wildthing

I am sure the Rage team will work out the design flaws and these broadheads will be a great product for years to come. Right now...I need to see more positive info and field tests. For me, if equipment is getting recalled, etc., etc., I stay away until the problems are worked out. I simply don't want to risk wounding any animal.

I usually take a North American Whitetail, Bowhunter or Deer and Deer Hunting magazine with me just in case the activity is low. I am spotty with it though. I only really bring it out of my pack occassionally, typically in the early season. The articles get me pumped up and motivated to stay in the tree. Plus, there are some helpful tips that make me think and try and stay sharp mentally in the tree.

call me picky...but I don't like the camo patterns on the double bull blinds. I guess if they are effective, that is what should matter. I might pick something up this weekend...we'll see.

The sights I currently have on my bow are horizontal, but I was thinking about switching to vertical pins. Any comments or suggestions? Thanks in advance guys (and gals)!

I was wondering if any Pro Staff members, professional hunters, or "people in the know" could comment or provide insight into how a person might become a Pro Staff member of an organization? How does one get started? What is required or desired? What type of person do these organizations like Realtree, Primos, Drury, etc. look for? Where/how does the journey begin? How does a person get introduced to build the relationship? Insight welcome!

With all the popularity of the various hunting DVDs and Pro Staff organizations like Realtree, Primos, Drury, etc., I was wondering how many hunters out there are beginning to film there hunting and outdoors activities?

I was wondering how many of you hunters out there take some sort or reading material with you to the stand? I usually take a hunting related magazine with me in my backpack to the woods so that I can sometimes sit all day without going crazy.

I was wondering how many of you out there plan on hunting out of a ground blind this fall? Can anyone comment on a quality ground blind that is on the market right now? I planted 2 acres of Tecomate clover this past spring and was thinking about hunting over it is the early part of archery this season. It is positioned in a valley with bedding on one side, brush and some open hiilside on the other. Deer feed every night in the plot. I cut down some trees to creat some brush piles that offer perfect cover too. I have seen doe and shooter bucks in the plot all summer. I might give it a try a few times to fill a doe tag early season.

I own a Glendale Full Rut. I like it very much...however you are getting a bit Ripped off on price. I got mine at a Cabela's retail store and paid about $40-$50 less than your pro shop wants.

Dick's Sporting Goods (if there are any in your area) sell a 15ft ladder stand made by Comfort Zone that retails on sale for $50-$60 bucks... I own 2 and practice shooting, scout, hunt out of them...

I'd get in the woods and simply look for sign...then go from there.

I was at a Sportman's Warehouse in Pittsburgh, Pa over the past weekend. A few guys from Drury Outdoors and RealTree were there...pretty cool...though I didn't get a chance to talk to them. In any event, I went to the archery department, and found where the store sold broadheads. They were completely sold out of the Rage Broadheads! Both 2 and 3 blade! These new boradheads are flying off the shelves and are truly going to get field tested this year! Will some of the engineering flaws and recalls, as a outdoorsman, I hope that deer are harvested and not wounded! I am just not completely sold, this year, on the Rage. I am going to stick with the Muzzy 100's I have been shooting over the past few years. As the season rapidly approaches...for all the hunters who are participating...let's keep this thread going through the season. I like the engineering concept behind the Rage, but I need to hear and see more field testing before I think I am going to commit to buying and using. Let's keep up to friendly dialogue and have a great harvest this fall!

If archery, I agree with most of the others...I'd try to plant a new food source if possible, during the pre-rut and rut, try and rattle him in using a decoy. If gun, and land is is permitted to be walked on, just no weapons...see if you can organize a few buddies to put on a deer drive and push for you...no weapons of course. Then stand on you land and wait.

Are you planning to use the food plot as a hunting spot or simply a destination food plot? Also, how big of an area do you want to plant? How is the soil in the area? Did you test your PH levels yet? I have no real equipment either, but I have planted VERY effective foodplots by purchasing a weed killer spray and borrowed a neighbor's rototiller. Spray the ground...wait about 2 weeks +, then till with the rototiller. It obviously takes a little time and hard work, but if you are thinking about killing big bucks, the time will pass rather quickly! Try to watch the weather and make sure you plant right before a front. Depending on how long you have the lease for, and since you don't have a lot of equipment, I wound plant a perennial clover mix. A perennial clover should last 3-5 yrs. and may only require periodic lime and fertilizer. I personally planted Tecomate Monster Mix. Where there is a will...there is a way! Good Luck!

I just ordered the dvd today. Can't wait to see it!

buckbuster...a 360 would put you back in the same place...meaning you'd be "all for it". Since you are a Steelers fan, I won't tease you too much. I know what you meant, but a 180 sends you in the opposite direction...which was the premise of your comment. Sundays should be an option. No one is holding a gun to someone's head to hunt on Sundays. But it should be a choice / option. Let's just hope Big Ben doesn't do a 360...haha...good luck this year. Go Steelers...

