I’m looking for recommendations for a hunting guide up in the Adirondacks.  I’ve never hunted before so I could really use a good guide to show me the ropes. In a perfect world, I’d love to head up to the ‘Dacks for a long weekend and stay someplace where the wife and little guy (3 yo) could find some fun things to do while I’m in the woods (maybe a lodge?).

Anybody have any recommendations? I’m hoping for more of a “stalking through the back country” experience and less sitting in a tree all day, but I don’t know if that is realistic or common. For what it’s worth, I’m fit and have spent a lot of time in the very wild places (former ice climbing guide).

What area do you live in?

I stalk hunt during bow season but hesitate to do it on public land during gun. My favorite stalk hunts are usually for squirrel.

NYC - you can understand why I'm eager to get way up North.

I was hoping to get deep enough into the back country to make it safe. Again, I know nothing about hunting save what I've read.

Do people ever pack into the Adirondacks and hunt from a tented basecamp? Is that too ambitious?

Central Park would be a good place to start ??

I'm toying around with the idea but haven't had anyone volunteer as a partner in crime. My skilled hiking partners are all pre occupied. Moose River Plains may be a good starting point, or the neighboring West Canada Lakes Wilderness. I have spent numerous days backpacking here - not for solo novices. Weather changes fast, many intersecting trails, 60,000 plus acres without a hint of cell service. We hunted MRP from a base camp for bear last year - no shots but one hell of a hike and stalk session. Potable water is scarce - pack it in and bring filters or other purification. There are a few outhouses but for the most part it's dig and drop.

Furthermore deer are scarce in this area - and no antler less tags are issued. It's a hard hunt with low likelihood of shooting anything. We wore a solid chunk of orange and headed off into an area with few other hunters. It's tough to base camp and pack but so enjoyable. Feel free to PM me and I can provide as much information as you care to hear. I don't know of any licensed guides in the area.

I believe Steve Rinella used to live in Brooklyn. He's a top notch guide, author, hunting TV personality, podcaster, etc. Be nice to the city folk.

I suggest yu stay a littlebit south of the Adirondacks if you want to see deer. We usually have an ARFHUNT in Moose River Plains but none of us has bagged a deer there.with the exception of MAG162 and Helldog who managed to score a bambi while buying dougnuts and happen to witness a truck/deer accident. The trooper let them keep it.

If you want to put together a hunt in the mohawk alley I might be of assistance.

We haven't held an ARFHUNT here since MAGCamp was sold a few years ago.

Now you have me all excited about the idea of it. I can't help with wife and kids - I have a 2 year old but he's a Chessie.

Paging Penrod72, 41magluva, Buckshot429, Ciraxis, and thirsty. All I wanna know is - who's coming with me?

41magluva, Buckshot429 and I drove Three Mile Bay end of season. PENROD72 showed up for snack time. I lost 10 pounds hiking in my waders. 41magluva moves like a ninja through the swamp. Have gun (and fancy new Bow) will travel.

I'll hunt with you and drag whatever you shoot til you're back to Full speed.

I dunno, sometimes sitting in a tree ain't that boring....

They,ve still got me on hold for the surgery, I might have to handgun hunt left handed!
I found out thanks to the NYS Bowhunters assn. I cant hunt as a disabled archer with the crossbow!
I would have to shell out 200.00 for a draw lock release for my regular bow 200.00 I don't have because it's time to fill heating oil tanks!

I like the idea of hunting somewhere that we can do some drives.

Don't count out the catskills; theres plenty of land and probably more deer. Several WMU's have antler restrictions, meaning that you could shoot a monster. Doe permits too, definitely if you hunt the bow or muzzleloader season.

Check around ellenville and up near Cairo and just about everywhere in between, there's plenty of state land that have deer and plenty of little spots to rent a room for a weekend.

There's even an early bear season, starts in 2 weeks or so. Piles of bears in the Catskills and you could use a weekend of bear hunting to scout for when you come back up to hunt deer in the fall.

You'll only be 2 or 3 hours max from the city, but don't get it twisted; there is wilderness in the catskills and you can get lost and die somewhere up in the hollows.

Where is this Three Mile Bay you speak of?  There is a place called Three Mile Bay just down the road from my house.

Smells like Ashland WMA to me.

Best to do is hunt stewart hunting  there is deer and bear there.. Its shotgun only.. but you can get DMP's for it.. 3m  Be careful for ellenville depends upon the dmp you use.. 3m usually has a lot which is the same as stewart but 3h you cant get which is most of ellenville.

I was thinking of putting horns on you and let you run around down there. The natives would be all confused

Actually there is plenty of state  land on Star Hill and Potato Hill between Utica and Booneville if you guys want to hunt, that's the place for northern zone as deer are more plentiful in that region rather than north of there.
STAR HILL Area
POTATO HILL AREA
Another good place is right near the old MAG CAMP. CRAMERS CORNERS ROAD St Johnsville This area is also Rifle but southern zone.

