hunting

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

By the way, I love the pics from your deer stand. Great pictures and great view. I could see myself sitting there all day.

Thanks, it's really nice that it is about 100 feet from the back door of our house. I used to have a stand on the back tree line and when I would shoot one back there I would call Sharon, "hey hon, can you bring the wheelbarrow back here?" lol .

I handload so I use Sierra game king bullets for Sharon's .243 and my .308. Still working up loads for the 7-08 so I was using factory Fusion ammo that the gun store threw in when I bought the rifle.

Steve​

 

[Ivywoods]

Read it and weep. Yesterday morning I shot the biggest buck I have ever shot. Unfortunately his rack is all busted up. One antler is completely missing. One ear is torn and partially gone. He was a big old fighter. Anyway, he ran a few yards and died in a "seep spring, " a real swampy area. Hubby and I couldn't budge him. Every time we tried to pull we just sank deeper in the mud. We had to go get the tractor and about 60 yards of rope to reach him and pull him out.

We hung him from the scale and he weighed 286 1/2. After field dressing he still weighed 240! That's the biggest one I've shot. My next biggest was right at 200 after field dressing.

I can't get good pictures of him in the shop, but when I get the antlers off maybe I can get a better picture. The base of the remaining anter was 7 inches in circumference.

I've read articles that say there are "bully bucks." They are big and like to fight and run the less aggressive bucks off. I'm wondering if this was one of those, and perhaps we did our place a favor by taking him out. Maybe we will get an influx of more deer with the bully being gone, and maybe that is just wishful thinking.

 

[Attack Chicken]

First 2 days of gun season and didn't see one deer. All I seen was a yote.

 

[patman75]

Well I can't compete with Ivywoods.

Opening day morning my Dad got a 4 point, 3 on one side with a long tine on the other. He needed to be removed from the gene pool.

Then I got a a doe that turned out a be a button buck in the evening. I rather it been a doe, but not much you can do after the fact. He will be good eating.

Both shot from a same tree stand and both deer down with in 20 yards of each other.

Now that I have deer in the freezer it is time to go look for buck the beat up Ivywoods buck.

 

[Ivywoods]

Patman- congrats on your deer and your Dad's deer. Those little guys do make for good meals. I pulled some '09 roast out of the freezer tonight and made smokey barbecue shredded venison for sandwiches. Yum yum.

That is cool that the deer fell so close together. My hubby and his son had that happen one time with two big does. One fell almost in it's tracks, and the other one rolled down the riverbank to within a few feet of the first one.

The best part of your story is the fact that you and your dad can hunt together. I always wanted my dad to take me hunting more, but I suppose because I was a girl I got left at home. He did take me rabbit hunting a few times, but mostly I hunted on my own. I loved shooting and became an excellent marksman. I didn't start deer hunting until I met my husband, and he was a very seasoned deer hunter. I owe almost all of what I know about deer hunting to my hubby. We love to hunt together, but it seems like our schedule prevents it to some degree. Mostly we bow hunt alone, but during rifle season we usually manage at least one hunt together.

Spring turkey hunting is a close second as my favorite things to hunt.

 

[Lesalynn]

Yeah, I know what you mean, Ivywoods. I grew up in a family FULL of hunters. Us kids spent our holidays at the deer camp. My dad only took me out with him once, though. I was REALLY young, and very shy/timid. He put the gun in my hands, and helped me sight on a doe. She had a little fawn with her. I remember saying "Daddy I can't shoot Bambi's mom." He yanked that gun out of my hands, shot the doe, and then looked at me with what I thought was contempt, saying, "From now on you can stay at the camp." Well, that just crushed me. I never asked him to take me again. I met my fiance 3 years ago. He and his dad are into hunting and fishing in a big way. I asked them to teach me, so they did. I was determined to do the best I could. This is my third season. Last year I bought my first very own rifle. Got 3 bucks and 2 does last year. One huge buck. I am one of only 2 women that even hunt at our club, and she only makes a couple hunts a year. I go every weekend, and the whole week when kids are out of school. I love it. I think my dad was a jerk for how he handled that first hunt for me, but you know what?? It only made me stronger, and more determined to show that just because I'm female doesn't mean I can't hunt. It just takes the right teachers and mentors to bring out the best in a person. Thank God for the two I have. Between David and I our 3 youngest are all teen-age girls. They go to the camp with us. We don't make them hunt, but if they show a desire, we teach them. And we never ever put them down in any way. I want them to always have a positive experience out there.

 

[wilds of pa]

archery's over and no buck yet. let a 5 point walk and 1 small 4 point (3 points on 1 side and a single spike on the other), but seen a few nice shooters to just no shot presented,
however i did fill my fall turkey tag today so looks like some fresh BBQ this week. rifle season opens in the next few weeks coming, will try then for a buck..

a 30 min stalk ended nicley..in flock being stalked 2 Jakes and 10 hens.. got as close to them as possible..50 yard shot with Mossberg 835 mag 28"barrel, shot used 3-1/2" magnums #5's

 

[Ivywoods]

Congrats on your bird! Those guys can be really tough to hunt in the fall. That was a pretty long shot.

This was one of my favorite hunts of all time. I didn't even hunt. I did the calling for my son. We called and waited, called and waited, fell asleep under the cedar trees. Woke up, called some more. No luck. Went morel mushroom hunting, slept some more. Woke up and called again and heard a tom in the trees behind us. My son moved to where he could see into the woods, and about that time the tom showed up at the decoy in the cornfield in front of us. While my son inched back over through the grass to where he could see the bird I did my best to talk like a sexy little hen. I kept him there for a long time. My son finally reached the edge of the woods just as the tom was starting to leave. He made a perfect shot to the head. That boy was so excited. I think the stalk through the grass on his belly made it even better. He hugged me, jumping up and down and told me in an excited voice, "OH MOM! That was the best hunt ever!" For me, that was the best Mother's day ever.

Lesalyn- I hear ya. My dad was less than sensitive to a lot of things and certainly lacked compassion for kids. I am thankful for what little hunting we were able to do together. I'm happy to hear that even after a "bad start" as a kid, that you took it upon yourself to get out there and hunt. My hubby and I have had such great and memorable times in the woods.

I sat in my treestand yesterday. I didn't see a single deer. All I saw was squirrels trying to drive me crazy with their chatter. It was, however, a beautiful day and I loved it. There are mornings when I watch the sun come up while I am out there and I am literally moved to tears by the beauty and vastness around me. Okay... that's enough. A lot of people just can't understand it because they have never experienced it. I'm thankful I have.

 

[wilds of pa]

Ivywoods and a congrats to you for calling that bird in for your son.. that surely was a memorable mothers day..

in the fall i always wait for a rainy day, because the leaves are so crunchy its next to impossible to stalk them, but when the leaves are wet the game is on.. last year me and hinkjc both took a bird in the same fall hunting situation on a rainy day, however that day we used 22 long rifles and stood side by side and each took our birds..

Yes those none deer days in a tree stand are fun to, because even if you don't see deer its a good time to relax and enjoy the wild around you, nothing really beats a day in the woods.

 

[wilds of pa]

biggest Black bear in pa ever taken 879 pounder..holly smokes what a big boy he was..

this was a nj and pa bear, it was taken in this very first archery season ever in pa..
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101119/NEWS/11190341