cdbing

Best wishes Outdoorstom for a full and speedy recovery. Hope to read your stories next hunting season. Until then, hope you and the pups rest up and have a very merry Christmas. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Well you have the better part of 2 months of deer season left in 1c, including shotgun will be open on weekends in January. So you can take a break, chase some ducks and come back to deer with bow or shotgun. It's nice to have choices. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Was out last Saturday and only saw does and fawns in the last hour of daylight. The does fed normally with a little doe skirmish breaking out from time to time. The previous weekend I saw a nice buck nose to the ground around 2 pm. Saw other bucks cruising the previous 2 weekends in the early afternoon. No bucks showed any interest in grunt calls. Don't know what to make of that. One year I saw bucks return to bachelor groups as early as this, but generally my buck sighting decrease in December and January. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I know nothing about rock climbing, but these harnesses look more like fall prevention equipment than fall arrest equipment. To my way of thinking, you would need to be tethered close to the tree so that you could not fall. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Why not do both....Hunt from a blind in the AM and from the stand in the PM or hunt whichever is more favorable for wind and weather conditions. FWIW, I have stand hunted (bow) hillsides a few times and have had deer at eye level within easy bow range. I think it helps if the thermals in the evening take the scent down hill, if the deer are expected to approach up hill or level with the stand. GL whatever you decide. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did not hunt MA, but hunted Tunxis state forest in CT which is next to Granville state forest in MA. Saw a few deer over the years, that was when I first started hunting, but never connected. Supposed to get some snow on Monday. Good luck! Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

All my bow bucks have been taken in the PM, mostly the last hour before sunset. Over 95% of my hunts are PMs, so no surprise that I have not killed bucks in the AM. I have not kept track of dates, but they ranged from 10/1 to 11/25. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Hope he returns the favor. GL. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I have had some success with a grunt tube, including my best buck to date. So far this year, the grunt calls have been ignored by every buck that i've seen and tried to lure within range. I don't use the doe bleat can very often but have called a couple doe in with it over the years. Have had no luck rattling and seldom do it. This year I lightly blind rattled once and saw a doe that I had not seem peak out from behind brush about 80 yds away and run away. Have had mixed results with estrous scents (during mid November when I typically use them).....from attracting bucks to repelling does. I think evercalm may help and can't recall any negative responses to evercalm, so I use it occasionally, but not religiously. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

1 from stand, 1 from ground (at base of stand). Birh with bow. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Out in 1c for the PM shift. Calling for rain tomorrow so this will probably be my only outing this weekend. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Big deer often thrash saplings, but spikes seldom rub telephone poles. At least from my observations. Sometimes you can get clues as to the width of the rack from scratches on the adjacent saplings, but a rub on an isolated sapling does not tell you much about the size of the antlers. Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

Good read Nomad. My hunting background and stat of mind is very different. Started hunting in my 30s mostly solo and on public ground with a slug gun. Chose the biggest tracks of ground walked as far back as I could get and made a ton of rookie mistakes. Mostly I got cold, tired and frustrated at my lack of success year after year. I never gave a thought to what it would take to drag a deer the miles I would have had to....however due to my lack of success that never became an issue. A few years later I picked up bow hunting from treestands. Saw lots more critters, hunted more and in warmer weather. Still made rookie mistakes, but was no where as discouraged and eventually I was successful. Fast forward 25 yrs or so, now I rarely pick up a slug gun or rifle, rarely walk more than 1 mile and enjoy hunting. Most deer have fallen within half mile of my truck. It helps to hunt in a target rich environment like LI no doubt, and I don't have to go far and beyond. There is a satisfaction that comes from dragging a deer, but enjoyment is not a word I would use. Just my perspective. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I don't specifically Turkey hunt, but if the opportunity presented itself while bowhunting (during the season of course) I would take a shot. I have not seen any turkeys this year while on stand. If you PM me, I will tell you spots where I have seen turkeys on state land most frequently while bowhunting, but they are all over the place. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Best of luck finding it tomorrow. What you described sound like a dead deer. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I have been using a rangefinder for bowhunting for the last 10 yrs even though most of my shots taken are within 20 yds. I range trees, etc to have known distances around the stand. I don't typically range deer themselves unless I am posting or texting about the deer I saw out of range. LOL. I use binos when scouting to reduce my impact. Haven't used binos while bowhunting and figure I am already carrying or wearing enough stuff as it is. If I were to rifle hunt, I would use binos, to look for deer, identify questionable objects, etc. but I very seldom rifle hunt. I don't like the idea of using a rifle scope to scan for deer even if the rifle does not have a round in the chamber. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Try not to get discouraged. I had to learn solo like you and hunt public. Took me years to get the 1st deer. If you are seeing fresh sign and actually bumping deer you will connect. Some good advice already given by others. You may be missing seeing deer as well. Depending on where you hunt you may only see bits of deer, like a flick of an ear or tail, etc. Which can be easy to miss. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Saw nothing yesterday 1c, so wasn't optimistic today. Got in the woods a little while ago and while deciding which tree to climb a stud of a 10pt walks by at 60 yds nose down. No interest in grunts or my attempt at a snort wheeze. A few minutes later I was 4 feet up a tree I saw a doe and fawn about 50 yds away. I got down slowly and tried a stalk but was not gaining on them so abandoned the stalk. So I am now up in the tree hoping something comes by, but just seeing that buck has already made my day. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

@Phade just read your bow harvest post. Congrats! Sorry to hear about your back. Get well soon. With your back injury, hope you had help loading that big brindle...she is huge. Best wishes! Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

I hunt 1c public, so bow only. In January I may take the shotgun out, now that it is an option on weekends. Haven't used the slug barrel in over a decade. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Rest up Luna! Get well soon! Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I have had good luck with NAP mechanicals, which are the only broadheads I've used for the last decade or more. I shoot a relatively low speed/energy bow and don't always get a good blood trail or full pass through, but the deer don't go far if the shot is well placed. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

@ladyhunter what climber did you get? Maybe some folks on here will have suggestions on better straps, etc. I am 60 and still use my climber (mostly late season), but as you've experienced, few come with weight distributing straps and waist bands. There are some YouTube videos of retrofits using military surplus straps and waistbands. My search continues for a better, more comfortable way to pack my climber. Good luck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I pretty much have no restrictions. In years past, I would pass does and occasionally end up not filling a tag. But I've been fortunate this year to get 2 deer and to share the meat with folks who appreciate it, so it is not greed on my part to want to fill more tags. I probably only have 20 pounds of venison in the freezer and I'm ok with that. 1c is overrun with deer and hunters need to do their part or there will be more culls and sterilization programs. For my part, I am willing to fill my remaining buck and doe tags. I'd love to take the 8 pt that I've been targetting even though it is nothing special and I'd happily take another doe. Spikes and fawns will continue to get passes. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Goodolboy, that's a trophy in my book. Looks like an old scrapper. Love to see mature deer. Unfortunately as a public land hunter, I have only seen one on the hoof in 25 years. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk