Bolt action

Well I'm in. First sit in a few weeks, and first with the muzzy in a few years. Not real optimistic. No one should have been here recently, so I'm hoping the deer are a little more relaxed. Really I'm pulling in trail cams and getting my climber out now that the season is just about done. If a doe comes around though, I'll be ready.

I live here. The crows come in swarms every winter. They've tried electric callers, predator decoys, fireworks, etc to try to get them to disperse. It's eerie driving through downtown with thousands of them in the trees it flying overhead. It's like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's movie the birds.

Don't get me wrong, I like a good steak as next as the next person. But there are a lot of things I can think of that I'd rather spend that kind of money on..

I'm goofy.. I'm right eye dominant. I'm also left handed, but play sports (hockey, golf, batting) right handed. So right eye dominant, left trigger finger. I'll have to keep an eye out for these kits. I I find the right deal, I may pick one up for later when I have more time...

Congrats on shooting a HUGE doe! I really like the idea of building one of these from a kit, but in reality don't know that I'd have the time to build and tune it to my liking. When I shoulder my gun now, I pull it up to my left shoulder. Do they offer these where the striking mechanism is on the left side of the gun so that it's not directly in front of your face when it goes boom?

I've got a set of lodge. small, med, large, and a square one with ridges on it. They've worked fine for us. Is there much of a difference quality wise from one brand to the next? I guess I just assumed that cast iron is cast iron regardless of who made it..

I'm in the same boat. I don't have my notes with me, but I'm somewhere around 20 sits combined between bow and gun. I had one sit where I saw a few doe, but out of range with the bow. No deer seen during most of my gun sits. I did end up shooting a medium sized 8 pt, but he'd already been shot and it was more of a pity shot than anything else. So 2 sightings total in 20ish sits, with close to 100 hours in the woods. It's tough to keep grinding, but then you read about @Nomad's season. This is why we grind it out.

I'm up in the Canton / Potsdam area for the week. The hotel is in Canton, but I'll be travelling to the hospitals in Gouverneur, Messina and here in Canton for work. I've never been up here before. Is there anything I should check out after work or are there any restaurants I should check out?

What's the prevailing wind on this property? I agree with others that a brushed in blind could work. I'd probably head to the SW corner (if wind appropriate) with my climber and try to catch them coming in from or going out to the corn in the afternoon. With the options you've given, I'd probably still hunt that Southern area with the wind in my favor. Look for fresh sign and maybe take a seat near it if you find a good spot.

I also use it religiously. It's the only scent product I've used where I am confident that it helped me rather than hurt me. I don't use it as an attractant, but as a cover scent. I apply it to the bottoms and sides of my boots before every walk in. I don't worry about reapplying it after any given distance, and sometimes my hike is near a mile to the stand. I've watched deer cut and follow my track within minutes of me and they don't spook. Usually one stick seems to last about a year and a half for me, and that's about 30ish uses. Not bad for the $20/stick. I'm curious about their VS estrous drip or solid bar.. but at $45 for the bar, it's a bit much.

Sitting till dark in a different spot trying to catch one more coming into the field. I have signal, so here's the story from the deer earlier. I was walking in around 2 for the pm sit. There's a strong WNW wind. My plan was to walk south along the tree line all the way to the bottom of the field, then still hunt into the wind heading west until i hit the hedge row, then North up the hedge row until getting to my spot where I can watch the creek that runs along the north edge of the field. Wind would be in my favor for most of that walk. I'm about 300yds in along that tree line when a buck pops up 10 feet in front of me! I was watching him as motionless as i could. My wind was going right to him and he was watching me. I expected him to bolt any second. It was weird though. He just sat there and appeared to be a little off balance. I'm thinking he might have been injured. After two or three minutes with my wind in his face and him watching me, i slowly brought the gun up. Put the X on his chest and pulled the trigger and watched him flop over. I'll watch for sign of an earlier injury when I get him home. I'm stoked that i got one for the freezer. Between work and family obligations, i won't have many more chances to get out this season. Grateful for the harvest.

Finally made some meat! I'll write it up in the harvest thread when I get home.

Packed up and headed out. Have a few things to do to get ready for tomorrow. No deer seen. Will be back out Friday.

3 pallets wrapped around a large tree. The outside is wrapped in camo burlap and brushed in. This one is on the ground. Shot my best 2 deer out it in the past two seasons. Plenty roomy inside..

Oooh that.. just a leaf.

Clothes line?

Mornings like this are enjoyable even if i don't see any deer..

Opposite corners span about a mile. I have stands placed ranging a few hundred yards to nearly the full mile from where I park. Today's walk was about 900yds.

In for the win! Been here since 5. Bright, crunchy walk in. Time to make some meat..

This year seems strange to me.. Some people are up to their eyeballs in deer, while other's (including myself) can't seem to find any. I know this happens every year, but the divide seems more pronounced this year. I'm starting to get discouraged, having sat 16 times and approaching 80 hours in the stand without seeing much. With that said, this fresh dusting of snow and cold weather moving in is too good to pass up. I'll be back at it starting tomorrow morning. I have Wed - Sun off, so should be able to put some time in. Now if only the deer would cooperate...

Glad you were able to find her this morning. Looks to be a good sized doe. Congrats.

Sat for the afternoon in the cold rain. No deer seen. Actually looking forward to sitting in the office for a few days...

Tapped out for the morning. No deer seen. Hunted over thick bedding.

Just had a 20 stare down with a bush. Most action I've seen all season!

Back at it this morning.. different location, different gun, different style today. Needed to change it up. I'll be back on the other property for the afternoon hunt.