Hot Stuff: While there’s been some brisk mornings, some enjoyable hunting and a very cold start to muzzleloading week, the weather trend has been a warm one, And it’s expected to continue well into the first week of the regular deer season. The higher elevations and further north locations might not be so bad, but the forecast is for T-shirt weather for a bit. 

That’s not stopping buck activity, as this hunter saw things turn on this past week and in the form of both rubs and scrapes. I even passed on two chances to take a small buck. It’s the EA2B thing, to be honest. Not that I’m yearning for a second tag (yet), but I don’t want to be without a buck tag for the Northern Zone rifle season. So I let them walk. Meanwhile, one of our guys did take a bear. 

Regarding the earn-a-second-buck regulation, how did that affect your muzzleloading season? Like me, did you pass on a smaller buck, decide you would only kill a mature buck, not hunt at all or actively pursue does. As a newspaper guy, I’m trying to get some feedback on this, especially the challenges posed during a 7-day muzzleloading hunt. Send your thoughts to dladd@outdoornews.com

Good luck this weekend, and hunt safely!

(10/15) Smokepoles and Snowflakes: Last week we talked about the dry conditions blanketing the Adirondack region and this week’s rain, including that which is coming on Friday, is providing some relief. How much so, we’ll see as another dry spell and warm up appears to be in the cards for next week, ahead of the rifle opener. 

But let’s talk about this weekend and the November-like conditions headed for the North Country. The northern and western Adirondacks could see some snow, perhaps even accumulating. How cool is that? And “cool” is the word for this Saturday’s muzzleloading opener with wind chills in some areas possibly being in the 20’s. This could really get some deer moving and perhaps trigger some early rutting activity, which actually has more to do with daylight than weather. That said, I found my first buck scrape while scouting one my mountain haunts this week, which was encouraging. And I have found one rub. 

If you’re in acorn country, food could be everywhere for deer and the same with apples, even though many have passed. Too much feed can make it tough to pin-point deer, but it sure is good if we have a tough winter. 

2026: Mckenzie Barber shot this 4-point buck during New York’s youth hunting weekend while hunting with her father, Bill, in Chesterfield, Clinton County, Oct. 10.

Congrats to our youth hunters out there, including Mckenzie Barber, below who scored over the weekend in Clinton County. Be sure to send your Adirondack hunting photos to: dladd@outdoornews.com. And, for those of you who harvest a doe, enter the NYSOWA Antlerless Deer photo contest! 

-Dan’l

More reports below:

Kid Stuff & Dry Conditions:

It’s been a bush stretch for this hunter, going back to a two-week RV trip to the Midwest last month followed by a weekend on Oneida Lake with the NYS Outdoor Writers Association. Now, it’s back to the homefront that is the Adirondacks and time to focus on deer hunting.

New York’s Junior Hunting Weekend is Oct. 10-12 (Columbus Day weekend) and it should be pretty interesting. The weather is looking good in the North Country for the most part and where there’s oaks, there seems to be acorns. However, things are quite dry in the woods and that should draw deer towards water as well as to plants that provide water. Keep that in mind if you’re out with the bow, crossbow or taking a youth out this weekend. Remember, kids age 12-13 are not allowed to harvest a black bear. That doesn’t make sense, but it is part of the of Pilot Junior Hunting program for that age group, and something we hope to fix.

As for buck sign, this hunter has found just one rub but things should start to pick up very soon. Also, waterfowl seasons are opening up in parts of the region, which could also be interesting considering the drought! And, turkey season ends in the Northern Zone on Oct. 14. Good luck out there this weekend, regardless of what you’re after. 

Speaking of crossbows, here’s a pretty good commentary I wish I had written. Meanwhile, good luck out there for the bear opener and shoot us a photo if you shoot a bear. Also, be sure to share your photos with NY Outdoor News. 

(9/15) Archery Opener:

A big weekend lies ahead, including youth waterfowl and pheasant hunts in some areas. But in the Northern Zone, big game season begins Sunday, Sept. 27 with the archery opener, which for the second year now includes crossbows. The weather could be interesting, with the coastal storm’s unpredictability at this point. However, it could trigger deer movement so keep and eye on things both from a hunting and safety standpoint. After that, it looks like things will be on the warm side for a bit which could mean insects, especially for afternoon sits. 

