colescott1

#1 piece of advice I will give has nothing to do with your $$$ question.... No matter where you go, or what you're studying....work hard, get good grades, but BE SURE TO ENJOY IT!!!! Especially once you move out and away to college...these truly are the best years of your life. And they will FLY by. May not seem it at the time, but before you know it, you'll wake up 5 years into a career of picking peoples teeth and think...man...where did the time go? College is certainly for book learning, but is also so much more. Lifelong friends are made there... (a wife in my case as well)... more memories then you though possible, and stories that will last a lifetime.

Marriage is...... getting to spend every night with your best friend.... And having to ask permission to go spend a night out with your other best friends.

Ya don't need to buy anything to make an effective mock scrape. I wasn't a believer, but tried this on Wednesday of this week, just to finally see for myself. Found a scrape, and used a nearby hunk of wood to re-scrape it. Pee'd in it, and walked away. Came back yesterday, and a buck had already made another scrape right beside the existing...tore it up! Now, hopefully in the next week, I'll be able to report on what size buck I frustrated, but save your dollar and relieve yourself! It works!

My most memorable hunt ever came the 1st weekend I used a ground blind. Put it on the edge of an alfalfa field, and used some weeds to help brush it in a bit along a fence row. Friday, took my then 3 year old son out for his 1st hunt....never got a shot, but did see some doe in the distance. Saturday night, returned with my then 5 year old daughter. Right at prime time, she had had enough, so we were in the tent, packing up her stuff. Look up, and 3 bucks came out of the woods, worked in till about 25 yards. 2 of them were sparring with each other, right in front of the blind. At her pleading, I nailed the 3rd. She's ruined for life. Thinks everytime out should be that eventful.

Haven't got out much this year...but when I have, I'm still suffering from "Squirrel Jump Adreneline rush". With it so dry, those little critters sound like a 200lb 10pt!!! If it wasn't for the anticipation, we'd all stay home and play chess I guess.

That is an incredible construction....but not for what I consider hunting....its not a deer stand. It's a house. Anyone who has deer in their back yards has the same type "stand". Nothing wrong with it at all...just not my cup of tea. I'm not sure why, but I've always been against even the box blinds and stuff....just got a hard headed mindset that I gotta be out in the elements with the deer to really feel like I'm hunting. If the cold gets the best of me, and I gotta go in, then the deer wins that day. Don't get me wrong... I bet your Dad enjoys his coffee and eggs in the morning sitting out overlooking and watching the deer....so more power to him!

Re: 1280LB. Hammerhead World Record Shark Wow.....can you imagine a 5-6 hour fight, and getting drug 12 miles? I don't know how your arms work after that stretch of time.....

Re: Who thinks Illinois is headed down dark road? My honest belief is that with deer numbers multiplying across the US at record rates (or near record) I would assume, that "they" are not as worried about tracking the count. Don't think anyone has to go to a check station for squirrels, quail etc. It just seems that deer are not the main concern anymore.

Ok experience anglers....lead me. For freshwater, lake / pond fishing... for anything from bass to panfish to catfish.... Looking to get an Ugly Stick, and from advice from friends, sounds like a medium heavy 6'6" 2 piece would be ideal for me. BUT.. to get a 6'6 2 piece, it only goes to Medium. What am I "losing" by staying down with Medium rather than Medium/ Heavy?

Re: Can\'t believe I pass a Doe up today at 5\' away Must be in the air. I passed on a button buck and 2 doe this morning at 5 yards. Button gets a free pass when I can tell, the 1st doe musta been his sister...small, and whether it was mommy or big sister, well, she wouldn't been a target but the other two wouldn't let me draw.

Re: Balancing College and Bow Hunting... My priorities changed for the 4 years I was away at college. Missed hunting nearly as much those 4 years, but did manage a few times a season when I headed back home for holiday breaks and such. In the meantime, I mainly focused on the other social aspects that are so prevelent when away at school. One of the last things I was worried about was sitting by myself in a treestand when there were so many other white-tails running around campus. :-) Finally did pattern one of the lovelies, and married her the year after she graduated. Plenty of life left to hunt...enjoy everything college life has to offer. As the old cliche goes....it is the best 4 years of your life!

