The hunting/fishing thread!

[jerryse]

I never tried but someone suggested hanging a couple plastic milk cartons in your stand by string so they clank around in the wind. Let the deer get used to noises in the stand.

I got the idea from a story about a guy hunting from behind round bales . The deer would spot his head and leave . He put a pumpkin up there with a hat on it and left it . When he hunted he took the pumpkin down and his head was in that area . Deer did not spook .

 

[Chuckie chicken]

I have been out heavily all throughout October. I had seen a 4 point three times last week. I found where he was bedding by accidentally bumping two deer out of there one afternoon. All I saw was tails, so wasn't sure what they were. After they left I had a good sneak around in that section and found about a dozen fresh scrapes in about 20 acres of woods. There were some signs that there was a deer bigger than the 4 point so I was hopeful. I knew they were leaving there, crossing a field and rubbing trees along a 200 yd stretch of drainage ditch that split a field.

I didn't want to blow them out of the woodlot, and with the rut coming I knew they would soon abandon the rub line, so I decided to sit in a fence row at the far end of it last Saturday evening. Throughout the evening I had made a couple of grunts, then did some rattling and later, a few doe bleats. By 6:40 it was still quiet except for a possum that came out of the grass about 6 feet from me and sniffed around. I took a picture and texted a buddy, who said all was quiet in his stand.

I packed up my stuff and was ready to walk out when I saw what looked like a coyote in the field in front of me. As I watched it, I realized it was a deer walking towards me. There was a little gulley in the field so I could only see the head and neck, which looked like a coyote sitting down in the fading light. The deer made a beeline for me and I noticed it was a bigger deer than the 4 point I had been seeing. By then I was getting focused on a shot opportunity, which looked likely. When the deer got to about 30 yds across the ditch from me I had the crossbow up and on him. He turn to quarter ever so slightly towards me and I let the bolt fly. There was a very loud *smack* and he swapped ends and headed back across the field. He only made it about half way and I got to watch him go down. I stood there for a couple of minutes, then slowly walked back to the truck. By then about ½ an hour had passed, so I drove back and pointed my lights into the field where I saw him go down, found him on the second try.

He has 11 scoreable points. We got 106 lbs of meat, which puts him around 240 lbs live weight. I went for a walk in the woodlot he was living in to find something to mount his skull on (there's a lot of lunk piles in there) and came home with the red boards.

I still have a tag for muzzleloader season in early December, but feeling very blessed for now!

Good luck everyone!

 

[mdees88]

I have been out heavily all throughout October. I had seen a 4 point three times last week. I found where he was bedding by accidentally bumping two deer out of there one afternoon. All I saw was tails, so wasn't sure what they were. After they left I had a good sneak around in that section and found about a dozen fresh scrapes in about 20 acres of woods. There were some signs that there was a deer bigger than the 4 point so I was hopeful. I knew they were leaving there, crossing a field and rubbing trees along a 200 yd stretch of drainage ditch that split a field.

I didn't want to blow them out of the woodlot, and with the rut coming I knew they would soon abandon the rub line, so I decided to sit in a fence row at the far end of it last Saturday evening. Throughout the evening I had made a couple of grunts, then did some rattling and later, a few doe bleats. By 6:40 it was still quiet except for a possum that came out of the grass about 6 feet from me and sniffed around. I took a picture and texted a buddy, who said all was quiet in his stand.

I packed up my stuff and was ready to walk out when I saw what looked like a coyote in the field in front of me. As I watched it, I realized it was a deer walking towards me. There was a little gulley in the field so I could only see the head and neck, which looked like a coyote sitting down in the fading light. The deer made a beeline for me and I noticed it was a bigger deer than the 4 point I had been seeing. By then I was getting focused on a shot opportunity, which looked likely. When the deer got to about 30 yds across the ditch from me I had the crossbow up and on him. He turn to quarter ever so slightly towards me and I let the bolt fly. There was a very loud *smack* and he swapped ends and headed back across the field. He only made it about half way and I got to watch him go down. I stood there for a couple of minutes, then slowly walked back to the truck. By then about ½ an hour had passed, so I drove back and pointed my lights into the field where I saw him go down, found him on the second try.

He has 11 scoreable points. We got 106 lbs of meat, which puts him around 240 lbs live weight. I went for a walk in the woodlot he was living in to find something to mount his skull on (there's a lot of lunk piles in there) and came home with the red boards.

I still have a tag for muzzleloader season in early December, but feeling very blessed for now!

Good luck everyone!
View attachment 3312827View attachment 3312828View attachment 3312829

Great buck and story.

 

[tripletfeb]

I have been out heavily all throughout October. I had seen a 4 point three times last week. I found where he was bedding by accidentally bumping two deer out of there one afternoon. All I saw was tails, so wasn't sure what they were. After they left I had a good sneak around in that section and found about a dozen fresh scrapes in about 20 acres of woods. There were some signs that there was a deer bigger than the 4 point so I was hopeful. I knew they were leaving there, crossing a field and rubbing trees along a 200 yd stretch of drainage ditch that split a field.

