Leaderboard

My 14 year old son biggest buck kill to date Killed Halloween morning. One of his big brown trout 12 lbs. enjoy the time we spend together building memories. Things he and I will never forget.

I've been a bit under the weather during the holidays. So today was the first day out to try and call in my first coyote. We have shot quite a few over the years by chance encounters, while deer hunting. But my buddy and I decided to try calling them at the end of deer season. Since then I pick up an E- caller a couple of mouth calls, a decoy and started practicing, while driving the Mrs. nuts! I got to the farm property about 8 o'clock, helped my buddy with some chores and we headed to some large fields, above a thick, swampy area, where a number of large round hay bales are scattered. We set up in a hedgerow with a bale in front of us about 10 yards. Put the Johnny Stewart E-caller on top and the Lil Critter decoy in front. He covered left of the bale and I the right. I called with the e-caller, distressed rabbit first for about 5 minutes. But with a 15mph crosswind, I didn't think they could hear it in the tick stuff 100 yards away. So I gave a few calls on my flex tone mouth call. I look to my right and two coyotes ran out of the woodlot to our right on the next field over. Told my buddy, got two over here and he said got three over here! His was to our front at 100 yards, mine to the right front at 85 yards in the hedgerow. OK on three we shoot! He missed his, I rolled mine! We are hooked now! Can't wait for next weekend to get out again!

We just got back from there again. For Christmas, my Dad bought my son a hunt for a fallow doe. As always, it was a great time. They've got an awesome place, & they're great people. Is it high fence? Yeah. Do I apologize for that, or care how you feel about it? Nope. Doe was an affordable way for him to get something "exotic". He's having the hide tanned, to hang on his bedroom wall.

This year wasn't really a good hunting year for me. Between going through army basic training, a warmer than average deer season, and the lack of any waterfowl coming by my hunting rig all I have is 3 pheasant under my belt. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

So you know the neighbor did it? Even if I was moving, I'd still be onto the authorities. Cutting straps like that is not only vandalism, but its a blatant attempt to hurt someone badly. Not doing anything about it, knowing that the property is sold, it'll just happen to the next people and I wouldn't want something like that on my conscious. But that is just me.

This past fall while grinding my venison my grinder (not that old.....) was slowing up quite a bit. Maybe the meat wasn't cold enough, maybe it had a touch too much sinew or maybe the blade wasn't sharp enough?? I started looking into new grinders at Cabela's. I had some CC points and a couple gift cards to burn so after some soul searching this beast came home yesterday........................ 3/4hp Cabela's Carnivore. The thing is heavy, something like 50lbs! One of my buddies who lives near by has a smaller grinder like my old one, he'll be excited to see this.. Hopefully it does as good as I hope..........

I like that thread is about happiest pics and all are showing our kids. Making them happy makes some of "our " best memories !

I'm putting my money on 2.5-8.5

I'm currently making images of all U.S. Presidents out of toe nail clippings ( I'm up to Monroe ) . Along with that as its mostly waiting for my nails to grow...... I scour garage sales looking for sewing bobbins , and in the winter I like to go to,the mall and eat pretzels in front of Victoria Secrets .

Ok, I read your responses and I wish to add my feelings to them. Wolf123 , That was so funny what happened to you with this doe that you shot behind the shoulder. I did chuckle on this hunting story. Thanks . Pulled (BOTH) shots. No shots were pulled from my memory. I aimed good each time and slowly pulled the trigger till the muzzle loader discharged on both of these shots.Remember the second shot was off of a tree rest. I wanted deer meat for the freezer. FastEddie, I totally agree with you on the 4 foot hit thing, yes I did over distance it. what was behind this statement was that I wanted to give the reader to think (why) was the aim point and actual hit so far apart ??? The statement of the military training I wrote was to say to the reader that I did have the abilities to shoot and handle a weapon correctly .. And yes ,the iron deposits in this area had to be excessive because other hunters in this area that I talked too, have had the same compass problems. These were cold shoulder remarks you made. you were not there , I was and that,s what happened. Every time I tell this story, I always get some comments back of like I saw a UFO or something. I did write at the beginning of this hunting story that what you were going to read was a bazaar event that took place to a fellow hunter. Look guys , have you not had bazaar incidents happen to you in your life that maybe you are too afraid to tell anybody about it, That they might look at you and say,.. You been eating mushrooms again. Ha Ha . I understand, but this incident took place and telling this story, I am sticking my neck out on the chopping block. And you can tell I do bleed afterwards for doing it. Still I give my deepest respects to all you guys that responded with your views no matter what, A fellow hunter, Froggy

Here we go again with the small caliber bow cartridges . Next is the head shots and exact placement ending in I have killed several deer with a 223 or my buddy did . Why not use a caliber that is going to knock the snot out of a deer !

