How's everybody doing?According to the posts and scorecard it looks as though we are sitting really nice. Well...boy I have used that word quite a bit this year...I haven't talked to anyone in the last few weeks so here we go:

Nothing the last few days of archery early season. Saw a lot of small bucks and a few shooters but we all know that the shooters like to stay about 60 to 70 yards away. So, I can't say that I've helped the team too much this year. I did manage to shoot a buck on opening day of our firearm season, November 15th, at 11:45 in the afternoon. I tried to add a picture to this post, so I hope it works. The buck wasn't one of the big bucks I've seen on my property this year, in fact I hadn't seen this one all year long, but he is a respectful buck. Firearm closes at the end of the month and the archery will reopen. Hopefully I will have a few opportunities to get out during late season. The only thing is around here, we have muzzleloader season and antlerless only season (for my county) all thru December. So, the deer really never settle back down.

Oh well, some seasons you just don't get the opportunities as you do in others. Hopefully, you all had a great Thanksgiving and good luck to all that are still hunting.

Well, it looks like the picture took. Sorry, the picture isn't the best but I forgot my camera that day at home and had to take the pic once it was hanging.

Fellow Team XX, I hope all is well with you and yours and that your Thanksgiving went smoothly with the fun of sharing with family and friends.

Whew, good to see you all again. As with most I can see we have all been busy....

Anthony, congrats and great to hear about your upcoming arrival! Hey bud, don't sweat the hunting, family comes first, best of luck ifyou get the opportunity to hunt.

Sum, very nice whitetail buck my friend. I hope you get another chance as well to archery hunt later in Dec.

Rybo in response to your pm, the bucks here are in FULL FORCE breeding phase right now. This will last until about the end of the first week of Dec as most of the does will have been covered.

Scot, it was a pleasure having you here. I thoroughly enjoyed your company as did my family! You are a fine, skilled and wise whitetail hunter. I was very impressed. Your words are WAY too kind. But thanks, I appreciate that. I truely feel like our little spot we hunted will pay big dividends in the future. I will make sure to really have it scouted and set up for next season.

Double creek, again your words are way too kind. Thanks. There truely are so manyskilled and wise bow-hunters out there. I am very fortunate to live in an area that holds mature whitetail bucks. My mentor, whom has inspired me greatly and I have always kept quiet in respects to him has forgot more about bowhunting mature bucks than I will ever know.

Gentlemen, I am going to be a bit of a recluse the next couple weeks.I have been hunting the past 2 weeks with friends and family and some success stories are to come ASAP this week in regards to that...on the journal...and truely there is nothing better, but now that everyone is back home. I will be dedicating every free second I have to a ghostly buck that keeps me wondering where he is hiding, I did a ton of scouting Sunday in the snow and that helped! I haven't heard of his demise as of yet with the rifle hunters so we will see. 4 days left of being under the "GUN" so to speak. Rifle season ends Thursday; I am not discriminating, I have nothing against rifle I just can't wait to hunt the late bow season with the woods quiet and thedeer stressorssettling down.

I did pass up abig mature150+ 4x5 with my rifle while hunting with my brother in law. I wanted him to shoot it..but he was overwhelmed by buck fever and rightly so didnt elect to force a shot. Ironically the buck was standing directly under my bowstand as we watched him from 70 yards,standing still,broadside for 10 seconds.I will detail the storyinmy journal entry.

I hope everyone that is still hunting enjoys this last month or so!


Mike I do keep a scout log. I would love to see one of your booklets! Can you send one out my way???? !!!! I will pm ya too..

Good hunting guys!
Go Team XX
Troy

BBM,
look forward to the pics of the deer and the house. It's always satisfying to look back at the before/after pics when you do things to the house. Makes all that work feel better.

Sum
That's a nice buck. Congrats. Good luck getting out in your late season, if its anything like around here, it can be real challenging.

Troy
Good luck getting after the big ghost buck.

Ourgun seasonin PA opened today. Normally it can be a bit crazy, butthis year didn't seem too bad. I will say they had the deer running early with tons ofshooting. But by 8:30 it had trickled down to nothing. I was out of the woods by 915-930 and it didn't seem like there were many guys out. Isaw deer early and often all morning until I was finally able to get a good shot at a nice doe with my 44 mag SBH. It's my 2nd handgun deer.

BBM - glad you got the house finished! that is always a great feeling! - will be looking forward to the pics of both the house and the buck.

Sum - good to hear from you - that was a nice buck! - good luck getting out for late season!

Troy - best of luck with the ghost! - I will be looking forward to the journal entries and will shoot out a copy.

