RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Hey guys...where's everyone at? I guess maybe hunting or getting ready. I'm pretty siked. Tomorrow is the opener for me here in VA. I'll be out there. I'm also gonna hunt on this coming Thurs and Friday. Hopefully I'll have some luck.

Anyone else gonna be out tomorrow? Good luck and be safe everyone! Lets get some horn and get on the board.... :D

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

I'm ready!
Tomorrow is our PA opening day also.
Will be out all morning and possibly afternoon unless heavy rain,
Good luck to all and most of all BE CAREFULL!!!

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Hi Guy's !

I hope everything went along great while I was away ,I see that WV had one issue he had to deal with ,It's too bad we couldn't keep the logo with our names on it but OH well.
Anyway's I don't have any good photo's or stories to tell you's ,the weather and blackflies and mosquito's [ too warm for the bull's to go into rut]were absolutely horrid while we were there .We did have the bull's answering to the calls, but they just wouldn't commit to coming out into the open for us to get a shot .I do feel we made a couple serious mistakes that caused us not to be bringing a moose home on a couple of occasion's but that's how it goes. Woulda, shoulda and coulda, if you know what I mean. Our group leader felt that we had certain area's covered appropriately when we knew there was a bull near ,but he ended up crossing the road being undetected when one of our group was out wandering.
The highlight for me was getting a shot at a Timber Wolf ,I guessed her for being 30yrds and coming in on me with her head low to the ground I released an arrow just to watch it hit the ground between her front leg's ,it didn't scare her too bad so she ran back to about 50yrds and turned broadside to me ,I knocked again but just as I was about to release she turned so that I couldn't take another shot at her .When I went to where she was standing when i shot at her I paced it off at 36 yrds DAMMMMMMM ,the only day I don't take my range finder with me .
Anyway's I guess there's alway's next year.
Our deer season opened yesterday but since I have family commitment's with the kid's in hockey this weekend ,I'll not be able to get out till this week Wed or Thurs I hope .
It's good to be home and I'm ready to turn all my attention now to this season's deer hunt ,Let's go get em guy's and show these guy's that we're no underdog's .Good luck everyone and
I'll be back on later today and this evening .
Sumhunter ! Kwinquaga lake was the hot spot for the moose ,we hunted it hard for the last week lot's of sign and lot's of close call's there .

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Welcome back Nubo,
Glad to hear you had a good time despite no moose steaks.
Today was our opening day in PA and I ahve decided to share it with all of you.
At the end of this morning's hunt I scanned my surrondings before lowering my equipment. I saw nothing all morning, even no other hunters, which quite frankly surprised me. I just dropped the free end of my lift rope and took a step off the platform when I saw movement in the distance. It was a small deer walking right to me.
I was trapped with my bow on the ground, one foot on the platform and all my weight on my first step from the platform.
Anyway this button buck walks right beneath me and does everything but look up. He even bumped his nose to my fletchings on the arrows in my quiver. To make matters worse his mama enters the picture and they both hang around for 25 minutes. My right foot seemed as if it was starting to curl around the screw in step.
I couldn't take the pain any more so when she wasn't lookig I was able to get back up on my platform.
Mom looked up a few times but never did spook. She eventuall walked away but junior liked it by my tree and wasn't in any hurry to leave.
After what seemed like forever he walked in the general direction of his mamma.
I waited 5 more minutes before climbing down and as soon as my one foot stepped onto the ground I heard her snort form quite a distance away.
She must have known something wasnt right and decided to watch the area from a distance. What surprised me was that she made no attempt to call her BB fawn from out of harm's way.

I went back out at 3:00 and didnt see anything. At about 6:30 the rain started so I decided to haul out.
And that my friends, was my opening day.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Nubo glad you are back safely from your hunt . Hate that you didnt get a moose but as you say it is the experience that counts. My most memorable hunt in my life I didnt even get a shot. I spent 7 days on the Milk river in Montana and it rained nearly every day but I truly loved it.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Hey Nubo...glad to hear you made it back ok. Sorry you didn't have as good of luck as you had hoped, but hey I'm sure it was still fun. I'd rather have a couple weeks hunting than work and all the other stuff we usually have to do. Next time bro.