(9/14) Here comes bear season (and grouse):

Sept. 19 is a big day for Adirondack bear hunters, as the rifle season opens in the interior of the Adirondacks this Saturday. Bowhunters can have at it in the rest of the Northern Zone on the fringe of the ADK’s. DEC says there’s a lot of berries in the woods, plenty of acorns but not much on beechnuts. Of course, this is all newsworthy to deer hunters as well with the Sept. 27 bow opener just around the corner. That also includes crossbow. 

And, grouse season begins Sunday, Sept. 20. Finding them in the North Country (or anywhere these days) can be tough, but when you do, they’re fun to hunt.

(9/1) Yes, it’s September: 

And just like that another summer is winding down and hunting season is coming on fast. If you hunt small game, such as gray squirrell or even Canada geese, hunting season is already here. And if you’re a bear hunter, Sept. 19 is circled on your calendar. 

Spelled out in DEC’s license announcement (below) are some details and links on the new Earn-a-Second-Buck program. Please read through this stuff, especially the Q/A doc that is linked. That should answer your questions. If not, feel free to contact me directly. If you’d like to share your thoughts with NY Outdoor News, you can do that here.

Things are looking good in the woods for the most part. It’s dry in some areas, but recent rains have helped. And, there appears to be lots of food in the woods, especially acorns where oaks are prevalent. That’s the story as we countdown to the Sept,. 27 archery opener. 

In the Northern Zone, a bill passed the legislature that, if signed by Gov. Hochul,  will allow DEC to issue more Deer Management Permits (doe permits) in the Northern Zone. Parts of Region 6 routinely have DMPs, including in the Northern Zone. If the Gov. signs, it’s doubtful these will transpire this year. But, you never know. 

Happy scouting, 

~Dan’l 

2025 Hunting Photos: Send your Adirondack hunting photos to: buck@adkhunter.com. Be sure to include your name, date of kill and at least the county you were hunting in, along with any other info. 

Dan Ladd & NY Outdoor News Great Northeast Podcast

Last summer, Dan  was a guest on the Adirondack Hunt Podcast, presented by Big Woods Bucks. Give it a listen/view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81pFkXTrMHk 

Send photos to: buck@adkhunter.com (please include name, hometown, size of deer and county of kill). 

(12/5) Winding Down: Deer season goes by fast, as now we enter our seventh and final weekend of the Northern Zone rifle season. For some, another week of late blackpowder hunting is in the works, but not so for interior WMUs in the Adirondacks.

The Southern and Central parts of the region have some snow, thanks to this weeks storm. How much of it is determined at the local level. Coupled with some late-week colder temps it is possible that deer will begin migrating to their winter yarding areas. The weather does look to improve over the weekend and while it will still be cold, Saturday and Sunday both appear to be stable and should be good hunting days.

Yet another thought is a second rut centered around this early December full moon and the dates that follow. Judging from the accompanying photo taken Wednesday, there are still some does in estrus. Going into the final weekend, that’s a good thing. Good luck out there, and keep at it. You never know when it’s going to be your day and it can’t happen if you’re not out there.

(11/20) Game On: Now is a good a time as any to be in the woods. This past weekend buck rubs and scrapes were still prevalent and from this hunter’s observations (and those of others) bucks were still on the move chasing does, and likely still are. Breeding, however should be commencing so either way, focusing on doe groups is a good strategy, as would be areas you expect bucks to travel through like saddles, funnels and such. 

This hunter is a happy one, taking an Adirondack buck on my birthday recently. Glad I skipped Southern Zone. Check out this video and good luck this weekend. 

(11/13) Southbound? After spending the Southern Zone opener in the farmlands the past two years this hunter is going to stay north this year. The reason, there just hasn’t been much hunting time this year and I want to make the most of it in the North Country. I’ll take a small Adirondack buck over a big Southern Zone buck any day, but its really just about spending time in the mountains and that time has been tough to come by this year. That is why we’re behind on posting some photos here, but I promise, we will catch up. 

