WNYBuckHunter

My advice would be to go to a range and make sure your bow is sighted in. You can get 125 Grain field points from any bow shop. Also, remember, when shooting from a treestand or any elevated platform, you will need to bend at the waist. Your shoulders need to be square to your torso, the same as when you are shooting on flat ground. If you simply aim your bow down at the animal and move your shoulders, you will shoot high, hitting deer in the backstraps or just shooting over their backs.

25 grains is going to affect your POI by quite a bit. My bow is pretty fast and when I went to 125Grain heads, it dropped me 2 or 3 inches at 30 yards

wont have any effect

LOL, I wish but I wont have time

This past weekend was pretty much a flop for me. Between my both kids having hockey practice and games on both days, and my daughter having a bit of a breakdown about her shooting confidence, we didnt get out in the woods. This week Im heading to North Carolina for work, and wont be back in time for any more bow hunting, so my bow season in complete for this year. Its been a great season, and actually for the first time in a way Im kinda bummed that its time to get the guns out. On the other hand, my target buck kept skirting me all of bow season, so Im looking forward getting back after him again. I did hear two people talking about the "monster" crossing the road in front of the farm, etc, so I know hes been spotted by others. Hopefully that doesnt mean I will be spending time dealing with trespassers instead of trying to close the books on the buck Ive been chasing for 2 years now.

Here are the dock lines, just choose the color and length you want. I use 3/8" http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Dock_Lines-Seachoice_Double_Braided_Nylon_Dock_Lines.html Heres the prussik line I use. Its the Ice Tail 8mm, and I buy it by the foot. You need 2 feet or so to do each one. http://www.wesspur.com/prusiks/heat-resistant-prusik-cords.html

I could send you links to the same things that I use, and a video on how to make the prussik, but theres no way Id sell them to anyone. The possible liability issues of something like this are too much for me. Id say they take about 10 minutes apiece to make since the boat line already has a loop on one end and is cut to length. Just have to cut the prussik rope, melt the ends and tie the knot. Super simple.

My buck was loaded with ticks. I dont think Ive ever seen that many on a deer before. I got lucky, and didnt have any on me, but I didint do much dragging.

Make sure you are buying rope with the correct shock rating, and not just a "weight rating". There are charts out there that will give you the run down on what to look for. I use 25 foot double braided 3/8" boat lines. They cost just under $10 each, then use 8mm Prussik line for the knot. Your connection should be a caribiner that has a threaded or spring loaded jacket that slides or screws over the latching point. I have one on my harness so I dont need them on all of the lifelines. This stuff isnt exactly cheap. I can do it for a few bucks less apiece than the premade ones, and thats with scouring the internet for part sources. Dont try and cheap out on it, if you use the wrong materials it will do you no good.

1/2 hour or so with the bow, and opening weekend of gun. After that, I walk in while its getting light.

Im not sure when the last time you looked at them was, but they have been running 68rfes and Aisins for quite a while now

