dbHunterNY

i keep thinking about multiple situations where we had a buck explode after stunted growth. for example, a 2.5 yr old around here had a stunted spike on side and a typical 4 points on the other. at 4.5 he blew up into a perfect 10 pt over 150". at this point i think i'm thinking about antlers too much and should just shoot him if the opportunity presents itself.

this one would be a couple points short of that but over 20" wide inside. doubt he's into the high 140's though. that's a big rack for around here and what i think many bucks out this way top out at. this guy isn't done growing, despite he makes it look like a cattle crossing in front of my camera. like going to an auction i'm trying to make my decision to let him walk ahead of time. otherwise it won't be good for him.

you need to see if the tree that was dormant is still alive or dead. otherwise you're wasting time. Go out to the bases of some of the smoother younger branches that you can get to your knive and carefully scratch away a SMALL spot of the bark to see if you can get to an inner green layer of the vascular system. if it's all brown and not even a dull green and you get to dense wood that part is dead. test a SMALL few spots on different branches as some branches can die even on a living healthy tree. once you've verified it's still alive then you should get someone in to prune it and fertilize it. a ring of grub and bug killer around the base wouldn't hurt if you thought that could be a problem. looks like it needs it a lot. pruning at the right time will put some vigor back into an old tree thinking it should grow more. a branch should only "Y" once as it works it's way toward the sun. that way light will get through and into the tree top for more leaves and fruit, not just on the outside. no tree expert at all. i've learned a little, because deer love apples and most properties have old apple trees that can be revived or kept up to draw in deer.

usually a good day when that happens.

definitely marked up there and at other places like Dick's Sporting Goods. i buy 2 elsewhere every time i pick up a camera.

yes and that's my wife's requirement for hanging in living room. seen single around but no doubles. this guy won't have that though. if you took one half of a yearling basket rack and jammed it into the middle of the rack off one of the bases, that's what it looks like.

it's not important to me really, but i share the same thoughts on the big typical.

my summit open shot is 14 lbs i think. most hang-on and stick combos weigh more with the lightest combos weighing the same. just the idea of not carrying more weight and more parts is all. i plan how to get deer out. doe are shot usually in an ag field were i can back the truck up to them tailgate down. bucks require a a text message of the rack laying in the dirt to get people there. then once i've got others there it's followed by a hey while we're all here. their still fired up and hardly notice.

What's your fancy? Back story: I've had a now 4.5 year old on trail cam at one of my hunting spots. fairly well patterned last year. he went from a typical to a funky non-typical on one side. not sure if it's due to genetics and age or an injury. I know for a fact he was shot at by multiple people. he's too big and old for the area to get a pass most likely. just hope his growth isn't stunted and messed up from injury and if passed will be a giant typical next year. Anyway some that have seen the trail cam pictures said it was ugly and others have said it trips their trigger. Just curious how many favor the non-typical rack? its rack is kind of growing on me now.

they say most target deer are seen before taken before the season. maybe it's a good sign.

I'm still burning through the original titanium 2 blade Rage heads. just touched up the blades and put them back together for the last couple deer. they wouldn't continue the design if they didn't work. they aren't as heavily marketed as the others so i think they just aren't as popular. that and they first came out as a 3 blade which was considered barbed here in NY due to the possibility of the blades slightly hanging up on each other when folding forward.

i have and hunt using both. no way in hell am i carrying in a heavy climber with bells and whistles. the idea is almost counter intuitive. compared to my summit open shot that's like 14 lbs total. there is also no way i'm hulling climbing sticks and a hangon as they're probably weighing more than that. also no way i can screw in steps with less effort. i'll admit the biggest PITA is finding the tree and deciding on where to setup at a spot. do it enough though you get good at it. honestly i don't have to be a certain height up either and i often climb until i reach branches, because that means i've probably got back cover.

that's high but the struggle is real out this way. not every where but in a lot of places. for houses and land it seems like you get double in the southern tier for what you pay for around here.

i think a few friends went last year. don't think anyone is this year.

just find a kid, supervise them, and let them go hog wild. do that 10 or so times and it'll be worth the $100. i don't like the stuff either but it definitely has its place.

Dear Tom, if you do this, please let me take the Redneck blind first. I'd hate to know you'd have to clean up the melted plastic and charred metal. Just lookin out for ya Outdoorstom! haha

the pictures you see online of shattered carbon fibers spiked through a hand doesn't do them any justice. it really does look much more brutal and gross in real life.

damn! haha

i haven't had that happen ever. in my earlier days i have struggled more than i should to get it back, which caused me to get busted. i make sure i can draw pretty well and i'm not over bowed. brother had it happen with one "giant for the situation" buck where he couldn't even budge the string. he was young with dad's bow though. too long of a draw and too heavy for him. all geared up and cold too. had a lot going against him, but didn't know any better.

a lot of enjoyment can be had during preseason prep depending on how you go about doing it. it sometimes can be hard not putting both feet in getting lost in the expectations from yourself to fill tags and bring home a desirable set of antlers. for some it turns into a multi-year grind with seemingly insufficient success to show for it. when you feel at all like that is starting to happen it's important to pull your *&^% together enough to take a step back, take a deep breathe, and take it in for what it is. you're doing something your passionate about, that millions of others have done before you for the same reason. there's more seasons to come, but don't let a single one go to waste. you're out there doing it and that's what matters, not what's on your wall or how many tags you've filled. making it a point to do that will keep you from getting burnt out doing what you love. you keep going strong doing what it takes to get the job done. success follows. no BS. i've had to take that step back a few times this year and it's not even into the season yet. man is it going to be a great year though.

parent's bought a vacation home not that long ago on the gulf side. hopefully it doesn't get it too bad.

Cool mount. Dog will have to get over it. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I can find every one of my spots in the dark. Problem is if you don't have a cleared path then it's hard to get there stealthily. On a calm cold early morning sound in the timber carries. When I use my new brighter head lamp it'll have some black electrical tape on it to cover it up enough to give only enough to see. Not trying to change your mind. I've just tried the no light thing and it didn't work for me. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Young deer with lots of potential. Voluntary antler restrictions here probably wouldn't save him. I'd pass him but at the risk there's a good chance he won't make it. Anyway hope you see him last week of archery. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I have a head lamp. It's white led for blood tracking and gas a red led for getting into the stand. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk