nyslowhand

Oh yeah!!! Those 1st two photos show bucks with some funky racks! What the heck is in the background of that 2nd photo, esp to right of buck?

A cheap Xbow inherently comes with a cheap scope, which will be very disappointing! Do the math.... the cost of a cheap Xbow plus the cost of an add-on scope is about the same as a low end, much better quality Xbow/scope pkg. IE; Wicked Ridge and others. ".....I hear a crossbow is good out to 100 yards....." Hope you're being sarcastic, that's a huge misconception!!! Most Xbow scopes only have a 50yrd (max) dot/X-hair and there's a reason for that!! With a 50yrd shot, you can actually see the bolt arcing thru the air for what seems like seconds. So, take that for what it's worth..! Again, hopefully...The DEC will come to their senses and allow full inclusion of Xbows in the early bow seasons within the next couple of years. Esp if next year they allow ML in the SZ early bow season in those over-populated areas! TOO logical...?

You are talking about weather forecasts predictions, right...? lol

Congrats!! You're going to find what you did on 1st hunt will seem sort of anti-climatic when you have to sit out or put your "buck blinders" on for the rest of bow season. Anyways, well done!! Any other photos?

I feel your pain!

Exact same scenario in my area with the big orchards. Out at dusk, feed during the night and back to bedding or secure areas at pre-dawn. Probably the same for most agr crops that deer feed on! Security..!!

Let's do this with Photobucket. http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/nyslowhand/library/Trail%20Cams

Exactly why I don't like leaving cams out past ~Halloween! Made fun of another member's daughter that hunted with me opening day of gun season last year and had a nice buck pass-by ~3hrs after we quit for the morning. Guess she's getting the last laugh!!

Almost too embarrassed to say, but I left this stand less than an hour before these 3 (potential) encounters. Big Boy arrives, leaves, comes back and passes ~8yrds, broadside in front of the stand I was in! Feeling sick........ FYI - Cam is ~30yrds from stand you can vaguely see in the left background. 10-31 1.AVI 10-31 2.AVI 10-31 3.AVI

Areas that have them, it's 1st come, 1st serve..until gone! BTW - Found out this morning all you really need is a driver's lic, your hunting lic is not required! That was at a Town Clerk, but should be the same everywhere!

You are in control of the outcome of this situation! It can go two ways, either very badly or to just deal with it. If you decide to confront the other hunter, voice your displeasure, deny retrieval rights... it may come back and haunt you! Yeah, I too have stands located on or near property lines. My stands are generally positioned so I can or will only shoot onto my property! I also explain to the neighbors what I'm doing and ask well in advance for retrieval rights if/when the situation arises. If they seem the least bit apprehensive, I move the stand. I also request if they have stands near my property, please don't shoot onto it. Retrieval is fine. I won't shoot onto your property, so I'd expect the same courtesy! Stands that are close to one another for bow season is one thing, but a completely different set of issues for gun/firearms season!! Pissing matches with neighboring hunters never ends well, everyone gets PO'ed! BTW - Not your situation, but just a general statement... Stands located on/near property lines are prime candidates for theft!

Here's the basic recipe guidelines I use for a large crockpot of chili. To me chili is a creative cooking dish, so feel free to improvise!!! 1-1.5# ground venison ( I use venison sausage, so it needs to be thoroughly cooked) 3 cans (drained) of 3 different colored beans (not limas, navy, chick peas or garbanzos!) Peppers (whatever color), diced mushrooms, onion and garlic sauteed All of above into large crockpot and fill with crushed &/or diced tomatoes Add chili powder, chili seasoning mixes &/or whatever other seasonings you want 1hr on high and another 4-6hrs on the low heat setting, stirring frequently Since everything is pre-cooked, taste test ~1/2 way thru & season to taste May need to add more diced tomatoes if it gets too thick Makes ~4-5 super sized, hearty bowls of chili. Couple to eat & others to freeze Top with shredded cheese of your choice and a side of Italian bread & butter

I usually try to dart a doe from my drone and tie her to a tree 20yrds in front of a treestand. She can eat the corn &/or apples and all you do is wait..!!! What's the movie phrase...If you build it, they will come!

