[BuckyT]

in reply to: Off Season Gear Storage #62548

I keep most of my clothes in space bags. Heavy duty plastic bags with a vent you can open, place the vacuum hose over it, and suck the air out. If you fold your clothes neatly, the bags will shrink down pretty flat for easy storage.

I usually store most of my gear after turkey season closes.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: 2012 Season Success Photos #58928

Congrats to everybody!

Fantastic photos!

Here’s my only trad kill at moment. Killed him this September.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Game camera #48286

coldpak wrote: Bucky how do you or are you sure? I couldn’t figure out what it was.

Thanks

I’m positive it’s Tufted Titmouse.:wink:

It’s colors and facial features are a dead giveaway.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: String Waxing #48213

Waxing your string on a regular basis does greatly improve the life of the bow string.

jmo.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Game camera #48210

Love the Tufted Titmouse pic!!!

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Few Trail Cam Pictures #48206

David Petersen wrote: :shock:Great stuff, BT! But my vote for your best pic goes to the vertical bunny.

My own favorite trail cam pic is a mother bear lying on her back in a shallow spring pool while nursing one cub, and a second cub playing nearby. Another two-shot sequence shotw a “fat” bear approaching the same pool, and a very wet and suddenly very skinny bear emerging. And then there are the three mountain lions on an elk gutpile. A few years ago, I think it was Dr. Ashby who sent around a series of pictures taken over a metal stock tank down in TX, with every wild animal imaginable drinking from it, all night IR shots, with the punch line being several very thirsty illegal immigrants. Just wonderful photo tools, these cams, off season, though I feel strongly that if used to try and “improve” hunting they accomplish the opposite. We always must fight the urge to take shortcuts, as trad bowhunting is all about the increasingly rare joys of doing stuff the hard way, the old way, the utterly honorable way. Otherwise, I love them and have a second cam on the way.

But then, especially if using visual flash, are we innocently doing harm to the critters we love to photograph “nonconsumptively”? Good question that I’ve not yet allowed myself to think hard about. 😯

Keep the pictures coming, guys/gals, though we’re now seriously challenged to outdo these really great shots by Bucky, who got a big headstart on the rest of us.

I’m very new to the traditional game. Only one deer and a couple of armadillos under my belt with my recurve. But I love the woods and the creatures that reside there deeply!

I honestly love getting pictures of wildlife! It’s nice to know if there is a nice buck near the area I’m hunting, but I know that long before a picture is downloaded to my computer. Rubs lines and big tracks are usually the giveways.:wink:

Answering the flash question you are pondering, after years and years of getting pictures of game, I honestly don’t think it does them any harm. Deer are interesting creatures.

Each animal has his/her own personality and will react differently to a camera. Some deer are “hollywood” deer and seem to love the added attention and flash. They’ll stay there and burn a set of batteries on a camera.

Other deer are very shy. One picture and poof…. They’re gone.. Maybe a picture here and there and that is it..

Here are some interesting pics of 2 bucks, I’m guessing at the time were in the 2.5yr old range. I saw both that season and let both go about their business.

It’s a classic 2 bucks meeting one another and squaring off during the pre-rut sequence of pictures.

The more typical 8pt in the pictures stayed around for 2 more years and grew into a spectacular Ga buck. I’d only get pics of him in years after in the summer.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Game camera #46526

I’ve traditionally run Cuddebacks.

At the moment, I still have a Expert in operating condition, two capture flash models and one capture IR that still work.

One of the Capture flash models started to eat batteries, but I fixed it myself. Tracks leading to battery terminals on motherboard were corroded. Cleaned corroded tracks with a clean toothbrush, applied a little solder, and it’s been working fine ever since.

I also have a homebrew camera I built from an old Non Typical camera. Removed the old 35mm cam and installed a Sony D380 I believe.. Older smart media digital cam. Had to modify the housing a bit for the lens and flash configuration on the newer Sony cam, but it works fine.

I never really got the back wash from the flash figured out on the night shots, so they’re not the greatest, but it works..

Right now.. I honestly wouldn’t go with a Cuddeback if I was buying a brand new camera.. Their customer service has gone downhill somewhat… Last time I delt with them about the Capture I mentioned above, I wasn’t very happy. That’s why I elected to try to fix the camera myself.

I’ve heard Reconyx cameras are top notch, but you’ll pay a top notch price for one too.

A friend of mine has been running Moultrie cameras and has been very pleased with them. M80 or M100 models. Very affordable. Around $160.00 or so. Heard Wally World was having a sale on the M80 models for $120ish..

I love running trail cams! I don’t even think of cameras in this “for hunting” talk I’ve been reading here, but I simply love looking at pictures of the wildlife around my hunting areas!! I’ve gotten some fantastic photos in the 13yrs or so I’ve been using them.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Taxidermy…Who Mounts Game? #45898

Etter1 wrote: I have always enjoyed taxidermy work that is done well. I typically have a few critters in the shop every year. Do you all mount heads and hides or just snap photos? Just wondering where everyone is at. I don’t think I do it to brag about hunting successes, but to take a beautiful bit of nature home, and show respect to the animals that we pursue. I can sit in my “outdoor room” and lie back and remember all the hunts, and really enjoy doing so.

