coonhunter

You are correct Belo. i was just looking at it from a cost perspective. Sooner or later , the hunting arrows must be shot to make sure they are flying right. i don't even know how many times the three arrows in my quiver have been through deer, but they were certainly shot at a target before they were put in the quiver. Then, after the shot, they are inspected, resharpened, fired again at a target just to be certain they are still flying right, and then go right back in my quiver. Fast Eddie mentions a little gimmick that I do also. I just looked in my quiver and can just make out a 3 and a 5 on two of them, and the other one i just can't tell. the reason I numbered mine was just in case I had a broadhead that was not right. It is nice to know when you have a couple fliers and look and see it is the same arrow. Haven't had it happen in years, but you never know when you are going to have a faulty product due to poor shipping or handling. But we are getting a little off track. Right now he needs to get set up and get his muscle memory going, so shooting the bow becomes almost automatic. I mention 3 and 3 also because I only shoot three arrows at a time when I am practicing. Just my preferance. I am in no hurry, and take my time. I don't mind the walking and I shoot from a lot of distances and angles and heights. But, i also have the time or make the time to do a lot of shooting. Joe can't do that until he gets shooting better at 10 yards. He may be shooting fine, but with all the oddball arrows, it is hard to tell.

Bite the bullet and get your butt to a pro shop. You will save yourself a ton of aggravation in the long run. They will get your bow set up exactly right and then you have eliminated a lot of variables. I know what it is like for money to be tight, but this is a must if you plan on hunting deer this fall. Like others have said, take your six good arrows and use three for target shooting, and three for hunting. Get rid of the rest. they are causing you all sorts of grief being so different. How can it help you if they all fly different and weigh different? I have had the same dozen arrows for years. My arrows in my quiver have been through numerous deer, and I have only had one that hit the off shoulder blade and hung in the deer long enough to break, so I still have 11 of the original dozen. You are young and new to the sport so I am sure you will keep shooting at the same target until you skewer an arrow or two, or break a few nocks or fletchings. So you better make sure you save a little money for another half dozen arrows. Stick with it and good luck. I know I put a lot more effort into bow hunting now than gun hunting. Maybe you will love it just as much, but you have to start out with a bow that is set up right.

I got fooled yesterday by the old carp biting a jig when you just caught three walleyes in a row. Seems like this is always spread apart just long enough so I fall for it for about 30 seconds every time.

That is in my stomping grounds. Plenty of turkeys. They are settled back down and if you put a little work in, you can find a hot tom that will come in. This is the most turkeys we have had in a few years, and the nesting season for the most part has been dry, so next year should be even better.

I understood you perfectly. I was just reminding others to have some fun and quit worrying about all the things that might ruin a day of hunting. I still don't get how crossbows being legalized will screw up bow hunting. I say let them hunt. All I know for sure is a day hunting that gets screwed up by the weather, people, other hunters, coyotes, dogs,whatever, beats the hell out of working the other 48-50 weeks out of the year. Enjoy it no matter what, and let others do the same.

Sits in trees, I don't want to hunt with a crossbow, but if you or anyone else wants to, who am I to say you shouldn't. I like bow hunting because it is up close and personal. I don't worry if my bow shoots the fastest, my arrows are the most expensive, or my other equipment is the latest and greatest. I just hunt and enjoy myself. If others think they can enjoy bow season more with a cross bow, then i say let them. Hunters( deer hunters in particular) need to quit being so selfish and worrying about what everybody else is doing. Try helping out a kid or a newcomer, and let them harvest that big eight pointer you have spent time scouting. You might be surprized how much fun it is to help someone else succeed instead of spending all season worrying whether a person or dog is going to come wandering through your perfect set-up.

Over the weekend, my buddy and I caught a bunch of walleyes in the Unadilla River. Some on yellow jigs and some on night crawlers. They were biting good, but none over 20 inches.

I have to agree with the electric filet knife. Makes the job so much quicker with any of the small to medium eating fish.

My mother has just started asking for a batch of bullhead. I was trying to get her to clean them, but she says she is the cook only. They are her favorite to eat, even over perch and walleye.

Any of you guys or gals put a bunch of arrows through one of these bows? The reason I ask is because I was at my brother's house over the weekend and put about 50 arrows through his. He is a lot bigger than me so obviously it wasn't set up for me and I wasn't going to change his sights just to play around. With a handscale it was drawing at a little over 71 pounds. Those arrows were zipping, and they were consistant. Before I was done, I was shooting 35 yards and having to aim for a different dot every shot to make sure I didn't skewer one of his arrows. And this was with me having to aim two inches high and three inches to the left. What I am wondering is if this is the norm for these bows, or is this just a fluke thing. I was really impressed with how this bow shot. I am an experienced shooter and put a few thousand arrows downrange every year. The last time I was impressed this much was when Mathews came out with the Reezen, and I didn't buy one. Still have the same old bow and have been threatening to buy a new one for a couple years now.

G-Hunter, What I call a beaver run is an underwater trail in relatively shallow water. I used to hit them once in awhile when I ran hounds. Just like I said, you are minding your own business walking along, and in one step you drop down an extra foot or two. Then, to top it off, you stumble up the other side of the run and get even wetter.

