Straight Shooter

$250.00 is still cheap for a great opportunity for a trophy buck. I'll still pay this to hunt in Ohio, and doing a DIY hunt adds to lessening the cost. Probably $1,000.00 for round trip of cost is much less than any mid-west hunt IMHO. The increase will deter some non-res hunters from coming back up but not this one. Ohio is a great state and I don't mid contributing to the revenue for them.

they just haven't been educated on the death that awaits them from above

Very nice buck and congrats to your cousin Dan. :clap:

Are you missing at 65 yards and just not seeing it? LOL Just kidding, honestly I don't have answer for that but mine seem to do the same but don't actually blow through the target. I can't believe the penetration I get out to 70, 80, and even 100 yards when shooting, my targets are the largest made by The Block. so maybe we do need to call Myth Busters:)

Yes, its all in your confidence and consistency with your shooting ability. I practice out to 100 yards and busting nocks at 50 yards but would never take that kind of shot on a deer. I have no doubt in my ability but rely more on my hunting ability to draw them in closer for those 20 yard and under shots, "High Percentage". When you get out past 30 yards, there is a lot more margin for error or a bad placed shot because of deer movement before the arrow gets to it. All conditions have to right for 50 yard shots. It doesn't matter how good you are, the deer has to cooperate with you:)

I've had good success with it down south and up north. Even better with the Can and a grunt tube combined.

That's a little bit of being bitter sweet!

Very cool. congrats!!

Well, my hunting season is basically over except for the Thanksgiving and Christmas shutdowns. I will be starting a new job in Montgomery Alabama on Monday and be gone 5 days a week. Severely cuts into my hunting time because the wife is going to expect me to stay at home during the weekends. I went yesterday with no luck, it stinks too because the rut is right around the corner here in GA. Good luck to you guys and be safe out there.

Way to go Ruth! Congrats!

Ha, its been a good season so far:) Thank you. I' heading out again this morning to see if I can let a Muzzy eat again.

High traveled areas are called game trails and some of them will look like a cattle crossing going through the woods. Following these trails will give you an idea on which way the deer are moving to and from areas. I love to find good crossings on creeks in low country, saddles in the hills, and bottle necks of woods for all areas. You can plant foods plots if applicable, mineral/salt licks if legal in your state to attract more deer to the area you are hunting.

Good deal, didn't won't that:) I just wish true emotions could be seen over the internet, its not like sitting around the camp fire but dang close on this sight.

Wind hunting is one of the most important key to success as well as location, location, location. Several companies make a tiny little bottle of windicator, allowing you to monitor the wind direction or even put a feather tied to thread on your bow somewhere. You can find the perfect area to hunt but if the wind is wrong then its all for nothing because they will bust oyu before you even see them. Determining the prevailing wind will help determine stand locations, you can get apps on your phone that give wind direction. This goes into scent control, there are a lot of scent eliminator soaps and accessories for covering the human scent. Get this under control as much as possible, keeping your clothes in scent free containers, using cover scents and sprays. For stand locations find bedding areas, food sources, travel corridors, or transition areas. Preferably between a bedding and food source area are ideal. This allows you to catch them coming and going from both. There is a ton more that can be added to this topic, purely for areas, types of terrain, and states you are hunting in. But, welcome to the RT family and feel free to let the questions fly.

wow, what a brute and congrats to your buddy! Awesome buck!

Wow, I should of checked back in sooner. :48: MXT, by no means was that directed at you. that was purely directed at myself because of the shot angle I will take. It's admirable of the patience you show for shot angles and that is not in question. I was purely defending the fact on Rage heads and the history I have read for and against them. Nothing on a shooters thought of ethical shot placement. I shoot Muzzy for the shear reason they have been proven for me of the bone crushing ability and killing ability after going through large bone. Dan Fitzgerald sold me on these heads years ago, many years ago for their ability of shattering bone and they have proven to do so. With that confidence in a head and proper KE, it allows me more shot angles to take. It's even been advertised to promote new mechanical's to not be diverted for a steep shot angle, that some designs have been susceptible to diverting the arrow because one blade open before the others on a steep shot angle. Fixed blades,, not an issue. My response was purely directed at a mechanical versus a fixed blade head. No question on your shot placement or position. Please don't take that directed at you.

