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in reply to: A happy camper? NOT! Dumb move! #15988
I’m glad you found your deer. I know how it feels to lose one. While I agree wholeheartedly with not shooting at spooked deer, we also have to be careful of pre-occupied deer. I had a bad shot occur once on a buck that chased a doe all around my stand for an hour. Just as I had given up hope the doe ran by my stand and the buck followed and stopped broadside just 13 paces away, attention fixed on the doe who was now out of my sight. I drew and at the release he decided to give chase at that exact moment. I saw my arrow bury 3/4 of the way into his ham. I was sick because that was not where I was looking when he stood still. Amazingly his rear dropped from the trauma but he regained his feet and walked away. About 30 yards away he lay down and I realized I had been extremely lucky to have severed the femoral artery. He was dead in minutes, killed by mt Bear Razorhead shot from my 50# 1970something Grizzly. But that shot has always tormented me making me wonder did I deserve to have that buck. Man, I’m glad you found your deer.
in reply to: Conflicting Emotions about gun hunting… #10802I have taken a few deer with the rifle and the shotgun but in my time I have most enjoyed the muzzleloader and most of my deer were taken with the muzzleloader. I only shoot patched roundballs now and sidelocks only, never any of that inline stuff for me. Sidelocks are as reliable as the handler, period. Hangfires are not the guns fault, they are due to the shooters inattention to the loading of the rifle and the nipple area.
While I have spent many years bow hunting I have not taken as many deer with the bow. I have used all types of bows and I have to say that traditional is my favorite and I am not likely to ever use wheel bows again. For me bow hunting is the most exciting method to take whitetails, and that might be the reason I have more anxiety over the shot with the bow. Just too much excitment for my excitable self.
Equally exciting is rattling in a buck and taking him with a muzzleloader. Eventually I would like to try this with the bow. The last one I rattled in came in to 15 paces and I could have shot him with a bow having waited for him to turn his head away to shoot.
But back to the subject. I guess I’m not a purist since I will use a firearm.in reply to: NRA pros and cons #9735I’ve been an NRA Life member for 30 years. I know we can rely on them to stave off the constant attacks on our rights. I don’t always agree with everything they say and do and sometimes I just vote the way I want to but I always back them because they consistently get results when we need it.
Don’t agree totally with the crossbow thing but I understand the importance of numbers when holding the line against a liberal Congress. I’m glad they are lobbying for our rights.in reply to: Bug Spray Conundrum #9725Eastern NC may be the chigger and tick capital of the world. I have actually used dog flea soap after trips to the bean field thicket to rid my body of chiggers. Nowadays I would use the permanone products. Here in the foothills the chigger problem is less and I prefer to get by without repellant by covering up with a head net and tucking my pant legs into knee high rubber boots to keep the occasional ticks and mosquitoes at bay.
In Canada I used 100% DEET, taped up everything and used a head net with good results but it was rough on the skin after a week of use.in reply to: keeping warm #9707I also believe in layers. Although I’m from below the Mason Dixon Line after late November a good wool shirt and trousers over polypropylene underwear usually works for me with a heavy zip hoodie over that or a wool coat and watch cap if it is going to be freezing all day. On days that start off cold and warm up I wear wool whipchord trousers and Cabelas Worsterlon shirts (those shirts are 10 years old and still look like new) with a lighter pair of polypropylene undies and a lighter weight cap. For footwear, early season, plain 8″ Bean Hunting boots or Proline knee high rubber boots with polypropylene Thorlo socks. For cold weather I go to my Rocky pac boots thinsulate lined with a good wool sock. For all day trips take extra socks and change them. Wool Army glove liners are my favorite all around glove and in really cold weather wool shooters mits. This works well in NC where I am from but on a trip to Il a few years ago I found out the daytime high could be 5 degrees in Nov with snow flurries. I like to have froze to death as they say around here and I had on all my woolies!
in reply to: Bow Making #9670I was going to say the last time I visited Oklahoma I was amazed at the number of “Horse Apple” or “Osage Orange” trees growing everywhere. That ought to be a self bow builders heaven. I use hickory because it is common to the east where I live and it is very forgiving of grain violation. I have read that one must be more careful of the grain in Osage.
I would suggest trying a self bow or two and then work your way into the laminated bows. Ditto on 3 Rivers library selections. A lot of good info there especially the Traditional Bowyers Bibles. Good luck with your project.in reply to: Anchor Point #9646Index finger in the corner of the mouth. Not good at holding my draw. I am a snap shooter.
in reply to: Instinctive Adventures fall whitetail teaser(video) #9628Can’t wait for the next full episode. Enjoyed your other videos too. Meanwhile, happy hunting!
in reply to: where to get a shaft shooter #59311Is the shaft shooter powered by an electric drill? I’ve seen those advertised somewhere. I understand they are pricey. I have the plane that GTA mentioned from 3 rivers. It works well but production is slow because you’re basically hand planing the shafts. I compress mine by driving them through a 11/32″ hole drilled in some flat iron. Just have to make sure they are very close to 11/32″ before driving or they may break.
in reply to: Any other Bear Archery enthusiasts here? #57162I have a 47# Alaskan right or left hand recurve and a 50# Grizzly. Have taken deer with both. Also have 2 Kodiak fiberglass arrows left over from back in the day.
Have entertained the idea of owning a vintage Kodiak in the 55# range.in reply to: How long should I just sit there? #57155The sign you saw while scouting is important.
Was it fresh and what type of sign was it? You can’t go wrong with fresh tracks and fresh droppings.
Early in the season I focus on where the deer are feeding.
Sometimes abundance of food sources can be confounding. That is where terrain features can help such as a natural funnel as someone already mentioned. One of my favorites is where two field corners almost touch but other terrain types can create a funnel along transition zones.
Later as the rut begins I will look for buck sign that begins to show up on the perimeter of the food sources. Don’t be afraid of moving your stand if you see deer consistently moving out of range. That has worked for me a number of times. I agree with not over hunting a stand.in reply to: right or left? #57141I’m a leftie but don’t have any problems shooting right helical. I have shot both and can’t see any difference. I have even fletched left wing feathers in a right helical fletching jig and the arrows flew fine they just looked a little ruffled!
in reply to: You Favorite Broadhead and why ? #54821I started with the Bear Razorheads (green ones) but have had good results with the Rothaar Snuffer (Now Magnus Snuffer). I have also used the Zwickey Delta and the Magnus 2 blade. My favorite is the Bear Razorhead but they are getting scarce. My second choice is the Zwickey 2 blade. I actually prefer a 2 blade. I think 2 blades penetrate with less resistance. Lighter weight bows will penetrate better with 2 blades. The lightest weight bow I have used is a 47# Bear Alaskan recurve and it acheived pass through with 2 blades.
in reply to: A Bow Hunters's Prayer #54797And Amen
in reply to: carbon arrow building/cut offs #53323Try the wifes hair dryer and push it back in. But don’t let her see you borrowing it!
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