Official Team The Dark Horses Thread (Returning Champs) (13)
#481

Well fellas, I got skunked this weekend.
I had a shooter 4x4 come through on Saturday morning. I let him get through the only opening I had b/c I couldn't decide whether to take him or not... I guessed him to be in the 115-125 range. Clean 4x4. Great buck. Heavy rack. Once I got a good gauge of his size and decided to take him, he just skirted my set and kept getting behind brush...
Sometimes I'd swear those big bucks have ESP, and they just always seem to have 9 lives.
Anyway, he cruised through and gave me no shot. I hung the bow back up and let him clear. After he got about 60-70 yds out, I gave him a solid grunt. He immediately came charging back into the set, with his ears pinned back and hair bristled. He gave me a couple good grunts and stopped at 15 yards. Right behind a goddam grapevine mess. Ugh.
No shot again.
This time, he wheeled and went straight away (again, no shot) - and just like that . .. he was gone.
Looking back, it was a pretty impressive experience though. He looked like a hammerhead shark coming in to a wounded tuna. Head swinging low, deliberate, aggressive. Big, boxy frame. For the first time this year, my heart really started pounding. When he came back in, he was ready to whip some ass.
I'm kicking myself, because I could have stopped him in a slim opening when he first came in, but I wanted to get a better look at him before I cut an arrow loose. Besides, EVERY other deer crossed right to my left. Not this guy. He had his own way. And it saved his ass. I just didn't know . . . he just looked like he should have been a mainframe 5x5. He had weak brows, too, which is uncharacteristic for the area. Very strong in the G2-3,but when I saw the matching 4's, I just hesitated.
Great, great hunt though.
Just a matter of time, boys.
Daniel, Marty - keep after it fellas. I've got a feeling that you guys are far from being finished. You guys can close this one out for the Dark Horses. Git-r-dun.
I had a shooter 4x4 come through on Saturday morning. I let him get through the only opening I had b/c I couldn't decide whether to take him or not... I guessed him to be in the 115-125 range. Clean 4x4. Great buck. Heavy rack. Once I got a good gauge of his size and decided to take him, he just skirted my set and kept getting behind brush...
Sometimes I'd swear those big bucks have ESP, and they just always seem to have 9 lives.
Anyway, he cruised through and gave me no shot. I hung the bow back up and let him clear. After he got about 60-70 yds out, I gave him a solid grunt. He immediately came charging back into the set, with his ears pinned back and hair bristled. He gave me a couple good grunts and stopped at 15 yards. Right behind a goddam grapevine mess. Ugh.
No shot again.
This time, he wheeled and went straight away (again, no shot) - and just like that . .. he was gone.
Looking back, it was a pretty impressive experience though. He looked like a hammerhead shark coming in to a wounded tuna. Head swinging low, deliberate, aggressive. Big, boxy frame. For the first time this year, my heart really started pounding. When he came back in, he was ready to whip some ass.
I'm kicking myself, because I could have stopped him in a slim opening when he first came in, but I wanted to get a better look at him before I cut an arrow loose. Besides, EVERY other deer crossed right to my left. Not this guy. He had his own way. And it saved his ass. I just didn't know . . . he just looked like he should have been a mainframe 5x5. He had weak brows, too, which is uncharacteristic for the area. Very strong in the G2-3,but when I saw the matching 4's, I just hesitated.
Great, great hunt though.
Just a matter of time, boys.
Daniel, Marty - keep after it fellas. I've got a feeling that you guys are far from being finished. You guys can close this one out for the Dark Horses. Git-r-dun.
#482

hey guys - looks like you are doing well. Only been out twice, work has been busy
and unable to take time off right now. Passed on busted up half rack yesterday
in hopes of getting a shot on something else. Went to a different place last night
where the owner is reporting that he has been seeing a very large 10 point.
The timing was bad, the people leasing the land for crops started picking the
wheat, the combine broke down about 100 yards from me. They were guys were out
screwing around trying to fix it during the last 2 hours of shooting hours. Next
week starts gun season, looks like I will be taking a bow to a gun fight. Good Luck.
and unable to take time off right now. Passed on busted up half rack yesterday
in hopes of getting a shot on something else. Went to a different place last night
where the owner is reporting that he has been seeing a very large 10 point.
The timing was bad, the people leasing the land for crops started picking the
wheat, the combine broke down about 100 yards from me. They were guys were out
screwing around trying to fix it during the last 2 hours of shooting hours. Next
week starts gun season, looks like I will be taking a bow to a gun fight. Good Luck.
#483

