Official Team The Dark Horses Thread (Returning Champs) (13)
#391

ORIGINAL: 130woodman
He took me into his back room and pow 20 bucks ranging from 150" to 179"
He took me into his back room and pow 20 bucks ranging from 150" to 179"
#392

He will spend 4 to 6 days next week just looking for big buck sign. Big rubs scrapes where he can see the track. Then set up in those areas. Instead of hunting the same spots he will cover miles of public hunting land looking for just the right sign.When he is scouting he doesn't even take his bow out.
ORIGINAL: SouthDakotaHunter
Sounds impressive!! So what was the toptip or two that you picked up from this guy?? Do tell [8D]
ORIGINAL: 130woodman
He took me into his back room and pow 20 bucks ranging from 150" to 179"
He took me into his back room and pow 20 bucks ranging from 150" to 179"
#393

ORIGINAL: 130woodman
He will spend 4 to 6 days next week just looking for big buck sign. Big rubs scrapes where he can see the track. Then set up in those areas. Instead of hunting the same spots he will cover miles of public hunting land looking for just the right sign.When he is scouting he doesn't even take his bow out.
He will spend 4 to 6 days next week just looking for big buck sign. Big rubs scrapes where he can see the track. Then set up in those areas. Instead of hunting the same spots he will cover miles of public hunting land looking for just the right sign.When he is scouting he doesn't even take his bow out.
#394

That's what I was thinking. I have good stands set up but the biggest deer in the area might not come by. I'll see how it works out my tag is full so I can play.
ORIGINAL: SouthDakotaHunter
So he is doing this all on public land no less??!!! Good ideas really. I've heard before that you should spend way more time scouting than hunting.... It's just so hard to give up precious stand time right now ;-)
ORIGINAL: 130woodman
He will spend 4 to 6 days next week just looking for big buck sign. Big rubs scrapes where he can see the track. Then set up in those areas. Instead of hunting the same spots he will cover miles of public hunting land looking for just the right sign.When he is scouting he doesn't even take his bow out.
He will spend 4 to 6 days next week just looking for big buck sign. Big rubs scrapes where he can see the track. Then set up in those areas. Instead of hunting the same spots he will cover miles of public hunting land looking for just the right sign.When he is scouting he doesn't even take his bow out.
#396
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075

Mike-what was the costly error?
I'm a fanatic about scent control.. but during this season I've been a little behind with it.
Partly.. it was because my confidence had turned to arrogance. I really was not busted up until then by a single buck for nearly 3 years.. this year I just became lazy and arrogant because of it.
But that 160 SLAPPED me across the face. Now I'm awake again and will not let myself become like that again. I wish a different buck taught the lesson though.[&:][:@]
I'm a human.. it's natural to become arrogant.. especially as a male of this species.
Second mistake was my tree. Although with good scent control it wouldn't have mattered.. but I know the other tree I was eyeing was just better. It accomplished a philosophy better that I have always followed called "hang to kill". That other tree was the "hang to kill" kind.
As far as the dude you met Dano... he sounds like my type of dude. Alot of hunters ignore sign.. and I never knew why. Since.. its a buck who makes sign.
I hunt sign religiously from Sept-end of Oct.
Funnels after that... then food sources in the late season. But always based on sign.
Lets drop some more this weekend gents.

