Leaderboard

My son took his 9 year old with him to camp and shot an 8 point . My grandson claimed it as "his" deer . His younger 6 year old brother wanted to go out with dad and my son shot a doe with the muzzle loader making another grandson happy . Now the 6 year old twin sister wants to go out with dad because it's her turn . I called up my 6 year old grandson to congratulate him ( even though his dad shot the deer ) and he told me about seeing the deer's heart , his dad removing the guts and stuff and draining the blood . He was quite excited .

How................ That wasn't a question. Just me brushing up on my native American accent,lol

I shot this buck on 11/30/14 in the Adirondacks (Hamilton County) after tracking him for 4 hours 23 minutes (I originally claimed 5.5 hours in a FB post, I was incorrect according to my GPS) and covering 5.2 miles. I missed (deflected bullet) him once about halfway through the journey, but was able to connect when he got distracted by a doe and followed her across an opening in front of me. After shooting him I realized I had trail cam pictures of him last year over 2 miles from where I took up his track this year. These big woods bucks have large ranges! This was probably the most memorable hunt I've ever had, and boy did I have to work for it! Based on last year's trail cam pics and his tooth wear, which was at least as much as the 5 year-old 8pt (cementum annuli aged) I shot about a mile from there in 2012, I estimate this buck to be at least that old as well, perhaps even one year older. I will send his teeth in too to confirm. Gross green score of 131 and change. Brows are over 5 and 7" and bases are just shy of 5". The picture(s) I posted on FB last week generated a lot of comical comments about practicing shooting more, aiming better, and only taking ethical shots. Those folks don't realize that tracking is not blood trailing. They don't go 5.2 miles after a heart shot either. With tracking, you follow the buck BEFORE you shoot it... P.S. I wrote a much more detailed story of this hunt but I am going to see if I can get a magazine to buy it. They require it be unpublished material, which unfortunately includes posting it on an internet forum. If things go well, hopefully I will be able to post the story at a later date. (Sorry NYantler) Not something I normally look at, I thought this graph of my walking speed was interesting. (From GPS) Trail cam pics from 2013: Making a mock scrape:

Checked a couple of cameras today that were set up on some oaks, had 6 bucks on camera since Thanksgiving... Of note: Wannabe (3.5 year old) is still kicking around... Last pics prior to gun season... Monday morning... Daylight, only 15 yds from my groundblind!!! My favorite 2.5 yr old, 11-pt. I'm super excited to see what he turns into this next year!!! Sunday evening...

If the ammo background check part of the Safe Act goes into effect, I can see the Indians setting up Ammo shops.

I see more deer driving to and from my hunting spot so I'm going to drive my Subaru up to my stand. Heated seats are a bonus

Couple betters pics of the 2 year old from back in Sept... The buck in the background is still alive too...

And the survey says!

Unfortunately for most hunters that's the way it will always be... the problem really is after opening weekend there is very little pressure on the deer... the amount of hunters in the woods on any given day is dramatically reduced... without many hunters moving deer it makes it easy for bucks and does to hide in more secluded areas without worry of being bumped by a hunter... sitters will always have a tougher time later in the year unless there are some does that come into a 2nd estrus near there hunting spot... so those that aren't willing to change up their tactics late season are going to have nothing more than a nice sit in the woods. We all make choices and with those choices come consequences.. its really that simple.

Very good pronunciation Wooly. I am an expert in native American dialects. Learned everything I know from listening to the Hekawi indians on reruns of F-Troop. LOL

