Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: JB G on September 28, 2021, 06:55:18 pm
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,70642.0.html
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29 Sep 21
Warm this morning 60 degrees or better. Hunted creekside and go in early. Waited out day light. When slipping in I did not see the 30 plus turkeys roosted very nearby above me in the Sycamore trees on the back. They really started to make noise about 0700 when they were ready to hit the ground. They came down and took a good look at me as they say climb my tree. They feed around for a hour or so they headed for the white stands.
Quiet morning only had one doe come by at 45 yds heading to water. Pretty as the sunlight filtered to through the trees. Good day to be in woods with a HedgeHunter. Came back a bit early and got to peeling a new snakey Hedge bow.
Good Hunting
HH~
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Tell PA Steve. . . . . Well done on his NICE Selfbow deer. Good Going and keep em coming. Selfbow Glory right there.
Shot the Snaky bow in cooler weather and it it needed a full twist on string. Was hitting right a little bit in the cool dry air. Not sure why but that tightened right up. Figger it drops em right in at 30yds with a 190grn 2 blade up front that'll get in done at 15yds without an issue. Really like those two blade old Magnus blades in 125 or 100 with a woody weight under them. This little snakey bow is a snappy little bow only 1" wide at fades and 64" from GTG.
Was warm tonite, did not hunt. Got to get a tire on tractor and finish some bush hogging in this heat. Will break cool this Sunday. Should be fine hunting then.
Good Hunting Selfbowmen
HH~
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30 Sept 21
No hunt today. Got chores and gonna be warm. Wait til Sunday evening when a cool front pushes through. Get some work done til then.
HH~
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03 Oct 21
65 degrees overcast. Went out early with JBG we sat for about 4hrs and neither of us had any whitetails go by. Leaves coming down off walnuts, poplars and maples in buckets. Persimmons are hitting the ground with the that soft thud as well. White Oaks are raininng down this front should knock a pile of them off. Some cool weather coming it should bust wide open. Woods has quite a few rubs now, no scrapes on ground yet. Will get on it tonight if weather clears off after front go thru.
Slow Sunday, have a nearly 30yr old piece of Hedge to clean up and getting it looking like a HH bow. Should clean up to a very interesting piece. Work on it while I let this weather pass and then hit it. Finish loading last tray of 1000rds .45 ACP.
HH~
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03 Nov 21
1700hrs, clear SW winds 5-10mph
Went in at 1600hrs wind was all over place. Was in a huge Honey Locust up to where it yoked. At 1800hrs i heard antlers rattling when i looked up across creek anout 75ft above me on bluff with a horse pature lined with oaks to north. Deer were in shafows feeding 100yds away. They fed around when a bigger 5x5 squred off with a 4x4. They were just testing each other. The three other bucks just looking at them. They came down to creek but crossed further down stream from me and circled out in cut corn. Bachelor group of the five travelled across field to east.
Good evening to be out. Lots of action even with the warm temps. Its starting to get good. Will move a stand to this new creek crossing these deer are using.
HH~
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Crreekside Spring Crick, TN
HH~
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04 Oct 21
Finished bush hogging 25 acres yesterday. Thats done. Have a bunch of really nice poplar lines now running in an old pasture with clover in between. The upper portion is all torn to pieces. Bucks have go rub lines up and down those 8-10ft poplar rows. Has blackberries and honey suckle mixed in. Rabbits and some type of field rat were running all over while bushhogging.
Got this piece of 26yr old Osage a good friend gifted to me. was a little this where it split out in handle so had to build it up a bit. Has a natural cutout for a right hander in sight window. Never worked on wood this old. This is some springy wood! right now it's 68" 1.25" at fades. If it works out it outta make one hella HedgeHunter Target or Hunter bow.
HH~
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Just to see if I could I turned this;
(https://i.imgur.com/UZnPE1Z.jpg)
Into this, it is bamboo backed to hold things together but it is still shooting, gotta' love urac.
(https://i.imgur.com/zIlLdRA.jpg)
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05 Oct 21
1600hrs, Raining SE winds 5-7mph
Went on creek on KY border yesterday. Climbed a big sycamore coming out of creek bank. From bank I was 20ft up, from creek maybe 26-28ft right over where I saw these bucks cross other day. Rained on me purty well but it stopped after an hour. Pretty limestone bottom creek. About 1730 I saw ripples up stream and saw four Otter's floating down stream and fishing it the cracks of the limestones on bottom. Pulled out bino's and they were getting crawfish (small) by the buckets. They come to crunch em up and go back to fishing. They were doing quite well and had nice dark coats on them as they passed right under me. 1830 they came back up stream doing them same thing. Figger they have a cut bank den just upstream from my location.
Saw one deer out of range at last lite, just a flash of a body go by. On they way out I went by two lone white oaks in the dark and there was a herd under them. These are right on a busy road and off they went. In the road was a dead coyote. Fawn eater got it by a fast mover in road. Really nice nite with a HedgeHunter in hand.
HH~
Gotta love that Eric. Love your glue up work and I have seen a bunch.
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How deep is that creek?
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07 Oct 21
65 degrees SW winds, overcast.
Al: Creek is about 2-3 ft deep there.
Saw one lone skunk this morning. No whitetails.
Heres the deer my friend shot last November. Bad hit. prolly only 5.5yr old. Has a limp hind right leg. He was a 140" deer last year. This is what a bad shot does to a buck that woulds been a a 150" deer this year. has a good body, can see skin hanging from brisket. I have seen him several times cutting over the summer. He was prolly 8: wider and had 50-60" more horn last year.
HH~
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Maybe next year he will get it back.
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09 Oct 21
65 degrees, sw wind, warm!! High of 86 today.
Got out this morning with the JB G. Thanks for posting old buddy! Only hunted for 3hrs we both had deer within 40yds. Poor movement right at first shooting light. Deer all fatten up with winter hair on and they are not moving much in daylight. Saw some driving in under farm light under two big white oaks. Good morning sit. Coming out saw the row croppers. Getting ready to sew wheat this coming week or tomorrow actually. Glad I caught em so they dont drill up my radish plots.
The 68" first Brace 4.5" prolly about 80lbs at 8". @6yr old stave.
HH~
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11 OCT 21
clear 68 degrees and windy out of south.
They planted wheat yesterday and were pulling drill and culti-packer, dozer out this morning. Needless to say we did not do any bidness this morning. Plenty Fox squirrels out in walnut trees.
Came back and took care some arrows for JB G and got this bow out to full brace. Very heavy still but lookin really good so far. Should be a hammer. Bringing it in to tiller slowly and keeping about .25" positive along the way.
Good Hunting
HH~
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13 Oct 21
Wow, watching this big heavy snow at elevation in Black Hills area. I guess big snow up high. Cant wait for that weather to get here.
I've done my share of sweating in the Antelope blind with three gallon jugs of water for a sit and I'm not much for it while hunting whitetail. I can wait it out til better hunt weather here in Tenn.
Reading the hunt story for SSrythm..... "Wouldnt worry to much you did not kill that deer with a selfbow. Most folks cant even make it into the rut before they pickup the glass, kickstand bow or rifle. It aint for everyone. Glad you got to take a deer of that quality with any weapon."
You hunt with Rifle in Ohio? Thought they were like IN and you had to shoot some 1870's straight walled pistol cartridge thingy?
HH~
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14 Oct 21
Been warm! Lucky I had time to get some chores done etc. Time to get a good chunk of this bow knocked out. Just a bear of a stave but it has come into its own 68" right around 50@27" now. Build a good sting for it and get this leather grip laced up and finish and its about ready. Has rosewood tips recovered out of a 1966 Bear glass bow and I got a Stingray leather for grip. Saw the prices of Beaver tail right now and have a guy in NY who deals in leather gave me a great deal on some Indian Ocean Stingrays. The grip area of this stave was narrow to say least but I took cre of that most tic. Grip got soaked and is drying for final fit and trim and lacing.
HH~
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13 Oct 21
Wow, watching this big heavy snow at elevation in Black Hills area. I guess big snow up high. Cant wait for that weather to get here.
Oh, she was a sloppy mess! We got a massive load of moisture in the Black Hills with this last storm. Down in Rapid City we had thunder with the snow, which impressed me and freaked the dogs out.
I'll bet it has the deer and elk moving in the Hills like crazy.
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I would think. I think Im going to hunt that GMU in WY next year the border the Hills. Has that real early hunt in there, shoulder hunt a think is what they call that one. Also, may fly into Rapid Nov 31st and drive to ID Falls for the Elk tags on the 01Dec. Not playing the Internet game again for NR tags!! They have a flight now form Nashville to Rapid where my friends ranch is, then drive and bring tent and wood stove and go camp for a few days up in the Big Hole and down in the Absaroka's.
Saw that it was a sloppy snow down in lower Els, and a bunch of rain. Nothing like that Oct Blizzard that killed all the cattle in SD a few years back. I came into town about a couple three days after that storm and started see piles of cattle legs sticking out of 30ft drifts on the fence lines. That was bad JuJu to be sure. Cattle man all over would good enough to bring some young stock in to replenish those herds.
Rain is hitting now with a big cold front behind it. Will hunt tonite and all day tomorrow. Bout time. This has been one lousy Oct hunting. You can still swim in my pool! Been that warm. Alll good I still have 6 backstraps in freezer. Not getting caught short with out meat.
HH~
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I like how you built up that handle section…just epoxy? Glad to keep tabs on your season and progress. Always been fun to read this thread. Good luck on the season, HH.
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I wearing JB G out, but its his lease hunt rights.
P: its a stuff I use. Good to hear form you. Yes, its a special two part that will only decrease in size over a surface area of 1/10000" in depth. Been using this stuff for 20yrs its tough and thick in consistantcy than EA 40 so gravity will now move it from your work area.
Slapped this grip on and baseball laced it for a change. I like it. The grip made it just right diameter for a male shooter. I was going to fume it with Amonium Hydroxide as I have a stove pipe setup for that but may just dye the back walnut color?
HH~
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Like Parnell, great to hear your hunt stories. Will be at Twin Oaks the first week of November.
