nhbowhunter

Great looking deer! He is going to look nice on the wall! Congratulations...

I had a similar problem with the folding Gerber-type saws. Here is what I have learned. These type of "L" shaped folding saws do have their limits. 3 inches is a pretty hefty limb. I have found that these kind of saws work best on limbs no larger than 1 1/2 inches in diameter. On larger limbs I bet your saw usually breaks when you are pushing forward, yes? The tip of the saw catches and the momentum of your forward thrust causes the blade to bend or break. SLOW DOWN! On larger limbs apply the majority of your force when you pull the blade TOWARD your body. Lighten up significantly on the AWAY from body stroke. Let the blade to do the work. Don't try and muscle things through. Apply even pressure while sawing. If you can feel your biceps or triceps, flexing like you are curling 30lb dumbbells then you are using to much muscle. Lastly, use the right tool for the job. Don't use a 5lb sledge hammer to drive a penny nail... Also don't try to drive a railroad spike with a fly-swatter. For larger diameter limbs I recommend a folding pack saw like this one http://duluthpack.com/folding-saw.html , but remember rules 1, 2, and 3 above still apply.

10 feet tall with a smile a mile wide!!! Congrats on ayour first buck and a GREAT looking deer!

You can send your disappointing buck to me and I will gladly display it on my trophy wall and I would even credit you with shooting it. What great character! You were successful, be thankful. You must have seen the rack before the shot, why didn't you pass? Sun glare, some one else telling you to "shoot", etc are not excuses YOU are ultimately in control and have the final decision to shoot or not shoot. Count yourself lucky... hunter success is less than 10% nationally. You are in an exclusive club in 2009.

I agree with MNcrittergittr. I would be less worried about someone taking my stand as I would sending the signal "Hey everyone! Hunt here! This is a good spot and I did all the leg work so you don't have to!". Leaving a stand out all year is as good as hanging a billboard saying "Hunt here". I have come across hundreds of permanent stands where hunters have tried to conceal or hide them. If you leave it out there SOMEONE WILL EVENTUALLY see it... I guarantee it!

I take a slightly different approach. On public land I will actually still hunt escape corridors and security cover. The majority of hunters who are still out will be hunting food sources and there is a good chance that they will drive deer into security areas to avoid the last minute push from hunters. I shoot more deer on public land by patterning other hunters and then determining how the deer will react.

I have always been a fan of the Summit line of tree stands. I have used them for 10 seasons and cannot complain. You would not be ill served by a Summit.

Welcome to the forums Nicole. It sounds like you are well on your way to becoming a great archery hunter. I think there are a few things here that you need to consider. There are a few releases out there that will help with your wrist problem. Winn Archery and TRU Ball both make some great glove style releases. I think that the RipShot might be a little overkill for what you need. As a new bow hunter your wrist, arms, shoulder, are not use to shooting. You should take steps to prevent further strain on your wrist (which could cause injury) and at the same time strengthen. To relieve strain on your wrist a glove style release is a good first step. I would also suggest that you limit the amount of shooting you do. You may simply be suffering from overuse. If your bow is dialed in you probably don't need to shoot more than 3 days a week and roughly 15 - 20 shots, especially during the season. You may also want to consider lightening up the poundage on your bow, even a 5 pound reduction can make a big difference. As you get stronger and your body gets use to shooting you can increase your poundage, the number of days you shoot, and how many shots you take. If you train yourself properly and avoid injury you will be able to build the strength to hunt for many successful seasons to come! Good Luck!

Great buck and by the looks of the smile on your face I'd say you earned it! I love logging on here and reading titles like "First Buck...", "Deer Down...", or "Got Him..."! This is your first buck this season. How many are you allowed in your neck o' the woods?

A deer's sense of smell (and their ability to smell) does not change with the temperatures. What does change is the behavior of scent molecules. Extremely low temeratures do slow down molecules but in the outdoors this is pretty much negligble since there is always wind or at the very least air flow pushing those molecules along.

Played peek-a-boo from 6:50AM until 1PM with a blonde haired buck running around my stand all morning... I thought it was "Game Over" so I climbed out of my stand and pull out my camera to start taking pictures of scrapes and rubs for my website, suddenly... "crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch..." the same buck I saw all morning comes back with his nose plastered to the ground, cruising for does. He stops, 20 feet in front of me... THHHHHHH-WACK!!! The sound of the arrow piercing his body rang in my ears... Buck down, 8 pt. frame with 2 broken points (He is a rut fighting brute)... 201lbs... hair as blonde as Pam Anderson's. Pictures coming soon!!!

Awesome story!!! Gotta, be ready for anything and it sounds like yo were... The bucks ALWAYS come around when you least expect it... Congratulations!!!

I have a pair of uninsulated LaCrosse Burly boots as well as a pair of LaCrosse AlphaBurly 1000 grams insulated. The insulated boots are extremely warm BUT rubber boots do not breath and if your feet sweat your toes will get cold. That should not be a major problem if you are in a stand or blind. If you were stalking not only is foot sweat a concern but so is weight. LaCrosse boots are HEAVY (at least mine are I wear a size 14) and will drain your energy and make your legs feel like lead by the end of the day. Another boot to consider is Cabelas Snowy Range 1200 series. Very warm and breath better.

Your other option is to find an investor who can cover those costs. I would recommend a family member you can create your own loan and terms at www.circlelending.com or www.virginmoneyus.com. I can understand your position but if you do not get an attorney and protect your idea you run the very real risk of your idea making a lot of money for someone else and you left standing there with nothing. Good luck!

As an all day stand hunter I can sympathize with you. Many people have already mentioned a number of things that I do including: Investing in a foot rest. On a climber adjusting the set portion so it is lower and close to the standing platform. Modify the padding of your seat and/or bring a cushion. I also make it a point to stand for 20 minutes each hour. This way I cut down the amount of time i am sitting by 33%. This helps significantly. Sit for 40 minutes, stand for 20 minutes (repeat every hour). If you can alternate sitting and standing every 30 minutes you reduce the amount of time you spend sitting and getting pressure soreness by 50%!!!