Nearly everyone that approaches me to ask about hunting are in this group. I am looking mostly at people my age and younger (I am 32). They are well educated people, with a very valid and real concern about food sourcing, ecology, and conservation. They were not raised around hunters but became receptive to it as they educated themselves. Yes-- we still have hunters coming out of hunting families. I did. A lot of the people that use this forum did. But to ignore this new generation of people looking to get back to nature/connect with food/conservation would be completely blind. They are the future of this sport and the future of conservation. Very, very interestingly they also tend to have an overlap with animal welfare advocates. This growing group of people also tend to be more involved in conservation as well. They are reaching a hand out to hunting, and some people are slapping it away. Not wise. Yes and no-- books like these, like them or not, are genuinely causing people to be receptive to hunting. I can name about five people that have gone from on the fence to genuinely curious about the sport. One wants to drive out and visit me and go hunting with me some time in the next few years. So, they are PR in the disguise but they do whittle away at things, too. I don't know if I am right or wrong, but I think as our society evolves (like it or not), we will actually see a large percentage of hunters be the people I am referring to here as the older generations age or pass on. The "back to nature" type people. More people are born outside of hunting families now than ever before, and the only way for them to get into hunting is to be a "back to nature" person. Actually, this makes me wonder. Have there been any studies/polls as to the age structure of American hunters?

Yes! The dogs returned after five days in the woods. They were skinny and one had porcupine quills in his face and contracted lymes disease, but they're home and healthy (after a trip to the vet). Thank you for your concerns and thank you to anyone who called for the dogs in sterling forest. I hiked more miles in those five days than I have all year.

Yes! The dogs returned after five days in the woods. They were skinny and one had porcupine quills in his face and contracted lymes disease, but they're home and healthy (after a trip to the vet). Thank you for your concerns and thank you to anyone who called for the dogs in sterling forest. I hiked more miles in those five days than I have all year.

It really does boil down to what works best for you... if going in early works.. then that's what you ought to be doing.. there are no real rules for how to deer hunt... deer are different, people are different... your experience will be different than others... do what keeps it enjoyable for you.

He was next door eating my neighbors bushes last night. Too bad I'm in Amherst..... No action this morning so far Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So because your freezer was empty you were or are more than willing to take a bigger chance then you are when its full? Are you saying you have more respect for filling the freezer than the game animal you are pursuing? This statement just confuses and baffles the hell out of me. Your shot taking chance standards should be just as high full freezer or not.

Now finally!!.. a good reason to get there early. I do remember one archery season day being in my stand at dark because I heard there was going to be a meteor shower that AM... front row to the best light show I've ever seen... worth every minute of sitting in the darkness.

1st buck I ever shot with my bow .... I was trying to sneak up on him as he was feeding under an apple tree. I accidentally cracked a branch and he took off , I grabbed my grunt call and he stopped on a dime , turned around and walked right back to the apple tree.. One of the best responses I've seen to a grunt since I have been hunting.. So I know exactly what you mean. I use it a little whenever I am trying to sneak around and accidentally make a noise.

Almost forgot an important one. Biz-R-O will send one over Four Season Whitetail's deer pen. The drone will be carrying scissors, and he'll guide it over Four Season's head to cut off his mullet. LOL

12-9-14 Late season success on the timbered edge of a goldenrod field. I sat on my stump daydreaming about shed season and all the antlers I'd be scooping up from the field behind me in the coming months. I had a sudden snap back to reality at 3pm when all of a sudden out of nowhere movement woke me up 25yds in front of me. This guy was casually following behind a young doe fawn and she led him right by me at 15yds before the ML swept him off his feet. He piled up about 40yds away, and when I arrived at his carcass I discovered he knocked an antler off when he crashed. I grabbed a few quick picures, and with sunset fast approaching I made a quick run home to grab a sled to make the drag out a little easier and protect his antler that was still attached. At home I realized I had this bucks antlers from last season which I included in these pics, and that I killed him just over 100yds away from where I had found those antlers last spring. This was the kind of hunt that made me thankful I could appreciate some of the finer points of the hunt without the size of the antlers clouding my excitement over him!

That excitement you feel is the feeling you want everytime. The second it goes away you know it's time to stop hunting.

Shot this guy last night right out behind the house. Never shot a grey before and he has a beautiful full pelt on him so I'm thinking a full body mount for sure.

What makes you think that's a yearling deer? Not being a smartass at all I just think his body looks pretty chunky for a yearling.

Guys, Im in Ulster county if your interested you can pm me for my contact info.. I run a part time shop from home for the past 24 years. Im only doing game heads these days due to my full time job, artifact collecting and my passion for hunting and fishing... 2004 national champion small mammals , 2007 runner up north american champion and best of shows in NY, CT , NJ and many first places in award of excellence division.. Few pictures of customer deer.. Thanks for looking. Ron

There is an element of luck involved in hunting as well...

