quiksilver

I just don't know whether he'll come back through there again now. I know he never saw me and never winded me. He just heard that metal clank, and heard the arrow go zinging through, but wasn't sure what to make of it.

I've got the entire day off tomorrow, so I'll be able to give him all day to try that trail again. Unfortunately, it's a good location only for the morning thermals, so if the wind picks up in the afternoon, I might abandon that location in search of greener pastures for the evening.

shed33

Fran,

The way Mr. October left, I wouldnt worry too much about him being too spooked. He sounds like an absolute monster. We both came very close yesterday. All we can do is keep after it and be prepaired for the next opportunity. Hopefully all is well with your bow and you can get back afterhim this weekend. He's in that area for a reason, I doubt he's gone.

Last night with my big buck encounter, I am sure he knew something was there, but he had no idea what it was. I know for a fact he didnt smell me. I had the wind at the time and it was raining like a banshee right after.

I decided to give the ground blind a rest for this mornings hunt. I hunted out of a stand that overlooks a big clearcut. I was able to glass over a mile of country this morning. I didnt see one deer move anywhere! It was raining cats and dogs. The good news is I get to hunt this evening and all scent is washed away. Bucks will be working thier scrapes hard with all this rain cleaning them out.

Dee may join me in my ground blind for filming. If its not raining..

Good luck this weekend everyone! I am going to split my time between Ole yellers ..area and the Grey bucks...

quiksilver

Troy - the more I think about it, the more I think I'll be okay to squeeze in there again on him. Hey, clean out your inbox Chief. I wrote you a long message, only to get the dreaded "mailbox full" message. Dozens of man-hours down the tubes. LOL. Hey, do you wear raingear out in the rain, or do you just suck it up (literally) and just deal with the elements?

That "used tampon" thread really got me thinking, so I sneaked into the women's restroom at McDonald's on my way into work this morningand raided the mousetraps for tomorrow's hunt. I'm all set now. Okay, I'm lying.
I was cracking up reading that stuff. You know, I bet somewhere, some poor unsuspecting guy went to some extreme measures to procure some "fresh scents" for his upcoming hunts. LMAO

My bow looks okay, but it's got the bluing scrapedinside edgeof the bottom cam, and there are some slight burrs. It's all nicked up anyway from years of my abuse and mistreatment. I confess, I'm an abusive bow owner.

It draws okay, and the cam isn't twisted either at rest, or at full draw. I'm concerned that those burry scrapes might start cutting into the serving, so I might have to file them off. I'll let the bow guy look at it and see what he thinks.I don't care if they tell me my bow is ruined andI'm stucksitting in the treestand with a bowie knife clenched in my teeth, I'm hunting tomorrow.

buttonbuckmaster

I'llovernite my Mathews to you if needed Fran, I want to see you get that buck.

shed33

Fran,

Sorry man, its cleaned out. Dang bud it sounds like you and I possibly had around 300 inches or moreof antler at full draw yesterday! Yeller looked big...right at 2 feet wide outside.. a solid 160+ grossing buck. Yours sounds as big...? big 5x right..150+?

I wear full rain gear..Mossy oak break up...Thinsulated Dry Plus.. bibs and parka...on the cold days...like yesterday. This morning I woke up to hard rain and warm temps..It stunk! Temps bumped up 20 degrees today..was 43 this morning when I went out...I wore my bibs and light weight rain coat..in Mossy oak break up. I go with the break up here because of all the black in it...Lots of shadows and dark timber here where i hunt..i blend really well with it on...even though we dont have much for hardwoods...!

Ya know guys, I could have shot that big buggar last night...forced one with a blurry pin... but NO stinking WAY... and have never felt better about NOT SHOOTING....I really felt good walking out..knowing hes alive and I didnt wound him...I honestly didnt get a bit nervous..just miffed me when I realized the dark hole I was in was a catch 22... it serves great for off the ground...he walked right to me..but with the heavy overcast and rain at 5:30...it was dark enough I counldnt see the pins in there.. Oh well.. Its meant for a reason..Same with yours Quick there is a reason for it..

Quick..you've really changed your goals for this year and stuck to them..and I know you could have tagged out already..so, I got a question for you....

Being a PA hunter...knowing the deer are heavily pressured...How do you feel today after having that opportunity of a buck of a lifetime...versus already being tagged out like in years past.....has holding out been worth it to you?

p.s. I dont worry about scratches either..my bows definately looked used...

quiksilver

Yeah, I get a charge out of watching the color drain out of my one buddy's face (he's a staff shooter for Hoyt, so he always has a brand new, shiny, oiled-up, current model-year bow in hand) when he watches me drive through the brush using my bow like a shield to plow the branches and sticks out of the way. I hunt by myself 90% of the time, but every once in a while, I hunt with some of my buddies for an evening here or there. They crack me up the way they baby those things.