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16 Oct 21
50 degrees, WNW wind 5-15
Hard rains last night when cold front came thru. Temps went from 80 to 50 in just a few hours. Some good deer taken this morning around the county here. i was in edge of wheat field and Osage thicket. No action, creek had come up several feet. Only two set of tracks going across wheat field from after rain. My guess would be there is still 200ac of standing corn right nearby and they bedded in corn in stormy weather. Will shimmy up a tree on a small ridge tonite and see if i can catch a buck cruising hardwoods.
HH~
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17 Oct 21
39 degrees 0530, no wind
Went out last nite. Got within 30yds of my stand on the junction of two main deer trails on a side hill with creek below me (very thick in bottom) and deer were right near my stand. Eased up the tree and at last light 5 doe came up from bottom came up the trail then split off and went straight uphill. Moon was already up when I left out, so early moon and they moved early.
Went out this morning to a cornfield edge and a creek bottom with a pawpaw thicket behind me. Really nice cool morning but No Mas. Not a critter moving. I could see the wheat is now about 3" high since planting last Sunday. Field will be green come next week.
See what tonite holds.
HH~
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I went out last night hedge, saw one doe but she came from downwind. Put her tail up and walked stiff-legged right on through. Never blew but she knew I was somewhere abouts. 10 min later the wind died and the thermals pulled my scent straight down, she might of given me a chance if she'd came by a little later.
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Wind direction is everything when yer into selfbow hunting where your doing most the take under 30yds. If you not studying the wind and how it acts during diurnal shift time, your success often depends on how that milk weed fluff travels the drift. Good selfbow hunter knows when the jigs up before that whitetail ever does. Sometimes getting up high can delay they the result…. Cold Air sinks hard, upon shift it will often waver before the cardinal wind direction starts as sun move above the equator.
In some regions in the world with herd animals in tough terrain where evening to day time temps are vastly different you either learn quickly or you dont eat. One puff and the entire drainage will blow out. That early cool air is your Allie, if ya study the terrain and keep your quarry above you. The reverse is true in day if the cardinal wind of day is not to strong.
HH~
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18 Oct 21
41 Degrees, sw wind 0500
Went and hunted Post today. Early morning and a purty good hump with everything to get there. Had not hunted this spot in over two years. great area mature forest with oaks on higher ground and on edge of post a big cornfield. Very good hunting and good bucks that run this area all the time. Had a heck of a time getting in there in dark crossing Raccoon Branch. Lots of blow downs from an old storm. After a bit I recognized the terrain in the dark. Actually found my old stand site and got up right before first lite. Bumped a bunch of deer on way in.
First few hours were slow but I had a feeling the late moon these deer would move into a large cedar thicket to bed up. 0845, I saw a line of deer moving behind me heading directly for the cedars. I could not see them well but bits and pieces and away they went. fifteen minutes later I heard a deer coming behind my tree and its four bucks and one is a nice one. They fed away toward the herd that passed thru. I was able to doe grunt that nice bag over to me but he came to within 20yds but right behind my tree. he could see there was no deer in these mature woods. he made a scrape and then got his hind legs and hit a licking branch.
I pulled out a 1000hrs and check the cornfield and was very pleased to see it was sewed in wheat maybe 2-3 day ago. This place will be swarmed with deer after Thanksgiving and its 5-6yrs since they put wheat in there. Great news.
Came home and went out at my place for a evening sit. Got setup at 1600hrs just off creek in a thick logged off area with a good trail. nice evening as it was a very nice morning. A deer came in around 1715hrs and it was already get grey in this thick area. Deer came in and turned and hit a persimmons that was dropping. It was 26-27yds I figgered and had to shoot sitting in stand to get over a limb then under a big limb. I stopped him and hed a small window to frame the shot (would have to be perfect). I drew, hit anchor and settled the shaft right on is backbone and loosed the arrow. Flew like a laser and at about a yard from impact I said "I shot over", the wheeled and tore out like it was late for supper. Thats when i heard the shaft slapping the brush of the place I call Little Cambodia. Waited a bit and went to look at the blood spore. This was not what I was thinking it would be. I eased out and will hunt this location in morning and then get on the spore. I followed a few yard thru a thick spot where I thought arrow would have snapped off. But No Mas deer is likely schich kibabbed with arrow out both sides at that range.
See what the morning evolves into?
HH~
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19 Oct 21
44 Degrees, south wind 0600hrs
Went back in to where i was last evening and too the long shot. I range the spot the deer was standing upon the shot. 29-30 yds straight line distance with down angle 28-29yds. I was up a ash tree and double yoke and was from stump 21-22ft. The deer was up on a bench about 6 feet higher and back up hill a bit.
Hunted out the morning had seven deer go by left and right and one young buck just walking up stream in the creek. Good morning to be out. Steady wind direction but not much and with the cool air sinking hard it drew to creek behind me as planned. Deer came in to these two persimmons and when the mature doe go to the first blood on trail from last evening she got all birdy and stiff legged. She wanted no part of cimimg any further on trail. They back out after that.
Got down and policed up my gear, left my climber and headed out on blood spore. Very little and spotty. Often had to get on hands and knees. Found half the arrow on edge of Little Cambodia and almost into what I call Laos Border area. She could not have picked a worse spot to go. Lots of blackberry, wild roses, saw briers, etc. Found where she stood for a while. Lost blood, then was walking on two track found a good puddle. Made a wide circle and came back into the area and checked the low side and there she lay. Never bedded just fell over.
Probably the tuffest selfbow shot I ever attempted. When I looked on ground from impact site back to where my stand was up the tree I could not even see where I was lock on! So, we have bantered around about selfbows killing effectively from 30yds and getting good penetration. I can say now there is no issue with this from a 45lb selfbow and a sharp BH. Arrow had about 25" of penetration and it bounced a little off spine on its way thru nicking one kidney. She was prolly dead within 10 minutes. The window I had was about an 8" square and it was center about in middle of body. Arrow went a tad left as she was quartering into me a bit. That, I never saw but it worked to my advantage here. I really thought I had shot over until I heard deer tear out thru brush rattling that 50-55 spine arrow like a baby rattle. Nice to see that flight of an arrow for that distance and making it count and that 190grn two blade doing what it was designed to do. . . .Penetrate.
HH~
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Excellent kill/shot and retrieval HH.You earned it.Nice set-up too.She looks a little stiff.There's no doubt in my mind these bows 45 to 50 pounds will kill consistently 40 to 50 yards if one can consistently put it in at least the 9 ring 4 out 5 times.
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Great job Shawn, good story too
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persistence pays off.
very nice arrows
well done :OK
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The new one.
This was a 26yr old stave, very wavy and twist on both ends. Took heat about ten times. Put some reflex in outer half only due to many corrections on the inners. 68" 49@28" but its a few pounds over that and when fully shot in it should be very close to that? Shoots identical with bow Im hunting with now with a 50-55 spine, 30" with 190grn up front. make a really nice hunter or target rig for a guy who likes heavy arrow setup.
HH~
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more
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21 OCT 21
68 Degrees, SW winds @ 5-10mph , 1600hrs
Went back into Raccoon Branch yesterday afternoon. Stripped to Tshirt carrying my gear in. walked slow as to no lather up. Meandered my way along the GVT boundry and Private. Found a nice deadhead rack that I put up on a overturned root ball. be back for it at some point. Was shorter going in this way but after dark on way out I go the long way around on edge of corn field.
Saw a few deer right where my stand location is they were up wind of me and just moved back up wind somewhat. Got in to sit out the evening about 0345. Not much action until 1745hrs and family group of doe went right by me feeding on white oak acorns. I still am set back how small these deer are here when 20 miles away or less they are full sized. These doe were I would guess 75lbs on hoof and the yearlings were no more than 40lbs.
I have shot a few doe here and just forgot how small they were. Time was and light was fading and I was way up a Sweet gum tree to where a white oak leafed limb was leaning on it. I looked down in fading light and saw something white and as it came into focus, "Yes that's a good shed". Sure when I got down and walked over and it was a nice 4pt shed from last fall.
Walked long way out and the wheat/corn field had a herd of deer on it, all doe. Could not tell how many but over 20. They had found the new wheat that was just coming up. When the finally saw me I was no more than 30yds from them. Looked like jack rabbits running all over. They were sized about jack rabbits it looked too. This place was stocked in the 40's with deer with double white neck patch from Texas. Why these deer are so small. They have bigger deer here its just that the Texas strain is more dominant on Post.
So, now bucks moved with this large Hunters Moon. I really only walk way in this place to hunt for a good buck. Its four trips in and out if you harvest in here. With a creek crossing so, I think i will only bend the string on a decent mature buck in here. This Raccoon branch has great Arrowhead and native tools along it. I have found some nice stuff hunting here when we had permission to hunt the Private side on the creek.
Very pretty nite on the stand. Im sure it was across the country last nite.
Good Hunting
HH~
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Did you get your dead head? How big is that piece of public?
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Fort Campebell…..? Its prolly 35 miles by 18-20 miles wide. Purty good chunk of dirt. Lots of deer and turkeys.
I left that deadhead on up turned rootball. Pretty sure a bowhunter shot him and tealized that it did not meet point or size restriction and left him for coyotes.
Got to know what yer doing hunting there.
Saw a guy right near me in a tree there a bunch of years back. I was there in tree in morning, this fella comes in at 1500 climbs up. I knew about 30 deer would be filing out in this White Oak bench alway To be followed by some good bucks. Well, right during majik hour, here they come with a spike will 6” horn leading about 25 deer. The line is about halfway by when i hear the loud crack of a Kickstand Wheely bow go off. They guy shot the lead deer!!
