hoyt14

only 9 more dayz damn it seems like the season is still another month yet. i really do think that we'll do good as everyone was saying. we all have great looking places, and from what i here we all have some dandies out there. i've been shooting A LOT every day for the last 2-3 weeks, (hope i don't wear out the cables lol). dough boy, my dad and mom aint see'n to eye to eye with him being at the cabin all fall, but she too knows that it's the boyz time of year.

-Hoyt

H80Hunter

Man, Im getting pumped up even more, not too much longer...

I will definitly be cheching on this thread often throughout the hunting season.

Heres the thing guys, I have never shot a buck with my bow, and while I dont want to shoot a spike, or tiny little fork, Im not gonna pass on many decent bucks if I have the chance

That said, I hope to find a big one, and take him out, weve been seing this one nice 10 pointer that i figure could go 130's...

DavidChesney

We are all getting pumped. The upcoming season is all I can think about. I walk through the house with catalogs showing my wife the the new equipment I've ordered and she just looks at me as if I've completely lost my mind. She couldn't care less about the 12 pointer I've watched on tv or how this guy just rattled in a buck accross a corn field. But knowing how little she cares I still am forced to point these things out to her. I think that maybe this time of year I have lost my mind. I love it.

H80Hunter, don't worry about trying to stick the biggest buck in the state. This season is still about going out and enjoying the sport that we love. I think as far as the contest goes a team with a handful of healthy bucks will do better than a team with one or two monsters. Stick to whatever plan you have for the season. Don't let the contest dictate the way you hunt. It will only lessen your overall enjoyment of the season.

What is everybody taking with them into the field on their first day of hunting?

For me it's a day pack with handheld Garmin gps, camera, Scent Killer autumn formula, bug spray, Bushnell binoculars, Bushnell Yardagepro rangefinder, A-way grunt call, rattling antlers, hydration pack, climbing stand, deer sleigh, mesh face mask, Colorado River gut knife, field dressing kit, lunch, paperback book and much more I'm sure I'm forgetting. Overkill I'm sure for so early in the season, but how could I leave any of it at home? I hope there's room for me in truck after I pack for the day.

Just a few more days for our Wisconsin team mates. And if memory serves me correctly, Vanden10 is out on an Elk hunt as we speak. I believe his deer season opens in just a few days as well. As for us Illinois boys, 3 weeks from today.

H80Hunter

I may have Friday the 24th of Sept. off from work and school, so I may get a nice long weekend there...

I dont usually carry too much stuff, but Ill list it off...

Usually take whatever scent killer my grandpa stocks up on, (he usually goes to wal mart after the season when its cheap and stockpiles it), A primos adjustable grunt/bleat call, still looking to pick up an EZ-Hanger, Some sort of Mossy oak cargo style pants, Mossy oak long sleeve tee shirt if its not too cold for it, scent blocker face 3/4 mask

8 more days

Justin

8 days until the Wisconsin opener. I hope you guys are feeling lucky. I've got a few trailcam pictures of a nice 130 class perfectly symmetrical 10 point on my Wisconsin lease. Hopefully he makes the mistake of walking under me on opening morning.

Even though I'm not on your team anymore, I'm still going to intrude on your thread and post with you guys. My HuntingNet teamates are too busy working to post much. Suckers. [8D]

Opening day I'm gonna have my bow, a grunt tube, some Scent Shield, a bottle of water and a granola bar, and my digital video camera. Can't be lugging too much stuff around the woods while it's still in the 70's.

dough boy

I will take with me my Bushnell binoculars, Primos grunt tube, fox pee cover scent, and of course my bow. My brother in law was over at the farm we hunt and what he told me had my heart racing!!! There are a couple of apple trees on that farm, and he said he saw a 12, 10 and an 8 pointer, all feeding on apples. The good news is one of my stands is approx. 75 yards from the apple trees. BRING IT ON!!!!

shed33

Hello Fellow BIG10, team members.

From what I read only a couple of us in the big 10 are able to hunt right now as most of your opening days are just around the corner. I wish all of you the best and hope all your final preparations are coming together for you smoothly.

I wanted to report a little on what is going on in my hunts thus far. Our season opened August 30th. I have 5 areas I hunt. and about 3 stand sites in each area..each area has approximately 6-8 bucks I have watched and of course there are more I havent seen... also my areas have elk in them... I am predominately targeting whitetail bucks right now but if the right bull shows up I will work him and get on the ground if needed to get after him.

Day 1. I hunted the evening. I had 3 bucks feed out below me about 100 yards... ranging from 115 to 135 gross pope and young / boone and crockett inches... I just watched them. Not bucks I want to harvest

I had a small bull elk 3x4 rag horn) and several cows... (11 ) feed out under my stand that same evening..the small bull was trying to get some attention from cows but they weren't interested...he was chuckling but not bugling..

Day 2. August 31, I had two bucks walk under me at about 15 yards 1/2 before last shooting light... 125 and a 135 class grossing bucks, I passed.

