Bowguy 1

Rage often works. The problem is in storing them in a quiver. You pull one out n a blade is hanging. That's a problem. Also heard of one or two not opening. That head has more probs than the rest combined if you add the frequency. If you have luck w em keep on using them but if not play the odds for lack of failure. Remember NY is a few deer a year. NJ is unlimited in some zones. Many guys kill over 20 a year n 10 years in NY may be less deer use than 1-2 in NJ

Shoulder shots always make a cracking sound. There's very little blood n the animal is pretty much unrecoverable. It'll live thats fact. Now you aren't sure so you owe the animal an absolute effort to recover it so look in the am. If it was shoulder shot you'll find the arrow w maybe an inch or so of blood on it. I've never seen an arrow break a shoulder, a leg maybe? Don't give up the search too soon. If you need to get back into stand n replay where it was. You'll see scuff marks where it took off. Look for blood there. If none is found begin walking where you saw it run. Remember to mark some trees when you're in stand n get back in there n look again if you aren't sure. Those markerscould help. Speaking of marking, if you find blood use toilet paper to mark it. It'll keep you on track n give you a visual of direction once you get some in there. If you haven't taken many deer use this as a learning experience. Every hunter wants to make perfect shots, we practice it n dream of them but that desire sometimes fools our brain into thinking every shot is perfect or better than it truly was. Not that you're incorrect in your assumption just try to use all facts- sounds, sight, arrow evidence, blood sign, etc to aid recovery. One more thing the loud crack if you heard it could be the off shoulder you hit. That could explain the missing arrow and lack of blood. If the arrow is in shoulder n blocking blood exiting animal the trail could be sparse. Don't give up. Best of luck today

I use no cover scent. Strictly use favorable wind direction in my stands. Have even gotten down n left if the wind switched bad. The cow manure thing in a pasture might actually work since its naturally overpowering but nothing else is that strong naturally. Deers sense of smell is much stronger than ours. We can smell through "masking" scents w weak olfactory capabilities. Go to the bathroom n spray some pine junk. The bathroom doesn't smell like pine. Smells like you took a dump in a pine forest. Imo most cover scents would be like that.

It's hard to tell in that pic

Come to Sussex NJ you can see that every day. Just bluffing the guy trying to scare him from not coming closer. Guess it worked. Listen sows w cubs (black bears) aren't really that bad, they do sometimes have a testy personality than quickly leave. She doesn't wanna fight, she could lose n than what for her cubs? Think about that

Jackhammers. Worst ones Rage nothing but trouble

Great pics turkeyfeather, good luck today

Very cool!

I have both the cobra n the viper. I often use the cobra w long sits but it's almost too comfortable. One of the girls I'm mentoring is using it for now since I usually take my lone wolf. The viper I always use gun hunting. All great stands though

My buddy has pits n Donavan Pinschers which look like pits but are man biting dogs. Them you'd be in trouble but still no choice but fight. Coyotes aren't bred for bite strength n not imo near the grit of man biting dog. Dif animals. Bear in mind a dog or any animal seldom fights to its last breath. The flight reflex must be bred out as in fighting pit bulls. It's selective breeding n stacking "game" genes. Get a book or research breeding n you'll understsand. Stacking genes in any direction can do wonders. Coyotes aren't selective bred. They're bred to survive. Sick dogs behave dif but still have only what they were born w strength wise.

Ain't you guys married? My ex was way nastier, always showing her fangs. Like Apexer said the chances are so small that you prob will get killed driving to your spot first. Lots of guys are nervous about the unknown. Don't let it get to you w all these stories. Some may be misinterpretations even. Some Im sure are fact. One guy at a bear camp years ago was so nerved up by "stories" that he taped a mag light to his rifle n said going in he saw the flying monkeys from wizard of oz in his mind's eye. Enjoy the woods. It's much safer than where most live, work or travel to

Not saying to try n fight one but w zero options what else can you do besides bleed. Maybe climb a tree if that's an option

