rhine16

Rhine16 Team 1- rack pack 8 point

Thank you sir. Congrats to both you and rangerclay on great bucks as well!

Fellas, the season as a whole did not go the way I wanted it to. However, I do have us a few points from where it took an upswing Monday and will get that posted soon. If you read my link you'll get a recap on my season. I apologize for not sharing the season with each of you. My mobile app did not work correctly and I rarely log onto the laptop. http://forums.realtree.com/forum/general-discussion/bowhunting/2053944-best-bow-buck-to-date

I had major plans for this season. Had more shooter bucks on cams than I'd ever had, had an early season trip to KY and a return rut trip planned, and thought I would be able to put the stand time in for a big season. Started it off on KY public ground on September 5 with my 14 year old brother. We had a blast on that 3 day weekend, saw several deer from the stand including some young velvet bucks. We each had multiple does in bow range but never loosed an arrow. Here's a pic of him as we walked out on the first morning. A few days before our MS season opener, I went in for what I thought was a 9 month checkup from my ACl surgery in January. I received a hard punch in the gut when the Dr. told me that he thought we should go ahead and replace my meniscus. I knew it was torn and that we were monitoring it, but I had no clue that that surgery was coming so soon. On October 30th we did that surgery. 6 looooong weeks after, I was able to begin partial weight bearing. December 19th would be my first day that I was cleared to walk in the woods. I was supposed to be on the ground only and rifle hunting, but a good friend of mine promised me that he could put me on a shooter if I could drag my climber up a tree. I did, and he was correct. The 16th deer that came through my setup that morning was an 125" 8 point. I shot just over the deer at 40 yards. Between being disheartened over that miss, the warm weather, and all of my hunting buddies wanting to duck hunt(4 of 5 had deer at that the taxidermist by New Years so I guess that makes it easier to stop chasing deer), I've only been back up the tree on a morning hunt with my bow twice. When the sun rose on 1/18 however, I was finally back in on my main farm with my bow hoping for a little secondary rut action. A few minutes after 7, I heard a deer making its way down the ridge toward my setup. At 40 yards the deer worked a rub and then a scrape. With its head in the licking branch I realized I was looking at a mature deer and began prepping for the shot. I sent an arrow into him at 15 yards and it was all over after about a 100 yard escape run. First 4+ year old buck I've been able to put all together on with my bow. Its been a long time coming [wink]

Dang I hate that!

Hey guys. Sorry I took so long to sign in. We start in MS on Thursday, I'll be in a tree each morning and evening sit Saturday and Sunday. I actually opened season Labor Day weekend on public land in KY. Saw several deer and had a blast. The Rack Pack is great with me.

Rhino, the change in the reg is the removable of the "hidden from line of sight" wording. Final vote is tomorrow. Makes me sick.

Interesting. That is in the neighborhood of where I hunted opening weekend of ky and plan to return for 5 nights during the rut. I stayed in a hotel in a town southwest of there and plan to when I return(cheaper and closer to where I'm hunting), but if it doesn't work out for some reason I'll keep this in mind.

Looks like fun John!

rhine16 26 MS Oct 1 - Jan 31 KY Sep 5 - Jan 18

Great story and great season! Congrats!

Man, thats awesome! Congrats to each of you! I'm headed up next Wednesday night for my first trip to ky. Hopefully some of that crowd will have died down and there are still a few gobbling birds left to play with.

Congrats on the rios!

Congrats Al! Awesome bird! Bet sitting in that blind was tough on a hunter like you, but that's about the only way to get it done with the bow.

A public MS bird is a true trophy, but especially on this deep into the season! Congrats!

Congrats to your daughter!

Congrats Al! Awesome bird... glad to see you're back into these MS birds! Great story as always!

