rob-c

first congrats on a very nice first deer and a nice shot on said deer. i have to say the favorite parts of all the photos is the blood to the elbow on your son.

when they ask if you will snow blow their driveway tell them you need x amount of dollars.

well I hate to say it but your probably better off waiting, you can go to dec website and look up all the state land around the area. usually after the guns come out the deer hunker down..

If your hunting Erwin area that usually gets hammered during gun

also don't forget about a high quality recoil pad, I have had very good luck with the simms recoil pads

we are on our second year of a lease and I have learned a ton this year on how the deer are using the property my son wife and i have had opportunities on deer but nothing panned out. granted the season is far from over but the amount of knowledge I have gained, that if I do not connect on a deer I am ok with that. I would like the wife and son to get a deer so keeping my fingers crossed for that.

Very quiet and beautify morning , really don't need to shoot a deer with a morning like this.

6:20 heck I could only see 30 yards max at that time .

Does not surprise me at all.

Why did you buy yourself a pink knife ? I have gotten my wife to do every thing in hunting except to field dress a deer, she has mentioned a few times she would like too but it hasn't happened yet.

lol I liked that

I do like sat opener I remember when I first started working and getting Monday off to hunt was impossible, my oldest son is working and the sat opener works great for him hasn't missed a opener yet .

Always have my lcr 38+p on me where legal to carry

I can't recall the last time we had snow opening weekend, really looking forward to it.

woops forgot my ammo 240 grain xtp loaded over 21 grains of 2400

Ruger super red hawk 44 mag 9.5 inch barrel

Private land ruger super red hawk 44 mag with 9.5 inch barrel

The one thing i do not see mentioned is the proper height to have your strap in the tree, the strap should be at a height on the tree so it's a slight pull on your harness when sitting so if one does fall it's a short one. I myself am 6-3 my wife is 5-4 so yes we could leave a strap on a tree but we would be constantly adjusting to our height any ways.

We carry ours in our packs, to me leaving them around the tree is just not wise what if a squirrel decides to nibble on the belt on the very back side of the tree and you can't see it ?

I would say no . I hunted with a 12 gauge 870 for years and I used the 385 grain Remington copper solids in it . One morning had a shot at a doe about 60 yards out she was calm and she stoped I had a perfect broadside shot touched off a round and she dropped right to the ground . I waited a bit and climbed down walked up to her and no hole or blood on her side I was rather surprised , the slug had hit a 1/4 inch branch about 8-10 feet in front of her and deflected and hit her in the head. So even shooting a slug that big and heavy it still deflected .

I wouldn't blame the head, my son hit a buck with a thunderhead and he hit the shoulder and the insert was pushed into the arrow and the ferrule of the head was broken of in the insert .stuff happens...

Check idler pulleys for angled wear / grab water pump pulley and see if there is movement bearings could be worn but not leaking as others have said check for loose bolt on accessories and you did say you changed the tensioner pully right

Yep always the way it goes , suck you in with good stuff in the beginning then crap after that .

That was great made me laugh, definitely frame it ...

Thanks all , we have been seeing a bunch of deer and my son and wife have passed on a couple small spikes . But season is young yet .