UpStateRedNeck

Cool Video, thanks for sharing!

He's been like that since July....... first time I've ever seen it. Hope it's not permanent, he'll be a stud next year if his other side grows in and he lives!

This sounds strangely familiar: One of my Dads co-workers took up bow this year, liver/gut shot a doe around 4 on Saturday night (and screwed up my evening sit, but thats neither here nor there). He followed immediately for about 40 yards, found his arrow then left it until dark. 4 of us blood trailed her after that, blood went from dry to the point of no-flaking, to wet in the middle of a swamp. We followed the trail about another 40 yards in the dark (took 2.5 hours to get this far, say 300 yards total distance), and gave up for the night. My aunts german shephard is evidently a good tracker as the next day he led them another 1/2 mile on the trail, found several beds with gut matter and dark blood. And then they started finding pieces of it the yotes had left. They're really hungry right now and were on that deer in less than 10 hours, so don't let your deer sit over night if you can help it!

I've had luck, Friday at 6:10 a cow of a doe walked up to my travel corridor stand and hung out, if I hadn't promised I would be back to my wife by 7:30 I would have waxed her, regretting it a little bit right now. Last Tuesday before the bad weather moved in I had a shot at a 6 point, and hit a teeny little pine twig. Apples are still a huge draw and probably will be for another week or two. Otherwise, they seem to be just browsing green shoots. I haven't seen a single nut scrape, or ripe nut on the ground all week. As opposed to last year where all they hit was acorns. I think we'll be chasing next weekend/week. Weather looks like it's going to get Cold (!!!!!!!!!!!!) on Friday through the weekend. I think the big boys are finally starting to run and scrape a bit, we should see some action next weekend. Bundle up and good luck!

300 pictures taken in 2 weeks on a cluster of 3 apple trees, where now I have 2 stands, and where I missed the 6 point below on tuesday. Not crying over it though, theres bigger fish to fry as you can see : Little 8 pointer that I hope lives through the year 6 point I shot at on tuesday, kinda glad I hit that branch, thought he was an 8 in the failing light, and didn't have much time to make my decision! This fella is boss hog of the hill at the moment : I think I'm going to make a "mock scrape" out of a does head the next time one is standing underneath my stand.

Don't get me started, I'm right smack dab in the middle of this feeling right now. Missed a beautiful 8 this tuesday night, he came in and was eating apples for 15 minutes right in the middle of the tree, came out around 6:10 and was turned broad side to me and moving when I snort wheezed at him, he stopped, it was a hard quartering away shot but I had a shot at the bread basket. I didn't see the ONE FRIGGIN TWIG OF DEAD PINE that I hadn't trimmed, took the shot, it went right on target towards his boilermaker, hot the twig and veered 2 feet to the right completely missing him. He ran 20 yards, out of line of sight, then came back in and started chomping apples until dark, just out of shooting sight. So, down in the dumps right now. Was shaking like a leaf for almost 30 minutes. Also when I was 16, opening day, first day of deer hunting ever, I missed a huge 8+ from about 15 yards with a 12 gauge. he came crashing through the woods at first light and scared the bejeezus out of me.

Ugh. Missed an dandy 8 point last night, he was eating apples for about 20 minutes before he showed himself, around 6:10 (I think), I snort wheezed at him, he stopped hard quartering away, and the freaking arrow hit the only teeny little dead pine branch I didn't trim. It was right on target too. At which point he ran 20 yards away, eventually wandered back and was eating apples until it was dark, and moved off. I don't think I'll get another shot at him out of that stand, unless I move it to a different angle.

Thanks WNY, they definitely have bick necks in common, but no deer ever taken up on the farm has ever had a rack like that. At least not in the past 30 years.

I'm knocking out early today to get an evening sit, my aunt told me my buck was hanging out under an apple tree about 100 yards from one of my stands. That, + the weather moving in, + the overcast and I hope they'll be out early. Gonna be pitch black until the moon comes out tonight.

That little lump of fat between his front legs in the first picture, is that an indication that he's well fed, or just getting on in years? I've seen that on the big buck I'm hunting, so, a bit curious. P.S. That is some impressive buck, you tag a wiley old deer like that with a bow and you've done something!

I FINALLY had to replace the batteries in one of my cams from the set that came with it last month, and to my chagrin, the regular energizer alkaline D cell batteries that I used ran out in about 3 weeks (maybe not even). The old pair lasted for almost 4 months of total usage. So this begs the question : Where do you guys get your D Cell Lithiums? I assume the lithiums are necessary to get that long useage, I'm sure as heck not replacing batteries in my cams every 3 to 4 weeks. I could invest 70 bucks in a D cell recharger, and 16 D rechargeable lithiums, but experience tells me rechargeables just don't have the lasting power. So on google there are energizer lithium "industrial strength" batters for sale, 16 bucks for a 12 pack. Seems like the best option to me, unless you guys have a good alternative?

SOME big bird buzzed me ( say 5 feet from my head ) this sunday in my ladder stand. Pretty sure it was a hooter. It was still dark, false down just starting to creep into the sky. I also saw a peregrin (which I've never seen up there before) doing some pretty fancy flying through the woods on saturday.

Opening morning, saw about 40 deer on the drive out at 5, saw 2 about 30 yards from my car in the dark, a yote from 10 yards away in the dark, and a BIG set of eyes attack to some rack about 70 yards from my stand. Not going in that way anymore! Bust after that, switched to a travel corridor stand and 9am to 1pm, nothing. Went home. Spooked 2 on the way in to my orchard stand sunday, wind picked up, got out at 9 and saw 2 does in the field. Haven't been allowed to hunt an evening yet, but with the moon as bright as it is in the morning rights now + the wind, the bucks don't seem to be moving during daylight. My 2 target 8's visited my camera around 1am and 2am respectively both nights this weekend. Gotta get out for a dark sit.

Awesome. And moving in the daylight too!

Sunday should be a bit better, at least in eastern NY. You boys out west hang onto your butts!

Local dudes say a NW wind, weather channel/weather underground saying a WSW wind...... I'm going to go down in my out of the wind stand for the morning, but if it's real unpleasant I won't be out too long.

Geno you may want to consider going down to 65#'s....... I'm a big dude, especially in the back and shoulders, and I didn't listen to my archer buddy the first year, and left it at 70#'s. Alot harder to draw 70 when you're freezing your keester off and haven't moved in 6 hours. At least quietly. Long story short spooked one, toned it down to 65 and don't even have to think about it anymore.

Doh! This makes me realize I forgot to wash my safety harness and climbing belt. Le triple sigh.

Saturday: Clouds mixing with sunshine. perhaps a shower. Windy and cool. Wind: NW 10-25 + mph Temps: Low 60s Doh. Oh well this is why I put that stand up down in the gully. Sunday should be better according to the long range. Should know better by tomorrow evening.

Here's the highlights of the past 2 weeks activity : Not sure what to make of the 4, or how that rack will turn out if he lives? Interesting looking though!

Obviously a different deer, doesn't have ANY distinguishing characteristics. On a serious note, thanks for posting that, really really cool pictures.

Wow! Awesome picture, thanks for posting, and good lord he's a brute. General area of Greene County?

And this one pulled 3 days ago. The date/time is wrong I keep forgetting to reset it. It was taken on Sept 30th I believe! Now that HAS to be the same one as the last year pictures, look at his neck! But I do think the big wide one is a different buck now that I have these, he looks almost identical to last year.

Sorry this took so long, I've been trying to get ALL my firewood done this week so I have no distractions for next weekend : These are from last year, same time as the other ones. The shape of the rack looks real similiar to the ones from this year.

Hey guys, I'm curious as to what you guys think. Pics 1 and 2 are last years, do you think this is the same buck as pic 3 & 4? I have a frontal shot of his head ( I will upload it from home later, sorry I thought it was in my library! ), and the rack symmetry is almost exactly the same, just a little smaller. The picture from last year is in almost the exact same pose which really drives it home. And secondly, how old would you say? I would say he's got to be at least 2.5 in the first two, 3.5 this year? Has a body on him like Look at the body on him this year.