dbHunterNY

i've been thinking about vanguard ever since they showed up as a fundraiser product source for QDMA/NDA. I've wondered how they are in terms of quality for the money. haven't pulled the trigger as i still use my older nikon monarch 10x42 binos. as my kids get older and start to go out with me more i'll have to pick something else up. probably let them use my nikons.

congrats. sounds like all the teeth were flat and no longer looked like each had 4 sections divided sections to each. pictures aren't the best for aging. if that old you should definitely send them out.

brought some moonshine back from Kentucky. wife wouldn't try it tonight but i had a couple nips.

Drank some Fidens beer. no pictures. gotta knock down the supply in my beer and deer fridge. season is getting toward the end and if I shoot a deer i'll want the room.

the other shooter i knew of besides my buck. 5.5+ year old beast of a deer despite not real high scoring. pretty big body wise compared to the others. these pictures were from October not even full blown rut.

this was the biggest buck I passed before I took mine. Had him at 15 yards or so. Looked pretty big with a rifle in hand. Thought for sure I was busted but he never knew I was there. Only thing I can think of being that close was wind right and sun at my back.

Cousin's dad... as in my aunts ex husband moved there. My cousin bought a small piece of land their too. He was looking into leases out that way and Ohio. Another couple hunters came in after us but weren't successful at getting on deer. I even left my cell cams for them to help. Couldn't get deer on the ground though. My 2nd target buck was even still using one of the points just prior to daylight. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Given distance and vacation sure. Kentucky is a one buck state though so we're done. No way would I put in that much effort for doe that are basically nocturnal. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Still out but pretty slow. Might get skunked this morning here on public ground. Hunted private ground yesterday afternoon and saw something around 40 deer. Not one was buck. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Yea congrats and welcome to the forum. Whenever stomach contents, bile, or anything similar comes into contact with meat it should be rinsed ASAP and patted dry. It's edible but not the same and tastes not a good. For that reason I typically trim off outer portion of tenderloins, hind quarters, and don't take the rib meat between ribs exposed to the inner cavity. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

i've never had any thought to put heart in grind. heart is very flavorful but it's a dense meat with a tight grain unlike your typical steak cuts. i've always fried it up in a cast iron pan. many people have a bad experience because they don't butterfly it out or trim all the tendons inside or the hard fat on the outside. heart tacos are great.

Passed up several bucks at the farm. Bow only public land right now. Saw 5 hikers walking in. Waitin on a deer. Good buck or any doe. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Yes. first year hunting it. It's been switching owners in recent years years. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

He's more a casual hunter as he gets older. I was even going to bring my bow and hit up Ohio big woods public land, but he pumped the brakes and wasn't willing to tag along or make a detour home. He's the person that got me into hunting though at a young age and I wouldn't have it any other way. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Couple trail cam pictures. Can't find them but I have some summer pics too. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Dad's 10 pointer. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Dad and I arrived in KY on Thursday. Friday drove and hiked up in to check access and areas on our lease once more. On our lease really just a couple areas made sense to focus on. Rest was too difficult to traverse or winds would've blew all the deer out of the area. Many respectable bucks but I put two on the hit list. I was willing to shoot anything else that showed up bigger than them. Saw several bucks first day. That south face I was hunting was so thick that almost all encounters were bow range despite I had a 30-06 rifle. First light opening morning (Saturday) I had a monster longbeard pitch down just above me 20 yards away and then hammered away for about 20 mins. Had multiple encounters with spike bucks working by me setup in a climber stand. One within 10 yards. Neither my dad or I saw any doe during daylight the whole trip and none of those bucks were nose to the ground searching for doe. They were all vacuuming up acorns though. Late morning I had a 2.5 or 3.5 yr old 9 pt (possible 10pt I'd you count the sticker) come in at 15 yards. Recognized the buck and wasn't on my hit list so I passed. He looked real big that close and after he disappeared into thick cover to the north I had second thoughts if I did the right thing. He was possibly the #3 biggest known to be on the lease. Told myself I wouldn't call first day but it felt right. I put out some tinks scent Bombs off to my flanks in case any buck tried to circle and cut my wind so they'd hit them first. While later I sent out a few series of grunts toward the deep ravine I believed deer were holed up in that the tinks was also blowing down into. Not long after I heard steps and saw movement again. Thought it was a spike I previously saw headed into thick cover and then steps fell off like it bedded out of sight. Well the buck came partially into view on and off. First saw tarsals to confirm it was older. Then I saw glimpses of a large rack. He worked to the edge of an opening in the thick stuff and turned toward me. That's when I identified the buck. As one of two on my hit list. He was scanning the woods looking for a hot doe and buck he smelt and heard. Seemed to be nervous like he was going to pull a 180 and disappear back into cover. Took a frontal shot and then followed him in scope the best I could through thick cover. After several seconds it occurred to me he was rolling down the ravine not running. I could see his white belly rolling and heard him let out a quick distressed grunt each time his belly turned up. He must have hit a flat spot or got hung up on something as he stopped and started to rise on his front feet so I sent another shot behind his should through a small opening. Sent him into a flop again but fell out of sight. Drag sucked getting him back up to and over the point I shot him at. It was pretty much down hill from there just making sure he didn't slip or roll over top of me. Lol great respectable tall 9pt. dad's was uneventful with a bang flop and came in on a usual pattern. A nice 10 pointer though. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

