UpStateRedNeck

Supposed to be a nice dry sunny day, I'm going to get in my high stand that covers 2.5 fields and SIT, all day long. Bring a book, don't move, don't grunt, don't put out scent, just let the yahoos on the stateland push them all my way.

From the advice of a friend I bought the Hunter Safety Vest, I don't regret it at all. There is a "pressure release" safety strap that I keep in the vest pocket, and I keep the safety rope in the pocket. If my ladder stand falls out from under me, or I somehow over balance and fall over the shooting rail on my hangers, should be able to climb out with the rope and pressure release strap. The day I can't climb hand over hand down down a rope though is the day I stop hunting from a tree. Or get one of those super specialty harnesses you guys are talking about. The most dangerous part to me is the getting in/out of the stand, theres no safety strap when you're climbing up those tree pegs, particularly when you're making the step from the pegs to the stand itself.

What time of day are you stand hunting, and where abouts? Deep woods? Scrub? Swamp? Field edge? I honestly stopped bothering to hunt in the morning this weekend, between the warm temps, and the total lack of light in the AM I thought it was pointless. Sat field edges Fri/Sat/Sun and saw deer every time. Wednes/Thurs/Fridaymorn, nothing, was sitting deep woods and swamps did not see a DAMN thing. The week before those spots were jumping, had dozens of trail cam pics every night just after dark on this one apple tree in a bottleneck, this week almost nothing. I'm praying for some cold weather.

I'm in the catskills foothills in southern albany co, and I have a picture on a cam of one of the little buggers too. Never seen or heard of them in the area before either. 3 days ago one came in on my swamp stand too! You know those things can climb trees like a squirrel? No wonder the Turkey population is so hard hit in the area, spring must be like thanksgiving for them with the poults. My aunt also lost about 20 chickens to "something" last year, and a few domestic turkeys this year too. I took a snap shot at the little sneak as he climbed down the tree with a varmint tip, hit a branch and clipped above his head.

I've spent probably....... oh 108 hours in a treestand in the past two weeks, in various different stands. Passed god knows how many does, several 4 pointers, and this same STUPID spike probably 7 times. I do think I got scouted by bigger bucks at least 3 or 4 times, most notably last evening, but they still won't come out in daylight. I need a decoy out to get the bigger ones to walk into an arrow. Rubs are definitely picking up, their patterns appear to be different this week from last week (probably due to the heat). I'm looking more forward to the muzzleloader/archery season than rifle right now, but I'll be out opening day.

So we've gone from : " Maybe having my dad get his bow cert so I can put a nice fat doe in his freezer during bow season.", to "You're a moron". Well done sir. Could you let the public at large know another very well thought out opinion?

What an intelligent, well thought out and over all great answer. Thank you for your informitive criticism sir!

I invested in a couple of cheap sets of Medalist and Cabelas silkweight base layer this year, and I love it. When it gets cold out, I still wear it under my polar base layer. It wicks away the moisture and I feel much more comfortable this year. Now if I could only get my dang feet warm.

Not to rain on the rant parade, but if someone is willing to pay 200$ a year for 2 sets of tags, and they have the patience and ability to get 2, god bless. I was thinking about making my dad take his Bow certification so I could draw on a fat doe before the last couple days of bow to use my tag and still hunt legally. As long as its tagged it looks pretty legal to me.

Well I spent all last week at it on the border of 4g/4h, and I'm going back to it tomorrow. Trail cam had big bucks, and little guys -every-single-night- within 2 hour of dark last week on this apple tree. Nothing during the day. Beginning of the week little guys where shadowing one of the big boys, now they don't seem to be. Also the movement had definitely picked up from the week before, got pictures of the big fellas every third night or so, now they're like clockwork cruising for does after dark. Things have to be ramping up, I'd like to think full-blown chase soon.

You know as my dad gets older, and less prone to do any real walking, I contemplate this sort of set up for him. Trick is finding the spot for it, sounds like you found a great one.

You know, I've never had any success with my True Talker. Of the deer big bucks I've called in they were either an old buck grunt tube, or a bleat can last year. Anyone use the True Talker? It's the one with the rubber pinch point where you place your thumb, instructional video wants you to roll your finger for longer grunts to change the pitch.

Only scent I've ever really used is Tinks #69. Been using drag lines and scent wicks, that's about it.

So for the past week I've been mostly trailing grunt/tending grunt of a smaller buck blind calling. It's gotten me a few little guys during the daylight, and does come in to check it out and see what's going. What calls has everyone else been using, and having success/no success with? I think it's time to switch to doe-in-estrous bleat can/grunt tube soon, agree/disagree?

Saw alot of little guys and does this week, but about 8 hours a day in the woods in 7 of the last 9 days, haven't seen anything bigger than a large 4 point. Trail cam is telling me they are coming out about an hour after I leave my stand at 6:15 in the evening. Gonna have to figure out where they are bedding and try and ambush them during the mid-day move, stubborn just won't come out during daylight.

Good luck this weekend gents!

One my friends had his trail cam stolen a couple weeks ago off of our land, I'm guessing it caught someone trespassing. I've been posting the CRAP out of our property the last few years, but it's hard when you've got 1000+ acres, especially some in some very very rough territory to cover. We border Renselearville State Forest, and that's where I've devoted the majority of my time to posting. I can't tell you how many people I've kicked off over the years. No respect. We've had people in orange shot at in the 90's, but the state land has become less and less popular over the years to the point where it's almost consistently empty on the weekends after opening day of gun. Haven't seen one car parked on it yet during bow. And we're out in the middle of BFE for christ sake, can't imagine how bad it is for some of you guys further south towards the city.

I have starting saturday, 9 days off, followed by 2 work days, then another 5 days off. It's on like donkey kong, this week can't get over fast enough. Possible snow showers where I'm hunting, highs in the low 40's, lows in the high 20's. Perfect perfect perfect bow hunting. I am pumped up and ready to rock. There's a veritable carpet of apples about 40 yards from my stand I'm going to lay a scent trail from the apples to my shooting lane. Thinking about one of those yellow scent leaves Geno has been talking up + scent drag + Fake Scrap.

I have some pictures of Elk feeding like right on the rim of the Grand Canyon from our trip out there this year. Elk, Big Horn & Antelope are on my dream list.

Not much going on 4G/4H border, looks to be pretty quiet, deer feeding. Not alot of scrapes, not alot of movement during the day.

I can vouch for the full moon having them moving.... damn near every field was full of deer this saturday night on my drive back. I haven't seen much in the way of rubs, scrapes or general activity though.

Been pretty sick this past week, but I did get out Saturday evening on my prime stand. Saw deer come out juuuuuuust prior to dark. I don't think they're moving much during the daylight right now with the nights as bright as day for them. Seeing tons on the way out/back from the farm though after dark. Warm this week, looking like damn near perfect conditions this next weekend though! And I have the whoooooooooole of next week off!

Wind was terrible both days for me this weekend, not to mention it's real bright out last night. Didn't see a deer, had a flock of turkey stay juuuuuuust out of range. There is a veritable CARPET of apples on the ground right now after that high wind all weekend. Should have just cut firewood all weekend instead. Hopefully less windy next weekend. Looked real nice out this morning though!

Did anybody read the article in Field and Stream this month on butchering, by the way? Some of their stuff like the Shank part, always throw away, but all in all not a bad article for someone looking for a quick-guide. I like to hang my doe head up though.

I -STILL- haven't had a chance to do my dang laundry. Too much insanity right now, definitely no time to let them hang dry. I better figure out some way to de-scent the dryer.