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Wouldn't coyotes and bears spook deer? I always gut my deer in areas I don't hunt (or will not hunt again). Even if the gut pile doesn't keep the deer away, I would think the predators would.

WELCOME! I'm hoping to be comfortable shooting out to 40 yards this year. Last year I was only comfortable out to 30. I think it has little to do with the bow, but the archers form and confidence level. Just about all of today's bows can kill deer at 50-60 yards, but can the archer get the arrow where it needs to go? I shoot a Fred Bear TRX (2003 model) at 62 lbs. with carbon arrows and Rocky Mtn. Gator mechanical broadheads (2 inch diameter). The IBO for my bow is about 305.

Day 1 will be an uncut cornfield for me. My stand is about 10 yards in the timber. There are 2 trails (about 50 yards apart)deer take to get to the field. I've got stands for both, just hope I pick the right one. Now if we have a north wind I may have to scrap that idea and hunt the edge of an uncut bean field. Crops will not be harvested until mid-late October in IL. Some farmers have indicated November. We had a lot of rain this spring causing a late plant. I love hunting a freshly cut corn/bean field, in early October then focusing in on the rut in late October/November. This year will prove to be interesting.

That deer appears to be young. I'd say 2 years (2.5 this fall). His neck isn't thick like older bucks. I'd say he has potential for being at least a P&Y next year and possibly B&C in two. I think he'll fall short of P&Y this year. His width is decent (as long or a bit more than his ears), but his tines are short. I'd say he's around 115 inches. I'd hold off on this guy if you're looking for a trophy.

From Rita Blanca WMA: Pheasant: Present in low numbers. Quail: Blue quail may be present in low numbers in some units. Deer: Mule deer may be present but in very low numbers. Pronghorn antelope: Antelope present in fair number but are heavily sought after. Antelope hunting permits are only offered through Oklahoma’s controlled hunts program which gives a very limited number of permits. This WMA doesn't sound so great for hunting. I think I'd be calling some private land owners. I'd love to hunt pronghorns. Someday. Good luck with your hunt planning.

Welcome

Climbers are a major time saver if you don't like setting up and taking down stands. Ground hunting can work great given the right situation. I'd still spend some time brushing in the blind. Never duck hunted before, I hear it's great if you have the right type of hunters to share the pit with. I'm more of a solitary hunter since I don't have a lot of friends around my area who hunt.

Hi axman, I'm a bit confused by your question? Are you wondering when to take a week of vacation to hunt or not hunt? Each year is a little different regarding the rut (weather conditions), but generally the first 2 weeks in November are prime. It also depends on the amount of land you can hunt and the amount of hunting pressure. Most deer hunters hit late October and November hard. Early and mid-October often has less hunting pressure. If you are the only one hunting I'd try to be in the woods as close to the first two weeks in Nov. as possible. If you have a lot of pressure (especially if restricted to a small area) you may want to focus on times when pressure is low. My largest bow bucks were killed on Oct. 12th (2006) and Jan. 17th (2008).

I suppose no one has this model. Well I do now. The Cabela's sale started at 9am. I got there at 9:10am and the sales man said I got the last of 13 they had at 9am when they opened. My luck doesn't usually go that way. The rangefinder is working great in the back yard in dry conditions. The box says it's ideal for bowhunting. We'll see next month. I can't wait!

90's

It's tough from those pictures, but I doubt either of those deer will score more than 100. I took my largest racked (8-point) shotgun buck last season. I thought he'd be over 100 easy, but didn't even make 90 points.

Welcome! Did my basic training in SC almost 20 years ago.

Very nice. I am getting thirsty looking at that picture.

One lesson that helped me a lot is that consistent form including anchor points is essential to good shooting and clean kills. I wear glasses and when I sweat they slide down my nose just a bit. That bit was enough to cause me to adjust my anchor point (not even realizing it) which threw off my shot. I'd adjust my sights and I was set for that day. The next day was cool and I wasn't sweating. You can see where this is going. Once I realized the problem I started wearing a eye glass band that keeps them from sliding. Now I'm back on track.

I'm not in Pa, but I've had success with HS scent wafers (doe in estrus). Had a 150 incher walk past me just out of bow range. He was leaving and going downwind of me. He caught wind of the wafer and came back to check it out. Last mistake he ever made. This was in IL on Oct. 12th 2 years ago. The pre-rut was just starting.

I know InBev stated the were committed to keeping Grant's farm open prior to their buy-out of AB. I just hope they keep that promise. My kids love Grant's Farm. We've been going there for years. Many of you probably don't know much about Grant's farm, I know I love the fact that admission is FREE!!!!!

Can I come over and fish? Great pictures!

Incredible story! Steve you've done a great job keeping us all involved. Awsome hunt Kathleen! Actually I don't think the term hunt says it all. Seems more like a life changing experience. Thanks to God for bringing our friend home safe to her family.

I'm a lefty, but have had some bruises from my TRX. I use a guard when practice shooting and that takes care of the problem.

I've researched the Cabelas (Bushnell) VLR rangefinder and it appears to be a decent buy. Normal price is 229.99 and the sale price is 169.99. Anyone care to comment about this model or bushnell rangefinders? Unless I hear some bad reviews I'll likely pick one up this weekend.

Assistant Professor at SIUE School of Nursing - I've been working a lot with on-line learning and nursing informatics. Registered Nurse - critical care nursing at St. Louis area hospitals during the summers or breaks when I'm not teaching or doing research.

1. Be patient and plan the hunt according to her physical ability and interest. 2. Make it all about her experience and not harvesting an animal (that will come later if she likes it). 3. You have to take her since you've been asking her to go. As others mentioned take her when you will likely see game.

1. Harvest my first B&C (preferably non-typical) 2. Harvest at least 2 young does for meat 3. Introduce my kids (6 and 7) to the outdoors in a way that makes it fun for them and possibly even helps to build a life long passion 4. Keep my wife happy while I'm out hunting

As an IL resident I've always been told rifles were prohibited for safety reasons. With advanced technology slugs are being used effectively at 100 yards and even longer. However, I still believe rifles are much more accurate at long distances (unless current research I'm unaware of proves me wrong). Lately I've been hearing more and more on states that only allow shotgun hunting as a means of "managing" deer. The idea is that getting within 100 yards of a mature buck is more difficult than getting within 200-300 yards. Therefore more mature bucks survive to spread on their genetics. Not sure if I buy into that or not?