Kuneytown Big Buck contest results

Archery
1st Place - Dave Spogen score 138 1/2 12 pt

2nd Place - Eric Riegel 7pt

3rd place - Keith Tidball 7 pt

Gun
1st place and overall 2015 Buck Pool Winner- Eric Riegel score 163 11 pt

2nd place - Kenny Lisk 9 pt

3rd place - Keith Tidball 8pt

2013 Big Buck Challenge Results

The results are in for the Kuneytown 2013 Big Buck Challenge.  This year, the scoring was done differently and there were more categories. There will be a celebration dinner (time and date to be determined - watch for announcements) where prizes will be handed out.

In the "Gun" category:

Place      Name                                          Points        B&C Gross score
1st           DAVID BRADLEY SPOGEN     9 pts           114.25
2nd          Eric Riegel                                   9 pts           111
3rd           Michael Hagadorn                       8 pts           93.5
4th           Keith Tidball                                8 pts           79
5th           Danielle Riegel                             7 pts           76
6th           Ron Stuck                                    6 pts          75.25

In the "Archery" category:

1st            Ken Lisk                                     8 pts           95

In the "Youth" category

1st            Danielle Riegel                            7 pts             76

DAVID BRADLEY SPOGEN - 1st Place gun and Big Buck Challenge Winner

Eric Riegel - 2nd Place

Michael Hagadorn - 3rd Place

Keith Tidball - 4th Place

Danielle Riegel 5th Place overall/ 1st Place Youth

Ron Stuck - 6th Place

Ken Lisk - 1st Place Archery

Mason Thompson's first archery deer.  Too bad he wasn't entered in the Challenge!

Results of Big Buck Challenge 2012

The results for the 2012 Kuneytown Big Buck challenge are in.  Three bucks were entered this year, though K-town members did harvest other bucks that were not entered.  We will add pictures of bucks to this post as they come in.

In first place ($100) was Kenny Poormon, with  8 tines and a spread of 18.5 inches, for a total score of 26.5.

In second place ($50) was Jim Landis, with  7 tines and a spread of 15.75 inches, for a total score of 22.75.

In third place ($20), a youth hunter, Danielle Riegel harvested her first buck (archery), with 2 tines, and a spread of 10.5 inches, for a total of 12.5 inches.

Congratulations to all of our hunters!!

Congratulations to Kuneytown Youth Hunters!

Forest health, deer population, etc.

I have been part of many conversations around the bar at K-town discussing the pros and cons of deer harvest management in our area. The arguments generally tend to end up around conspiracies that "They" are allowing too many deer to be killed, resulting in hunter satisfaction decrease because hunters "aren't seeing" hundreds of deer a day like they used to.

Please see the interesting report here:

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/newyork/files/forestregenfactsheet.pdf

Pay special attention to the photograph taken in Seneca Falls and think about where your deer stand is. Do they look similar? If yes, ask yourself about the bigger picture of deer management, and more importantly, forest management (where ALL of our wildlife live)-- there are reasons why we aren't seeing a hundred deer a day anymore. Good ones. If we don't get these forests back on track, it won't just be deer that we are seeing less of... food for thought.

Kuneytown Big Buck Challenge 2010 final results

CONGRATS TO THIS YEAR'S WINNING SPORTSMEN!

1st Place Deloss Stuck 10 points, 16 1/8 inch spread- 26 1/8 total points

2nd Place Donnie Stuck 7 points, 18 inch spread- 25 total points

3rd Place (Tie) Eric Riegel 7 points, 16 1/8 inch spread- 23 1/8 total points
Keith Tidball 9 points, 14 1/8 inch spread- 23 1/8 total points

Aging White-Tailed Bucks on the Hoof Using Antler Characteristics

Here's an article for those interested in better judging deer on the hoof, and/or for those practicing QDM on their properties... enjoy!

By Wayne Masters

The Masters' Main Beam Method

With the growth of more progressive deer management more emphasis has been placed on managing for age and not just antlers. Using selective criteria of "number of points on a side" (typically 3 points or 4 points) for passing bucks leads to the possibility of "high-grading" and also not managing for the greatest potential. This has opened dialogue that centers on educating deer hunters to methods that will enable them to actually judge the age of wild, free-ranging whitetail bucks "on the hoof" using various antler and body characteristics.

