Zem18

I've fished there only a few times and caught panfish but never through the ice. Someday I will be successful, or better yet my son getting one through the ice. We'll keep trying.

Well I decided to take my 7 year old son on his first ice fishing excursion to the Almost Annual Crappie Derby on Whitney Point Reservoir this past Saturday. I dressed him up like Randy from "A Christmas Story" but he could put his arms down and we didn't use the mile long scarf. I have to say that he did better than I expected with temps hovering in the upper teens. Thank goodness for the heater hut they had for the younger ones. He sat in there for 5 minutes and a cup of hot chocolate warmed him right back up. We just jigged, no wax worms or minnows and came up empty but the experience and memories were good enough for the both of us. And those memories were captured by our local news station who came over and interviewed us. The link is below. He's the little guy sitting on the bucket and i'm the bumbling idiot at the end of the clip saying " It's a cure for UMMMMM Cabin Fever" http://www.wbng.com/news/local/The-Crappie-Derby-is-back-with-photos-244562311.html http://www.wbng.com/news/local/The-Crappie-Derby-is-back-with-photos-244562311.html

Any update on this? I too am getting into the pistol world and have seen a bunch of the Ruger SR-22's on Gunbroker. I love the look of the gun but have also read mixed reviews. Let us know if you have any updates. Thanks

Welcome from Apalachin

I have too many to list but I did come across this video on YouTube. If you like Led Zeppelin ( or even if you dont't) you need to hear this 16yr old girl sing. WOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7DeHxmdKuQ

Here are some of my favorites Taken from my bow stand

I'm right there with you Eddie - a big zero but like you said, got to spend a lot of time outdoors. Just think, some people don't get to do that and never will. Poor suckers. Enjoyed reading your posts. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Nice season there Fletch! I am totally jealous of the hours you can put in out there. I wish my job allowed it, but oh well, thats what vacation time is for. Congrats on a great season and enjoyed reading your journal. Happy Holidays to you and your family and good luck in GA.

Well the last day of muzzleloader turned out to be a doozie to say the least. The snow was coming down and the temp was 20 degrees. My father in law and I hunted together and decided to work a section of woods across from his house that I call the honey hole. I can't remember a time that I have hunted down there that I haven't seen at least 1 deer so I had high hopes. At 7:20am we went seperate ways in hopes of pushing deer to each other and meeting in the middle at some point. 15 minutes into the woods and I have a doe coming straight at me less than 30 yards. She turns and goes behind a low hanging Hemlock branch covered in snow. I think she is going to step out but never did so I am thinking she bedded in the briars. I can see two more deer past her another 25 yards away feeding. Thats when I hear a primer go off. The 5 seconds later, another primer goes off with a 3 second pause and then Boom. I see 3 deer take off to my right. I meet up with my FIL and he said not sure why it misfired and the second time was a long pause but he did get a chunk of hair off one of those deer. I saw where they headed and decided to try and push them back his way so I waited for him to set up and then I went after them. I bumped them from about 35 yards away through some thick stuff but they headed the right way but too high and never dropped off the hill towards him. I worked my way along the hill and heard another primer go off below me. Then I hear a Boom. I drop to one knee and watch below me and out pops a doe. The shot for me was 50 to 60 yards downhill so I held a little high and squeezed. Clean miss. That was the first deer I have shot at with my muzzleloader so it was exciting. I met up again with my FIL and he decided to run up to the house and clean his ML to prevent another misfire. I found a spot to stand watch and waited for him to return. It's 10:30am now and he is back. I told him I would push another section to him so go and get set up. I start my walk and 40 yards into it I see a deer. I stop and watch as it goes behind some brush but does not come out the other side. I take 2 steps to my right to see if it is moving away, only to see it come up out of the creek bed and start heading right to me. It is a beautiful 6 or 8pt buck. I am kneeling again and wait as the deer gets closer. It finally stops at 35yards broadside and has no clue I am there. I settle the crosshairs middle of the body, right behind the shoulder, take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger. BOOM and I see the deer lunge forward and run 10 yards and stop heading directly away from me. He stands for 20 seconds and then his tail flicks a few times and he walks off into some high grass. At this point I think I hit low so I am reloading behind a tree and staying quiet. I give him 25 minutes and then I proceed to circle below the way he came and if he jumps, my FIL is at the ready. I get over to his tracks where he was standing and no blood. I back track to where he was standing when I shot and there is a small amount of hair. My heart sank. I could not get this deer out of my mind as to why or how I missed as I hunted the rest of the afternoon. There was some brown hair but the rest looked shite or grayish on the snow so I am thinking the gun is shooting low. I stayed in the area until around 4pm and decided to head out. As I am walking out, I bump a bedded doe about 60 yards away. I freeze and she is watching me but nibbles on some brush and decides to bed again. I have a tree between me and her so I make my move. I make it the 30 yards to the tree and am about to lean to the right and see if I can get her in the scope when I see a second deer jump up off to my right and head towards the beeded one. She stops broadside at 25 to 30 yards. I am steady and hold it just a tad below her back as I thought I was low before. I squeeze yet again and BOOM. Next thing I see is the deer I shot at running away and the bedded one gets up and follows. I walk over to where she was and am in disbelief. No hair, no blood, no deer. Another miss. Although I felt crappy about missing, that was one of the most memorable hunts I have had and could not get the smile off my face that evening. I replayed the entire day over and over in my mind and was still happy and sad at the same time. I do know that I have to get to the range or set up in the FIL's field and see where this ML is hitting though. So another year has passed and I still haven't taken a deer with the ML but next year they better be on the lookout. I had so much fun that I think I will take a few more days off for the late season next year. Hope you guys enjoyed my entries, some few and far between as life is busy for everyone these days. Happy Holidays to all and be safe.

