46rkl

It’s gonna be fun watching the Bills and not worrying about making the playoffs. Just enjoying the game and (hoping) a win over the Patriots while sipping a few starting with a Rogue Yellow Snow. A Pilsner with blue spruce tips. Very tasty and light flavor to start the evening off right. Go Bills!

Saluting the end to another season.

Last chance Louies, let’s get’r done! Moved to a new spot for the last two hours. A few fresh tracks nearby so I’m hopeful.

I haven’t heard any singing yet but I’m told she’s warming up. Gotta keep the faith and put in the time. Here’s hoping the deer cooperate for all of us.

Shortest tree we’ve ever cut for the home. Usually we have to move the couch down to fit the tree in. I’m very happy that my wife decided to “downsize” this year.

Really enjoying Collective Arts Life in the Clouds DDH IPA. After a long day of work around the house instead of hunting the second to last day of ML due to a painful back, I deserve this! Cheers!

Roads were a little snowy and sketchy tonite around Rattlesnake. At least this one is sorta plowed. The one we just got off wasn’t plowed.

The days not done yet. Headed south with two other guys to do some walking on Rattlesnake Hill WMA. Lots of snow here! Lots of old tracks so far.

So, the story behind the kill. I was walking along a creek when I crossed a single, large set of tracks heading west. I didn’t want to try and follow through the very thick brush so I looped around the brush lot and got in a tree stand on the other end of the brush by the corn field. Fifteen minutes later I spied him sneaking very slowly thru the brush. Ten minutes after that he had covered the last fifteen yards to reach the open hedgerow. At the shot he reared up on his hind legs, shook a few times and fell over dead. No track heart shot! He’s now hanging in my barn. A decent six point with nice long main beam.

Deer down.

32 degrees with light snow falling and the wind is gusting to approximately 30. Sitting in the sturdiest stand I have. All the tracks that I have seen are from overnight.

snow fell late last night and a new scrape appeared sometime before 1:00 this afternoon. Seems some of the boys are getting worked up again (or still). Gotta love the white background!

I’m in agreement with Chrisw. The 25-06 is my favorite round for deer and antelope. A nice combination of hard hitting, pretty easy to be dead-on with and capable of 300 yard shots with consistency. Every cartridge has pros and cons so it becomes a personal choice. And the only way to make a good choice is to get out there and gain a lot of hands on experience with various rounds. Find friends with calibers that you’re interested in and/or meet new friends at a shooting range to gain experience. The best way is to buy your own and develop a relationship with it. The idea is to buy and sell what you don’t like, but the reality is that I’ve never been good at the selling part. I’ve never acquired a gun that I thought so little of to get rid of it. Good luck with your obsession, er, adventure.

Well, all the snow disappeared overnight here in 8H. Trying a stand that hasn’t been used since gun opener. Swamp to the south of me and power lines to the East. Corn field (uncut) to the southwest. Oops! Posted this in wrong forum originally. The evening ended with no sightings. Sighhhh.

Well, all the snow disappeared overnight here in 8H. Trying a stand that hasn’t been used since gun opener. Swamp to the south of me and power lines to the East. Corn field (uncut) to the southwest.

Buddy just shot what he believed was a doe only to discover it was a buck that had dropped both of his antlers. By the look of the bases, it must have happened a while ago.

Buddy just shot a big doe.... oops, turned out to be a buck that had shed it antlers. Looking at the bases, it had shed some time ago. im hanging in a pretty stable stand but the wind is shaking even this one. Here’s hoping I can drop one in the last hour or so.

Made a long, slow hike to this stand and crossed a good number of tracks heading into the woods that I’m now on the far side of. Here’s hoping! Good luck all.

Well, snow to rain to snow to grapple. That’s why I’m heading for the hunting hut. Nice views from here and dry! Look closely if you want a laugh. I built the wall panels separately and moved them out of the barn to paint. The paint job came out fine but when we put it all together in the field, my buddies immediately noticed that my trees were all upside down! Ah well. Warm and dry.

Shedding can happen at any time of the season. I once shot a “doe” on opening day of shotgun that turned out to be a buck that had recently shed. Still fresh stumps. I know he had recently shed because in following the blood trail on hands and knees thru a scrub swamp I found both antlers within ten yards of each other. They fit perfectly into the shed scars on the deer I killed. Lots of variables involved in when a buck sheds antlers, kind of like us losing hair!

Live from the front porch. Approximately 25 yards. Two youngsters trying to scavenge from under my apple trees. Only youngsters are this foolish this time of the year.

Six to eight inches in this part of Livingston county 8H. Reports of much more (12+) in the southern part of the county.

Hope springs eternal here in 8H! The temps have rebounded since this morning (7 degrees) to the 30’s with barely a whisper of a breeze. I’m feeling it....

Just had to snap this pic of my home as I was coming back in from the tree stand. Didn’t catch the 3 doe standing in the backyard as I took the picture. The front porch serves as the hunting lodge where friends gear up to go hunt or wind down with an after hunt beer.

Near perfect conditions! I had hoped to stalk but the snow is too scrunch for that so a sit in snow camp is it for the afternoon. Plenty of tracks and light snow. About 60 yards from a corn field so hoping for movement to it a little later.