MR D...LOL, doesn't it always seem to happen that way! Sometimes when I get into situations like that, I just bust em out of there and go on my way. I've had my share of bad timing decisions. Never had one smell my fletchings though, LOL:D

My opening day here in VA was uneventful. I was on stand early, and the only thing I saw was a red fox and some squirrels. I hunted until about 11, then came back in. I was planning on hitting it again in the evening, but got wrapped up in helping my wife refinish some furniture, and between that an the rain...never made it back out. No biggie...the season is long. Got plenty of time. Hopefully someone on our team had some luck.:D

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Well MrD! at least you seen deer and that my friend is a very positive feeling to this season .I haven't been able to get out as of yet but hopefully this week coming I'll have a chance to get out.Keep up the good work.I'm certainly looking forward to reading all of our first outing's of the season so keep them coming guy's.

Well guy's got to get the little guy to hockey ,I'll be back on later this morning good luck team #11

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Had my chance tonight but I blew it!!!

Time 6:25 pm About 15 minutes of light left. I heard movement to my left and really didnt know what it was I saw. I saw something small with brown and black moving across a very small trickle of water towards me.
From 20 feet up it appeared as a small animal such as a weasle or something like that.
After a hard second look It turned out to be the snout and nose a a deer right below me.
He walks right to my tree, near my clijmbing sticks and looks up!
It is then that I recognize him as the 7 pointer that I have pics from on my stealth cam.
I am standing with bow in front of my face just praying that he wont spook.
He doesn't and takes two steps out from the tree directly the way I am facing. He gets to about 5 yards and makes a right.
Now I am at full draw just waiting for him to clear some leafy limbs under me.
When he finally does I simply cannot find the red dot in the center of my scope. I give up and assume that the battery ran out and settle the crosshairs behind his shoulder without the red dot in the center of them.
Its now or never, so I release and hear a familiar thud. The buck does a 180 and scampers away from the same way he came.
I was very calm up to this part. I was so nervous that I couldnt get my haul line untangled fast enough. Thank goodness my buck fever sets in after the shot and not before.
I mentally marked the spot where I had last seen the buck run and looked for my arrow from above and could not find it.
On the climb down I was mentally preparing to take work off tomorrow to go find this deer. But when I reached the spot where the buck stood while I shot, my heart was filled first with disgust anf secondly with happiness. There, about 12 feet out from the tree, I saw my arrow sticking straight in the ground without even a hint of blood or hair!
It was a good foot closer to my tree than where the deer stood.
I imediately picked up my bow and leveled it out and there was the familiar red dot right where it belonged, in the middle of the crosshairs.
Next I imitated a severe downward shot and again could not find the red dot.
I broke a rule that I have stressed to many beginers in archery; that is bend at the waist keeping the bow level , and not lowering your arm.
I really never shot at a deer almost directly below me like this one tonight and learned a valuable lesson the hard way. I was sick that I missed but happy it was a clean miss.
Thats all folks!
I wont be able to get out again till Sat.
Hope you have better luck than I did.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Just told the whole story about the above post to a buddy of mine who shoots the same red dot scope that I do. He asked me why I didn't have a kisser button on the string. Using one would have guaranteed that the dot would be centered. I lost a buck due to a 50 cent kisser button. Could you imagine that!
Oh well, live and learn.
c-ya later:(

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Well at least Rocky your having some positive signs ,your at least seeing deer and your getting your lick's in .Sooner or later it gonna be a great story that all your team mates are going to be reading .Keep up the great work . Those darn kisser button's ehhh get one on.
We all make these kind of mistakes , I'm sure we're gonna hear of alot more of them from our teammates including myself haha.

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

It is to hot here, we are seeing some deer but not to nice to sit in 85 to 88 degree temp. Mosquito and wings with teeth are tough. Not to mention those things that crawl around on their bellies. But there is hope cooler temps expected this weekend. Good luck to all. Hang in there Mr. D, He will be back if not to much pressure. Nubo as the Cubs would say there is always next year for the moose.Glad you enjoyed your trip.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Sorry I have not posted much lately guys but I, too, have been busy getting ready for this past Saturday's PA opener.

To cut through to the point, I saw nothing on Saturday...at least when it was light out. I was in my stand since 3 am though...;):D.

I did take off work yesterday though and took a nice doe in the morning. The spot that I wanted to sit at was already taken when I went in...and the guy ended up shooting a dandy 10 pointer at 8 am.

