nyslowhand

You're setting yourself up for dissappointment if you follow those TV shows so closely!!!! BTY - The Lakoskys are far removed from the average hunters! They're full-time deer managers, outfitters, they truely bait, sell endorsements/filmed hunts and hunt 5000 acres in a prime whitetail region. That specific deer - "Don't pass on a buck on your 1st hunt that you'd shoot on the last day of the season."

Déjà vu Now they are calling for it to be "Breezy" on Sat. Didn't we have enough wind last year to last a lifetime?

Even more dust on these... Okay - $40 plus the shipping or you can p/u at zip 14589. Were for crossbow bolts - anyone interested???

More power to you if you practice and are confident enough to take a shot at small target like a head. No for me, I need a bigger target like the base of the neck or preferably the chest. Ever see one taken during a deer drive that was shot at 20+ times. IMHO - Not a pretty sight or a good testimonial to hunters' ethics. Mostly why I gave up group hunts and do the single shot ML all through gun & ML seasons. If it isn't presenting a good shot I can't afford to waste the opportunity.

Just bought a pair I'm using this year. HAve high hopes for them!!! Have used Rocky 1400 insulated boots with Grabber toe warmers, but feet still got cold sitting. Talking about mostly after Thanksgiving into ML season. Having been a smoker for years doesn't help!!! My bad...

OMG, you've brought back an image I've tried to forget that I saw as a kid. Gigantic dude straddling the unloading chute with a sledge hammer in this hands. Cows came out, BAM between the eyes, 2 steps and over it went. Next cow out the chute...... Gives me a headache to think about it.

FYI -Just one rut theory based on survival of the species. Interesting article in the newest issue of Petersen's Bowhunting magazine about the whitetail rut. Per the author of the article: Deer have offspring at an optimum time in the spring to ensure survival. Back dating the gestation peroid puts the rut (breeding) at a general, but consistent time frame in the fall. Several Whitetail biologist from northern NA were polled and their opinions were; The rut occurrs basically about the same time every year. The moon phase or weather have little influence on the rut. Night time rut activity is a common occurrence. IMHO: Kind of a generalized observance about the majority of breeding does & their activities. As we all know, not all does go into esterous at the same time. And of course, not all bucks behave the same during this hectic cycle of life peroid.

This discussion is based on values and opinions formed on each side of the DEC's defination or regulations. Basically everyone hunts some sort of attractant or area that entices deer to it. Whether it be food plots, crab apples, travel routes, typical rutting areas or pinch points.- they all either attract or entice deer. Really applies to stand hunting and may not influence hunters who stalk - or does it? So per a strict defination; bedding areas, natural funnels, oak trees, orchards, grain fields or even scents are all baits..? Logistics & resources prevent me from maintaing food plots. Not sure I'd do so even if I could, influenced by my opinion and values. I prefer to hunt the perimeter of naturally occuring thick, bedding areas. So by defination, I'm hunting an attractant or area that entices deer to come to? G-Man: Confused & not following your logic about the difference in size of a bait area. A small bait plot in front of a stand is not okay, but a stand on a large bait field is okay.....? Does this have to do with your opinion about the difference between attracting & feeding? Guess the bottom line is the legal defination and what your opinion is about the gray areas on each side that. IMHO - If you can justify maintaining food plots, it's legal & great for you. I prefer not to! If you see food plots as targets at a shooting gallery, can understand that opinion also.

For the most part all prepared for the Southern Zone bow season opening. Suff is ready, I've been practicing with the bow and just started with the bowbroadheads. One final thing was to put a voodoo hex spell on the bucks..LOL Whatever works, right????? Found the skull last spring & have no idea of its age. Not one I shot at! Wanted to mount it on the front of my shed, but it was pretty fragile.

If you're sketpical like me the manufacture's claim of their cam being waterproof is an exaggeration. I've got one that is supposedly waterproof and goes completely bonkers after a good downpour. Cheapest way out is to pick-up these at yard sales which I prefer not to frequent. Mine are made from pie tins, but can be made with a cake pan. Can be cut straight across, I prefer a 7-8 radius to hug the tree more. Scuff it up, attach "L" bracket, paint with flat black & air it out. Had camo duct tape, so I dressed my up. I use a hex head, sel-tapping screw but any thing will work to attach it above the cam. For the amount of work it can save a lot of grief or an expensive cam. Don't have any exclusive rights to this, may have pirated the idea from a website...don't recall?

About 15yds in front of a new stand location for this year. Decent buck for my area with poor soil conditions & no agricultural crops close by. Bucks generally have mal-formed, funky racks. Just moved trail cam back to this location hoping for newer, daylight photos. Last year he had a big scrape by the cam, which I've freshened up for him. Believe it or not, he's at least a 4 year old and probably 5. He's had a decent rack for the past 2-3 years.

You can do this with the basic (free) version of Google Earth??? Thought you needed the extended (licensed) version....?

Now that's what I'm talking about - very nice deer for our area of the boondocks!!!!!

