coonhunter

On the farm I am hunting in Edmeston, the chase is on. Bucks are showing in the daylight in full pursuit mode. Vacation this week, so maybe I can have a little luck with one of the older bucks.

Mossberg 100 atr with 130 gr power points in.270 for me. Scope is an old simmons prohunter 3x9. Young lady with me will be doing the shooting and she has already proven to be able to get the job done.

I tell you what: the sound of that rattle made the hair on my arms stand up when I had an encounter with a wild rattlesnake. I had heard the sound on tv, but it was a whole new story when I was part of the equation. I shit you not, this happened 30 years ago and I still have nightmares a couple times a year of just the rattle. I wake up before I ever see the snake. My wife and I laugh about it every time. The live snake was seen on a rock wall at Pepacton Reservoir, and was left unharmed.

I would guess probably none. I know for a fact that I have killed a few 4 years old from pictures. I can say that I have cracked the 200 pound dressed weight a few times. I have had more than a few that I thought would be close, but they usually come up between 175 and 185. The heaviest doe that I ever shot weighed in at a little over 170. Most are in the 125-140 range. No idea on official age of any of them. I just wait for cold weather and pick out a bigger one. Tough for a buck to make it to 3 in this state, much less 5. As the number of hunters drops each year, we may start to see a few more. Took me a lot of years just to let the 2 year olds walk. I honestly don't know if I will ever be able to let a nice 3 year old walk consistently.

I am all set with two young ladies this weekend. One has to wait until the regular season, but had such a good time last year that she is coming to help out her partner in crime. The plan going in is to hold out for a buck, and honestly, it should not be a problem. All bucks are open for killing, not just scrubs. They have both seen with their own eyes, a few nice deer on this land, so both have high hopes. I look forward to this weekend more than I do my own hunting. There is no pressure, just plain excitement, and lots of fun with these two youngsters. They will put in the work getting a deer back to the road too. I can say that a .270 is not too much gun for either of these girls. Together, they probably only weigh 240, so there is not much size or muscle to help them out. Both made clean, one shot kills last year, with no complaints of recoil. Both girls had experience shooting beforehand, and are all practiced up again.

Griz, letting them small bucks walk just builds character. I gets easier over time. I about had a heart attack this year when a bruiser showed up in velvet. I usually don't see anything in my good bow spots until late in october or even november. Some years it seems to take forever for a good buck to show up, but they always come to the does sooner or later. I used to keep track of how many bucks I pass in an area that is traditionally shoot the first buck you see, but don't even bother any more. I just study them as best I can to see if they come back the next year. I have no problem or feelings of failure from shooting only does some years. I will say that it is due to be my year, as I have had to settle for a couple pinchy or scraggly old bucks for my last couple.

I agree with the guys that say it doesn't matter what buck a friend, partner, or guest shoots. I had a guy hunting with me for a few years that still has the biggest buck shot on the property. I was just as happy for him as I would have been if it was me. Most years we as hunters, are lucky to get an opportunity to kill a really nice buck. So if I am a part of it, whether it be stand sites, scouting, or whatever, I am glad to be in on it. What a beautiful mount my friend has. Too bad he moved away because he was the last true hunting partner I had for hunting mature bucks. As for how many acres, I have taken over a dozen 3 and older bucks on the same 12 acre section of land in the last 30 years. Some of the guys always remind us that the right 5 acres is the best, and my little hard to reach honey hole is a perfect example. I don't always get a shot when I sit in this section, but every year I see at least one mature buck, and sometimes a few of them. Best part for all the people that bitch about other hunters or people ruining their hunting spots, I have hunters walk right through this set-up every year trying to drive deer out. I watch the deer just circle around them and lay back down.

Nice one wooly. You have a real talent for making me smile whether it be pictures, little jokes, or picking on people.

Most of my bow hunting is done in tight quarters and the shots are almost always slam dunks of under 20 yards. I have shot three between 37 and 42 yards, but they were all shots where the deer came from an odd ball direction. My only miss came at 34 yards with a thick, bare branch right in line with the deer. I thought, due to practice, that my arrow would go into the vitals after arcing over the branch. Thought wrong and found out broadheads don't come out of wood very easily, if at all. I don't even know how many deer I have killed with bow, but If you set up right, and play the wind, and stay relatively calm, you can get nice easy shots. Don't be in a hurry. I think shooting too soon is one of, if not the biggest reasons for misses with bow or gun. Have your shots planned out before a deer comes along. And, think out scenarios where the deer doesn't do what you think it will. Every year, I have some nice bucks in range, that never get shot at because they stay in cover or are moving too fast. Big deal. My life goes on, and if I do nothing to spook them, I usually get another chance at them.

I am in no hurry at all. When I have no races to go to, the mornings are cold, and I am ready to get in the woods, I will go to my best spots. Otherwise, I will sit in some observation stands to see where I should get in to close the deal. But, my last good buck came from one of these observation stands on a 70 degree afternoon, so you never know.

