Cabin Fever

I have scattered crabapple trees in the area. This year, some trees have a few apples, but others have none. I like hunting the crabapples next to thickets. It seems the deer like to get out earlier in the evenings to be the first ones to get to the apples that have fallen during the course of the day. Either that, or sometimes they step out of the thicket during the day to grab a quick snack, then head back to bed down again. I also have large apple orchards ~300 yards away on 2 sides of my property. These trees have fewer apples than usual this year, but there's still lots of them! Apple orchards are more like hunting crop fields to me, as the deer wait until almost dark to venture out in them. Partially due to it being more open and the human activity that takes place in the orchard around harvest time.

I've been a NWCO for several years and have caught 1,000+ skunks in live traps. I've never once been sprayed. They will spray with a conibear! Even if it's just released along with other bodily fluids after death. Honestly, for liability reasons, a conibear just isn't worth the risk of catching the neighbors cat or dog in the trap. If a neighbor went out looking for fluffy or fido, that didn't return home last night, and found it in your conibear, the Humane Society and God only knows who all (media?) would be called and on your ass. Not worth it. JMHO... If you don't want to mess with it or risk being sprayed, hire someone.

I hate to say it, but to me, it's like playing Russian roulette climbing into a stand without a safety harness. I hope I'm not jinxing anyone... I know I got off "easy", but man I'm in such pain every day, that I sometimes wish the doctor would cut my damn foot off! Not just that, but thinking about all the $$$ that I've had to pay for the ER, surgeries, doctors bills, MRI's, x-rays, physical therapy, lost wages, etc...

If you want to use something that won't attract cats, try Nilla wafer cookies. That's my go-to bait when targeting skunks. BTW, I would recommend covering the trap also...

Incase anyone is not familiar with the HSS Life Life, this is it. There is also a video if you would like to watch. http://www.huntersafetysystem.com/lifeline/ I understand that you can also make your own using a prussic knot and some high strength rope. After what I've been through (and going through), I'll spend the $ and buy a quality HSS Life line though, so I have no worries.

Exactly 3 years ago this month, I fell out of my treestand while out checking stands. I always wore my safety harness while hunting, but this day, I just happened to be out checking trailcams, and unexpectedly, thought I would check stands too, and kill two birds with one stone. I climbed up 20', looked the stand over, tried to shake it, but seemed rock solid. I grabbed a limb for balance (that I have used over the past 3-4 years everytime I got into this stand) as I transferred my weight from the climbing stick to my stand. I heard a "snap", when the now dead limb broke, and I knew I was screwed... I didn't panic, but was almost at peace, understanding that I was either gonna be dead or paralysed when I hit the ground and at that point, freefalling, it was out of my hands. The first thing I said was, "Oh Rose" (my wifes name), almost apologizing for my stupid mistake. I remember hitting the ground and rolling down the hill. When I opened my eyes, I slowly moved my arms and legs. I almost chuckled to myself, thinking I had just fallen 20', I was still alive and apparently didn't get hurt! I stood up, fell over, THEN the pain hit! I knew I had broken my foot. Not knowing if I had any internal injuries, that the adrenaline was covering up, I grabbed my cell and called my wife, to let her know my location. I then crawled and hobbled on one foot ~1/4 mile back to camp. LONG story short, I broke my foot in 2 places. But, that has proven to be the least of my problems. I have so much joint damage, bone on bone grinding, and now arthritis in about every joint in my foot, that I have terrible daily pain and it limits my day to day activities. I also just scheduled my 3rd surgery (for AFTER hunting season, of course)! When it first happened, and with each surgery, I've been laid up for several months each time. The doc is telling me with the next surgery (fusing several joints and installing lots of hardware), I'll be out of work for at least 6 months. While I was laid up the first time, I ordered the HSS Life Lines for every stand that I have. I am now attached to the tree from the time I take my first step off the ground until I climb back down and my feet touch the ground! My kids have both recently started hunting and ever since day 1, I bought them each a HSS Pro Series safety harness! I know I got out of this treestand fall VERY lucky, as the outcome could have been much much worse. Moral of this story, don't be stupid and be sure to wear a safety harness at all times when you are off the ground! I've learned that most treestand falls happen when you are making that transisition between steps and the stand, just like mine. You could even have a medical issue (heart attack, stroke, diabetic attack, pass out, dizzy, or whatever) in the stand that could cause you to fall out of the stand. That safety harness will save your life!!! Plus, if you don't wear a safety harness for yourself, do it for your wife, kids, parents, or other loved ones that are depending on you returning home safely... Be safe and happy hunting.

Defrosting the freezer is for the does! I know I'll probably never see this buck! I've been after this buck for 3 years now, but have never seen him, other than getting several pics.

I assume you take it down after each hunt? I always take mine down after each hunt or it wouldn't have survived a season!

Dude, you have some freak-nasty-looking-bucks in your area!!! What are you feeding them? Too near a power plant or what?

LOL!! I'm more excited about how much MEAT I'll get out of him, more so than what he'll score!!! That reminds me, I gotta defrost the freezer before season....

No pressure though..... right??

Ribcage is about what I and about everyone else first thought of when we first saw the pics! (Actually, I believe I blurted out several "Holy F-bombs", before ribcage came to my mind!) I have pics of him from the past 2 years, but the ribcage type rack wasn't as pronounced as it is now. I keep going over aerial photos, trying to figure out where his core area is, where my stands are placed, where I've gotten pics of him traveling over the past 3 years, etc... Someone give me an Ambien..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

There, I updated it! Are you happy now?? The damn rack was hard to fit in such a small area!!

Very nice! Blast away at those coyotes...

Funny you should say that about work... I'm working 5 days in October and 10 days in November! Gotta love vacation time!!!!!!!! I've stared at those pics for so long that I have the images burned into my memory! Hunters PORN!!! That's all I could see last night when I was trying to sleep!! The thicket (borders my property) that has been his core area for the past couple of years was wiped out this summer by bulldozers! It's gonna be a new crop field! I was hoping he would either move into my thickets or the adjoining neighbors thickets on the other side of my property, instead of moving across the road or into a completely new area. I was starting to get worried as I haven't gotten any pics of him yet this summer. Thank God, my hopes and logic was correct and he didn't leave the area! I was starting to think it was just wishful thinking that he didn't leave after his thicket was destroyed! Where the pics were taken, he's standing ~300 yards from my cabin!

These pics are him from from 2011. I was thrilled with him last year, but he EXPLODED this year!!

LOL! nyslowhand was WITH me when I checked this cam, so he doesn't need GPS coordinates!!!

OMG... WHAT A BUCK!!!! Every year, I get pics of this big boy, but I can't believe how he exploded this year!!! I believe he's the buck in my avatar. I got pics of him mid-February, so I was relieved to know that he made it through hunting season!! He is a monster!!! Looks like the velvet is just starting to peel off! BTW, you can see him in the background of the daytime pic and he was moving by at 7:11am!

Glad to see someone is finally taking some action! Hopefully this will set an example for other counties and this is just the beginning!!

No idea what brand it is. I actually have a couple. The rod that you screw into the tree broke on both of them, on about the first or second use! I made one from a screw in step (much more heavy duty) and have been using it for ~8 years!

He would look great all wrapped up in my freezer!!

I've used one for years and like it. It helps me stay in the stand longer and makes for a more comfortable sit. Plus, I like to keep my gun and scope out of the rain too.

WOW! That first one looks like a doosey!! All great looking bucks though! I smell a good season coming up for you!

Too bad it wasn't a back leg... an extra hind quarter for the freezer!