New York Hillbilly

I got lucky this year with my corn, at least as far as food goes. The down side was one of our dogs ate a piece of corn cob, got violently ill and almost died when it got stuck in her small intestine. It cost us 2K in vet bills and many sleepless nights, but she beat the odds and is back to normal. We canned and froze a ton of it and left a lot still out there. There are acres and acres of corn standing in our are adjacent to my property that has not been harvested so the animals have not wiped mine out yet. My guess is once they harvest their corn mine will get more attention.

Let the games and excuses begin! Did you confront the trespasser? "I always hunted here." "I got lost." "I know the owner and he gave me permission." "I didn't know it was posted." "I didn't see the signs." "You don't have it legally posted." etc.

Very cool!

Should have been able to fill a tag this morning on a doe. Goofed up! I have a nice two man stand at the edge of a grown over field where the deer "always" travel on multiple cross trails just inside the woods. There's a pocket of open woods right in front of the stand that has an old logging road that winds up my hill, sandwiched between some really tangled scrub apple trees. This is in front of the stand and the field is directly behind me. This morning is the first time I went to this stand this season, and with it dark when I went up the hill, I could not find where I tuck my wheeler into the tangled mess at the field edge. So I just ran it into the top of a blown down tree. Then without a flashlight, I bumbled around trying to locate the stand. When I found my stand and climbed up, I turned around and right behind me was my four wheeler. lol Well, I was not the only one who saw it! Around 7:15 as I was watching the trails in front of me where the deer "always" travel, I happened to turn my head to the field and there was a big, lone doe standing there head bobbing at my four wheeler. Then she bounded into the woods to my right and at about 15 yards just stood there in the thick stuff. All she had to do was take about 2 or 3 steps further ad would have been hanging in my garage. But it was not meant to be because she turns and walked off in the opposite direction, stiff legged walking obviously still shook up about the wheeler. I was sick about the deal because it would have been a chip shot with the crossbow. Then over the next hour I froze my feet and hands so bad I couldn't hack it. I stood up and put the crossbow down on my seat, as I tried wiggling my toes and shoved my hands down in my pockets trying to get the burning to stop. It was about 8:30, and I was standing looking in disgust out at the field now, when I no sooner got my hands in my pockets and here we go again! I hear a snap behind me and turn my head back around to the trails. Here comes a small doe with a bigger one following behind her. In the meantime I'm now turned the wrong way, my hands are in my pockets, and the crossbow on the seat of the stand. I tried as sneaky and careful as I could pick the bow up, turned myself around , and they both ran off, up the hill. They were under 20 yards away and would have passed me broadside if I was in position. Again, would have been easy shot. What can I say other than I blew it this morning! After that I got down and worked on a ground blind where I used to have my son sit when he was a teen and hunted with me. He's coming for Thanksgiving this year, and I'm hoping he might decide to go out with me for the first time in over 20 years. I went out this afternoon for about 3 hours and sat in the ground blind. Saw nothing, but at least it was warmer than the metal ladder stand.

When I do use ground blinds I close them when I’m leaving to try and keep the weather out. This year I didn’t get mine out out though for some reason. At the moment I’m sitting in a pile of branches ground blind I tossed together this morning and window closing isn’t an option. Lol

Good catch.I didn't notice it before. This makes me even more convinced, if you look at a downward trajectory from an elevated stand. Deer walking away from the hunter, shot impacted just above the shoulder and opened the hide as it continued it's path forward and downward across its face and muzzle/nose. Picture laying an arrow (or bolt) along the straight marked line on the muzzle/nose back to the other end of the wound over the shoulder. The big fold of hide at the bottom is from the weight of the hide and gravity causing it to sag.

One screw up after another this morning. Fingers and toes are so cold the feel like fire and ache. Wrong boots and gloves! These metal stands can be a real bitch when they get cold!

Come gun season, I'll take him if I get a chance. Will probably need to get him right off the bat though, because to get this old, he has been able to figure out how to avoid people.

