PABowhntr

This past winter we had some new neighbors move into the home immediately next to ours. The husband is originally from the Pittsburgh area and was totally unfamiliar with theLehigh Valleyother than work related locations. He is a big hunter and was actually planning on heading back to Pittsburgh to hunt instead of hunting around here. After many hours of BSin' with him about hunting I decided to help him out by showing him the local Gamelands and helping him select a spot.

He is a big guy at 6'7" and 365 pounds (34 inch draw) so any type of portable treestand was pretty much out of the question. We opted to go the route of a blind instead. He bought one of the Ameristep Doghouse TSC blinds in Breakup camo. We set it up the night before opening day and he did see some deer but did not connect with any. He had off on Tuesday though so he decided to take the blind back up and set it up on Monday night. After he was done setting it up he decided to hunt a bit since there was only about an hour of legal hunting time left.


Twenty minutes after getting settled in he hears a loud thump sound as something brushes next to the blind. The sounds are coming from directly outside of the blind. He peeks out of one of the windows and sees a doe walking directly away from the blind into the open stand of trees he has been watching. Apparently it came from behind the blind in the thicket and didn't even pay the blind any attention. Regardless, he took his time and made a great shot. She didn't go far at all.

I thought I would share the doe pic with you folks as well as a couple pics of the area the blind was set up in. Give me a couple minutes to upload them all before responding. Thanks.

PABowhntr

Chestnut grove that he was hunting.

PABowhntr

Another shooting angle.

Matt / PA

6'7 365!?
I never thought that you at 6'4" 240 would be a "Mini Me"!![:-]

That's cool that you helped him out like that. (Especially at $2.80 a gal for gas)

So what's he gonna do just throw some gravy on that doe and eat her whole?[:-]

Oh yeah what the heck is going on with so many deer on that Gameland? Geez. LOL

(I have to email you again about that Lewistown Valley I suggested to you years ago to try.....lots of great spots in that area and only a couple miles from your high school)

PABowhntr

The blind area.

PABowhntr

Actually it is right behind my high school. I was spotting there a couple weeks ago with my principal and two of the phys. ed. teachers. One of them hunts back there regularly. We saw a dandy 10 pointer that night. 10 inch G2's...no kiddin'. If I hadn't already shot my buck I would buggin' him to hook me up with some spots to hunt.

As for my neighbor...yes, he does make me look like mini-me. He played ball for Syracuse...I am guessing offensive tackle....

I was just driving through the Gamelands this evening and saw4 doe just standing by the wayside. I wouldn't say it is loaded but this early in the season they aren't as spooked as they will be once the orange army hits the woods.

AF Hunter

That was cool of you to take the new guy on the block hunting.
It's like the old saying "Show a guy where to pheasant hunt and he'll eat for a day. Show him where to deer hunt and he'll eat for a week. But show him where you find your morel mushrooms and YOU are screwed."

PABowhntr

That is actually pretty funny. I am not worried about him hunting my spots though as he is a good guy....

..plus most of my spots can only be hunted from a treestand.

JeramyK

Congrats to your neighbor Frank! Looks like a great spot to hunt. Hope he gets a chance to connect on a nice buck this season.

PABowhntr

Thanks Jeremy. I will pass it on. I tried to get him to go out tomorrow morning but his wife won't let him.