Old platform stands? Man, that is the first thing I look for on older property. These are some of the best scouting tools and easy to find as well. There is actually one of them 80 yards behind my house on a small sloping ridge covered in oak tress, and yes, I have a stand 25 yards from it. I've killed deer from it the last two season's and now its my son location.

Good luck with him, he'd be taking a dirt nap if he came by me:)

I have to admit, this has been the best evidence posted on Rage's. Most of the time it is a one shot deal and OP's are stating Rage's are garbage because the blades didn't open up. In all fairness, I have shot Rage's and killed three deer with them and have buddies that killed deer with them. I wasn't all that pleased with them myself and we all three went back to fixed bladed broad heads. Some or most hunters have great success, great blood trails, and recovered deer with Rage's. However, I have noticed that 99% of shooters will veer away from shoulder shots or the possibility of hitting a large bone with a Rage. Myself, I want a broad head that I have no fear on any angle I want to shoot my potential deer at and that is why I shoot fixed blade broad heads. They've never failed me and if they have, it is OP error on shot placement. I will take a straight down shot, directly facing, quartering too or away and have had complete pass through's on any of these shots taken with great blood trails. I can honestly remember when I came to full draw on the deer I took with Rages, it was int he back of my mind, "Please let the blades open up". I don't need a distraction when killing a deer in involved especially about my equipment. Before I get drug through the coals for my shot angle's, there are distance's I will only take these at and it is 25 yards and in. Nine times out of 10, you are only going to get a broad side shot beyond that. I have also caught grief because I still shoot by industry standards shoot a small head (Muzzy 75) with only a 1" cutting diameter. 47 of my 54 deer I have killed have been with the Muzzy 75 and I would say 80% of them I get to watch hit the dirt. Rage's are a good broad head and I can't take that away from them but with anything that move's there is a potential for failure no matter what you do. IMHO it is the simplicity of field point accuracy that have sold these heads because it takes a little more effort to tune a fixed bladed head. I have never posted against any one broad head or had anything negative to add about one but it just seems that the Rage is at the top of the list for complaints and failure's. Maybe because they are the top sellers right now and on most bow hunters quivers, I don't know but I do know that Thunderhead or Muzzy hasn't had the bad publicity that Rage's have gotten. I just don't believe a 2" + cutting diameter with field point accuracy is all its cracked up to be.

Hunt the acorns, they are tearing them up right now. Look for some oaks that are close tot he bedding area you described and try to get within 100 yards or so of it. If the wind it right, I would get even closer to the thicket. I am seeing very little deer movement in the fields right now because of the acorns.

Hello and welcome to RT.. There used to be a member on here that was from Southern California a few years back. He would have been a great contact for you. Also, contact the local DNR office to find some hunting locations, you should be able to get some good information from them. I wish you luck and hunt safe.

I've tried the Renzo decoys when they hit the market, it seemed like a perfect decoy for the definition of the deer and lightness of carrying. I had several deer come out on them being very calm but curious about this intruder. The gig was up when they got beside it and all of a sudden this deer they have been watching disappears. They tended to jump out of their skin and start blowing. I haven't tried another decoy after that, I think the three dimensional targets work better, maybe some day I will try these out.

Congrats Andy! That should move us on up the board as well:)

I agree, antlers are not a full proof method of aging a deer. I've even heard for every point they have on one side, that is how old they are. I had to laugh out loud at that one. Personally, I primarily look at the chest and brisket area of the buck. The brisket in-particular, it more of an indicator to me on the age of a buck. He get barrels chested, front heavy and the tip of the brisket becomes more prevalent the older the buck is. My biggest buck to date, when I brought him into camp the guys were like this deer has got to be at least 5.5 years old. I said no, he is more like 3.5 and after getting him aged he was 3.5. Its really hard to judge a bucks age on the hoof unless you get the opportunity to see and compare a lot of deer. Then its still a guessing game and sometimes their characteristics will jump out at you. I shot one in Georgia back in 2001, this guy had a 60" rack and was 6.5 years old and he looked it with his completely white face, sagging back, and large brisket.

Do you think a Rage will work with that set up:) LOL