Me neither, Paula...I thought this was a thread for Jerry Garcia fans...

Got my first today also. Called in with bluetooth speaker and app on IPhone. Was only calling for 30 minutes after sitting quiet for an hour or so. Shot at 68-70 yards with 223 Savage Axis in Putnam County 3N. Large mature male. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Count me in . Called in my first today! Won't be the last.

You need a different waste product for the current president Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I started to bow hunt because I wanted more time in the woods. I was one of only two people who had permission to hunt a beautiful old farm on the Ontario / Yates County line that was owned by a family of gun hunters. The owner gave me permission to bow hunt because I was the guy that would mow the fields so we could see. I was the person who checked every single tree stand (25 of them) for safety and would repair. The owner basically said, "you can do what you want, have a ball". Then, a few of the younger guys picked up bows (in the family, but extended, cousins, nephews, etc.) and we had some decent success. One year, in a span of 5 hours 3 mature bucks and 2 doe were taken by 5 bow hunters. Opening day of gun was miserable, snowing, blowing, and not much moving around and the conversation that night was that, "the bow hunters killed them all." I looked around the table and asked everyone how many deer they saw that day, some saw none, some saw a lot. I saw 17 but knew better... So, the owner told everyone there, bow hunters get one deer, choose wisely. Next year when I went down to work the guy said to me, "you do what you want, none of these guys ever show up unless it's to hunt." Bow season went slow that year, warm and not much going on until the week before the opener when it got cold and snowy. Since I was in a 5 acre patch of oaks deer were everywhere as day light approached. A nice buck was literally munching on acorns right behind me but I could not move because of deer in front of me. When he finally moved, just off to the left of me at about 5 yards I drew and shot, literally within seconds of legal shooting (yeah, it may have been a minute before or after). I knew it was a great hit so I walked away from where the deer went and towards the cabin. When I got there the owner asked if I was OK, what you forget? Do you need the bathroom, lol? I said, nope, just waiting to go get the buck I got. He laughed and said, lets have breakfast and I'll help you. Then he said, "this one is just between us, I appreciate all you do here." He died this year and was like the big brother I never had. We lost that farm in 2010. I miss him and the crew we hunted with big time. These guys were my friends and did not get it and that was the morale of my story

My son killed this fallow doe yesterday with a .223. Hornady 55gr V-max. 100yds. Demolished both lungs. Was it an ideal gun? no. But he was comfortable & accurate with it.

Cool thread. I have a few pics I,ll share. First is Fish Creek in the Adirondacks. Woke up to this sunrise on our first morning. Second is one of many Smallies I caught this summer in the Susquehanna River. Third and fourth are my kids with a few largemouth. We fish this pond alot and keeps them entertained, hence the smiles.

Just start a leg and that beast should grind a deer head, hide, horns and all ! Nice new toy, Larry !

So reading this thread got me in the mood to try to make a stuffed venison backstrap. I took a 10" smaller backstrap and butterflied it. I spread chopped garlic, diced onion, and crushed townhouse crackers seasoned with garlic pepper in side. I then sprinkled some parmesan cheese inside too and drizzled with some olive oil. I folded it over and used toothpicks to hold it together. I then used a dry rub on the outside and wrapped it in foil and refrigerated overnight. My plan is to pan sear it to get a good crust on the outside in a cast iron skillet and finish in the oven for a few minutes. Can't wait to try this in a few hours. I didn't want to go to the store so I used what I could find in cupboards. I will post before and after pics. I also took the other half of the backstrap and sliced it into medallions and marinated in Italian dressing for the kids. I will grill those later as well.