Good luck Tughill and anyone else headed out this morning. In about 20 minutes I'll be on my way out the door to go hit the woods too. No frost on the windsheids of the vehicles, and no wind blowing this morning. 7M

This broken rack buck has some serious heft in his size. His right side of his rack is busted off, and even with it intact it’s not all that impressive. But, I’m not sure if he’s an old buck going downhill with his rack, or just a young big ass body buck not yet there with his rack. Looking at his deep chest and sway in his back, I’m really leaning towards him being old and past his prime. With as little pressure as my land gets, I know there are deer who easily could drop dead of old age if they just stay put on my property. He may fall in that category.

Family obligations kept me out of the woods until the last 2 hours today. Then when I went to a different spot on my property for the first time this year, I found it so overgrown with multi flora rose I got shredded to pieces. Won’t go back there until I can take my tractor and brush hog to it to seek revenge! I did walk up on one deer and watched it jump up and run, but was so quick I couldn’t tell what exactly. I am going to try and post a pic on the thread for trail cameras here in a minute. I have older, cheap cameras by todays standards so not likely as good as the fancy ones, but one of my scrapes has several little bucks working it, and one buck with a broken rack that has a huge body and I wanted to share the pic of the tank.

Looks to me like a shot from an elevated position at a deer walking away from the shooter. People do take to really awful shots. But no matter what the cause, we can all agree that is a nasty wound! I doubt that deer will avoid getting infected and dying.

lol...... Horny picture!

Well, I'm doing the Doxycycline this time around just in case. Thanks for the tips on repellent. To be honest, I never even considered smell as a reason to use or not. I have just been too cavalier in my approach to these little a-holes! Not any longer!

What the heck! I was away for work all last week, so I only hunted on Friday evening, Saturday morning and evening, and then on Sunday morning. I take a shower every night after being in the woods, and check myself closely for ticks because I am totally freaked out by them after finding them stuck to me on several occasions. So, don't it figure that today I felt an itch on my side at my waist when I was driving home after work, and as soon as I get in the house and have my wife look, there is yet another damned tick stuck to me. This one was still tiny, not bloated, but it's head was attached. True to form, I freaked and immediately, instinctively picked it off me and it's head stayed attached. I had my wife rip the rest out with tweezers and I put bleach on the site. If anyone is ever going to test positive for Lyme I think it may be me for as many times as I have been bitten by these damned things. Have any of you guys ever been tick bit more than once? I may get a course of Doxycycline this time around, and stay out of the woods until we get a good freeze.

Headed up in a few minutes. Have not looked out the door to see what the weather is yet, but for the first time since Friday I don’t hear the wind chimes on our side porch. I did hear the town’s fire whistle going off this morning, and I always worry when I hear that sound. Especially after my ordeal 2 years ago this time of year almost to the day. So, good luck to those hunting this morning, and, stay safe!

Back in and settled. Let the game begin!

Holy crap! How common a problem is this? I have a Centerpoint also, and now I'm going to be on the edge of my seat worrying about my safety.

I pulled the plug at 10 and headed to the house for breakfast. My phone died after I forgot to recharge it overnight, and my wife hates me hunting without a way to contact someone if there is a problem. Over the past several years I find myself hunting alone and it worries her. The only activity this morning was a huge flock of blackbirds that came roaring through just over my head, 2 helicopters, and a couple gray and red squirrels. I'll get back after them this afternoon.

Settled into my pine tree stand. Fingers crossed. Good luck all! Really crunch walk in today. Cool breeze and quiet here in 7m.

Congrats Hock3y24! That IS a big bodied deer. He looks like a real brute.

Just finished the 2 weeks of training for work I volunteered to do. Now that I am back home, it's my turn to climb back into my stand. Happy to be home! It looks like it will be a beautiful afternoon in the woods. Good luck everyone!

It really is fantastic this way, and I don't need to worry about the freezer losing power as happened to me a couple times before. Talk about stress! I'm thankful my wife learned how to can food after all these years. She has gotten to be quite the expert at it. Even the toughest piece of meat becomes so tender you can cut it with a fork. : )

Many may be in the woods or working. I like to keep up with what is going on with folks lucky enough to be out there while I’m not able because of my job. And, I cheer them on!!

Sorry to hear the trip was a bust. Been there done that a couple times over the years with my uncle who is no longer alive. He was my hunting partner from the time I was 16 until he passed a few years ago. Your trip sounds like a bear hunt we took to Quebec. A total screw job!! I understand how we can feel worse for those close to us than for ourselves. Maybe you guys will get another chance to realize that dream. I hope you do!