I didn't want to blow them out of the woodlot, and with the rut coming I knew they would soon abandon the rub line, so I decided to sit in a fence row at the far end of it last Saturday evening. Throughout the evening I had made a couple of grunts, then did some rattling and later, a few doe bleats. By 6:40 it was still quiet except for a possum that came out of the grass about 6 feet from me and sniffed around. I took a picture and texted a buddy, who said all was quiet in his stand.

I packed up my stuff and was ready to walk out when I saw what looked like a coyote in the field in front of me. As I watched it, I realized it was a deer walking towards me. There was a little gulley in the field so I could only see the head and neck, which looked like a coyote sitting down in the fading light. The deer made a beeline for me and I noticed it was a bigger deer than the 4 point I had been seeing. By then I was getting focused on a shot opportunity, which looked likely. When the deer got to about 30 yds across the ditch from me I had the crossbow up and on him. He turn to quarter ever so slightly towards me and I let the bolt fly. There was a very loud *smack* and he swapped ends and headed back across the field. He only made it about half way and I got to watch him go down. I stood there for a couple of minutes, then slowly walked back to the truck. By then about ½ an hour had passed, so I drove back and pointed my lights into the field where I saw him go down, found him on the second try.

He has 11 scoreable points. We got 106 lbs of meat, which puts him around 240 lbs live weight. I went for a walk in the woodlot he was living in to find something to mount his skull on (there's a lot of lunk piles in there) and came home with the red boards.

I still have a tag for muzzleloader season in early December, but feeling very blessed for now!

Good luck everyone!
View attachment 3312827View attachment 3312828View attachment 3312829

Nice shot!

 

[Chuckie chicken]

Nice shot!

Thanks, there was a bit of luck. I just caught the edge of the shoulder bone, which broke letting the broadhead catch both lungs, nick the spine, and tickle the rib cage on the far side. An inch to the left and there is heavy bone. As it was the bolt has a big kink in it and all the blades on the broadhead are wavy and chipped.

Spoiler: Autopsy pic

 

[mowin]

I have been out heavily all throughout October. I had seen a 4 point three times last week. I found where he was bedding by accidentally bumping two deer out of there one afternoon. All I saw was tails, so wasn't sure what they were. After they left I had a good sneak around in that section and found about a dozen fresh scrapes in about 20 acres of woods. There were some signs that there was a deer bigger than the 4 point so I was hopeful. I knew they were leaving there, crossing a field and rubbing trees along a 200 yd stretch of drainage ditch that split a field.

I didn't want to blow them out of the woodlot, and with the rut coming I knew they would soon abandon the rub line, so I decided to sit in a fence row at the far end of it last Saturday evening. Throughout the evening I had made a couple of grunts, then did some rattling and later, a few doe bleats. By 6:40 it was still quiet except for a possum that came out of the grass about 6 feet from me and sniffed around. I took a picture and texted a buddy, who said all was quiet in his stand.

I packed up my stuff and was ready to walk out when I saw what looked like a coyote in the field in front of me. As I watched it, I realized it was a deer walking towards me. There was a little gulley in the field so I could only see the head and neck, which looked like a coyote sitting down in the fading light. The deer made a beeline for me and I noticed it was a bigger deer than the 4 point I had been seeing. By then I was getting focused on a shot opportunity, which looked likely. When the deer got to about 30 yds across the ditch from me I had the crossbow up and on him. He turn to quarter ever so slightly towards me and I let the bolt fly. There was a very loud *smack* and he swapped ends and headed back across the field. He only made it about half way and I got to watch him go down. I stood there for a couple of minutes, then slowly walked back to the truck. By then about ½ an hour had passed, so I drove back and pointed my lights into the field where I saw him go down, found him on the second try.

He has 11 scoreable points. We got 106 lbs of meat, which puts him around 240 lbs live weight. I went for a walk in the woodlot he was living in to find something to mount his skull on (there's a lot of lunk piles in there) and came home with the red boards.

I still have a tag for muzzleloader season in early December, but feeling very blessed for now!

Good luck everyone!
View attachment 3312827View attachment 3312828View attachment 3312829

Congratulations. Beautiful buck.
240lbs... I couldn't imagine. They just don't grow that big in my area. 160 is big. 180 is huge.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

Congratulations. Beautiful buck.
240lbs... I couldn't imagine. They just don't grow that big in my area. 160 is big. 180 is huge.

Thanks! He's pretty big for around here too. I'm super happy about him!

I walked the north edge of that woodlot this morning, there was a lot of fresh sign. If I don't use my tag during muzzleloader in early December, I'll be back (although the deer will likely be gone).

