Uncle Nicky

Doc- I'm basing my observation on past years hunting the same property. I/we saw the usual amount of deer movement/activity for opening weekend, but I noticed a lot less cars heading up the mountain to the state forest in the last few years, and I'm definitely hearing less shooting every year. I'm not complaining, we're still killing & seeing deer opening weekend, I'm just trying to see if this is a trend or just my old mind wandering......

Thanks guys. Any other thoughts?

Did OK, 3 guys in camp,(9P) buddy shot a small 8-pointer, I shot a 4-point. My son hunted alone for the first time, he saw quite a few does but no bucks. It was a typical opening day as far as deer sightings, a little colder than normal but no wind whatsoever.

Not missing it yet, check back with me next summer.

Nice deer. Why did you name him Mr. Clean?

Just curious, sort of a survey, if you will.... I hunted opening day & all day yesterday at my camp in Allegany county/9P. I've had this land for 8 years, and haven't missed an opening day yet. My question/observation-it seems like every year, I am hearing fewer & fewer shots on opening weekend. The first few years, it sounded like the Civil War, shots from all directions, all day long. This weekend, a fair amount of shooting Saturday morning, from about 7:00-9:00, and a little shooting right at dusk. Sunday morning, a few shots in the morning, and a few at dusk. Only an occasional shot in the late morning/early afternoon. I was a little surprised, it was perfect weather (IMO), and my camp is surrounded by state land/public hunting. Any theories on why this is? Lower hunter turnout? Less shots needed because people are using rifles instead of slug guns? More people archery/muzzleloader hunting? Are people just waiting to hunt the long Thanksgiving weekend instead? Your input is appreciated.

??????????????? Opening day of gun season is the BIGGEST man-made drive of the season, people will be shooting at & pushing deer all over creation, at least in 9P where I hunt. Looks like around 30 in the morning, going up to 45 in the afternoon, pretty comfortable if you ask me, no rain forecasted. The only thing missing is a couple inches of snow on the ground for a white backdrop, but I'll take it.

Just my $.02, but before you start smearing the guy on the net, I would contact the taxidermist and explain the problem. Unless he's a shyster, he will fix it for you. If he doesn't know how to fix it, I'd insist he pay the repair bill.

WOOO HOOOO!!!! Heading up to camp tomorrow, bringing my youngest boy, hope he gets his first buck!!!!!

And probably for every one that was killed, 4 or 5 were maimed and never recovered. Honestly, I will never understand why anyone would want to show up under-gunned. Use the right tool for the job, this isn't rocket science.

I have heard of "tame" wild turkeys before, but I was always a little skeptical. Last month I was hunting a ranch in Wyoming that had wild Merriam's turkeys hanging in the front yard, one jake even got a little aggressive with me, he chased my truck & tried to peck at me when I got out, I later saw him pecking at the rancher's wife's car winshield. My inlaws live in south NJ, they have a flock that comes out & walks the housing development like clockwork. These birds never cease to amaze me.

Like many have said, good idea to get a gun with a little more knock-down than .243. A .270, .308, or 30-06 (personal favorite) is fine, and ammo is easy to find if you don't reload. I'd get something in bolt action, I've found Remington rifles to be the most accurate, unless you want to spend for a Sako. For a scope, I'd go with 3X9 or a fixed 4X, Bushnell is good if you're on a budget, or Leupold if you can afford it.

Questioning someone's ethics, morals, or ability on the internet is a waste of time, IMO. As a hunter, the more experience (and bad shots) I have, the more I'm making it a personal effort to become as efficient at cleanly killing anything I shoot at, or just letting it walk. This also means using the most efficient tackle/weapon for the job, as well as concentrating more & more on shot placement.

We have AR here in PA, I think it started around 2002. I hated it at first, now I'm pretty much used to it. After 10 years, I still can't say I'm excited about it, just one more issue that turns us against one another rather than uniting sportsman. To be honest...I see more bucks than I used to, especially during archery, and bigger racks. Unfortunately, they also started giving out a lot more doe tags at the same time, so deer population has gone down overall. Interestingly enough, I've shot 2 of the biggest bucks of my life in Allegany county, NY in the last 3 years, where there are no antler restrictions.

Like Elmo said, prime time is right after daylight & right before dusk. Get up against a big tree if possible, and remove the orange (provided you feel safe). A shotgun blast will put them on edge a lot more than a .22 crack will. I try not to sit in the same spot too often, they will pattern you. Move in SLOOOOWWWW motion when you put your gun up to shoot. Click a couple quarters together, this imitates the sound of them feeding. Doesn't always work, but worth a try. Good luck!

There is no question in my mind that girls are MUCH more aggressive today then they were when I was growing up (70s). Both my teenage boys have girls calling/texting THEM, inviting the boys on dates, etc. Too bad it wasn't like this 40 years ago...I'd have gotten a lot more action.

I found the easiest way to get rid of a fellow sportsman, especially a hunter, is to tell them I lost my last deer hunting spot, and I'm currently looking for somebody to show me some decent spots on public land, or preferably, private land. One time in 20 they will actually offer to take you along, which is a bonus. The remaining times they will just walk away and avoid eye contact, which is a bonus also.

I think Telly Savalas was one of them.

Rinse the inside cavity well with cold water (garden hose works best). Flip the deer over so the back is facing up with legs spread to allow the cavity to drain for an hour or two (all done outside your house or garage, obviously). I don't think hanging head facing up or down will make much difference, but slaughter houses hang meat by the back legs.

I can usually get away with moving to get in position, what gets me busted is when I stand up for the shot, the stand creaks a little and the tree shakes. Sometimes I still get away with it, sometimes I get busted. Before I move, I try & figure out if there's a possibility the deer will move in front or to the left of me.

Bow hunting- persitence, putting in your time, marksmanship, knowledge of your hunting area, blending into your surroundings (sight, sound, smell), tracking skills. Gun hunting-being in an escape area once the bullets start flying.

The bucks are bigger here in PA since AR, I agree. But, you have to admit, there are more unhappy deer hunters in PA than there used to be before AR. Part of the mistake they made (or conservation measure, depending on who you ask) was giving out a lot more doe tags at the same time they implemented AR. Overall, deer numbers are way down across the state. I guess it all comes down to your hunting preference...meat hunter or antlers. I've killed some big bucks before, antlers don't excite me much any more.

Forgot my ammo once, too late to turn around, I spent the rest of the morning playing "catch & release" deer hunting. Took my son to the range the last weekend, brought 4 rifles, but only remembered the .22 ammo. You'd think I'd have learned by now.

I haven't had a whole lot of luck with scents either, but I DID have a buck come in behind me once when I had the Tinks out, he had a wild look on his face, LOL. But most of the time I feel like I'm just getting conned by the gimmick/gadget guys at Hunter Specialties, maybe the deer are getting wise? Never had a whole lot of luck with grunting, rattling, or The Can, either. I have my best luck bow hunting by staying as scent-proof as possible, sitting still, and just putting in my time.

I used to believe this, until I saw what happens when too many doe tags are given away. Blasting all the does only helps the herd if there is insufficient food to support the local deer population. Unless, of course, the goal is to grow TV-size bucks.