Well boy's it was a rough weekend for my wife. She decided to go hunt Friday so I met her up there Friday night with our daughter. When I got up there I moved a stand for her and the next morning I was walking her out at first light and I saw a deer moving through. I let out out a couple mouth bleats and he came in to 25 yards. He was an old 6 point. Sway back flat head OLD. She didn't like the deer. That was the only buck she saw all weekend. No rut by us yet.
I did a little road hunting I sat at the end of my driveway looking down the rd. I saw a 8 and a spike cross the rd. It was cold and windy all weeked I have no idea what's going on with the rut but it's fustrating we aren't seeing s@#t. I'm so glad I shot the 1 I did. Gun season in 2 weeks tail end of the rut.
Fran sounds like a fun hunt to bad you didn't score but lesson learned?
All others good luck.
I did a little road hunting I sat at the end of my driveway looking down the rd. I saw a 8 and a spike cross the rd. It was cold and windy all weeked I have no idea what's going on with the rut but it's fustrating we aren't seeing s@#t. I'm so glad I shot the 1 I did. Gun season in 2 weeks tail end of the rut.
Fran sounds like a fun hunt to bad you didn't score but lesson learned?
All others good luck.
#486

A.D. - good to hear from you! You need to check in more often. Keep after it man. At this point, any buck is a good buck for the contest. If you've got a buck tag, lay the hammer down. Believe me dude, there's NOBODY on this team that would ever look down their nose at a guy for taking a yearling buck. Good luck!
Congrats Jason! I tried calling you on my way home from work tonight, but my phone wouldn't connect. Not sure what was up with that.
Anyway . . . can't wait to see the pics!
Team DH is the only bowhunting team in this league with starters, set-up men, and closers. At this point, the starters and middle-relief have all done their job. Looks like the coach is picking up the phone and calling the bullpen.
Will it beour rocket-armed buckslayer, 16pt to close this puppy down and put this season on ice for the Horses?
Will Marty step uplate in the game like he did last year?
Will Daniel break in thenew bowtech on a midwest slammer?
Will ArrowDynamics seal the deal in the clutch with a November buck?
Time will tell.
When is Tim due home from Kansas? I can't wait to see what he drags in.
Congrats Jason! I tried calling you on my way home from work tonight, but my phone wouldn't connect. Not sure what was up with that.
Anyway . . . can't wait to see the pics!
Team DH is the only bowhunting team in this league with starters, set-up men, and closers. At this point, the starters and middle-relief have all done their job. Looks like the coach is picking up the phone and calling the bullpen.
Will it beour rocket-armed buckslayer, 16pt to close this puppy down and put this season on ice for the Horses?
Will Marty step uplate in the game like he did last year?
Will Daniel break in thenew bowtech on a midwest slammer?
Will ArrowDynamics seal the deal in the clutch with a November buck?
Time will tell.
When is Tim due home from Kansas? I can't wait to see what he drags in.
#488

Well guys,
I went out this morning and had a great morning. A doe with two buttons walked under my stand right before sunrise. A red fox came wandering through at 7:00 and at 8:00 I had a buck come in, I could have tallied up a good 20 inches with him, but being a big bad bowhuntin Dark Horse, I let him walk. He was a spike, but he had several interesting bumps coming off his tines at good places, he may be something for my kid next year.
I did find a fresh scrape, and I've hung my stand for my afternoon hunt downwind and in range of it. Let's see what happens, I'll report back in tonight if it's good news.
I went out this morning and had a great morning. A doe with two buttons walked under my stand right before sunrise. A red fox came wandering through at 7:00 and at 8:00 I had a buck come in, I could have tallied up a good 20 inches with him, but being a big bad bowhuntin Dark Horse, I let him walk. He was a spike, but he had several interesting bumps coming off his tines at good places, he may be something for my kid next year.
I did find a fresh scrape, and I've hung my stand for my afternoon hunt downwind and in range of it. Let's see what happens, I'll report back in tonight if it's good news.