ApexerER

What the heck is a "big bore airrifle"? I am going to have to google it I guess.....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!!! I really enjoyed this thread this year and even though I don't know a single person on this forum personally....I enjoy reading and hearing from each and everyone of you......Good luck to those of you that can still hunt on the island.....

Well after agonizing over this decision for a couple of weeks and reading everything i could on both crossbows i decided on the Barnett. I went to Dicks and handled the Fang. I didn't like it, the stock was to long, the scope would have to be changed out immediately and it didn't feel natural when shouldering. I did really like the Ten Point XLT Turbo they had there and considered returning both and getting that one. With a two week season, which for me means two days a year of hunting with the crossbow i couldn't justify the expense. I talked my wife into letting me open the gamecrusher. I shouldered the bare stock and it felt great. I assembled it fairly easily...Not sure about the cable slide and the plastic trigger but apparently they work. When shouldering the bow it feels like it fits perfectly...I was really surprised at the quality of the scope that came with the package....I have not fired it yet but the Fang is on its way back to Cabela's....

This is what I use too. I love the Kill Zones. I went to get more after I shot my doe and Dicks was sold out of them. I love the NAP's. They don't come apart like the rage in the quiver or when nocked and they open flawlessly. The Buck and Doe I got this bow season didn't much care for them. I need to order some more for next year. I am going to use them with the crossbow I got for Christmas as well.....

The thought of expansion and contraction is not something that has ever even crossed my mind. I site my gun in when it is probably still 55-60 degrees. Maybe warmer or cooler depending on the year. I have not ever had to readjust my scope after the initial site in but always take a few shots every year to make sure I am still on my mark. You would have to speak to someone that takes much longer shots in much more extreme conditions than me to see how expansion and contraction really effect a shot. My guess would be if you site in at 70 degrees and make a 600+ yard shot at 10 degrees there has to me some effect. How much I have no idea...My guess is the effect would be so minimal at ranges shooting in the woods that you wouldn't have to give it a second thought.

I will get ridiculed for this but I will tell the truth anyways. I am the poster boy for any company that has something to sell me that they say works. I have tried Buck Bomb, Tinks, Golden Esterous, Code Blue, Evercalm, Nose Jammer, Scent drags of all different kinds. Probably other things that I can't remember. I have a grunt tube, doe can, fawn bleat, hot doe call and a rattle bag. There isn't to much I haven't tried if I thought it might help me. Some of you say this makes me a poor woodsman. That may be true, but I look at it more as what the heck, its $8.00 bucks....I'll try it, can't hurt. The only thing I have stopped using is the Nose Jammer. I felt like I saw less deer (not none) while using it and I really don't think anything in a $5 can is going to "Jam" a deer's nose. I can't say that anything I use has worked for sure. The 5 pt I got during bow this year came in right after I did a grunt rattle sequence but he may have come in anyways. I do feel since I started using evercalm the deer around me seem less nervous but I can't prove it has anything to do with evercalm. I have never had a buck catch a scent wick I have had out and come in licking his lips or lip curling and I have never had a buck follow my scent drag but lots of my buddies have so I continue to use them. I will probably continue to try different things. I figure what the heck, maybe I will stumble onto something...

I understand your point....I guess I just don't understand who that could possibly offend other than a terrorist. I find the Obama stickers offending....even worse are the Bernie Sanders stickers....I don't cause trouble to the people that have them. I guess my point is there are a heck of a lot worse stickers I see on cars. Heck you could see a piss on Ford sticker and be upset because you have a Ford....I do understand your not wanting any trouble with wife and kids in the car....who would.....

Wow, really, afraid? Isn't that what they want? I wouldn't put that on my truck but that's just because I don't want stickers all over it. Not because I would be afraid of offending someone. That thought didn't even cross my mind until I read the comments. No where near the same as the "I don't call 911" signs......I have seen several of the terrorist hunting permits on trucks around here with the tag # 9/11. Not so much anymore but there were very popular for a while. I used to think good for you, and wonder where they got them whenever I saw one.

Wow, that's awesome!! Congrats, I hope you and your son can enjoy the woods together. Get a double stand and take him out with you....Now I am going to talk to you like a hunting buddy.....WTF, decide maybe you will go hunting, first time out, bam, second time out bam, wallhanger....You aren't hunting with me any more you lucky !@&^#..... That's what you would have heard from me if I was your hunting buddy...all in fun of course you lucky !@@##!

About 2 or 3 hours in the stand I get disinterested, play on my phone, take a nap etc.....I have tried that numerous times. Hasn't worked out very well for me.....

I understand the deer not moving and the warm temps but we pushed some nasty crap yesterday. I have the scrapes on my face from thorns and my pants and jacket are covered in every prickly thing in the woods. I just find it hard that we didn't push anything out. I saw tons of deer during bow season. Even with deer hunkered down, we should have pushed something yesterday....