Hate to answer a question with a question, but this post needs some clarification! Other than taking the required hunter safety course, have you ever hunted or had a mentor while hunting before?

Possibly a late born yearling or an early born fawn. I've read where early born doe fawns can actually breed in Dec/Jan, so wouldn't think it'd be out of the question that an early born buck fawn might gets mini spikes. Anyone know this for sure?? Got a similar video a couple weeks ago of one with 2" spike on one side and ~1" on other side. Didn't look like the size of a typical yearling, maybe a super sized fawn.

Duh,..just put up signs, they'll follow them & self-relocate!

Innocent enough question, but not an easy cut & dry answer! Typically Xbows shoot heavier arrows to absorb the energy when they're fired. So the OP probably has a much better Xbow s/u regarding Ke than his compound bow with its' current s/u. Not to mention with a scope, shot placement would arbitrarily become more reliable and extend his ethical shot distance 10+yrds. Also considering the amount of tweaking and practice that would be required to boost his arrow wgt in his compound bow. A pass-thru shot with any bow on a buffalo,..just seems too unrealistic to expect. Xbow and the backup Hawken is a great idea! I've shot a few deer with TC Maxi-Ball Hunter (350gr) conicals out of my 50cal TC Renegade....knocks them right off their feet. So probably more than sufficient for a buffalo,,,with a good shot placement, at a reasonable distance!! Putting the high fence hunt aside like the OP requested, does sound like a cool hunt. The price is right!

Maybe a little biased since I've had 2-3 bad experiences with dealing with Todd at Guerin-Teed. Others like his shop! BTW - You won't find him around the shop this time of year as he does guided hunts in the Naples area, the last I knew. The owner of Jim's has a daytime real job, so he's only at the shop evenings & weekends. Haven't been there in a couple year when he was talking about retirement, so things may have changed since then. He's the real bow hunter and the one you'd need to convince to offer you any pointers, NOT the son! Avoid the big box stores at all costs, other than to buy something that you know you want & have researched. Those places are full of wanna-be archers and bad advice!

Over my lifetime, a few trees with broadheads. One I completely buried the fixed blade BH and finally the following summer I dug it out to remove any evidence of my stupidity ineptness!

Other than the obvious injury making one side different than the other, not all buck's racks are created equal!! Not uncommon to see side to side variations, tall narrow racks, low & wide ones, more points on one side than the other, kickers, one side skewed somewhat. etc. Just the way they grow! And maybe genetics, like a number of bucks I'd seen/gotten with no brow tines over a period of a few years. Broken tines are a completely different issue!

Granted, all three types of stands have their place & benifits, But each also has its' drawbacks! At least for me, I can't get pass the insecure feeling of being in a hang-on with only a rope/harness keeping me secure. To each, their own!

^^ ditto!! 15+' up in a tree, on a breezy or windy day...a cheapo climber won't appear to be such a bargain. Used Summit climbers can sometimes be gotten on Craigslist during the spring or summer months for about $1/2 of a new one. May be the older, steel construction which are maybe 5# heavier than the newer alum ones. Those damned old steel Vipers are literally indestructible!

The only time I'll wear any covering over my ears is late MZ season when temps are usually 20deg or less in the early mornings. Mainly depend on my vision, but hearing is very helpful too! Although there are times I try to tune-out my hearing. Damned squirrels!!!!

I bought some property years ago and the cost of a survey was cost prohibitive. Not to mention it was a brush lot bordered by other thickets. Luckily it was a basic rectangle and I knew where the 4X corner old, survey points were. My hand-held Garmin GPS has a mapping option, so I simply established a route (lines) around all 4 sides of my property connecting the established boundary markers, Then if you follow those boundary routes with the same GPS, you should be within a reasonable distance from the actual survey line. BTW - Even a cheapo hand-held GPS is guaranteed to be accurate & repeatable to within +/- 10'.

Certainly unofficial, but more reliable than coffee shop banter... Local deer processor in 8F said the tally as of 10/19 was about average of what previous years had been. Nothing more! Other than the idiot that tried to sneak a buck in (pre-10/17) and the DEC saw it on one of their visits. Duh..!!!! Be prepared for the next population control phase in 2016, ML included in early bow season for over populated SZ regions with a does only period again.