My son and I both put in for Deer Management Permits (Doe Permits) in the Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) in which my uncle used to own his farm. We were both denied and got preference points for next year. We were both selected for our second preference, about 80 miles further from home, each in the same WMU. I have scouted out the area and saw some good sign of deer but did not see any deer there. We have never hunted in this WMU before so it will be a challenge; then again he has never gotten a deer so maybe it will bring luck.
I had hotel reservations in Binghamton, much closer to where my uncle had is farm but just cancelled them in favor of going to an Econ Lodge in Painted Post, NY much closer to the new WMU wherein we got out doe permits this year. I stayed there this past weekend, it was a nice motel with excellent service and a great price. I made reservations for this coming weekend for our hunt.
Today my son received a letter from NY State Department of Environmental Conservation saying they did not fill the permit quota in the WMU in which was located my uncle's farm back in the day. Because of not filling the quota, they decided to randomly draw hunters, from among those who initially were denied doe permits there, to fill the quota. My son was a winner and with the letter, they sent him a doe permit for the area. He has the lion's share of luck as compared to me, I did not get another permit issued.
Anyway, I would rather hunt there because we know the lay of the land but we already have the reservations at the other new place and I just cancelled the reservations nearer the old hunting grounds for which he just got the extra permit. I was using points for that reservation and it was going to run me 40K in points for a two night stay; however, since I first made the reservations they upped the required points and if I make a new reservation I will not have enough points! So, I am figuring we go to the new place at the other hotel where I have reservations at a very good price, we hunt there and if we bag a couple of deer great. If we wind up skunked, we can always go back to our old hunting ground and try with that additional doe permit there, either on the last day of opening weekend or at a later date before the season closes or both.
By the way, I asked my son if he lost his preference points for a doe permit next year because they gave him that additional permit. He just handed me the letter to read myself. As I said, he has the luck - he gets to keep the preference points which should just about assure he gets another do permit where we want it next year.
I just hope he has as much luck hunting this year.
All the best,
GB
I had hotel reservations in Binghamton, much closer to where my uncle had is farm but just cancelled them in favor of going to an Econ Lodge in Painted Post, NY much closer to the new WMU wherein we got out doe permits this year. I stayed there this past weekend, it was a nice motel with excellent service and a great price. I made reservations for this coming weekend for our hunt.
Today my son received a letter from NY State Department of Environmental Conservation saying they did not fill the permit quota in the WMU in which was located my uncle's farm back in the day. Because of not filling the quota, they decided to randomly draw hunters, from among those who initially were denied doe permits there, to fill the quota. My son was a winner and with the letter, they sent him a doe permit for the area. He has the lion's share of luck as compared to me, I did not get another permit issued.
Anyway, I would rather hunt there because we know the lay of the land but we already have the reservations at the other new place and I just cancelled the reservations nearer the old hunting grounds for which he just got the extra permit. I was using points for that reservation and it was going to run me 40K in points for a two night stay; however, since I first made the reservations they upped the required points and if I make a new reservation I will not have enough points! So, I am figuring we go to the new place at the other hotel where I have reservations at a very good price, we hunt there and if we bag a couple of deer great. If we wind up skunked, we can always go back to our old hunting ground and try with that additional doe permit there, either on the last day of opening weekend or at a later date before the season closes or both.
By the way, I asked my son if he lost his preference points for a doe permit next year because they gave him that additional permit. He just handed me the letter to read myself. As I said, he has the luck - he gets to keep the preference points which should just about assure he gets another do permit where we want it next year.
I just hope he has as much luck hunting this year.
All the best,
GB