Where did they all go?? Seems a lot of guys are saying they aren't seeing anything, including myself. Too much pressure?

Wow I have some catching up to do. Actually, the 5 deer I saw on Thanksgiving were the last 5 deer I saw the rest of the season so not much to report. I did head down to camp for the last Saturday with my Dad, BIL and FIL. My FIL kicked up 3 bedded doe and took a shot but missed but he was the only one to see anything that day. We had gotten the freezing rain and about 4 to 5 inches of snow on top of that. I cut 3 sets of fresh tracks while still hunting and plenty of bear tracks form that night while the snow was falling as they were all snow filled. The ML is ready to go for this weekend and my schedule is clear so hopefully the weather will cooperate. Just heard a nice storm is headed our way Saturday afternoon calling for 8 to 12 inches. Can't wait to get back out. Oh and I took Tuesday off too so I have the whole last day by myself and have 3 different properties I can go to, including a small driving range/9hole golf course I just got permission to hunt. The deer have been eating on the 3rd green so he said go get em. Also said there are twin 7pts still running around in same area as 3rd green.

Pushed my bowhunting area around 7:30am this morning for my buddy and his Dad. Saw zip and man was it chilly and crunchy. We headed to another spot at 8:35am. Mt buddy set me in a spot and headed to the West of me. 15 minutes later he shoots and fills his second doe tag. 20 minutes later his Dad was East of me and he shoots twice. One miss and a dead kill shot on a nice sappling. I went to help his Dad not knowing he missed and he was watching below him. As I approached there was a deer bedded 120yds away and another 4 on their feet close by. They were about 100yds onto posted private property(a gun club) so all we could do is watch them move off except for the bedded one. I watched it for 10 minutes more and when it got up it was a spike or 4pt. He went the opposite direction of the does 5 minutes after the does left. Was a good day in the woods and got plenty to eat afterwards.

I was pretty excited for both of them. My BIL and I keep saying we have to save up and go with them before they can't go anymore so we can learn the land from them and all the good places to stay and eat. My buddy shot a doe this morning. I am going out with him and his Dad in the morning to push a few spots and try not to freeze while doing it. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

I second the motion but shoot one at 9:54 instead. You'll be fine!!! She hasn't left you yet after all these years of hunting season so go for it but dress warm!! Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving

NIce shootin on the buck. Congrats. I hear ya about getting at em hard the next few days.Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving

I can't believe I forgot to post that my Father in law and his buddy went to Colorado again this year. His buddy shot a cow elk on Thursday November 7th and my FIL shot a 5x5 satellite bull elk on Friday. Here are some of the details: Both guys are in their late 60's (67 for both I believe) and they were hunting by themselves (no guide) and it is all on public land. They hike in 3 miles each day to get to the spot they hunt. The first shot at the bull was at 450yds and it went over his back. The bull heard the echo behind him and ran towards my FIL where he took the second shot at 360yds and dropped him in his tracks. Here is his first Elk ever taken.

Well Saturday at camp with my Dad was another bust. Had 8 guys out hunting and no one saw a thing, not even a tail running away. I walked quite a bit hitting all my good spots and saw nothing. Hunted with my buddy Sunday. We did drives and I only saw one deer before the first drive started. Guess it wasn't meant to be this weekend. Here are the pictures of the 8pt a member took on opening day. He had him weighed at the butcher and he was 178lbs. Look at his neck

After work tomorrow I am picking up my Dad and we are headed back to camp. I have a doe tag for down there so I am trying to get that filled. Should be at least 4 of us down there maybe 7 if the other members come. Looking forward to hitting the woods again but the weather is still looking crappy. I know I will have my walking boots on and will be headed high to the ridge top. Going to set my Dad in an easy spot to get to and hopefully push some deer his way. He's 76 this year and still loves to get out. Had a knee operation years ago and a heart attack 3 years ago. He walks 5 to 8 miles a day to stay in shape so he may just put me to shame on those hills. Good luck to all you guys this weekend. Sorry it took so long to catch up.

