Bow Hunter Derek

Well after seeing very few does so far this year (and screwing up on one), last night I was over whelmed with does. I can't recall ever seeing anything like it. I set up in my best "buck" stand last night. It is a killer location, litterally. I set out my Renzo buck decoy about 20 yards up wind of me with some buck scent on it. I had jumped a doe going into the stand, so I was actually concerned that I would not even see a deer last night. With about 45 minutes left in the evening, I saw a group of 4 does come out of the woods about 300 yards across the field and down a way from me. They began feeding away from my direction. They were followed with a stream of does, I'm guessing close to 20. About 10 minutes later, I see 3 more does emerge, but this group began to feed in my direction. As they crested the slight ridge in the field, they spied my buck decoy and made a bee line for him. The previous does must have seen this happening, because I had deer coming out from behind every tree. Next thing I knew, I had somewhere around 15 does hovering around my buck decoy. I could not count them all. So, I picked out a large doe and when she circled in front of the decoy at 15 yards, slightly quartering away, I drew and released the arrow. The entire herd of does ran together with her, across the field out to 100 yards or so. Then, nearly all the does came back to the decoy. I had does around me and the decoy for the next 30 minutes or so! Finally, I got down and checked my arrow. Good blood on the arrow, but almost nothing on the ground. I immediately got concerned. I found one good pool of blood about 150 yards out into the field, so I backed out to go get more lights and my friend who owns the local archery shop. At about 9:00 pm, we headed out. I've tracked a lot of deer in my day, but nothing like this one. Fortunately, his 40+ years of tracking deer paid off. After 1 1/2 hours, we finally found her after almost no blood. She had gone another 150 yards into the woods. I got her a hair back. No guts, just all liver and slightly high liver to top it off. So, she bleed to death inside. She's a pretty good doe. Probably field dressed in the 110 pound range, though I did not weigh her. Fortunately, my friend has a walk in cooler that we hung her in since it is in the 60's here. Good hunt with a good ending. This is my first deer that I've ever taken over a decoy, so that was kind of cool

Re: hunting videos The Primos gang. Mr. Waddel is pretty dang good too.

Re: Put the Smack Down on a P&Y last night! [ QUOTE ] Be careful bragging about your coon shot on a public forum. Raccoon season don't open until Nov. 8 in Indiana. I hope you ate him and didn't just kill him for the tail. There is good eatin' in a raccoon. Good shot though .....popgun [/ QUOTE ] I hate to admit it, but I think you are correct. I'm usually up on my season info. Oh well. The world is a better place without Mr. Racoon. Eat him ... yea right.

Re: If you had only 1 decoy.......????? I've got a buck decoy, but have only used it a hand full of times. It is the Renzo one. Last year, I had it spook a small six pointer. The same night, I had a nice buck come in but it was right at the last few minutes of light. I don't think he saw the decoy and he ignored the buck scent I'd put out. I'm going to try my decoy this week a couple times, as the pre-rut is starting to kick in around here.

Re: Rain Suit I bought a rain coat and pants from Cabela's a couple years ago on clearance. It was like $200 regular price and I got it for around $80 if memory serves me correct. It is not Gore-Tex, but it serves it's purpose. I try not to hunt in the rain much, except for ducks or geese. Watch after season sales at any place that sells hunting gear. That is when you can pick up some deals. Rain gear is one of those items that there does not seem to be a large demand for by the typical hunter, so you should be able to pick some up for a deal. Now if you want it for making a hunting trip to some place like Alaska where I've read it can rain non stop, then I'd spare no expense and get the best stuff out there.

Re: Diamond bows for sale..el cheapo amigo Never mind. I see Bowtech bought them out. Diamond used to make the Bowtech risers. Kind of odd how things work out. I hope Bowtech is going to honor Diamond warantees. Looks like I may be switching to Mathews or Hoyt in the future. THIS SUCKS! Still a great deal on the bows J.B. Wish they had 70 pound limbs, I'd consider one of them.

Re: Diamond bows for sale..el cheapo amigo I can second that. I shoot a Diamond Archery Stinger. The best bow I've ever held. J.B. say it aint so ... Diamond bought out!?!?!?!? I have not been in my local pro shop for a couple weeks now and had not heard this. What is the status of Diamond? Who bought them? More bows in the future? Oh my ... I may have to buy a Mathews or Hoyt in the future. How will I live with myself?

Re: lighted sight I have a light on my Copper John. They are great with the exception that they are WAY TOO POWERFUL. You turn that light on with a deer around and you will see them absolutely freak out on you, trust me, been there ... done that. I took mine and painted the lense black. Then I scratched a very tiny are of the paint off. Kept scratching until I got the pins to just glow nicely at low light conditions. It is perfect now.