We must remember throughout any of these discussions that when we "set the bar" at any stage of antler and body growth, we put an excess of hunting pressure on the very next available age-class or portion of an age class based on the criteria; thus high-grading (harvesting the best of) a portion or all of that age-class. Any movement of whitetail bucks into age classes older than yearling should be considered a step in the right direction in terms of managing for an older buck age structure. However − being skilled at field-judging all age classes of bucks allows you the freedom to choose exactly where you want to set the bar for your club or cooperative.

A different method of field-judging whitetail bucks for age started developing in central New York in the mid-90s, was practiced, and continued to be refined, and is used successfully by many private deer managers and deer hunters throughout New York State. I believe it is an easier and better way. I call this method the "Masters Main Beam Method" and it relates directly to the position of the tip of the main beam in relation to the eye & the nose of the buck. Let's take a look at how it developed.

In 1993, I was part of creating a progressive deer management cooperative of approximately 9,000 acres for private landowners in Otisco Valley in central New York State. The use of Antler "width outside the ears" was chosen as their criteria for passing younger bucks, a method that would protect virtually all yearlings. Early on in this effort one of the more avid hunters in this cooperative began noticing that harvested and "ground-checked" (aged by tooth wear) yearling bucks had antler tips that did not extend forward of the eye, regardless of number of points. Furthermore he felt that most 2½ year-old bucks demonstrated antlers with the tips (or forward-most point of the antlers) slightly forward of the eye. This was potentially important information, because at that time little thought was given to a "more balanced buck age structure" and moving all yearling bucks to age 2½ was the shared goal. Several local cooperatives saved lower jaws and those were aged by certified agers from New York's Bureau of Wildlife using tooth-wear and replacement techniques. In the ensuing years a concerted effort was made to compare age with antler-tip relationship to the eye.

It should be mentioned here that they never considered a judgment of actual main beam length in inches as the criteria and still do not think of it that way. Talk of judging "inches of length" only makes it seem more difficult to the average deer hunter. Relationship to the eye sufficed to give them the decision they needed. Obviously this was a huge step in a positive direction because now it gave them criteria using a front view (width outside the ears) and a side view (antler tips forward of the eye) to accurately judge bucks on the hoof and protect all their yearlings, including the high end ones − the potentially best bucks of the future.

From 2001 to 2005 I was involved in deer research in Cayuga County New York that required countless hours of daytime and nighttime observations, including repetitive spotlight surveys to get a handle on herd composition and buck age structure. The field sheet for those spotlight surveys was formatted for three columns to include bucks of ages 1½, 2½, 3½ and older, and three more columns for does, fawns and unknowns. Separating bucks into those three age categories required me and my technician assistant to have an adequate method of field-judging bucks for those age categories. By then I was very familiar with the techniques used for recognizing the antler characteristics of yearlings and 2½s and quickly trained my assistant in that method. As other antler (and body) characteristics became evident we put them to use and soon had antler characteristics for 3½ and 4½ year-old bucks that we felt were reliable. When you are doing repetitive spotlight surveys on a specific area you soon become familiar with individual bucks and their favored core areas. Many of those bucks we observed (and videoed) were harvested and brought to our check station during the fall hunting seasons. This provided a wonderful opportunity to check our previous age determinations and substantiate our theories of field-judging bucks for age.

That research project was on an area of approximately 4,000 acres, but within a Wildlife Management Unit of 357 square miles − more than 200,000 acres. As a certified ager I was also required as part of my routine duties in the fall hunting season to visit meat processors and collect age and beam diameter data for that WMU. Obviously I also noted and recorded the relationship of the tip of the antler beam to eye and nose for all those bucks aged − yearlings to age 4½. We don't see many 4½s in New York State and 5½s are rare. Meanwhile the deer hunters on those locally managed cooperatives were saving lower jaws and making the same observations for me. Now I have deer hunters in clubs and cooperatives across New York State using this method. Thousands of aged bucks later, we have developed a very reliable method for the deer hunter to age bucks in the field! While all field-judging methods are subjective I feel that the one I'm going to describe here is the easiest and most reliable.

