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Finally got one with the muzzleloader. 8 Pointer, 12/14/14 @ 4:20 PM. Decent late season buck! Not one of the big boys but I'm happy with him. I think I passed on him a couple of times during bow season.

The Southern Tier Opener was picture perfect weather this year, cooler temperatures and about an inch of snow on the ground. The deer were very active, passed on 3 smaller Bucks throughout the day and killed a Mature Doe around 11:30 in the morning. About 3 pm, this Buck was just cruising thru and offered me a shot at about 100 yards. My bullet clipped a branch in front of him and grazed his belly on the first shot. To my surprise, he ran closer to about 75 yards and stood broadside. My bullet hit it's mark this time and piled up within 50 yards. 2014 was a very successful year for me, a nice 8 pt with the Bow (story in the Archery Harvest Thread), this 135" 9 pt with the Rifle and 2 Mature Does with the Rifle. Seems as though our Management efforts are paying off and those All Day sits are helping too!

I got the best gift of all. My first grandchild was born at 7:16 pm Christmas Eve. Hands down the best Christmas ever. A baby boy 8 pounds 14.9 oz 20 1/2 in long. Better score then any buck taken by anyone ever. I want to nick name him Christmas because he came so close to the actual day. My sons likes it but everyone is against it. What do you guys think. I mean no disrespect to anyone or anything with this nick name just thought it would be the right nick name. Thoughts?

Very exciting! They are fast little buggers

Ok, so does will walk along dribbling too .... I didn't know that. These dribblers (I came across 4 of them) were dripping straight brown urine, or at least that was the color when I got there. I saw some of the one-spot puddles that were yellow or quite red and those were single spots that were a couple inches in diameter. This kind of stuff is interesting, and that's why I started this thread. We don't spend a lot of time on sign reading and interpretation. These are things that would be good on some of these hunting videos and TV shows if they really were interested in putting on quality shows. Ah, but that's another topic .... lol.

If you get a hen to answer, mimic her as best you can. I've had a couple occasions where the hen gets all fired up and charges in followed by a gobbler

My earliest deer hunting video memory is "Bowhunting October Whitetails" by the Gene & Barry Wentzel along with their huntig buddies. That was about 1987 or so.

It's not really the emotional reactions that count. I mean hope and encouragement are great things but it really is a science that has yet to withstand the scrutiny of further research. yes, we do hope that it turns out to be something that can have positive results in the bigger picture as it develops.

The shoes didn't fit so my daughter scarfed them up for work as SHE needed them too, the pants were a super dark blue, she wanted black....... BUT..........I insisted that she at least try them on and lo & behold she'll keep them! The gift cards were great, clothes rack was a HUGE success and the perfume didn't happen, yet. Oh, holy cow I forgot to mention THIS.......I got her a DNA test kit from Ancestry.Com I saw something about it on another web site I frequent. It looked very interesting to me after reading some of the replies from other guys. Some very revealing things and connections to other distant relatives if you did deep enough. She thought it was pretty cool. We didn't get the kit yet as I just ordered it the 22nd. I printed off the emailed confirmation. They had a xmas special; 10.00 off the regular price of $99.99 It isn't something I'm that interested in but my wife and son are into it.

Learn to pattern hunters. Guys move from the parking lots into what they consider their favorite areas and they do so with consistently repetitive movements throughout the seasons every year. Certain trails and easier climbs and paths around obstructions (multi-flora rose .... lol) will funnel hunter movements into repetitive annual patterns of movement from parking lots to stands and back. Knowing likely spots where deer will be just before daybreak, and what the likely deer escape routes from those areas when hunters jump them can put you into a very repetitive and predictable annual locations of some very productive spots.

OHHHHH that looks awesome. Pair it with a side of mushrooms and wash down with a nice IPA!

Every year about this time, I give some of the neighbors & co-workers jerky & smoked sausage; this time I took pictures. My good deed for the year.

My son's buddy bought himself a Savage AXIS-II. He opted for 7mm-08 (7 milimeter-oh-eight, not ought-eight ) on my recommendation. He's a 1st time hunter & is going to join my son & I deer hunting next year. His Dad gave him $500 to purchase a deer rifle. He got the rifle/scope combo & a box of Federal Fusion cartridges all in $500 tax included. 1st off, the "Chinese Weaver" 3-9X40 scope is $hit. I would much rather see the gun sold for $100 less W/O scope & mounts or even $50 less with just the rings/mounts which seem decent. I have a Leupold VX-II of a similar flavor that I am going to try to talk him into borrowing for the sake of the deer. That piece of crap will most likely let him down at the worst possible moment. The optics are horrid & the reticle is a BDC (TBS would be a better moniker) reticle that is hard to see in brush & confusing. Anyway. Let's get back to the rifle. Short action magazine length: One of the 1st promising signs was the magazine box length. While Remington M700s have a SA magazine box that restricts cartridge OAL to SAMMI spec of 2.80", the Axis magazine box was a generous 3.20". That's almost exactly the same length as an intermediate length LR M98 or SR M93/96 Mauser action! Lot's of leeway for loading the ogive just off the lands" for maximum accuracy. Chamber dimensions: Aside from being quite possibly the ideal deer cartrifge, one of the reasons that I encouraged the 7m-08 was the fact that I have over 200 cases, dies & some bullets left over from when I had a 7mm-08. I never full length resized the cases for my M700 to reduce excessive working of the brass. I found that the die setting I used for th M700 chamber left the resized cases way too big for the Savage chamber. I had to screw the die almost all the way down to the shell holder to get a good easy bolt close W/the Savage. Savage seems to have cut the chamber right on the spec & case life should be very good. The fact that the Savage barrel lock-ring set-up allows precise headspace setting also contributed to this I'm sure. Barrel throat: I use a stiff spring in a fired case with the bullet to be utilized to gage the throat. I 1st place the ramrod with a flat end screwed into it against the bolt face W/the strker in the cocked position. I then slide 2 collars against the muzzle & tighten the set screw of the collar farthest from the muzzle. The case/spring/bullet is then chambered & the ramrod is gently pushed against the point of the bullet. The collar closest to the muzzle is then slid against the muzzle & the set screw tightened. A measurement between the collars then reveals the COAL that will have the ogive in contact W/the rifling. One then subtracts .010" to .015" from that to get the ideal COAL for maximum accuracy. This measurement reveals that a COAL of 2.850" for Hornady 139gr SST or Interbonds will be ideal. No wonder these rifles have a reputation for shooting well right out of the box! Love the acu-trigger: It was a bit heavy (4#) as it came from the box. A quick YouTube search found a video that showed me the proceedure & 5 minutes W/a jewelers screwdriver had a nice crisp trigger breaking cleanly at just under 3#. The only things I didn't like: The "tupperware" plastic stock is pretty flexible. The trigger gaurd arangement is tacky. To be fair though, word has it that most "factory synthetic" stocks full under the tupperware catagory. The young man has seen my stock handiwork & wants a laminated wood stock. For a little over $100 we can get a Boyds laminated classic stock with a triggergaurd which should further improve accuracy potential. Over all impression: Aside from the crappy glass, a great value for someone that wants an inexpensive tool that is very capable. For a few $$ more it can be transformed into a great rifle W/some decent optics for little more than the price of a bare bones plastic stocked Remington M700 or Winchester M70 alone. It will more than likely outshoot either. We're taking it to the range on Saturday. I need to get busy prepping case, working up some loads & loading up some cartridges

......and many more years in the woods collecting sheds, chasing deer & turkeys & taking those great photos! 42, huh..pretty soon it'll be time for one of those mid-life sports cars? lol Enjoy the day!!!

I use small master locks on my pelican case, you keep the keys, no one has access to it except you

A vaccine that works 20% of the time after 8 boosters in 11 months is simply something that FAILED. Having been part of a lot of scientific animal research, the data set is insignificantly small. It's even possible that the animal was somehow naturally resistant to CWD. It is a fact that the deer farming industry primarily facilitated the spread of CWD. It may not been the end of the world and neither is HIV/AIDS, but it would have been better if these diseases had stayed where they originated.

I use a keilbasi recipe, the only difference being I use 32-35mm /Italian sausage style casings. It can be either heated up or eaten cold, it's already cured, cooked, & smoked. Recipe: 4 lbs venison 1lb pork backfat 5 lbs pork butt (neck/shoulder) Grind 1 time through the fine plate on your grinder. Mix with: 1/2 cup cold water 4 oz non-iodized salt 1/2 cup soy protein powder 2 teaspoons Prague Powder #1/ sodium nitrate Pinch of sugar Good shot of garlic powder, cracked black pepper, and marjoram (I never measure, just eyeball) Mix well, Stuff as tightly as possible into casings as possible, and tie into a ring. Pop any air pockets with a pin or knife tip. Cook in smoker with light smoke at 160 degrees until desired color is acheived and internal temperature is over 150, usually 12-15 hours.

Many of the previous posters have already summarized the reasons as to why I hunt so I'll just repeat them in my own words. There are 3 main reasons why I hunt. To escape, the thrill of the chase, and to provide. Neither one of those reasons is enough by itself to get me to hunt. That is a very important point that is often missed. As a matter of fact, if it was for any one of those reason by itself, it would even be ludicrous. It is the combination of all three that ultimately leads me to pull the trigger. To Provide: Oddly, it is the least of my reasons. There is certainly a joy of accomplishment when eating a meal that I know is extremely healthy and that I obtained myself. The Thrill of the Chase: This is something that can never be explained to someone who has not felt the heart pounding adrenaline themselves. You simply have to experience it. The adrenaline rush isn't limited to the chase itself. I find my heart pounding even more after I pull the trigger. Did I hit? Was I successful? Where's the deer? It isn't until I am standing over the prize do the rush of excitement get washed over by the mixed emotions of sadness, joy, and content. You don't get that kind of rush with a camera in your hand instead of a bow or firearm and you miss half of the excitement if you don't pull the trigger. It is akin to a poker player playing cards without any money on the table. To Escape: It really is about returning to our primal natural selves. We, as a society built an armor over this primal being and often that armor gets ugly and tarnished. Growing up in the city and poor, all I've ever known was bricks and concrete. I use to remember sitting in the library and reading National Geographic magazines and imagining myself being that explorer. I guess that was my primal voice calling me. Wanting to be set free. I still love the city (ridiculous gun laws aside) but every once in a while, I need to escape it. The primal part of me is what decided the woods would be my escape. It's what makes me curious to see what lies beyond the next ridge. Looking for a nice place to call home for the next few hours. When I get to this place. A place where there are no one else around that will judge me, I begin to shed that armor. Piece by piece. Great words from a not so great man, "Without destruction, there can be no construction." It isn't until my entire armor is gone that I begin to construct a new one. I guess that is what phade and belo mean when they say we make some of our best work/personal decisions while out hunting. Often times our decisions are swayed by many lingering residue in our subconscious and my subconscious gets a spring cleaning after several hours in the woods.

Paula you are now officially hooked to rabbit hunting. I did a lot of rabbit hunting as a younger man and it's still my favorite hunt. Walking out of the woods the last Sunday of ML season I spotted a rabbit sitting tight underneath a bush and I just stopped and watched for a few minutes. Man did t it bring back a lot of memories... Congrats!!

Thanx grow. A couple others have suggested Nick as well. I just don,t like nicknames that are also common first. His uncle is named nick. Grandbabys name is Noah.

"Woolster"...........................Happy Birthday my man! I hope you have a great day and get to spend it with those you enjoy.

That is were most of my experience lies, southern tier tracking. I have said before, you almost always have to kill the deer the first time you see it. When I track around here I move at the same pace as when I still hunt. Slow and deliberate.

Don't forget to download the $50 rebate coupon. http://www.savagearms.com/promotions/ The savage rebates page also has a link for rebates on federal ammo. $25 rebate if you buy $50 worth of Federal Premium ammo within 30 days of the savage rifle purchase & before 12/31. The 140gr NBT loads qualify. http://federalpremium.com/downloads/promotions/OT822_2014_FederalSavage_Coupon.pdf

Pygmy, don't you mean Ithaca 'thump'? LOL In the early 1980's I did test firings and sight-ins for a gunsmith friend of mine in exchange for 'smith work. Having a dozen slug guns to sight-in at one sitting was not, repeat NOT, an enjoyable part of that job. The model 37 was the worst offender by a fair margin, and there were always a few in the to-do pile. I still have mine though, and wouldn't part with it for anything.

Yes indeed, Grampy !! It's been my favorite deer cartridge for a number of years.. The Federal BT round would be a good factory load to try, but don't discount the relatively inexpensive 140 grain Remington green pointed soft points. I'm a handloader myself, but several of my non-reloading buddies use the Remingtons with good results. Have fun with your new toy..I'm sure you'll enjoy it, and you'll find it MUCH more pleasant to shoot than any shotgun with slugs, especially an Ithaca pump..<<OUCH>>....

I got a pretty good haul Gift cards for DICKs , Walmart , Tractor Supply and Dunkin Donuts . Some cash and a couple of checks . A book by Jim Boheim , box of hand warmers , a hoodie zip up sweartshirt with some cool logo and a Samsung Galaxy S5 smart phone with a OtterBox case (got the phone early). I started getting gift cards instead of the useless stuff that I would end up putting away in drawers .

