ApexerER

I would take a turkey while bow hunting if I ever get the opportunity. I had 12 of them around me on 10/13. None this past weekend and I'm going on a wild prediction that I won't see any this weekend either but will then be covered up in them the following weekend.

I don't know how many points he was.....He was at least a giant 8 with G2's that I am guessing were at least a foot tall. He was big enough that I instantly started shaking and said holy $%&*! The biggest deer I have ever seen in the woods is the 9 pt in my avatar...I said Holy $%&* when I saw him too....I think this one may have been even bigger, I am pretty sure he was taller....It was an awesome encounter...

I would have been very happy to shoot that little spike much less than 15 years ago. I believe this is my 6th year bow hunting and it has opened up a whole new world to me as far as hunting goes. I wish I started it years ago. You see so many more deer and they are relaxed and natural most of the time. It has taught me patience in my shot with the gun as well as the bow. I love it and had no idea what I was missing. I should have listened to my buddies that have been bow hunting for years.

Love this thread! Thanks for all the work you do....

Happy Birthday!

I had an exceptional weekend in the woods this past weekend and I never even drew my bow back. Saturday morning I sat on an oak ridge, that has an overgrown field at the top of the ridge and all the way around the bottom of the ridge is very thick brush with very few mature trees and a creek running at the bottom. I have sat here before but not very often because the ladder stand we had in there was a cheapo and it was very uncomfortable, so even though it was a good spot I didn't spend much time there. We replaced that stand with a good one this summer so the sit is much more enjoyable. On my way in I bumped what I would guess was 5 or 6 deer off the ridge. Not blowing or anything but I could see the shadows and hear them trotting off. Around 1st light I had a single horned spike that took me a while to realize it wasn't a doe come in. He was my buddy for the whole weekend. He was around 75% of the time I was in the stand. I saw 4 other deer that came and went to eat acorns. There was a gray squirrel that would cross the creek on a log, go up a tree and then get chased out by a red squirrel. The red squirrel would run him back across the creek and then chatter at him to stay out of his spot. That gray squirrel would go back again after 5 minutes and get chased out again. This happened over and over, I had to keep from laughing out loud at the two of them. I left the stand around 11, met up with the guys and got something to eat and was back in around 2:30. Walking back in there was a deer under the stand. It was the single horned spike that had been around me all morning. He trotted off and I climbed up. It took him about 10 minutes to come back and hang out with me for the afternoon. There were so many squirrels on this ridge you had to pay attention because the squirrels were loud and the deer were somehow silent. 4 more deer came and went feeding on the acorns but that little spike never left. Not sure how he didn't weigh 500 lbs because he ate all day. At 5:45 I heard something behind me that didn't sound like a squirrel and I slowly turned my head over my right shoulder. A huge buck (I said Holy #$%&) to myself was walking the creek bank on the opposite side just outside the thick brush. I slowly turned back to grab my bow, my heart racing and slowly turned back. He was 90* to me at that point and I was trying to figure out how I could stand and turn as he was about 35 yds away with a little sapling off a tree covering him up for a shot. He was stopped there and I thought he was going to cross the creek and come right to me. He changed his mind and continued the path he was on, walking right out of my life, but what an awesome encounter. I slipped out of the stand with my little buddy still hanging around and walked back to my truck thinking about what a great day it was. Yesterday morning I decided to go back to the same stand. I wanted to be in there earlier hoping I didn't bump anything off the ridge so I planned to be in there by 6. I took a wrong step crossing what we call the mud pit in the dark and my right foot went into water up to my thigh and I tried to get out of there to quickly my left leg went in up past my knee and I had to catch myself with my right arm which also got soaked almost to my shoulder. Good thing I had my heated vest and jacket strapped to my back pack for the walk in, they didn't get wet. I again bumped deer off the ridge and climbed the stand. Took my shirt off and put my heated vest and jacket on wondering how long it would be until I was freezing. That little one horned spike was right in back in there before I could even see well enough to see it was him. He once again hung out the whole time I was in the stand. I got too watch two little buck spar for 5 minutes up on top of the ridge and saw 3 more doe, one of which ended up bedding down about 25 yds behind me. It was a great morning but I had to call it at 9:30 because I was wet up to my crotch and freezing. To bad I get wet because I didn't want to leave. Next weekend can't get here soon enough.....and to anybody that doesn't hunt....this is why we do it...