I quickly shot a doe in middle of herd. Guy never heard my bow. This kid climbs down and goes to his deer. I say from my stand “that was nice ling shot you made”. He nearly jump out his britches. I get down walk over to him and he looks like he green in the Gills! I says you ok? He dont say much back. I says “ you thought that deer was a doe, is that it”? He dont say anything. One buck limit on Post! I knew right away what he was gonna do!!! I got my doe and retrieved my deer cart i stashed on walk in. Then put my stand, deer and bow on cart and left. When i got to truck this guy was already there. Had an AL plate and just drove away. At check station on post i asked Fed Fish Cop “ you know how many were huntin my area tonite? He says yep and their vehicles”. I gave him the report of evenings events. We went , found deer and the Fed fish cops pinched him when he logged in to hunt area about a week later. I happened to be there coming out when they did it. Same Area
Always a floater in every punchbowl!
HH~
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I'm glad you did that hedge. Poaching isn't right
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23 OCT 21
48 degrees, S wind, 5-8mph 0530
We had three guys hunting this morning on about 350 acres. We drove in to edge of property where a nice 4x4 was under two big white oaks under the moon eating. While we were parked with lights out a very nice buck passed the truck at 75yds. The weather was to warm rapidly so we figgered it was going to shut down early. Hunted 3.hrs we saw between all of us 10 deer 4 doe and six bucks. No one had a shot as the group was all Trad hunters. Great morning but we need some cool weather. Will be 80 here today with south winds again. May go out and sit under a persimmons in afternoon til dark but thats only if the winds stay up as it is only 100yds to creek. See how today goes.
HH~
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24-25 OCT 21
warm. . . . . South and west winds.
Hunted last nite, very warm and high south winds. Nothing moving.
This morning a thunderstrom lins came thru 0500-0630 moving fast. Went to skinning shed got my gear and planned to get wet for an hour or so. Figgered it was going clean fast and deer would move directly after up to about 1000hrs even with warm temps. Got in and shimmied up a small sycamore in the river bottom and rain slowly stopped. Did not matter much as I was wet just walking in. Got up and hung my bow and waited it out as it cleared. Right at 0930 a small buck came off the bluff ran right down next to my stand. He walked under and around me for about 5 min. he looked like he had taken an arrow right above shoulder blades across back. He was soaked so I got a good looked at it as he walked straight away from me. Did seem to bother him. 1.5yd old 3x3 just out checking the bottom out and way he went back up hill.
Got down and looked at the river to see how rain we got. It was up a good bit. I looked across the gravel bar and a pair of bald eagles were watching the rapids over the gravel bar. They were sitting on a big old cottonwood snag limb. They were mature birds and this pair has been here for 10yrs. They have a next upstream a bit in a huge Sycamore tree that leans directly over the river.
Good morning but still to warm for good deer movement.
HH~
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26 Oct 21
41 degrees 0530hrs N wind 5-12mph
Leaves are coming off now. Walnuts dropping in bunches, white oaks have all dropped and reds are starting to drop in wind.
Went in rather early this morning sat in tree full hour before shooting light or a bit more. Wind was right for this spot and i knew the construction on top of hill would start at 0700 which would push deer on low side by creek where I was sitting. This is a big double ash tree that is clean up to 30 feet. I climbed up and went up til I looked down with red lens and saw my bow and quiver were 5 foot off ground. My carry climber is a API platform with a summit open shot upper. I like the big platform.
Well, about 0700 i saw a deer pop out of brush under these two persimmons which are holding drops still. She went around and went off to my right. She had a limp on her right front leg. At 0730hrs another doe came out in same place and checked the persimmons drops. She went off same as other deer. After a long lull I heard a noise behind my tree and creek, looked around back of tree and a 3x3 was walking by on a steady walk. I stood and looked around left of tree and another buck was following the first. They passed along and jumped in creek, splashed around and then sparred for a few minutes and went along up stream.
After, a few minutes a gave a few blind soft doe grunts and I saw movement where bucks were. Soon I saw a big doe working the brush in behind me and coming straight up wind toward me. I stood and grabbed my selfbow with a 50-55 spined 30" arrow tipped with a 190grn two blade. She came in to about 13yds but in tight brush. If she turned my way she would be in my primary lane if she turned on deer trail and walked away I thought i could get an arrow into her vitals since I was 25ft up from a hard down angle. As fate would have it and a good nose she turned away from me whan she hit the deer trail. She looked to 20yds when I had a window to shoot and I stopped her with a soft "baaaa". I line up the shot thru the the hole, at 20yds i need to be about 8" low of my point on. So, I put the arrow right on her on the steep angle and pulled thru. The arrow tipped a big leaf at about 6-8yds and flew a smidge high after. I watched the arrow fly in and saw the impact and deer roll over. I said to my self "good lord I hit her right between the ears in back of head. She thrashed a moment the she went still. I was not sure if my eyes saw what i thought but upon getting down and pacing the distance she was 18yds and sure enough the broken shaft and broad head was buried deep in her nokin in skull.
This is my 45yr of bow hunting and never had a deflection result in a clean kill. Learned long ago if there's anything in way its better to pass the shot. A good friend said this morning "its better to lucky than good sometimes" or maybe the other way round. Either way I was happy for the clean harvest. That bone is with out doubt the hardest on a deer and the HedgeHunter 48@28" put that broad head over and inch into the skull. Never kept a doe skull for an American mount but this one will be a hunt table conversation piece i am sure.
HH~
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Yee ow!!That's one for the books.Congrats.No arrowhead holes to sew up on that one.I've spined them before with a instant put down but not dead on the spot.It's like they say dead is dead.
A friend of mine from the ground this year shoots a doe.The arrow goes through and hits the fawn in the head standing behind here killing here too.Quite the deal there too.
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Well I'll be darned, that's a interesting kill shot. I heard if you head shoot deer you need to drain the blood cause it doesn't pump out, is that true?
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27 Oct 21 That is what I had to do. Give it the knife in neck. Crazy things happen. I never saw a double kill with bow but have with a shot gun. was on a early morning track with my friend. He arrowed one at last light. hot was high and back, very little blood. We stayed on what we could then started cutting small then big circles and we got him. Nice 4x4 160-175lbs on the hoof i would guess. Went up over a hill and piled up on the backside in some old grown up cattle pasture.
HH~
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27 Oct 21
Took the Doe skull and cleaned it up. It is the Epitome of selfbow penetration. No wonder she went down like she was hit by a bolt of lightning. Purty interesting table top skull. I kept the lower jaw as well. Looks like she was a 4.5yr old doe. She came down wind and was really looking hard in this old logged out brush sapling infested creek bottom. Good example why heavy arrows get it done.
So, my pull up string is 25ft, my bow was 4 ft off ground when I pulled it up. The line is tied to my seat bar of my climber. For this problem i just used 26ft as my height in stand but was prolly 2ft above that standing shooting. So, leg A of triangle 26ft, leg B was 54ft/18yds and I will assume its a right triangle. Makes leg C about a 60ft shot with the angle at my bow is 60+ degree down and the deer incoming angle is around 30 degrees.
With this angle I figgered if i put it in middle of spine from above it pop out between front shoulder or I spine her, get down and give her the drop point in the neck. That's the way my mind saw it when the shot was presented. I just needed a little lower hold and not tipped that big elm leaf.
Gave the deer to a buddy after I boned it out. He had lost his home right before Covid hit and a bad 2020. He hunted with me once so far this year but does not have much time as he trying to work his way outta a bad hole. Should be a tasty long legged bean eater.
HH~
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That is super cool looking Shawn!
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"To put my hunting season into perspective if I get 4 decent shots at close range through an approximately 60-70 day bow hunting season with 1/3 of those days a no go because of weather or something else and multiple sittings in the stands I'm doing good.Those are the odds.In more detail that's around 1 shot every 12 to 15 sittings in a tree stand or blind.Hundreds of hours,but as hunting can go sometimes the stars can align and success can come sooner without exactly knowing when.That's why they call it hunting.
If it was easy I guess everyone would be doing it."BowEd~
Hedge told me about the same other day when i get impatient on the stand. Said " I shot 10 whitetails with selfbow a few years back, killed 70 since Oct 1st 2015. You think that happens by going out once a week for three hour sit? I hunt in rain, snow, wind, and during rut will sit 12hrs at a time. So, yeah I had a good year back a few, killed ten but I hunted a 100 day season, killed a whitetail once out of ten times. Lots of stuff has to be right to kill one with a selfbow but your not under bowed by any means. That said, your only prolly going get one or two really high grade chances on a mature buck and you better do what you can to prepare. When it happens, you have to make it all come together in a very short time".
HH~
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Gosh darn it Shawn! That’s gotta be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen! A headshot from a deflection that slid right in between the cranial bones!!! Seeing how this deer went to help a friend id be crazy to call that just luck!
Nice hunting!
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30 Oct 21
Sometimes, when in right place, right time, with right equipment lady luck shines on you Deer21. Most times she laughs at you, kicks dirt in your face and spits in your eye.
Got Youth Hunt weekend going on today and tomorrow. Usually go and hunt on Post this weekend but we mixed 50lbs of sausage yesterday and it must get cased and packaged today. We tried some in fry pan yesterday and the mix was pretty good, no complaints out of the the 3 testers anyway.
I get some pics of the operation this afternoon. Then, I prolly get back on em. Dont want that Selfbow Rust creeping in.
HH~
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Interesting conversation piece Hedge. Guess there's a first time for everything. I have to agree with your assessment of a 48# selfbow with a heavy cedar arrow. Never doubt the killing power of a properly tuned arrow and sharp broadhead from a well made selfbow. Congrats on your season so far. Those bucks should be out trolling for does any day now. Good luck. Shoot a big-un.
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31 Oct 21
Cooling down nice. Today is last day of early youth hunt. We made 170 Brat's last evening and the kids came in at last light with two deer. Was a good time and Arvin was there. Nice night. Got plenty of sausages for the rest of this year anyway.
Looking forward to getting back out Monday morning with this first good cool weather pushing in from NW. Bucks are moving very well now and working Doe's at every turn. This coming week will be very good if not best week for bow hunting as the following week the ML season comes in and lots of mature bucks go nite nite after the countryside erupts in flash, smoke and BOOOOooooM's. That's OK becuase there's no gun hunting on one farm I hunt and it fills up purty well after first weekend of MuzzleLoader with deer.
BowEd that bow is taking out those pesky bean-eaters with authority!
