Localqdm

Saw him again tonight, but was too dark for any video. Looks pretty typical. I'm blessed just to be seeing him and a couple other nice ones. Maybe in the next week or so I can get some good video on here.

Those shots of the doe and fawn were amazing!

Maybe I'm way off, but shouldn't your peep be set LOWER if you are shooting high, not higher? Wouldn't the higher peep aim the shot higher, making you have to push your pins up even higher to bring the shot down?

hi8 through spotting scope, but I didn't zoom in far enough to focus right. you get a decent look at the start and then about 45 sec. movie_0002.wmv

Relooked at pics, 3+ for sure, nice looking deer. shooter in my area.

nice, I think he's 3.

I had kind of a weird feeling this 4th. Was I the only one. Just seemed like the emperor has no clothes anymore, but the parades and fireworks go on. I don't mean to belittle the sacrifice of those who serve and die for us. Just the USA aint really the USA anymore.

Dave, Are you zooming/cropping these pics before sharing or does that lens get you that close? Thanks, Great pics and some Real NICE bucks too!

We don't NEED older bucks. 1.5's can get the job done, sure; but older does prefer older bucks to breed them. They are SURVIVING just fine w/out older bucks, sure; But the 3 fish in my 10 gal aquarium are surviving just fine too. However their QUALITY of life might be improved in some tropical lake somewhere with a variety of food, rainy seasons, river beds suitable for breeding, natural water filtration and turnover, etc. I'm not complaining, I'm very thankful for the opportunities I have and the Creation the Lord has blessed me to enjoy. I just personally enjoy seeing bucks reach their potential, whether I shoot them or not, like I enjoy fishing for fish bigger than the 2" fish in my aquarium. Just seems like there just should be some older deer in a QUALITY herd and a full hunting experience. Again, I'm not really advocating AR, but 'brown its down' just doesn't make sense to me.

I'm sure a deer could live a while in a fairly unhostile environment. Do you get much pressure there? Is there a lot of food through the winter? Do you have many 4 legged deer that make it 3-4 yrs around you? In some areas I guess its possible. I have seen 3 legged deer here, but with the brown its down crowd, I haven't seen them a yr later.

I agree w/you that without AR's big ones get taken. I live on a farm, and I could take you for a ride some evening and show you the properties that are strictly managed, and there ARE big bucks being stockpiled (at least 5 on one couple hundred acre piece that will likely go 120+ this yr. A few of them MUCH higher. I've seen them.) Then we could drive a couple miles down the road where everything gets blasted and you won't find one. I can send pics if you give me a week or so. Its true big bucks are different. But I watch the individual deer around me nightly and I can tell you there are places you will may never kill a big buck no matter the technique, cause they aren't there, or a 3 yr old may rarely pass through, let alone an old deer. Now every place is different and in some areas of NY there are more big bucks because there is better cover than big farmland, so the average hunter has a shot at them. But someone killed a 130 here a couple yrs ago, and an old hunter was absolutely amazed. In his entire life hunting he had never seen a deer that big. Thats not a lack of skill if they aren't there. Even lousy hunters see big ones once in a while when they are there. I'm not complaining or saying we need ar's. Just saying passing on em does work, and in some parts of NY even with skill and time logged you still probably won't see a big one.

Why yes that is me posing nicely in my buddies treestand as he takes a pic of me... it was a staged pic that I used for the header of my website... it was taken in January...after the season... I hunt from the ground with my recurve and have for the last 11 years... 11 years I might add that I have passed on at least 50 bucks within 20 yards...but haven't had one of my liking close enough to kill.. and have gone without a buck with my bow for all those exciting 11 years... looking forward to #12... does it really bother you all that much that I don't hunt over a food plot or sit in a treestand all day? I'm not sure why everyone cares so much... I just don't enjoy hunting like most guys do... I did years ago.. but I just don't get enjoyment anymore hunting the age old conventional way... sorry Oh.. as for the irish looking hat and outfit... that would be the first clue that I'm not hunting.. I where a leafy gilly type suit when I bow hunt... but thanks for noticing my snappy attire I just thought it was a trad thing, like Fred Bear. Kinda looked like his hat, and for a while he didn't wear camo either.

Just my guess, but different deer. I would be surprised if they make a yr on 3 legs.

Doe, why the hate?

Landtrac, look into selling some of that thornapple! (Osage) Its the best bow wood out there, I bet there are some on this site that would buy, or try Ebay. You could have it cut into boards or just spit it into staves. I haven't seen too much of it in NY.

Food plots make it "easier" sure; but so do deer drives, deer tracks, 'natural' food sources (they make it a LOT easier since you don't have to do the work ). Its all hunting. And for those who only hunt limited amount of land like 50-100 acres (most of western ny small farms), tracking and drives are not an option, unless they want to run all the deer off their land and be done in 15 min.

give us some advice on the homebrew, please. What are u using, where did you get the parts, was it pretty intensive process? how much? I was looking into doing it a couple yrs ago, then never followed through. Pics are very impressive though!!

And I agree most of us know in general right from wrong, and laws don't make something right or wrong, they are just laws. God said what is right and wrong, but some people ignore His laws, some people have lied to and weakened their consciences, and sometimes we have scruples about things that we are overworried about, and aren't wrong. But if we think they are, then we individually should avoid them.

ny, do you really believe baiting is wrong? I understand if someone feels it is less 'sporting', but wrong?

but they will be pushing the deer around and have a much farther range w/a .50 cal bullet, than turkey and bird hunters, and be shooting level w/the horizon, unlike bird hunters.

Well said chevy. I hunt 8h, and if they make an early mz season, it will seriously hurt the bow hunting here. So many guys mz hunt here they will be out for the early season pushing every small wood lot around. Don't know that the deer would go back to there daytime routines before the opening day shotgun assault. And I totally agree w/grow why even think about putting more guns in the woods, (esp kids) while guys are hidden in camo for the short bow season. We already have perhaps the LONGEST gun season in America, why make it longer at the expense of a quieter woods and those who enjoy it that way?

I guess I wouldn't understand how tracking deer or pushing them into shooters is more noble or more worthy hunting than "baiting" (which food plots are far from). I don't want to be rude, just think you are somewhat judgmental about it.

Is it more ethical to push deer into waiting shooters or to pattern them and track them down by there hoof prints they cannot hide? What's the difference? We are all killing deer, some just have limited land to hunt, neighbors who shoot everything, and try to manage the best they can, so sometimes that includes food plots.

The farmer who rents one of the fields on the farm I hunt did knock down all the sweet corn this yr, as it got too late for harvest. He wanted to disc and spread it but never got around to it. It was right across the road from my house and the deer pounded it all through January until it was probably all gone sometime in Feb, they ate everything. There were days there were 30 + deer in this 11 acre field. I definitely think corn is way more attractive to deer down than standing. Deer come from all over to eat in a cut corn field, sometimes before the combine leaves the field. I have also thought you could make some other killer food plot/bedding setups by getting creative planting corn with selective trails and clearings of other crops like soy or oat clearings. Just seems like a quick way to improve a property in one year, although temporary.

Larry, I think it is a good idea to knock down areas of corn within a field, (I'm assuming its not baiting). You could make 'trails' leading to a cleared area. I think it would be much more effective than just leaving it all up or knocking it all down as you leave the cover surrounding the food, but make it more accesable and enticing for eating. I haven't done it as I don't own the fields I hunt, but have thought you could make some pretty awesome hunting setups with standing corn if planted/mowed in a way that gives a 'secure' gathering/eating place.