Not sure what you mean? If you're getting attacked what else can you do but fight? Ever see their jaws when the head is skinned out? Very frailish. Can't bite that hard, they're only dogs. Think I figured it out, you're saying they'd shred us? Yes possibly but if he's already biting he's gonna shred you anyway. Grab a hold, take some bites n end it. The option is to continue to get bitten. Or run n theyll chase. Coyotes can be nasty, ever snare one n it's alive when you get there some can be cranky. They've got no choice but imo they're Not good fighters one shot n they quit. Yea yea I know no gun here that's why you have two choices fight or flight n you're getting bit either way so pay it back for the discomfort. Last year at a archery range by the house a rabid coyote attacked a guy. He was retrieving arrows so "unarmed". He pinned it down than stuck n arrow he had retrieved through it. Coulda just choked it out though. That coyote bit a kid on a bicycle just earlier but the kid rode like hell n got away or the coyote just quit chase. Either way the coyotes dead now n the archer killed him before the cops who were called by the bike kids parents got on scene.

Coyotes musta been sick. I don't get how someone gets severly attacked though. If it's already biting you don't feed it fresh parts grab it n choke it out, what's it gonna do than besides stick his tongue out. No dis to the hurt folks but people gotta learn to fight

So leave n go hunt something. Expecting deer to show up while your flinging arrows is improbable. Give yourself a break imo 5 hours this time of year is nuts unless you hate your wife or something

They are but considering what we carry it shouldnt be a big deal. And the price is great. Just a consideration for the op. Id still get a lone wolf though.

You can see the front bar. To the op I just noticed cabelas has classic vipers on sale for 159. That's a deal if it interests you

Viper pic

I don't think it's a viper then because I have one probably 15/16 years old. Anyway they do now

Not technically a shooting rail but it's a rail

Thinking of a way to explain following the birds better. Say the geese are on a nice manicured lawn. Than one day they're gone. Find what drew them away, maybe the field down the road (corn) was cut, now you can't but say you could hunt that manicured corporate lawn. The birds were there all summer so they must be here? If you went to the cut cornfield birds'd be all over it. Now they leave that one, where'd they go. Perhaps another field got cut n this ones picked through. Or say you had a great honey hole pond for ducks n it freezes over, staying there ain't good obviously so find some open water where they are. Woodies are in flooded timber but it dries up, find where they went

There's no such thing as certain areas. Don't take that wrong. There's tons of state land, private parcels, land trusts, refuges, on n on n on. Don't limit yourself to one spot, one you'll burn it out if the migrations aren't good yet, two if the birds aren't there you have no options. Check every spot possible you can hunt n catalog them. Look for recently flooded timber not on a map, maybe beavers got it or simply heavy rains. Check swamps or marshes way off the beaten path. You'll have to work at it but imo duck hunting is a sport of two types. Really rich guys w great leases who drive boats up to the blind, or grunts who work hard to make it happen. As the food sources change, water levels change, species move in n out you gotta stay w current bird areas. Hope this makes sense. I should add a hotspot for geese is a recently harvested cornfield. Watch for the farm equipment to show n start working. Plan on being there soon as the birds show up

There's no such thing as certain areas. Don't take that wrong. There's tons of state land, private parcels, land trusts, refuges, on n on n on. Don't limit yourself to one spot, one you'll burn it out if the migrations aren't good yet, two if the birds aren't there you have no options. Check every spot possible you can hunt n catalog them. Look for recently flooded timber not on a map, maybe beavers got it or simply heavy rains. Check swamps or marshes way off the beaten path. You'll have to work at it but imo duck hunting is a sport of two types. Really rich guys w great leases who drive boats up to the blind, or grunts who work hard to make it happen. As the food sources change, water levels change, species move in n out you gotta stay w current bird areas. Hope this makes sense

I have total respect for the guys that posted Orvis but they suck. If you're gonna spend decent money sage or Winston are better choices. But you neednt spend that much. Break down pack style rods don't normally cast or perform as well as the 2 piece models. Get something in 4 or 5 weight n it'll be a good start. There's so much to learn as far as leaders, tippets, line types, changing these depending on how or what you're fishing but Id start w a floating line. Good luck