@ncountry you have to eat a lot of passed deer to change the mindset and expextation of the heavily hunted ground. That said you're right. People that only have access to public land think having private land is this magic bullet to great hunting. In reality it can be more pressured than tracts of public land and have less if an age structure. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

I'm general. I've taken 8.5+ yesr old doe in the past that could school any mature buck. They've seen every stand on the property. Will come in with you pegged the whole time. Have to ride it out until they calm down. Even then they do this stupid I'm feeding but really watching thing. I hunt a lot with a climber and constantly switch up trees in same spots as well actually let them live. Despite those old doe can have you pegged in the tree coming in they keep their patterns and home ranges tighter. Rest if the doe family group follows. During the rut so do the bucks. Noticed when I shoot some matriarch doe the others think for themselves and sometimes change their home range to somewhere else. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

They're pretty tolerant. If it turns into a regular occurrence it's a problem. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Did you play the lottery that day? lol Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

It's the rut with peak breeding around the corner. If doe bust you and leave a buck that's with them or tailing them will to. Any buck old for its area will often not come out if it sees or hears deer getting spooked. Deer have interdigital glands. When they bust you they stomp and leave a record to every other deer well after the fact that they encountered danger. If that happens enough deer will associate that area with danger. So yea it's important. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

It's all relative to what would seem normal to them? No matter how you step you sound different than deer but you can sound close to them at times. Where do you expect deer versus not really. A hiker where I hunt would be off anywhere. Hikers on public land I hunt show up after daylight or on private property aren't there. I wear a headlamp with red led. Let's me see where I'm stepping to be quiet as possible. If it's hopeless to be quiet and I think deer might not be there I just get there. Still try to be reasonably not loud but also don't walk nonstop. Think about how a deer might move through there. They rarely step right on sticks and snap them. Each step is also short sound not a rolling from heal to ball of your feet rustle or double tap. Rolling heal to ball is only good for painfully slow still hunting imo. Oak stand moving not fast and stopping sporadically for acorns. Always stop at tree if you can, it serves as cover and something to stabilize your shot should you come across deer (during legal light). Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

I agree with sound being 360 and sure if you make a sound loud enough and unnatural enough a deer will be alerted to it. At the same time I've gotten away with much more in terms of sound then scent with mature deer encounters. Just my personal experience. I've stalked or tracked mature deer I've shot in their beds. Some heard me coming but it seems like when the wind shifts and hits the back of my neck they're gone before I get there. I have and I've watched shows like hunting public that are talking quietly in the stand and had a mature deer sneak in and catch them by surprise. Paying no attention wind shifts and as soon as they cut it turn and gone. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Another job well done. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk