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Just to let you know there is no, no man's land in the chest cavity.

One year I took my tractor with the FEL and scrapped the snow off the clover .. They hammered it … at 3 am

I could see this cart being useful for Prairie Dog hunting. Open grasslands, a couple of rifles and a lot of ammo, moving around a lot to different spots. Al

Potential uses: Wood chuck / prairie dog / predator hunting where you carry into a location and then sit (weather dependent) Transporting wares to a range. If no shooting bench or chair to sit on, you've got something. Be "that guy" who's always got goofy-ass toys.

Yup it was so quiet ,,, once I stopped walking

So I went in deep to my stand that borders a big bedding area. Found a lot of tracks a few from big deer. Unfortunately I didn't see anything. It was a nice two hours standing there no wind, snow on the ground waiting for one to show up. Beautiful afternoon, it's why I do it!

My comment was in respect to you doing everything possible and not making a bad shot on purpose. But it happens, if we didnt miss then we havent hunted long enough or we are lying. All have been there There are also plenty who dont even sight in their rifles and show up on opening day .. stories for a different thread.

Rat hunting was a common practice when I was a young guy, farms and any of the many town dumps were favorite places to find large numbers of them. 22 rifles firing shorts was the preferred weapon and both daytime and nighttime hunting could be productive. As the dumps were closed down Rat hunting became less and less popular, these days there is not much activity when it comes to Rats. Hunting them with Terriers on Farms was fun, I still have my home made smoker made from an old string trimmer used to flush them out of their holes. The fellow in the video below hit paydirt big time, I like his up to date equipment, ahh for the good old days, the fun and opportunities were never ending. Things have changed a lot in my lifetime. Al

Its all about timing, by now they have us patterned. My suggestion would be after the holiday weekend , go around 10-11am on 12/26/22 and scrape the snow off your food plot again. I bet you will have evening activity in that plot. The deer will be hungry after this weekend storm.

This is an interesting study on a PA buck titled " Life And Times Of Buck 8917 " They tracked him year round for 3 years . It shows where he went , where he bedded down ,and how he evaded hunting pressure through his planned escape routes by watching hunters movements . They never figured out how he died. But I suspect it was coyotes , even though the study was ruling it out . I could be wrong , but I think hunting season was over in PA when he died . The only other guess is it could have been from a late season bullet wound weeks earlier that finally did him in . Read it and come up with your theory . https://www.deer.psu.edu/the-life-and-times-of-buck-8917/

I have a logging road from the top of my property that runs right past two of my ladder stands. I have often thought of using a blower to clear the leaves off the road. I've seen videos of people doing this. Then again I had a great bow season seeing big bucks and I walked that crunchy road all the time. lol

Don't worry about the noise walking in. As long as they don't see or scent you; just keep the wind in your favor(face) and proceed to where you want to set up. As far as the deer are concerned, they are hearing other deer moving around. There have been many times when I have crunched my way in, and half an hour later the deer show up in front of where I'm set up. If you are in a tree stand, your noise will hopefully be kept to a minimum. If you are on the ground, clear all the noisy crunchy stuff - leaves or frozen snow, away from where you are sitting and be still and quiet. Good luck.

The single reason is it is beneficial to the manufacturer. Look at it this way, there are lures meant to catch fish and there are lures meant to catch fisherman (sales). This thing is the latter. That "hunter" that needs to have the latest greatest whatever, now needs to have this!

3 miles from the car I do it all the time. Especially if it's close to dark. Shot one in my spot and cut it up in the dark and packed it out. Really makes you think when you have one in front of you. How bad do I really want to do this? Lol

Just not getting out of bed, that's a whole separate issue. I've long said "guilty sleep is the best sleep". Usually the third day of turkey season, secretly being happy to hear it raining, then going back to sleep. (only to wake up about 9AM to bright dry conditions like it never happened. Doh!) Or saying "nope, screw it" and going back to sleep in deer season. Or worse, going out for like an hour, saying "nope, screw it", going back to camp and back to sleep. Then as the last days of my trip roll around, being so pissed at myself. "Why do you do this every time!? You wait for this all year, then don't go out in the mornings! Idiot, every time!"

Coyotes got to eat as well. Sometimes it happens and nature takes it toll.