Re: Rattling?? Anyone give it a shot yet this year?? I tried once last week with no response. This is the week (last week of October) that I've had a lot of luck in past years. The next two weeks should work here in northern Indiana. I'll be going out to hunt in a couple nights. I'll hit the horns some then.

Re: video camera holder? No, I don't have arm rests. I primarily hunt from simple chain on stands. Occasionally from my Summit Cobra. I have a buddy that converted an E-Z hanger into a camera holder using a screw, but it does not offer any up and down movement. I was thinking of taking a cheap tripod head and mounting it to an E-Z hanger. However, I can not find a cheap head. I'm tempted to go buy a cheap $20 tripod from Walmart and remove the head. I'm not looking for professional video quality, just another thing to mess around with on stand.

I seem to recall one time that someone posted on making a video camera holder out of an E-Z hanger. I have an extra E-Z hanger, and was thinking of building a holder. Was wondering if you could mount the swiveling bracket from a tri-pod on an E-Z hanger. If so, where can you pick up just the swivel part? Anyone got any ideas?

Re: Chasing the Dream [ QUOTE ] I can't remember what show it was I watched last week but it showed a view from a treestand (box blind) of a guy climbing up the ladder with his rifle over his shoulder. [/ QUOTE ] I saw that too. Can't remember which one it was. Between the Men's Channel and the Outdoor Channel, there are A LOT of crappy hunting shows out there. About the only one I enjoy is the Primos show. Realtree is good, but until they stop all the fake cut away shots of the hunter drawing and/or stalking, I refuse to buy anymore ot the Realtree videos. The show is getting better though. Road Trips is heading the right driection too I think.

Re: Things your seen in woods... The coolest (scariest actually) thing I had happen was while turkey hunting in the Everglades last spring. I had a 10 to 11 foot gator come after me. I litterally walked to within 5 feet of him (not intentionally of course). He spun and took a swipe at me. Man, I tell you, I did not know my 230 pound out of shape body could move that fast! Fortunately, all he did was spin and lunge. I'm sure he could have chased me down. I needed new underwear that morning. Same trip, I also had a 30 yard face to face meeting with a panther. Pretty cool. Again, fortunately he had other things on his mind than eating my fat butt. Nothing exciting like that ever happens in Indiana.

Re: POISON IVY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel for you man. I'm very allergic to the stuff and get it once a year or so. Last year, I got it while hunting, took a leak, and you guessed it ... got on "the boyz". They swelled up like a blow fish! I did find something that works for me. Doctors, shots, all that never have cut it for me. I found this stuff Zanfel However, I found it does little if I do it per the directions. Instead, I rub it in real good and just leave it on to dry. If I do this right before going to bed, usually by the morning, the poison ivy is pretty much dried up. I'll warn you, it is expensive. Like $40 for a tube of it, but it works for me.

Re: Put the Smack Down on a P&Y last night! I've officially let 14 different (18 if you count multiple encounters) bucks walk (I'm only counting those at 30 yards or less too). The largest was a mid 120's 8 pointer on opening day. I've got two high 120's 8 pointers at home. No need to shoot anything smaller. You can't grow them big if you shoot them when they are small. I have yet to put my eyes on a brusier this year, but they are there, it is just a matter of time. If not, oh well, maybe next year. I'll plunk some does this year, as soon as I can find the darn things. I've seen 3 does all year. One out of range, one I flat screwed up, and one came in too late. I can't find a doe to shoot.

10 yards, slightly quartering away. I let the Steelforce Sabortooth tipped Goldtip fly. Complete pass through. He dropped in his tracks. He'll definately make P&Y! Oh yea, did I mention ... it was a Racoon? I laid the smack down on him though. About a minute after I shot him, I did have a nice 8 pointer walk 20 yards out in front of me. Let him walk though. 110 ish deer. Let him grow up another year. Buy hey, I got a coons tail as a trophy.

Re: Thier coming to horns today, just took a heavy 8pt Awesome man! Pictures, show us the pictures!

Re: PY 173\" Bow Kill PICS Was that taken in Indiana? Wow. What an animal. Can't wait to see the mount of it.

Re: Scent Loc clothing? worth the expense? 5 Point - I don't mean to down play the power of the whitetails nose. I have all the respect in the world for it. In my 20 years of hunting, I've been winded my fair share of times. For many years I got so I was absolutely anal about scent control. However, in the past 4 or 5 years, I've lightened up on it and still seem to have more close encounters with deer than the majority of the people I know. Three to four deer ride home with me every year, one of which is generally a mature buck. And, I bowhunt 99% of the time. I say, use whatever scent free system works for you and that you have confidence in. My point was (which you agree) carbon suits are over rated. P.S. Not trying to offend anyone here, but what is with everyone brushing their teeth with baking soda? Last I checked mint smells naturally occur in most areas of this country. I can not figure out for the life of me how Mint Crest would scare away a whitetail deer.

