BowmanMike

gee,81 yds is pretty far. Now I feel bad posting my shots at 23 and 29. Hurricane target is the farther away.

This is my 2nd year and I am having high hopes for it. There are only a few apples around this year ,but some trees on my property have a good amount. I think there will be quite a few deer visiting those, and I won't have to go far to sit and wait. My wife wants me to thin the herd some close to home, that means I will be able to put some more time in. That is always good,right? There is also a ten point buck on a friend's property that survived last year's season, and I would love to see him in person... I have a bear cruzer compound bow set at 55# and shoot muzzle broadheads.

well,here are my first two arrows after not touching the bow for a couple of weeks. Looks like I need to practice. First target at 18 yds, next at 27.

I think bow season is not that far away, only 4 months now. That will go by faster than you think. I am trying to go to as many 3-D shoots as possible and keep up my practice so I am ready come October. I have my stand sites picked out an i put up a few already. Just saw my first fawn of the year yesterday.

I am 43 years old. I am from Germany originally and hunting there is a fringe sport. I had to take a 32 hour class to get a fishing license, so To get a hunting license you probably have to go to college for a year or two. Well, maybe not quite that. I just started deer hunting 4 years ago with no help or experience but found a friend that took me under his wing after my first season. Started bowhunting last year and I am addicted. This could potentially cause some marital problems, ouch. I am already scouting spots for treestands for the next season. There is a big 10 point on a friends 300 acres that I only saw on camera last year and I haven't heard of anyone getting him. I am trying to arrange a meeting in person this year...

I am in 4F, bow- 1 doe muzzleloader- 1doe 1 buck Just about average here, my two buddies got about the same numbers.

I heard of someone shooting a carbon arrow this fall and it shredded on release and ended up shredding the guys hand in the process. He ended up with torn tendons/muscles and some leftover carbon in his hand. Hearing about that made me check my carbon arrows for even the tiniest cracks. I think his problem must have been an arrow not stiff enough for his draw-weight. Just guessing here. The idea of an arrow disintegrating on release is a scary thought, because it has nowhere else to go but your hand. I still like carbon arrows though.

I keep all my firewood in my basement and I have to burn some more before I have room for the target. I am eager to do that though because I also want to hit a lot of 3D shoots this year. I haven't shot my bow in a few months and that does not seem right.

Matter of fact, I think we are in the majority. Not many people say they are as fit or lean as they like to be.

Hey growie My wife and I decided to get fit instead of fat this winter. So far it (or we) has not been working out, but hopefully we will get into it soon. Seems like every year we put on a little more weight in the winter and loose a little less in the summer. Might have something to do with age.

I walked all day yesterday and jumped deer in 4 different spots. At least those were the ones I noticed. Never got a shot at one though. They are hard to see with no snow on the ground and they are still in high alert mode. Found a new nice looking scrape and discovered some buck travel routes. Not a wasted day. Deer are just bedded down during the day.

I like the story a lot. I think you had beginners luck,that buck is a beauty. I have only been hunting for four years, which means I started when I was 39. Some of us are just late bloomers. I have not even seen a buck like that in my 4 years except for on my trailcam. Kids reactions can be different from what you expect. I was doing some work for a family in the catskills in the winter and some deer came out to their birdfeeder. We were in the house and the dad pointed them out to the kids. He asked if he should get his gun and they yelled Venison!!!! That was not what I expected.

I hunt with the muzzleloader all of gun season. I like how accurate it is and how little it kicks. I have had good luck with it the last three years. I think it makes you pick your shot more carefully, and I have no regrets yet. Have fun with yours. Hopefully the deer will start moving during the day again.

Wow, that is amazing you got to see him so close. Sometimes I wonder if they know that you can't shoot them at that time. I hurt my shoulder this bowseason(it' fine now) and a buck showed up in the middle of the day just on the other side of the fence of my horsepasture. I walked to within 20 yards of him and he was unfazed and finally wandered off. I have to admit he was a 1 1/2 year old,so not that wily yet. It is neat to know that your buck made it so far. It seems like you are getting to know him pretty well, that should help you next year. Good luck with him.

I'm with Taylormike. Maybe a day here or there early in bowseason and then around nov 10th. This was my first year bowhunting and I enjoyed it way more than the gun season. The way I hunt would depend on the weather. I shot a doe this year with my bow after sneaking up on her on the ground on the way to my stand. That was pretty awesome.

I have not hunted close to the road but have kicked up bedded deer a few times when first entering the woods

chariots pulled by squirrels, little bit like Ben Hur

I've got my wolf muzzleloader sighted to 100 and I shoot 250 gr shockwave with 100gr whitehots. I shot a doe on Monday at 40 yds and could not have been more than an inch or two low from my aiming spot. I suspect 150 yds would drop about 3-4 inches. That works for me for any situation. I only hunt with the muzzleloader,

Otsego county

Phew, that's a bunch of deer. I saw 15 to 20 does this afternoon, most ever in one sitting.No bucks though, don't know where they are hiding.

I don't have any personal experience with food plots but a friend set up two small ones next to a property that I get to hunt and he had some nice deer frequent his plots, I saw quite a few tracks heading to his plots. I would imagine it depends on how much quality food is available in your area in general. Where I am in 4F there is not that much farming close by. I am in the hills and here even a small food plot seems to attract deer. If you were in the Finger Lakes region it would surely be a different story.

I agree with deerpassion. If you go slow enough you can check for sign and movement and bedded deer. Not to say that I don't spook deer on a regular basis. But not as much as I used to. If my stand is a long ways into the woods I just try to get there. If it is not very far I try to be sneaky.

I will only have a chance to go out in the afternoon. I will probably pick my spot depending on the wind direction. I found a great spot on the corner of a friends property that I had never explored before. Hardwoods and some dense pines bordered by a secluded hay field. Wind needs to be N to W. Good luck to you all.

So, I just sat in a great spot in a small woody strip between a swampy area and a hay field. I have been seeing loads of deer in the field just before dark driving by. Tonight the wind was perfect and at 3 p.m. two does were in the corner of the field already.They kept me from setting up where I wanted to but my second choice was a good spot also. At around 4 p.m. does start filing out into the field and they work their way past my spot. None knew I was there and then went nice and slow. I lost count after 15 or so deer, maybe there were 20 altogether. Here is the kicker though, not a buck in sight. I could not believe it, not even a spike horn. The does must all be bred or not in heat anymore. I guess the second rut is not happening yet. I have never seen this many deer in shooting range and not one buck with them. Good afternoon sit I guess, but my doe tag is used up already.

I usually let the does walk on opening day in hopes of seeing a buck. They seem to get a lot more cautious after the opening day blasting. I am in 4F and usually have no problem seeing does. Having said that, last year I almost ended up with tag soup. I only got my two does on the second to last and last day of muzzleloader season. That was a little to close. This year I shot a doe on monday morning after seeing a group of them when I went out to feed my horses. They have been hanging out in my neighbors field for weeks now, but now they came to close to the fenceline. The neighbor is okay with me shooting one close to the line. So now I won't have to think about if I shoot a doe or let her walk. It is buck only now.