RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

William, don't sweat it man. You'llfind sometime to get out there, and from the looks of things, hunters haven't exactly been setting the world on fire over the past couple weeks, so you haven't missed much. That will change soon enough, though. Be extra nice to the wife, make dinner a few nights, send her shopping, do the laundry, whatever it takes. ;) After that beast you killed last year, that'll be tough year to top, but they're out there. By the way, did you ever settle on a mount for that buck?

Rybo - you hunting tonight? j/k You'd need a canoe and chest waders just to get to the stand. It's a bit damp out there today.

According to my spreadsheet, I've spent 32.5 hours in the stand so far, and 29 deer total. Last night was the best night of the year so far, 9 deer, 3 bucks (bringing the year's total to 10). For those keeping score at home, that's .90 deer per hour.(not so good, but my average is down b/c of the slow start)

The evening started off good, as I went to this bottom edge of a cornfield and found a hotbed of rubbing/scraping/feeding activity. It's a natural funnel, bounded by a steep ledge and the field, just a narrow feeder strip that leads out past the fields and into the bedding areas behind the houses. The deer would typically use the high end of the field, but there's been a guy hunting up there, and he has them re-routed around the bottom in the evenings, where they can scent-check the downhill breezes from his stand.

I found a tree and just as I took my stand off my back, at least one deer tore out of the thicket, maybe 50 yards away. Busted. I thought my hunt was ruined, but climbed anyway. There was a bad tree selection, so I found awide openwalnut tree that I could get to about 15'.

By 5:45 I had a big doe and 4 button bucks under the stand, they were followed in by a small buck (I thought it was a spike), but I lost track of him and never got a look b/c I was really pinned down. At 6:00, another big doe showed up and headed in with the herd (maybe mom#2). Deer came and left, I lost count because I couldn't move to watch them all. There were at leastsix antlerless.

6:30 a 1x3 wanders by and starts feeding behind me. Five minutes later an eight pointer comes in and passes behind. Maybe 10-12", not what I'm looking for just yet.

Like an idiot, I'm fidgeting around, trying to glass the eight pointer when that smaller buckpicks me out from about 25 yards behind the treeand blows, clearing the whole hillside.

At dark, a lone deer came through and passed below at around 20 yards, but I couldn't see a thing. If it would've come into the field, I may have been able to get a positive i.d. or a shot. I grunted at him once to try to bring him around into the open, and he stopped abruptly and stood for what seemed like an eternity. Then it circled my position and stood around some more, then finally left. It sounded heavy and seemed to take long strides. He was looking for the other deer, but when he didn't see anything, he went on around the hill.

I feel pretty good because all of those deer crossed my footpath, and at least a half dozen of them stood within feet of my tree and never smelled me in the swirling, intermittent breezes.

Anyway, I found a much better tree, one with some cover, so I'll be back in there either Wednesday or Thursday.

I'm stuck in a Catch-22, because I don't want to overhunt this area, because these deer tend to be really perceptive of danger, and I've already spooked two, but on the other hand, if I don't get in there before Saturday, that guy will be back in there, and the thermals push his scent right down over their crossing, and I'm afraid that the big buck might vacate the area after Sat. I think it was him that passed below me at dark. Very slow, heavy deliberate steps, straight-lining it into the rubline and bringing up the rear from where the rest of the herd had gone. I guess I'll have to strike while the iron's hot.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Fran - thanks for taking us along with you - sounded exciting! - That is a tough position - not wanting to overhunt - but needing to be there before Saturday which may run him out for quite a while. HMMMM think on this we must...harvest this beast we shall! Just have to get the XX force converging on you the next couple of days!

William - I know what you mean - I still will not be able to get out for a couple of weeks - that sucks!! - but there should be some getting worked up pretty good at that time!!

Ryan - congrats on the doe! you are making me hungry! (started back on my diet again!)

Troy - Tell Rob congrats! - like I said - it is special being close when one hits the ground! Is he going to be able to make it up again this year?

IL, Big Daddy & Sum - I finally got more tubes last night - and am shipping out some prints your way today - should get them later this week.

AR - I need to get your address - PM me (I cleaned them out of tubes - but still have one left with your name on it).

Best of luck to everyone out there!

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Just be careful not to cross the streams, or we might all just wind up covered in hot, molten marshmallow paste.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Yes - we definately would not want that - it may be considered baiting!

WHY NO officer - I have no idea how the large molten mass of marshmallow paste got there - and certainly did not intend for all the largest antlered bucks in the state to gather there!...but by all means you get first choice!!

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

As we speak, some country bumpkin in the foothills of Kentuckyjust finished scouring the internet for instructions andsuccessfully rigged up a homemadeEgon Spangler Signature Seriesproton pack out of a bunch of oldEl Caminopartsand is now pointing it at a bag of Jet Puft marshmallows over top of his deer baiting site. Tomorrow's headlines will read "Local ManSeriously Injuredin Bizarre Hunting Accident."

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

hahahahahaha

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Thats funny!!!!!!

Shed, congrats to your brother, I wish I could get my two brothers a buck!

Good luck guys, it sounds like you are all seeing what you like to see.
I will be out in the AM to look for a bigger buck.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Top o' the mornin', guys.

I'm pretty wound up - hunting after work tonight - the weather is supposed to be nice, and I feel like I'm getting pretty close to pulling the trigger. I'll decide later about where I'm headed.

Did anyone hunt yesterday? It was a washout here, but cleared up in the evening. I didn't make it out, had some stuff to do at home.

So I have a couple halloween questions: When you guys pass out Halloween treats to the local kids, do you all dress up in a costume? Do any of you guys do Halloween parties or go out to clubs/bars where everyone dresses up? The Bunnysuit is returning this year for round 2. (I dropped $89 on that baby, so I'm getting at least two years out of it).

Dave - I watched the game last night. I'm trying not to put the cart ahead of the horse, but it looks like you guys will be getting the Tigers in the Series. The stadium was NUTS! Did you go?

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Fran, I had to work the game last night, so i was forced to listen instead of watch. I hope they break it off in the Pond Scum tonight, I don't want a nail biter, I want a 2 TD win tonight in NYC.:D

I don't normally dress up for Halloween, but a few years ago I found an old lime green polyester suit of my dads, with like 12"lapels, had on a lemon colored polyester shirt of his and a nasty fat brown tie. I looked like Herb Tarleck form WKRP....people kept asking me why I was so dressed up.....[>:]. That was the last time I dressed up for Halloween.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Fran- I think you should change up the bunny suit just a little - consider the following:

Either a mohawk - or a mullett - the ears would not seem quite so long.

A tattoo - (not sure exactly how to accomplish that - but may need to use some jet puffs, can of WD-40 and a lighter to create the correct texture) - I think a good XX logo tat would be killer for the suit.

Leave a blood trail - that would be the best yet - again there is the logistics of that, but I am sure that the team's collective minds could easily come up with a number of solutions.

How about the rabid fuzzy wuzzy bunny - pop alkaseltzer in your mouth all night long... I am sure there will be some others!