Re: Homemade Scents Anyone??? My homemade scent is my own urin. I generally pee either from or near my stand. Works as a cover scent and as an attractant. In the last two weeks, I've had two deer actually come and nose around in the ground at the very location I had peed, not 15 minutes prior.

Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I almost put this issue to the test last night. 5 minutes of legal time left, I saw two deer coming through the trees. The first one walked out at 7 or 8 yards. I saw a flicker of white and figured antler (it was really dark due to overcast skys), so I grabbed the binos to look at the head, sure enough, a doe, I must have seen her flick her ear. But by that time it was too late, she had passed my shooting window. So the next deer steps out and I could right a way see the tell tale black stripe down the head and back that our button bucks usually have around here. The two deer milled around and the doe actually offered me several opportunities during that last 5 minutes of time and stuck around another 10 minutes or so after legal hours as I sat and watched. While it was legal time, I just could not pick a spot on her because of the poor light, so just passed it up. However, had it been 5 or 10 minutes sooner, I'd have orphaned that button buck in a heart beat. P.S. - Thanks for backing me up guys. I knew I'd read it multiple times elsewhere.

Re: wheres the bucks??!?? I'm having the exact opposite problem. Where are the does?!?!?! I have bucks running everywhere on my ground. Most all 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year olds so far (one good 3 1/2 year old 8 pointer too). I'm still waiting on the big boy. I have only seen 4 does all year so far. One I botched the shot on. One last night I had everywhere from 20 yards to under my stand, but she came out with only a couple minutes left and it was too hard to pick a spot on her, so I never shot. I'd just like to plunk a doe right now. I've got an itchy trigger finger from seeing all the small bucks running around.

Re: Scent Loc clothing? worth the expense? Until I quit having deer come in (even from down wind) and stand under my stand, I refuse to jump on any carbon bandwagon. I have had more deer directly under my stand this year than ever before (5 in the last 3 outings, alone, litterally under my stand and all at one point were down wind of me). I wash my clothes before season and maybe one other time during season in Sportsman's Wash. I throw them in a plastic tub w/ a earth scent waffer. I change into my clothes where I hunt. I only take a shower with scent free soap if I am morning hunting. I do a lot of evening hunts after work, smelling like ... work. A lot of times, I slip my hunting bibs right over my work clothes, which in no way eliminate my smells. I wear Lacrosse Burly boots that carry no scent, deer walk on my tracks all the time and do not spook. There is absolutely no need for these carbon suits, in my opinion. 110% gimmic, as so much of the crap out there today is. I've said it before and I'll say it again ... 100% scent free is about 99% over rated.

Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? [ QUOTE ] Buck fawns will not stay in your immediate hunting area if you kill their mother, and you better hope they don't. It is incest. You will have cross breeding and end up with birth defects. Nature takes care of this by giving the young buck the urge to leave, and the older does in the area the instinct to drive him away. This will still happen even if his mother dies. [/ QUOTE ] I'm no biologist (nor do I play one on TV ), but I have read a couple of articles from biologists that state that there is in fact a higher percentage chance that a buck fawn will stay in an area if the mother dies before he his forced to leave by her or nature. It is that very fact that you stated that causes this. If she is alive, she and nature will force him to leave due to the inbreading factor. However, if she is gone, there is less of a reason for him to leave (except for sisters of course). Even with the sister factor, the chances of him staying are still greater than leaving. I would have to dig through archives of magazine articles to for this info to back my statements up. Of couse, I've got better things to do (like go hunting ). So, I guess it does not matter. All I know is what I've read. Then again, the authors of those articles could be full of it too. Was just trying to offer some info based on my readings was all. I still say, shoot whatever deer makes you the happiest, or let em alll walk. Does not matter much to me. I'm off to go hunting.

Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? Shoot the doe. The fawns will be fine. Here is part of my rational. It is a proven fact that when fawn, especially buck fawns, are orfined, they will be less likely to leave the general area that they have been living. Therefore, there is a higher percentage chance that the fawns will set up permanent residence in your hunting area, this equates to a better future hunting oportunity, especially if the buck sticks around. Secondly, it is proven that younger does will be more likely to produce twins and even triplets. Not knowing the age of your doe, there would be the chance that she could be reaching nearing the end of her "twin stage" in reproduction. Further, I've read that younger does tend to drop a higher percentage of bucks, even though the herd as a whole will near a 50% split. So, again, a youger doe may increase your future buck population. Beyond that, throw all the rules and thoughts out the window and just shoot one of the deer. It is your tag, shoot what makes you happy. That is what is truely important.