stubborn1VT

Our horses do this to itch their stomachs, mostly when the flies are bad.

Not hunting today. My season has been deathly slow so far. Hunted parts of 5 days. Supposed to be plenty warm today, so I am home to work on wood and do stuff around the house. I'm saving my energy for better deer movement, which will start any time now. The majority of my bow kills have been after October 14. Good luck to everyone out there.

I like your style. No release? Why not get naked on a 6' platform? Kidding. Congrats on your first bowkill by the way. Good luck out there!

I know a guy who shot in an archery league all summer. He held great groups out to 60yds. He shot a doe on our farm at 50ish. She spun and he hit her in the face. He tracked her for 2 days and never found her. To each his own, but I believe he learned a lesson about the difference between a stationary target and a live deer.

I know some very successful canine trappers. They all say that a cat is WAY easier to catch. Good luck!

I think I would like the Trigger Stick bipod, but I'm too cheap. I made myself a set of sticks out of 3/4" dowel, a machine screw & wing nut, some 550 cord and camo duct tape. Now I'm just waiting on Saturday when the VT season opens. 36 degrees here this morning! I have a bachelor group on camera moving back through some apple trees in the mornings. It's time to go see them in person.

Hopefully at least 1 buck. Two would be even better. If not, a second deer of most any kind to top off the freezer. Expecting to hunt from the ground more in brush blinds. I have a couple good ladder stand spots, but I would like to be more mobile. Trying to spend more time on a small piece that I got permission on a couple years back.

October 5th. VT opener. Gotta go out opening weekend to get that feeling. At the very least I can make a couple observation sits and do some of the scouting I haven't been able to get to.

Be glad your shoulders will allow you to bow hunt. I never claimed a xbow was a bow. It's just a legal means for me to hunt in October.

I agree about carrying a rest around. I leave one in my blind when rifle hunting. I've never used a monopod, only a bipod. I know that I appreciate the bipod when I have the opportunity for 200+ yard shots.

I plan to hunt from the ground more this year and was wondering if folks use some kind of monopod/bipod. I use a a homemade bipod when rifle hunting out of blind, but it won't work with my xbow because it would interfere with the limbs. I'm a fair shot offhand out to 30-35 yards, but I am looking for the highest percentage of clean kills. What do you prefer? What about out of a treestand?

Been helping my buddy with a big batch of 2nd cut this week. He makes his living selling hay. He has mowed 70-80 acres since Sunday. I haven't got to do any tractor work, just hauling and unloading wagons. I have farmed pretty much my whole life. We've really been going after it, running 2 tedders, 2 rakes, 2 square balers and one round baler. If the weather holds, this hay will be big bonus for him. I will be glad when the days are too short to bale hay and I can focus on firewood and getting the rest of my stand ready for bow season.

You could, but that roof overhang should take care of most of it IMO.

According to an ap on my buddy's phone, my 370 is shooting right around 345 fps with Piledrivers and a 100 grain head.

That's a cool experience! I'm always surprised by this sort of encounter, but it makes sense. Bears don't seem to see very well at all. If they don't smell you, then they are pretty oblivious.

Thanks for the input everyone! This gives me some options to look into, if work ever slows down. I am interested in the Tasco cams for some spots where I am worried about theft. I love my Browning cam, but can't afford a whole fleet of them. I have run WIldgame for years, but they have let me down at times. Can't complain. I feel like I got my money's worth. I have one older Stealth cam that has been reliable, but it's a PITA to program. I have a couple Bushnell Trophy cams that have been great so far. $75ish on Amazon. I think I will try a couple new brands. I think I will also place some cams up high. The Hunting Public guys do this on public land, using one climbing stick to get them up out of view. Looking forward to getting cams out, moving stands, trimming lanes, but work keeps getting in the way. I keep telling myself that the $$ will be useful when I take 5 weeks off to hunt! Thanks again for the replies. Happy scouting!

Great pics! Looks like freedom to me.

Some of that is the cost of living. If he was a guide, then I could get adding in every single thing, but registration of tow vehicle? Come on. I bet he needed to register his vehicle to go to work. Lights? I get that you think he underestimates his cost, but what's the point of being so negative? You're with Biz, but I'm with Wolc on this one. Divide his costs, over time, and consider the dollar value of his enjoyment/entertainment as well as the value of his fish vs store bought and I believe he does just fine.

Great thread! Hope you also cut some shooting lanes with that brushhog. It's true about color. I built one that is lemon yellow. The deer and turkey act like it isn't even there.

What are people experiences? I have been trying to upgrade to better cameras, but realized that I have spots where I don't want to risk a $120 camera. I have had good experiences with Browning and Bushnell cams, but on new properties or on the edges of our farm, I'm afraid they will get stolen. Do folks have cheaper cameras that are fairly reliable? I have had mixed results with Wildgame cams. Just curious what other people do. I am not really looking to scout with these cams, more just see what's around. It's fun to see what cruises through. Also, what are people's experiences with security measures, like lock boxes and python cable locks? What about putting cams up 8 feet high? Anyone do this? Feel free to respond to any or all of these questions, or just share your experiences. Thanks!

I use an Earthway bag spreader. It works well on small seed ans pelletized lime. I found a Scott's push spreader works better for larger seed, like soybeans. Unless you are going to take up farming, I would stick to a hand or ATV spreader. Best bang for the buck, and they give you good control over seeding rates.

Looked it up. Based on 2017 numbers, a total of 375 hunters took 2 bucks that season. That doesn't justify the change IMO.

I think you have a sound grasp of management strategies. I question your understanding of hunter motivations ( as well as your lack of capitalization). So what is your take on the hunters who take an OK buck and keep hunting for a bigger one? What's wrong with that? According to you, it generally has the same result. I'm not a fan of batches of changes for the sake of change. Vermont isn't Iowa, Pennsylvania, or ever New York. I understand the biology behind some of the changes, but mostly it seems unnecessary. Going to one buck, adding crossbows for everyone, adding an early muzzleloader season, shooting SOME spikehorns, and adding early bow seasons for high population areas all at once, seems foolish, drastic and unscientific. All of these changes were passed despite hunter input. Regardless, reducing my hunting opportunity doesn't make me love my home state.

Never said that I don't shoot 2 bucks. Making it illegal to take two bucks IS a loss of actual opportunity. If I shot an archery buck then it would be illegal for me to participate in the rifle season. I can deal with not killing two bucks. I am mightily pissed to not be able to keep hunting bucks. I don't mind taking people turkey hunting, but I deer hunt alone. It just seems foolish to penalize the very small percentage of hunters who take 2 bucks. As a management strategy it will have a very small impact on the overall age structure. The only other goal of the change is to force hunters to kill does ( or as a byproduct - force hunters out of the state). Seems like change for the sake of change, and copycatting states with vastly different deer herds. Part of this complaint also stems from the many other significant changes they will roll out, all at once, in 2020.

Following sports is a waste of time, but here your are talking about people (who follow sports) on a hunting site? Waste time much?