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BBD! 9 pointer. Shot him from the ground on the way to the stand. I'll put a detailed story in the harvest thread. 17.5 inch inside spread. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Live from my underground ground blind...first time hunting from in it this year. Yesterday PM hunt I broke my ~2-week dry spell of not seeing a deer...and only a couple on my cameras over the same time period. I was hunting behind a berm when I saw a deer heading my way at about 50yds...it was a basket rack...I stopped him around 30 yds as he started heading away from me...I tried making some mouth calls to get him in closer but he lost interest and walked away. 30 yds is a bit outside my “comfort zone” with my selfbow and stone point (confident at 20’ish). Glad I saw the deer and hoping another deer walks my way this afternoon! Good luck!

I left Sunday 1030am. Oh well Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Better hunters too ... there i said it.

This is my 1st buck 8pt, shot him with a Bear recurve bow November 17 1978. I was 18 yrs old and it was the last Friday of bow season. I went out early before school started and shot him 7:30 am and was late for school.

I'll be sitting in my enclosed, heated tower stand watching over my 3 acre wheat field, which the deer have been eating right down to the ground.. I may take my sleeping bag ( and ANGEL of course) and just sleep up there for the first week if I can fit in enough beer and sandwiches to tide me over...I have invited Squirrelwhisperer up to hunt with me a few days, but I don't know if he has the cojones to come up and spend a few days here in the wilderness, where men are men and sheep are very cautious...

Finally getting back on the forum! It’s been a crazy year with work since COVID started and I’m sorry to all those that reached out about leasing... I’m just seeing those messages and didn’t intentionally ignore you so please don’t take it personally! I haven’t been out as much as normal and had planned to take two weeks off in November after a big work project but I was fortunate to harvest a beautiful public land buck (my #2 target) the day before my final presentation. It’s been pretty hard sitting out the rut lol but I’ve at least got all my stuff in order to hit the ground running Saturday. Rut still going strong in 8H/F, watched my #1 target tend a doe yesterday afternoon when I was pulling cards and seeing good cruising activity on the cams. Congrats to all those that have scored and good luck to you all trying to punch a tag before gun! Looking forward to contributing more on here going forward Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Huge mistake turned in to my best buck yet! I make the half hour drive down to my in-laws house only to realize I left my freaking quiver and bolts at home! I'm so upset with myself because I planned on sitting in a stand from sunrise to sunset and now I'm gonna be at least an hour late. I almost stayed home because I was so mad but I forced myself to get back out there. I pull in their driveway for the second time and it's well past shooting light. It's about a half hour walk to the stand but about 2/3 of the way there i see him on the edge of a field that's mostly overgrown grasses. I stop and stare at him for about 15 minutes, he's about 100 yards away at this point. Then I see the doe he was trailing start walking towards my stand. I sneak behind some tall brush and I see his rack bobbing up and down. Every time he looks away I try to take another slow step towards him. I get to about 40 yards from him perfectly downwind but he won't step out of the tall grass. All I see is rack. Then the doe hops along to my left and he immediately follows. I was hoping from the direction they were traveling that I could possibly get ahead of them and sneak into my stand without them smelling me. So I start walking cautiously towards my stand and what I thought was the same doe walks right in front of me at 25 yards. I figure the buck will be right behind her but she walks away and I don't see him. Turns out it was a different doe because just a minute or 2 later I see the original doe and the buck coming through the woods real slow. I start praying that they will go the exact way the other doe went because that puts them 25 yards right in front of me. Well slowly but surely that's exactly what happened. She steps out in front of me and as soon as she turns her head away from me I lift the crossbow to my shoulder. Just a few seconds later he does exactly what I needed him to do. There was some tall grass in the way but I heard the bolt hit him. I find the bolt, covered in fat but the fletching had good light red blood on them. Didn't find a ton of blood but enough to find him 60 yards from the shot. Freaking stoked! Definitely my biggest buck yet. And to get it like I did from the ground and forgetting my bolts and just having it all come together like that was amazing! I'm not religious or spiritual or nothing but I just lost my father on Oct 18, 1 month ago today, and I truly believe he had something to do with this. Definitely feeling blessed today! And a big thanks to my father in law for helping me drag him out! Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Larry more money, signing bonus, moving costs etc. if they want her they will find a way to compensate.

Live from the butcher shop... A consistent temp of 40-42 means I’ll hang my buck for at least a week. The doe was killed 4 days ago and she’s getting all my attention today.

