High Country

Feeders are a secondary system for me...I have family fill the gravity feeders (from a ATV) feeders on Thursday if I am hunting on a Saturday (so about two days)...generally does not have a problem (though coons and squirrels) will feed on the corn too... Generally only does and small racked bucks go to the feeders during daylight...I cover two major trails leading to the feeders to pick off the bucks that are following the does... NO pictures of a good buck at my feeders--maybe because of the way I put out the corn... Attract the does and the bucks will follow though!

I am biased by my own results... I took a 200 yard quartering away shot on a doe (turned out to be a button buck) this past year at Fort Knox in KY (the deer would not stop as it passed me due to all of the shooting / hunters in the area). The 300 grain Hornady SST hit 2" right of point of aim and flipped the deer (which never moved). The slug traveled the length of the deer exiting in front of the right shoulder...massive expansion... I have had great results with the Hornady SSTs... For disclosure: I shoot a Remington 1100 12-gauge with 2.75" chambers...I have a secondary Remington fully rifled barrel with rifle sights...the receiver has been drilled and tapped and I have a 3-9 x 40 Tasco (it is cheap but works) scope mounted. I have been told the SSTs do not perform well from a smooth bore though... I like that set-up as the rifle sights provide a back-up system since you are only allowed the one gun at Fort Knox and cannot leave the base for a backup if it fails...

Use a ground blind... My son and I have formed many wonderful memories (though he has not harvested any animals yet)...and there have been some set backs... Remember to encourage but don't push...

I have tried several different types...personally I have had more dramatic results with Tinks 69... My uncle swears by 207... The key for me is not to use it before the October full moon...it seems to alert / scare deer before then...even year old estrus scent...

I live in the central KY region...and hunt mostly on public land...I know of two very good Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that have a lot of potential for very good bucks... One is very remote the other near a large urban area...I have killed deer on both WMAs...

I hope it was staged...hate to think of the alternative! If it was staged, the "DJ" deserves a prize for acting...the speechless part is very convincing...

Hard Rock (1960s-1980s)...such as Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Heart Classic Rock (1950s-1980s)...such as Eagles, CCR, Bangles Modern Rock...learning to like some of it...Katy Perry, Brittany Spears, Nickelback, Green Day Outlaw Country...Waylon Jennings, Hank Jr., Willie Nelson, etc Classic Country...Garth Brooks, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn Modern Country...Lady A, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill Celtic...anything by Celtic Woman...really love listening / watching that group Gospel...love the old-time Gospel as well as some more modern Hymns Classical...mostly the Germanic / Russian composers...especially the Classical Thunder pieces

I have a 16# Warren and Sweat climber...works fantastic...but does cramp you after a while...(this is the stand I take on Fort Knox military base hunts)...weight is a factor when you are going into a new area or have to walk for a ways... I have a 30# Summit Super Slam...much more comfortable...a good all day, rut hunting stand...the weight is an issue but it is well balanced and not really hard to carry... I have a 45# Tree Lounge (with Bow Adapter)...which is a lounge chair 20' up in the air...great for rifle / muzzleloader / crossbow...not so good for bow...too much movement... unfortunately, it is not the best balanced and is heavy...so I use it for all day hunts in areas where I can "drive" to the stand site... If I were to buy a new climbing stand, I would probably choose the Summit Viper for both weight and relative comfort...it seems to be a pretty good compromise...

I have a whole collection of knives (from my KaBar combat knife to a field dressing tool (FDT))...I usually carry several... 1. A spring-assisted USMC safety knife (with seatbelt cutter)...normally carried in my truck for emergency use 2. A Leatherman Supertool...which is my primary knife for hunting...a 4" blade with a saw blade and it works beautifully...turns field dressing into surgery (much more precise/cleaner)...plus it is pliers, screw-drivers, etc 3. A set of knives from Buckmasters/Rack magazine...one is a lockback 4" pocketknife, the other a 6" fixed blade with gut hook...these are usually in my back / fanny pack... 4. My KaBar combat knife...does not get much use on deer anymore, but is excellent with camp chores...also is usually in my fanny pack...

I always begin rattling after muzzleloading weekend in KY...this weekend in fact...start out like two young bucks (think skinny, basket racked 8 pts)...lightly rattle with a bit of a peak about 2/3 the way through...grunt and rake leaves (if on the ground)... As we get closer to the rut, increase intensity and volume...(as more does come into estrus the bucks become more aggressive)... I has worked for me the last three years...rattled in a nice 140 class 12 pt last year... Four years ago, I tried to rattle in a 120-class 8 pt that had bedded across the woodlot from my stand...he would respond each time (rubbing trees, making a couple of scrapes) but would not move in my direction...eventually, about the fourth sequence in two hours, a nice 6 pt came into the woodlot and proceeded to get in a fight with the 8 pt (both were about the same body size)...absolute distruction...more noise than you CAN make with either a rattle bag or a set of antlers, tree branches snapped, leaves shredded, their bodies being slammed into trees...after about 30-45 seconds of the mayhem, I heard some branches breaking off to my left...that is when the MAN showed up...160+ class 10 pt (over 200# body weight...about twice the physical size of the other two)...he ran over near the other two and snorted once...they both stopped fighting, looked over at him, flipped their tails up and ran (they really did not want to play with him)... Sadly, I shot just beneath him at 45 yards The hard point is that he was likely hearing my rattle sequences and could tell they were not real, but responded very quickly to the real thing... I always consider my trips hunting an education, with big bucks the professors...everyday hunting is a new learning experience...

