Uncle Nicky

I went on a bear hunt in Maine about 20 years ago, sat sunup to sundown for 7 straight days watching a bait barrel, killed a bear on the last night of the last day. I swore to myself I'd never do an all-dayer after that, and I've kept my promise so far. If you can do it & enjoy it, go for it. But like a few others have said, if it becomes uncomfortable or stops being fun, then you sorta defeat the purpose of being out there. Most times I sit until 10-11, break for lunch or hike to a new spot, and sit 1-dark.

Looks like photo-shop to me.The deer in this picture looks almost serene, no suffering. But no doubt the story is true, at least parts of it. I used to process deer professionally. I remember seeing a couple that had been shot in the face with arrows, there was a tremendous amount of damage, skin missing, infection...sure you get the picture.

I gave a guy named "Lucky Pickle" a rise...hhehh...hheeehh....hhehhh....

Nice deer!

A GOOD booking agent can help you cut through a lot of the research, and often knows about ranches or properties that are not advertised on the internet. Guides or outfitters can rip you off just as quickly as a booking agent, even with good references and a solid reputation. Like buying anything from a stranger or even a friend, sometimes things just go bad. I googled Rich's name, looks like HunterSled is not the first guy to complain about him.

Comes down to a question of ethics again; in NY it's legal to shoot a turkey on the roost (it's not legal in many states). Provided you have a turkey license, the season is open, and are good enough to take a kill shot in a tree with a bow, then you are not breaking any rules. Would I? No. I'd shoot one with a shotgun out of a tree though, and I know a lot of turkey hunters won't shoot one on the roost under ANY conditions.

Guys in the south call them "cowhorn spikes".

Ouch

Why do I let myself get sucked into these discussions.... I didn't say ants was unethical, actually, I didn't say or even try to imply anything about him at all. I'm just trying to pass on my experience and what I was taught by responsible bow hunters before me. If I'm lashing at anyone, it's you and how you are trying to convince others that it's perfectly normal to hunt & take shots at a deer with a bow in the pouring rain. If I am going to make any assumption about ants and his post at all, it would be that hopefully he's learned a little from this, and I hope he finds the deer & posts a pic.

What's so hard to understand? I know that if I shoot an arrow into a deer under the best of circumstances, that it will not drop on the spot, unless spined. General school of thought is wait about 1/2 hour if you are confident you made a good shot, and start tracking. In the pouring rain, good chance any blood spots may be washed away, and you'll be looking for blood in leaves that are red, yellow, and brown that are wet. Without a pass-through, the trail is even harder to pick up. If I take a good shot with a slug gun or rifle through the shoulders, I know the deer will drop on the spot. I don't need to kill any deer so badly that I'm left thinking "I hope this works out". I guess it all comes down to ethics, and how some of us feel we have to compensate for our "short"comings.

If I lived within a day's drive, I'd be in my truck on my way over to have a "chat" with Rich...

First off, I want to say I'm not picking on the OP...not my intent, and not my style. Hope it's not taken that way. Hope he finds the deer, I'd call the dog trackers. If it's raining steadily, and rain is in the forecast, no, I would not bow hunt in the rain. I lost track of how many deer I've killed with a bow or crossbow, it would be in the 30s I believe. Unless they are spined, they don't drop on the spot, sometimes you can see them run, wobble, drop, and crash, but usually they run a short way, you lose sight of them and have to do some tracking; that is where a rainy situation hurts you. I'm also VERY hesitant to draw on a deer & shoot at twilight if rain is in the forecast, for this exact reason. I don't have anything to prove, and I've lost a few deer bow hunting....I'd rather go home empty-handed then deal with crippling a deer, and having to keep coming back searching, searching, searching...it's a lousy feeling that I know too well. With a rifle or slug-gun...no problem hunting in the rain. Aim for the shoulders, and they'll drop on the spot. Every time. Just make sure of your shot before you pull the trigger.

I wouldn't. Lesson learned I guess.

Wouldn't turn him in, but wouldn't encourage him either.

Anything is possible, but my observation has been multiple snorts = mature doe. The few times I've heard bucks snort, it was one quick 'whuff" on their way outa Dodge.

I used to get in an hour before sunlight/shooting time. Then it dawned on me that that was an hour I could have spent later during the day, when it was light enough to actually shoot, instead of just listening to owls and critters crunching in the leaves. As much as I like being in the woods, 6 hours is my limit before I have to get up move around. Now I try to be in the stand & set up about 15 minutes before shooting time. If I were hunting public land, I would probably be set up at least an hour before shooting light. And I'd make sure to have a working flashlight to let others know where I am sitting.

Indians killed deer with a bow long before camo clothes were used. Digital camo will work fine, just watch your movement.

In my mind, this is a little sad (on the part of the guy who used their venison for dog food). Not that I am against hunting, killing, eating meat...quite the contrary. Why this doesn't sit quite right with me is that deer and other wild game are not a completely renewable resource...meaning we don't raise them in pens, control how they are fed, and genetically modify them. Once we overdo it and start taking too many from the environment, we run the risk of extermination. We've seen this before in this country, and I'd like to think we've learned a little since the old days of market hunting. Just my $.02, but there are too many people who would benefit from a donation of healthy meat, without resorting to giving it to dogs. And yes, I realize there are small parts of your state (and mine) where deer are overabundant and a nuisance. What puzzles me is that the majority of these areas and "hunts" are not frequently advertised to hunters (unless I'm just plain out of the "loop"). I'd love to get a crack at a deer in a nuisance area.

Well done. That is a NICE bull for Newfoundland!!!

I think "meat hunter" is a phrase coined by elitists, as a way of saying that their particular discipline is a little more superior. All ethical sportsman keep the meat from the animals that they take, even if they don't eat all of it themselves. I'd say 99% of us have nothing but contempt for a guy that doesn't respect the game that he kills.

Facemask. Never tried paint, and to be 100% honest, I'd feel stupid putting on war paint like an Indian about to scalp settlers or a Navy SEAL getting ready to take out Bin Laden. Plus if I have to stop at the store on the way home, I might get shot for being a stickup man.

Sawyer's contains permethrin. You can buy permethrin at a lot of farm-supply stores & mix it yourself, but it's easier & cheaper for me in the long run just to buy Sawyers. Yes, the stuff DOES work. I started using it about 5 years ago when I first heard of it, and I haven't gotten a tick on me since. It has a chemical smell when you first apply it, so I guess the deer can smell it, but it beats the alternative. I'd say a good application lasts about 6 weeks.

Nice deer. Congratulations!!

Completely off topic here, but I received a PM warning from the mods for telling an off-color joke on a PA hunting site (was told it was a "family forum"). On the NJ hunting website, it's pretty much "off color" the whole time. And today I'm seeing the "big feet" reference here. I'm so DAMNED confused!!!!!! Anyway, as hunters, we should try sticking together rather than resorting to threats & insults. But, I gotta admit, this is decent entertainment, especially when things are slow at work.

Just my $.02, but I don't see this as being a bad idea. Just do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. I'd buy another hunting property in a heartbeat before I ever spend another dime at the Wall Street casino.