So where ya going for opening day of southern gun season? Got a stand picked out? Sit in a traditional spot? Do you go to that spot cause of scouting or another reason? Going to hunting camp? I will more than likely be in the stand we named the " Opener". It's was kind of a a happy accident to have this stand. A few years ago when we first started hunting this spot , I already had gotten a deer during bow season. So this being our first year hunting here i tried to setup my two buddies with the best spots as they had never tagged a deer before. We only had two stands and two groundblinds on the property setup and didn't have a lot of luck during bow at all. And I had tagged in other hunting spots but all three of us were going to gun hunt here opening day. So after getting them setup on what looked like the best trails I thru up a 9 ft stand in a spot kinda out of the way the day before season and just was going to hunt there. Opening day about 7:30 I hear my buddy shooting twice. He texts me he just shot at a huge buck and was gonna check for blood and there was snow on the ground. A couple of minutes later two more shots. So now I wait a few minutes and he said he jumped the deer and shot again. So i go over there and he said he went to look to see if he hit the buck and it jumped up and he shot at it and missed. So he is frustrated, we look, but no blood or sign. There was a blind there we were going to take down after hunting that day and he decides he just gonna go to truck and takes the blind. So we are walking out towards the vehicles, and by my stand and 40 yards from my stand is a huge buck. I pull up and it jumps in the brush. I say ..." Did you see that huge buck.!?". My buddy says ..." I've been shooting at that friggin buck all morn". Lol So I decided to sit back in the stand and he walks by me with the blind. He comes back thru with more ammo after a couple of minutes and calmer and says he is gonna go sit back in his stand. Wasn't 15 minutes later I look to my right and there is a buck. I drop the buck and my buddy comes over to help me get it out. Just a 4 poiner but I was happy with it and it was a great opener we will sure remember. We still laugh about that day. And I named the buck "the par 5 buck". Cause he shot at it 4 times and still didn't get it. He was using a shotgun and the empties are still there by that stand and last time I hunted there told him it looked like someone was duck hunting there with all the empty 12 shells. Lol Glad he has a sense of humor. Anyway the stand that I put up the night before the gun opener the first year at this spot, is still there and we both have taken deer from it now. So the "opener" stand that was an afterthought is now our best gun stand. I will be there opening day since my buddy now tagged one in xbow or would be sure he is there. It hasn't been used all bow season cause it's too thick for bow shots close but can reach out to 170 yards across a swamp with a gun. I am hoping it's good again this year. Am guessing a lot of guys here are in traditional or sentimental spots for opening day as well. Good luck all.

11/18: 3S quick hunt in the wind and cold before work till 830am. No deer seen. But the 10pt was here Sunday after I left 1030am. Oh well. Also another buck came through. Still no does. But here’s the interesting part. Above I said “the 10pt.” But now i realized it’s not the same 10pt! The head on pic I thought wow, he looks tighter than I remember. Sure enough the older pics show a much wider 10pt. While they are very similar, they have to be different bucks. After I take my talents to 9J for rifle opener, I’ll keep trying with bow in this spot in November and December (season closes 12/31- bow only) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Find the area where the hunters are entering and load it up with mock scrapes and rubs if possible ,they'll just stop there and hunt the fresh sign.

I had my stand picked out, but my oldest told me yesterday he was going to join me so I’m giving him that stand. He’s been working 50-60 hours/ week all through this Covid crap, since March, and hasn’t had much time for relaxing or fun this year. I’m hoping he gets a shot at one of the big boys in the lease. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Standard osso bucco recipe, but with veal shank instead. - 2 shanks, cut crosswise to make 4 (roughly) equal pieces. - Salt/pepper, sear in heavy pot (we used instant pot on "sautee" setting, but a dutch oven would also be good) - Remove shanks, add diced carrots, onion celery (1 med onion, and equal parts of carrots and celery to match), cook until colors brighten, about 3 mins; add a tomato or tomato paste if you want - Add 1 cup red wine, 1 cup beef stock (or 1 cup water, and bouillon or base), herbs if you want - like a bay leaf, thyme, rosemary - Pressure cook for 45 min, or cover in dutch oven until soft - maybe 2 hrs - Remove shanks, set aside, boil remaining liquid until reduced by half - add shanks back to pan, stir in 3 tbsp gremolata (grated lemon zest, minced *fresh* parsley, minced fresh garlic) serve over mashed potatoes or other starch. All the connective tissue softened up, delicious flavor. Was even able to dig a little marrow out of the exposed bone. YUM!

My buddies deer ended scoring 137 0/8 Pope and young all day Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Kitchen day... finishing up deer stock from Saturday's deer, making bread and muffins for opening day and making donuts like Mom used to do for the hunters with Ye Ole Donut Maker...

So here’s the 10pt comparison. Gotta be 2 different bucks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

That's a blind? I've seen people's camps that are smaller. Looks nice

I will be in my heated blind I call the Buckform with my son Eric.