As a whitetail buck grows from age 1½ to age 4½ his new set of antlers changes each year and that change very much resembles a blooming flower, in this case opening forward and down and out to the side and down. Think of it as going from up and tight to down and out.

In earlier times deer hunters thought that a whitetail buck added extra points each year and that "number of points" was an indicator of age. As it works out number of points is a very poor indicator of age and we regularly see a yearling buck with 8 points and on occasion one with 10 or more. Although width of the antlers can be a useful tool for passing younger bucks, it also is a poor indicator of age in 2½ and older bucks. I have aged 2½s with inside spread ranging from 14" to 23". And height (as judged hurriedly in the field) is not something to use for judging the age of whitetail bucks. Many times I have had a deer hunter (who was intent on passing younger bucks) show up at the check station with a nice 8 point yearling whose rack was up and tight and say to me "His rack looked really high, so I shot him".

Using The Main Beam Method: Of the antler position indicators you can use for field-judging a wild, free-ranging whitetail buck, the relationship of the tips of the antlers to the eye and the nose is the best.

While this is best judged with the buck's head up, we have found that any deer hunter can soon get a handle on this regardless of head position.

Using the jaw bone-line as the base, visualize a perpendicular line from the jawline up to the antler tips.

Where does that perpendicular line lie in relationship to the eye and the nose?

1. Regardless of number of points, most yearling bucks have antlers with the tips behind the eye.

2. Two and a half year-old bucks usually have antler tips that are slightly ahead of the eye.
3. Three and a half year-old bucks usually have antler tips half way from the eye to the nose.
4. Four and a half year-old bucks or older usually have antler tips right over the tip of the nose.

I have purposely not mentioned antler beam length. You are not judging the length of the beam. You are judging where the antler tips come in relationship to the eye and the nose.

This method is exceptionally easy when a buck is broadside (which coincidentally is the preferred position for shooting, but it is also very easy to use regardless of the head position. By always using jawline as the base, then you can easily "draw" that imaginary perpendicular line and estimate where you believe the antler tips will be when the head is turned. If the jawline is the basis of your entire determination, and you then visualize a perpendicular line down from the antler tips to the jawline base...then it will never matter what position the head is in!

Let's look at a few examples of this method with the head NOT broadside. These illustrations will allow you to clearly imagine where the tips will be in relation to the tip of the nose:

1.5 years old: when this deer turns his head broadside that tip will be behind the eye, as it is a vertically oriented beam.

2.5 years old: note the slight downward angle of the jawline, so the perpendicular line leans forward. Even if you erred and made the perpendicular line vertical to the ground, this rack tip wouldn't venture past the middle of the snout.

3.5 years old: head slightly down, and clearly past mid-nose, and approaching the tip.

4.5 years old or older: These bucks are turned 45% towards the viewer, but you can visualize a line between the tips, then the perpendicular from the jaw & tip of the nose, and clearly see that when the heads come back to pure broadside, they each will be forward of the nose.

Note: If you can't easily visualize this, do you remember the Body Characteristics of Harry Jacoboson? Deep Chest, Loose Skin at neck and brisket, thick girth at belly, broad hips.....? This says mature animal older than 3.5!

It is always recommended that you look at the body and the rack in conjunction to get the very best possible overall impression by which to base your final determination of age...especially when you are looking at bucks with larger racks. Many high end 2.5 year olds are shot mistakenly for 3.5 year olds because hunters see a large rack and shoot without truly assessing the body for proper confirmation of age.

We could stop right here. The average deer hunter, the non-professional, could use only this indicator for judging the age of wild, free-ranging whitetail bucks and probably be correct 85% of the time and I think most hunters would be happy with that. But let's add a few things to it to round-out our ability to judge bucks on the hoof.

Going back to our "flowering antlers", we have covered the "growing forward" with each new set of antlers. Another helpful indicator is that the main beams are coming down from that upright position and, in my experience, by age 4½ are typically horizontal, virtually parallel to the jaw-line. For those of you looking for a much older buck this horizontal "look" is a key to what you're looking for in the field. Looking at the main beam, from G-2 to tip, determine its angle in relation to the jaw-line.

