Cabin Fever

Please be smart and wear safety harnasses. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your family! Sept 16, '09 I made an unexpected stop at camp to check trailcams. While I was there, figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and check treestands. Climbed 20', shook the stand, it was nice and secure, went to transfer my weight from the steps to the stand, grabbed a large limb like I usually did, heard a "snap", and fell straight down! When I heard the "snap", I knew I was REALLY screwed and just said my wifes name, not knowing if I would even be alive when I hit the ground. I only remember rolling on the ground. I opened my eyes and wiggled my hands and legs. I was amazed that everything seemed to work and I kind of chuckled to myself that I had fallen 20' and not only survived, but didn't appear hurt! I stood up and immediately fell over. THAT's when the pain kicked in! I knew my foot must have been broke. Luckily, I had my phone on my side, so I called my wife to give her an idea of where I was. I didn't know if the adreneline was also covering up other internal injuries that might cause me to pass out somewhere on my way back to camp. I was ~1/2 mile from camp. I tried crawling, but everytime my foot hit a root, sapling, or anything, I screamed in pain! I ended up grabbing a limb that I could use as a crutch and managed to hobble back to camp. To make a LONG story short, I missed out on my beloved bowhunting last fall and was very limited on where and how I hunted during gun season. I have spent ~$2000 on medical expenses, on disability for ~12 weeks, still have terrible pain in my foot on a daily basis (especially walking in the woods on uneven ground!), limp pretty bad, and can't find a doctor that can tell me what is causing all the pain OR if it will ever get any better! (VERY frustrating!!!) I have always worn a safety harness while "IN" the stand. I have since purchased the HSS Linemans rope (for hanging steps/stands) and Lifeline that you tie above the stand down to the bottom of the tree. You clip your harness onto the prusset knot and slide it up and down with you. If you fall, it locks up, and you from falling far. I am hooked up from the time my feet leaves the ground until they are back on the ground (by my choice!). I know I am VERY lucky that I only broke my foot with a 20' fall and things could have been MUCH worse! I always felt I was safe and cautious, but accidents happen! Things break, you may slip or mis-step while watching that big buck approach, medical conditions happen, climbing up to your stand you may become startled by mice or squirrels that have made a nest in your stand seat, etc... If you don't wear a safety harness, PLEASE reconsider! Think of the consequeces, it is NOT worth it! When I hear someone have lame excuses as to why they don't wear a safety harness, I really feel sad for them, knowing what I've been through, and I can't help but feel that their time is coming....

Some things that you can use that do work are pure vanilla extract, anise, apple juice in a squirt bottle, urine (deer and human), etc... Sure helps to get the deer to stop walking, as they are curious and stop to check it out. Vanilla and anise are used in some urine based lures for deer (remember the old Vanilla Killa scent and Trails End 307?) as well as some trapping lures. Non-threatening, sweet, curiosity inducing scent. I know a guy who swears by using pure vanilla extract. I've used concentrated apple juice, watered down enough to go through a small squirt bottle, as a cover scent also when I'm hunting. I hunt around apple orchards and have numerous crabapple trees around also. I've also sprayed it in shooting lanes where I want a deer to stop.

Nice buck for sure!

Very cute pic!

They sure are tall when they stand up like that!

Just noticed yesterday that all the big cornfields to the north of my property have been cut. There are only 2 left standing and one borders my property and the other is ~300 yards away on the other side. Hoping this will help keep the deer on / or traveling through my property this year.

Wasn't easy to find, but we did the same.

Not even close!! I've had NO time to get out to check or hang stands or to do any trimming yet.

10 -20. I think 25 has been my absolute farthest.

I started shooting Rage 2 blade a couple of years ago and love them. My only complaint with them as they can be a pain in the quiver, as they open up a lot when you shove them up in. After you do this a few times, the o-rings crack and tear, and need replacing.

I think I know where I'd put a stand, with all that activity! Nice! Is that the edge of an apple orchard? Kind of looks like apple trees in the background of the daytime pic?

Perfectly normal. Like others have said, he's just losing his bright summer coat and getting in his darker winter coat.

Nice bucks!! Seeing hard horns sure gets the blood pumping!! We're getting there!!

That is is great bear! he'll look much bigger when he gets his winter coat!! That pole is crazy!!

WOW! That is a beautiful bear!! Do you bear hunt?

I went to a coyote hunting seminar last winter. They said that studies have shown that coyotes kill 40-70% of whitetail fawns each year. I did some research on this afterwards and found the same stats with different studies that were done in the East. I've read reports that say turkey populations have dropped 80% in areas with well established coyote populations. 8-10 years ago, we had a HUGE turkey population in my area, I mean I think we had more turkeys than squirrels! In the past 6 or so years, when we go out when there's snow on the ground, there will be many more coyote tracks than anything else! In that same timeframe, our turkey population is almost non existant! There's none around in the spring to hunt, I seldom ever get pics, and I haven't laid eyes on any for 2-3 years! I trap raccoons and opossums in the fall, just to help thin out the nest raiders. My neighbor traps fox and coyotes. I try my best to call coyotes, with little/no luck. Must be doing something wrong.

Wide rack! nice!

I don't know where he's been the past couple of years. I know the surrounding landowners and I think if someone got him they would have mentioned it.

Nice! One step closer to hunting season!!

BANG!!!

Great buck!

I'd go with winter rye also. Grows quick and deer love it.

Oh yeah. I've done it many times. Sometimes I'll even take a squirt in front of my cams to get the deer to stop and pose. It works AND it's cheap!

Nice bucks! Neat turkey pic too!

I just heard about this at a family party. Someone showed me a pic that someone else took of it and sent to them. Claimed it was hit on the thruway. (We've all seen those kinds of pics before, only to find out it was taken across the country somewhere!) Anyway, I did a google search and found it was legit. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/exotic_african_cat_found_as_ro.html