Belo - I wish my venison was organic. I can't keep the deer out of my neighbors corn. They wouldn't pass organic standards. I eat them anyway.

While some of these people are undoubtedly coming from an urban background, not all are. I couldn't begin to quote numbers at you (I suspect that this subset of interested hunters haven't been polled) but in my limited experience most have not been from urban areas. Again I can not speak for anything other than my personal experience, but they are not approaching this from an urban mindset. A lot of these same people are starting to get into small-to-mid size farming. One of my peers that started out on this path went from suburban housing-development type living to buying a large parcel of land in MN, she is now starting a farm and already runs several successful apiaries and does butchering without a flinch. Another friend just bought land in CO and is getting into poultry raising and hunting. She can't find a mentor and so hopes to come out to NY soon so I can start her on the basics. Both are very educated and interested in conservation and the outdoors. Those are just two examples. I realize my anecdotes don't count for much. But we can't dismiss these people out of hand.

Why we hunt may be old news, but I wonder how many of us really even know. I know what our public mantra for P.R. consumption is about population control and serving as selfless benefactors of all outdoors and God's creatures. But I'll be honest with you. When I am getting all amped up for my first crack at deer, and I head out that door, I can never recall a single time that I kept thinking to myself that today I'm going to get out there and save the deer and do my part for population control. I can't even say that getting some prime venison is on my mind when I hunt. It's hard to represent ourselves to the public when perhaps we have never put much honest and soul-searching thought into why we do it. We can certainly list off the benefits of hunting, but when it comes to internal motives, perhaps that isn't so easy. Maybe its time that I post my annual thread asking why we hunt ..... lol.

Haha bet that would make one hell of a BOOM!

I have been taking a little slack on this site for taking this shot, which at 60 yards, was 20 yards further than I had practiced with my Barnett Recruit ($250, 300 fps, 135 lb draw, 125 gr. 3-blade o-ring type mech. broadhead). The 1-1/2 year 6-point ran 40 yards and dropped dead after the shot. Range is not everything, and all the other variables that go into whether or not a shot is successful were just about perfect. It was Veteran's day morning, peak rut time. There was no wind, he was broadside and posing like a tom turkey, trying to impress a pair of 1-1/2 year old does. I had a very good rest, and the shot was clear, across an open hay field. I did make a 10 yard mistake in my estimate, as I guessed him to be at 50 yards. I aimed just below the spine, behind the shoulder, using the middle dot on the stock sight. The arrow hit low, penetrated thru the heart, and about 8 inches total. Like Clint Eastwood says: "you got to know your limitations", and I think I know mine, with this outfit, after my first shot at a deer. The good Lord put the arrow in the right spot. Anywhere else would probably not have had such happy ending. I will limit future shots with this outfit to about 40 yards.

I wonder sometimes if when we use the words honesty and integrity when describing our character... if there are some that don't understand what those words really mean... those words always seem to get the definition of " holier than thou" or "better than others". Like having honesty and integrity is a bad thing... After hearing some of what is posted here its hard now to take all of the posts about ethics seriously.. frankly I'm surprised at the lack of integrity I'm getting from many of these "hunters". Although we aren't "holier" or "better" than anyone here... I am a little disheartened that we are definitely very different than so many.

What growie and I do with our private instruments is our OWN business.. As far as drones go, as a dedicated wingshooter, I can't help but wonder how one of those things would hold up against a load of #2 lead shot....

You can also give Pete Clare a call at Turkey Trot Acres in Candor, Tioga county. Great lodge, great people, great food and above all lots of turkeys!! You will also learn alot and its a good clean place thats women friendly. It would be tough to get it done in 1 day..hunts are usually booked in a 3 day block.

Ha-ha..... $400 - $600 is chicken feed compared to what guys are willing to spend to get a deer these days. Heck that's the price of a cheap bow these days. There really is no limit as to what hunters will spend to get the best buck money can buy.

