Early

Agree with Cuse....Not the best idea to try to "police" someone else's property.

Of course you would have loved it more if you had chosen a .308 !!!!!!

Agree: A good hit...is a good hit, regardless of bullet size. Many deer will be killed with the .223 this year; many, also with the bulky 12 ga. slug. That said....Of your two guns, 12 ga. and .270: I'd use the 12 ga. where shots will be in the 50-70 yd max range...use the .270 for the long shots. Despite the huge fan base for the .270, it would not be my first choice for a deer rifle.

I will stick with my NO vote...and place emphasis on the process rather than the product.

Agree: Old Jeff had a lot of good ideas...The scout rifle was not one of them.

I am with Pygmy, but not as often as I would like !!!

A few years back, the Ranger that patrols the local WMA removed five hang-on stands in one day. Those who had left their name/address on the stand got summoned to court. Others just lost their stands. Now, I know WMA rules state that no personal property can be left behind on State land....might be different elsewhere.

Isn't it against the law to leave a stand on public property? Maybe the law took it.

I, too, find it interesting how huntings regs. vary widely from state to state. The managing agencies share many of the same goals, but they sure do things differently. Who is right...???

Once again, the govt. decides it must protect us from ourselves!

Agree, totally....You scored a trophy! Good for you!

I agree with Jeremy: I absolutely hate the use of trail cameras as part of the hunting experience, but I would never damage or steal one.

Another thought: If you stop for food on your way out to hunt (Many of us do.), stop at a Stewart's shop or similar Get 'n Go. If you stop at a diner where a short order cook is frying bacon and slinging hash...You will not be scent free when you leave. (Used to be even worse when smoking was allowed.)

Good point....Do NOT gas up on the way out to hunt. At the very least, the bottoms of your boots will be laden with gas scent.....YUK!

Good God....What next??

And, you are there!

I realize you are funning here, but it is a good idea to consider scent when you pack your lunch. Scent free clothing, body, etc. goes out the window after a lunch of salami and pepper jack cheese sandwich...washed down with a couple of cups of hot chocolate. Think not only of eliminating scent, but also of not creating new scent.

I have the same problem (Just mixed up a batch venison/cheese salami...and struggled with the garlic powder.) My solution: Simply bang the damn plastic container repeatedly on the counter before ever opening it. Works....fairly well!

I rely more on cover scent (hemlock...wintergreen...vanilla) than going to great lengths to eliminate all scent on my body or clothing. Has worked for over fifty years!

Check any seams first....Then look for cracks due to aging. Patch anything that looks suspicious. If you find a definite hole or tear...patch it inside and out.

I've knowed a few guy who hunt and kill a lot of rabbit....maybe not 55 rabbit, but a lot. Just a short while back, I seen two hawks hunting over a brushlot that I knew prolly had a dozen or more rabbit in it. They struck out....had to leave when three coyote approached. Must have been a wildlife hot spot: Also seen deers...two buck and 4 doe and 2 fawn. Was hoping that one of the hawk would return to tackle one of the fawn. Somethin must have happened after I gone home....found part of what appeared to be 2-3 rabbit kills in the same spot the next day. I will wait a few day and go back.

You are right, Steve....We are targeted because we are hunters. That's sad...for most of us are law-abiding citizens. Being a hunter, by itself, should not stand for probable cause. It is because that large numbers of us choose to capitulate for "safety and convenience" that this stuff goes on.

55 rabbits.....Why does "game hog" come to mind?

Hunters wearing full camo during rifle season is a disaster waiting to happen. Why can't the "Rambos" wear just a little hunter orange?

What we are seeing here are two sides: The Constitutionalists who feel the Fourth Amendment applies, even to deer hunters.....and, the "Sheeple" who feel we should bow down to govt. forces and submit to whatever invasion to our privacy. Well, for what it is worth: I hope the "Sheeple" get trampled upon, and I hope the Constitutionalists remain strong and prevail!!!!!