finner

Well headed to deer camp for the weekend and a few days next wee,k its the opener of firearm and its a big tradition here so ill be putting down the bow till dec rolls back around. my luck one will walk in bow range while i have a gun in my hands....lol

I wont have internet access,,,,see ya all next week, and good luck guys!!

PA Hardwoods

Good Luck Finner go get em!!!

mobow

Well gang, first let me congrat you guys that nailed them! PA, nice buck bro, way to back out and give him some time. Nicely done.

I hunted my ASS off for the last 8 days. I was sitting in near perfect sets, only getting down for an hour or so for some lunch. I left Sunday morning, and that evening found me sitting on a point that is quite thick, and I was positioned down wind of a known doe hang out. I saw 7 deer that evening, 4 of them were bucks. The first was a decent 9 point, roughly 80-90 inches. I had him dead at 12 yards, and thought, "It's the first evening, and it's only going to get better. He's just not quite what I'm looking for." So I let him walk. Five minutes later, I regreted it already. Saw a spike, 3 point, and a basket racked 6, along with 3 doe.

Monday morning, 2 spikes, the 3 point again, and 1 doe.

Monday evening I was hunting a brushy bottom, a known travel corridor that is littered with scrapes and rubs. Nothing. Tuesday morning, same set. Nothing. Skunked. Goose egg.

Tuesday evening same set. Spike and 2 does. Wednesday morning, same set. 3 doe.

Wednesday evening we decided to move property. A paper company owns a few hundred acres just down the road, and it's publicly huntable. I found an awesome point funnel, again thick and brushy, littered with scrapes and rubs. Could have shot a spike and 2 more doe.

Thursday morning, same set. It was pretty foggy, and this ridge I am on is overlooking the Current River. Straight down, about 300 feet. When that sun popped, the fog started lifting out of the valley and I couldn't see squat. But I had a nice 8 point run past. And when I say run, I mean I am pretty sure I heard a sonic boom as he went by. There was no stopping him. He was in the 110-120 range, and I would have shot him for sure.

Thursday evening, I moved to the top of another ridge, downwind of a known doe bedding area. I could have shot a spike, and had a REAL nice 9 point chasing a doe. She brought him to within 23 yards of my stand, and I came to full draw. I just could NOT get that big boy stopped, no shot.

Friday morning, same set. Nothing. Then the weather changed, drastically. Cold front blew through, and with it, rain. The wind shifted, making my current spot no good. So I moved to another doe bedding area, and sat in the rain the better part of the day. 3 doe was all my effort was worth.

Long story short, I shot nothing. My buddy shot a 90" 10 point, but that was it. I'm freaking tired, EXTREMELY disappointed, and oh my God frustrated. I don't know what else to do. I'm headed back out locally tomorrow evening, and our firearms season opened today. I'll be taking my bow though. I'm bummed, big time. I should have gotten it done, and didn't. I'm completely disheartened. For the first time this year, my head is hanging, and I just don't know. It's not looking good, but I'm not giving up.

Here's a picture of my buddie's buck. This is the size of the one I passed on, that in retrospect, I should have killed.

PA Hardwoods

Don keep your chin up bud. It sounds like ou have some good places. things just have to come together. and they will. I would say go back to the place where you passed on that buck. That sounds like it could be a productive area for you. Keep after it buddy and it will pay off.

Rickmur

You've worked hard Mo, you will soon be rewarded, I feel it coming, just hang in there bud.

PA Hardwoods

On another note Don. I got my hands on the new Hoyt Alphamax 32 and have to say i liked it very much. Have you gotten a chance to shoot one yet? I believe you have a 35 on order right? A great step for Hoyt IMHO. Thank got they lightened those things up.

mobow

PA, yes. I have an AlphaMax 35 on order, and in fact it should be here this week. I would go out to the shop tomorrow night and check, but I'm buying my new truck tomorrow evening. I have not shot the bow yet, but I am in the position to not take it if I don't like it. We'll just sell it, and I'll order a Katera. But I HIGHLY doubt I won't absolutely fall in love with it.

My truck. I've had a secret love affair with the Ford F150 for about 5 years now. And, thanks to a small inheritance from my grandparent's, I'm in a position to walk into the dealer and buy it outright. I've been looking at 2 and 3 year old, low mileage trucks, specifically the Quad Cab 4x4. In the end, they were just more money than I am willing to part with. So I began looking at the extended cab 4 door, 4x4. Also, in the end, just more than I wanted to spend. So, I found an extended cab 4 door 2 wheel drive that fits the bill. It's a 2005 with 32,000 miles on it. I'm paying $10,500 for it (it's the XL version, not the XLT, so it doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Not that I care. I don't give a crap about power locks and windows anyway) and will be getting a large extended warranty for it. I'm also putting on a camper shell, to keep my hunting gear secure and dry. I'm picking it up Monday evening.

Now, just to rub salt in my wounds. My buddy that I was hunting with last week called this afternoon. He was sitting in my point stand, the one PA you recommended I go back to. I have full intention of doing just that, but I digress. He was sitting in that stand this morning, he's without a buck tag so he is on doe patrol. He said a 140 class 10 point, with about a 22' inside spread walked right past. If I would have been in that stand this morning, the deal would have been done. I positively wanted to cry.

wihunter402

Mo your luck sounds like mine. I found myself in the right stands at the wrong times this year. I went to one of our best stands Saturday morning and saw nothing. I headed out to get lunch and walking past another stand I saw fresh tracking IN my boot steps from that morning. So I went back to that stand and saw nothing. I returned Sunday morning and sat in the cold snow until just about noon and never saw a deer. So I know I have said I would be done but I just can't. My wife is not real happy about it butI WILL be trying again after the gun season. The last couple of years you could hunt with bow during the gun season but looking at the latest info from the DNR here bow season closes Nov. 20th and reopens Dec. 1. So I will be out this weekend with my Dad for the gun season. I might not get back out until mid December but I will be getting back out. Good luck to all those out there now still pushing on for the team.

AF Hunter

I had Heavy B at 50 yards this morning and closing until the neighbors dog came in behind him. Heavy went West and the dog turned around and went back North. I came back to the house and could still see the dog, so I came in and grabbed the .270. When I got back outside, the dog was back on his owner's property. I called and left a message "Your damn dog just cost me a nice buck. Take care of it now." His response before was "Why don't you take care of the problem for me." His dog, his problem. I've dealt with this long enough. My other neighbor, Kelly, has told him time and time again also. I'm pissed and even though I don't like it, I will take time out of hunting deer to deal with an ignorant inbred neighbor. I know he shotgun hunts and I'm going to do everything I can to destroy every one of those hunts. I'll go as far as leaving dirty laundry along our fenceline to deter the deer.

dstubb

Palmer, did you ever get that buck scored and uploaded to the scoring thread. I can't seem to find you in there and you only have 10 days from the date of kill or it will not count. Also does anyone know why the scores are not being updated on the scoring thread?