huntinsonovagun

Wow! You're friends with Gene Wenzel?! No wonder you kill monsters every year Congrats on the trip! Have fun and take lots of pictures!! Don't leave any money in your luggage either!

Good info. Keep it coming. I always have to try a few new diaphrams every year

My buddy called and asked if I wanted to do a quick predator hunt yesterday. Not 3 minutes into the first set I spot a dog running in to the tune of a dying cottontail playing on the Foxpro. Since I saw it first, I get first shot. At ~100 yds my buddy and I both voice bark to stop this hungry dog, head on. I settled the crosshairs on the head of the varmint and let the H&R .223 do its job. Dropped him right there and watched his tail let out a few last death wags. I let out a little holler and then we thought we may as well give it a few more calling sequences. Not 7 minutes from the first dog down, I spot movement down to my left--big dog! I tell Shane to get on him, but this ol guy starts getting nervous. Shane tells me to get him, and I swing my gun up and free-handed him at 75 yards. This old guy was running with another dog that took off at the shot and never would stop for us to get a shot...he got himself a top-notch education at the expense of his buddy that day. Can't complain too much about a hunt like that. Got the predator hunting fire lit under me again.

Just got one in .270 and shot it today for the first time. Still trying to find ammo it likes. Going to try some hornadys soon.

I ended up with the Venture. I wasn't even looking at those, but I was impressed enough to buy one. It was close with the Vanguard, which I still wouldn't hesitate to buy. Got it in .270. Now its time to shop for glass. ;~)

I stand corrected....closer to 3400ish.:surrender: Still impressive...

Just get the 300 Rem. Ultra Mag. 3900 fps at the muzzle....sweet. Only about $3 a pop though....

I'm in the market for a new bolt action rifle. I have a budget of roughly $400. I'm most interested in an accurate gun that will shoot MOA. Looks aren't important. Any thoughts?

Killed 11/13/10

Killed a decent 8 pt yesterday guys!

I have had one of the slowest seasons ever this year. I couldn't seem to buy even a sighting! I've been hunting areas I've hunted before, new areas, and no matter what I did, I couldn't find any deer! We're now less than a week away from rifle season, and my deer sightings almost always go way down as soon as it opens, so I'm really getting discouraged, but I kept telling myself that during the rut, anything could happen. Yesterday morning I was hunting a tight funnel that leads out of a 40 acre bedding area, hoping to catch a cruising buck (or doe for that matter). I sat for 5 hours and never even caught a glimpse of a deer....the story of my season. I had planned on sitting all day, but changed my mind after that butt-whoopin, so I got down at 11, ate lunch and took a nap. I contemplated going back out at 2, and finally decided to. I was back in the same stand at 3, expecting to get skunked again. At 5pm, I get a text from my wife saying they just saw a big buck off the side of the road a few miles away, and she thinks this is funny because I have been hunting pretty hard this year, with NO action all season! I text her back and no more than hit send, when I look up and see a good buck at 40 yards cruising through my shooting lane! By the time I got my bow and everything he was 50+ yards and I knew I ruined my chance by jacking with a dang text message. I grabbed the grunt tube and hit it several times. Luckily it was a calm evening and he could hear it. He stopped, looked, and I could see his wheels were turning, so I hit it again. He turned and I knew he was coming now. He made a scrape at 75 yards and then came in on a string! I drew at 30 yards (only then noticing that my sight level had been knocked off) without detection and he came on in to about 15 yards. That joker knew exactly where I was. Anyway, he stopped and looked right up at me, even though I had not moved. I was waiting for a good broadside shot, but when he looked at me I knew the game was fixing to end. I aimed at the base of his neck and released, and instantly knew something was wrong. Somehow I hit him higher, and he took off. I could see blood, and thought I must have hit juglar. I sent out texts to my wife and buddies and then started tracking. The Rage bled him like a stuck hog and I found him shortly. I ended up hitting him in the throat patch. My goal this season was a 3 yr old buck and thats exactly what I got. It's been 4 years since I shot a nice buck and it felt good to put this one down.

Thats a dang nice deer. Id take that deer any day of the week...including opening day of rifle season. Congrats! Im a little jealous.

Thats amazing. I visited AK this past summer and loved it, but REALLY wished I was there to hunt. Trying to figure out how you had so many sunny pictures...it rained about every day we were there! Congrats on the memories!

What about a wall pedestal with a doe right next to him (wall pedestal as well) with a habitat below/around?....since you did kill a doe the same evening.

Wow griz....you have great luck (and skill) at shooting big bucks, but not the best at getting them! I remember you had another big one stolen before you could get to it. Hope it turns out for the best. Next time you know to just go get him without asking permission. I really hope it works out in your favor.:no:

Now that will make the all day hunts worthwhile!! Congrats on a nice buck!!

Heck of a deer. I grew up in Ft. Gibson and probably know whoever shot that deer (if it was indeed shot there) but so far I don't know anything....let ya know if I find anything out though.

You the man Griz! I know where I need to go for rifle season now!

Wow Dan! What an awesome year you had! You haven't killed a good buck early season in many years and then kill two great deer before we're two weeks through the season. Congrats...I know you've been wanting a P&Y for MANY years now, and there is NO QUESTION this one will make it. I remember a few years back you said you'd get a full body mount on a 150 class bow kill.....still gonna do it?!:cool2: Congrats again buddy!

Congrats Dan! How lucky is that?! Great deer!

Good shooting, Tony....pinwheeled! That is an awesome buck for sure!! Congrats!

Good thing you weren't taking a leak right then. :ninja:

I'm working on it. Again, it's not the actual weapon I'm opposed to....it's the 'general' type of person using it (I mean the guy that doesn't want to practice/put a lot of effort into the actual pursuit.....and I'm NOT saying all CB hunters are lazy). If I can put forth the effort to shoot and scout all year round to kill a deer with a compound, I feel most others can put forth the same amount of effort. Sure, the deer may be smarter during archery season now, I may have to work a little harder than I usually do, and we may even have more 1.5 yr old bucks shot than usual, but I will kill deer on public land with my bow, like always. I will outhunt the CB hunters....I guess I'm just a little frustrated that its going to be like gun season for 3.5 months instead of the usual 2 weeks (minus the noise). Anyone who has hunted public land around here knows what I'm talking about. Guess since its not illegal I shouldn't complain....

Don't get me wrong....most compound shooters aren't proficient enough to be in the woods either (IMO). All this does is increase the number of ignorant "hunters" putting more pressure on the deer since it is that much easier than 'conventional' archery gear. Everybody keeps talking about declining hunter numbers....that's not happening in Oklahoma. What IS happening is declining public lands to hunt on and ever-increasing lease fees. My point is this though....when does it stop? I mean, do we have a 3.5 month gun season within the next few years? Granted, compounds are MUCH more accurate and have twice the range than traditional bows, which may be too much advancement (???). My only hope is that the CB hunters get frustrated and quit for the year after the first week like 95% of the current compound hunters.

While hunting, I can think of 2 that for sure made P&Y (gross), and one other that was close, but a little shy I think. I hunt all public land in the NE part of the state.