I use Carbon Express and haven't had any issues with them. I to was thinking about using Rage. Currently I shoot Muzzy's. I would recommend going to you local pro shop and get everything set up...especially the arrows being cut.

bigbearguy...thanks for the feedback. I guess I am a bit confused by your comments. Where was I trying to make an excuse? I was simply advocating hunting on Sundays. Somewhere along the lines in this thread you must have missed the point I was trying to make initially. My reasoning for Sunday hunting was only to extend more opportunities for hunters to legally get out in the woods. Let me be clear from a personal perspective. Maybe you can relate, or maybe not. I am 29 yrs. old and work Mon - Fri, 8:30 - 6 pm, with Sat and Sun off. As of right now, unless I take vacation time for hunting, I can really only hunt Saturdays. With that being said, that leaves a guy like me approx. 8-9 Saturday trips to the woods between the 1st day of archery and last day of archery. (first season). Then add 2 weeks of gun and you make almost a dozen. Sprinkle in the guys that muzzload hunt and maybe a few more. Of those few days, I need to pray for good weather or my days are even less! I live very near to state games lands. As a matter of fact, I try past them everyday to work. I can tell you that Mon-Fri, I'll see a few cars here and there, but on Saturdays...cars and trucks are lined bumper to bumper throught out the season. Especailly gun season. If I could poll how many hunters can really only hunt on weekends during the season, my guess is that the number would jump way high compared to the rest of the days per week. If Sundays were included, from a pure number and opportunity standpoint, that number would double...pretty simple. We all know deer aren't running around with neon targets on them. They still need hunted! As hunters, we know there is no guarantee. However, why not give the opportunity, the hunter still has a choice to hunt or not hunt on Sundays, but at least there is a choice! That is my point.

hoytbowhunter...good point, shooting hours in your own judgement. The problem is for every ethical and responsible hunter, there are 5 idiots that give hunting a bad name because they aren't responsible and can't make a good judgment. I'd like to see archery run straight into January, but would settle for it running up to the 1st day of gun season...including Sundays. I just can't think of one bad reason to not permit hunting on Sundays. It is an extra day to enjoy hunting, more opportunity for harvest, more opportunity to learn and appreciate the hunting tradition, more opportunity to keep the game management in check, etc. etc. I think the pros far outway the cons.

I agree, shot placement is important. I am glad to hear positive, first hand testimonials about the Rage mechanical broadheads. Unlike TV, where things can be edited and who really knows what goes on when the camera is off, I like to hear from my fellow hunters who are having success with new equipment and can promote something because they used it and it worked for them versus promoting something because they are getting paid or sponsored for it. That makes a big difference in my book!

I too sit until dark and try and sneak out of the woods undetected. The thing is, other hunters are also doing the same thing. This is where I see the problem. Looking through a peep sight or scope, after the sun sets and light is drastically becoming less and less by the minute, is very hard to do. Let alone idenifying the target at the same time and most importantly what is beyond that target. We all get more alert when the "magical hour" comes around. We all get "Buch Fever" and we all know that for the average hunter, time in the field is limited. And if you are like me, I rely on the haversted meat to feed my family too. Thus, I feel that this may rush the judgement of whether or not to shoot. The thing is with hunting, is that unless you are on your own property, with no other hunters, I feel more accidents will occur because more people will be in the woods later still looking to shoot. This is where I am trying to advocate hunting in PA on Sundays. Why not just extend the weekend instead of adding 30 minutes closer to dark? Give hunters more time instead of pushing the limits of time. Eager hunters, poor lighting, loaded guns and knocked arrows may equal more accidents. We have all been in the woods with negligent hunters or know of guys that push the limits too much...when they can see. I can only assume that all of us on this forum practice goods habits and hunt ethically.

The thing is, most hunters on the average only have the weekend to hunt unless they plan vacation time or are self employed. If the weather doesn't cooperate that day, that day is lost. Plus, with archery ending in early November, part if not all of the rut is missed. If it is ok to work on Sundays, it should be ok to HUNT on Sundays!

Guys...thanks for the feedback. I am glad to see there are fellow hunters that would like to have hunting permitted on Sundays. What can we do to get this accomplished? As I stated before, the 30 additional minutes is just a bad idea. If anything, it is gonna lead to wounded game and injured hunters! "if its brown, it goes down" type hunters annoy me too. I think that mentality is based on how a person is intriduced to the sport of hunting. My thoughts are to educate the young hunters so that mentality never comes about. Teach them to be an ethical hunter. I started hunting when I was 12, my previous comments about educating the next generation of hunters wasn't age specific, although I feel there needs to be an age limit, it was more catered to the overall idea that with more available days to hunt, the more opportunities an ethical, adult hunter has to take a young hunter into the woods and give them the experience and learn to appreciate what hunting is all about.

As a follow up to my original post, I think hunting on Sundays would offer the opportunities for more hunters in the field, more time spent hunting (which is what people like us like to do) and more opportunities to educate the next generation of hunters. I can see no downside to Sunday hunting in PA (either the whole or part of day).

For all of you PA hunters out there, I am sure most would agree that the antler restriction put into place a few years ago are definitely starting to pay off. I am certainly see more and bigger bucks! However, I wanted to see how anyone felt about trying to get PA to allow hunting on Sundays. This year, I believe, they made a change and pushed back the legal shooting time 30 additional minutes. Quite frankly, if it dark, it is dark, people shouldn't be shooting anyways. I look at some other state game laws, like Ohio because it is close, that allow hunting on Sundays. Also, Ohio's archery season runs into January. Pa archery season always ends around the 2nd weekend in November and then comes back in later in the season. Really, this make no sense to me. If you work Monday - Friday and can only hunt on the weekends, your time in the field is very limited. Also, weather can hamper the time spent in the woods too and believe me in recent seasons, I spent mulitple Saturdays back in the house and not in the field due to poor weather conditions. I think PA should change the hunting laws to mirror Ohio, Sundays permitted and archery season to run straight through in to January. Opinions / comments welcome!