Ryan - congrats on the doe - I have not tried one with my handgun yet - but may have to do that. Sorry I was going to get some instructions/narative on how the sheets are linked - entering info in etc. but did not make it back in the office last weekend. Will try to do that in the next day or so when I shoot the info out to Troy.

Take care - Mike

Mike, thanks I will be looking forward to a copy!

Ryan, great job bud, congrats. You are a deer harvesting machine!

Button, again congrats on the house and getting it all set up!

We are getting 6-12 inches of snow tonight..its 24 degrees!

I am waiting on some field photos from my cousin, then I will get that journal loaded up..hopefully by Wed.. or Thursday at the latest...

Troy

Bowhnt.. I think that was Rybo who talked about making Brats.. I made sausage when I hunted and all I can tell you about my recipe is it is a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a touch of this and pray that it turns out right.. When it comes to sausage, except Chirrizo, I kind of wing it when I make it, depending on how I feel... I have made Brats before but I couldn't even begin to tell you what we did... I would have to find the guy I made them with and I haven't spoken to him since he switched jobs 6 years ago... That is a shame looking back at considering he is the one who got me back into actually hunting... I chalk that mistake of letting that contact go on stupid, youthfull ignorance.. Oh well, live and learn.

Oh Troy, I will get out again.. I promise you that.. I was all stoked to go out tomorrow and than I looked at the calender and realized the Orange Army is invading tomorrow for another 4 days.. We have snow coming in and the gunners get it.. Oh well, I will be doing a bit of scouting if it happens.. Just a ways away from my stands but I can see what the tracks are doing.. We still have 42 or so days of hunting with a bow.. Sure, the gun season screws everything up and drives a lot nocturnelly but cold weather sometimes gets them moving more during the day than at night so there is a bit of a trade off. Still have hope.

That, and I have to go out becasue I got stupid yesterday and bought ANOTHER bow.... My wife is going to kill me, at least the other house is weather proof and heatednow and we moved a couch so I have a placeto sleep if she decides tosnap..lol... I went to a shop and sot the new Bowtechs and the Mathews XT and walked out with a Tribute (60 pounds), a new rest, new site and 800 fewer dollars in my pocket. Doh... I think I will get most of the money back when I sell two of my other bows and their accessories. By the time I left, about 30minutes afterstarting to site it in,we had her paper tuned andI was getting 3 arrows in the x ring at 20 yards with no stabilizer, no wriststrap and crap visability... Feltpretty good. I think a lot had to do with switching to a fall away and the site/peep combo we put on it. Just framed it real well for me. Still, I can't believe I boughtit.

I had to ditch the Darton because I was having a problem with the drawcyclewhen it was below freezing.. I don't know why but that sucker at 60 pounds pulls worse than most bows at 70.. Same reason I won't buy a Hoyt, something about the cycles of those two bow brands just disagrees withme violently. I loved it when I bought it but that was shooting in a heated lane.. A bit different when it was30 degrees and blowing..

IL,

You bought yourself an early Christmas present I see! Sounds like a dandy bow. You speek of draw cycle, that is what I like most about my Liberty, the cycle is so smooth. You also bring up a good point in regards to cold weather. It's 19 degrees here today. Days like this with heavy snow fall can tighten a bow up a bit. Good luck on your final set up of your bow. What fall away are you considering. I will through my two cents in and promote the Trophy Taker. I just love mine. I had a Drop Zone but switched to the Trophy Taker.

I went out scouting last night in a FOOT of fresh new snow. I am amped that rifle season closes today and that I have late archery season to look forward too. Anyway last night I saw 9 does feeding out on a big south facing pine ridge. Then on my way home on my quad a big ole bruiser buck, just 1/4 mile from my home jumped across the road in front of me. He is the big buck I saw over behind my neighbors a few days ago. I am going to go look for him tonight and if nothing else back track him from where I saw him yesterday, as long as we dont get dumped on again before tonight which would cover up his tracks.

Good luck IL, you have a ton of season left. I really enjoy hunting the Post rut. It can be very productive near hot feed and or thick brushy bedding areas that provide ample browse.

I hope eveyone on the team is doing well. I submitted my first Journal entry andam waiting on it to be approved and loaded up! Take care guys!

Troy


p.s. I got some good news a few days ago, my last season's whitetail in my profile photo there...and this years buck will be finished up by my taxidermist in 2 weeks. hard on the pocket book but well worth it. When I pick them up I will share some photos... what are you guys all doing with your harvests from this season...in regards to display? mounts..european...anything out of the ordinary??? I would love to hear and see...everyones..