What I have observed over the years is that when an employer is getting aggressive about having you work for them, something is not working for them (usually means they are understaffed, and people need a break from the long hours). And I am sure your daughter is very good at what she does, and they recognize this. With that in mind, I'd probably advise her to go with her first choice. I'd be questioning the integrity of someone who wants your daughter to change her mind after she's already committed to another company. If she goes with the aggressive company and she doesn't like it, she will have burned 2 bridges.

I shot my first buck on the day after Thanksgiving, 1966...No pictures..Probably didn't have any film for the Kodak Insta-Matic... I shot him with a win M37 12 gauge single shot at about 75 yards...The shotgun had been stripped of bluing by someone and never reblued..It had a tiny little front bead, and, of course, no rear sight... I was aiming at the chest and missed him completely the first shot..The second shot ( still aiming for the chest) I hit him right behind the ear.... He was a 3 point, with a fork on one side and a spike on the other...However, I was so excited I did not realize he had a fork on one side...Dragged him about 200 yards up over a steep hill by the spike...It kept slipping out of my hand and I formed and broke two water blisters on my hand by the time I got him to the top...

Yep. Wife took the day off to cook. We all have lost our traditions,hunting camps and family farms over the years so we decided for our kids sake they have something to remembed.

I'm going back to where we cut a path last year between bedding areas. We put the blind up three weeks ago. And when we were finished popping out the blind, hammering steaks, and were standing there talking, a shooter buck just walked across the cut! I shot a nice buck there last year. And a few days later, sitting in there with my grandson, we saw a buck that made mine look small!

Venison Stew, recipe from Emeril Lagasse. Standby stew favorite! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I was at our Training Center today, where I keep my mounts, snapped a photo of my first buck/first deer. November 17th, 2001. I watched him come 100 yards across a pasture, and he entered the woods at around 20yds. My first shot with my 1100 hit good, and my second was a spine shot. I was so excited, I fell off of the ladder while I was climbing down. I was fortunate to take him while hunting with my uncle, who got me into deer hunting. If you’ll notice, his left ear is where my screen name is derived from.

Funny you say that. Dan asked me to post this. These are results from his test. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Gonna let her chill out while I wait for her friends and or boyfriend Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I just got permission to hunt a new property last week, so I have a lot to learn about the deer patterns on it. After the nasty storm last night, and being mid-Nov, I had high expectations for this mornings hunt. It would rain a while, then would sleet a while, and kept going back and forth all morning. About 8:15, I was kinda suprised that I hadn't seen anything yet. Just then, I glanced over my shoulder and saw a big doe hauling ass towards me and she stopped 15 yards away. Her mouth was open and panting, while she stared intently at her back trail. I had NO intentions of shooting a doe, but I didn't get any deer last year and I sure would like to have some in the freezer this year. As I was deciding if I wanted to shoot her, I kept watching her backtrail that I could see for 100 yards, but didn't see any bucks pushing her. I figured I would draw my bow, then make up my mind. (Yep, I fell for it!) I figured being my luck, it would be just a small buck/non-shooter chasing her and I would lose my bird-in-the hand freezer meat. The best I can figure, the brain must have told the trigger finger that it was "Go time" and that sealed her fate! The Hoyt launched an arrow her way! She spun, ran ~75 yards and tipped over within sight! NICE!! I nocked another arrow, just incase, and watched her backtrail. 2-3 min later, I saw a buck about 100 yards away, running frantically and zig-zagging, nose to the ground trying to pick up her trail. At first, I didn't think he was a shooter, but as he got closer and I got a better look, I changed my mind!! As if it was meant to be, he stopped for the one and only time 18 yards away and broadside, about 5 yards from where I had shot the doe! I thought my shot appeared a little high on the doe, so I purposely aimed low for the heart. The Hoyt launched another arrow to it's mark! The buck ran ~75 yards and tipped over!! Thank God!! Got to break in the new truck too!

Wow! 2020 was a strange season for me. Had lots of bucks on camera, and not much time to hunt. We had a baby due on Halloween, so I really wanted to get something before that. No such luck. My son was born on Nov 6, right when the bucks started cruising during daylight hours. I’ve been able to sneak out for short 1-2 hour hunts over the past week, and this morning it worked out. About an hour into the hunt I heard leaves crunching, and I suspected squirrel, but then they really started sounding like footsteps. I first saw him come out of a treeline about 60 yards away, and he ran to within 30 yards and stopped in front of me. He was undecided on which way to go and was moving too much to present a good shot. Finally he started walking a bit closer and when he was behind a tree I shifted in my stand and took the safety off the crossbow. Once he stopped slightly quartered-to at 25 yards I took the shot. He kicked his back legs up so high he almost flipped over and sprinted over the ridge, then the noise stopped. I waited for my hunting partner to come over and we checked the arrow and saw great blood. We also saw the buck laying down, facing away from us, with his head up. As we devised a plan to sneak around and shoot him again, his head dropped down and he was done. I hit a little bit further back than I intended, but the Rage extreme 4 blade ripped open one lung and just about cut his liver in half. He’s a 9 point that weighed 205 lbs and is my best deer yet. Lots of meat in the freezer, more time freed up to spend with the kids, and even a little something for the wall. 2020 needs every bright spot it can get!