I got mine at a Dick's this morning. Can't read half the tag numbers for calling it in. So just a couple more deer that don't get reported. I try to do my part, but it gets to be ridiculous. Last year my perforations were out of line but I could still read all the tags. Other people had all the ink come off. Jesus, go back to plain old paper.

My first was with a 12 ga. Mossberg with one of those screw chokes on the end.

You are right Curmudgen. I was in an area of active farming. The area has lots of guts and evergreen areas to help deer in the winter cold and snow. For some reason the hunting pressure here has dropped off to very low the last few years, and the population continues to grow.

I spent some time tonight glassing some fields in the vicinity of where I do most of my hunting. I saw 13 different bucks and all were in hard horn. Last week every buck I saw was still in velvet. Lots of does and fawns, some still had spots. All together I saw around 50-60 deer. None of the bucks were huge, but about half of them were rack bucks with the biggest being an 8 with about a 16 inch spread. Definitely no shortage of deer.

Mine is just a cheap Mossberg 100 ATR chambered for .270. I bought it cheap whenever 4F went to rifle. I put a good, mid price range scope on it, sighted it in, and it has never had to be adjusted since. I use it mostly just to shoot does, but any youth hunter I take uses it. When I bought it, it was just to have a rifle, expecting to get a nicer one the next year, but shot so nice, I never felt the need to replace it.

After looking at some pictures, I have to say I have killed 4 out of my last 5 deer with the same arrow and muzzy head. Either had one mini blaster left, or found another stray last year.

I actually found a stray Rocket mini blaster, so that will go to the head of the line this year. Other than that, I use the cheapy Muzzy 75 gr because they usually can be resharpened. I have one arrow and broadhead that has been used for my last 5 deer.

I used to be hardcore before all the posting and leasing of land knocked a lot of hunters out of the game. I still take a week off for bow season and sit dark to dark trying for a 3 year old and up buck. Weekends I mix my time between bow hunting and going to the races and watching football. Just hasn't been the same since my father died even though it has been several years. The hunters being so selfish has taken a lot out of me too. The most fun I have every year is taking kids and first timers out and putting them on deer, and enjoying their moment with them. I already have a date with two young women for a repeat of last year even though one of them is too old and has to wait to shoot during the regular season. It makes me feel good that young women are comfortable enough around me to call and ask to go again. It is not always easy to reach teenagers in this age of electronics and cell phones.

Pygmy has it. We call them whitefish and the southern tier rivers are full of them and suckers that make walleye, pike, and bass grow and flourish.

I don't know how many times over the years I have left my 22 leaning against a tree or laying on a dry spot coon hunting. It was always alright if you just cut the dogs again to skin a coon, but if I had to leash up dogs to move to new woods, the darn rifle was left right there several times. Some how I always was able to go back in the woods and find it that night, or the next day. Sounds pretty easy? Try going out in the night time woods and lay down something valuable next to a random big tree, go back to your vehicle, and then go back and find it.

Jeremy Wilder won the mods. Crowd was a little light. Plenty of good food, fun, and company, and they do a lot of things for the young fans.

Anyone on here hunt this area? I travel up to Fonda on Saturdays to go to the races. I have seen two really nice bucks in farming areas. One of these is very high end and I hope to see him out of velvet. Last evening I saw this buck across the road about a half mile from where I was seeing him, but still on the same farm. I have no permission or access to either of these bucks, but it is still nice to see some nice bucks anywhere.

Finally, A friend traveled south and was able to get some .22 mag ammo for me. Now, i will set my old Mossberg Chuckster up with a modern scope and start using it again. I couldn't even hazard a guess how many woodchucks have fallen to this gun between when my father was alive and since I have had it.

That is just it. I gave up running hounds because too many people became trophy deer hunters and posted up their land. There are still plenty of competition coon hunters in our state and Pennsylvania that would love to shoot some coon when the hides are prime just to cover the price of gas and dogfood. You cannot run hounds without getting off the property you are hunting on every time. To me, it just wasn't worth it, but others stick it out just because they love training and running their dogs for competition. The animal rights people put a big dent in the fur trade, and deer hunter soon will kill the running of hounds. This allows the fox, coyote, coon, etc. to have free reign on other wildlife, and turkey nests are a prime target. Training dogs, running dogs, and trapping is hard, time consuming work. With the fur market shot, I have no answer on how to keep the predators out of the turkeys and their nest without finding a diehard trapper or coonhunter, and giving access to the land.

Some of the guys complaining about the coon need to realize that there are houndsmen that would love to help with the coon population. Unfortunately, the deer hunters do not want people or dogs on their land because they think it will scare the deer right out of the area. This allows the coon population to grow until disease knocks it back down again. Coons love to raid nests, and turkeys being ground nesters, are vulnerable just like the ducks and geese. Hounds are allowed on the two farms I hunt the most. Both have plenty of turkey and deer.