adkhunter71

Watched it...though I think that it is cool that they filmed in the Adirondacks (especially since my friend owns the logging company that picked them up at the end), it was total staged BS...

Looks great. Some of those horns would look good in an old bushel basket. I have some of my old racks displayed this way on my desk....although you might want an old wine barrel for the size of the racks and horns that you've got.

I agree Elmo....I have a strong dislike for this term. When it is used correctly, I have no problem with it. I have heard excuses that "I can't afford" such and such, when the reality is that they can afford such and such but choose not to spend their money on it...big difference to me. And to continue to take this thread off topic- I prefer cookies.

Same as everyone else- got mine over a month ago.

So....if that deer looks to be 3 in the pictures that I posted (based on most of the responses), then that would make him 4 this year as the pictures are from last August. Once he lost velvet, he disappeared and we didn't catch him on camera again. We just got cams back out last week and haven't checked them yet, but I hope to have pictures of him from this year so we have a little more history with the buck and can make a more accurate guess as to his age.....Or, someone thought that a wide 3 year old 8 point was big enough and killed him last fall...I know that I would have if presented the opportunity .

I am sorry Steve, but this sounds like sour grapes to me. You're argument that " 99.9% of the time the land is turned into a big buck property. This leads to overpopulation, especially of Does" just doesn't ring true to me. Where do you get your numbers from? How do you have access to everyone who leases land and do you survey them? I happen to lease land with a couple of buddies of mine and find your argument to be completely off base in our situation. Would we like to kill big bucks? Sure, but that is not the end all be all. One of my buddies hadn't been able to hunt for the past two years because his job had him living out of the country. He killed a 1.5 year old 5pt. He was thrilled and my other buddy and I were thrilled for him. We killed 4 does last year between the 3 of us. I killed two of them. Did I need to kill a big buck to consider last year a success for me? Absolutely not. I base last year as a success because I was able to put meat in my freezer, spend some quality time with two of my best friends, and most importantly have fun. I choose to pay for the right to hunt a landowner's property and he chooses to take my money to help pay his property taxes. I'd consider that a win win for both of us. To me, your basis for your argument is no different than the antler restriction crowd in that it is one size fits all approach. Not everyone has the same quality of property to hunt nor the same amount of time to hunt.

Awesome buck for sure.... I think that the shadow from the deer's head makes the top of his shoulder look like a mass. Might be an optical illusion.

I agree...I put this up there because I am not the best at judging a deer's age. I am by no means a trophy hunter and have never shot a deer this big because I have never had the opportunity to. And before anyone can say that it's because I shoot young bucks before they have the opportunity to get old, I haven't shot a buck since 2013 with my bow. And that has been my choice- not because I haven't had the opportunity. I am all for people shooting whatever deer gets them excited, whether it is a buck or doe, yearling or a booner.

Sorry about that

Thanks grow....not sure if this other angle helps at all.....I am not the greatest at judging age and think that it is at least 3. Just curious what everyone else thinks....I won't hold anyone to there answers, lol.

Just curious how old people think that this guy is, other than old enough to shoot, lol...

I unfortunately have used screw in steps quite a bit. I use the height of my knee as a reference as for how high to place the next step. I also find that if I only have a set number of steps, it is always best to make sure that I have enough for around the stand so that I have hand holds on both sides of the tree and can step down from the preferred side. Most of the time I end up with the stand at a lower height than I anticipated. I also try to twist the placement of the steps (kind of like corkscrewing towards the stand height) when I get closer to where I want the stand. Not sure if you used a lineman's belt or not, but that definitely helps. The best advice that I could give, though, is to invest in a set of climbing sticks and get away from the steps. I bought a lone wolf stand an climbing sticks and though pricey, it was the best investment that I have made as far as tree stands go. It is unreal how much easier and quicker I can put a stand up. It also increases your ability to tweak your stand location, so if you find after a couple of sits that you would have been better off in a different spot it's no big deal to move it.

I think it's pretty weird.

That's awesome. Good luck!

Congrats on the upcoming addition to the family. Having kids can certainly cut in on hunting time, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I can't wait until my boys are old enough to take with me. Good luck with that great looking buck, though! To your question....I don't have a specific target buck, but if I get one like that on trail cam it will be a no brainer!

Don't have experience with Burris but love my Leupold!

I play a cheapo hand held yahtzee game....I am not sure how the deer know that I am playing it as I have the sound turned off, but it always seems to draw them in, lol.

Last year we had a nice wide 8 and a 10 with stickers off of his beams on trail cam while they were still in velvet and in bachelor groups. I would like to say that I was targeting one of those, but they were nowhere to be seen when the velvet peeled. If I am lucky enough to see a buck that I have had on trailcam, I will certainly shoot it, but I don't hold out for anything in particular. My main objective is to put meat in the freezer and I will fill my doe tags or archery tag on a doe first.

I read that as forty needed...lol...I thought what the hell do they need that many tags for....sorry I don't have one to swap with you..

Thanks Wooly...as always, love your pics....and your advice...and your comedic flair, lol.

I have until the last year only hunted bigwoods areas in the Adirodacks and am pretty inexperienced when hunting areas that are a mix of woods and agriculture. The area that I now have access to hunt is a mix of woods with fields. A couple of the fields are filled with goldenrod. They are around 10 acres each with hedgerows running through them. The neighbor to the south has a large soybean field that buts up against our property (not sure if that is relevant, but figured I would include it). Tthere are about 30 acres or so of woods to the northwest. My natural instinct is to hunt the woods, but I am quickly learning that deer in agriculture areas are a different breed in that they don't avoid fields and open areas as much as the northwoods deer that I am used to hunting. A buddy wants to have the goldenrod mowed down, but I feel that it might be better left as is. What is everyone's experience with hunting areas with goldenrod? Leave it or mow it? Thanks for your input.

Damn! I just ordered a Browning Command OPS 10 MP from another place that I won't mention- what's your opinion on that one Phade. Is your website up and running yet? If so, could you give me a link and I will definitely buy from you in the furture.

From "Thumper" at ifish.net..."Goite reels were made in Kokomo, Indiana, and featured twin spool knobs and a ceramic line guide. In excellent condition they are worth about $100. Their style is termed "Indiana" after their place of manufacture, and their appearance is similar to a skeletonized Ferris wheel. The reels are similar to the Kiest and Heddon Winona styles, and their predecessor is the Billinghurst reel patented in 1859 and produced in Rochester, New York."

Your dog would be available to you back at your cabin, but you just don't want to be inconvenienced to go back and get it. Not trying to sound like a jerk, but it seems to me that you might just not want to go into the remote and rugged ADK's by yourself.

So, are you suggesting that anyone who plans on hunting in the remote and rough Adirondacks should go through the process of getting and training a tracking dog because it is impractical to hike out and get help with tracking a wounded animal? I say that this is not a good reason to justify bringing a dog with you on a hunt.