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10/12 #1 Luna and I went on a track late this afternoon on a buck that had been shot yesterday evening. She made quick work of getting us to the hunters point of loss. She worked the area for a few minutes, then picked a line and we took off. A couple hundreds yards away from last blood I saw a deer run off, but could only see the tail. Luna took us there and I couldn’t find any sign of an injured deer, so we went back for a restart. This time she took a different trail and we went into a swamp where we found him 200 yards away. Unfortunately, coyotes had found him first. #2 Luna and I continued on to a second track. A 14 year old hunter and his Dad had been out last night and the youngster shot a 6 pointer with his bow. They backed out when they didn’t find blood and called. They went out again this morning with a friend and found one drop of blood which they marked and then backed out without grid searching. Nice job! Due to family commitments, Luna and I didn’t get there until 24 hours after the shot. After a couple false starts, Luna took us into a large fallow field and started working it hard. Based on the inconsistent line, I told the hunter and his Dad that I believed coyotes had been chasing it. After about 30 minutes, we left the field and entered a nasty mess of thornapple trees. Luna worked through that into a smaller field which she got through quickly and took us to a thicket. At this point she sat down, telling me should would not be going in there. This confirmed the coyote theory and I had the hunter hold her leash while I went in. Sure enough, he was laying 30 yards inside the thicket and had been worked over by coyotes. We ended up going 1.75 miles on this track (a lot of it in the big field) and only saw 1 drop of blood after the hunters point of loss.

First bow of the season was a pretty one, so clean. Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Hi Again, Just an update, we moved to Maine to be near our daughter and family, I have made a couple of trips up to the North Maine Woods car camping in some remote ponds. Im planning on going one more time with my wall tent in a week or so. No hunting, just hanging out around the tent and paddling a new to me canoe I just finished, a 16' Chestnut Cruiser. Lows Lake is a 7 hour driver now for me, and I would do it opening week of rifle if I could get my gear up around that upper dam at Lows, legs just wont have it. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable season, I'll be checking in. Cheers, Robin

Just want to relay an experience I had this weekend regarding hunting regulations and other hunters. I've had several hunter's tell me last weekend(10/12/2020) that muzzleloader was open, it is not. I also had two other hunters last weekend confront me as to why my son was carrying around a rifle and hunting deer. I calmly explained the youth weekend and the rules around it. After that everything was cool and we continued our hunt. I know at the end of the day we're all trying to participate in a sport we love and maybe harvest some game. My thought is to just make sure you're up on your local hunting regulations. Not just so you are within the rules, but also so you can assert your right to be where you are, hunting the way you're hunting. I know when I have been operating outside of the regulations I have appreciated a person respectfully correcting my ignorance and I try to pay it forward by being informed and respectfully educating when required. Thanks for listening, off my SB...

I’m up for the morning

8 pointer here in Vermont. First deer taken at my house instead of on our family farm. It's a 12 acre piece and I put in some food and did some work in the woods. 35 yards. I made a terrible shot and got lucky. Cut the artery under the spine and got the top of one lung. He ran 300 yards and I found ZERO blood. It rained overnight and I was pretty upset. Got up this morning and went walking in my rain gear. After almost 2 hours of crisscrossing a field of tall grass and goldenrod I came across him. I'm very thankful it worked out for me, instead of coyotes. 159 pounds. My father-in-law will hunt here now that I'm done and I will go hunt does around the family farm. Oh, I forgot to mention that I shot him from the ground with a leafy jacket on. #Fromtheground

Late post, I e been swamped but I’m finally on the board this season! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

the buck i regret the most not shooting was the only one i have ever rattled in. I had two does in the freezer that year and was hunting for two 9 points - one at each spot I hunt. So one day I decided to try some rattle and grunt. Immediately after i see a sapling shakin like hell in the brush. I know its a pissed off buck. He come out in a trail at about 90 yards and cuts across it. I grunt again and he comes back out and comes right to me on a string. I passed him up and shouldnt have just cause it was a great story and it was a real nice buck i was just playing cat and mouse with some others that season it seemed. I was within 50 yards of a big 9 twice that season and i was just hooked. And i am not a big buck hunter but i did pass this fella. pic of him here and a pic of the stand i was in.. But what a great hunt that day.