Such is life....:(

;)

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

PA sounds like you got burned on that buck ,but I'm sure there's another dandy in the wood's just waiting to test your skill's good luck to you,and congrat's to you on your doe.
Thank's Luckybuck ,I know all too well about the warm weather and those pesky litlle critter's who just love to fly into your eye's ,ears and mouth and also get under your cloths . This years moose hunt was full of that and it's great to be home talkin to all of you's .Hopefully next week I'll get out and join in on all of the fun.Keep up the good work guy's ,something good's going to happen for us real soon,I can feel it in my bones.

nubo


nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Sorry it's been a few days since I've posted. I've been kind of busy.

Anyway to make a long story short....Saturday night was my first night out. I made it to my stand at 4pm and before I could get my bow up two little button bucks came in. For the next few hours I saw five does (two really big ones) and four bucks. The first buck was a little spike. The second was a fork horn with a kicker on his left tine. The third was a nice six point - tall and thick with about a 14 or 15 inch spread. All of these deer came out of the marsh and passed by me on the exact same trail (right beside my treestand). Then I heard something come from behind me. I grabbed my bow just in time to see nine turkeys filing thru into the marsh. About 20 mins passed when two turkeys came back out of the marsh about 40 yards away. I was watching them (getting a close up) thru my binoculars when I noticed legs in the background. I dropped my binoculars to find a nice 8 point working his way towards me. At first I debated whether he was big enough or not...then I picked up my bow. Just like the others he walked on the same path - straight at me. When he got to my shooting lane, he picked his head and walked the entire way to my tree with his head up. I couldn't draw back until he was right beneath me. Then when I drew back, I only made it about three quarters of the way back when my safety harness got in the way. I released very slowly and luckily didn't get caught. I reached behind me and unhooked by harness, turned completely around and decided to take the shot when he stepped out from underneath me. He stepped out about 10 yards from my tree and I gave the good-ole doe bleet with my mouth. He stopped and I released. The arrow entered three inches behind the shoulder and right of the spine. It went completely thru and out just on the inside of his front left leg. He took off like the world was going to end and it did for him in about 35 yards. A nice 8 point with a 17 inch spread.

I'm sorry I don't have my pictures yet, but my daughter broke our digital camera. So, I'm left with waiting for the old 35 mm pictures to be developed. I'm going to try and borrow my buddies camera tomorrow so I can get some pictures posted for you guys. However, the official post won't be until I get my photos back from being developed. If I were to guess right now I'd say 115 to 125 class.

Nubo...When I get the official post done I will send it to you private mail so you can verify everything is in there that needs to be before I post it. I took a bunch of pictures the day after I shot it at the lodge in a natural setting with my bow laying on the deer and me in my camo jacket. I hope this is all that is necessary for the picture.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Great job SumHunter, Sounds as though it got exciting there for a minute. A good buck with a bow, it doesn't get any better than that.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Sumhunter! congrat's on a job well done and I'll be waiting for the pic's please add all info and a short story to go with it for me will ya?I'm not exactly sure what you need to verify but I'll find out for you .I guess your the first for the team to take a buck .

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Sumhunter...Congrats!!! Way to go! That sounds like an awesome hunt:D Hey we got the the goose egg outa here...now hopefully the rest of us can score. Can't wait to see the pics!

PA...congrats on the doe also! Man that is a bummer about the guy getting the 10 in your spot. Man I feel for you guys that hunt the PA public grounds. I honestly don't think I could do it. I feel blessed that I don't have to fight that kinda pressure. Hats off to you bro. Hang in there, hopefully there's another nice one around and you'll get your chance.

Keep up the good work guys! I've been out for 2 mornings...saw nothing the first morning, and I saw 5 the 2nd morning...2 does, 2 fawns, & a spike. There are alot of acorns here this year...seems to me like it's gonna be tough hunting for a while...they don't have to travel at all to find any food. It should make for a good Nov though. Last time we had alot of acorns...the deer were stacked on my property during Nov. I saw about 25 different bucks and killed a nice one as well.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Thanks for the well wishes folks...and congrats sumhunter on what sounds like one heck of a nice buck.

I am sure there will be more to come....;)

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Way to GO! SumHunter,

Its about time the others know that we are a force to be reckoned with:D.
Hopefully the rest of us will be able to add to your inches in the weeks ahead. I'll try to do my part on Sat and Monday since I am off for the Columbus Day weekend.
Good luck to all,
Mr.D

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Great job Sum,
I can't wait to see the pics.
Sorry I haven' been able to get on in a while.
The temp is starting to go down and the deer are now moving.
I've seen no bucks but lots of sign.
It's just a matter of time.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Alright SumHunter way to go thats a really good start

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Welcome back nubo. Sorry you didn't get a moose or the wolf. Contest is in full swing. I know I'm late with this welcome back but I've been in meetings all last week and made it out twice. I haven't shot anything but second trip out was very eventful.

