accman

We go coyote hunting in 3m the second week of February, and two years ago, I had 47 deer go by me within 75 yards. All herded up, and in the valley, in the snow, they came by single file first 4 sets of does, 5 then 22, another 5 and finally three. All does, spotted em pretty good, no nubs, but then the procession started. 4 bucks with spike and 4pts, then 4 bucks, sixes and small eights, then 4, 8's and tens; all with their racks intact. I couldn't believe it that they were still on on Feb 11th. I thought they dropped em earlier than that. Best day of hunting, seeing so many deer, but didn't have to pull up the gun at all, just the binocs. And it was great to see so many bucks still around, especially since we shot 14 that season.

In Westchester, I miss bowhunting cause I do both gun and bow. I just imagine that hunting racks may be different cause during bow cause you don't have all the shooting and in my opinion, they hear that, they just shut down. Their skittish, alert all the time, and I see more deer bowhunting cause they don't herd up as much as they do during gun. It could be during gun there's more hunters in the woods in and out to their stands twice a day and that could put them on alert, but they just seem to realize they're getting shot at. The big racks hook up early, get a smart older doe out in front and rarely take the normal runways after a couple days of shooting. You have to go off the beaten trail to get them. We're still getting rutting pictures and all-day movement on our cameras where we bowhunt. Hope they're still around after next weekend cause come the 14th, I'll be back in Westchester bowhunting, even if it's cold.

In our club in 3M, we only managed 2 bucks, an 8 and a 6 the first week, whereas we normally average about 7 bucks. The weather, the moon, the warm days, all were factors. Just not the perfect week or even a good week. We've had more luck in noreast conditions. The second weekend, with the colder temps, we had more sightings, and managed an 8, 7, and a 6. My son took the six while walking. Easy walking with the heavy winds, and he walked up on a doe who just walked off, and he glassed around and spotted the 6 laying down. He moved closer, waited for him to get up, he never stood up, so he aimed for a neck shot, and that was all she wrote. His first deer shot while walking, brings back great memories when I walked all over, but now it's his turn. Hope the weekend is productive with more activity, but if not, it'll be time to get out and walk myself.

I look for groupings of trees to put the ladder stand in, and place it firmly between them. This year, I found a tree with four huge branches and embedded it in between two of the branches. There's no swaying at all, but when doing this you still have to look up to make sure it's "safe" underneath other limbs above. Not an easy task, but well worth the time and effort.

The moon will still be in the sky when most of us head in. Definitely will not need a flashlight this weekend. Moonset at 5:42.

Thanks Culver, making the pasta fagioli tonight (20qt pot, 6 lbs of bacon, 8 large vidalia onions, butter, oil, and garlic to start: Can smell it cooking away already). Will have to try it. Our neighbor gives us fresh garlic in the spring. More like a scallion at that point, but tasty.

It was a little late at this years election to vote out all the clowns. Everybody who was currently in office during the shutdown should have been voted out of office and let Congress receive a message that they we're fed up with their BS. All 100 senators and 435 representatives, whether their good or not, vote em out. No discrementation, in 6 years we get a complete enima, and they get the message that THEY are accountable for the actions. Now, it's a joke, whoever has the biggest coffers gets elected. Can you imagine the faces on the guys when they know it's gonna be their turn next. Republican or Democrat. Only problem is that could jump up and bite us in the @ss when they know their time is up and start passing everything under the sun, but I'd still like to see it happen.

I pray he messes up good enough for him to have to resign or impeach him, whatever. It's simply amazing how many people couldn't see through him, much like Hillary in our state. You couldn't fool middle America cause they knew what could happen. But there are so many fools in our state, california, and other densely populated areas that just put on blinders and let him go. What we need is a General like Schwartscoff or Powell with some charisma and smarts to step up. Ain't much out there people, on either side of the fence.

I'm not a expert on ladders, but I like my ladders like a regular ladder stand. Not pole steps, screw ins or any other type of ladder. At least you can grab onto a rung, the sides, whatever, and relax a lot easier than on those pole types. Also, being such a big center pole needed to hold that stand, your hand and feet have to be at least 2 feet apart during the ascent. Pretty tricky climb, but the views have got to be awesome. God bless em at 71, and he's got to be one of the original Flying Walendas.

I like using regular garlic, but there's this minced garlic in a green & clear tube in the refrig section which is excellent for a quick dab of garlic. They also have other types, but the only other one I get is the ginger. Can last about a month in the frig, whereas jars of cloves go bad quickly.

Geez, never though of that. Almost looks like a Ranger Tower rather than a tree stand. From that height, you could hit em with a rock and get em.

Belo, I forgot. You hunt on private or public ? Makes a big difference. And Danny, I wouldn't climb that ladder if you paid me. I can see it's secured with heavy duty wire, but I bet it still feels like it's moving on windy days. No way, no how, but really cool.

I like the powerlines, specially in the am. You really get a farther line-of-sight to see where their crossing, what time, how many, high or low, and you can hunt the woods to what either side is closest to you. Once you've got the info, you can then move to a spot to where they come back or wait for the following day to adjust to their movement. Problem is some powerlines are so bushed out and full of cover that deer can cross in some areas and not even seem them. Good luck on the weekend

I've gotta have a couple of chocolate milks, hot soup, a stick of pepperoni and potato rolls to munch on around noon, orange gatorade and assorted cup cakes, reeses, and other junk food. No wonder I can't loose weight, but it's only during gun where I'm in the stand. During bow, just a choc milk, and some reeses. Less movement the better.

Nice stands culver. Like the idea of the vertical window rather than the horizontal. Gives you some better concealment. I place a black sheet pinned in the corner behind me to block out any movement.

We built the 4' X 4' stands in the backyard. First time trying it for my son and I, and I highly recommend it. Very rewarding. Lightly screwed it together, made sure everything fit, removed the screws, and each one was 6 easy-to-handle panels. Getting the panels up the mountain and back in the woods was a real test, but well worth the effort. Thank god for one my son and one of our members with a quad or it would have been heart attack city. Threw a waterproof membrane on the roof. Cut out the windows before reassembling and we're ready to go. My sons uses sliding windows, whereas I went with a make-shift hinge and spinner set up. After the season, taped around the edges to make a secure fit, filled in all holes with wood putty, and it kept everything nice and clean inside. My old stand was built in the 60's and would always have mice, wasps, ants, and other critters. Nice to walk into a clean stand last couple of weekends and not have to do anything to fix it up. My only addition to it now would be some wood awnings over the two windows where the sun comes in in the morning. Causes a lot of glare, but hasn't been a problem yet.

During bow, just knowing I want to draw the deer in within 30 yards, and not getting all that many opportunities to do that, I don't want to take that chance in spooking him. During gun, hopefully by the time he starts testing the air at a 100 yards, he's in the crosshairs and it's too late. And besides, if I smoked while bow hunting, my SON would KILL ME!!!

Our camp policy is no firing the rifles after the sunday before the season starts. Gives us a week to get the woods quiet. All the guys head up to their stands the week before, drop off what they want, and not head back up till opening morning on saturday. We all try to get there early on Friday afternoon to do the important things like buy all the kegs, get all the food, and start cooking up the tenderloins. Somebody always has smoked turkey, venison pepperoni, chili, stews, and I bring up the peace-de-resistaanse, the italian antipasta from Aurthur Avenue and the homemade pasta fagioli.

I can smoke a pack every month or I can smoke a pack in a day. I'll smoke when I'm hunting, golfing, throwing darts, but I can go weeks without smoking. I go thru all the scent free routine and I'm never smoking during bow, period. And I'll watch when I get undressed, to put them in a bag, and not smoke where I can get the scent on them. But once gun starts, I just like to have a couple of smokes while I'm sitting there. I'll definitely hold off this weekend with a SSW or SSE wind cause that heads right down to them. That's what I say. Will I DO it is another story. Once you smoke in the stand, you've blown your cover in that direction anyway. Will you see deer? Maybe. Spray all you like. But, like the heading of this topic, "I'm Crazy". Warning: Do not attempt this at home. We're trained unprofessionals!

I'll wash all the hunting stuff and the knapsack every week, so that's at least 14 or 15 washings. The hat's take the biggest beatings, but so what, it's not a beauty contest. I've used the dirt scented drier sheets for the last two washings and they're noticeably better than having used nothing and directly after a regular load with perfumed sheets. I like the wiping down with the soap or cover scent, run scent-free towels thru it, then dry it with the dirt sheets. That sounds like the best method.

I've been good during bow season, scenting down, haven't been spotted by passing deer, even down wind, so I've been lucky in that respect. Come gun season, I go thru the same ritual. We get dressed in the cabin, with a wood burning stove, fried bacon in the morning, coffee brewed, tons of smells, spray the cover scents and go on our way. Some of our guys get dressed outside to avoid any of those contacts. If getting dressed in 20 degree weather is your cup of tea, c'est la vie. The farthest shot I'd take in my area is 125 yards, most being 75 yards. I've watched deer pick up my scent when walking close by, even a 100 yards away, seen others not even care. I've lit up a cigarette just to see reactions, and they've bedded downwind and laid there while I smoked. Other times, she's looked around, but not a dead out run, just alert, and a wanting to move on. Done this on the 2nd and 3rd weeks, not opening week. But if I'm mooch hunting thru the valley, and depending on the wind, I'll stop for a smoke and have shot a lot of deer doing it. The stupidest thing I do is when I want that 1st cigarette, I'll smoke it, then spray down. Really? Oh! Now you don't smell! Usually not opening weekend, but after that, things lax up a bit.

Wow, pink stand. That's great and very true. I'll bet when the deer look at my stand, I doubt they're thinking, "Gee ? That's funny. I don't see any other birch trees around this area. Somethings up!!"

I've been hunting for 45 years and still have been known to make a mistake or two when hunting. My son tells me to leave the bow on my lap, knocked and ready. Do I listen, no, and I've missed an opportunity or two. Looks like your well on your way, and as long as you learn from your mistakes, you'll do fine. Welcome to the best sport in the world, and there's plenty of hunters on here who'll have some great advice.

I'll bet they'll make a mistake during the full rut and show up right at the door. If your seeing does during the day, they'll start sniffing around sooner or later. Some young bucks will probably make an appearance, and move around, and if they're around, you can hold off till one of the big boys come by. At least you know they're there and not just some does. Always pays to put the time in, and good luck. We've had 3 different eights walk by our area, one my son shot, and 2 last weekend. All three were not on our trail cams. We've got quite a few bucks at night and a couple of big racks. It's tough when you only hunt the weekends but what can you do.

Niiccee. Man, multiple use stand, great for bow too. I kinda think it would be too easy to fall asleep in that outside chair. Man, talk about comfort. zzzzzzzzzz