~~A Sunday ago(3/29), I was able to make my first hunt on my main farm since a gobbleless opening weekend. The birds had finally turned loose the day before for Dad, and my little brother and I waited for daylight positioned in between the three groups he'd heard. High winds and cold temps had diminished our hopes, but a faint gobble well after normal gobbling time lifted them a bit. The birds were roosted just across the gravel road and on a different property. Now why the birds have taken a liking to this roosting spot the past three seasons is a mystery to me(well, I guess I do have a theory), thick woods except for the area just off the road. They almost always end up on us, but unless you can call them into a small block of woods, you're left chasing them around the pastures. With little gobbling, we decided to wait the birds out. Finally at almost 8 on the dot, a hen crossed the road into our pasture at about 100 yards. She was followed by another twenty, yes twenty, hens and two strutting longbeards bringing up the rear. With the high winds, I'm sure my yelping was barely audible to them, though the longbeards would spin around and look at me every time I yelped. The 21 hens were too much to leave though, and after we followed along behind the flock for a couple of hours, they finally went onto the neighboring property on the other side. Our Uncle hunted them a couple of days this week, but they were mia... except on the days that he hunted a different group of birds. On those two days, the duo was out strutting in the pasture on his way back to the house. Good Friday found my 22 year old brother that has never killed a turkey wanting to hunt. I elected to go to a friends place and let he and dad have the run of the farm. They were going to setup on the duo and try their luck with them. At a quarter til 7 I got a text, "Gobbler Down". I got a text later that morning from my youngest brother saying that he didn't think that was our bird. Once I heard the story, it was confirmed for me that it wasn't. A jake and loudmouth two year old all alone, no hen to be found. No way that was our two gobblers with their 21 hens from a few days earlier. Dad worked a different bird Saturday morning while I was at a different place, bird only gobbled a handful of times and seemed henned up bad. The plan for Sunday morning was that he, my youngest brother, and I would get on two sides of the bird. I was excited to work a hardwood bird that was on the center of my land, as it seems like all I've found this season are property line birds. That plan was changed at 6:10 when the duo cranked up in their normal spot. We made the mad dash to setup in the little block of woods, dad sat back about 15 yards in the woods and got behind a blown down cedar, we sat near the edge on the same tree in hopes of doubling. The birds were hot, but knowing that they probably had ample hens, dad got in their minds early with some tree talk. They cut him off each time double gobbling, and then the pair pitched down, unfortunately staying on the opposite side of the road. The first turkey that appeared in our pasture was a hen that flew out of a treetop from above us and landed about 80 yards out. Shortly after a jake came tearing across the road on a dead sprint. He was given a few moments of glory as he chased the hen around in circles in half strut. The rest of the turkeys joined the party; 6 or 7 hens with the two longbeards in tow. They sprinted out to the jake and commenced to running him off and corralling the hens. At some point we noticed a curious little button buck had joined the show, he'd walked in nose to the ground to a mere 10 yards of the strutters checking it out. Dad, not being able to see what was going on and not getting any signs from us, decided that it was time to let the birds know that there was a hen over in the woods. The double gobble he got from the birds sent the little deer scrambling back and I'm still not sure how the birds didn't see/hear me and the little bro laughing. We soon realized that play time was over however, as the birds broke away and began the death march. We had two pine trees out in the pasture that would be obstructing our view, and realizing that a double was going to be tough to pull off, I whispered to Ru to make sure we come away with one. With the first one several steps in front of the other one, I gave him the green light to take the bird when he stepped out from the pine tree at twenty yards, "No", "you better shoot", "No, here he comes". Sure enough as he said it the other bird cleared the first tree and I had him standing at forty yards though it was a brushy shot. Ru immediately started the three count like we'd done it a thousand times, which we have; however it has just always been at the house, in the truck, or listening to two birds gobbling on the roost. On three, the shots were almost simultaneous, but with much different results. His bird tipped over backwards to never move again. Mine took to the air. In the few seconds of that bird being in the air, a million thoughts went through my mind; the sickening thought of wounding an animal and the bragging I did before season about how I hadn't missed a turkey since I had to sit in dad's lap to shoot to name a couple. What didn't cross my mind is what happened, the bird hit the ground dead at 150 yards. I'd much rather hunt turkeys in the woods, but I'm lucky this shot took place in a field. His bird had 8.5" beard with 1" spurs. Mine a 9.5" beard with .75" spurs. Have to believe that it doesn't get much better than calling in a gobbler for each of your three sons over a three day period.

Just getting going down here in MS. Last weekend all I saw were several does and young bucks, but the reports the last three days have had my mind anywhere but in my office. Can't wait to do an all day sit Saturday!

Man that is awesome! As I'm sure you know, to a Mississippi guy, that many opportunities at a P&Y in bow range is unbelievable. Can't wait until I get to start going to the Midwest every year! Great job!

I'm in a tree this morning, but it's warmish and not expecting much. Been seeing deer every hunt, just haven't taken the time to shoot a doe yet. Hopefully I'll be presented with a good opportunity to stick one in the next week. Still have a few weeks until the bucks start cruising. Good luck fellas.

I passed on a decent 8 point Sunday evening. The cold air is here, hopefully I can stick one in the morning.

Nice buck SouthGa, Congrats to your buddy! I've had a slow start down here. 5 sits and I'm yet to see a deer from the stand. Good luck team!

Awesome buck! Congrats to each of you! That MO place paid off quickly this season!

Good luck Bowmadness and everyone else going tomorrow! Ours opens tomorrow, but between work wed-fri and 11 am kickoff for MSU-A&M game Saturday, I probably won't be hitting the woods until Sunday morning.