Good luck with your deer season and your kids hockey games.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Hey guys...sorry it's taking me so long to get this posting done but this last week was really hectic. My computer at home decided to grind meat inside - another words the hard drive went to crap. So, I've been without my computer since Wednesday morning and it's still not done. The guy fixing it says it will probably be done by this Wednesday.

As if my computer wasn't enough, while I was at work that night my mother called me to tell me my grandfather passed away (after fighting cancer for three years). So, needless to say I haven't been doing anything for the last four days except attending viewings, funeral service, and family gatherings at my grandmothers.

So all in all, I hope nobody is mad that I haven't had the chance to post my pictures. However, in the midst of all of this I did get the buck scored...and the results 110 7/8.
I do have my pictures but with my computer going caputz, I don't have a way to scan them and post them. So hopefully only a few more days.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

I'm trying to post this picture from work so I hope it works...

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Lets try this again....

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Here's another picture.

NUBO - I will get the post to you ASAP (Probably tomorrow night).

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Nice Buck! Great job...congrats!!! :D

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Congratulations SumHunter, Dandy buck and it's now entered. Way to put your team on the boards....

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Way to go Jeff he look's great and he's got great body wieght so it look's.I'll be waiting for your summory later ,don't worry about the time we understand and we're all thinking of you and your family at this time {Family comes first }.Thank's for getting us on board now if you want you can start dealing a little smack just to fire thing's up a bit .Congrat's to you on the great buck he look's awsome .

Thank's fieldmouse it's good to be back and hopefully this week I'll be getting out and trying to add some inch's to our score card ,Sumhunter has done a great job on getting us started now it's time for Team #11 to kick her into overdrive.LOL

I'm going to be getting out Fri or Sat is the plan ,I've been swamped at work since I got back and by next week I'll be caught up and I'll be hunting 3 or 4 times a week for the rest of the season.

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Nice buck sum and congrats.And congrats to your team for getting on the board.Now if only we can do the same[:o]

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Thats really a great buck sum and dont worry about being a little late posting the pic. Family is always first. and I am very sorry for your loss. Roy

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Guy's!

Today I went hunting after I dropped the kids off at school,I got into the bush at 10.00am.I just got to my stand and you'll never guess what happened ,I'm not sure he's the buck that I have been hunting the last 2 season's but I do know that he was a good buck ,all I could see was him jumping over a downed tree and I could see the antler tip's .He blew at me twice and took off again using his all too famous exit route .This deer had good body size and I'm sure he had a good set of antler's .I never got to my stand when this happened but I was only step's away.After I left I was walking along the edge of the cornfield and again I moved deer but this time I never seen it ,I could only hear it running and bounding through the bush,this was not the same deer because the buck went in another direction. This was not bad for only hunting for a couple of hour's this morning . I figured that in the past I've come across this buck during mid day and that I would be on stand for the noon appearance that i've been so used to seeing this buck,I guess I should have got in there and sat till 1.00pm but I figured this buck never show's till after 11.00am and thought that I would be on stand in time for him to show,but I was wrong.
I'll be on stand Friday at 6.00am and I'll be there waiting for him this time hopefully he show's again .This area is pretty thick and in the past he's had it all scraped up ,so he obviously feel's safe there.I've been getting closer and closer to this buck in the last 2 year's hopefully this time I'll get him. I know that he's probably at least a 10 pointer this season since we found his shed's this spring and he was a 9 with a broken tine so he might even be a 12 this year ,I'm guessing he's probably at least a 140 class this year. I'm gonna start given it hard so that we can add some serious inch's to our score and get these other team's attention about the underdog's Team #11.

John Edwards

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Go get him John :D At least you know he's in the area. I agree, its probably a good idea to get in there early. Hopefully he'll show for you.

I'll be heading out this Sat for the WV opener...so we'll see what happens. We've been seeing a few nice bucks around (not in the 140 class obviously) but nice for the area I hunt. Probably 110"ish. I'm hoping to put a tag on one this season. It's been since '97 since I've taken a buck with my bow. Passed on lots, but haven't had one I felt was big enough to drop the string on. I have a good feeling this will be the year!