I hate to think about how much I’ve spent on taxidermy in the last few years, but I never regret it.

I currently have 2 whitetail shoulder mounts, a euro whitetail mount, an antler plaque mount (whitetail), a black bear half mount, a black bear rug, a tanned black bear hide, a tanned whitetail hide, a mallard, a wood duck, a hooded merganser, a coyote hide, a smallmouth bass, and 6 or so turkey fans and beards.

So what you got?

Well… You’ve seen my little man room.

Have 2 bucks at the taxi at the moment.

For the guys who don’t know me,

8 shoulder whitetail mounts

2 shoulder whitetail mounts in progress

1 euro whitetail mount

1 euro whitetail mount in progress

1 mallard drake

3 turkey fan, beard, feet, spurs mounts

1 full body turkey mount

1 bobcat mount

1 tanned whitetail hide

1 bluegill mount (wife’s 1.25lb bluegill)

I love all of my mounts. Each one is a fine memory out in the field, and it’s nice to go up stairs with a good drink, sit back, and look at them and re-live the hunts.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Tuffhead 225 gr. Penetration #45679

David Petersen wrote: Ahh, pan-fried venison steaks in butter and garlic! Or if we’re being better to our bodies than to our taste buds, pan-fried in just enough olive oil to coat the castiron skillet, and plenty garlic of course. But geeze, health aside, it’s hard to beat chicken-fried venison/elk … which of course must include smashed taters and lots of thick white country gravy!

Yes indeed, my live-in chef is off visiting family and I’m too lazy to cook for just myself so I’m fantasizing … 😳 And salivating.

I’m extremely hungry now!!

Time to pull some backstraps out of the freezer!

Congrats on your trad kills Tombow!! Heck of a season you’ve had!!

[BuckyT]

in reply to: Scent proof? #45618

I personally believe there is no way to defeat a whitetail’s nose.

I’ve only hunted whitetails, so that’s why I only listed that species.

Hunting down wind of the deer is most important. But… We can’t control mother nature, and in the places I hunt; I can only try my best to hunt the wind correctly. It’s never fully blowing from a constant direction, and shifts directions through out the day..

I wash my clothes in non scented detergent. Most major brands of detergent make a scent free version for the folks out there who are allergic to the scented versions.

I don’t dry my clothes in the dryer. I hang them up to dry.

I store them in plastic bags. Actually space bags, and suck the air out of the bag.

That’s it for the clothing. It’s not going to keep an up wind deer from smelling me if my scent lingers around its nose, but I think it knocks some scent down.. If anything, I’ve found the way I take care of my hunting clothes, makes my garments last for years and years. I get my $$ worth out of my clothing.

I wear rubber boots and do my best to keep my boots to “in the field use only” I don’t wear them to the gas station etc..

I will use some scent spray too from time to time. It does work to an extent.. At least it does to my nose, and it makes me feel better using it.:D

I mostly use scent killing spray during our early bow season here in Ga. Early September can be down right humid, buggy, hot, and a hunter will sweat his you know what off hunting that time of the year.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: It never fails #41831

I know… Thought about doing that too… Still a bit paranoid leaving a cam on public land..during hunting season.

If you hunt my lock on at club, I have a cam set up on a trail intersection on way to stand. Been there since muzzleloader season.

Is that buck above the 7pt you had pics of this summer?

[BuckyT]

in reply to: More Blackbeard Island Pics #41201

“Sweet Meat Etter”:D

[BuckyT]

in reply to: It never fails #41183

Great Pics!

I’ve hardly ran any of my cams this season..

[BuckyT]

in reply to: More Blackbeard Island Pics #41181

skifrk wrote: Awesome pics. how were the bugs this time of year.

I pulled 1 tick off me, and got bit a few times by some sand gnats. Didn’t see the first skeeter. Never turned my thermacell on.

Not bad at all.

[BuckyT]

in reply to: My toes are frozen……. #39791

I’m from Ga.

I use regular cotton socks. I think when you cram your foot with thick socks into a boot, there isn’t any room for air circulation. No air circulation means sweaty feet, the sweat won’t evaporate, and your feet will freeze.

The key is to keep the moisture off your feet. Socks that wick moisture like wool are great, but make sure you up your boot size a 1/2 or so your foot will fit comfortably not tightly. I also use some cold gear lightweight socks made by Under Armour that are well worth the $10 a pair.

I also use foot warmers too.

Coldest weather I hunted in was in Illinois. It was 0 one morning and I sat till noon bowhunting that day. The high was 9.

I had on my pair of Muck Woody Max Boots, lightweight wool socks, and some toasty toe foot warmers.

My feet never got chilled.

[Author]

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