Didn't see a thing today, all in all it was a good season for me, didn't get a big one but I got a couple in freezer. Hanging it up now and waiting for some hard water to add some walleye to my meat. Good luck to everyone on remainder of the season.

I plan to use some drones next year to verify whether forum members actually unload their weapons and leave their stands before legal shooting time ends. LOL Phade will use one to spy on Doc. He's got to be using a treestand at least some of the time! LOL Paula will send one over Bubba's cabin. She likes Bubba and wants to get a look at him from all different angles. LOL Pygmy will send one over Growalot's property. Pygmy can chime in on the reasons why. LOL

My words are presenting an argument to consider: that these contests hurt the image of hunters. My motive is to get people to think, to consider how things might be done differently. Call it Devil's advocacy. Call it what you want. Apparently, some people agree with me. Do I have any credibility? That is for others to decide. Some people consider me an authority "on whatever it is that I do". This is not personal. It is not about you and me. It is about the image of hunters.

I have some beer to drink so I am going to get both mine out of the way in the am

You are an elitist because you are suggesting that there might be things that we could do differently, possibly for the betterment of the sport and the environment. How dare you. For some, any suggestion of a change is an afront to their sense of independence; and they are likely to resist without actually listening to what's being suggested.

VJP - I do not publicly criticize other hunters. This discussion is between hunters. I do not have conversations with "non-hunters that are not too happy about hunting". I had a conversation with a non-hunter who reacted to the coyote contest advertisement. It prompted this discussion. I do speak to a lot of non-hunters. How could I not? I hope to convince them that without hunting, my business would suffer greatly. This, they understand. My goal when speaking publicly to general audiences is to inform them that I am a hunter. No one has ever criticized me - no anti has ever spoken up and challenged me. I do this to give credibility to the use of lead-free ammo. I speak about lead-free ammo as a hunter who has used it for a decade. I ask those who have hunters in their family to buy a box of lead-free ammunition for that hunter to try. I am convinced that a well informed hunter would use lead-free bullets. You say "The more publicity these issues get, whether it's lead ammo or contests, the more attention brought to them, the more likely we will see a law banning them." That is exactly my point. I only brought attention to this on a hunting forum. I am not running ads all over the state as are the coyote contest sponsors. Am I an elitist because I care about the image of hunters? Am I an elitist because I want to protect eagles and children from lead impacts? If so, I guess I will have to live with the label.

My buddy keeps telling me to bring a chainsaw in the woods and start it. He said he sees more deer while cutting firewood then if he is actually looking for deer.

when the temperatures are mild (40's) i'll head in about 45 minutes before legal light. When it's cold out, I'll head in at legal light +/- 5 minutes. I'm not interested in wasting time just getting cold. I would rather have the extra time during legal shooting hours.

Geeze...Sitting in a treestand in pitch dark for an hour and a half.. That sounds like lots of fun...Like whacking myself in the groin with a hammer or giving myself an enema with a turkey baster full of tabasco sauce...

Zag check this guy out, http://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/

blur, that's why you didn't get any deer this year. You should get to your stand in the dark and shoot them 5 minutes before legal shooting time like the rest of us! LOL

i just cant see carying and measuring powder commpaired to dropping in a couple of pellets so i will use pellets untill the make something better

I tell you, I just can't stand the derogatory talk against weekend warriors here. Aren't we all weekend warriors in one way or the other? How many here don't have to work and can devote all their time to hunting only? Just because some of you spend some extra time scouting or setting up food plots or cameras makes you somehow think that you are superior to everyone else that hunts? That's BS. Some of you guys are legends in your own minds, and that's about it.

Thanks Pygmy! Here are a couple more with a 14" .223 barrel. A 300 yard woodchuck setup, though my best is 280-ish. The 'furniture' is curly maple with cocobola center. I made them in the mid 1990's or so. The forend on the .223 barrel darkened up right along with the grip because they're in the sun together a lot more than the .44 barrel above. I changed the angle and length of pull with the grip so that it fits me better than the factory ones. It's probably my favorite gun.

Since we're doing pics...

Picked up a grey. Dark. Happens when I have to check before work. Fisher