Sharing a story that most wouldn't because writing it is therapeutic for me and there's always a lesson that can help others. I don't really plan to hunt the holiday week which meant 1 or 2 more sits for me. I wanted to hunt Sunday morning and even set the alarm but it was midnight when the Bills game was over and it just wasn't worth it for me despite getting some decent bucks lately on camera. Son had basketball practice from 2 to 3 (I coach) and I thought why not just slip out for the last hour or so in the blind. Low pressure hunt, redzone on and 1 earbud in. Neighbor is buzzing up and down on his UTV a few times. I actually watched on my cell cam as he bumped a doe group that was headed his way back to me. I also heard a shot around 4:30 that sounded like a rifle but then it was quiet. I didn't have high hopes but it beats sitting on the couch. I'm shooting my old CVA Optima. It's been good to me and killed 3 or so deer in the 10 or so years I've hunted with it. Last time I shot it at a deer was in Mississippi and last time I checked the zero was a few years ago. Shooting 100 grains (pellets) and TC shockwaves (sabots). Anyhow legal light ends a little after 5 and right about 5 a doe comes limping out at 50 yards and I mean hard limping. The kind where you know some guy took a pop at her and she will live but will have a tough winter. If I'm honest I'm taking a shot at her anyhow, but the limp made me not even second guess it. I have mesh up in the blind and I'm all black inside, regardless as I turn with my shooting sticks she freezes. Thankfully she puts her head back down. Takes a few steps and turns some giving me a slight quartering towards shot with her right shoulder and vitals exposed, although the exit will be tough, I like this shot. I squeeze the trigger. There's a puff of smoke and as it clears I see her running off (tail up, not great). It's now about legal light and I don't want to wait long in the dark. I'm at the shot scene in about 5 minutes. I see decent blood, but it always looks like that in the snow. As I track I find more decent blood but the gush I wanted to see never comes. As I enter the woods where she dipped back in I hear crash crash up ahead. Dammit. I decide I'm going to test my luck and keep on the track hoping it was her last push and even if I have to put her down, I'll be able to end it. I track another 5 minute or so and maybe 75 yards and hear crashing again. I back out. Now she is no 130 class buck, but I hate this shit. Waiting overnight for a deer I only shot for the meat is never great. Even if I get to her with the cold temps there's a chance she's yote food. I haven't lost a deer in over 4 years and the last doe I wounded during archery was a brisket non-fatal shot. This might be my first bad wound track job since I was a teen. I can't get into the woods due to work obligations till 11 today. I proceed to track her for 3.5 hours and 2.5 miles. Losing and finding the track as it's just small drabs of blood and then every so often a decent blast (again maybe accentuated by the snow). This whole thing would have been impossible without the snow though. Anyhow I finally end in the neighbors cut corn field and no body and just no more blood or energy to follow a track to see if it starts again as the tracks all intersect out there and what is her and what is another deer is no easy task. On the way out I find what I later realize was a part of her track that I missed (at one point I was tracking her backwards and later realize it was her doing a loop). I know the field is her last stop based on hoof direction but I follow this backwards anyhow to find some pretty good sprays and even 2 bed downs I had not seen before. This made me sick. I had some hope maybe I hit her in the leg too, but now I'm not sure. I don't know how they do it, but they are freaking tough critters. I feel horrible that this doe has been shot twice now and is either dead or likely won't make it through the winter. I don't know if there's a lesson here or not as where I found those beds was nowhere near where I bumped her. So sure I should have probably waited and then probably backed out sooner, but IDK. I measured out what was at least 0.8 miles that she went plus the extra I didn't get to and some of the best blood was well past where I bumped her. Tested my mz this afternoon as well and she's on. Hunting sucks sometimes. sorry for the novel.

I think it's great that he will be getting his grandfather's rifle. I gave my son my dad's shotgun. Just be aware that the rifle may not cycle with reduced recoil loads as they were not designed to be used in semi rifles. The cerakote process will make the gun look new and will prevent future pitting. Best of luck to him. valoroutdoors.com

When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was about the people who left and went to a different site. lol Those rooms look like a very nice place to kick back after a cold day hunting in the woods.

I think that the heavier weight of the Marlin 336, compared the Winchester 94, is the primary factor in its lower felt recoil.

He went along ways, I think. The shot was maybe 100 yards with a 50 cal, 245 grain sabot, and two 50 grain pyrodex pellets.