought I left my watch.

I walked slowly for approximately 70-80 yards and while looking to my left then my right I noticed a deer standing broadside about 50 yards away in cover that consisted mostly of thick multi-flora roses. I quickly noticed that the deer had a large right antler beam. I slowly raised my Mossberg 500 and by that time my sites settled in he had turned and offered a quartering shot. I slowly squeezed the trigger and a 3 inch Federal copper sabot quickly dispatched a 3.5 year old typical Stewart Buffer 8 pointer that hog dressed 154 pounds. I also wondered about the hunter in the tree who I had walked passed a few minutes before and what he thought about another hunter who walks passed his tree stand and takes a nice buck.

After making sure that the deer was down for good I then turned my walkie-talkie on to contact my son. As soon as we made contact he aked if I was the one who shot. I said yes and also said that I’d need help getting the buck out to the vehicle. He then mentioned that he was the guy in the tree that I’d just passed. He said that it would take him a few minutes to get down and would be over to help with the job of field dressing the deer and getting it out of the woods. (I’ll put a picture of this buck in a future column).

It helped greatly that back at our vehicle we had a two wheeled deer-carrier that Uncle Mike had made last year. This type of carrier makes it an easy chore of getting a large deer out of the woods. And while we are talking about a carrier of this type -- it would make a good Christmas gift for the deer-hunter who has everything. The Cabela’s catalog shows several different types of carriers that are priced just over $100. Cabela’s phone number is 800-237-4444 or on the web at www.cabelas.com. Another good gift for the serious hunter is any hunting clothing made of the “polar fleece” or similar material used in shirts, neck gators, balaclavas etc.

As for my missing watch, I never did get back to the spot where I thought I’d left it. But I did find it at home the next day sitting on my computer table.
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The deer take for the Buffer to date is 96. For the first two days of the season the take was 60. I’ll try to get a complete breakdown and totals after the season ends.  

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Congratulations and best wishes to the Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC) and co-plaintiffs the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, and the Sierra Club on the recent Federal District Court decision re a stay and injunction against proceeding forward with the I-84/Drury Lane Interchange/Highway Project.

The US Magistrate Judge Randolph F. Treece, Federal District Court, Northern District, ordered the stay and injunction in response to a motion filed by SPARC. Judge Treece has "Ordered that Plaintiffs' [SPARC, et al] motion for a stay of the Court's September 30, 2002 judgment and for an injunction pending an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is GRANTED."

This particular interchange project will threaten major historical, recreational and wildlife habitat lands that are invaluable to the citizens of Orange County, visitors and outdoor-folks from all over New York and surrounding States. The Stewart Buffer Lands are a true Orange County “tourist attraction” that for some unknown reason doesn’t get the publicity as a tourist attraction, especially from the folks who are in the business of attracting tourists to Orange County. The lands also serve very well as a noise and safety buffer for Stewart Airport.

If anyone out there has seen or read in the past where the Orange County business community is advertising the Buffer Lands for tourism and passive recreation purposes please let me know. My phone and/or email is listed below.

Orange County and other New York Snake-oil salesmen and public servants still insist on investing the people’s money on any project to support big business even if the particular business is failing. If this is the trend throughout New York State then it’s no wonder that the state’s budget has been increased by many $ billions for the next fiscal year.

It’s also great to hear that Orange County Attorney Mike Sussman is now one of the attorneys fighting to preserve the Stewart Buffer Lands also known as the Stewart State Forest.

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Joseph LoCicero, President of the “Shawangunk Ridge Longbeards” the Ulster county chapter of the National Wild Turkey (NWTF) Federation recently contributed domestic turkeys to the Wallkill Reformed Church Food Pantry. The turkeys will be given to needy families in the county. The national organization encourages local chapters to get involved in the community and giving to needy families is one way that they can help. The NWTF is responsible for the reintroduction of Wild Turkeys throughout the United States and also works on many projects to improve habitat for wild turkeys and many other species of wildlife. The “Longbeards” also wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

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By the time you read this week’s column there will be one week left for the regular firearm deer season. But the special post muzzleloader and archery seasons will then open and provide hunters with extra time to harvest that white-tail. This year for the first time New York has implemented the “3/2 system.” Using special extra licenses the deer hunter can take 2 bucks and 3 antlerless deer. There were also extra Deer Management Permits (DMP) available for western New York Deer Management Units (DMU) enabling deer hunters to take additional deer. Please check your 2002-02 hunting regulations for more specific info and before going afield.