2022 Deer Tails

[Pullstart 62,831]

13 hours ago, WHX?? said:

I like that Ed Dog ... well maybe not the wind towers in my view but I get it.

Thing here is is more about tradition than actually hunting.  Sitting in camp playing cards ... sipping ... old friends... new friends ... educating rookies... mice crawling uo yer arm when sleeping... it's really much more than hunting. Bagging a nice buck is just an excuse for us all to get together. If I had to explain you wouldn't understand.  

I just watched Escanaba in Da Moonlight.  Must be the same cabin you go to?  

[Darb1964 1,042]

On 11/26/2022 at 8:23 PM, WHGuy413 said:

Well Mass archery ended today. Yesterday afternoon while heading to a stand I should have put more time into I came upon the back of a deer standing just a few yards from my stand. The wind was in my favor and how it never spooked I don’t know. After 10 minutes of watching it it finally moved forward and it was a doe. She then quickly took 2 bounds and out of the bushes right behind her where I couldn’t see was the biggest buck I have ever seen in the woods. Absolutely massive. He chased her around for a few minutes then they were out of sight. I quickly made it to my stand and climbed in. At 3:30 even over the wind I hear something walking from the direction i had come from. I look and here comes the 7 pointer we have on camera. He’s at 45 yards and angling towards the run that goes by my stand at 20. He hits the run crosses it and comes right to my stand. I was in shock. He moved away just a tiny bit allowing me to come to full draw. I settled on the vitals and just as I squeezed the trigger he spooked. He took off and my arrow was sticking out of the ground. He hung around for a while longer maybe an hour or so then left. I thought for sure I missed him. I climbed down after dark at 5:15 and grabbed my arrow and noticed hair on it and blood on the ground. With only a phone flashlight i opted to back out and call some friends and my dad for help. 2 hours later we headed back in and followed blood. Not the greatest but enough to follow for 100 yards. Then very sporadic. Finally we came upon a bed with only a few drops in it. Then after the bed we followed it some more with very light drops here and there. We hit his scrape line and he had stopped and freshened up 4 scrapes. After that we could find no blood. I went back in this morning and didn’t find a drop of blood past those ground scrapes. Pretty bummed that I wounded a beautiful deer but with the amount of blood we found and the fact he went back to opening up scrapes makes me feel he will survive. Later in the afternoon today I ventured back to that same stand and as I got to where I park the 4wheeler a spike horn popped up and walked off. At almost dark 3 does came in. Monday opens gun season. Hoping I see the 7 again either for a shot or to know he’s still alive. 

I'd say a mussel hit, the arrow tells you everything. Probably fat and some very red blood. If the blood was bright red and very little clotting in the bed, I think he's good, working scraps is a good sign he will survive.

[Pullstart 62,831]

Today is the break between “firearm” and “muzzleloader” which allows any zone-legal firearm anyway.  Muzzleloader goes until the 11th, then the 12th through Jan. 1 is late antlerless.  I spent a minute and sat on the rock pile where I aspire to build a new hunting blind.  There’s a 3’ diameter log on the top of the pile, old enough that I can manipulate the structure with my heel and a stomp.  I set myself a little pocket to sit in if I choose to do some ground hunting before the end of season.  I can’t see as well over my grass, but it gets me closer to where most action is, and the wind is generally right in my face.  Possibly, I can have a kiddo or two come sit with me for a couple mornings or evenings…

 

The rock pile tree is just to the right of this picture.  There is a little scrub brush tree on the grass edge, about 60 yards from the rock pile.

[WHX?? 48,813]

23 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

Muzzleloader goes until the 11th

Think I'm gonna start learning about smoke poles and take it up next year. 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,525]

25 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

which allows any zone-legal firearm anyway.

 

Huh?

I thought muzzle and bow only...

[WHGuy413 2,683]

15 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Think I'm gonna start learning about smoke poles and take it up next year. 

I only take my muzzle loader during shot gun season here. It’s more accurate and I was always taught to make that shot count. I have friends that are the spray and pray types and it drives me nuts. To the point I won’t hunt with them anymore. 

[Pullstart 62,831]

24 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Huh?

I thought muzzle and bow only...

And shot gun and .350 Legend and .450 bushmaster in my zone.  It’s been that way a couple 2-3 years now.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,525]

Ah I see - only over by you... my area and up north can only go firearm during regular and early/late antlerless  season...

 

BTW I have a .350 legend. Love it!

[Pullstart 62,831]

6 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

BTW I have a .350 legend. Love it!

I’ve thought about one or two of those, for the kiddos.  My .450 Bushmaster is amazing, has tons of put down power and kicks much less than my 20 gauge even.  In a sense of fairness vs a muzzleloader, I use a single shot break action.  I have to pull the spent cartridge out, put it in my pocket, get another bullet, load, close, ready, fire, aim. 

 

 

 

I got a new device and added another video editing app.  I was able to add some on screen text when the wind cancelled out my voice.
 

 

[Pullstart 62,831]

3 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Think I'm gonna start learning about smoke poles and take it up next year. 

My first muzzleloader is pretty much a wall hanger.  Mrs. P’s grandfather took it off his wall, opened the door, stuck it out and fired a cap through it one day.  Scared the bejebus out of Grandma and she commenced to chewin’ on him for it for a while.  He handed it to me when it wasn’t needed for defensive blocking as a thank you for some favor I did.  I don’t recall the gesture on my part.  I couldn’t ever get the breech plug out to clean it properly.  I used heat, oil, heat, soaked oil for months, nothing worked.  It should probably get a new barrel or go to a gunsmith for safe work and inspecting.  My second, I bought in despair after a shotgun season one time, when I didn’t see anything for the whole season and we really did need to use a muzzleloader still (see a few posts above).  I went to the used section, found a setup (gun and scope) that was in my cheap arse budget and I went straight to the range.  It must have been a guy was tossing a scope on to make it a package for trade in, because I had to get up to about 25 feet to hit a paper plate and walk back progressing to 100 yards at the range.  I’ve never taken a deer with it.  It sure is nostalgic to shoot and is considered way outdated now but it’ still fun.  

[Pullstart 62,831]

3 hours ago, WHGuy413 said:

I only take my muzzle loader during shot gun season here. It’s more accurate and I was always taught to make that shot count. I have friends that are the spray and pray types and it drives me nuts. To the point I won’t hunt with them anymore. 

I too enjoy the shot placement and steady approach.  If it isn’t a good shot, it’s not worth taking.  I had a work buddy about 15 years ago who’s dad took three does in one sit with his muzzleloader.  He was shooting it over 200 yards and the does were all walking in a line.  He took the first, then second, then third in the row.  They must have not known which way to run when the bang happened.  It gave him time to powder, tamp, wad, bullet, tamp, cap, shoot the two extra times!

[WHX?? 48,813]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

, load, close, ready, fire, aim. 

Ahhhh ... aren't you supposed to aim before you fire?!?! 🤔 

[Pullstart 62,831]

1 minute ago, WHX?? said:

Ahhhh ... aren't you supposed to aim before you fire?!?! 🤔 

Oh right!  Just making sure you’se paying attention!

[WHX?? 48,813]

3 hours ago, WHGuy413 said:

 I have friends that are the spray and pray types and it drives me nuts. To the point I won’t hunt with them anymore. 

I wouldn't either... reminds me of the idiots that take sound shots. 

[Pullstart 62,831]

I’ve been researching on lots of habitat and food plot improvements.  I wish on all this land I have (not complaining about having land!) there was more timber to improve.  I have a couple acres maybe, that’s been growing and dormant for about 10-14 years.  I might take this approach on some of it and see what changes.  I already see a dry, hard floor in spots.

 

 

 

[Handy Don 12,204]

16 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

researching on lots of habitat and food plot improvements

This is a deep well with TONS of material out there.

With so many different geographies and topographies it's a lot to take in. In NY, one of our best resources is via the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Not sure how applicable what they have is to the land in your area, of course, but my son and daughter have applied many learnings from the Extension to their 150 acre managed forest in upstate NY.

Best of luck!

[Pullstart 62,831]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

This is a deep well with TONS of material out there.

With so many different geographies and topographies it's a lot to take in. In NY, one of our best resources is via the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Not sure how applicable what they have is to the land in your area, of course, but my son and daughter have applied many learnings from the Extension to their 150 acre managed forest in upstate NY.

Best of luck!

As for the quickest improvements and financially sound, I have heard about CRP grants.  The government pays you to enrich the wildlife if the area, environment, etc, might call on it.  In essence, that is kind of what I am doing myself on my small hunting parcel.  Eventually, I’d like to expand the nature preserve, if you will, and farm more for myself instead of leaving it out for someone else to profit.  For now, what I have going works.  This is a 5-10 year plan.

[Handy Don 12,204]

12 hours ago, Pullstart said:

This is a 5-10 year plan

I read this somewhere:

When is the best time to plant a tree? Thirty years ago.

When is the next best time? Now.

 

As we get older and see that we are not the all-important end of the parade of life, but only a placeholder somewhere in the middle, we begin to recognize the importance of taking the long view.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Handy Don

[Pullstart 62,831]

51 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

I read this somewhere:

When is the best time to plant a tree? Thirty years ago.

When is the next best time? Now.

 

As we get older and see that we are not the all-important end of the long parade of life, but only a placeholder somewhere in the middle, we begin to recognize the importance of taking the long view.

I agree to that as well.  I’ve been planting trees for 5 years here, and 10 years before at our previous house.  As for the 5-10 year plan, it’s currently ag land that gets planted and harvested each year.  When the current farmer retires, I’ll begin/expand my preserve lands.

[Ed Kennell 38,114]

47 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

 I’ve been planting trees for 5 years

I guess I'm on my second cycle.    I've been planting apple, pear, and plum trees recently

  I planted over 30 trees 60 years ago and had the chore of cutting all but two down a couple years ago.   Bag worms and spider mites did them in.

  I have one honey locust and one silver maple left that the spotted lantern flys will probably  have killed by next year.   

The cycle of life.

 

[Ed Kennell 38,114]

BTW, had a real nice buck come out of the woods I'm hunting in and cross the posted  cut corn field at 9AM this morning.     I tried to turn him with the grunt call but he kept going.

  It looked like the same one I saw chase three doe across the field Saturday evening.     Think I'll put some scent out.  He is certainly on the hunt for a hot doe.

[Pullstart 62,831]

Good news Ed Dog!  It was super quiet in the stand this morning. I saw NO deer.

[Ed Kennell 38,114]

Nada this afternoon.

[WHX?? 48,813]

6 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

He is certainly on the hunt for a hot doe

Little late for that Ed??? Maybe not for a early June fawn.... 

[Ed Kennell 38,114]

Seems the "rut" occurs later every year here.