#398

ORIGINAL: quiksilver
Well boys, I had my chance tonight. Long story, but I just pounded a really, reallynice buck - took an ugly shot, got almost zero penetration. Headed out now to track.
I was set on a field edge, watching a forkhorn in the distance, when he started acting funny. At first, I couldn't figure out what he was so edgy about, b/c I had the wind, and was in good cover.... Well, I started to put 2+2 together and realized that there might be another deer in play... Well, I tilted my binos away from my eyes and quickly found that the source ofForkie's anxiety was standing 15 yards, quartering toward my tree - a solid 120+" 5x5. I about puked.
When the big guy picked his head up to eyeball the youngster, I got to full draw,but the buck showed absolutely no interest in giving me any more vitals to shoot at, so I held for a while, and opted to take the quartering-toward shot. My arrowhit right on my mark. Thinking back, I probably held a little high, but there was a steep downhill angle. I'm guessing the arrow caught the tight spot between the spine and right shoulder blade - at this point, I'm just praying that I got some shaft through there and into the chest cavity with a couple inches of broadhead.
He took my arrow, but I'm guessing I got about 8" of penetration. From what I saw, at least. Things happen fast.
Really solid 3 year old, great character, boxy frame, just a great, great buck for my area. I'll be sick if there is no recovery . . . and I'm not feeling very good about it, to be honest.
It just sucks, b/c I hit exactly where I was aiming - there's just a lot of big bone structure in there, and I wasn't able to sneak it through.
I shot him at 6:00. At this point, he's had 4 hours. If I bump him, I'm backing out and going back in tomorrow night. However, just by the very nature of the shot, he'll either be there, or he won't. If the bone stopped my arrow before it got into the cavity, he'll be fine. IfI got a couple inchs of arrowinto the front lobes of the lungs, he should be laying within a couple hundred yards.
I'm comfortable with the whole thing. I took the shot I had, and executed it. I knew there were a lot of bones in play, and took the gamble. If I tried to let down my draw, I would have exposed myself to a whole new series of potential potholes. Ugh. Win some, lose some. He's probably either dead right now or laying in his bed with a sore-ass shoulder, wondering what in the hell just happened. Time will tell boys. If he's down, I'll be happier than a pig in new mud. It's all in the hands of the man upstairs at this point. Wish me luck...
Well boys, I had my chance tonight. Long story, but I just pounded a really, reallynice buck - took an ugly shot, got almost zero penetration. Headed out now to track.
I was set on a field edge, watching a forkhorn in the distance, when he started acting funny. At first, I couldn't figure out what he was so edgy about, b/c I had the wind, and was in good cover.... Well, I started to put 2+2 together and realized that there might be another deer in play... Well, I tilted my binos away from my eyes and quickly found that the source ofForkie's anxiety was standing 15 yards, quartering toward my tree - a solid 120+" 5x5. I about puked.
When the big guy picked his head up to eyeball the youngster, I got to full draw,but the buck showed absolutely no interest in giving me any more vitals to shoot at, so I held for a while, and opted to take the quartering-toward shot. My arrowhit right on my mark. Thinking back, I probably held a little high, but there was a steep downhill angle. I'm guessing the arrow caught the tight spot between the spine and right shoulder blade - at this point, I'm just praying that I got some shaft through there and into the chest cavity with a couple inches of broadhead.
He took my arrow, but I'm guessing I got about 8" of penetration. From what I saw, at least. Things happen fast.
Really solid 3 year old, great character, boxy frame, just a great, great buck for my area. I'll be sick if there is no recovery . . . and I'm not feeling very good about it, to be honest.
It just sucks, b/c I hit exactly where I was aiming - there's just a lot of big bone structure in there, and I wasn't able to sneak it through.
I shot him at 6:00. At this point, he's had 4 hours. If I bump him, I'm backing out and going back in tomorrow night. However, just by the very nature of the shot, he'll either be there, or he won't. If the bone stopped my arrow before it got into the cavity, he'll be fine. IfI got a couple inchs of arrowinto the front lobes of the lungs, he should be laying within a couple hundred yards.
I'm comfortable with the whole thing. I took the shot I had, and executed it. I knew there were a lot of bones in play, and took the gamble. If I tried to let down my draw, I would have exposed myself to a whole new series of potential potholes. Ugh. Win some, lose some. He's probably either dead right now or laying in his bed with a sore-ass shoulder, wondering what in the hell just happened. Time will tell boys. If he's down, I'll be happier than a pig in new mud. It's all in the hands of the man upstairs at this point. Wish me luck...
Let me know where you were at from the picture I sent. If you were higher, then my guess is that deer will not die anytime soon.
My guess is you did not get enough penetration, 8'' at that angle is not going to get it done IMO. I bet you see him again.
#399

Nothing this morning boys.... Planning to hunt a fresh stand tomorrow. The field (corn) is next to a small tree grove. My stand is in the fenceline between the corn and pasture - only a couple of hundred yards off the river bottom (which has some willows and thick brush). So it will should provide me with quite a perch to take a look at things.....
Daniel - I think you and I have been batteling the same weather as most of our moisture has been coming up through Neb... Hope we can finially get some clear/dry weather to get these crops out!!!
Daniel - I think you and I have been batteling the same weather as most of our moisture has been coming up through Neb... Hope we can finially get some clear/dry weather to get these crops out!!!
#400

ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
I'm a fanatic about scent control.. but during this season I've been a little behind with it.
I'm a fanatic about scent control.. but during this season I've been a little behind with it.
Would you care to share some of your secrets for scent control and what did you leave out that got you busted by the 160?
Also, Congrats on that great swamp buck......