Took a wrong step crossing the mud bog in the dark. Sitting here soaked past both my knees and my right arm. Glad I haf my coat strapped to my backpack. Saw a bruiser about 5:45 last evening sitting here at about 30 yds but to much brush for a shot Idk how many points but one of those bucks that make you say omg to yourself the second you see the rack. Hopefully he shows back again early cause Idk how long I can sit here all wet.

Just bumped a doe away from my stand while climbing up. Obviously moved way to fast.

Another lone doe. They kick the fawns off already? Seems early

How is it that 2 lb squirrel can be heard 100yds away but 2 deer can sneak in behind you and not make a sound

Blew 5 or 6 deer out from my stand on the way in while still dark. Tiny spike in now.

My wife realized along time ago if I wanted to be in the woods I was going to the woods. I will be out this weekend despite the fact that my pool is still open, my lawn is full of leaves and my boat still needs to be winterized. Priorities man!!!

Awesome looking dog....I love my dog more than anybody I now....

Is that a cough coming on? Probably should stay home and rest...wouldn't want it to turn into the flu....

Nice...Congrats

Welcome to the forum! Why are you coming to NY to hunt when you live in Ohio? Aren't there Giant bucks behind every tree out there?

Oh Man, Turkeyfeathers…..Prayers sent....

Looks like a perfect day!

You went back and corrected it....At least I left mine so those that noticed got a chuckle....I didn't even realize I did that until someone posted a response to it.

Thanks for the reply. I am not really sure that is what I am looking for. I like having the quiver on the crossbow while I am walking and then taking it off and hanging it when in the stand.

Yea, my compound quiver fits on my crossbow no problem but the bolts fit it so tightly that the are very hard to take in and out. The arrows are much thinner than the bolts. Now that I used my compound quiver on my crossbow a couple times last season my arrows are loser than I would like in that quiver. I assume because the bolts stretched it out. That's why I was wondering if there were crossbow specific quivers that hold more than 3 bolts. I might make my compound quiver my crossbow quiver and maybe see if I can make the holders a little larger so the bolts go in and out easier and then just get a new quiver for my compound. Or maybe if I just use it and leave the bolts in it, it will stretch out and loosen up on its own.

I never really thought about the shot selection process but that makes sense. I have never considered getting a 2nd shot with the bow or crossbow at an animal I missed. I have always figured I have to make the first one count and have to the best of my abilities. Bow hunting has made me more patient with the gun as well. Even though I always have 5 rounds in that....

I haven't been bowhunting very long. This is my 5th or 6th season and 3rd with the crossbow. I haven't had a situation where I have needed more than 3 arrows or bolts. (last season was the first time I used two) I guess I was just thinking after that doe that I hit too high and needed to use a 2nd bolt on her that I could see where the situation, although highly unlikely could present itself. Carrying two extra bolts in a quiver would do my no harm at all but maybe in a very rare circumstance might do me good.

I don't disagree with this, that needing more than three arrows or bolts would be a highly unusual situation. But it made me think about it last year when I was down to one. I didn't need that last one on that sit. I always carry 5 arrows in my compound, for no other reason than that is what I have always done because that is what the quiver holds. I shot a coyote a couple years back with my compound. Never gave it much of a thought because I had 4 more arrows for the rest of the sit. (Of which I used none) But had I shot a coyote with the crossbow and then the doe I had too put a 2nd bolt in, I would have been sitting in the stand out of bolts before primetime. I guess all I am saying is, I can't see a situation where carrying two more bolts would hurt me and although it has never happened where I have fired more than two bolts from the stand, I can see where it is a possibility.

Thanks, I will look that up...