Day 3. Sept 1 , a cow and calf fed out early.. about 6 pm. during the last hour of light one of the bucks I am targeting fed out below me about 75 yards... with his sidekick a smaller buck.. the buck looked great... 145 net inch 5x5 forsure... he is nice and wide, 19 to 20 inside... his g-2s are his greatest tines at 10+ inches on each side, his mains are probably 23ish... maybe 24 but I doubt it.. maybe .......the big boy started feeding my way... at 40 yards..I could have taken a shot..but elected not to as he was still feeding my way..I told myself ten more yards and hes a dead deer... at about 37 yards..he turned and noticed his little friend below him feeding out away from him into the clearcut... he turned...my heart sank as he swung back and followed the younger buck out and left me with my bow in hand..I thought...buddy its your lucky day... I really wanted a 30 yard shot on that buck since he was SLIGHTLY quarting toward me.. almost broadside...hes a dandy buck..an is easily 230+ lbs in my estimation.. he is a hawg body mountain deer for these parts..

Day 4. Sept 3rd... doe fawn, 3 younger bucks... 115-125 ish...range... fed behind my stand at 25 yards.. passed on em..

Day 5. Sept 4th...(different buck different area from the afformentioned 5x5) this typical that I videoed and am targeting... 5x5 was standing under my stand as I approached.. 3 hours before dark... I believe the low pressure system that moved in had em up and moving ... Deer and elk were everywhere on my hike in.. I counted 60 head of elk in private land owners oats patch below the mountain I hunt on... and all of them were out 3 hours before dark...this is not normal routine for these bucks or elk... anyway he, the 5x5 looks AWESOME.. hes pushing the high 160s..grossing typical.. should net in the mid to low 160s net ... after all deductions.. he may even suprise me and gross close to 170.. Hes got long mains.. 24s , and all of his tines G-2, G-3s and G-4s are 9+ inches..candle sticks all the way across..no short tines.. up to 11's on possibly on the 2's.... Hes 20+ inches inside... just a beautiful buck.. at 40 yards I really got to look him over..He looks alot like my 184 inch grossing buck from last season and he has the same kind of genetics..hes long out in his g-4s... as my last archery buck was.. he is from the same mountain as well... he went ahead and moved off and I waited a bit to slip into that stand... didnt spook him..but only saw a doe and fawn later that night...


Day 6. Sept 5th... Hunted a ground blind.. didn't see a thing..

Hunting again tonight... Gonna hunt the 145 inch bucks spot...and then the big boy 5x5 (160 class deer)... On Sat...

Good luck all.. !

Troy aka shed

hoyt14

WO sounds like you've already had on hell of a season shed. i can only wish to get a 160+ within bow range, but i donno that they are that big out by us. but it's still is possible. Unfortunetly, we haven't got'n either of the two nice ones that i showed off the trail camara, but i know their there. got really good hopes as to getting a doe the first day (but i can't jinks myself) after that, we'll be slay'n the big boys. and H80 i haven't got'n a buck with my bow yet either, and like DC said don't change your hunting attatude cuz of the teams here. i intend on passing on the little basket buck, but then again easier said then done. but i really hope i can resist. . . . . .having seen the bucks with more potential, that will help when it comes down to it.
good luck

-Hoyt

hoyt14

OH! ! ! as for gear goes. . . . . . .

SentLock- mask/gloves/hat/jacket/pants
Carbon Blast (if we still have some left)
Bow
fag bag- water/grunt call/rattle bag/candy bars/piss bottle (lol)/binoculars/ and what ever else it is i can't remember
stool(if i aint got one but the evening i have a GREAT ground blind)
and hopefully some luck

-Hoyt

shed33

fridays hunt... Didnt see a critter, not even glassing the valley below...very slow night for movement...

Sat hunt. I moved deeper in the woods towards the big 5x5s bedding area... the daylight is really getting shorter and the bucks arent hitting the feed 'till after dark now... 1 small buck walked by at about 20 yards he was a 3x4 1.5 year old ..I sat and listened to about 5 different cow elk cow call back and forth to each other below my man made ground blind approximately 100 yards.. for about 1 hour... I cow talked to them hoping a bull would talk, but no bull ever made a noise so 1 hour before dark I shut off the cow calling and waited it out for feeding bucks to come my way..

right before last shooting light a deer moved up the ridge towards the clearcut just to the right of me about 50 yards out.. never did see him or her. Sounded heavy hooved and definately didnt sound like the one doe and fawn I have been frequently seeing in the area.

Hunting tomorrow evening again, have to work in the A.M.



As for gear, I shoot the bowtech liberty 80, with AC/KINETIC arrows, topped with 100 grain steel force HELLFIRE heads. I wear scent lok ( two sets of the liner systems) rubber boots and the full liner system from head to toe, I cover that with a superlight weight three d leafy suit, the only thing exposed is my eyes. I spray down with Vanishing hunter by Hawgs limited. I use Leuopold windriver 10x42 semi compact binocs, and the bowgrunter plus , hands free, social deer call.

elk, I use the berry bugle and hoochie momma cow call.

Good luck all, I Know you guys are looking forward to being out there !


Troy aka shed