• Yearling bucks have main beams that usually angle upward, closer to 90 degrees.
• Two and a half year-old bucks have main beams that are at a noticeably 45 degree angle.
• Three and a half year-old bucks usually have main beams that have come down to a point almost horizontal to the jaw-line.
• And four and a half year-old (and older) bucks have main beams that typically are horizontal - parallel to the jaw-line.

While this indicator is much less definitive than the first one, (some 3½ s still looking like 45 degrees), it is still a useful tool, with the "horizontal look" being a common characteristic of older age in New York State. And finally, from the front view, we are basically going to look for the same thing - antler beams that are developing out and down with each ensuing year of age. Looking at the part of the main beam from G-1 to G-2, (the portion most obvious to you as observed from the front) −

• Most yearling bucks have antler beams that angle upward.
• Two and a half year-old bucks have beams that exhibit a decidedly 45 degree angle.
• Three and a half year-old bucks usually have antler beams that are looking more horizontal, coming down closer to the ears.
• Most 4.5 year-old (and older) bucks have beams lying horizontal, tightly down over the ears.

This is the basic field-judging technique I developed and is backed by hundreds of tooth-wear aging checks by certified agers, including myself. I am deeply appreciative of all the deer hunters across New York State who use this method and have taken the time to have their deer aged, confirming the reliability of this technique. I am hoping other deer hunters across the country try this method, have their deer aged by certified agers and give me some feedback.

If our true mission is to create a more natural buck age structure, we could get there much more quickly by understanding and using this technique as a part of any management program. We know that legal hunting is the greatest form of mortality on whitetail bucks. If a buck survives the hunting season he has a very good chance of being there next fall. The latest research proves this to be true.

Therefore, depending on what age classes you choose to protect, you can add older bucks in large numbers to your woodlot if everyone is on the same page. It is truly a case of "the more you save, the more you earn"! A natural buck age structure would have 2½ and older bucks at more than 60%, with 4½ s and older at more than 20%! If we chose to pass bucks unless their antler beams looked horizontal from side or front view and unless the antler tips were over the tip of the nose, we would quickly approach a natural buck age structure in our woodlots. Gracious - what an idea!

Bucks, Bucks, and more Bucks... deer report v.1

Deer and Bear Regs for 2009

DEC ANNOUNCES NOV. 21 OPENING OF SOUTHERN ZONE REGULAR
DEER HUNTING AND CATSKILL BEAR HUNTING

Allegany Regular Bear Season Also Starting Soon

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced that the 2009 regular deer hunting season opens at sunrise on Saturday, Nov. 21, in New York’s Southern Zone. Regular bear hunting season in the southeastern portion of the Southern Bear Range also begins on Nov. 21, while regular bear season in the central-western portion of the Southern Bear Range begins Nov. 28.

These big game hunting seasons close at sunset on Sunday, Dec. 13. See the 2009-10 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide or www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28602.html for a map illustrating the specific boundaries and season dates for the Southern Bear Range.

“New York’s deer and bear populations are great resources for the state, and hunting is an important part of New York's outdoor heritage,” said Commissioner Grannis. “This fall marks the second year of the Junior Hunter Mentoring Program, and I encourage all adult hunters to participate by sharing their experience, outdoor skills and passion for wildlife with a young hunter.”

Late Archery and Muzzleloading seasons for deer and bear in the Southern Zone open at sunrise on Dec. 14 and close at sunset on Dec. 22. Hunters taking part in these special seasons must possess either bowhunting or muzzleloading privileges. During the late special seasons, hunters may use either of their bowhunting and muzzleloading tags, and may also take a deer with an unused regular season deer tag. Unused Deer Management Permits (DMPs) may also be used in the late seasons for antlerless deer in the unit for which they were issued.

In the Northern Zone, the regular deer and bear hunting season opened Oct. 24 and will close Dec. 6. This zone generally includes the Adirondacks, the Tug Hill Plateau, the Eastern Lake Ontario Plain and the Champlain and St. Lawrence Valleys. A late muzzleloading season for deer will be open in portions of the Northern Zone from Dec. 7 to Dec. 13.

