Zuke

I have some beers from Tree House and Trillium in Boston, I'll supply those and be over in a minute!

The red squirrels were plentiful last night at my place as well! Appears to be a banner year for rodents.

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First time in this stand this year. Closest to the house as well, convenient walk in the warm weather. It's thick and full of apples and a couple pear trees. Good luck to everyone out tonight.

@rachunter I see a lot of pines near that plot, I've heard this and that about soil acidity in pine stands, but, the bigger problem I've had is with germination and growth because the pines block a lot of sunlight. Maybe opening it up a little more in there, if possible, would be beneficial next year?

Up in the stand in 7A and I'm definitely seeing some good squirrel movement on the edge of this open hardwood and lower growth.

Not "live" anymore, but, took my 5 year old daughter out to our ladder stand tonight and about 20 minutes in had some lightning here in Northern Cayuga County. Deer were in the fields at dusk however! Look forward to posting in this thread a lot more soon when vacation starts.

I'm in northern Cayuga County and have been seeing them for about 4 years. Up until then I had never had even a picture and suddenly it's routine.

I'm a little confused by this... I don't recall ever stating I cared about antler size... I'm more of a herd management kind of fellow than "everything needs to be 180 inches" and I believe maturity is one of the answers.

Did anyone happen to pick up some Bourbon County Brand Stout today?

Tell your buddy awesome deer. I think that thing is neat as hell!

At 8.5 he is potentially on his way downhill and may very well have been at least an 8 in years prior.

Buckstopshere, I agree with most of your post that wild deer will rarely reach that 200" mark, but, I also think it is just as rare to see a 4 1/2 year old 4 or 6 point without some extreme lack of food or other factor beyond genetics. With that being said, I'm not a fan of the term "antler restrictions". In my eyes it puts too much focus on the headgear and not enough on the actual management of the deer... does included. On the flip side, I'm also not a wildlife biologist and I have trouble forcing someone to follow rules they don't agree with on land they pay taxes on. I think I once heard it put "It's his ranch. Let him wipe his ass with cactus if he wants to."

Who is with me for a road trip to Larry's?

This theory might work in the absolute perfect situation... In a place where the land is made up of 30 or 40 acre pieces, it won't.

I'm not a huge fan of the term "antler restrictions" as a deer is more than just antlers. I am however a huge fan of herd management and allowing the animals to mature, whatever their antler potential may be. I think the benefits that come from allowing animals to grow into adulthood, which does include generally larger antlers, are immense.

Opening day started with a buck, I believe 2.5 8 point right around 0705. He has potential so I let him walk. They have to be good before they're great, right? He snuck up about 20 yards to my right before I noticed him. Then about 1030 a small doe came into view from straight ahead.... I read a page back someone talking about taking a head shot, and that bothered me a little. We as hunters owe it to every single one of each other to give ourselves the best image we can. This doe painted a bad image to me of my neighbor's, and every non hunter that saw it had the same remark of "That's why hunters are terrible people". I'm happy I was able to put her down and she did not starve to death as her bottom jaw was just hanging... She will feed some very good people.

My grandmother is from Nova Scotia and says they're good eating... "Like little pigs" she says.

Awesome buck, ApexerER! Congratulations!

I'm with zeek and nodeerhere.

Kimber in .300 WSM with 165 grain Barnes bullets.

Biz, your dad has to get one soon! He's been consistently seeing deer it seems.

I'll be set up in a ladder stand behind my house on my little piece of land that I've hunted opening day of gun for the last 3 years. Something about it being home is special to me. I've had some great days, and some terrible days, from this stand. It makes my daughter happy to help track when I am successful though. The stand overlooks a bedding area and an acorn flat.

Private land out my back door with my Kimber in .300 WSM.