I have heard that a few bp substitutes are cleaner than Pyrodex (Jim Shockey's American Pioneer Gold brand of low sulfur powder, etc), but the Walmart's / Kmart's don't carry it...so it would require either a nice little trip out-of state to a Bass Pro or Cabela's or a substantial Haz-Mat charge for shipping for me... The shockwave bullet performed beautifully on deer...complete penetration through both shoulders, about a 3 inch wide hole (entrance side) + 1 1/2 inch exit...the deer wheeled and went about 10 feet after the shot... You might try the super-glide sabots for them (I never have since trying the powerbelts)...I think TC even recognized that the original sabots were hard to load... My father has tried a whole bunch of different ML bullets and settled on the Powerbelt 295 grain HPs after a very memorable year of hunting...couple of deer, a massive boar, etc and all were DRT (Powerbelt 295 gr HP + 120 grains Pyrodex RS + TC Grayhawk rifle).

Shot placement is the largest piece of the archery puzzle...I actually switched from Muzzy MX3s to the Rage 2-blade...my affair with the Muzzy's began with three kills (all falling in sight) though none left a blood trail (though I recovered all three arrows)...then I lost the next three deer (same center rib-cage broadside shots) because none left a blood trail (still recovered all three arrows)... I have never figured out why I could not get a blood trail with Muzzy heads... First day out this year, the Rage opened a 2+ inch wide hole all the way through and the doe ran about 40 yards before stopping, looking around and falling over, leaving a massive blood trail.

While crossbows are fast (Ghost 350), sound is still far faster (@ 1100 fps or so)...so effective range is only about 40 yards or so...otherwise, the deer will react and not necessarily predictably... I am shooting the 2-blade Rage with good results... Keep a bolt with a "dull / blunted" field point on it and a target to unload the Xbow...much safer than letting off by hand...

I have a Wolf...I set it up to hunt at Fort Knox military base (though I tend to use my Remington M1100 shotgun) that has strict requirements... 250 gr Shockwave with 100 gr Pyrodex RS delivers very good accuracy (> 2 inches @100 yds) and delivers good results on game... but is difficult to load, especially after a few shots... 240 gr Powerbelt Aero with 100 gr Pyrodex RS delivers good accuracy (> 3 inches @ 100 yds) with good performance on deer... and is much easier to load The fun part of a muzzleloader is trying to figure out what it really likes...unless the Army tells you what to shoot!

I tried that the other day...every deer that passed by noticed the blind and went on alert...only one doe snorted (and a spike buck was curious enough to walk up and stick his head in to say hello)... My father has had good luck with blinds, but he puts it in a week before the season opens, brushes it up and leaves it all season...so the deer are used to it...

"Witness" mark your ramrod...a ring of paint/permanent marker at the empty and with a fully loaded rifle with the bullet fully seated...

The mods I made to my R 1100 are relatively simple to make... I chose those because I hunt a military base with it (once you leave the hunting area you can't go back...so I wanted redundancy with the sights...and that has saved me on a couple of hunts)... Make sure to completely disassemble the receiver before it is drilled / tapped...and make sure that whoever does that work is competent... Remington's rifled barrel with sights is 18 inches long or so...but other manufactures (e.g. Hastings) makes quality barrels too... Also make sure that you install a sling if you have not already...Cabela's sells a nice kit...

My deer hunting shotgun is a Remington 1100 12-gauge. I purchased it at Wal-mart with a standard 28" Rem-choked barrel... Modifications 1. Purchased a fully rifled, 20" barrel with rifle sights from Cabelas 2. Had the receiver drilled and tapped (my father is a machinist...though I wish they would come this way from the factory) 3. Mounted a 4-5 inch long scope base on top of the receiver (use a non-permanent thread locker) with quick detach rings 4. Scope is a Tasco 3-9x40...most would consider it cheap, but with the recoil of a 12-gauge, it has worked fine for about 5 years or so... Ammo: Hornady 300 grain SSTs (about $12 per box of 5)...very accurate...very fast and powerful...