Nothing like coming home from the woods to a spread like it’s thanksgiving Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I left a heck of a paper trail in Lima the other morning......it was rough.

The bow buck... I used the Buck and Doe Shop for the first time... I am happy with the job they did. Once it gets colder out I will resume butchering my own, I sent the head off for a Euro... Not the biggest head but the most memorable bow buck

Mmm...id like to yote hunt there!

How do you know someones hunts out of a saddle? Wait five minutes and he will tell you....

25 yard double lung. Went about 40 yards. My best archery buck Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

50yd shot on buck. Down in 20yds. Took top of heart out and lungs but butchering showed hemorrhaging up neck. Not the bullet I would have chose, but maybe I should rethink it. 110g Vmax. No exit but under hide on opposite side. Great expansion.

Just got trail cams reset and installed--a few doe on the SD card from the past few months-no bucks as of yet but hope to see some from now till opening day.

Couple of recent hunts. Dogs are doing great and having a ball. I made a decision to scrap bow hunting most of the year to get the girls out as often as possible.

Well, it got interesting the last 45 minutes tonite. First two doe walked into the bean field behind me (off of my land), followed by two spikes who spent their time chasing the doe and sparring with each other. Fun to watch but in the meantime I heard what sounded like a horse galloping on the paths on my land. As it came around the corner from my left, it turned out to be a nice eight point. Never had a chance, it flew by me, turned out into the field and ran a big circle around the doe and spikes and returned on the same route, sprinting back past me and out of sight. By the time he passed me the second time he was panting heavily. A little odd, but that’s deer hunting. Also had two large doe come in to about three yards but I don’t like that straight down shot. Had an opportunity on one of them but by then it was well after shooting time and I didn’t want to miss the start of the Bills game while recovering the doe. May regret that later but that’s what happened tonite.

We should all be shooting what our rifles like best, Partner... As far as preferences in projectiles YMMV....Good hunting, My friend...

Late lunch at Genny Brew House . They used to have a ton of 1/4 inch slab bacon on this cheese burger, enough that I had to pull some off and eat it separately . they said the cost went up to much, very disappointed, I’d pay the extra cost in a heart beat !

was just thinking your house is 100% getting TP'd this halloween by the local kids - you monster. lol Maybe hand out "Buckle" jerky to the neighbor trick or treaters?? Kidding - this is awesome - wish i had lived this story! Was telling @FISHDO about it after hunting the other day.

I’ve had tremendous results with the 80 grain Barnes TTSX

Used a 243 80 grain Barnes TTSX to kill my biggest buck to date. 80 yards through both lungs and piled up after ~50 yards. Fantastic whitetail round

Stick with the deer ,you'll see plenty of small game while waiting for deer to come through.

I can not help you to find a good hunting area for Rabbits but I can say hunting them with archery equipment is a panic. I used to do it a lot years ago using my Beagles to bring them around for a shot. You do not have time to be messing around with sights and releases because you are snap shooting most of the time and you have to be quick. Instinctive shooting using a glove with a low poundage recurve, low cost arrows {You will be losing some} and a bludgeon type head will do the job. I still have a few of the heads I used pictured below, a solid torso hit with one of those heads easily will kill a Rabbit. I did not kill a whole lot but I sure had fun trying. Al

Looks something like this:

Did they rule out piranhas? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Met up with Cabin Fever in Utica today, to take some traps off his hands. What a great guy! I look forward to another meet up, real soon, when we both have more time! My hunting partner Gary and I, are going to learn how to trap predators. With these traps, we are well on our way to getting all the stuff we need to get started. Thanks again Bob !

And another from the bathroom....this time I decided to spice it up. This one is for you, Sodfather.

Veal shank with gravy. Wow so good and im just talking about the coke.

So those doe worked away from me and up to the grass the wrong way. They were waiting by my car when I got out. I hunt a deer management program that allows access to public parks hence the garbage pail and work trucks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. Pygmy is usually just the pervy old man with one liners cracking jokes. But when he does say something serious it's always worth taking to the bank.