Snow in the region has been a blessing for many, with some good reports coming in from hunters all over. In the eastern ADK’s there’s still some acorns and the deer are gobbling them up. We’ve heard a few reports of beechnuts too but they’re harder to come by. Rutting sign like rubs and scrapes appear to be on the down-slide, which indicates breeding is happening. Some hunters call this lockdown, but sitters who know where to sit and mobile hunters can find deer if they focus on doe groups. With that, it’s hard to believe that on Saturday we’ll already be half-way through another deer season. Get out there while you can, it goes by quick. 

(11/7) Cold Shot: Below average temperatures are headed for Northern New York in the week ahead, which should jell nicely with the whitetail rut. In the past week, since Halloween, reports of scrape activity have been on the rise, along with some rubs too. Bucks are on the move and now is a time to consider the doe groups in your hunting areas because the boys will be paying more and more attention to the girls. High winds and some heavier rains have brought down the leaves, but there’s still plenty of underbrush in the foothills. The rain has also brought some much-needed water and brooks that were once dry are now flowing, which could change deer movements from what they were during the drought. With the cold weather, the Northern and Western Adirondacks are likely in for some snow (lucky them) this weekend, which they also got a small dose last weekend. Make the most of it now, if you can, this time of year only comes once. 

(10/30) Drought Killer: What was a dry landscape for many in the Adirondacks should look a bit different following the Thursday/Friday torrential storm that is working its way out of New York. Creeks should be running and the accompanying wind should also take down some leaves. Still, without some hard frosts there will still likely be a lot of leaves left on the beach whips and underbrush. 

We didn’t hear much from opening weekend hunters, a few photos coming in (which we need to get caught up on) and some reports of rubs and primarily scrapes, but not as much as we thought there would be. We’ve hunted the eastern and southern Adirondacks so far this season and things are about the same in both, although we did find some acorns in some areas  in the east. Again, the rain ands slightly cooler temps should make things a little more interesting this weekend. 

(10/23) Let’s Go: It’s hard to believe another opening day is nearly upon us, but it’s true. And it seems like some cooler weather is in store just in time. In fact, a storm slated for later in the first week could bring a touch of snow to higher elevations but that remains to be seen.

What has been seen is a growing level of buck sign in the form or rubs and scrapes; things could be happening early this year and there’s a legion of hunters out there who swear by hunting around the time of Halloween. Muzzleloading was a bit slow, as it was warm and there was (and still is) plenty of cover in the woods, especially the foothills.

(10/16) Smokepole Time: Until recently, it’s been pretty balmy out there and there have been few reports coming in. We did hear that the Columbus Day Weekend youth hunt went well, but most of that is coming from the Southern Zone. 

Meanwhile, we’re on the eve of the first gun season as the early muzzleloading season opens in the Northern Zone on October. 18. Although foliage is past peak in the interior of the Adirondacks, there’s still a lot of leaf cover and underbrush out there. So, as is typical, visibility is an issue. There are a few reports of some rubs showing up, but no scrapes yet. That’s sure to change after the weekend. Good luck, and be safe out there. 

(9/25) A New Era Begins:  Yes, it’s been a while and what a busy 2025 it’s been. But hunting season is just about here and it’s again time to get the discussion going on Adirondack hunting. We begin with the upcoming Sept. 27 archery opener in the Northern Zone which ushers in a new era. Crossbows are now legal during the archery seasons, which means we Adirondack hunters no longer need to wait until three days before the muzzleloading seasons to break out the crossbow. It is presumed that more there will be a bit more hunter activity in the woods on Sept. 27 than is usual, but it’s hard to measure just how much. That said, we want hear from you in terms of your success (buck, doe, whatever) and mainly what your seeing out there. 

Some September hiking/scouting trips revealed very little for this hunter, although there are some acorns sprouting here in the southeastern ADKs. A trip north yielded very little in the form of beahnuts and until today’s rain, it was dry everywhere. And if the forecast holds, we’re looking at a warm archery opener and another extended dry-spell, but some cooling off around the first of October. Even then, cold fronts should get deer moving. 

In the days and weeks ahead we’ll get caught up on some things. In the meantime, Good luck out there, and be safe this season.