Start out with a solid breakfast (think like an athlete...you need fuel for both the walk in, the sit and the shiver...if the weather is cold)...I generally like a couple of eggs (over medium for me), whole grain toast smeared with honey, and a large bowl of oatmeal...I will sometimes throw in some hashbrowns if a Waffle House is nearby... I always carry two quarts of water into the woods (4 pounds of weight)...one in a plastic canteen in my left-side cargo pocket, the other in a camo bottle holder clipped to my waist with a carabiner...a couple of packets of crystal light (Lemonade usually)...and I keep a gallon of water in the truck for emergencies / cleaning up duty... For a quick hit of energy, I pack in a ziploc bag with a few small candy bars...milky way, twiks...but keep them sealed since sugar will attract bugs and bees... For longer use, a ziploc with a good trail mix is my preference, though I have always mixed it myself...it should have nuts (if you are not allergic to them), dried fruit (raisins, cherries, bananas, etc), a little bit of chex mix / cereal, pretzel sticks, and some chocolate / peanut butter chips... A bit of homemade jerky (easy on the salt) also helps with all day sits... I like Apples / Apple slices (as mentioned above) but they will attract bugs / bees early in the seaon...I avoid them after the first frost though... If I will be visiting the truck for lunch, then I will have a few cans or bowls of beans and franks (or some other high protein / fiber) available... The key is to blend in some carbs with a lot of easy to digest proteins and a bit of fat (especially in colder weather) with as many vitamins/minerals as you can conveniently get...all while remaining as scent free as possible...or when not possible, as naturally smelling as possible... When you do get out of the woods, you need to eat a solid meal to replace the calories and nutrients you lost...though if I am on a long hunt (more than a weekend), I will avoid meat...probably just following an old wives tale though...

I have generally found that deer will move in rain (though as noted they will bed down in heavy rain...IMO because of scent suppression than from getting wet)... I never bow hunt in the rain...to me, blood trails can be tricky enough to follow on dry days with heavy dew... I do gun hunt in the rain (and have killed several)...I always aim about 1/3 the way up the shoulder (preferably broadside, so that I get both shoulders)...every deer I have hit this way has went straight down...blood trail not needed... ***Weapons used were a .50 cal muzzleloader with a TC 350 grain conical HP over 120 grains Pyrodex (2002), a 12 gauge shotgun with Hornady 300 grain SSTs, and a 7mm Remington Magnum with either 150 grain Winchester Ballistic Silvertips or 160 grain Federal Nosler Partition...

After a terrible year bowhunting last year (I just could not get a blood trail and lost three deer), I purchased six of the 2" Rage 2-blade heads. On my first actual hunting trip of the year, I had a group of does come past my stand at about 15 yards. I shot the lead (and largest) doe in the group. The entrance hole was a vertical slit a bit over two inches long, the exit hole just a bit smaller but still about two inches...the shot was a bit low and only got one lung...the doe ran wide-open for 40 yards, stopped and looked back, then fell over dead. After 20 yards or so, the blood trail was good increasing to amazing. The shot was a complete pass through, and the broadhead appears to be undamaged...I will clean it up and touch up the blades just a bit with a small diamond stone...then try it again...

Congratulations...a very nice buck

MOST of today's autos are reliable...all have their strengths and weaknesses...I have fired a lot of different handguns (and you should too...some just feel better than others)... I absolutely love Ruger revolvers (especially the Blackhawk series)...they are serious hunting tools... not much of a fan of their autos though... I like the Beretta 92FS and the Taurus 92 (I like its safety better actually) and think they have very good accuracy and functionality...same for the Sig 226 and 228... The two autos I carry (CCDW and hunting) however are a Glock 26 in 9mm (bow season for self-defense, varmints, etc) and a Colt Commander 45 ACP (gun season as a backup which I actually used last season)... IMO, Glocks are easy to adjust to...and they go BANG every time... As to an external hammer gun, if I close my eyes and handle a variety of different pistols (just for feel), the one I always pick (it just feels better than anything else to me) is the Kimber 4" Raptor in 45 ACP... If the pistol is primarily for hunting...the 10mmAuto is king! The full power ammo (180+ grain bullets at 1250+ fps) has always been extremely accurate and brutally effective (it is also a handful, especially in the G29 and the 1911 frames...Colt Delta Elite, Kimber, etc). If you get a chance, take up some of the offers from forum members and try a bunch of different types...

A lot of good advice about brushing in your stand...and it does work... I have a 20' pull rope tied to my climber...I tie it to the cam in my bow or rear sling stud on my guns, then climb up until the rope is tight...and I am at 20' to the seat (18' to the foot platform or so)... however, if I have better leaf cover from neighboring branches, etc I will opt to sit lower in the leaf cover... Another tip: whenever possible (wind direction allowing of course) sit on the North side of the tree...it is nearly always shaded (at least here in the US...the further North the better)... The first deer always seems to be the hardest too...be patient and enjoy your time afield...when the deer finally hits the ground, the work begins...

I have had a lot of luck in the past five years with it... it has never worked for me any earlier than the third weekend in October though... Start about 1 week before Halloween (at about one 2-5 minute set per hour)...go to about once every 45 minutes during the first week in November...then once every 30 minutes during weeks 2-3 in November... I always start out the sequence with a few estrus doe bleats (Primos can-call), followed about a minute later with a buck grunt (Quaker Boy grunt call)...sometimes with a different grunt call (K&H Easy-Grunter)...then a minute or so later the rattling sequence (K&H Rattle Bag)...start light (think a couple of 1 1/2 y.o. 8 points) and increase the volume over a minute or two (and harder / more aggressive over the next few weeks)...finish with a defiant grunt call... Two of the bucks I called in this way were a 160+ class 10 point and a 140+ class 12 point (on public land)...both the first Saturday in November a couple of years apart...from the same tree...