I sure don't want to complain about my season. It is the best one I have ever had. With a buck and doe kill with the bow and my biggest buck on opening day. The last day of Rifle is one of my favorite days to hunt. We bring friends that aren't on our lease and do organized pushes a lot of BS ing and always fill some DMP's and every other year or so someone gets a nice buck that got pushed out. We always push our lease the same way. Some guys bring their girlfriends/wives/older kids to help. It is just a really fun day and a good time with people I don't get to spend enough time with the rest of the year. Anyway, as always we sat the first hour of daylight then started our first push. Nothing. Second push, nothing. Seeing tons and tons of sign. Heavily used trails, fresh tracks, scat etc. 3rd push, nobody saw a thing. We pushed the whole day...over 800 acres and nobody saw a deer. How is that even possible? Last year we filled 5 DMP'S and one guy got a really nice 7 pt. This year we didn't see a deer. Not one, with 21 men, women and children in the woods. I still can't get over the fact that not one person saw a deer. I am not even sure how that was possible. Its is literally like they disappeared. Still a great day with great friends but how do you push that much prime property and not see a deer. I am still flabbergasted. I have never had a DMP I didn't fill.....I ate mine and a lot of the guys ate theirs. After the best bow season ever for me and my biggest buck ever on opening day, I didn't see a single deer. Not one since opening day...what a strange year....

OK, So apparently my wife got me one of each for Christmas... I just found out the story. I mentioned to my wife that I would like a crossbow for Christmas. I mentioned the PSE Fang figuring it wouldn't break the bank being my first crossbow. Apparently my wife immediately ordered it before she forgot the name. Then Dicks had the Barnett Gamecrusher onsale for Black Friday for $249.99 with a Reg Price of $599 my wife figured this bow was even better and got that one. The reason she even told me is because I was vacuuming her car and found the Gamecrusher in the trunk. (she wasn't too mad at me for finding her present) So since I knew what I was getting anyways she told me the story. So one has to go back.....which would you choose? I jokingly mentioned we should return both and pick out a $700 one....(u know when you are joking but not really joking) I don't want to push my luck. I am really excited my wife got me one....doesn't matter which one it is...

Wow, what a great weekend...I hope your kids remember and cherish those memories. I had to wait until I was 16 to hunt....I didn't think much of it at the time...Just couldn't wait until I was old enough. I agree that the age should be lower if the child is under Adult supervision.

Thank god everyone is ok!!! I am sure it still hurts greatly. Right before Christmas no less. You and your family will be in my thoughts. I hope everything works out ok in the end.....

The last day of the season we always get together and push our lease. It is the only time we will do drives. We always push out deer and the guys with doe tags left usually fill them. I have a doe tag...Hopefully I won't anymore by late Sunday morning....Good luck everyone....

Great job, and may I ask, why the heck would you move?

I personally wouldn't be afraid to buy any of the guns you list. I would have said the Ruger American would be my last choice but a friend of mine purchased one last year in 30-06 and I was really impressed with the way it shot, especially for the coin. I would go with the one that feels the best to you in your hands.

Beautiful buck.,.congrats

I got tears in my eyes reading this...my dad can't hunt anymore either. I was able to take the 8 pt I got opening day to his house and show him. I never got a buck when we were able to hunt together. I am sure he is still rooting for you. Good luck

I shot a 8 pointer out of my stand opening morning 60-70 yds away while I had a doe right underneath me. She didn't care at all. I couldn't believe it. She just kept on going about her business. I had to wait for her to move out to go check out my buck. I don't think you have to wait long at all. I week will be more than enough....

Near my house there is a very small sliver of posted land bordering a state park and a stream. I have no idea who owns it. I don't know how long the property is but it can't be more than 100yds wide. There has been an F150 parked there everyday since the gun opener. Day, weather doesn't matter. He is there dark to dark. I have scene this truck in years previous but never more than once or twice, usually the gun opener and a couple days after. Last night I drove by there about 10pm and caught what looked like a big deer on the side of the road. I slammed on the brakes and backed up swinging my headlights to the side of the road. This deer was the biggest deer I have ever seen. A 12pt with tines at least 12" tall. I was in aww. He stood there for maybe 30 seconds then hopped back into the thick stuff. The deer must live in the State park where you can't hunt. I can't stress how huge this deer was....I should have tried to take a pic with my phone but I was just sitting there with my jaw wide open. Whoever you are in the maroon F150....I hope you get him...I assume that is why you are putting so much time in.....

I would like to get one and try it as well. If it wasn't such a steep price I would have already done so. Everyone says play the wind etc but we don't all have multiply stands to choose etc so its hunt in the wind or stay home. These threads all wind up the same way. Everyone that doesn't have an Ozonics says they won't work, are a waste of money, a gimmick....etc. Seems as if you really research it 99% of the people that own them believe in them. You don't see used ones forsale in any of the classifieds or on ebay so the people purchasing them must be keeping them. If you do get one I would love to hear your honest assessment of your findings. I would assume the poster that said to PM and he/she would tell his finding will tell you it works great but if he/she posts that hear they will be ridiculed.

Beautiful deer. Sounds like you got an awesome place to hunt if you are seeing and passing that many deer. I haven't seen that many bucks in my lifetime of hunting...