Leviathan7

Hi all, this is my first post on the board. I have been lurking for some time and finally joined. It is a great Forum! I wanted to share an experience I had this past Friday hunting some public land here in Southeastern Pa.

I have been hunting in Pa for over 30 years and mostly on Private land, my own and friends. But many of the farms are disappearing so I thought I would move onto public lands. For the most part they are great, but I had a lesson in "a sign of the times" this past Fri.

I have been working a spot on this ground I am hunting for about 2 weeks. I have been sitting on a rub line for a nice basket 8 pointer. I have seen him 2 times and drew on him once but I could only get a brisket shot. I won't take a shot like that. He was spooked and turned and trotted off. The deer in this area get a lot of pressure, they are very trickey. So Fri afternoon I am sitting in the woods and he runs past my stand at about 40 yards. I grunted to get him to stop but he only slowed to a trot, glanced around and ran again. Something had spooked him deeper in the woods. The area is a natrual funnel so I figured he would loop back against the hill and come back up to me. I am sitting there for 20 minutes, enjoyning the moment, thanking God for his beautiful creation, thinking that "this is what it's all about." All of a sudden I hear a cell phone ringing and someone answers it talking really loud about how he is in the woods right now small game hunting yada yada...he was about 70 yards out and walking towards me and I could hear himplain as day. I couldn't believe it. I flashed orange at him so he could see me in my stand and he moved off away from me. Course the buck didn't circle back. I'll have to get him this week. Just made me realize the times we live in. Anyway, if I get him, I'll post a pic!....the Buck that is

Legacy357

yea, i hardly talk on my cell phone and when i do, its calling someone to help me come get my deer. other than that i text message with my phone on vibrate so as to not spook anything. i also hunt in SE PA mostly in bucks and chester county....good luck!

Talondale

My buddy and his wife keep calling me on their cell phones to let me know they are in their stands and I'm at work. [:@] I like doing the same thing with mine when I'm hunting alone. I use a hands free earpiece to talk in a whisper. It's good to have one in case of emergencies.

GRIZZLYMAN

I carry one but it is turned off unless I want to use it. And for the most part, where I hunt, I can't get service anyway.

BOWTECH2765

the only time I use mine is when I get something or if I need some1 to come pick me up b/c I am old enough to drive yet Grrr.. but thats the only time I use my cell...

FroMan

I always take my cell in the woods with me for safety reasons. But it's always on silent. And text messaging is a much more affective way of communication with others, when voice will travel and spook deer.

Actually, last time I went out I was in the middle of sending a text message when a spike walked up on me.

Firehawk7309

It's one thing to have a phone for an emergency, it's another what this guy was doing. No consideration for others in the woods. I would have said something to him.

Orions_Bow

I carry one & it is on silent or vibrate mode. I like having one on me in case something happens.

GSPsnFORDs

I usually carry one. I put it on vibrate and put the inbox & voicemail on silent and turn off the reminders (when a call is missed) so that it doesn't make any noise. I find it very handy when hunting semi-close to someone, that way you can call them and tell them that something might be coming their way. I guess that's what 2way radios are for but I don't have one...so the cell is the next best thing.

il coyote

me and a couple of my buddies will call each other on stand, just to piss 'em off. Or we'll send messages like,"How's work?" or "cold yet?"

I keep mine on vibrate in my pocket and just HOPE someone calls me...