That's what I was thinking.

I'm in. Where is that?

I keep looking at maps and getting more excited.  Decisions, decisions....

I'm still torn between going up North and getting deep in the woods or giving the Catskills a shot. Taking a deer is secondary to me to learning how how to do things right and having a good time outside.

Deciding on the WMU for a DMP is the toughest choice, it seems.

best thing to do is two things since your starting out.. 1).. look for a high dmp ratio good chances are they have lots of deer there.. 2).. Go scout the areas you think you want to try to hunt. This way you can see if there is open land or if its private.. Plus its totally different opening day vs prior this gives you time to look around and id land marks etc..

I live in the Adirondacks. If you are wanting to get out and see deer I would recommend going somewhere in the southern tier. More and more of the ground up here is getting sold and posted. There are pieces of state land here and there but nothing like some of the places I have been downstate. Go to the nysdec website and look at the deer per square mile. Where I hunt its around 4. Some places in the southern tier are over 9. I hunt with 3 or 4 other guys and we push deer so we see them a lot. There are some places here where you can go days and maybe never see one.

That's why I'm telling him CENTRAL NY MOHAWK VALLEY area,

If you want deer and bears along with plenty of public land check out Steuben and Allegany Counties. In college we killed a few deer without much trouble. And there are some big blocks of acreage.

There is a small rural town in Jefferson County called Three Mile Bay and Ashland WMA is right near it.  When you mentioned in your earlier post about doing a drive in the Three mile bay I thought you were talking about the one up here.  Which Three Mile bay were you talking about?

Lower oswego county, bordering Oneida Lake.

Guess consensus is Southern NY. Bummer - I had visions of trekking through the northern forest for a day or two all dressed up like an extra on The Last of the Mohicans. Still need to find a guide, too.

As an aside, I just downloaded the NYS hunting and fishing ap to my phone - amazing! You can lliterally stand in a field and confirm if you're go or no go for hunting. Anyone else use this thing yet?

I've got a little hunter in training too. He's 5 now.

I found pictures of me cutting up deer as young as 8. Save those - the chicks dig them on Facebook.

That is awesome! Can't wait till my little guy gets a bit older!

Lhotse, you might want to start with the NYS Guides Association.  They maintain a list of current guides and should give you a place to start. I used to know some good ones, but most have given up the hunting activity with clients due to lack of interest.

I hunt both in the 'Dacks and southern tier.  The Dacks are awesome for "The Hunt".  I go back into Five Ponds Wilderness, walk my azz off, see some awesome country and haven't seen a soul where I go in years.  I don't really care if I take a deer or not. A successful hunt for me is a successful track and stalk, getting into range, maybe I take the shot, maybe not. Sitting with my back against a 50" virgin White Pine on sunny afternoon and watching a Fisher amble across my boot tops. Watching a Pine Marten kill the offending red squirrel in the tree over my head.  Being a ghost in the wilderness and just taking in what goes on around you is treat, but it takes patience.  This is where the Ole Man taught me how to hunt, being up there always brings me back to my roots.

In the southern tier is where I harvest meat for my freezer.  I've had many enjoyable hunts, but in the end they don't touch the peacefulness and the primitive feeling of the north country.  The carrying capacity for deer down south means you will see deer basically any given day if you're patient and somewhat woods wise.  It probably is a much better place to learn because you will have many more encounters with deer and the learning curve for what you can and cannot get away with (w/o spooking the deer) will be shortened dramatically.  Honestly that last thing is one of the most important lessons to learn to obtain that one shot kill.

It's up to you to decide which experience is more important to you.  The traditional backcountry hunt experience, or to harvest nature's original, free range, organic protein source and master those skills quicker.  If the former, forget guide, read up on White Tail Deer habits and hunting, acquire quality maps for the area of choice and go trekking (I'm assuming a former climbing guide is well versed in self preparedness and survival skills).  If you can obtain the companionship of someone with local knowledge even better.  If learning the skill set to harvest deer in the wilds is more important, then I agree with the others here, stay closer to farm country.  There are some really nice State Lands outside the Blue Line that are not over run with hunters and some even big enough to give the taste of backcountry.  A little recon is necessary though.  Good luck.

UR

hmm was it the PA Med doctor  (Dr. Rachel Levine) that dig your pics on facebook .....


You walked right into that one.  

That's exactly what I dream of when I think of hunting. I may head out to the 'Dacks first and (assuming I don't take a deer) head down south the next weekend.

I'm looking at guides online right now.

Thanks for the advice!

Damn, you know how to paint a picture.   I grew up visiting both the Catskills, and the Adirondacks.  You make me want to pack a bag...

I've got space in the boat and cabin, just pack comfortable boots and your favorite rifle with the bag.

So it boils down to either spending $$$ on a professional guide or shadow some of the successful hunters on the HTF. You choose.