Only saw the 3 deer on Monday morning and the rest of the day was a bust. High winds dominated the day. My BIL saw 5 deer that afternoon. It was weird as I hunted the low ground thinking the deer would want to be out of the wind in sheltered pockets. My BIL did the exact opposite and headed high to the ridge top and saw all 5 up high, in the 20 to 25mph winds. Only 1 was bedded. Headed home Monday evening to take a hot shower and see the family. Had Tuesday off so a morning hunt was in the picture with a cold front moving in. Tuesday 11.19.13 Got up to get my daughter on the bus for school and then headed out for a morning hunt. Man was it chilly and damn windy again this morning. Big change from the upper 40s and 50s from the last 3 days. I went to my bow spot at my in laws place. Sat there for 20 minutes and decided to move before I became a popsicle. I still hunted the 28 acres next door for the next few hours, hitting all the prime spots and trails and did not even put up a flag.

10.17.13 Sunday Was crappy rainy, windy, and just plain noisy today. Was getting ready to call it quits for the day around 4:10pm as it was getting dark in the Hemlocks when I caught a flash close by. It was a doe, followed by a buck. They snuck in on me and he was dogging her. I watched where they would come out and then saw they had stopped and headed back the way they came. BUt then they decided to turn and head into my set up and I realized there were two doe and a buck. The doe were super close to me (I am hunting on the ground) and they stopped and busted me at 10 yards or closer. The buck was out a 40 yards and his vitals were behind a tree but I had front shoulder. I am scoping his rack through a fogged scope and determined he had at least 3 on one side. I took a step to the right and he saw me and we stared at each other. I settled the crosshairs and think I pulled the trigger and not squeezed. He took off and the doe followed. After composing myself I went to where he was standing and could smell his musky scent he left behind. No blood, no hair. I checked the area towards the trail they went on and no sign of a hit. I got out my flashlight and continued to scour the ground for anything and came up empty. I then followed the trail for about 450 yards and no sign and no dead deer. There was some brush between me and him I did not see in the scope. Also I rushed the shot as I was busted by all three and knew it had to happen quick. I am shooting a .243 so am thinking the brush was the main culprit and my pulling the trigger or jerking when I shot. I am thankful it was a clean miss. I beat myself up thinking I had hit him and didn't look hard enough so at first light I headed to the end of the property (the way the deer ran) and back tracked to the shot. I zig zagged the flat and hillside and did not find any sign, but, I did jump a large deer, and two small does shortly after I started looking. I believe it was him and his girls but could not be certain. I know he is not dead if I did hit him as I would have found him for sure in this area. My BIL hunted the hill above me that morning and he checked the flats above me and went over the ridge as well and did not see the deer or any sign of a hit or wounded animal. So I have processed this hunt and saved it in the memory bank as to not make the same mistake again and just let them walk instead of rushing and possibly taking another bad shot opportunity.

10.16.13 - Opening day Southern Zone - 4W Well we had a pretty full camp this year which was nice. Tons of food and stories for everyone. Was getting my rifle and headed towards the door when I heard the first shot of the day. One of our members took a nice tall 8pt that went 178lbs dressed. His biggest buck ever and it was a beauty. I'll upload the pics later for sure. Heard another shot shortly after 8am, really close across the valley. It was my Father in Law who shot a nice 5pt. He had just gotten back from Colorado Wednesday where him and his buddy hunted public land on a DIY hunt and his buddy tagged a cow elk and my FIL tagged a 5x5 bull elk. Congrats to both of them. I finally saw the first deer of the day at 4:05pm. A small spike came down off the hill on a major trail with his nose to the ground. He walked past me at 30 yards and I just had to laugh as his nose was going crazy. Was hoping Sunday would be a better day.

We've all been there. Better a clean miss than days worth of tracking a ghost. Get back out there and get one!!!

That's a dandy buck right there. Congrats

Great story and great buck. Congrats on your 1st bow buck.

11.4.13 If work wasn't so busy, I would've used a sick day this morning. Heavy frost and temps in the lower 20's and I am sure those deer would have been moving this morning. Life always seems to be interrupted by work doesn't it? Oh well. No more after work hunts as I don't get out early enough to make it to my spot. Looks like Saturday morning and hopefully Sunday morning will be my last bow hunts for this year. Have to work Saturday afternoon, yay overtime.