You would think ..... lol. It all just points up the kinds of pressures these TV hunter-heroes are put under to produce. To them apparently it is no longer hunting, but just another job that has to meet the bottom line in terms of productivity. It is a shame that they have bastardized the sport to that extent, but this is not an isolated event and it shows how people react to peer pressure and how peer recognition and acceptance can drive perfectly normal people to do exceptionally bad things to achieve that. When we start measuring hunting success in inches of antler, this is a natural outfall of that mentality. Those participants are at fault, but likely some of the fault lies with the viewers who promote this sort of exploitation in the name of cash and hero-worship.

I was told it was a done deal and should be law in 2015.

Can't ship to NY if I recall correctly. I tried ordering from Cabelas earlier this year but they can't ship to NY. Thanks for the heads up.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and you get what you wanted under the tree(or wherever you wanted to get it) Merry Christmas!!! TIm

Boyds stocks make this gun shoot much better my 223 is sub half Inch at 100 and 308 is around an Inch.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. Thought you folks may like this…...

I've seen lots of people that could't shoot offhand that consistantly with a CF rifle.

A doe hoof print is typically more slender and pointed at the tip. Doe tracks usually accompany other doe or fawn tracks. A hoof print from a buck is a touch more rounded at the tip and a more wide and longer hoof print overall. If the buck is 2.5 or older, those characteristics are more pronounced and tend to peak my interest quite a bit. They also tend to be a lone track, but not always. If you were to find that track early in the morning and start following it, you can see where the buck traveled over night. You'll notice he was checking out areas that hold does and searching for one to breed. You may see where he passed by a scrap to lick the branch and sniff around, they don't always rake the ground. And of course, they are hitting the prime food sources in their travels. For me it takes the right amount of snow to see a track clearly. An inch or three of that nice wet snow is the best for viewing tracks. Bare ground, soft or muddy soil where deer passed through is always a good place to look as well.

I always write notes and place in my back tag for next year of things that I want to do. Like new stand locations or just thoughts on hunting strategies , just notes to myself , I seem to forget as the year passes and get busy with other things ...

I've mostly hunted state lands for 30 yrs, and can sum it up easily - Go deep or go steep. Most hunters on the public lands I hunt don't seem to want a long or hard walk, so use your topo and look for the steepest hillside you can find and get there early. Most everyone else scouts, walks, mountain bikes, or sets up in areas that are easier to get to, so if you get on that hard to reach hill side, the deer will head there. Just ask the Letchworth guys with the ropes and pulleys If there's no steep hills, go far in, or at least where no one else will head to. One deer in camp this year was almost 1 3/4 miles in on a easily walked logging road. No one there and lots of deer moving around. One place I hunt crosses a flooded area that has ~ 150 yd walk through 8 inches of water. Have seen hunters walk to the edge and turn away. Lots of deer there, as they learned they don't get bothered back there Now is a great time to scout for next year. Good luck

I hunt lots of state land... Use topo and sat maps....Google maps is a good one Be willing to walk in further than most others.... Be in woods when others are walking in or out for lunch/arrival and departure.... Scout if possible....my major downfall I don't scout.... Don't get discouraged I'd not successful right away.....and as said above try and find less used areas in and out

At your age I get it... I lived it... thought it all seemed important then too... then my son got leukemia at 14... we nearly lost him to a pneumonia caused by a MRSA infection during his treatment... other parents we got to know weren't so lucky with their children... believe me... there is nothing that has to do with your work that you can't handle during work hours... for all you young guys that are burning the candle at both ends... stop and take some time to think about what is really important in this life... it isn't money, It isn't that big promotion at work, it isn't the acceptance of other people, it isn't who has the biggest or most stuff... slow down and enjoy the things and people you love... you really don't have much time to enjoy those things... I was 30 yesterday, I blinked... and now I'm 55... and now I never go anywhere or do anything without stopping somewhere along the way to smell the roses. I've learned that I have never had a bad day in my life... some are just not as good as others... when I thought I was having a bad day... I would think about those parents that lost their young child and realized my day wasn't really that bad at all.

As funny & stupid as the above comment may sound, it is true! Long barrel length & super full chokes are a trade-off. Give really dense & tighter (small) patterns at closer distances, but give suitable patterns at longer distance. As you've seen from most members, a shot size of #5 or 6 is prefered. I personally use the #5/6 combo as my gun likes it! Think I've purchased most every turkey call ever made over the years. Part of my gobbler hunting ADD..! Never could seem to master the slate/glass calls, just me! Had a ~30yo Quaker Boy box call that seemed to never fail me. Distance, tone, call varieties, etc. Could even hold it backwards and give a 1/2 a$$'ed gobble. Cheap box calls in the big box hunting stores are mass produced from cheap, less desirable woods. Thus, the tone is not great on most. FYI - Not promoting this, but on ebay you can get a great box call that's handmade out of more preferable woods and sometimes even etched with designs for ~$50. For the beginner, definitely a slate or box call to begin with, but you'll eventually want to get proficient with a mouth (diaphragm) call for close-up, hands-free calling. Set-up is paramount! Meaning, for example - if you're s/u in an open area calling & the Tom doesn't see the hen, he'll lose interest. Or, if in thicker cover, they can come in silent & be in your lap when you're not prepared to shoot! Also, there's a fine balance between over calling and not keeping the gobbler interested. All part of the frustrating learning curve of hunting gobblers. Fun, addictive and frustrating, all at the same time! TV shows depicting turkey hunting are ....misleading, at best. Most are in areas where turkey populations are very high. Like others have mentioned, a 30min show has been edited from hours/days of hunting and make it look almost too easy! Best you can hope to gain from watching them are the basics. Wish I could point you in the specific direction, but the very best one I've ever seen was video of just the turkeys milling around & their sounds (calls) with no hunting. May have been on YouTube..? Do NOT use actual turkey calls when scouting in pre-season!!! Lot of the reason why public land gobblers are so hard to hunt. When hunting, as you'll find out, shock calls like crow, woodpecker, bike horns (??), etc sometimes get a response gobble. If they are close, these calls give you a better chance to s/u. If you've located a nearby Tom with a turkey sound, he may already be on his way in and it becomes a WTF scenario. lol BTW - If you don't own one, get a ThermaCell. Nothing more distracting than trying to "talk turkey" when the small black flies are swarming around your face mask! Not to mention, getting eated alive! The first one you get after he's come in to your calling, all fanned out, strutting, feverishly gobbling, whether a 4" or 10" beard......YOU'LL BE HOOKED!!!!

If you hear really bad calling in the woods it's almost ALWAYS a real hen

Thinking about work???? Maybe you are more numb than I thought... that's insane buddy!! The stand is suppose to get you away from that stuff... us older guys need to have a long talk with you.. young man..

I'm sure there is plenty of time during your many 8-9 hour sits in the woods throughout the year... you'd have to be numb from the neck up not to give it some thought when you're in the midst of it all... and I'm thinking you still have some feeling up there.. you're still young!

Took this doe sunday AM... poked my way up a pine knob suspecting a deer to be bedded down. Sure enough I saw a head looking at me. She stood up and I pulled the trigger. Took out heart and both lungs and still ran 50 yards. I thought it was perfectly broadside but she had an exit wound under the front shoulder. I had one day to muzzleload hunt and it paid off.

Very simple...There is never anytime when I feel so FREE from life's everyday worries and woes than when I am hunting or fishing.. My mind is occupied with what I am doing, whether calling a turkey or finessing a smallmouth with a hair jig..

I don't know if I can put my finger on the real reason that I hunt... I'm sure it has something to do with the challenge... especially the 1 on 1 challenge with a mature buck on his turf... but I also enjoy the comradery of hunting with my buddies as well... I have always loved the outdoors and shooting too... I guess it's a combination of things that makes it so interesting and fun. The serenity is a huge factor as well... time to think in peace... getting away from the daily grind and enjoying all the beauty that nature has for us... pretty cool really when you think about it.

There is so much to it all that Its hard to figure it all out. But it all has to do with what makes a hunter vs. what makes a non-hunter. How much of it is the in-born predator lurking inside of us, put there my centuries of evolution where we are simply being what we really were meant to be ..... meat eating predators? How much of it is simply a test of our independence and self-reliance? How much of it is all tangled up with our history, culture and heritage? I think it all plays a part for me. I come from a rural upbringing at a time when hunting was simply an expected part of life. The appreciation of nature was simply built into every day, and hunting, trapping and fishing was all part of that. Those lifestyle impacts never really do leave you. As Wheelieman said, it becomes a part of you and has come to define what I really am.

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!

Shot this buck this morning with my Dad's .300 Win Mag. First deer I've killed with it since he passed away. Figured I'd blow the dust out of it for him...