Hunters should be aware of several important programs and recent changes as they prepare for the 2009 regular hunting season.
• Some Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) boundaries have changed. It is important that hunters review the new WMU boundaries since Deer Management Permits (DMPs, or doe tags) are only valid in the unit for which they were issued. The boundary changes also affect some season dates and bag limits and open areas for other game species. Check www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8302.html for boundary descriptions and revisions.

• DMPs can be transferred from one hunter to another, but a recently adopted regulation prohibits the buying and selling of DMPs between hunters. See www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/56325.html

• Junior Hunters (14 and 15 years old) can hunt deer and bear with a firearm when appropriately accompanied by an adult. See www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/46245.html for program requirements and to download the Mentored Youth Hunter and Trapper Permission Form.

• New areas in central and western New York were opened for black bear hunting in 2008. The expansion was a continuation of efforts to manage bear population growth and range expansion. See http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28602.html for a map of the areas opening to bear hunting.

• Reporting harvested deer or bear is mandatory. Successful hunters may report via our online reporting system ( www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8316.html) or call the toll-free automated reporting system at 1-866-GAME-RPT (1-866-426-3778).

• Rifles may be used for big game hunting in Madison County, and new for this year, rifles may also be used in Schuyler County.

• Successful bear hunters are asked to submit a tooth of their bear to assist DEC with monitoring the bear population. See www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/45598.html for instructions.

• Mandatory testing of all deer taken in the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Containment Area will occur again this fall, as well as random testing in other counties throughout New York State. Additionally, there are restrictions on hunters bringing deer, elk or moose carcasses into New York from some other states and Canadian provinces. Specific guidelines regarding CWD can be found in the 2009-10 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide or on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7191.html. Since discovery of CWD in two free ranging deer in Oneida County in 2005, no additional cases have been detected despite testing over 6,500 deer in the CWD Containment Area and almost 27,000 samples statewide.

Hunters are encouraged to pay careful attention to basic firearm safety rules that can prevent hunting related shooting incidents:

- Point your gun in a safe direction.
- Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
- Be sure of your target and beyond.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
- Remember to wear Hunter Orange.

Although safety-conscious hunters have significantly reduced the number of firearms-related injuries, studies show that individuals wearing hunter orange clothing are seven times less likely to be injured than hunters who do not wear the bright fluorescent color. During big game hunting season, people who wear hunter orange are 16 times less likely to be the victim of a visibility-related mishap, and 23 times less likely to be killed in such an incident. For more hunting tips, visit the DEC webpage "Hunting Safety” at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9186.html.

To subscribe to New York Big Game, DEC’s email outlet for information on black bear and white-tailed deer in the state, visit http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/nybiggame .
Subscribers to this email list will periodically receive information from DEC about bear and deer biology, management, research, regulations and hunting.

For specific descriptions of regulations and open areas, hunters should refer to the 2009-10 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide. The guide is published annually and is available free of charge from all DEC regional wildlife offices, all license issuing agents and on the DEC website. Hunters are urged to review all regulations and safety tips contained in the guide.

Kuneytown Member Tidball wins "Big Buck Challenge" With Unusual 11pt Buck

Keith Tidball won the "Kuneytown Big Buck Challenge" by taking an 11pt buck on the opening day of shotgun season. The buck scored , a score that adds total points to total width for a gross score. Three other bucks were entered, and each hunter received his entry fee back. Tidball said "I am lucky to have won... at least one other buck that was harvested was clearly a better buck, if scored according to Boone and Crockett. The scoring system for the Challenge this year kept things interesting." Tidball said he planned to use the winnings to purchase an award plaque that would be displayed at the club, listing each year's winner of the "Kuneytown Big Buck Challenge" on engraved plates.

Below, a picture of the winning buck, and a sample of the award plaque Tidball is using his winnings to purchase for the club.

Some Kuneytown Members' Deer 08

This nice 6 point was taken by Dave Spogen (Eric's cousin). Dave had a great day, as he also shot a large male coyote, pictured above, this day.

Below, Deloss Stuck with his wide 11 point buck and Keith Tidball with his non-typical 11 point with bizarre twists and tines.