Jeramie

That stinks! What part of the country are you in?

So I got my wife into bird hunting last year and now she is full bore into birds... She loves to hunt dove and ducks but I would love to put her on quail or pheasant. The only thing we have in NE Oklahoma anymore is a handfull of Bob White. They are here but very, very thin and hard to find. We are closer to SE Kansas than the panhandle of Oklahoma. There are quite a few Blue Quail and Pheasant in the pandhandle but it is literally a 7'ish hour drive. I can be across the Kansas line in about 1.5 hours. Any ideas? Good places? We do have raised birds here but most are done in European hunts at $300 a gun. I would rather actually hunt birds..

Sounds like a decent setup! I need to add a puddle back or buy a few different species to just toss out too. Ive never had a problem not having a mix but it would be nice to have a mix.

Good Okie Genetics... love the brows. I wouldnt pass him on a bet. Put that one on the ground if you get the chance.

Decoys arent too tricky. I am stil using the Redhead. They are heavy built and the paint has held up well. They went from tossed in a bag to texas rig and they are still hanging in there. When I look at decoys I flip them upside down and push hard on the underbelly. Look for a sturdy decoy. I have noticed quite a few of the newer, high end decoys, are cheap built and thin. My old trusties are heavy and they havent had a single leak. Thickness will have a lot to do with my next purchase. Paint is important but not as important to me. Obviously you want it to be passable but it doesnt have to be over the top. I like the Dakota Decoys but seriously... $180 a set?! Nope.... At the same time, Mojo has a decoy setup on sale at BP where you get decoys and a junior spinner. Too cheap built. Go mid range and you should be OK. Stick with trusted brands.. I plan on ordering the Higdon Pulsator this week. It seems to be much better built than Mojo's feeder. I will however also buy the newest version of the Mojo (Mojo Supreme or something like that). I believe their thoughts for spinners is sound. I bought a few Mojo Voodo doves and they worked like magic during the first few days of dove season...

We are supposed to be in the high 70's today. At 7:00 this morning my truck said 48! Fall is near..

My kids love daddy's truck during hunting season. There is almost always a can call and a grunt (Truetalker) in the back seat and duck/ goose calls hanging from the rear view mirror... drives my wife crazy!

Loads of decoys especiallly if you are hunting snows or ross. Make sure you have plenty of cover and make sure you size the rounds for the birds and distance you will be shooting. If you are hunting fields dont be afraid to mix in Mallard or other decoys.. Study online about goose decoy layout. You want to funnel them to a specific location for landing so you have a clean, close shot.

The only problem with using your rifle is the LOP will be too long likely and may be hard to shoulder. If it were me I would buy a cheaper older rifle like a Savage 110 in the wood stock and have it cut down. They are UGLY guns but shoot true and are very affordable. They are/ were chambered in countless cartridges.

The only problem with using your rifle is the LOP will be too long likely and may be hard to shoulder. If it were me I would buy a cheaper older rifle like a Savage 110 in the wood stock and have it cut down. They are UGLY guns but shoot true and are very affordable. They are/ were chambered in countless cartridges.

Anymore a lot of energy is capable. Mechanicals like the Gator (2" cut) slaughter deer. 25 years ago when bows were much slower it was a different game. Now with the speed and quality of broadheads, just about any name brand head will smoke a deer if the shot is good. The main thing I look at is blade construction. If they lock in stable it will kill deer. Muzzy, Thunderhead, etc... just about any of them are deadly! Its become almost general in the same terms of a rifle. A .270 will kill them just as dead as a .25-06 or a .30-06!

Congratulations! Both good deer.... im jealous. Our doesnt start until October 1st...

Thats fantastic, family. Congratulations and you should be proud of a child like that!

I have one pond I hunt pretty regular. I get a limit on green heads almost every morning and it is as good as it gets. I’m in the process of building a permanent blind on the island. I’m also making some changes to the spread. Thus far (and for the past several years) I’ve only used cheap Redhead decoys with a jerk rig. They are old and better built so they have truly lasted well for many years. I’m thinking of changing/ adding some new, larger decoys. I’m also picking up a Higdon Pulsator II and probably a Mojo Extreme on Amazon. I did buy an almost new Mossberg 835 this past weekend too... What do you have planned for this upcoming season?

That is a LOT of birds.... congratulations!

