Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Do you have anything that goes with you in the woods every time you go, or something that may not be "ideal" but you use it for sentimental reasons rather than for success? As I was rummaging through my garage this last weekend, I began to think about all the antlers, turkey fans, beards... etc.

I picked up my "rattling antlers" and immediately went back to November 17th, 1996. It was -16 F with about a 20mph North wind and I was with my best friend in the Black Hills in NE Wyoming. I had turned 14 (legal big game age) a month and ten days earlier. I spent the whole month trying to kill my first antelope and finally did at dusk on the last night of the season, halloween. Anyway, Casey and I sat there drinking hot chocolate waiting for the deer to come down the ravine. Luckily for us, it didn't take long. About 125 yards on the other side of the ravine I saw antlers and a deer moved behind a couple of trees and I settled the crosshairs of my Ruger .243 behind his shoulder in the middle of my basketball size opening. Shaking from the excitement that also took away the cold, I waited, and waited, and waited. As the words "Shoot him!" exited Casey's mouth, I squeezed the trigger.

We heard the bullet hit and my buck crashed down the hill to the trail we had walked in on. It was perfect. He was a steller 88 1/4" whitetail. To this day, I use that deer's antlers as my rattling horns. I get made fun of by my buddies, but it doesn't bother me. To date, I've rattled in 6 deer that have been killed with those horns. My first bowkill, my biggest bowkill, and one of my buddies largest deer.

They're small and don't produce the sound of two booners going at it... but they work and I'll probably never take a different set. I can't even make myself cut off the brow tines... It's the sentiment.;)

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

aluckybar of soap

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Nope, not the sentimental type.:D

I take what works.;)

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Well, there was this one gal I dated.....but.......I don't think we were hunting in the woods.....:eek:

No, I actually don't. I just use what works. I do, however, have my superstitions, but that's a tale for another day.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

That was my 8th birthday:eek:


About five years before my grandpa passed away, my father and my grandpa went on an Elk hunt in Colorado together. My grandpa shot a nice 5x5 elk. When they got back, my dad made him a ring out of the ivory (i'll post pics when I go home from school). After my grandpa passed, my grandma and dad decieded to give me the ring to always remember my grandpa. I wear it around my neck everytime in the woods.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Haha I still will never understand this? I have always heard that soap is a big no no for deer, actually heard that if you put it around gardens, yard, etc... it will keep the deer away??

I guess it is unscented soap?? Either way whatever works for ya!!!!

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I USED to have a lucky hunting hat that I wore many times I need luck to kill a buck....but some hack-a** stole a whole bin of my hunting clothes out of the back of my truck, and took my lucky hat in the process. Kind of silly I know, but that hat was very important to me.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Ohhhh and as far as sentimental....not really but I do hunt with a release that was given to me by my older brotherto start out with 10 years ago.... I CANT imagine hunting/shooting without it?????

A lot of technical people on here would probably CRINGE at the simplicity of my OLD release!!

Haha so I guess I do have something sentimental.... just never thought of it that way!!

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Not yet, but one day I will. My uncle (who is really really sick with all kinds of cancers) is the man who got both my dad and I into hunting. he taught my dad everything he knows and I've learned most everything I know from sitting and talking with him and my dad. I plan on taking one of his old bows and setting it up to hunt with. I think it would be so neat to kill a deer with his bow, as kind of like a tribute to him. Might sound cheesy or whatever, but that bow will be sentimental to me.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

A necklace from Cardeer

Spent 358 Winchester cartridge from Dad's gun.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I used to have sentimental things when i was younger but now i pack my hunting bag with practical items that I will use. I guess the only sentimental thing i have now is that I am using my dad's bow. He killed one deer with it before he gave up bow hunting. Im also using the arrows that he used when he was hunting. As far as the arrows go, I always use the arrow he killed his deer with first. Im holding out on buying a new bow until I kill one with dad's.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I have a "touch stone" that was given to me by my daughter. It is oval, about the size of a half dollar, red, polished, and inscribed with a buffalo. It rides in my left pants pocket. I've never been very supersticious in the woods, but I've had a really good run, especially gun season, since I started carrying this.

In 08 I'm going to start hunting with a vintage recurve inherited from my domestic partner's father. I liked him, and I'm really pumped about using his bow. It is an Indian Savage, 45#, laminated wood. Probably a low end bow back in the day, but beautiful and functional nevertheless. I don't know if he ever shot anything with it, but I sure plan on it. I tried it out in a shop a couple weeks ago, ordered some arrows, it's gonna be nails.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I've got tarsal glands from probably the last 10 bucks I've killed - tied to my treestand. I do it with a dual purpose... For one, the real deer scent covers up mine. Secondly, in a weird way, I kinda feel like allthose boys' spirits are still alive - as long as I keep carrying them back home.

The most sentimental thing I do - and this has nothing to do with deer hunting - is that when I go out in the mountains picking ginseng, I carry my great grandfather's seng digging tool. The steel blade on that thing is actually rounded off from 50 years of use. It's like I've got a piece of Appalachian American history in my hands... That tool has picked more ginseng than most people will ever see in 100 lifetimes.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I have an old ugly sweater that I've been wearing when I've killed my last 4-5 bucks... I've had it for 10 yrs or more.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

nope....nothing here

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

If it's just a day hunt, no would be the answer.

But if I'm going to be gone for a couple days or more then my daughter draws me pictures to keep in my pack and I look at them at night. Doesn't help me killa bigger buck but makesdaddy feelnot so lonesome...

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

Took the words out of my mouth. Don't know how sentimental it is but I'm sure glad I have it in the woods with me!

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

none right now that i can think of. :eek:im drawing a blank :D

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I have 2 that I never hunt without.

First, my youngest brothers watch given to him by his girlfriend at the time. Then was given to me following his passing away in late September of 2002 just before the start of my deer season that year. I haven't left home without it since.

Second, my wedding ring. I don't usuaully wear it around. I just don't like jewelry too much. But I always wear it when hunting. It reminds me of my wife.. sleeping at home in our warm bed.. while I freeze.. up in a tree.. in the cold and wind and sometimes the rain and the snow.. waiting for a deer.. while she sleeps in peace and warmth.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

I don't right now but my dad has decided that upon his passing he wants his ashes spread in a holler where we hunt so I'm sure that the first couple of time that I hunt there after he's gone will be sentimental.

RE: Sentimental things in the woods...
 

The Model 600 Remington inmy avatar has been with me for almost 20 years. It started life as a .243 and the currently installed (2nd) Shilen barrel is .308. I have killed deer in WV, MD, NC, CA, GA, AL, CO, TN with it. Although not related to bowhunting, it is an old friend.