So a recap of the weekend and my days off. Saturday morning I was able to get out, so I headed to the farm I have been hunting so far this year. I went about running a scent drag around the plot from the other side, and into my shooting lanes. About an hour after light, a small spike came through the brush, followed my scent drag right to both of my lanes and posed broadside in both of them. That was it for the day. Saturday evening and Sunday I was not able to get out. Monday morning rolled around and I headed to the farm. I saw a doe early, but could not get a shot at her. A few hours later, I saw movement on the other side of the plot in the brush. Out jumped a nice doe with young buck right on her tail. She fed around the plot, but never got into a lane, and eventually left with the buck following her soon after. I made the decision to leave and head to another farm, where we hadnt been hunting much all season to keep the pressure off. I headed to a new set that I had hung this year. This set is actually in an area that I previously had a stand, but the new one was positioned differently about 30 yards from the old one. I got setup and waited. Just before sunset I saw a deer heading down a very heavily used trail right toward me. From the point of about 70 yards away, right up until the trail turns towards the stand 20 yards away, the trees line up so they are like a visual wall between the animal on the trail and the stand, so it gives a ton of time to get ready as long as you see the animal coming further up the trail. When I saw that a deer was heading my way, I stood up, grabbed my bow and came to full draw, aiming at the area that it would be stepping into. When the deer stepped out, I saw that it was a young 6 point, so I let down. He walked back and forth, following the drag I had laid down, for about 20 mins and then walked off. I headed out at dark. Monday night I went through all of the camera cards I had pulled, and saw there was a significant amount of daylight activity from both cams that were in the area of the stand I had sat in that day. I checked the weather for Tuesday and decided I was going right back there the next morning. Tuesday morning I went to my stand and got settled in. Right after sunrise I saw a nice buck cruising through about 100 yards out. I grunted at him but he paid me no attention. An hour or so after that, 4 nice turkeys (3 jakes and 1 tom) walked through at 10 yards. I was kinda bummed that turkey had closed a few days prior, because I could have easily taken any of them. Through the afternoon things were very slow, but I stayed right where I was. At around 3:30 I saw some does working their way through the timber around 90 or 100 yards away, so I got my bow off the hanger and laid it on my lap watching to see if the does would head my way. About a half hour later I heard a deer walking behind me and to my right. I watched and saw the deer emerge from the brush. I saw the rack and as soon as he got behind some trees I stood up and got turned. He stopped and sniffed the air, curling his lip. I looked at the body and knew he was a shooter. I drew as he got behind some trees and aimed for a shooting lane. As he entered the lane I knew he was at 40 yards so I grunted to stop him, settled my pin behind his shoulder and punched the trigger. I watched the lighted knock fly down the shooting lane, through the trees and hit him right where I aimed, just behind the shoulder about 1/3 of the way up from his belly. He bolted and I saw the arrow back out of the wound and come out and a huge spray of blood as he turned and ran back the way he had come from. A few seconds after he disappeared I heard a crash and what sounded like kicking. I sat down, shaking like a leaf and called a few people. My hunting buddy called and said he would be there shortly. He got there and we started looking. 5 minutes and a super easy blood trail later I was standing over my buck. He is a 3 1/2 year old that I have many pics and videos of. He's the third biggest buck on the property and I am more than happy with him. My biggest buck with a bow and the oldest I've shot. After I got him gutted and loaded up, I headed to pick up my son and then go vote. When I pulled into the voting location, I got my son out and showed him the deer in the back of the ATV on the trailer. A guy that had pulled in walked up and siad "I have to see too" and climbed up for a look. He complimented me on the deer and we walked into the voting location. When I was at the table getting my card, one of the women at the table whispered to my son "Daddy forgot to take his face paint off", and I laughed, realizing that my face was covered in black paint. We all had a chuckle and voted and headed home. Wednesday I had errands to run, and I stopped by a taxidermist and spoke to him about mounting my buck. I agreed to have him do it, and went home to load up my deer, as he wanted to cape it out himself. I took the deer down there and he caped it out and we loaded it back into my truck. When we got home, my son and I finished skinning it, and then headed inside to make dinner. Dinner was venison heart fajitas, which are mine and my sons favorite deer season treat. It was delicious. Today Im back to work. This weekend, my daughter will be with me, but not my son, so we have all weekend to try and get her a deer. It really would be the frosting on a great bow season to have her get her first deer. We will see.... Some pics... Tuesday morning at dawn walking in... The arrow found while beginning the tracking. Nice red, bubbly blood! The end of the blood trail.... Exit and entrance wounds from the Rage 125 Gr Crossbow head... Pic of the buck hanging in the garage... Skinning the buck with my son... Dinnertime! Trail cam pic of my buck in velvet. Ill dig up more of these later...

Deer heart fajitas were on the menu tonight. Mine and my sons favorite deer season treat.

LMAO. A little butt hurt are ya?

I voted. Blood on my hands and face paint still on.

Congrats bionic!

Congrats! A beauty!

Today I went to one of the farms I hunt that we have kept the pressure off of early. It was my second sit in a new set that I hung this year. I got there early this morning before sunup and got settled in. Right after sunrise I saw a nice buck cruising through about 100 yards out. I grunted at him but he paid me no attention. Through the afternoon things were very slow, but I stayed right where I was. At around 3:30 I saw some does working their way through the timber a ways out so I got my bow off the hanger and laid it on my lap watching to see if the does would head my way. About a half hour later I heard a deer walking behind me and to my right. I watched and saw the deer emerge from the brush. I saw the rack and as soon as he got behind some trees I stood up and got turned. He stopped and sniffed the air, curling his lip. I looked at the body and knew he was a shooter. I drew as he got behind some trees and aimed for a shooting lane. As he entered the lane I knew he was at 40 yards so I grunted to stop him, settled my pin behind his shoulder and punched the trigger. I watched the lighted knock hit I'm right where I aimed and he bolted. I saw the arrow fly out and a huge spray of blood as he turned and ran back the way he had come from. A few seconds after he disappeared I heard a crash and what sounded like kicking. I sat down, shaking like a leaf and called a few people. My hunting buddy called and said he would be there shortly. He got there and we started looking. 5 minutes and a super easy blood trail later I was standing over my buck. He is a 3 1/2 year old that I have many pics and videos of. He's the third biggest buck on the property and I am more than happy with him. My biggest buck with a bow and the oldest I've shot. First pic is the exit last is the enterence wound.

Lmao well he got my weight right.

Here he is. Just got home. I'll post more in the harvest thread.

He has been recovered. Pics and story to come.

You know it

Thanks guys. It looked good but we all know how it goes sometimes. Hopefully I recover him easily.

Just shot a big buck. I think it's one of the two big 8s over here. Shot looked good at 40. Think I heard him crash. Waiting. Shaking.

Deer are on their feet here. Just saw 3 does wandering through the hardwoods a little ways off.