GO TEAM 11!!! :D

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Mike !

It's looking like I'm not going to get out early in the morning on Friday since my daughter needs me to take her and 2 of her friends to the education center on Fri at 9.00am and then I have to pick them up at 2.00pm.So after I drop them off I'm going to go to my hunting spot and take my climber and my gear in and get it all set up for 3.00pm and then I'll sit till 7.30 when it get's dark. Then I'm going to get out on Sun morning and evening ,I'm looking forward to taking this buck he's definetly a wall mount in my book's .Good luck to you Mike and keep in touch.I think Team #11 is going to do just fine this season, and we're going to surprise some teams this season.

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Guy's where are you's ? come on let's hear some stories about your season and the critter's your seeing .I want to hear stories from all of you's .It seem's like you's have been losing a little interest .I'm sure if we get some stories going we'll generate some new inthusiasm for our season and our team member's ,so let's hear the stories guy's . I know some of you's have been visiting but not posting ,I don't care if you have anything to say, but post anyway's just to let us know you've been here .
Hi guy's I've been around to see how you's have been doing, will be just fine. The life of a Capt has been pretty boring and i need something to read LOL.

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Guy's one more thing !

I want to put a booklet together with all our harvest's including doe's please add approximate date's and time's of kill pic's and a short story to go with them.I don't want you to send the doe pic's through the forum but directly to me .Let's keep this forum for buck's only and doe's directly to me.

[email protected]

John

nubo

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Hey John,

I liked your stories. Keep them coming. I like the fact you get out to new areas. I want to see your buck you kill. Sorry I voted against you as my senator and sorry for my no vote next month. Look at the bright side. You'll have plenty of time to hunt.:D

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Fieldmouse!

I didn't want the job anyway's ,so you didn't hurt my feeling's by not voting for me LOL.I'm going out tommorrow night and I have a good feeling about it .I've been hunting this buck for almost 3 year's now and i think I've got his routine down pretty good ,so i know it's only a matter of time before he make's the wrong move and he'll have a MontecG5 slipping through him. By the way didn't you buy a BowTech MM this season ,if so how do you like it ?I bought the Patriot Dually this season and I hope to get it's first deer with it very soon. I didn't know deer like Punkin's ,but I've got to visit a guy down the road who has been having problem's with all the deer tearing up his pumpkin patch this season ,his son in law told me that he would like to have someone hunt his property and maybe deter these deer till after he get's the field cleared .I guess they're smashing the pumpkin's and eating the seed's from them .So hopfully Saturday I'll have permission for another piece of property .I know his area, and I know there are a lot of deer there Some great looking buck's.I was hoping that someone in this area would give me permission ,so maybe this is my break that I',ve been waiting for .

John

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

Sorry I haven't had the chance to do much posting, but I still don't have my computer back. My wife is picking it up tomorrow after she get's out of work.
I won't be posting anything for the next few days because tomorrow morning at 0800 my brother in-law and I are leaving to go up north hunting. We go to an area almost directly between Big Rapids, MI and Mt Pleasant, MI - a little town called Barryton in Mecosta County. This year we will be hunting some new property so I don't really know what the hunting will be like until tomorrow around 1300 hrs when I scout it. Anyways, it's always a good time camping out in the old canvas wall tent and of course having sitting around the compfire having a few drinks with friends. Oh yeh, I almost forgot.....three days of nothing but HUNTING! That's what I like the best. No wife or kids to worry about...just not drinking so much so I'm still able to get up and hunt the next morning. We usually always come home with deer but rarely see big bucks. It's mainly for the fun of hunting and just being around guys - you all know what I mean.

NUBO - I sure hope you get a shot at that buck you're talking about.

ALL - Come on guys...we need to register another buck so we can stop all those talking about team 11 being an underdog.

RE: Official Team "The Shafts" (11) Thread
 

I hope you get him.

I'm not a bowtech shooter, I love the bow most avoid. I love my Oneida. I've hunted with one for over 15 years. In my mind it was the best one ever made. Since I had to replace my last one due to a house fire, I have my doubts about the new company's ownership. This new one had many problems after the first year and I question their attention to detail. If I replace it, I'm getting a stick. Kind hard to screw up there.

Good luck on your next property. Always work on getting more.