I'm big on the challenge idea. That really is what all hunting is all about in one form or another for me. But for me it is about challenging myself with absolutely lethal equipment whether that be gun or archery. I don't go deer hunting with flu-flu arrows and field tips, just to see if it can be done.

A friend of mine was sighting his new ML in for the first time & after 4-5 shots he told me his Ram rod was dead on at 50 yds! oops! lol

Daughter was with me when I tipped over a nice bird on Mothers Day. This year she can youth hunt. Nice bucket mouth from farm pond. Nice smalle from Grasse River in Massena. Opening day of gun season. We passed on a decent 7 point. Teaching her you don't need to shoot everything you see. He was shootable but at 8:10 opening morning we passed him up Nothing better than my little ballerina ( 12 classes a week ) doing the outdoorsy things she loves too. I'm still light headed from the blood rushing to my head deer hunting ????

Fishing, classic cars, ATV's, guns/shooting and a few other forms of hiding from my wife.

I didn't know that. He wanted to use my crossbow, & he's pretty good with it. But, there's no sneaking up on these fallows. They were in a herd of about 18 or 20 doe / fawns. So, my friend (the owner) said to use his 223. My kid shoots that rifle often, when we go to visit them. He was familiar with it, so he went for it. I don't own a 223, or claim to know much of anything about bullets, so I had no idea this was a poor choice. Luckily, it worked out because he shot well. Had I known about the poor bullet choice, I'd have asked for a different load. I wasn't posting this to offer any input on the argument, because I don't have any valid input. I just coincidentally got into this situation yesterday, & thought I'd add it to the thread. My mistake on bullet choice.

If you hit the shoulder with those V-Max bullets, they will not penetrate into the vitals at all. They just blow up on the shoulder and cripple the deer. I prefer a good deer bullet that will penetrate.

That's great Skillet and congrats to you and your son!!

Wow ! That thing looks like it should be under the hood of a muscle car !

Dang , that thing looks like the town Christmas tree shredder With visions of Fargo

Many more pics I could add also....love seeing them all 2nd pic my dad took 3 generations of stones at the frankfort trapping convention Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

On a side note : has anyone ever smacked them themselves maneuvering the cables out of the housing You know how you stick them in the housing as far as you can for transport. Couple years ago it was ball shrinking cold out , it's dark , face frozen and "thwack ", right in the mouth I caught it as I pulled them out. Joyous moment and deer heard a few f bombs lol

Years ago, when I only gun hunted, I realized that my friends, who bow hunted, got to start deer hunting earlier and were having a lot of success. Instead of crying about not being able to gun hunt at the same time they got to bow hunt, I started bow hunting. Screwy idea…I know..

I'm not a member of the NYBA but am against the youth season in its current stature and crossbows for general use. I have two kids w lifetime licenses as well. Gun hunters rule the NY deer show. Many others, like this genius, think bow hunters simply have it best because we get first crack. They're right! The issue is their lack of effort, skill, precision and overall being is why every deer runs for the hills. Gut dragging fawns after 5 shot volleys are not sportsmanship- they're actions of immoral slobs. I'm not arrogant by design but cringe anytime I go out during gun. Even on the family farm we deal w trespassers, spot lighters, wounded run always or people eyeing up our place to sneak on. NY is worse than any state I've hunted for this gun phenomenon. As someone who enjoys the woods, nature and the true sport of hunting I feel gun hunters are the fat kid that's always around when you play football simply because his parents own a huge yard. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

These are still available.......

PM sent.

Lets not argue about Bows, guns, ML or crossbows and just be thankful that we can hunt and NYS hasn't taken our our guns away.

Yes the NYB bashing does make a good rallying cry for a few gun hunters who simply are envious of the fact that through effective organization and lobbying, the bowhunters today enjoy prime season times, durations, and bag limits. Yes, that is what it is all about. Just straight-up "envy". And now that bowhunters are beginning to enjoy success, all of their advances have brought some attention to themselves. And the envy grows until now you have open warfare from a handful of these guys who jealously look at what bowhunters have accomplished over the years. Yes, I have heard and read all the bitter comments about how the bowhunters are killing off all the good bucks before gun season even opens, and how the bowhunters are getting all the advantages of the rut, and all the other endless nonsense that really is just lashing out at all the benefits that bowhunters have worked long and hard to accomplish.