 

[truckerJay]

I have been out heavily all throughout October. I had seen a 4 point three times last week. I found where he was bedding by accidentally bumping two deer out of there one afternoon. All I saw was tails, so wasn't sure what they were. After they left I had a good sneak around in that section and found about a dozen fresh scrapes in about 20 acres of woods. There were some signs that there was a deer bigger than the 4 point so I was hopeful. I knew they were leaving there, crossing a field and rubbing trees along a 200 yd stretch of drainage ditch that split a field.

I didn't want to blow them out of the woodlot, and with the rut coming I knew they would soon abandon the rub line, so I decided to sit in a fence row at the far end of it last Saturday evening. Throughout the evening I had made a couple of grunts, then did some rattling and later, a few doe bleats. By 6:40 it was still quiet except for a possum that came out of the grass about 6 feet from me and sniffed around. I took a picture and texted a buddy, who said all was quiet in his stand.

I packed up my stuff and was ready to walk out when I saw what looked like a coyote in the field in front of me. As I watched it, I realized it was a deer walking towards me. There was a little gulley in the field so I could only see the head and neck, which looked like a coyote sitting down in the fading light. The deer made a beeline for me and I noticed it was a bigger deer than the 4 point I had been seeing. By then I was getting focused on a shot opportunity, which looked likely. When the deer got to about 30 yds across the ditch from me I had the crossbow up and on him. He turn to quarter ever so slightly towards me and I let the bolt fly. There was a very loud *smack* and he swapped ends and headed back across the field. He only made it about half way and I got to watch him go down. I stood there for a couple of minutes, then slowly walked back to the truck. By then about ½ an hour had passed, so I drove back and pointed my lights into the field where I saw him go down, found him on the second try.

He has 11 scoreable points. We got 106 lbs of meat, which puts him around 240 lbs live weight. I went for a walk in the woodlot he was living in to find something to mount his skull on (there's a lot of lunk piles in there) and came home with the red boards.

I still have a tag for muzzleloader season in early December, but feeling very blessed for now!

Good luck everyone!
View attachment 3312827View attachment 3312828View attachment 3312829
On the offnote: does anyone have any recommendation for semi auto shotgun ? https://gritrsports.com/shooting/firearms/shotguns/semi-auto-shotguns/ been eyeing this Beretta A400, but Weatherby 12ga is looking pretty good too!

240 lbs is huuuuuge! And what a nice shot
Good luck with muzzleloader tag, maybe you can get 250 one
Forgot to ask, what you planning to do with the meat? Jerky, smoking?

 

[Chuckie chicken]

maybe you can get 250 one

 

[itsasmallfarm]

I have been out heavily all throughout October. I had seen a 4 point three times last week. I found where he was bedding by accidentally bumping two deer out of there one afternoon. All I saw was tails, so wasn't sure what they were. After they left I had a good sneak around in that section and found about a dozen fresh scrapes in about 20 acres of woods. There were some signs that there was a deer bigger than the 4 point so I was hopeful. I knew they were leaving there, crossing a field and rubbing trees along a 200 yd stretch of drainage ditch that split a field.

I didn't want to blow them out of the woodlot, and with the rut coming I knew they would soon abandon the rub line, so I decided to sit in a fence row at the far end of it last Saturday evening. Throughout the evening I had made a couple of grunts, then did some rattling and later, a few doe bleats. By 6:40 it was still quiet except for a possum that came out of the grass about 6 feet from me and sniffed around. I took a picture and texted a buddy, who said all was quiet in his stand.

I packed up my stuff and was ready to walk out when I saw what looked like a coyote in the field in front of me. As I watched it, I realized it was a deer walking towards me. There was a little gulley in the field so I could only see the head and neck, which looked like a coyote sitting down in the fading light. The deer made a beeline for me and I noticed it was a bigger deer than the 4 point I had been seeing. By then I was getting focused on a shot opportunity, which looked likely. When the deer got to about 30 yds across the ditch from me I had the crossbow up and on him. He turn to quarter ever so slightly towards me and I let the bolt fly. There was a very loud *smack* and he swapped ends and headed back across the field. He only made it about half way and I got to watch him go down. I stood there for a couple of minutes, then slowly walked back to the truck. By then about ½ an hour had passed, so I drove back and pointed my lights into the field where I saw him go down, found him on the second try.

He has 11 scoreable points. We got 106 lbs of meat, which puts him around 240 lbs live weight. I went for a walk in the woodlot he was living in to find something to mount his skull on (there's a lot of lunk piles in there) and came home with the red boards.

I still have a tag for muzzleloader season in early December, but feeling very blessed for now!

Good luck everyone!
View attachment 3312827View attachment 3312828View attachment 3312829

very nice deer!

240 lbs is a very nice sized deer. lots of good eating there.