Perfectly stated Dan. I love it when you get all informative on us....

Venison meatloaf. Now there's a dinner carol brady would have ready for Mike. If she didn't want to catch hands Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

There is only one rut..It begins in September and continues until all or nearly all does stop coming into estrus, usually in January or thereabouts... There is usually a period of time from late October to mid November when the majority of does are in estrus, generally referred to as the "peak" of the rut, but often it is influenced by weather....Some years there is a noticable spike in breeding activity a month after the "peak", if a significant number of does have not been bred for whatever reason, and come into estrus again.. I think this is what is sometimes called the "2nd rut", but it is a misnomer....

Barnes X.. Talk to Lawdwaz and he will tell you about the effectiveness of that bullet on deer in the .243....

I tried one of a friend's, it's nice no doubt and easier to get set up than I originally thought. The price to get into a good one seems high but maybe I'm wrong, in the future I could see myself doing it. Honestly the worst part is how he constantly talks about how awesome it is and how I'm dumb for not making the switch.

10/11 Kunox took two tracks this morning. #1 This was a buck shot with a bow at 7:30 this morning. The hunter watched it run off after the shot, but backed out after not finding any blood and called me. At the hit site, Kunox showed me a little spray of blood, but then nothing for the three hundreds yards to where the buck had died in the woods. The shot had been slightly high and hit one lung and center punched the liver. #2 This track was for a youth hunter that had shot what he believes was a 4 pointer, maybe a 6. The buck had run into the woods and was quickly out of sight. The young man’s father had made one loop about 75 yards into the woods, but backed out when he didn’t see any blood. Although we didn’t have a recovery, Kunox absolutely nailed the track. There was one point where we had gone 500 yards without blood and I have to admit to starting to wonder if he was still on it, when we found a drop. We ended up going 1400 yards with the deer looping back toward where it was shot. Despite not being pushed, this buck never bedded. I believe he’s still alive.

10/10 Went 1 for three today. I won’t bore you with the two non recoveries. I received a call from a youth hunter’s uncle this evening, telling me his nephew had shot an 8 pointer. Immediately after the shot, they were hit with a torrential downpour. The buck had run into the woods on the far side of the field and they didn’t know exactly where he entered. They did the right thing by backing out and calling me after not finding blood. I walked Luna along the edge of the field to see if she’d pick a trail and enter the woods. She chose one and in we went, but it was obvious she wasn’t locked on to anything, so we went back to the field. The second trail she picked was the correct one as we found blood pretty quickly. We ended up finding the buck, still alive, 235 yards from where he was shot. I quickly dispatched him and the celebration began. This 14 year old hunter was a whopping 3 and a half hours into his hunting career when he shot this bruiser. I’ll be curious to hear the weight.....easily 200 plus. Congratulations John!

Took my buck 2 years ago with Fusion 243. Worked great. Shot to loads today I’ll be trying this year. BARNES TTSX and Deer Season Copper Impact. Both shot same POI at 100

Having gun hunted since the mid 70s, I’d say Steve’s post is spot on ,it’s almost depressing how few shots there are today . There was a time you couldn’t count all the shots , multiple guys emptying their pumps and semis at a running herd ,as it ran from farm to farm . Heck today by Sunday morning I wonder if anyone is out hunting . One would see pick ups packed full of guys getting dropped off for drives , it was actually quite fun really .

After trying rattling so many times, over decades, this is exactly how I feel about doing it! I just feel with all that noise, I am just blowing out the deer I hope to see??? So I mostly just sit quietly. But perhaps maybe once or twice a year, I will give it a go, during the first week of November. But I never had it work for me, even one time. That said, I know many others who have done it successfully! Just never has worked for me.

That dried up plant above the does head sure looks like antlers,haha.

Here’s a few points for Team 4

Progress. Even saw a few deer while installing the cabinet knobs on the plexiglass windows! First pic, you can see a deer a little right of the cabinet knob...last pic is zoomed in. Protective film still on plexiglass until complete. Building the door on some horses tomorrow, and then the ladder is very last.