Done! I printed a region 9 and a region 8. I'll make copies of both and have friends (that aren't the most proactive) in the appropriate regions sign and send in. Mine will be in the mail tomorrow..................

Go back and read all your posts, that's a pretty bold statement to say to someone you know nothing about. As stated before, to you and anyone else, please don't shoot smokeless out of any muzzloader that isn't intended for it. As for your other comment about taking your 54 against any inline, another very bold statement. My white will clover leaf anything that goes down the barrel. So if I use a 336 ignition in my thunderbolt is it a muzzloader??!! Also please call Jeff and tell him it's not a muzzloader, please let me know what he says. Sorry to the original post for getting off topic. Steve

More tailgate fun............Dogs & Doves!

No cranker here, but you can imagine how sweet a gals first deer/buck was at the end of the day. I've never had such a happy hunt in my entire life! It wasn't the most perfect shot. She caught him a lil far back so we trailed him over 300yds. My head was glued to the blood trail which was running out by the step. Sis looked over and spotted him trying to get to his feet. A littlttle confusion amongst us at that point, but she finally settled the crosshairs to DUMP him for good! This was my most memorable hunt EVER! F= big bucks!

Been a long season for me from losing 2 with bow to no shots in rifle season...1 miss Saturday and a dead doe today 140 yards broadside after we jumped her and she stopped to look back Buddy's also got one today button buck with a previous injury that I wish I had taken a pic of while we were going to look for his ramrod...lol long story let's just say it's his 2nd one in 2 years Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Thursday Dec 17th. 1:30 pm. Approaching 100 hours of gun season. Stand is about 100 yards from large grouping of white pines. Can barely see thru them while in there. Other side is trout stream where deer seem to bed around. 11-12 maybe more came ripping out of there straight to me. I mean hauling. Fawn , fawn , there's a big body and concentrate on it. May have been buck or bucks in the group but it happened so fast. Tails weren't even up I verbally bleated and she stopped almost right under my stand Amazed it worked ! Aimed like a shotgun to get on her and only had to move scope a minor bit to get on vitals. Deer were running everywhere and kept my eye on her. She didn't go far at all. Took off top of heart and I believe both lungs. #3 for the freezer. 2 hours to get her out to my car again. I need a pack mule ! Hopefully tip over another Monday or Tuesday.

Depends if I can lead them, stopping a deer puts it in alert... at 18 to 22 yards they will duck your arrow ... can drop a body size in 1 /10 of a second

hunters get flat out lucky, but scouting kills more deer than hoping and wishing. even if the season is here, productive observation stands/sits are invaluable. I missed the first week of bow season due to anniversary vacation and was itching to just hit my favorite spots. instead of going into traditionally great spots without a plan I sat in low probability stands to watch and learn what bucks where there and doing versus before I left. if I went in there how I typically would I would've gotten busted or just not seen and educated them. instead I saw a good buck. changed up setup and location from a historically perfect spot. I harvested the buck I was after. now I've got a euro mount to do and 80 lbs of venison packaged in the freezer. it takes too much luck to kill a deer even with a plan, so I can't justify anymore going in expecting luck and past experience to do it all.

Yeah, I'm from Warwick and I see a lot of deer. Lots and lots of deer. But yes, it's pretty much all private land.

After talking with my buddy (the owner), he encouraged me to use the compound. I was shooting well before the hunt, & felt confident. Took awhile, but got a 17 yard shot. Double lung, pass thru. Dead very quickly! Had a great time. We were shocked that it passed through. I was very hesitant, but it this was a real testament to shot placement.

Part of Warwick is Pine Island, the black dirt region. Great soil for the crops and a few dairy farms for the deer to jump into the pasture and feed there too. Have seen deer on a couple horse farms too grazing with the horses.

Hype,most muzzleloader will do 200-250 if the shooter spends the time working on the load and seeing where it shoots,I can shoot 300 with my Savage 10ML2 on the range but wouldn't take a shot at a game animal that far.To much to go wrong and murphy routinely kicks me in the balls!!!HA