fly

Take a range finder or walk of the distance before going up the tree. Walk from the base of your tree you hunt from to the biggest trees where the deer will come from (better just make it a 360 degree circle from the base of the tree (LOL)). Put a designated marker like yellow plastic ribbon around the 20 yard trees and blue for the 30 yard trees. Also remember that extreme elevation changes things. I hunt one place that is 30 feet high - there is a wide (usually dry) creek bed about 25 yards away that is 7 feet deep. If a deer comes up the creek bed I use my 20 yard pin instead of the mid-point between my 20 and 30 yard pins.

fly checking in - sorry I'm a little late my season doesn't start till October 1st so the contest hasn't been in my range finder. Thanks to hoosierhunter for poking me with that PM stick! (LOL) Good luck to everyone this season - I'm hoping Rhine gets the biggest of all! I've been fortunate enough to harvest a 120 inch or bigger buck 5 out of the last 6 years. Hopefully my luck will hold out. I was drawn to hunt a small public ground area the second week of November that holds a ton of deer. Scouted it last month and saw about 30 does and smaller bucks over a 3 hour period of time. I hunted it in mid-October in 2011 and saw an absolute GIANT! Passed on a 120 inch 8-point at 20 yards waiting for the big one. Unfortunately I couldn't get the big boy in bow range. Hopefully the rut will improve my chances this season. My vote goes to Clydesdales!

I tried the wax and so far I've shot several days and the sights are in the same place. It's better than it was that's for sure.

The running part can be as bad or easy as you make it MUD. I would encourage you to find a partner that runs close to the same level. It's nice to have someone to talk to as you run/jog/walk between obstacles. In our group the younger and faster runners just ran ahead and would wait at the obstacles for the rest of the team to catch up. If you can do a couple pull ups and do a light jog for three miles without stopping you will have no problem. This is not the event for people that want to win. The Spartan race would be better suited for competition. The TM is more about building camaraderie and just having fun. My son is 11 and took pictures / video clips so we didn't bother with the after party.

Tough Mudder this Weekend Thanks William, a lot of prayer and not rushing into anything has been effective.

Well Ruth, there is a different challenge to the various obstacles. Some were about overcoming a fear while others were strength and others just sucking it up and not quitting. I have held my hand in a cooler of ice water for a minute so I knew the arctic enema would be horrible - it was. I couldn't get out fast enough and to make it worse there was a board participants had to go under water in order to finish. It was the most uncomfortable obstacle, yet one that I would expect at EVERY Tough Mudder (LOL). The electric shock at the end had me the most worried since I got shocked at an earlier obstacle that included a low crawl in 6 inches of water with wires about 8 inches off the ground. Taking that one hit wasn't bad, but I sure didn't want any more after that one. Anyway, I was able to snake my way through the final obstacle of wires without getting shocked once - most people got a couple shocks and some people got hit four or five times! Without a doubt the electric shocks caused me the most anxiety. One girl doing the low crawl wire obstacle kept getting hit and had a freak out session in the middle. She made it, but was on the verge of speaking a new language of four letter words. So basically the wires and ice water obstacles were horrible! I per-registered for TM 2014 earlier today.

Well it was quite the challenge. We ran in the last group on Sunday and the 11 mile course took us about 5 hours. Our team has several bruises, scrapes, and sore muscles, but a very positive experience overall. Reminded me a lot of boot camp (LOL). Here are a few pics.

Tough Mudder this Weekend Didn't know that, but in today's world it doesn't surprise me. Some of you may not know but i had a rough time a couple years ago - the wife and I separated and divorced last October. About 4 months ago we found our way back to each other and she had the idea of doing this Tough Madder together. The training has really helped to bring us together. Anyway, it doesn't matter if I come in last or first because its already served its purpose as far as I'm concerned.

Tough Mudder this Weekend Been around for 3 years now and benefits the wounded warrior program. For those that don't know about it - it is a 10-12 mile obstacle course that includes a mud mile, ice water swim, even a section of electric wires.

Been training for a few months now - Sunday I tackle the Tough Mudder - St. Louis!

Didnt they used to Nothing official for me - however, I have not missed the opening day of shotgun season (Friday) since I was 16- I'm 42 now. My son gets off as does my students. Really cool that most of my classes are online these days.

How many of you all use bow string wax on the threads of your sight screws to keep them from getting lose?