Phade, I feel about the same as you. I use the majority of my vacation time during bow season. I still enjoy gun season, but it is more for the time spent with friends. I usually manage to help at least one person get their first buck, and help the youngsters out. I couldn't even hazard a guess how many arrows I shoot a year just to make sure I don't miss an opportunity just from lack of practice.

watch out for beaver runs. Nothing like walking in knee deep water and suddenly dropping in up to your chest.

That is a lucky find. Not many people get to see a woodcock nest in real life. I know i spend as much or more time in the outdoors as anyone, and I have never seen one. Thanks for taking the time, like always, to post the pictures.

Fun times when you can get a group of kids camping out and away from technology for any amount of time. I am also in my forties and decided an air matress is required for these old bones. We still go the route of tent camping though.

Brassica, sugar beets, clover , small pumkins, and corn have been used by people I know. The beets seem to come on soon after the first few frosts come and the deer pound them hard. Standing corn works well for cover as well as food, but takes up space so not many are using it except the farmers. When the apples are on, the deer and other wildlife hit them hard in the fall. So, if there are old apple trees on your lease it is worth it to take the time to prune them and fertilize them to give them some new life. Make sure you get seeds that are for our temperate zone. Pretty easy now that there are lots of seed companies.

Still plenty of turkeys in the area, but haven't had a dry nesting season in a few years so the numbers are a little lower than in the past. Still get plenty of action every Spring though. As for deer hunting, it is mostly an area of quantity and not quality. But, more and more hunters are letting the younger bucks walk, so you have a reasonable chance at a rack buck. If you leased land in the right area with neighboring properties that are managing for older deer, you can get a crack at a nice one. More and more 3 and older bucks being shot every year. Good luck with your lease.

In my competition coonhunting days I traveled all over this half of the country. The only area I went that I really felt was for me was the western area of Kentucky near the border of Tennessee. I stayed right on Kentucky Lake every year and absolutely loved it there. Just a lot more laid back lifestyle. Most times when I went to a big hunt, I was ready to get back home. This area made me want to stay.

I agree with you Phade. I have bow hunted almost 30 years and i am only on my third bow. I like to tinker with a bow to get to know it, but then I just want to shoot it without having to monkey around with anything. Worst part is that it is almost time for me to get a new one. I have been putting it off, but the new ones pull back so easy and you can hold them back so long, it gets harder to resist every year.

I just think deer hunters as a group are just too different to make everyone happy. I am simple to please as I mind my own business and hunt the way I like. I don't worry about what others shoot. I don't have a fit if someone comes walking through my hunting area because I don't own the land. All I need is a property to hunt, and I will consistantly shoot mature bucks if they are in the area. Are they all wall hangers? Not by a long shot. But, they have been through a few hunting seasons, and are usually tougher to get close to. I hear all the time that when I let the young bucks walk someone else will get them. So what. It is my choice, and how I enjoy my deer hunting. Funny how on this site you have guys that can show you the same bucks on trail cams year to year, so they don't all get shot. On the other side of the coin, I have friends that have very limited vacation time, or none left at all. They have just as much fun shooting the first buck they see. They are not striving to shoot the biggest buck. They are looking to fill their tag in the short time they have to get venison in the freezer. I congratulate them and gladly help them eat some fresh back straps. My overall opinion is live and let live. There are tons of deer in this state, and any deer that is legally taken, is making good use of nature's bounty. I would like it to be one buck only no matter how it is harvested. I hunt 4f and 7m and some years I have to settle for a couple does. I have been fortunate to harvest a nice buck most years as I have improved as a hunter, but it is good hunting land and a pretty long walk to get to my spots which helps a lot.

Easy call for me this year. It was taking my friend's daughter out for her first buck in the youth weekend. It was an adventure for sure. What started as a slam dunk at 60 yards turned into well over 100 yards because buck fever set in full force. She was panting because she was so excited. It took a few minutes, but I talked her through it by telling her it didn't matter if she shot or not. She had already done the hard work by getting close enough for a shot. Well, she got calmed down and put a perfect one shot, drop in his tracks, finale. It made me feel young again she was so happy and excited.

That is nice shooting Doc. I have a couple questions for you. Is that with the factory trigger pull? I have noticed a lot of new guns from various companies seem to be making the trigger pull harder which hurts a lot of people in the accuracy department. And, are you going to try dropping down to 130 gr. bullets? I started with 150 gr. with my .270 and had nice groups, but when I tried the 130's, they tightened up even more. May be just simply what my rifle prefers, but I always like to hear from others on different loads.

I have almost always had small cars. I just put a tarp in the trunk, put the deer in, and wrap it with the tarp to keep blood off the rug. More of a problem getting the deer in the trunk if you are by yourself. This year I ended up holding up the head and tying it up. Then I was able to lift the deer in.

Funny you mention getting cut. I have bowhunted for many years and to this day, I still hate to monkey around with my broadheads. I have to occasionally resharpen or mount new ones and I have never cut myself. If you saw me working with them you would think I was handling nitro glycerin. And that's with a holder.

Yeah Pygmy, I have had some good ones too. I remember being stranded up in Pulaski steelhead fishing because the snow just came so fast we were stuck for a couple days. Another time I had to take the hinge pins out of my storm door because we couldn't get the door open. Then, all I could see was the top couple inches of my car antenna. I have to agree that being snowed in sucked.