Outdoors: Time for archers to take aim
The big eight-point whitetail buck was certainly distracted. Rack tilted back, it sniffed the air furiously while rolling its head from side to side and trotting a wobbly course. Clearly, catching a whiff of doe scent was the only thing on its hormone-clouded mind.
Too bad it wasn't in the woods. Instead, it was wandering down the double-yellow line of a North Fork road leaving no doubt the rut, or peak mating season for whitetails, is under way. At no point in the hunting season will large bucks be more vulnerable than during the next two weeks as the urge to procreate overrides their normally stealthy nature.
"Several big bucks have come in,'' said Chuck Hensel of the Archery Forum in Middle Island. "Most were taken on private property, but public lands also gave up a few.''
Hensel said Dan Heglund, 55, of Rocky Point, drilled a beautiful 12-pointer while hunting state land on eastern Long Island last Thursday.
According to Hensel, hunting from a tree stand placed where does regularly congregate is a good way to down a monster right now. If you want to be more proactive, rattle, grunt or set out some scent. Muzzy's Bowhunter's Set-Up and Real Scent's Pure Heat have both done an exceptional job of luring bucks into shooting range this season.
While there are plenty of deer to be had locally, many sportsmen prefer to hunt upstate. Deer and turkey are the usual targets, but coyote, bobcat, fox and even bear are possibilities. At least two Long Islanders knocked down big bruins while targeting upstate whitetails recently. Both bears came from the Sterling Forest area of Orange County and were weighed, measured and butchered by Rich Dunlap at Fins To Feathers Taxidermy in Farmingdale.
"There weren't many bucks around our property in Roscoe (N.Y.),'' said Christin Moynahan, 26, of Farmingdale, "so my dad and I decided to check out Sterling Forest. We took our bows along as we scouted for places to set up our tree stands.''
Just 20 minutes into the woods they spotted a black bear, and eventually stalked to within 30 yards before the younger Moynahan let fly with a perfect shot. The bruin weighed 240 pounds.
An even larger black bear was arrowed by Steve Diamantakis, 56, of Port Washington, who hunted from a tree stand.
"I set out a paper whitetail hoping to attract a buck but the bear spotted the decoy, stalked it, and then paused about 6 yards away. I had a clean broadside shot as it tried to close the final few feet.''
The monster black bear measured 7 feet long and weighed a whopping 450 pounds.
Fishing still productive
Fall fishing continues to please, witness the 19 1/2-pound bluefish decked inside Manhasset Bay earlier this week by Jimmy Gee. He used a bunker chunk to tempt the huge chopper aboard the Port Washington charter boat, Swedish Princess.
Blackfish are also in good supply.
At Port Jefferson, they've provided a steady bite with pool fish aboard the open boats Osprey V and Celtic Quest, consistently running 7 to 10 pounds. Both vessels have also scored with big blues and some stripers on weekend trips.
Surf fishing also remains hot along the entire South Shore with school stripers hammering bucktails, tins, needlefish and swim shads.
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