Hunting season for deer

[Tom Rankin]

I just wrote an article on safe hiking for a local paper, and I did some research. There were 4 hunting fatalities in NY state least year. One was self inflicted, and in the other 3 cases, hunters shot other hunters, sometimes their friends, or even relatives. None of these events took place in what I would call 'high peaks' areas of NY.

So, wear orange, and hike on...

 

[Little Rickie]

Thanks for the reality check.

 

[Dave Bear]

And since as Tom identified, it is possible for them to shoot people in their hunting party whom they know are there and are probably wearing blaze orange its possible to become an unfortunate statisic. I can't carry a tune so singing is definitely out but bright orange and occasional whistling to Thor is standard practice. This thread should not be taken as anti-hunting and there are certainly many thousands of hunters who conduct themselves safely. Just want everyone to enjoy a safe season in the woods!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I've hiked in NH's White Mountains actively for over 20 years, and this has been my experience - I have seen a total of ONE - yes, count it - ONE - deer in all that time. It was within a mile of the trailhead for Howker Ridge. The only other evidence of deer I've seen were some tracks on Falling Waters early one winter near the spur path to the university cabin. During that time I've seen seen a total of 2 hunters.

 

[RoySwkr]

I've hiked in NH's White Mountains actively for over 20 years, and this has been my experience - I have seen a total of ONE - yes, count it - ONE - deer in all that time. It was within a mile of the trailhead for Howker Ridge. The only other evidence of deer I've seen were some tracks on Falling Waters early one winter near the spur path to the university cabin. During that time I've seen seen a total of 2 hunters.

Wonder if that has to do with hiking mostly 4k and hiking with a dog, I see deer and deer tracks all the time and hear them even more often - most notably yesterday evening in Bachelder Mill woods when I only heard it but apparently running from me it crossed the trail right in front of a guy with 2 dogs.

Favorite hunting story - on a low elevation bushwhack my sister and I met a moose hunter who wasn't happy to see somebody in his area. By agreement we headed off in opposite directions and within a minute my sister and I saw a moose!

Another tip for hiking in hunting season - get one of those annoying dogs that yap at everything and hunters will be aware of your presence well in advance

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Wonder if that has to do with hiking mostly 4k and hiking with a dog

I think it has more to do with which mountains I hike in the Whites - mostly they're the ones on the 4K or 100HH list, which for the most part, are in mature forest. Mature forests don't contain the browse which deer need. They're better suited for moose. I hunted for many years and there simply aren't many deer in the high peaks. And the deer ticks are decimating the moose population - some say there won't be enough moose to support a hunt in 5 years, others say as little as 3.

Most of my hikes with Brutus in the Whites occurred between 2003 thru mid 2005, and briefly for about 10 days in January, 2006.

 

[sardog1]

Wonder if that has to do with hiking mostly 4k and hiking with a dog

"It depends on what your definition of 'dog' is."

Being dogless for the first time in thirty-four years has left me seriously handicapped in the detection of wildlife and signs of same. (Never could get that one in the avatar to leave porcupines alone, despite him having twice grabbed a porky and then gone back for another try with a mouth already full of quills ...) Humans have a long association with dogs as hunting companions. I feel quite inadequate with my limited ability to know what's actually going on in the woods around me.