Zag, thanks I’ll file that away, I didn’t call them at first as I was certain ,I’d find him . Biggamefish. After consulting my copy of “ Dead On “ and it said a rutting buck that runs onto your land , when shot will often try to get back to his home turf. That last straight line was in that direction,which is one reason I went back a third time , to search straight away . Moog , that is troubling, but I had a hot doe and two, other chasing bucks right where he ran , did that keep him on his feet and in the chase instead of bedding ? Idk . Plotted it on my Hunt Stand App, total track 280 . Not certified measurement lol Between Gun and shed hunting , I’ll find his remains .

I hunt public land quite a bit and and primarily use a climber. Not because I want to stay hidden as much as I like the versatility of being able moving around. With gun season approaching my last concern is someone knowing my "spot(s)" because you never know when someone will show up in the area you are hunting. Besides that it is hard to stay concealed wearing blaze orange which I make a point to wear during gun season. I learned a long time ago not to leave anything on state land you may regret loosing or being tampered with.

Good morning, 5 deer seen 4pt 3 does and a unidentified buck. I will be back out with the bow Saturday Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yea my piss seems to always work well lol. Here’s the proof lol. Two 10’s, two 8’s, one 7pt. Also some young 6pts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Agree 100%. Sadly parasitic New York City will never want to give up its cash cow of Upstate. I would love to see a referendum on the voting ballot to enact the cessation of Upstate New York from Downstate New York. As an incentive Downstate would receive Cuomo, Schumer and Gillibrand as their leaders.

Sorry I gave my answer partially reading your post and also knowing what you told me earlier. to clarify: If she already accepted the position with the first company, I would suggest she honor it. It’s better to take the high rd. If she doesn’t like it there she can always consider other options, including firm 2. My only point was that if a firm wants one bad enough, they can usually find a way to enhance compensation. Having practiced with reasonably large firms for 24yrs, firm culture and values are more important to me that making every last buck possible. She probably made the right choice if she liked the environment of the first firm better anyways.

Sure, you can negotiate, but it doesn't mean they will give it to you. And if they do end up giving you more than they wanted, they will most certainly make you pay for it in other ways. They won't forget that you were asking for more than they really wanted to give you. They will expect more from you for any extra perks they give you so it's best to not be too greedy.

Cant find a pic of my first deer at the moment, a spike. But this was was my second buck. Taken where I live now. Circa 1990. ETA, I see I previously posted my first.

3S - quick bow hunt before work. Coldest morning of the year. 27 degrees, 11mph wind, real feel 19 degrees. 647am sunrise and I can hunt till 830-ish. LFG! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I was 5 months old when you shot your first buck! Damn... I have no pics of my first buck. I know it was a buttons buck, a huge button buck! I think it scored 2 1/8 P/Y. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for starting this thread TCIII. Awesome to go back and check out the memories. 1989 or 1990 First deer and first buck on State land from the ground with my first gun a Remington 870 Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

Makes excellent toilet paper. Though for some reason all the pages already seem to be full of shit

I use this one... https://www.thespruceeats.com/venison-osso-buco-2313773 quite similar to The Master of the Italian Kitchen (you Know him as Otto!) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Down in the honey hold with my daughter. Transition zone that deer just love to travel. Many bucks have sealed their fate traveling this route!

Venison burger from last weeks buck, cooked on the 100 yr old great grandparents cast iron.

I'm negative....No big surprise, because it's been two weeks since my possible exposure, and I have shown no symptoms... Better safe than sorry, though...Now I can call The Legion and tell them that they won't be needing to file Chapter 11....

Just a dang minute here, Biz.....I never had PUBLIC lice in my life...They were always in very private places.. Oh... Wait a minute.... You said PUBIC lice.......Well.....errrr.... never mind.....

Sounds like she made a great choice going with the smaller firm and most likely less headaches! As far as the partner I wouldn’t worry to much about it. End of the day they didn’t put a stronger offer together and lost!

Taking a walk is great for the people around you.....cause you're just going to push deer to guys like me that sit tight all day the first day. Heck, as long as Mother Nature doesn't call for the big one, I don't get down from my climber at all Opening Day. If she does, I shimmy down and shimmy right back up. As others have said, don't over think it. I doubt I'll know where I'm going until the night before........then I just toss a dart or check (in desperation) a ouija board.

A few from this morning. Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk