Critr-Gitr

Well, things are pretty much done for me, as we have 4 deer in the freezer now. I shot a doe early, then my oldest son shot his 9, then my youngest son shot a doe, and then the next day he whacked a9 also. I did keep hunting for awhile after that, but then got busy with the holidays and everything. Just got kind of burned out. Most of the bucks were pretty busted up this year, and then our showpigs got sick and they have been driving me crazy trying to get them lined back out again. I'm gonna give the hunting a rest for a couple months, then I will be ready to bait some hogs and hunt some turkeys. C-yall.

As for the dubious honor of most prolific poster, I have been told before I just needed to shut up... Adios Amigos, Jethro is signing out.

dmax4me

Critr-Gitr,
Thanks for all the stories and sharing with us what we all love to do.
I'm still going to hunt here in PA since Archery came back in the day after Christmas. I never seem to have much luck in PA. Maybe this will be the year.
Good luck on the hogs & turkeys. I actually took my 1st turkey with the bow this fall. I've shot them with shotguns but to be able to take one with the bow was quite a thrill.
Take care, Scott

2Poppa

jhalfhill,glad to see you're still at it especially with you seeing the big one.I've been seeing a buck here in Kentucky that would blow the typical record out of the water.

This week end December 30th and 31st. is the Free Youth Hunt and I'll be taking my 15yr.old son,Bo. He knows I've been seeing three very large bucks and he hopes he can get one. Time will tell. Thanks for the report.

Bow season in Kentucky is in until January 15th...

dmax4me

Hi 2Poppa,
How did your son make out this weekend?
I wish you could get that big one you seen there in KY.

jhalfhill

Well I just really don't know what to say. We went back the next day and drove out the patch where the big guy was seen. Sure enough, he was still there.

He took a different route than expected and I stopped him broadside at 45 yards in the wide open field. I carefully took aim and squeeed the trigger on the usually trustworthy crossbow. He ran about 10 more yards, turned around to show off his awesomeness one last time, and just like that he was gone.

All I can figure is that I used the wrong pin in all the excitement. I shot a doe the previous day at 40 yards with the same x-bow and chopped her heart nearly in half. After getting a real good look at him this time, it's safe to say he was every bit of 170" which is easily a top ten PA archery buck. I'm so super bummed right now that I just want to quit for the season.........I may never have an oppurtunity on a buck that big for years and years to come, if it ever even happens.

Bummed out, and signing out. Jeff.

2Poppa

Hey dmax4me, it was a great time. We got there about 3:00pm Saturday and sat up a quick camp and set up a blind just outside of a known bedding area for the "big one." Nothing was happening.

Next morning my oldest son Raymond, was going to do a little bump through a patch of cedars. Bo and me waited and waited but nothing showed up. We met up and and Raymond indicated he had moved really slow through the bottoms but nothing showed up.

I took Bo up the logging trail that leads to the top of the point. Just as we reached the apex of thehill he looks at me funny and is staring down a large doe. I start to talk him through it, find her in your scope, safety off, etc. I realized how hard and fast he was breathing. The front of the gun was shaking. Take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger slowly... Bo it doesn't get any better. After about two minutes I realized he hadn't taken off the safety. Click. Booom!

Hair goes flyin' and the doe runs off down the hill we just came up. After lunch and a 75 yard blood trail we jumped the doe again. Bo finally dispatched the doe and I initiated him as a right of passage into deer huntin' his first kill...

I'm feelin' ya Jeff...bummer.
Apologies for not being able to provide direct picture.

<img src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a77/2Poppa/IMG_1795.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

dmax4me

2Poppa,
Glad to hear that Bo took his first deer. His first will be a memory for a lifetime and you were there to share it with him. Glad to hear your passing on what we loved to do so much. My 10 year old can't wait until he can go deer hunting. I got him his 1st bow for Christmas,a Mathews Genesis Pro. We were out shooting it yesterday and he loves it. Hecan't wait until tonight to be ableto shoot it again.
Have you seen the big boy anymore?

Jeff,
Sorry to hear you missed the big one with your xbow. I can't imagine seeing something that big in PA. They are starting to get bigger around here but I still go to Ohio because there are just so many bigger ones. You are on the western part of the state which is close to Ohio, so it should be pretty good. There is still time left in the season. Maybe you'll get another chance.

2Poppa

Yes, I am still seein' "The Big One." If I don't get out before the weekend I'll be there Saturday and Sunday for sure. A couple of days before the youth hunt, my oldest boy Raymond and me slid onto the mossy point he frequents and hung out there all day. At the evening hour we were coming off of a huge ridge down where three creekbeds meet with a winter wheat field along side of it when Raymond spots a doe...


We were easing down a logging trail when two does and Brewtus slowly walk across our path below us. I came to full draw when I saw the first doe and recognized it as one of the does that run with him but they were about eighty yards down the hill and I passed.

The doe that Bo took Sunday actually looks like one of the does so Im excited to get back in there as quickly as I can.

Jeff, I'm still feelin' ya on your crossbow experience. The only way,that I found out to rid oneself of being bummed out, was to get back out there and stick it to him. Really! Assert yourself and another arrow. He may be wiser but so are you.

2 Poppa
Darryl

dmax4me

I took this one tonight in PA. I didn't realize the other side looked liked it did until I recovered it. Shot was at 25 yards with my bow and it ran 60 an piled up. This is a picture with my 10 year old son. He can't wait until he's 12.

dmax4me

Here's another picture to show what the right side looks like. It's a 7 point.