Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    This years' mast crop may not be the largest, but it sure will be
    better than last year.  Already I have been picking up stray acorns
    and beechnuts that have fallen off of the trees in my yard (Milford,
    NH).  I'm not sure if the weather will adversely  effect the nuts
    currently growing, but they do seem to be doing well.
    
    Ray
    

   
    
    I was in the woods recently here in Vermont, and it does indeed
    appear that we will have a good mast crop this year ( at least up
    near the Burlington area ).  I've also noticed beaucoup apples.
    This is good and bad.  It will be difficult to locate concentrations
    of activity when the woods is full of food.  When there is very
    little food available and you find it, it makes things somewhat
    easier.  Deer eat just about anything, so in a good year as this
    one appears to be heading towards, the deer may be everywhere!
    
    - Rob
      

    while up in the S. Woodstock area recently, we noticed a fantastic
    crop of apples in our old abandoned orchards....  (hotspots)
    Last year there was a definate decrease in apples, and with the
    snow/rain and windy weather during the bow season, it turned out to be
    a disapointing archery season.  This year looks good, one thing
    we have in our favor although i'm sure the deer find arn't happy
    about, is that we don't have a mast crop, mostly sugar maples, no
    oaks and very few beechnut to speak of.  This makes the old abandoned
    orchards very prime targets for stands throughout the day. 
    
    lots of sign, and if the deer made it through the winter we should
    have another good season ahead of us, as we found that while
    muzzleloading many deer had made it through the rifle season, a
    number of them bucks.
    
    keeping my fingers crossed,  Fra
    
     

    
    
          I have found in nothern VT. the food supply is great.
      Just yesterday we were out and found a heavily traveled run that
    goes right into a corn field. While we were there we saw a doe and
      fawn going into the field. The field won't be cut until late Oct.
    This will work to our advantage for the Oct. bow season. I have
     already put my stand up and hope it is productive....
    
    
                                           jeff

    
    	Looking good here in Western Washington, for the first time
    in about 4 years we have had a 'normal' rainfall. Strange thing
    is though that the best deer hunting is in Eastern Washington where
    it doesn't rain very much and is semi-arid. The deer like that better
    for some reason. Maybe the deal is that there is more deer on the
    west side but you just can't find them for all of the trees and
    heavy underbrush. :-)
    
    	db

    
    No Acorns or beech as of 10/2/88 here in Warner N.H. which is about
    20min. west of Concord on I-89. I checked the ridge and found 1
    set of tracks where there is usally many. Thought i would check
    some wild apple trees i know at an old secluded field and there
    under the tree was a Doe munching away. Only thing thou there were
    only 3 apples left. One on the tree and 2 on the ground. Usally
    deer don't seem to hit apples til later,but due to the lack of nuts
    they are exhausting the apple supply now.
    
    Rick