HH~
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There's still plenty of them out there.They're not all bred by any means yet.Congrats on your head shot there.
It's a good stick.Holding up very well.Target practicing with it while shooting it in I told Robin that I pitied any deer getting within range of me.
I usually can rely on others across the fence to spook the deer to me too.This year that won't happen supposedly till late december with late season muzzle loader season,but I can never tell for sure what and when things go on over the fence.I'll have a tag for that then too but an antlerless tag.It'll feel like shooting fish in a barrel like in the past.
Trying to put together at least 200 pounds of deer meat for us.We love it.The price of good beef is just outrageous.Pork chops are ok too but good back straps are the best.
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01 Nov 21
32 degrees, N wind 1-3MPH 0530hrs
Got in on creek bottom along an old osage grove in a big hackberry tree. Got up hung my bow and pack. Sat until about 0645 no deer movement thru the thicket in dark. The wheat fild behind was covered in low spots with frost. Very still morning. I stood up just before 0700 and rechecked my harness and sling leg, all good. Was looking around tree to my left and checked the 65yds to creek. Was running pretty good could here it rushing around a blow down in water. I slowly turned my head to left and caught movement hard right coming up my back trail into my stand. Turned some more and saw a large bodied deer with head down coming hard from right to my left. I looked away to my bow hanging a quickly grabbed it turning back to right. Im up about 18-19 feet and buck had already past thru my first window. My right hand found this string as i turned and presented and bent over toward the buck. I have a soft “baaaa” as he stepped into my primary widow on his path. He stopped as i tightened up string tension. As I got just short of anchor he dropped his head to ground and started to continue on his way. I hit full draw and have him a louder “baaaa” and stopped picked up head. Put the shaft just under his belly behind left shoulder and pulled thru. Could tell instantly i did not get all the string i could have.
The arrow flew the 12-13yds very well and hit him high above spine on steep dow angle. Upon impact he spun a 180 with 20 of the 30” sticking almost straight up. After spinning i could see his from legs buckle slightly and he sped out the direction he came. He scrambled to edge of wheat field as he did i saw the arrow snap and the nock fly off. He ran straight into middle of wheat and out of sight. I reached for a new arrow and knocked it and hung bow back up.
I took a seat and thought about the 19-20” of arrow i saw break off and the angle of it. It was in correct area (forward of diaphragm) but did it reach deep enough on this big bodied deer? I thought on in a few minutes and decided to go get the broken shaft and just how far in did penetrate. I sized it with a good arrow. Confirmed what i saw 10-11” of penetration. I
I then went back to the tree 30yds away and got my gear. I was resigned to fact right away there would be no blood to follow. I found his tracks where he was bounding in wheat but could not see where he knocked frost off the 6” tall wheat. I said “ok, i will check the field but would beat brush if i could not find him this soon after shot. Walked his general azimuth he was on up the rise in field. Reached the top and scanned the 200yds to far side and saw a large brown gray blob on far side. As i continued i could it was indeed the buck and he was down.
Was relieved he ran this direction the 250-300 yds from the shot location. Not a drop of blood except on the arrow shaft. If he had jumped into the creek bottom it would have been a long day. Upon looking him over it was clear i had got one lung at a minimum.
He is a 4.5 or 5.5 year old deer. Will know more when i take his lower jaw off. Wind was correct for that stand and few things must go right to fool a mature buck into selfbow range. Then, it does not hurt to have a few breaks fall your way. Him running into open and the broad head missing spine and deflecting off rib straight down thru lung and into off side flank.
Sweet indeed November is chasing whitetails.
Good Hunting
HH~
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Congratulations Hedge. How about some pics?
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Short morning for you.Congratulations.Things happen fast.Hackberrys' are great trees to use for stands.Your shooting combo did it's job.Enough of the shaft got deep enough.Should be plenty of meat on that old boy.It's a lot easier for me to age these bucks by sight than these doe's.Size does'nt always mean everything with them.
I had practically the same thing happen last year only the big doe stopped running after 50 yds or so.Stood there with me just being able to see her head over the brush on the far downside crest of a hill.I watched her disappear after a few minutes thinking the deer walked on.I knew there would be no bloodtrail or very little on this one.Turned out she had dropped on that spot with about half of the arrow still sticking almost straight up in the air out of her yet good enough to use again.
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02 Nov 21
Well, my back is toast. Pulling that buck up and over tailgate has wasted the middle of my back. Sat on heat pad last nite and sukd my thumb. Had my wife rub the area with some good fish oil. Little better this morning. JBG was at work and they were swamped, couple other guys I tracked for this year could not give up any work time so it was the Hedge to get this large deer into truck. Finally got him in any I had to leave the tailgate down.
I caped him out yesterday as well. I won't mount him but a I have a large one at Taxidermist and he is always looking for big capes because lots he gets have hair slip. So, if they are down correctly they worth $100 trade material. He does have a purty good mule head of him as his eye/nose measurement was right at 7". Not the biggest I have seen here but very respectable. The big one my good hunt buddy Mark who past shot a super mulehead last year and I took it to get him done, he was 7 3/4".
Still looking for the big bully 3x3 to take out off this farm. He a 250lb buck and I will enlist help to get him gone. He's 6.5-8.5yrs old. Still have some doe thinning to do and have a two buck tags left. So, see how the rest of the season plays out.
HH~
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02 Nov 21
Follow up on yesterdays hunt. Think these are what your looking for. JBG is ready to kick my butt for sending all these pics.
We weighed him (on the hoof weight) he was 204lbs. Its kind of subjective on field dressed weight as some bucks in rut have an empty gut bag, if you leave deer opened up they dehydrate at rate of LBS/day depending on temp, etc. This buck was just beginning to get rutted up. Getty ready to start bullying and scrappin with other mature bucks.
HH~
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As the sun poked over hill.
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Well done. It should eat gooood! Congratulations
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I was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky, back in the day when they issued the last jungle fatigues and steel pots.
The terrain in your photos brings backs memories of hiking Land Between the Lakes, and fishing the rivers.
You definitely have your system down. And I know you put in the time.
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Buy yourself one of these Shawn, I have an F250 and strained my back every time I had to pull a deer into the bed. I finally wised up (plus I got too old and had back fusion).
I keep it in the bed of my truck during deer season, I was able to pick up two fresh road kills easily with it as well, one was still alive but I dispatched it.
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Eric, I should not bitch. The guys I been hunting the high country with for thirty years killed 6-8 elk this season. My good friend and Paratrooper I ran the world with toting a Kbar and M4 carbine killed out after the boyz all broke camp. He just called me from a mountain top in MT. He took a great bull in a hell hole few days ago. He been humping meat for three days by himself in grizz country. Wish I was there to hump meat and smell the sage brush! Miss eating inner loins on side of mountain on a green Mt alder stick.
Time to grind 50lbs of burger and fire up the smoker for some jerk meat. Make 20lbs of jerk meat and seal it for the high country for next fall. The burger will get eaten every week. No beef in the freezer at these prices. No way to buy beef steaks at $20/ribeye. Use to go to a tavern on Saturday afternoon and get a 1lb ribeye, baked potato with fixins, salad and a beer for $6 bucks. Cooked em on hickory charcol out back. Did not know hw good we had it.
HH~
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03 Nov 21
Well, have to freeze this Mule Head bucks cape and get some of him ground into burger and sealed. Nice to take a mature buck and se those heavy shoulders. Just something about a mature whitetail.
Got caught up on my chores. Had to wire and post some property on farm I hunt where folks ran over wire gate and been dumping trash. Thats done and my warm weather potted plants are in house for the hard freezes comiing.
Looking forward to finding another mature whitetail, plenty abouts here. Have another Tenn tag, a Ft Campbell buck tag and a Ky buck tag. So, no hurry I will hunt into January and hope in the snow a bit.
Good Hunting
HH~
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04 Nov 21
First nice frosty morning. Deer moved well last nite. Not so much this morning. Have to go do about 70lbs of burger today and that should keep me from having to deal with the USDA all next year. Was glad i did not see a good buck this morning or I would been armpit deep in meat. Will get back on em on Post this week my area is open all week!
Good Hunting
HH~
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05 Nov 21
0600 28 degrees, NE wind 1-3
Lots of action early. Small buck chasing. Doe eating persimmons drops. Right at first shoot lifht a nice 5x4 came by. Nice buck. Came right to stand and then cut up ridge into brush nose to ground. Could hear him coming a long way off. Did not see him until he was at 20yds. He better stay in thick stuff tomorrow is opening ML!
HH~
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06 Nov 21
30 degrees 0600 N wind 1-2
Got out up the road at farm. Wind was good for the stands in Osage thicket on creek again. Took two folks with me all got shots. My friend who is a very good bowhunter hit one in shoulder. He was not happy but we saw the small buck he spit the arrow and BH in three pieces. I thought he had his other bow with 645 grn arrows but he switched after killing a doe on Thursday and I never saw that in dark. My other friend had a 2o something yd shot and shot over which I was very surprised at. Was same deer that got hit in shoulder. Woulda been nice to clean that up right there but thats bow hunting.
I sat in the Black Chicken stand (long story) but i got in and it was slow for first hour then at 0800 a 3 pt came in walked around and ate clover at 15yds then slip down into a civil war sulpher pit thats over grow and all brushy. Thirty minutes late a huge buck came down the small bucks trail. He stopped behind tree and made a half attempt to scrape then head up, came along. Stood up when he was 40-50yds out. He got to 23 yds I tried to stop him, No Mas. Grabbed doe grunt and he stopped behind two big sycamore limbs and just looked over. Prolly anothe 30-50lbs heavier than the buck I shot other day. he was old I looked at him for 5 min hard. He had prolly 75" of horn on his right side and a huge main beam on left with every point cept one gone. He was an old warrior his face fur was droopy and his ears were full of white hair like on old man. Face was white. He has not rutting at all. Just poking along. I had one chance at a 20 yd shot but he turned away hard and went into sulpher pit brush. never knew i was there. When i grunt last time he bristled up, and postured. and walked off. Nice to and old warrior on that piece of ground. Was a great day afield.