Troy,

I was really looking into both the Trophy Taker and the Drop Zone (More so at the drop zone because the times I have shot it I really liked it) but I let the shop owner talk me into A Vital Bow Gear Vital Drop I think is what it was called.. I forsee one problem with it that I will have to fix and that is their is a sound when the rest drops.. Maybe some moleskin to deaden thedrop a tad.. It is a nice rest and even offers containment at rest position, as you pull back and the rest goes up thecontainment opens up...

Than I got a three pin Tombstone Triangle site from VBG as well because it wasn't a cheap multipin site and it wasn't too darn expensive. I haven't used them really and wanted to give them a fair chance...Really want to try the Sword Accusite but the guy who keeps telling me he will send one to me hasn't done it yet and it has been no less than 6 months since the first time he mentioned.. He is a good guy so I am not mad at him or anything, just wish he would have sold me the one I asked for instead of offering to loan me one to see if I liked it.

The one thing I will tell you I really like about the bow is that I can shoot it will no strap and there is no jump on it.. Which is nice.. Very well balanced bow, liked it a smidge better than the slightly faster Allegiance (They were all of4 fps different in speed, 307 vs 311 on my 29 inch draw at a 61# pull).. Draw was about the same but I wanted the extra brace that the Tribute had. .5 inches makes a difference to me personally.The two drawbacks are, I am really a 28.5 inch guy. Well, they don't have odd draw lenghts available locally right now so I had to choose between shooting a 28 or shooting a 29.. well, I have been shooting a 29 for a while now and decided to go that route and shoot off the string instead of a loop. Kind of liked it, felt real solid.. If I change my mind I will go back to a loop but for now, me likey. Troy, The Liberty is the bow I almost bought last year instead of the Darton. Store loyalty and alligator arms (Couldn't grab the wallet out of my pocket) kept me from doing it. I shot it.. I loved it. That and the Justice where just so nice. Actually liked them better than the Old Glory I shot that day... I am a bit of a bow Junky.. I think I could probably have 30 of them and shoot them all..I would also probably never see the wife and kids again because she would boot my butt to the curb.

We got about three inches of snow last night and as far as I can tell in the one field I don't hunt to much the only thing through was a tresspasser[:'(][:@]but I need to check with the rentor as he has been known to hunt and he does have permission to gun hunt. He just usually calls first to make sure I am not going to be in that area.

Hey Troy, just got news that my FIL is looking at a ranch in Idaho...Might be coming out to look at in the next month or twoor so, if it is anywhere near you I might have to drop you a line and swing by for a quick visit... My guess is that it will be a bit further South than you however.

Well all has been busy here! I have been doing a little hunting, working and X-mas shopping (yuck). Glad to here everyone is doing well. I have been reading the posts but not making time to post one myself.

Congrats on the new bow IL

Troy, good luck on that ghost buck... and where will we be able to find the journal that will be posted? I am waiting to read it!!

bbm... Where are those pics??????

I have been out with the 12 the past week for the last of the gun season here. The land owner has not got a deer this season and wanted to make my best attempt to harvest one for him. I tell you dumb luck has been my fortune since my bow kill!! Last day of season I went out after work in the AM, and seen one doe, 150+ yards away. not much chance with the 12 so I sat and waited for something allot closer.. Well I sat as long as I could and took a walk down to the swamp where there is a power line thatcuts through the middle of it. I have not been in that area but maybe twice during early bow.. Walking quietly through the woods to this spot and needing to relieve myself badly, I waited till I got out into the power line area and did just that while trying to unzip and hopping around!!! While I was going, I look up and 150+ yards away I see a rack in the tall grass, pulled up and glassed the area and sure enough it was. Zipped up and crouched down to get the gun.. looking over my options on how to get a little closer to him... peeked up over the weeds to see where he was and he is coming right to me!!! quickly too!!! He had seen and must have heard me... I moved behind this thick bush... as thick as it can be with no leaves and waited for him to come in through the cattails 10 yards from me... Wow, through the scope he was real big at 10 yards... I was waiting for one more step to bring his body into the clear (needed for a good bow shot).. his one step turned into a 180 and back the way he came... took a pop shot and missed, he stopped and after finding his rackabove the grass, I lowered down the gun and put one through his neck..
Nice basket rack 9 point with a luck shot!! I just wish I had been in my stand with my bow!! I gave the deer to the land owner... I surly could have eaten it, but him being out every day of gun season all day!! I was feeling guilty and wanted to do it for his family. This deer was just a bonus to have horns, my drive to get out and hunt was for the land owner... I have my trophy 4 point I am much more proud of!! I only have two pics that the owner took with a disposable camera, so those pics may be a while before I see them..
Good luck to those still hunting.. and happy holidays to all.