I use firefox at home and it takes about 60 seconds to load up. At work about 2 seconds. Sometimes I have the scrolling issue too. Sometimes I don't.

Good luck on your elk hunt elcoholic! I totally see your point and on a certain level agree with everything you said. It's just complicated because people differ so much. Not just in ability either. Sure, I practice with my compound until I can ethically place my arrows in the vitals at whatever yardage I'm able to do so. It takes me many many hours each season to get "ethically good" arrow groups out to 40 yards. However, I have a job that allows me plenty of time to practice. Perhaps there is a guy out there that doesn't have a lot of time this season because his mother has been ill, he works 70 hours each week, and is a single dad. Why not provide him with the option to hunt with a crossbow where he can get "ethically good" bolt groupings out to 40 yards in an hour or two? If the issue is herd management then cut the number of tags, and allow hunters a respectable amount of freedom as to the technology they choose to go with. William is right about extremes.... finding a balance is not always easy because for every single dad out there - there is always Mr. Jack Wagon that allows the animal to walk an additional 50 yards just to see if he can make a 100 yard crossbow shot. I guess I'm just more sympathetic to the single dad than I am worried about passing laws that Jack will likely not follow anyway.

Wow! looks great

Nope, but I sure have lost a lot of things.

Best forum in the world! And now you're part of it. Welcome Wayne.

Hunters include the 40 year old man in great shape that thinks all gun hunting is not sporting and wants it banned. The 27 year old that thinks crossbows should only be for the disabled, the 16 year old girl that wants to bag a deer with a bow but can't pull back the required weight, the 11 year old boy in a wheelchair that only has a few months to live and can barely pull a regular trigger, and wants more than anything to take a deer with his dad before he passes on. Some people will ALWAYS be unethical hunters regardless of technology and I'd never be a proponent for hunting from a computer. However, technology puts a lot of people in the woods that would otherwise not be able to and for me that's a plus.

Let the hunter choose - not politicians or Old Testament religion. One of the worst laws out there in my opinion. As far as not working on Sunday - what happens to the people on ventilators and heart pumps if healthcare providers take off work? The New Testament is where it's at! Model our lives after Jesus and as others have said - Jesus himself worked on the Sabbath.

Guess I'm the odd man out when comes to Muzzy. I've shot a couple deer and watched them run off with my Muzzy in their side never to find them again. I like the rage style and had good success for years. However, I decided on a thick bladed - cut on contact head last year (Steelforce phat heads). Complete pass through on every deer shot so far and a 50 yard recovery or less. Hope to post some pics of them in action this season. I've never heard of a Ram Kat.

Moon Phase and Deer Activity Research The only thing the video clip might change for me is he time I get out for an evening hunt. I always thought a full moon would equate to more deer activity at night and less during the day - the findings in the video didn't support this theory. It did say that deer moved earlier in the evening before a full moon. I may go out an hour earlier in the evening if it a full moon. I put more stock into dates and weather than I do moon phase - still it adds another component to the greatest sport on earth.

Does the Moon Affect Deer Movement? | Quality Deer Management Association Stumbled upon this and thought it was forum worthy. The video indicated the most deer activity (best hunting time) is during a last quarter moon - just prior to a new moon. In 08 I created a journal of my hunts that included moon phase. Sure enough I shot my biggest deer of the season (130 inch 8-point) on Nov. 21st at 8am during a last quarter moon.

Well, I've never killed a deer with a Mathews - heck I haven't even been on a hunt with one yet. I picked up a 2 year old left handed Z7 Magnum at a pawn shop (tricked out) for 500.00 in February so I bought it. Has a high end QAD rest, Trophy Ridge sight, and some other stuff. I've been shooting it a lot in the back yard and I'm shooting tighter groups at 40 and 50 yards in comparison to my old 2003 Bear TRX so we'll see. Just so you all know - I don't care what type of bow anyone uses as long as he/she likes it and can make an ethical shot. However, I think poking fun at other hunters for the bow they shoot can be a very positive thing as long as everyone doesn't take it seriously. Now, when I put a Pope and Young on the ground this season we'll all know which bow is best!

hope it makes it through the season without too many bullet holes, arrows, and antler gouges.

This is the type of banter the forums had been missing. I love it! Just remember boys, Hoytie Toytie, Lowtech, PMS, they all fall short of MATTHEWS!