Some hides from the Selfbow men.
HH~
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07 Nov 21
35 degrees 0600. N 1-2mph
Went out this morning at farm. I let my friend hunt osage thicket stand. Was a slow morning. I did not see any deer. About 0830 my friend had a nice doe come in and by the stand. He made pretty good shot, tad high but she only went hundred yards. Good size doe and plenty fat. I guess she had already shagged her yearlings as she was alone moving inside thicket along wheat field. Good hunt, short blood trail.
HH~
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Looks like a good deer Ed. That's a lethal shot, congrats. Should eat very well.
HH~
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12 Nov 21
0600 38 degrees sw wind 5-10mph
Went down by river this morning up a small sycamore tree. Deer moved well early at and after first light saw 5-6 bucks and two doe. Last buck came to tem yds. Was a small 3x3 that had gone all around me several times farther out. Little later in morning I heard a noise near a large log and brush pile washed up by high water. Its was a red fox diggging out a mouse. He got em. Ate him up right below me. Pretty one too. Good morning but wind came up to 20mph and was over quick.
HH~
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Yep I'm sure he never knew what hit him.I know I would'nt of.
Cool little red.They kinda live on the edge here with all the coyotes after them.Pretty darn efficient mouse catchers watching them do their thing.It's their mainstay.Does'nt take them long to inhale those mice.
It's trying to be winter here with a 40 mph front moving through.A skiff of snow.That's ok.It'll settle down.Just makes the animals move more.Love this time of year.Ponds are'nt froze over yet.
Looks like some beautiful country your in there.
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Yes
Im on a big creek and a bigger river juction. We have lotsa mink, otter, bobcat, coon out the wazoo and you name it. If southern fur was worth something I would trap again i got the time, got the place. When my father passed my step mom sold all my stretching boards, wires, traps. my ash baskets. chains, stakes all of it. Wish i had them back. Trapped lots as a kid and young man. Enjoyed it and learned more about hunting thru trapping than all my years in a stand. I remember doing beaver and coon until 0330 on a good night. A 10 dollar bill back then was easy money. Had a 12 ft canoe, I use to carry on my back.
Here's a good one Ed: I was in a big swamp, maybe 3 miles long full over beaver and rats. Had not been trapped in years. I had been doing well in there and it was starting to freeze up solid so I had to make some set changes. Main channel was still open so I carried the canoe in about a mile in. Went in did the work then pulled it up and went further in with my hip boots and 22lr and basket. I come back and my canoe is gone. I saw scuff marks going up the ridge as it was deer rifle season. I took 22lr and took off. Got up top and i see this guy about to go over top with a shotgun pulling my canoe. I may a big circle and got ahead of him and waited. He came up to an over grown small pasture when I was sitting in bramble and I stood up. I says " you see anything"? The gun black tape holding it together. He nearly jumped out his skin. He says "nope". I ease my 22lr stevens single shot trap rifle up and says "you like that canoe? it's easier to carry than to drag it"? He just looks at me drops the bow and starts walking away around the thicket. My father told me I was lucky he did not shoot me. Never saw him in there again. Guess he figgered he was bettter thief than hunter.
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It takes all kinds.What a sleeze.He should of felt some pain for that or at least walked away gimping.
I don't believe it's bragging when nothing but the truth is said first off and I'll try not to stand too long on my soapbox here.
In my 25 years of breeding/raising/training/and campaigning in the hunts winning nationally a few times against 1000's of dogs with my own strain of B & T's prior to making bows I learned more about the woods and the animals in it hunting 250 nights a year than most anything with hunting.It is a life style.Most exciting way to hunt in my experience there is to hunt yet.I could'nt wait for it to get dark.Hunted more in 10 years than most people hunt in 2 lifetimes in many different states hunting bear,bobcat,and lion too.Handled and sold a lot of dogs.Raised a couple litters a year.
Learned all my skills of grading fur/skinning and tanning in those years.I think I've skinned everything from a mouse to a buffalo in those years.Still have my wooden and wire frames/beam/tumbler/the tools and traps yet.
I've caught people trying to steal dogs off the tree a few times as I would leave my dogs tree sometimes for hours intentionally before I go get them.Always tried to hunt them in the toughest leanest coon populated area I could find usually along a river.They loved the work.It's where they wanted to be.It's there where I could get away from the stealing because it was too hard for them to get there.
Reason why I like the remote God's country enviornment.It's getting harder and harder to enjoy that any more.It's the reason I have a 1/2 mile long driveway too.My relatives live in this state too.
The question I always had for them was "what you doing here?"Never got a lagitimate straight answer ever.They got ear marked then who they were and where they lived.I made sure everyone in the clubs I was a member of knew about them.
I've had to go get my stolen dog tied off at someones' barn before too when I heard and seen them steal him in the woods but could'nt get to them on time.Did'nt walk to the house door to explain myself being there just untied my dog from the barn.Put him in the truck and drove off.Ready for anything that could happen.
In the woods at night way out in the sticks along the river a person takes care of things as he sees fit.Noone around to regulate the process.
Cooler heads are best used yet though.Just get the point across to never get in my path again.I could never get myself to trust them ever again.It's a sickness that does'nt go away.
I've had yaahoos in pairs at night think they were going to rob me before too out in the sticks.That never worked out for them either.Seems when you got a gun strapped to your back that sorta puts a damper on their enthusiasm.
I've got a ton of more stories hunting those dogs I could tell too.Mostly good though.Met quite a few fine people then too.
Primitive bow hunting is still fun though.It's more about putting your wits against theirs letting them make the mistake than letting the technical side cover the flaws and make hunting whitetails like sitting in your own den with an 8 year olds' ability.If a person wants excitement deer hunting it's the most thorough degree of excitement.Especially with equipment you craft yourself.
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Modern Day Lilly, Ed. Read of his exploits with the big dogs. There’s places here here you dont go out without a sidearm bow hunting. To many two footed tic turds. Specially if you have to park your truck in view of road.
Kid i taught to bow and gun hunt had all his stuff stolen today of his lease west of here. He ended up sitting in brush and taking a nice buck off cut corn. Worked out for him but it cost him a bunch.
Had kid steal my climber a few years back. A year to fay later i saw a trk parked in my froends bean field in cedars. I was walking with rucksack getting ready for Mts in a few weeks. Had my .45 with me.
I says to myself “ I wonder”? So i slip down ridge and guy is in my tree with a bow! Pulled my shirt up over my hogleg. I says “ i hope for your sake your not on my climber, come down”. He was not in my stand and i tan his tail up the hill where my farmer buddy was waiting with his coyote rifle. Funny what you have to do sometimes in brush! I learned a bunch growing up hunting the Ontario border in Maine. Got lots of really crazy Maine-ac stories.
HH~
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Yep old Ben was a self made old school mountain man.Living his life more remote than me.His dogs were not distributed nation wide for competition though.He bred for his own suiting himself for the game he was after within the dogs he had.They were'nt a standard setting type of dog.Standards for abilities have been raised quite a bit since his days.I tried a so called trained bear dog from out west once.Slowest track dog I ever saw.Mediocre tree dog too.
A lot of my dogs went to bear and lion hunters from Calgary to New Mexico.Stayed in touch with these fellas a long time.They had the sand/grit/desire and speed to get the job done.Their all individuals just like people.
You meet a lot of characters in the country with these hunting sports.Some good some bad but mostly good.
It took a few years to educate these locals they can't run over at random my hunting area any time they please.Caught them poaching.Seen big dead bucks with heads cut off and the whole nine yards.I don't call the local game warden very often.They are busy this time of year.
A person does'nt realize how many infiltraters without permission are around until it snows.It's surprising how dedicated a thief can be.Priorities are mixed up there.
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I hear you. Ben was a character. I like the story where his old buddy went back and dug the box he buried in the floor of the dug out. Had one of those big dogs bones in it and other momentos. We ran with a guy who had hounds in the day. Was fun but the land got so broken up we could not keep dogs out roads. Lost a few to cars.
Was funny watching guys in Army at night when i first came in. All the Nam Vets were good in woods and jungle. The the 70's enlistees were worthless. One time we were on the East German border, I was a PVT. These fools running this patrol in winter in a small snow storm got so freakin lost. I says to my team leader " you know we are making the third circle now almost on our own tracks. So, he takes me to the patrol leader. I tell him where we are on map. Way behind on our time hacks on check points. I ended up taking point that night as a Pvt with my TL. A week later my PL lost his patrol orders on border that were supposed to be handcuffed to him in a satchel case. He was gone next day. Russians did not play in them days. They had east German border locked up like a frogs butt. Our side was just demarcation poles. Ahh, yes. Oh that night we walked right up in to a bedded herd or Red stags cover in snow. They jumped up and boogied out. One snapped a rear hind leg. When I jumped them one fell in a hole and "snap" i could see leg flopping. I walked right almost on top of them. All that trekking in bush chasing coon hounds at night really help me keep my head over the years.
HH~
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Cool...You got the drop tine cleaned up.Another one bites the dust.I gotta hand it to you boys in Tennessee.You are some deer slayers.
Old Ben in his day was a legend.Treed more bear and lion than most anybody.His dogs' heritage went back to those big old blue gascon hounds.They were a french heritage.Big long eared big boned dogs tough as hell.He put a lot of miles on in those mountains.
An old man with a carbide light got me started coon hunting.Pulled 8 coon out of an old maple den the dog treed on with that fella once that wanted them all on a night with afoot and a half of snow and -5 below F.Half of them were 30# coon each worth $50.00/piece back in them days.Jumbo's.
Personally all the rough walking in these rivers and draws gave me 3 arthroscoptic surgeries along the way.Tore up cartilage.Watched dogs drown and saved them from drowning.Fall out trees and break their back.Climbed trees 30 foot up to get them out.Hit by trucks or cars.Dig em out of holes and junk piles/crawl in caves.Get into all kinds of predicaments.I never went home without them though.We was always partners.I usually hunted by myself most times too.
I never did go into the service but suppose I would of if I was called to.I graduated in 1972 and farming was on my mind.Always amazes me someone stepping out into the line of fire.Quite an act of devotion and courage.It's the ultimate meaning of giving honor to those that deserve it.I respect principaled people.
Been lost with yahoos in the woods too.First off I'm never ever lost.Just delayed.Too many chiefs and not enough indians syndrome put this one out of hand.Some character took me into a big national guard training camp area once.Said he knew it well.Old hammer trees 3 coon deep [1/2 mile].He was a dog that could count the coon in a tree.If there were three.You shot one.He'd go to treeing again.Till you shot every one.Then he'd go on.I usually don't do that sort of thing.I like to leave some seed.
He wanted me to turn him loose again from that spot.I knew better because next one treed will be really deep.All in all I found our way out of there,but 8 miles from the truck.I just followed water till it got to a big river with a road along it and figured it out.It's times like that when people see a light they think you might be up to no good 4 in the morning and you'll get a "hail mary" shot over ya.
Just another night in my book.I always carried a compass with me.Walk back out to the truck the way you came in otherwise from one drop.
Another group of fellas at a U.K.C. sanctioned competition nite hunt left me find my way out of a 4000 acre set of woods once too.They had their dogs caught up but mine don't quit.I found mine treed with a coon and headed back to where they said they would be,They were not there.Went into the wee hours in the morning then too.But hunting till daylight was'nt unusual.
It's not a life style for everybody and I would'nt change a thing having done it.
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15-16 Nov 21
40-70 degrees, warming up South winds
We out last nite just scouting on the river bluff. Saw about 20 or so deer in hay field, brush, powerline cut, river bottom. Was quite the show. Lots of bucks checking every doe they come to. Saw two purty good ones square off in the spotting scope, bi 4x4 that was busted up and a 4x3. Saw a nice non Typical with a good bit of palmation. Nice buck wide and curved on one side and straight up on other. Stayed til to dark to see in binos. was a terrific show.
0550hrs 16 nov
Got in old stand tree this morning. Killed probably 25 deer out this tree over last 6 yrs. Got in and set and the show started before shooting lite. My tree has died, had top busted out a year ago and it finally succumbed to it. I climbed it anyway as it had some suckers on it that were green. Waiting in dark the tree started to shake then stopped. i thought was that a small earth quake? I says no cant be. Then, again tree shook and I looked up and two fox squirrels are just above me coming out of hollow. Anyhow, the morning was amazing. Deer were all over me from before lite til I left. I had to wait to get down. had 6-8 bucks come by herding doe all over the hillside. No bigguns however. had one doe come right to tree or so I thought but it was a tiny unicorn buck with a 3-5" spike. I was sure it was a doe because a small 4x4 was right behind him.
Just a few days a year where its deer pandemonium in the woods. Small yearly deer looking around like "what in the world is going on here". Good to see lots of deer doing deer stuff in the fall woods.
Going to get real warm 75 next two days. Got some projects and a sick friend to tend to. came at a good time I guess.
HH~
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19 Nov 21
26 degrees, NE winds 0600
Hunted where i shot the buck in the Hedge creek bottom next to wheat. Not much moving after full moon here. Pretty morning. The hackberry trees were dropping all their leaves and red oaks acorns were raining down as wind picked up.
Took a couple pics. One is how it looks in this sand after leaves are dropping. The other is the pile of Osage top of the tree my bow im hunting came out of. The buck i shot was between that pile and the stand. He got arrowed about 15 yds where that tree was leaning over.
HH~
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18 Nov 21
Here's five of us old US Army Rangers over on Ft Campbell by the old stables. Three of us live herein TN, one in GA and one in the Netherlands. This team has been round the world and unknown amount of times and been in every US conflict/war since 1986 with a combined service time of almost 150years.
Good to see my brothers again, gives me hope that there are still men like these among us yet today.
HH~
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That picture will be looked back on again I'm sure.It's good to know men like this are out there for the sake of this country.
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22 Nov 21
1500hrs North wind 5-7, 35 degrees
Went in on river bottom stand on a trail where deer travel and swim river. Very productive stand. Over the years I have done a triple and two double out this location usually in Nov or later as the deer come to pile in the thick brush on me. Last night was no exception.
Got set about 1500hrs and saw a big coyote right off in pasture. Was slow for a bit then 15 turkeys came out there so I knew that yote had trucked on. First deer out was a forky, came from 1/2 mile away across pasture and swam river went right up trail under me. Bout twenty minutes later I looked right behind me and the was 3x4 and the Non Typical buck i have been after. The 3x4 comes right to my tree but the Non Typ goes and beds in thick thick 30yds away. He never gets up.
Then, I look across river and four doe are moving toward river, two are younguns. Surely they not gonna swim river as its up a bit. Sure enough they did and went right under me and up under powerline cutoff brush. I did not shoot as I thought the Non Typ may get up and come check them out but no mas. I dont think he ever saw them in that river cane and weed break.
So, right at last light I am doing my last 360 check before getting down and I see what I think is a white dog and an orange one. No, its two Yotes a white or albino and a red phase. Grabbed my bow as they went by and shot at the white one. Clean miss. In all my years hunting yotes from Maine to Wash, Fl to CA I have never seen a snow white phase Coyote, Seen em in death valley with only hair on ears and little on tip of tail. Devil Dogs. Was really cool thing to see. Great nite with a HH bow in my hand.
HH~
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24 Nov 21
0530 N wind 30 degrees
Was out for only a quick hunt. The two resident Bald eagles were fly the river early, good to see them. Saw 8 deer, was hot and heavy for about 45 min then warmed and died rather fast. I did see the nice 5x5 i had been seeing early very nice deer and it looked he had been shot twice with ML. His left side was black with dried blood. He went by me two times rutting hard chasing a youngish doe. Looked like he also bust a G3. If he woulda not been chasing so hard he would have a POC missile headed his way.
Went out again in the evening same stand was warm 60 degrees and right about 30 min before last light deer started moving. Saw bunch of doe then the None Typ I been hunting pretty hard. he was following three doe on a line that I thought would bring them right by me. That did not happen it got dark fast and they must have taken a different trail as I never saw them go thru. Saw plenty doe but I got two buck tags left in TN one another outta state so I stay on the horns for now.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the Hunters of the Hedge-------->
HH~
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Tenn Bucks
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27 Nov 21
26 degrees, south winds 5-10 0600hrs
Went in down by the river looking for my white coyote mainly. Saw about 20 deer maybe a few more, no coyotes running though. I got a text right after first shooting lite but did check it until later that my partner hunting about 1/2 mi above had taken a shot and it looked and sounded good. I told him to stay in tree and we hunt out the morning. Well, the wind picked way up and I watched lotta deer pile into the brush. So, I eased up to meet him at his stand and he layed out what occurred.
Well, we found most arrow right away and determined right quick he's shot thru the buck and depending on location this deer was likely already dead. Anywho's, right off this deer turned downhill hard and he was easy to follow with not a lot of blood because he was dragging his hooves as he went down steep bluff. Figgered he was hit hard. Stopped about a third of the way down the bluff and starting scanning the creek bottom which is very open now and spotted a big brown hump on edge of creek bank. Looked again and asked Marc, "is that your buck down there by creek, he said yep that looks like him". He had bedded there and was already stiff so I figgered he had been dead for at least an hour before we got down to him.
Arrow took him mid body angled right thru center of liver lobe junctions and out right on diaphram line on backside. Lethal for sure but he went about 200-240yds all downhill and some steep downhill. Blood looked real watery right off and I knew there was no lung blood involved here. But with the pass thru on a big old Zwikey (when then were blue) I was confident we would find him. I just did not want to wade swim creek four times to do that. This time we got lucky, most times they cross in bed in a huge thicket of saw briars, blackberry, golden rod, milkweed and beggars lice, etc. So lucked out there.
He was tickled with the nice 110" mainframe 5x5 with a busted brow and I was for him. Good shooting Marc
HH~
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29 Nov 21
Creek Bottom buck. Thats right where he bedded and expired.
HH~
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Nice looking deer
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30 Nov 21
35 @ 0600hrs east wind
Clear morning and the Eagle flew on Tuesday. Saw the Eagle cruising the river early. Had a 3x3 come in early. They saw some deer across creek. had a button and a doe come by at 26 yds around 0730. Saw 8 deer come outta brush across river look at crossing then went back into pasture feeding.
Heard a fox calling in dark off powerline cut above me. Looks like the Fox squirrel Rut is on !! So, not a bad few hours or hunting at all.
HH~
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01 Dec 21
60 degrees , raining 1500hrs
They shelled corn and beans down road from me so those deer should have dispersed. Figged i come out and see what moves in this light rain. Nothing as of yet.
Good news. Got my Archery Elk and bear tags for 2022 today in Idaho. Will draw for MT in March i think. So, God willin i be in Eastern Idaho for a good long hunt. Thinkin a 21 day, leave my trk and gear in SD, fly home, then fly back for some huntin in snow in MT. Sure sounds good. We’ll see.
HH~
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03 Dec 21
Guess I will be taking Bart-bow to Idaho in 2022, 54@27" Guess I will finish it out and take it with me to the high country. Miss that guy, he was one hella bow hunter and friend. Been looking at this bow for over a year now 90% finished its about time someone showed it some love. Get a dozen 50-55 shafts and have them done up for this hunt.
HH~
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03 Dec 21
Went to Farm yesterday to shoot some bow and cook some deer inner loins on wood fire. Was good time and it was 70 something degrees outside. Figgered no way im going out in woods to hunt deer wont move much at all. We piddled around for a good while and about 1550 I take off for the house. Driving back north I see a truck all smashed to pieces off road on south bound side and owner on North as I pass him standing there I see red on his arm. So I slow down and turn around to check on him. He says I hit a Big doe just now. I says 'you got blood on your arm are you OK". He say yes. I look at his F150 and the entire nose clip is gone and even the inner fenders are wrapped around his wheels. A good $8000 of damage. He says "you want that deer it right in the ditch here". I grabbed rope out my truck and reply "I have a look at her". My first though was she's hammered. Then I saw she had had both back legs snapped and one front. A big Mama Jammin doe.
So, pulled her to truck and spun back around and headed for the farm. We hung her head first and did a gutless on her and got most everything off her. Thought we may only get backstraps but No, must have got 30lbs of nice boned meat. Went back by the hit site and fella and truck were gone. So, he got taken care of ok.
That doe must have got chased in road because she was old gal and smart enough not to walk in traffic. On a 70 dgree night you would think bucks be chasing again.
HH~
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06 Dec 21
1500 35 degrees 10-15 out of North
Sat the evening out in a good stand of mine in a creek bottom. Was very windy but steady out of North. Ground was still wet from the nights rain but it was clear out. One of the few sits this year i did not see a whitetail. Saw two gray squirrels at last light along with a big owl who greeted me with a “hooty who” out of a big cedat tree near me. Gues he wanted me out his time to hunt.
HH~
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11 Dec 21
40 degrees 1400hrs, NW wind @3-5mph
Got in and up early right off wheat was not in long before a big ol PoleCat came in on the forest floor. He went all over. He was for sure a Pope and Young too. Big guy all black with white head. He woulda made a cool possibles bag.
About hour and half into sit I hear something coming across creek, its loud in dry leaves. Its the the landowners walk there property line. They usally walking there two dogs. So, it was over but I hung til just before last light. Coming out I got up by the smoke house which is running full bore and there were two deer standing right in the smoke hugging the ground on the hill in wheat. Gonna hunt those two sands I got in there this week.
HH~
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If you can get em [skunks] killed without stinking up the place let me know.
I usually need to let them hang in the crotch of a tree in the winter time for 2 weeks.Skin em/flesh em/wash them up good with household hydrogen peroxide and dish soap.Then their ready to tan.
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Nevr trapped a skunk or shot one that was not a sprayer. They do have long purty fur though. Even when you po em in a trap they spray. They really like to come out after a cold spell and get after it. Jan thaw your going to catch a bunch in any fox, bobcat, coyote sets.
HH~
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Yep they are out and about when the winter breaks.Trapped a fair amount of them for myself and others,but don't consider myself a bonified 50 year veteran trapper.Hound hunter is my experience.
Had that spray on my face before.Directly from the tap it'll burn a little like hot jelapeno juice....ha ha.
I've made hats and bags from them.Their fur reminds me of bear fur.Unique in that the stripes on them are'nt all the same from one to the other.Plenty killed on the road here too but I never use them.They don't move as often as coon through the winter.Nowadays I just kill em when they bother the cat feed pan.
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Once you get one in trap for the morning it almost makes you immune to the next or next the same day. Today its 75 degrees this morning. This is the kind of day if you have fox, coyote set of a certain type that they would fill up with skunk. Only thing I have ever seen kill and eat skunk in trap were Great Horned Owl and or Eagle. Sure tell sign? Head is busted and brain is ate out and that's all.
We have tons of otter here. Otter make nice tanned goodies. They a bear to hold in foot trap but easier than a trap smart beaver to get in a conibear type, Otter has thick hide, thick short fur and the guard hairs do not stick much past inner fur. Makes em fast in the water.
Gas is so high now which makes trapping virtually impossible and this SE fur is plum worthless on market. Good for yourself but sourthern coon bobcat coyote is not worth a nickel. They way the GVT keeps the rivers here with Hydo on them, they go up and down so much all the back water goes dry in summer from making power. That's where all the muskrats and beaver live so there are none. Very few swamps left here in my area. There are some here and there but you could clean em out in a week or two and they would be dead for years. The rivers go all way from east to west across the state on Tenn. So, imagine how much back water is gone to generate power. All of it really. That's killed water body fur bearers here and its never coming back.
HH~
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We have otter here too.Made things from them like muskrats,beaver & bobcats too.If I see otter bothering my pond I zip em with a .223.A mother and her youngins will decimate the fish in a pond in a month.Their a pretty tough customer for a dog to care care of.
I've seen turkey vultures eat skunk before.My neighbor ran into a turkey vulture once.Hit his windshield.Spewed it's guts all over the hood of his truck.Only took him 15 minutes to get to the car wash,but the paint was already etched or corroded.
I honestly don't know how these people hit these birds and animals.
My other neighbor hit a turkey.Went through his window and laid dead on the seat beside him....ha ha.
The hay day for fur prices was in the late 70's and early 80's in my lifetime.Had many a $500.00 night till I figured out raising consistent good hounds and pups was where the real money was at.
There is a certain amount of predator control that should be done.Just like taking care of the land or woods.
My old man always liked catching a skunk in his land set while he was setting for fox.He made the mistake of shooting a skunk in his trap with his truck down wind with the heater on....ha ha.
We've got wind turbines up here but not around me.
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Was the time i ran my lines. Russians and Euros were wearing fur. 12$ for a good Rat. I remember getting $100 bills for cherry Reds and 150$ for a good Fisher. Was no yotes then. The University Yote Programs had not released them all over in secret yet.
I remember doing fur to 0330 on school nites and tossing rest outside to freeze til we could get to them. Clean fleshing Beaver takes time!! Rats, about 5 min. Good eating and good bait!
Stretched beaver right on inside of barn wall. Same with deer hides. Use to get $7 a deer hide non fleshed. Miss the hayday of Trapping. Guess i was spoiled cuz i started at the all time highs.
HH
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Yes back then a person could get few bucks for well colored domestic cat.One reason why nowadays I just tan em myself and make things from them.Used to check traps before going to school here too.One reason why skunks were a sketchy catch not to get any spray on yourself.
Every deer I shoot nowadays is worth $400.00 to $600.00 the way things are valued now.They give away deer hides now.
The russians controlled the coon market and the chinese controlled the otter market with their purchasing power back then.
The best silky coyotes were and still are out west.
Back then it's where I learned to sew grade fur/sew holes/and tan.It's a life not for everybody but it suits me fine since I was into buckskinning,coonhunting,and now making bows & arrows besides farming.It's what I know.
Looks like a broad band of bad weather moving across your neck of the woods.Kentucky getting hit with a lot of tornados.We've just got the wind/some snow/and the cold.
Second season shotgun starts today.Should be hearing a lot of banging going on around here.Bow season is lawfully shut down now because of it.It's just too dangerous to be out there.
Late muzzle loader season starts the 20th.I'll get to see what's left out there as I've got 1 more tag.
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11Dec21
Yes, bad here and in KY. Worst Dec weather i have ever seen. Just hot sweaty winds and big storm lines ripping thru from the WSW. Lots of death and destruction just NW of me. Some twons just ripped to pieces. Power out in many areas.
Fort Campbell got hit right thru Ky Tn state line.
Folks gonna need some help and prayers for sure. Cold weather is going to rush in so this is gonna be a mess.
HH
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What about Gil, Hear anything from him?
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Yes, Gils ok. They live near me. Went just northwest of us. Twin Oaks was not in paths either. Plenty very nearby to North are in rough shape. They are some damages around Ft Campbell and NE of it. Just south in Dixon as well. Lots of folks helping out, housing folks, cleaning up. Western KY has some devastation. Losses are extreme there i am sorry to say.
Now the temps have plunged into 20’s.
HH
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Got my PAer Mag today. One of the better ones I have ever read. Gary will be dearly missed. Thanks to PatB for puttting me in his pictures at TO with Gary. That was nice of him
HH
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12 Dec 21
1400hrs 40 degrees, sE wind
Got out tonite and first feer showed and fed just outta range at 1500. As the shadows grew deer started coming out to feed in force. I stopped counting at 10 deer and 8 came out just after than. Like to see them on their feet. After the 8 doe came in the big 5x5 came outta brush. Hes lost prolly 35-40lbs and he broke his main beam on right side between 4 and 5. He’s neen shot at least once by ML but blood was now gone on his left side since i saw him last. He never came in close enough for a shot as he was interested in one small doe and was on her as she feed about.
Good evening gor mid Dec. if we would het some solid cool temps it would help keep these deer on their feet browsing. Without that they bed a good portion of fay in the thick stuff giving you just a small window to put it all together. I enjoy it either way.
HH~
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13 Dec 21
28 degrees, 0600 S wind
Good crisp morning. Deer were on their feet at first lite until i left at 0945. Saw 19 deer and a good three buck fight. Never saw three way with whitetails only moose. Had two in range but they ran right past me. Heavy frost on ground in river bottom. Deer were all in power line cut feeding im purty sure on honeysuckle. Great morning in the stand.
Hh
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16 Dec 21
Two new HedgeHunters to their new owners. The bow on left 67" 40@29" and a fast bow. I called the Batey Bomber. Joe gave me tow 20 plus year old billets and the bow has just 1" wide limbs. It really spits an arrow hard. be fun to see them at the stake come 3D season!
HH
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18 Dec 21
Sloppy wet warm weather here. Hope fall returns on Sunday? Get some cool weather and these whitetails should start moving and browsing hard. Not many red oaks have anything left under them now. Few here and there between the raccoons, turkeys, deer, fox squirrels they get cleaned up right quick when other food is gone. We are not a bait state which is how fair chase should be. No animals taken under a bait state station should be considered fair chase harvest. In Tenn they find a kernel of corn within 200yds of your stand your loosing gun, bow, truck, license. Four miles away in KY, guys dump thousands of pounds of shell corn at stand locations. Guess thats hunting?
HH~
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I agree, bait piles are ridiculous. I'm not a fan of trail cams either but cell trail cams for sure shouldn't be allowed
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I get a grin outta harvest pics with a feeder in back ground. Mighty bait hunters I can see it to rid hogs or non natives. Putting animals in books taken under bait or bait states should get an asterisk!
HH
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It's the same in Iowa.No baiting.A person can hunt along fields & harvested fields and food plots though.I also get a grin out of people showing their big adrenaline rush out of a 100,200,or 300 yard shot.
We are lucky here that hogs have not gotten a foothold here in Iowa.They are destructive.Otherwise my bows and .54 would do more work here and we would be eating a lot more pork.I've had opportunities to go to Oklahoma or Texas with a group of fellas but hav'nt taken it up.
