Outdoor Journal: Notes from successful hunts

When I woke up one morning last week and looked out the window to see snow on the ground, I had one thought: rabbit hunting.

It was the perfect time for my Henry Repeating Arms 410 lever action and me. I shot it when I got it, and I was very pleased with its pattern. I gobbled up my breakfast, put on my red/orange hunter’s wear and headed out to one of the spots that I hunt turkeys in Saratoga County. I hadn’t gone more than 50 yards up the narrow trail when a rabbit jumped out of a bush about 20 yards from me, and Mr. Henry was right on target.

Just before reaching the top of the hill, I saw two rabbits on the trail, but they were too far off to shoot. For the next hour, there were no rabbits, and I decided to head out. Ironically, on the way back, right where we shot the first rabbit, there was a second. This one waited just enough time for me to shoulder Henry and add No. 2 to my hunting vest pouch.

Henry and I will be going back there after deer season.

HUNTING VS. BASKETBALL

Last Saturday, I had a choice to make — and it was an easy one.

I could either go to my grandson Sammy’s first basketball game or go deer hunting on opening day in the Southern Zone.

I had waited eight years to watch Sammy, and deer hunting could wait until Sunday. I will only get to see his first game once, but I can hunt anytime.

DEC HUNTER RESCUE

On Nov. 5 at 2:30 p.m., Forest Ranger Bob Rogers responded to a rescue for a hunter hanging from his treestand in the woods in the town of Randolph. Upon arrival, Rogers and members of the Chautauqua County Tech Rescue team rode into the woods on a Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s UTV to the location of the accident. At the accident location, the 22-year-old man from Jamestown was found hanging with his feet on the seat of his treestand and his upper body attached to the treestand. He had lost his footing while using the climbing tree stand and his foot got caught on the unit, keeping him from falling to the ground.

One member of the tech rescue team climbed a ladder to further assess the situation. After his descent, Rogers loaned his harness to a paramedic so he and another medical provider could begin preventative measures due to concerns about potential suspension trauma; the man had been suspended from the stand for approximately 2.5 hours.

Rogers assisted the tech rescue team with tactical planning and rigging as the rescuers put a patient harness on the hunter, and then raised and then lowered the man to the ground. The subject was then transported from the woods in a UTV and brought to a local hospital.

A RECORD BUCK?

Jason Clarke of Granville may have shattered the record buck with the one he shot in Albany County, which may be a state record. He was hunting with a bow in New Scotland when he shot a 15-point buck whose antlers scored 195 6/8 inches. Nice going, Jason!

If you want to see Jason’s buck, go to my blog at noonanpics.blogspot.com. Also, if you have been successful and taken a buck, send me the details. I need your name, city where you live, how many points, weight and where you shot your deer. And if you have a young hunter that was a successful, send me that information, too.

Also, my fellow outdoor writer Dan Ladd of Fort Ann reported four more successful deer hunters. Keegan Stafford of Castleton shot a nice 6 pointer in Washington County. In the first buck category, Lisa Karbowski of Saratoga got an 8 pointer in Saratoga County that tipped the scales at 147 pounds. Steve Sawn of Kingsbury got an 8 pointer that weighed in at 134 pounds. Pete Cohan of Greenfield Center shot a big buck with a bow that weighed in at 192 pounds and carried 11 points. For photos and more information, head to Dan’s website at adkhunter.com.