If it were up to treestand manufactures, you wouldn't get one included with every stand. It's the treestand safety assoc that requires them to provide safety harnesses. Users are responsible for safety inspections & replacement when in doubt. Lot of free ones avilable!!! I think Cabinfever hit the nail on the head with his suggestion of the rope tree staps. There was a How-To last year on this forum showing how to make your own prussic style rope strap. Search the web too. Or you can buy one for ~$40..? FYI - Should have a rope that provides enough tensile/break strength. Think it's somewhere around 3500#, not sure though. PS: Don't want to hear any more horror stories about falls from a treestand!!! Please use something!!! Wheelcahirs aren't hunter friendly....

Don't want to generalize or make a blanket statement, but I think the reverse is true - at least in my experience. My property is surrounded by houses, roads, orchards and has my constant intrusion daily. The deer don't even bolt unless you get too close, make movements or threaten them somehow. Then they only run out of sight (60-80yds), stop and see what you are going to do. I have actually driven within 20yds of many deer with my ATV and they never move unless I make some hand movements. Done the same on foot, but not getting quite as close. IMHO - the deer get used to your smell, patterns and activities and form their lives around your presence. How about the 20 or so apple pickers invading the orchards daily leaving God knows what kind of scents behind. At dusk the deer seem to pile out into the orchards regardless of any human scent lingering. This is for most deer - mature bucks get more nocturnal in these areas and only seem on cam photos or during the rut. It's my opinion that you'll never be able to get away with any of these activities in those remote areas void of human intrusion. Majority of the time you'll only see the "white flag" bounding away. That is unless you get the goofy, curious deer that wants to know what the heck you are doing there. Think deer are like most other animinals when it comes to conditioning to humans & their intrusions upon the animinal's life. They reduce their "flight reactions" and overall fear of humans.

When the amount of daylight diminishes and the average temperatures fall to certain levels the rut begins. BTW - that's typically sometime in the 1st three weeks of November as others have also observed. The rut theories are really popular only for the specific reason of optimizing vacation time in one's busy life. In summary; Be there when you can because it's going to happen. If you're not there, it definately will happen without you. If you miss the main event, it may happen again later to a lesser degree.

A blender....? If it works for you, I'm okay with it!

If I had 10/10 vision and could see which part of the deer's torso my sight pin was covering - maybe I'd take a 68yd shot..? Same situation - hunting for mountain goat or sheep, an amateur hunter took a 760yd rifle shot and got it. OMG. Too many viewers get caught up in the hunt & think they are there with the hunter and camera man. Yeah, I think most hunting programs have crossed the line and gone too far to be a sucessful enterprise. Enormous, baited properties with only the best/highlighted hunts shown. Huge sponsor endorsements! Not the real hunting experience protrayed. Sure there are hunters that could make shots like these. But what are the other 98% of the viewers thinking - They can do that too!!!!

Saw those for the 1st time & LMAO!!! Gotta be kidding me!!! How much more crap do we need to carry into the woods? Aren't all the scent-free advertisements targeted at the shortest time invested & almost guaranteed hunt outdoorsman?

That's kinda why I put the "Parameters" disclaimer in. Know a lot of hunters shot 40yds+, which I choose not to and can't address the specifics of wgt/penetration for those who do. Lotta hunters shot heavier draw weight, which give flatter arrow trajectory and different velocity/energy characteristics. Then there are the primitive longbow die-hards, which I don't pretent to know anything about. Many hunters use 10+ year old, slower bows and some have newer 350fps bows. Many different arrow/broadhead combinations that could work for any of these groups, but no "one size fits all" (as you noted). When I choose my broadhead/arrow combo, I did a lot of research on the web & hunting magazines. Even the so called experts don't agree on velocity, penetration & kinetic energy debate. What I was imlying was that there seems to be a general logic amoung bow hunters to think large draw wgt, heavier arrow & big broadheads are better. Is it a male ego thing, is bigger really needed and that much better? It's kind of a personal preference & what works for you bow setup or hunting senerio.

Not saying you assumed anything! What I was implying was for the cost & convience of having a b/u release it would not suddendly end your hunt. Like I mentioned, I would be SOL if my release broke w/o a b/u. I've left my release behind, once. Half way to stand, back to truck & then back to stand with release makes you think about it more.

100gr, G5 Montec on 31"/340 arrows; setup that works best for my compound bow with my 58# draw wgt! My question to all those compound bow users that subscribe to the heavier or more penetration philosophy: If you get a pass through with 85gr broadheads, minimal diameter arrows, 50# draw wgt @ 250fps, why go larger/heavier? You can't get more penetration than a pass through, can you? Suppose if (on a whitetail) you hit a front (or rear?) leg, penetration would be a mote point...? IMHO - It's more about the angle of the target and shot placement than the projectile or energy. If I were to hunt bear, elk or moose I'd have to re-think my broadhead & arrow setup. With that said; The parameters I'm talking about are compound bow hunting from a stand/bilnd, basic broadside/standing deer and the typical +/-20yd shots.

I have at least two, possibly more. Have to check. North, central Wayne county (Williamson/Sodus area)- 8F

You're assuming every bow hunter has a backup release...? Until I began thinking about it last year I never had one. I use a Wynn's RH/Loop release in large, unique release not found in every Dick's or bow shop. Now have one & have shot with it. Don't carry it, I'm only 1/2mi max from where it's stored.

Had the pleasure of seeing this rustic cabin. Very, very neat!!! Like an authentic "Mountain Man", hand-made cabin. Very kool!!!!!!!!!