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Baiting was legalized in Alabama last year, I was surprised how many hunters instantly started putting out feeders or scattering corn, they are everywhere.
I may have posted this story before;
I went up to across the line to the TN co-op to buy some deer radish seed (daikon), not for the deer but to plant in my winter garden for me to eat, I love them.
These are really good.
(https://i.imgur.com/R47Sffi.jpg)
I was taking to one of the employees about baiting, he mentioned just how much feed corn they sold just for that purpose. The Co-op is just a couple miles from the state line and closer for local Bama deer hunters to go to than to drive to Florence for the same thing.
The clerk said a guy pulled up and said he wanted "deer corn", about a half a ton of it. While the customer was inside the clerk loaded the corn in his truck. When the guy came back outside he took a look at the bags of corn and said "I WANTED DEER CORN, THE BAGS WITH A PICTURE OF DEER ON THEM". The clerk told him it was feed corn and was the same, at which point the customer said "it is not DEER CORN, unload it and refund my money" which the clerk did.
City folk I guess.......
I have a food plot about 75 yards from my back porch and have killed 1 deer off it for a friend in need, this is the only deer I have killed off it in the last 20 years. I could have killed 100 or more off it, there were 5 does on it yesterday evening. I am currently almost house bound because of blowing out a knee the day before Bama M/L season, I see the surgeon tomorrow, I have already had the MRI.
I had raked up a big bucket of juicy acorns just when they started dropping from under a tree that deer preferred above all the others. If I can't get to the woods or have some one give me a deer by the end of season the acorns are going out on my plot and I will watch them from my deck with my .308 in hands, but corn? not on my place. I know, it is the same, but a corn feeder just rubs me the wrong way.
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I know farms and leases in KY that use thousands of lbs of shell corn each fall. No record book should allow any entries from a bait state in my view. Just not fair chase. Its bait chase.
HH
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Hope the surgeon can fix ya up Eric. Best of luck Sir.
Shawn~
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Another story about Deer Corn, a friend went to Tractor supply the other day, he noticed sign for "deer corn" for sale for $9.99 for 40#, they were completely sold out of it. Close by was a pallet of "feed corn" for $7.95 for 50#, it was untouched.
I went on the hospital patient portal and found my MRI results; a significant Posterior Horn Medial Meniscus Tear. From what I can find out with a little research this should heal in time, I hope my surgeon sees it the same way.
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Yep
Guess the bait hunters are really that dumb? Shell corn is shell corn……
Take AL off P & Y now too. Not fair Chase.
One niblet in Tn buried under six inches of dirt 200yds radius from your stand and you are liable to be pinched, forfeit, bow/gun and or trk. Bait hunting brings in NR tag sales to be honest. No gettin around it!
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That's the state for ya.It's all about the green backs.
One thing I can tell you about the bucks I shoot is how much meat and how big and thick it's hide is after brain tanning.
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Yep Ed a really big horned buck you get a extra knife handle or two. A big bodied buck you get an extra week or two of protein and a big blanket.
HH
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An extra 60 pounds off 1 of the bruisers here lasts Robin and me more than a week or two and the extra length skin makes a full length 34" inseam pants pipe.
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21 Dec 21
Was other other morning varmint hunting and looking to reduce some doe's from the herd. Saw around 30 of them and a fat doe come by. 27 doe and one buck, yep got doe issues here again. Everyone wants to kill horns, they dont eat em and the doe ratio goes totally upside down FAST!!!!
Fat as a tic. Full of corn in gut and what looked like horse feed apparently someone has an illegal feeder nearby. When I opened her up fat was just popping out of her. looked to be 90-100lb animal as I was able to clear her off ground and onto the 4whlr without to much issue. Could'nt find he kidneys to take out, took out next day in the skin shed, in about 4" of white fat. She will make some good sausage. Steaked and roasted her out. Had couple guys who needed some meat to hold em for the next several months. Now got maybe 20lbs of meat to grind. Have some Chorizo flavored mix to try from Lem coming today. Need some pork fat.
Got a buddy coming Friday morning to take a few of these long legged corn and bean eaters home with him. Need to hire a couple more guys to take a few too.
HH~
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25 Dec 2021
Warm Warm warm. . . . . 72 degrees and wind blowing steady at 20mph
No hunting today.
Finishing up Gils new 2022 Target Bow. Just over 50@28" now, sand it into finally weight. Its a tad over built, actually a bunch over built but Gil has to hold for a long time as his vision is compromised so he needs a new bow every 2.5 to three years as they take a pounding. If he never shoots more than 30 arrows a session with it I think we will get some extended use from it. We shall have a talk about this more. . . .
Have to take it and do a final grip fit to his hand as a good portion of it is gone. So, it has to be right so when he presents it to the target the bow is sitting at correct orientation to target.
HH~
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31Jan21
Looks like this one have a 2022 date on it. She done. 50@27 and a hard shooter. Shot it with 575-600grn 45/50 and 50/55’s and shoot right down the line. Het a finish on it and strike plate and shelf elk leather and call it done.
HH
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Looks good and I know it shoots well. ;) :) Gill should love that.
Pappy
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02 Jan 22
Last day for bucks on Ft Campbell. Will go hunt in snow. Nuttin like first snow hunt. Then its tome to thin out some doe with the band stick. friday last day for doe hunt on private land. Been a good year huntin the hedge. Get after them squirrels and yotes. Then, off to GA to hog camp. This year think we staying in a pole barn at a buddies farm. See how that firms up soon
Pappy, that sturgeon bow is hard shootin little bow. It really came out nice and a good shooter. Spicey lil fart too.
HH~
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04 Jan 2022
0600hrs 27 degrees, SE wind, light overcast.
Was a good day deer hunting
[quote
FYI You need to move this down to the regular hunting forum, although great story this area of the hunting area is reserved for self bow only stories and pictures, I know Shawn won’t like it and probably be mad, I am sorry but that’s the rules . [/quote]
Whitetail season is a wrap here in TN for me. Next up, Hogs in GA if I get back from Yankee Country in time
See Ya on the high ground Selfbow Men
HH~
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Congrats...Cleaning up 3 is a noitceable difference than 1.Used to do it a number of times farther north in this state in the daylight with the SP while coon hunting at night.Deer season is winding down here too in southern part.A few days left.1 more antlerless tag to fill.Nice 3 year old buck pushing does around here yet.Hunting in snow has always been my favorite.If it comes early up here it's there till spring and then some.Everything around is dead quiet in the woods.You get to see more what's gong on with the tracks etc.Good blood trailing conditions too.
A bit colder and more snow up here.Below 0 F. air temp.Lived and worked here my whole life in it.The wind is the mean part .Good time of year for burning hedge in the stove.
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05 Jan 22
Nice out this morning not as cool as I would like it but OK. Had the Tetanus vax tow days ago. had plenty of them in the Service. Everytime you get wound in terdville they give you a tetanus shot. Well, so I get this thing at the VA and lord have mercy, few hours later I feel like I'm 90 with hips knees and shoulders screaming. I never have had this. . . . .? Then, I get to thinking. . . . . . this is the Covid vax interacting with the tetanus vax. I could not draw a 15lb bow if I wanted to.
Loaded up two deer, quartered and packed one out. Got home, Iced down the quartered one. Then buddy came and took two to skin out, grind etc. He talking make some smoked sausage. Been a good year had plenty chances at many many bucks in Oct and Nov. Good friend took a nice 5x5 at my house as well so all in all we did ok between the two that hunted with me we took 10 off the two places.
I think with the prices of meat "flank steak $2.00/lb, beef burgers $5.00/lb " we will see a rise in hunting again in the USA. Gun or bow it would not bother me. Think its a good wholesome thing to take part in your own survival and food production, curing, saving. Few more Yuell Gibbons' running around may do us some good.
HH~
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I fixed this upon pm by Pappy. Why has it moved?
Please move it back if you would Pappy.
JBG
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Gil called me today, he checks up on me on a regular basis, such a great friend, we talked for quite a while.
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Yes, Eric. Gil is a great human being. I see him often. His journey has been an incredible test of strength, selfless service and courage. Knowing guy like him always reminds me of what a truely great American is.
His story of learning how to shoot a bow again is destined for a book. Shooting the modern olympic trails with a longbow is a feat in itself. He is the best archer i have ever met. I often think how many selfbow men shoot with eye sight in only half of each eye and shoot the way he can. Proud just to know him and lucky to call him friend.
HH~
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Gonna do 10,000 before seasons out?
HH~
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8 Jan 2022
16 degrees, 4” snow, no wind. I lost my hat in brush last nite. Went early to get it. Deer everywhere in powerlune cut. Eating honeysuckle greens. Snow getting crunchy and they pick you up a long way out.
Yesterday saw the biggest buck of season. Walked right by my on the ground. To bad buck season closed. Saw him again later. Time for some coyote hunting and squirrels if weather breaks. They been on the black walnuts on ground now.
Get my hear clean up and get ready for GA hog camp.
HH~
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11 Jan 22
Heading out for yotes in the morning. Have a good selfblind built if wind is correct. See what happens. Should be good and cold in morning.
HH~
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Bangstick,
There were no pictures in the account above or the hunt of that day. Just a a word of bangstick mentioned. Then, poof entire thread text i transfered was removed/moved. Makes you wonder of all these other posting themes or pictures are still in threads why this one, why now, why so fast. I had no part to play in this. I did tell Ed in his thread so as he could fix it too before they moved all his threads. Penis envy is a sombitch is it not?
Funny how ones character can so readily be displayed thru petty insignifigant things such as a ten word sentence on the vastness of the World Wide Web with everything on it. Remember its just the twittersphere. No knuckles bleeding or holes dribbling blood.
HH~
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Bangstick 2022
HH~
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That's the way I drag em if their too far away and the terrain allows it.Tried bundling them up on the rack...ha ha.Not worth the effort.Good eating.
Out of our control is something many find hard to deal with no matter who they are.Many of the uninitiated that don't ever have such a season don't take that into account all the time and the effort it takes.
Fine season of deer hunting there.