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Shout out from CT

LoadedLimbs

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2020
Messages
977
Location
Connecticut
Hi all - I'm a new member from CT. Although I've hunted from tree stands for many years, saddle hunting is new to me. I've acquired most of the elements for my first saddle hunting system, and I'm looking forward to giving it a try in 2020. I'm also looking forward to learning as much as possible from all of you to get up to speed quickly. I hope to get in a lot of practice and find out what techniques and gear I prefer before deer season opens next September.
 
I’m in CT, too. This was my first year in a saddle. A saddle makes a big difference here. Opens up a lot of options as our deer get pressured.


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Where bouts in CT? Just over the border in MA and have hunted all over CT. And CT. has one of the best deals 4 non residents. Back in the day a non resident archery lic. was 44$ for 4 deer..... Two bucks and 2 does.... or 4 does..... And if you could do it you could shoot them all at once....
Now I think its 135$ but still 4 deer.... Correct me if im wrong as I haven't hunted Ct in a couple yrs.
 
Where bouts in CT? Just over the border in MA and have hunted all over CT. And CT. has one of the best deals 4 non residents. Back in the day a non resident archery lic. was 44$ for 4 deer..... Two bucks and 2 does.... or 4 does..... And if you could do it you could shoot them all at once....
Now I think its 135$ but still 4 deer.... Correct me if im wrong as I haven't hunted Ct in a couple yrs.

I’m near Hartford. I saw some of your posts re: April Saddle Hunters meet-up in Auburn, MA - unless something comes up at work, I plan to attend and I’ll see you there.

As far as your question about CT deer hunting for non-residents, it’s still a great deal. A 2020 non-resident archery deer license is still $135, and it permits you to take up to 6 deer:

Two “either sex”, and two “antlerless” deer during the main archery season (Mid-September to end of year; plus another one “either sex” and another one “antlerless” during the Jan 1 -31 season “on private lands in Zones 11 & 12”, which comprise the towns along CT’s coastline and a few adjacent towns.


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Hunted in CT ‘88-‘92 when I was stationed in Groton. I loved hunting up there.
 
Hi all - I'm a new member from CT. Although I've hunted from tree stands for many years, saddle hunting is new to me. I've acquired most of the elements for my first saddle hunting system, and I'm looking forward to giving it a try in 2020. I'm also looking forward to learning as much as possible from all of you to get up to speed quickly. I hope to get in a lot of practice and find out what techniques and gear I prefer before deer season opens next September.

welcome brother I too am in CT if you need any help or have any questions feel free to reach out!
 
I worked in enfield and was a trucker traveling all of New England and NY. Many times just covering ct. It was a great job for locating new deer hunting spots by asking people at my stops about actually seeing deer or and places to hunt.
Many in Ct had hit deer with their cars.
Back in the day before the computer age. Can you believe that statement? After work I would go to DEP in downtown Hartford I think it was the 5th floor. I was there so much pouring over PAPER TOPO maps they got to know me by name. 2 days at DEP 3 days boots on the ground. I would copy parts of the topo maps to take with me to scout with. They helped but you were never really sure exactly where you were until I discovered MGRS. It was by pure accident. I had purchased one of the first civilian GPS units available to the public and used it to mark spots and trails to walk in and out of but knew it was a much more valuable tool than that. The Government corrupted the signal on purpose because it was a military defense tool only allowing civilians a 200 meter accuracy level. Eventually the 200 meter rule was suspended and the signal was allowed to run clean.

About this time I wandered into a camping and hiking outdoor store that was going out of business and selling off everything cheap. I found a clear plastic topo conversion chart and asked the owner how it worked. He said he had no clue. It was 2 bucks. I bought it. I knew there was a way to convert lat long numbers into a more precise location but didn't really understand lat long. I sat at the kitchen table for 5 or 6 hrs. playing with the plastic converter card and the co ordinates I had in my GPS.

After playing with this plastic card for hrs and changing the GPS to read in MGRS it finally dawned on me how the card was used to get a 1METER POSITION FIX ANYWHERE I HAD A TOPO MAP FOR! I jumped up from the table screaming "I got it" I got it I got it".

Now I was ready for the woods. I knew I could scout for deer on my topos and walk to within 1 meter of anywhere I had a map for without wondering if I was in the exact spot I had picked on the map. It was exhilarating! I taught my hunting buddies how to do it. We were all blown away by the accuracy. We would all scout a spot. call co ordinates over the walkie talkies and meet up to see some particularly good sign one of us had found.

Move forward a few yrs. The computer age starts to flourish and I discover a program called Terraserver. Its a topo based TO SCALE program where you can print your own topos to scale with the MGRS scales overlayed on the printout.

BACK TO THE WOODS! Marking deer trails, beds, rubs, scrapes and anything else we can think of on these maps and printing them TO SCALE! I have used some of the modern phone apps and their ok but I have not seen anything that has the accuracy of the MGRS in combination of a GPS.

To this day I have a plastic filing box with hundreds of maps of spots in ct that we marked over the yrs with all the deer sign we could find on these maps with accuracy to 1 meter.

I have not been to many of these spots in yrs due to hunting in NY state and eventually buying a camp there. Now that this memory has been brought back to me because of new member Loaded limbs I might break out that old filing cabinet again and go check some of my old stomping grounds to see how the yrs. have affected these deer.

Sorry for the long winded story boys but I just kinda got off on a lil memory there of many yrs ago when I was a young buck run-in through the Forrests and mountains.

Do you think my magic filing box has any DEER value?
 
After work I would go to DEP in downtown Hartford I think it was the 5th floor.

Do you think my magic filing box has any DEER value?

I remember that DEP setup - I visited it myself a few times about 30 years ago. I purchased a few color USGS topo maps for the areas I was hunting at the time. I also purchased their spiral-bound book of all USGS topo maps for CT, which was only in black & white. How times have changed with handheld GPS & smartphone hunting apps!

Tough to say how useful your magic filing box would be this many years later. I sure wouldn’t toss it out! On the one hand, areas of high deer activity (especially scrapes) are usually perennial, but on the other hand, human property use and land development change enough over time that former areas of high deer activity may not be so any longer. Just have to get out there and have a look for present day deer sign.


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welcome brother I too am in CT if you need any help or have any questions feel free to reach out!

Thanks for the warm welcome - if the MA meetup on April 25th remains scheduled as planned, I hope to get a chance to meet you there and learn a few things!


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Welcome. I'm in Bristol ct. This site is great. Loads of info and help.If you Need anything short me a pm. I have multiple saddles if you want to try anything out. Just started making my own also. Just for personal use though.

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