So to answer your question Troy, I'm pretty excited about getting to go toe-to-toe with a 150-class buck (but, since he won the first round I'mleft licking my wounds and second-guessing) but I would like to have gotten one already. It goes both ways. I'd be lying if I said I'm not loving every second of this season, getting to hunt just about every day (even if it IS only an hour or two). I just wish we didn't have so much hunting pressure. He might not quite go 150, I'm not the best at field-judging, because we don't have a whole lot of 3.5+ year old bucks running around, so it's tough for me. I tend to overestimate bigger bucks, and underestimate the smaller ones. I've taken a pass on a couple this season that, looking back, were respectable. That said, I don't think I'm overestimating this buck by much, if at all. I've seen him enough times to know.

I know you're pretty amped to know that Highrack is still alive and well. He sounds like a whale of a buck. I really hope you get him - or Grey. either one. That's tough bowhunting during rifle season. I know if it was rifle season here, the Weatherby would have howled this morning, and I'd have been dragging and smiling like the butcher's dog. Point and Click. I guess archery is just so much more intimate, and the successes mean so much more. Actually, if it was rifle season here, there would have been at least 8 other guys in that tiny woodlot, and I'd have never seen a blessed thing. Once the Orange Army marches in, it's time to break out the flak jacket.

That took a LOT of restraint to pass on that shot last night. I would have probably turned it loose. I guess it's the competition around here that makes me like that. I'm sure Ryan can attest to this:If you get an opportunity on a 125"+ buck in my neck of the woods, you'd better take it, even if you're looking down the shaft in the moonlight, because tomorrow, there will be three other guys in there after him again - pushing him, testing his awareness, changing his habits, bumping him out of his bed, stinking up the woods, and making him even more unhuntable.

I've made up my mind, I'm heading in there tomorrow and stayingmaybe all day, depending on what I see. (provided that my bow still works). I'm scooting down the bank a bit to an even 20-yards uphill and upwindof his trail.

BerwindaleBoy

You guys might as well hang it up, team 17 is running away with it Seriously, what are you guys waiting for, we need some competition!!!

rybohunter

Just thought I'd share some pics off my phone. a gray fox and 2 early pics of my buck. Decent for a free phone.

tsoc

Nice photo's Ryan!Make sure to post your mount when it's done.That is just a great buck!

Fran,I had knots in the pit of my stomach for you when I was reading your story,I am sorry that it didn't come together and I hope you get another crack at that buck!You did an awful lot of things right to put yourself in that situation!

Troy,you had me there with you with your story,I admire your discipline and cool!You have had a couple of great bucks within a whisker of being on the wall and in the freezer.I am getting packed up! I'll be out there this coming wednesday afternoon.My mind is already out there!

SumHunter

Well guys...It's been a few weeks. Sorry I haven't had much time but it's been crazy with the new job and trying to get things in order there. Anyway, I took my daughter out last night with me; she's five. It was her first time in a stand. I've taken her out about five or six times before but it's always been in a pop-up blind. So after figuring out how to get her in the treestand (the five-point safety harness I had her wear was perfect- I used the shoulder straps as a back pack and up we went), we got settled in. I told her that since she was in the tree and was so excited, we would shootthe first deer we see. It wasn't five minsbefore a little four point came in...I just couldn't do it!!! My daughter wasn't very happy but I tried my best to explain itto her. It wasn't 15 mins and two young does came in. We were in a starefor about 10mins and my daughter (MaKenzi) did awesome. Ikept whispering don't move.Finally the first one looked back at the second deer andI was able to draw. MaKenzi began saying "Shoot it dad..SHOOT IT"! Of course it was getting louder and louder and I'm at full draw trying to focus on this small deer and my daughteris pumped. Ilet the arrow fly and before I thinkit actually hit the deer, MaKenzi was already asking "Did you get it". I'll tell you what...I was so pumped up. Our first kill"together" - She was pretty proud and I don't think I've ever been so excited over such a small deer in my life. ONE OF LIFE'S GREATEST MOMENTS SHARING THAT FIRST SUCCESSFUL DEER HUNT WITH ONE OF YOURCHILDREN!!!

So, this morning I packed up for an all day hunt. I didn't evenhave my release on when the first little four point came thruchasing a doe...I knew it was going to be a good day.About 15 mins went by and the second a buck...a little eight point came thru. About 7:20 I did my first set of rattling, grunting and doe bleats. Not five mins later a six point come walking in acting studly. Then just as he wandered off out of site, I see another buck approaching from the east. I check it out thru my binos and immediately see palmation on the deer's right side. He's definitely tall enough, wide enough, and a big bodied deer...I grabbed my bow. Immediately drew and had to grunt three times before he finally stopped...dead broadside twenty yards. I let her fly and PERFECT...Right thru the boiler room. He took off like a bat out of hell and into the marsh he went. About 45 yards from where I shot him I heard a bunch of crashing and then nothing...DEER DOWN!!! Nice eight point with lots of mass (even some palmation), not real long tines, but a good all around deer. I will be posting some pics here in a little bit and then I gotta get him scored...If I was to guess right now, I'd say he will be right about 120.

Put up another check for TEAM "XX"!!!