Re: It\'s starting......AGAIN! You may not be able to get all your neighbors to practice QDM, but if YOU wish to, you can still make a difference, and this is how. What is your buck limit in the area you hunt? Most places its 1. (not MD, I know.) So, if YOU let that 3 pt walk, and it gets shot by the next farmer over, then he is done for the year, and between the two of you, only 1 young deer is dead. If you decide cause they'll kill it anyway, that you might as well, you'll shoot that 3 pt. You now took your buck. And the next spike that walks over the kill gets blasted by the neighbor. Now 2 young deer are dead. You'll never convince everyone, but you do have some say in it by controling your own actions.

Re: Grunt Call 101 Heeker -- Primos Rubberneck and HS Truetalker seem to be the favorites of everyone, myself includedd

Re: Rattling Theory. Opinions Please I think a deer is good, but not that good. If they were that good, then you could also figure they would be able to tell that you were rattling with JoeBucks 2004 headgear. Rattling with sheds work fine, but not because they recognize who is fighting.

Re: fall-away rests or whisker biscuits??? had a biscuit installed this year, along with a peep, a loop and started using a release. Never shot better. Love the biscuit. I know exactly where that arrow is all the time.

Re: Renzos buck decoy? I agree. I have a 2-D Doe decoy, and had 3 bucks come down within 20 yards of it on Oct 1. They weren't drawn directly to it, but it did take their attention off my Brickhouse blind. Worked exactly as I had hoped.

Re: Deboned meat Im in the 1/3rd area...very picky on triming the fat and silverskin off.

Re: Shooter????? Kinda dark for a shot, but if he happened by during legal hours, no doubt I'd be planning backstraps for dinner.

Re: Hunt Your Best Stand Now Or Wait For The Rut?? Hunt it now. While he's there and noone else is.. Is it legal to have stands hung on public ground?

Re: GOt a big Problem Do NOT put a deer up over your shoulders and carry it out unless you wish to be carried out as well!!! That is almost asking to be shot at. Too many crazies shoot at sound to begin with, but would be too risky to hear something walking, see a deers head/body and "identify your target" correctly....only to miss what is actually making that target move.

That is my approach now that I have taken a buck with each weapon I hunt with (bow, ml, shotgun). I will pass until one significantly larger than the largetst one taken with that weapon presents a shot. Will try to keep taking does until that happens. I plan on taking a camera along with me to hunt the smaller bucks for a photo, but that is it.

Re: GOt a big Problem Guess I'm the odd man out here...but I applaud the fore thought. Why do the rest of you even bother going if you don't have confidence that you will get something? So you can sit and stare at your watch till its time to go? If I know I have commitments that I need to be at shortly after a hunt, I may not go out that night...why? Cause I don't have appropriate time to take care of my kill. To YoungOne, there are several good options listed above that should help you. However, bottom line, if you don't think you can get it out, then maybe consider taking a camera with you instead of a bow / gun.

Re: Quit because of a few misses? The suggestions you received on the other forums are indicative of the world today. Instant gratification or forget it. Quit. Take up golf. Its all bull. As you said, you are a great shot in practice sessions. Its the real deal you are struggling with, and the only way to improve is to get more oppurtunities. Only other suggestion I would have, I did myself...set up a ladderstand in a practice area with 3d target and practice "real life" shots from the elevated postion. Still not a live target, but one step at a time. Keep going at it...you're getting deer close, which is 3/4 of the battle! Don't let the naysayers get you down!

Re: When and/or where do you field dress? I field dress it back at the farm in the lights (usually evening hunts), and then the next AM, I take the gutpile, hide, head ect up to a section of woods that I don't hunt and deliver for the fox, buzzards, etc. This last buck I took, I took the "junk" up into the woods on a riding mower, and cut down some briars as I was heading into the woods just a few feet. Dumped the remains. Next day, I went back to dump some of the other junk, and a buck had made a brand new rub right across, not 10 feet from this pile. I'm convinced it was the tarsal glands of the dead buck there that adgitated (sp?) this new buck and caused him to mark.

Re: Friend got a 9pt (pic) Wow...they don't grow'em too much bigger in this neck of the woods! Great job keeping composure on such a magnificent animal!