That is a good gun.... Nothing wrong with it. There seems to be a host of Mid-level guns like the Franchi Infinity that are affordable yet performers. It really does come down to shouldering a gun and seeing how it swings. You didnt go wrong as long as it fits you. The A300 is a good seller for a reason. They seem to be decent guns for the price.

Yeah.... goes quick. I sure would like to see the forums come alive again. I’ve been here since the beginning and have really enjoyed it. Hate that it has fallen a little from its former glory.

I know thiis old but I see them too! Good colors! Nice shots...

Yes, a .223 with the correct load will kill deer. Countless deer fall every year in Oklahoma and Texas to a .223. It probably isn’t the best choice but it is very effective. Keep in mind that deer fall every year to bows, cross bows, and illegally fall to smaller rifles like .22lr, .22 Mag, and .17 HMR. If you buy a premium bullet and make a good shot a .223 will kill a deer, safely to 100 yards. However, im with the others on this one. To this day I still carry a .243 (and im a 38 year old, 195lb man).. This round has VERY little kick to it compared to most rifle rounds. It is manageable for about any shooter. My niece took her first ever deer at something like 12 years old with my .243. The .243 carries much more energy because of a heavier projectile (100 grn typically). They are proven deer killers. I’ve taken deer at many ranges and even shot an antelope at 286 yards with hand loads. Many deer have fallen to the .243. Its a great round and would serve her well. As far as ammo, you don’t have to get too expensive with the .243. The Cheap Remington Corelokt or the Winchester Super X are both good rounds for deer hunting. I have tons of hand loads (Hornady BTSP) that i have put together for the .243. However, the Winchester Super X fly just as true and drop deer. They are less than $20 a box..

Sorry Gang... Been ALL kinds of busy. Jason, the one is at Country Equipment on the south side... Going to pick it up this Friday. Ive looked at a ton of the other models and for the buck I think it may be hard to beat the Ranger. I did look at the JD pretty heavily but not exactly what im looking for.. Too much money!

I was actually talking Polaris, William. They also make a Ranger in Diesel. I found one in Oklahoma City im likely going to pick up this week. Its a 2011, 800XT, EFI, Power Steering, premium windshield, poly top, 360 hours.. looks to be in excellent condition. $7,700.00 Not too bad of a deal. Most of them im finding in this range (7700) have a thousand hours on them. It also makes me feel better that this is a Kubota/ Polaris dealer. It is a good sized outfit.

Sorry William... I meant used. New the 800 is around 9400. That however does not include a windshield, top, etc. I did find a 2010 in arkansas that is a diesel for $8200 but honestly, from what ive read they are slower and are also belt driven so they dont have a huge advantage. Im probably going to stick with gas. I did find a camo 2012 in 800 but the guy is firm at $8,500.00. Not a bad price but im holding out. He has had it up for sale for 3-weeks with no takers. Those little mini trucks are cool but honestly, in driving around pond banks and such for duck hunting too. Not the best for that sort of thing. I even though about buying a jeep wrangler so I could drive it around but I would get much more use out of a Polaris ranger.

I have been looking for a side by side for around 3-4 days. From what ive read the Polaris Ranger seems to be the most capable in my price range. Seems to be about the best hunting rig. However, last fall they were EVERYWHERE for around $7,000 - 8,000 and now they are hard to find. The only ones I can find are either $8,500+ or crew cab which seems to be WAY too long for an effective hunting rig. I thought about buying something else but given the research ive done and what is out there, nothing compares. I looked at the Kubota RTV, Kawasaki Mule, etc. I would need 4x4 (if im spending that much) and would need to tow a decent amount. During dove season we put guys on trailers and haul them out to the fields. Also, working around the place I would stack a considerable amount of weight on a trailer behind it. And an almost absolute must is a bench seat. I have two girls and dont want the added length of a crew cab as it seems too long. Open to suggestions.. Ive used Craigslist to death and the only thing i have found is a new 2014 in the 400 which seems small and weak for $7200.00. Open to any other suggestions.. would like to pick one up soon before the wife changes her mind....

We are thinking the same thing.... not sure if I can legally use it though because technically, it does drive. May need to email the local warden. Being electric, it should be quiet!

Ill have to stop and see what they run... doesnt show online pricing. I was told you could use 12V deep cell and it would take 3 batteries. Anyone know If this a hard conversion? Those are around $100 - $125 each...