jperch

All great advice here. It's wise to go to a pro shop and get set up correctly from the start as far as things like draw length, bow tuning, arrows, etc. So you are headed in the right direction, don't be in a hurry, it's a life-long journey!

So sorry Cynthia. When it rains it pours. Like Chuck, I lost my (younger) brother to Covid last spring, it's no joke. Best wishes to you and your husband, hang in there.

I used to see grey fox in the hardwoods in central Pennsylvania but I never see them here in central NY. Lots of red foxes. Do they have different preferred habitat?

Well, it look's like it was his first post here, so that seems likely.

I believe that in the spring time ash leaves are one of the highest protein sources available for deer. Luckily in my part of 8F (near Lake O) I am not seeing much damage yet. I'm sure it will happen. On the other hand at a family camp in 9P, near Ossian, most of the ash trees are dead or dying. Sad to see this, ash is a good lumber tree also.

I don't even know what the bile sac is, deer do not have a gallbladder as far as I know. They certainly have a bladder and sometimes it is full or urine. Just rinse inside and wipe down if you can, it will be fine. I do this every time there is evidence of punctured stomach or intestines. Make sure to completely remove the anus/rectum, that is the one tricky issue if you have never done it before. Congratulations!

I don't know specific cases but prior to hunter orange being mandated I recall the statement in the regulation booklet that stated that those not wearing orange were 7 times more likely to be shot by another hunter than those who were wearing orange. That makes me think there have been some cases of hunters wearing orange who were shot by others. (These statistics, I am almost certain, do not include the self inflicted accidents. A substantial number of accidents are self inflicted.) Nevertheless, clearly wearing orange improves safety. I know that won't change some people's minds.

Great job by Tim, you and all involved. What a great gift you have given him.

They are well worth including in my field "deer gut" kit. On younger deer it is easy to tear out the butt plug. After inserting and twisting you want to pull gently on the plug with one hand while cutting around the rectum with a knife in the other hand until it releases completely and you can pull it out 10 inches or so. Tie it off somehow so that when you pull it through from the opposite side while gutting no fecal material ends up in the cavity. Yeah, the old broken stick method does not have to be used anymore. Here are a couple tips. Disinfect completely after each use, there are nasty bacteria in fecal material. Also, don't leave it out where non-hunters can see it. You'll have some explaining to do!

That might be the right club for a "Hole in One".

I am not familiar with these newer crossbows but don't forget the regulation is minimum 17 inches uncocked.

Our dog would be very disappointed if he didn't get the heart and liver. When I come home smelling of dead deer he knows what it means. It supplements his regular diet for a week and he goes crazy over it. The GF cubes it up and cooks it in a slow cooker with some beef broth. Yes, he is spoiled but I do not consider it a waste.

Glad you had a fun day. Not all scrapes are created equal. Sometimes a buck will make a scrape just because he is there and in the mood. He might never come back to it. A well established scrape with a licking branch above it is likely to be visited by other bucks and even sometimes some does. Sort of a "community scrape". These may be used year after year and sometimes I have no idea why that one particular spot is so desirable to them.

I think the deer processors sell them, mine does. In fact if you want to keep your hide he charges a small fee. So maybe contact a processor who is local to you.

That guy has his ears laid back like he's ready for a little "discussion". I wish we could see the rest of his body, "Old White Horns" looks like a brute!

I don't know if it's true but hunters used to say that if a deer was badly spooked it left a scent as a warning to other deer.

The problem is getting your hands on the proper string and cables. Once you have a crossbow you are happy with it's a good idea to have a spare set (or two) in reserve.

Turkey numbers and behavior was very different 20 or 25 years ago. I remember one day on the farm during bow season when I saw two huge flocks of hens/poults and one flock of gobblers, over a hundred birds. There is nothing like that now. I think when turkeys rebounded it took a while for predators to learn they are a good food source. Yes, fishers are almost common now and they are fierce predators who climb trees easily. I will throw in that I think there are a lot more hawks and owls than there used to be and I suspect they take a lot of poults. Throw in a lot of wet springs and who knows?? I'm not sure trapping has been a big factor for us, we never had trapping on our property. There is, and has been, tons of coyotes. It sure was fun back then but I don't blame anyone for the change, change happens.

Yup, times sure have changed. No "real time data" there!

I personally think it depends a lot on the type of property. During archery season, when hunting pure hardwoods, I have had more success in the mornings. Now I hunt mostly agricultural areas and deer are more active in the afternoons as they go to feed. During early gun season things depend a lot on how many hunters are around. In areas with little pressure mornings still are better for me. By the time muzzleloading season rolls, the late afternoon is definitely better for me. I wonder how things will change with the extra 30 minutes added to each end of legal hunting time?

Wow, that is a beautiful mount, I think our lab would freak out!

Nice story and nice buck, congratulations!

Lots of excellent advice here from experienced trackers. I agree with everything Rob suggested. I have been involved with at least a hundred archery track jobs for myself and friends/family. This is not advice but just an observation. Assuming that the archery hit deer has not been pushed for at least a hour, they will generally bed within a hundred-two hundred yards if mortally hit. When tracking a deer that has not bedded within that distance we have recovered very, very few deer. And we are persistent.