John Deer

Good luck dvdegeorge, I hope you find him. What kind of scope are you using? I use a Simmons and I've never had a problem with it. Anyhow, keep us posted on how it turns out.

dvdegeorge

Well bad news didn't find him,just started my search and a group of tresspassing hunters[:@]came through and put on a drive kicked him out of his bed and there where numerous shots fired.After they where read the riot act and told no more warning next time arrests would occur,I search where they had shot and found no one around but today I found the gut pile of a large buck in the high grass,apperently they left it until I was gone and came back latter in the day to get the deer.I hunt this area sparingly and smart according to the wind,and in 1 short hour some Aholes mess everything up[:'(]hopefully things settle down and the deer move on their natural pattern again.Very frustrating thanksgiving morning,well off to Pa. in the AM to get ready for Mon. opener.Good luck and I'll post my results one way or the other when I return.

John Deer

Sorry to hear that dvdegeorge. It's more than aggrevating when your trying to take care of your property and hunt it the right way and then find out that someone else has been tresspassing. I hope you have better luck in Pa.

Virginia Mike

Sorry to hear that story Dvdegeorge. That really ticks me off. I also have been waiting for the right wind to hunt a great stand. It came on Friday and I walked in only to find someone sitting IN my stand. He also had a buddy in another of my stands right across the river from him. I very politely apoligized for walking in on him and his buddy and wished them luck, and backed out. Went right to my truck and called the warden. I waited at the truck for the warden and when he got there we began to walk in. Then we heard a shot and it turns out the guy shot a doe out of my stand. We walked up to both of the poachers and the warden cuffed them both and called for help. He took their rifles, car keys, and the deer. I will need to appear in court next month, but I don't think they will be on my land again. It ruined a good day of hunting, but I feel I did the right thing. Keep sticking it out and put as many hours in the stand as you can. I'll be praying my "Big Buck" prayer for you.

Good Luck and stay safe,
Mike

dvdegeorge

Well,back from Pa. and my luck is still running bad[:@]Lost another good buck.Opening morning I had a nice 8 pt. in the field adjacent to the stand I was in,he was about 225 yards away but I had a rest in my stand and felt confident,there was a hedge row between the two fields but I could see day light,so I squeeze, off the buck ran into the hedge roe and up the hill into the thick tangle of brush and blow downs.I waited 15 min. and got down to check for signs of a hit.I found blood and the tracking job began.Now normally I would have waited longer to track this deer but opening day in Pa. on land that I was sharing with numerous other hunters had me take up the trail sooner than usual.The blood was good and steady so I kept up the pace,soon I was crawling through thickets and blow downs.Bleeding seemed to get a bit heavier,I could hear the buck ahead of me so I slowed up.Then he crossed a powerline and started walking up it as I followed the blood I saw a deer jump in the woods off the powerline,anther hunter was sitting in the woods and saw him at a distance,so I waited a minute and then started up the tracking again.So far about 1 1/2 hours has elapsed and I have been on his blood trail the whole time without any difficulty in keeping on the trail.Now the blood gets really good 2 large pools,as I creep ahead I see him about 80 yards ahead in a thick tangle of bruch and branches.Now I get a close look at him and he's much better than I had thought.I quickly raise up on him as he turns and I get a quick shot off.I then run up to a gas line as I think thats where he's headed,I don't see him as I look down over the gas line into the woods,I see a hunter right below ,so I head back to the spot he was and find a 3' area strewn with hair,I follow the blood trail which in now getting sparse,he did cross the gas line and go over into the woods with the other hunter.The hunter tells me he saw my buck about 75 yards from him but deceided not to shoot because he didn't want to upset someone if he ruined some meat,he said the buck could barely move and make it over a downed tree and he should be laying over the tree just beyond,I was so happy now I rush to the area and began to search,No deer and now no more bloodI spent the next 2 1/2 hours searching in every direction to no avail.To make matters worse the hunter told me what a great buck it was,very wide and heavy beamed[]I still can't figure out what happened if I hit hit just low in the upper leg,shoulder area,if I caught brush in the hedge row,or if my bullet (140 gr.nosler ballistic tip 7mm08) blew apart and failed.I saw 3 more buck that afternoon, all small 2 4pt. and a 5 pt.I shot a doe that was already shot in the back leg and was missing the lower half of the other leg,she was not getting around too well,so I took her,even though I didn't plan on talking a doe that day.Well I wished things had work out better,but I'll hang in there the season in NY has a couple weeks left.Hope everyone else is having all the good luck cause I think I'm having eveyone's share of the bad.

Virginia Mike

Hey Guys, I am with dvdegeorge. My luck this season is bordering on unbelievable. Yesterday I shot at a real nice 10pt on my own land. It crossed the river (small water) and headed into a bedding area. Then I heard another shot and got real concerned. By the time I could cross the river and check it out, all that was left was a nice gut pile and a pickup leaving the seen. I couldn't get a plate #, but did give a description to the warden. This is the 2nd poacher in 2 weeks that has ruined things for me. The land is posted all over and there is a chain lock at the parking area. I am getting very frustrated. I am going to a friends place this evening. He has left a patch of corn up and I think that it will be good if the wind is right. Hang in there dvdegeorge, I'm with you. I just keep thinking that all this bad luck makes us due for a wallhanger. Has anyone on our team posted a buck yet? Just wandering if we have any points on the board.

Mike

John Deer

I'm sorry to hear that you guys are having such bad luck.[] It makes me even more appreciative of the buck I got. I just scored him last night after I went and picked him up from the processor. I got a score of 102 3/8 inches. If he wouldn't have busted his G2 off at the beam on his right side he'd have had another 7 or 8 inches. Anyway, I'm gonna post him in the score thread. I hope that they'll accept the score since I forgot to have my rifle in the pic. dvdegeorge and Virginia Mike, hang in there, your luck is bound to change for the better.

Virginia Mike

Hey John Deer, Way to go! That's a nice buck you got there. I am keeping a good, positive outlook now. I have given permission, for this weekend and next week, for two Virginia State Troopers to hunt on my land. I figure they will take care of my poaching problem and foster a little friendship. I hope they take some good deer. I even waved the 8pt or better rule for them. I leave on Tuesday for Pike Co., Illinois for a late blackpowder hunt. I'm praying for a monster. I'll keep you guys posted.

Mike

dvdegeorge

Congrates John Deer,my bad luck continues,wanted to hunt a stand on the backside of a cut corn field,neighboring property gets hunted and I figure Sat. will get some pressure.Well walking in was very noisey 25 degrees and very crunchy snow covering the ground,so I deceided to set up at a point in the field under a large hickory tree,and watch the field,the deer usually cut the field and pass this tree.Well at 7:00 AM I see movement along the lower wood line ,then a doe appears and another,they got push out of the neighboring property like I suspected and hoped would happen.Then out comes a nice shooter buck,only problem is these deer stay low along the wood line and don't angle to the hickory tree as they usually do.The deer where about 235 yards away if I had got in the stand I was heading to originally I would have had a chip shot[:@]Someone take the curse off me now,I surrender and have had enough

John Deer

dvdegeorge, I hereby remove the curse from you and wish you good luck in it's place! It's just a matter of time now.