I grew up on a dairy farm in NE Ohio and when I was there and in my early teens I raised baby wild rabbits that were in the nests and who knew where momma was after the silage chopper went over. So my dad and the guys on the farm would put the babes in their shirts and bring them home to me. Some with their eyes still closed. Raised them on Carnation milk and a very tiny bottle. Let them get 1/2 grow and eating clover and lettuce then let them loose in Cleveland in the ravines. Didn' t want them hunted. Did that for 10 years, even when I moved out on my own. Also raised ducks from eggs(nest found the same way as the rabbits) with a chicken hatching them. 11 0f 12 eggs hatched, Poor hen became so neurotic after the whole deal. I put a tub of water out in the yard when they had real feathers and the hen went nuts because the ducks took to the water as ducks do, but, chickens can' t swim. She hollered and hollered at them. After a few days she accepted her " chicks" can swim. Then came time to fly. She hollered and hollered at them cuz chickens only fly a few feet and not very high. Then she again accepted her" chicks" could fly. Then fall came, and they flew back to our pond for a few days and then migrated on. They returned every year the to yard and then the pond for 7 years. Each the number returning dwindled til the 7 th year 3 came back. On the 8 th year none. The hen was never the same again. And neither was I.

Ladybowhntr,

That was a very nice story and thank you for sharing it with us. I am actually a guy who grew up on Long Island, very suburban but had the woods in mind. Where my parents lived we had a stream in the back yard with woods, a lake down the road, and the bay not far from that. I would fish in the lake and catch carp and gold fish on bread. I would shoot birds, which I felt guilty about afterwards, but it was in my nature to hunt things. Eventually my wife and I moved to PA and I took up hunting, which many people there do. The kids are off on FDD, First Day of Deer but at first all I saw were hunters and no deer. Eventually I met up with a guy who took me hunting on his property and I shot my first deer, a spike, with a 70 yard neck shot. Ever since that first time, I have been learning how to hunt better and where to go to hunt to find deer. That was 4 years ago and each year I have gotten deer every year since.

I too had chickens which I would purchase from a hatchery in Iowa and loved the eggs. I still work near the city but live in the country and love it that way. Also where we are in PA on top of the mountain, we usually get several feet of snow every year, which is always fun. Now I do some ice fishing as well and the parties we have on the ice are great.

Tomster

I' m in

you did not say what year heres mine from last year still looking for the big one this year.

Kind of wierd how this " Deer Contest" post turned into a raising ducks, geese, and chickens. haha, but still very cool! DUKE1217 IS CURRENTLY IN THE LEAD FOR 1ST PLACE!!!!!

155 5/8' s (NET) 5X5
1st day 2002 rifle.
Marlin 30AS 30-30 @ 35 yrds.[8D]

Who decides the winner? My vote goes for Wrangler just cant beat those dark ivory tiped horns.

well i was going to be the judge but, since u seem like a experienced hunter, ill let you help, the deer who bigcat and i agree on will be the winner, and i think that wrangler just may have pulled into the lead.

heres mine,contest no fair, hard to compete against canadian deer

i decide to refine the contest a little bit, 3 divisions, northern US, Southern US and canada.