I did good with my bow and already had three lambs in the freezer so I only putzed around with my muzzleloaders half-heartedly. Hunted with my fowler and a ball load - but mostly watched does.
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How'd everyone do this year?
- Thread starter Roguedog
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newtewsmoke
45 Cal.
:rotf:Wattsy said:
GREAT deer!!!
Sperit de bois
45 Cal.
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I did just "perfect" walked over most of the state,got in great shape,didn't have to strain dragging a deer nor bother with processing it to the table.
Never see any part of a deer all season,, one set of tracks and two piles of trail markers.Trail camera out for a month,,,,nothing,not one animal of any kind.......fur or feathered.and loved every second of it.Had three "scouts" a few outings,like herding cats ha ha learned a lot and taught some :rotf:
My Cousin flew for the D.I.F.W. and counts deer and moose,,,said he didn't see very many deer and he covers 1/4 ( North/East) of the state.
Early spring last year,bears out early and nothing to eat,no mast crop/berries so they ate fawns,clear cutting and wintering yards lost to cutting,coyotes and disaster is here.....
Never see any part of a deer all season,, one set of tracks and two piles of trail markers.Trail camera out for a month,,,,nothing,not one animal of any kind.......fur or feathered.and loved every second of it.Had three "scouts" a few outings,like herding cats ha ha learned a lot and taught some :rotf:
My Cousin flew for the D.I.F.W. and counts deer and moose,,,said he didn't see very many deer and he covers 1/4 ( North/East) of the state.
Early spring last year,bears out early and nothing to eat,no mast crop/berries so they ate fawns,clear cutting and wintering yards lost to cutting,coyotes and disaster is here.....
On the one hand I was again lucky to have a little place to hunt and managed to get some deer I gave to a needy family...on the other hand I never got in sync with the 2012 season and saw very few deer.
28 trips deer hunting, with travel, averaged 5 hours / trip = 140hrs (28 x 5hrs)
Saw 11 deer = 13hrs per deer sighting; Shot 3 = 47hrs per deer taken.
In looking back on it as my first season in retirement, I spent a lot of chilly November mornings having coffee with my Wife by the fireplace, knowing I had plenty of days to go hunting...but without paying attention to it when I also had to skip some due to rain I missed many good mornings during the pre-rut when bucks are on the move / more visible...will fix that next year.
The highlight of the season was a buck taken field testing a custom .40cal x 200grn REAL made by ”˜oldnamvet’.
28 trips deer hunting, with travel, averaged 5 hours / trip = 140hrs (28 x 5hrs)
Saw 11 deer = 13hrs per deer sighting; Shot 3 = 47hrs per deer taken.
In looking back on it as my first season in retirement, I spent a lot of chilly November mornings having coffee with my Wife by the fireplace, knowing I had plenty of days to go hunting...but without paying attention to it when I also had to skip some due to rain I missed many good mornings during the pre-rut when bucks are on the move / more visible...will fix that next year.
The highlight of the season was a buck taken field testing a custom .40cal x 200grn REAL made by ”˜oldnamvet’.
Little Wattsy
69 Cal.
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Roundball, THAT picture should be on a halmark card... VERY NICE!
I had a GREAT season, I missed 5 deer with my recurve bow, and killed one wild hog with my recurve. I missed 2 deer with my T/C Hawken. I have a hog hunt coming up next weekend, and I will be taking my hawken if I have the new sights zeroed.
I may not have been sucessful in terms of killing, but I feel I had a great season in terms of enjoyment, and that is what it's all about. :hatsoff: to all my fellow traditional hunters.
I may not have been sucessful in terms of killing, but I feel I had a great season in terms of enjoyment, and that is what it's all about. :hatsoff: to all my fellow traditional hunters.
Huntin_Dawg1215
40 Cal.
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- Sep 27, 2009
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Stumpkiller, what brand recurve is that it is pretty and a good looking deer you have taken with also. :bow:
armymedic.2
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
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I aint stump....but it has the lines of a black widow to me.
It's a 1966 Browning Explorer designed and built by Harry Drake. In 1971 he set the world distance record of over 2,028 yards with a bow! Not one like mine! He built a reverse riser bow (the Browning Backpacker) that later Wilson Bros. Black Widows sure look more than slightly similar to. ;-)
Traditional muzzleloaders & traditional bows. Wood arrows, single blade glue-on broadheads of 1950's design. Still works great!
Traditional muzzleloaders & traditional bows. Wood arrows, single blade glue-on broadheads of 1950's design. Still works great!
hanshi
Cannon
I may get to go out one more time as this Saturday is the last day. I saw a total of ONE deer in the woods this season (a nice 8 pointer) and blew the shot with my rifle when, on a perfect broad side shot at 20 yards, I pulled the trigger only to find the prime had leaked out; so not even a "piff". Saw plenty on the drives to my hunting areas and almost got two with my truck. I don't know what it is about Va. as compared with Ga.; but There are just NO deer in the woods in Va. Maybe it's because everyone runs them with dogs but I really don't know. I was use to seeing dozens of deer each season but after I moved to Va I see about 1 or sometimes 2 each season.
Stump,
The only thing I may enjoy as much as my traditional blackpowder weapons is my primitive archery gear. I bought a 1967 Bear Kodiak Hunter off a guy a few years back for $40. It was in mint condition, minus a little warpage in the lower limb from the previous owner not using a bow stringer. It is my main bow and I also use traditional arrows and cut on contact broadheads. I also picked up a Jeffrey Royal Hunter T/D a few years back. I like that bow a lot too. I love the fact that once I learned how to shoot instinctively, inside my comfort zone of 20 yards or so, range estimation is no longer necessary. Just pull it back, pick a spot, and let her go.
Sorry for rambling on about archery. It is also one of my passions.
Jeff
The only thing I may enjoy as much as my traditional blackpowder weapons is my primitive archery gear. I bought a 1967 Bear Kodiak Hunter off a guy a few years back for $40. It was in mint condition, minus a little warpage in the lower limb from the previous owner not using a bow stringer. It is my main bow and I also use traditional arrows and cut on contact broadheads. I also picked up a Jeffrey Royal Hunter T/D a few years back. I like that bow a lot too. I love the fact that once I learned how to shoot instinctively, inside my comfort zone of 20 yards or so, range estimation is no longer necessary. Just pull it back, pick a spot, and let her go.
Sorry for rambling on about archery. It is also one of my passions.
Jeff
Cynthialee said:
indeed it was a good year! thanks to Cynthia i was able to go on my first deer hunt and take my first deer. it was a 4 point (4x4) at 65 yards with a 50 cal pedersoli long rifle (caplock).
this year i hope to take one with a flintlock.
-matt
- Joined
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Passed up several deer in the Archery season with my longbow. I make bows for a living, and in November, people went crazy with orders for Christmas. I did a month of 16 hour days without a break until Christmas eve. I've still got a stack of orders to fill, so I missed the muzzleloader season, and the antlerless season in December. Hopefully, I'll get to hunt the bonus antlerless season starting the 18th.
I'll use my 54 flinter, or maybe I'll get the 69 cal smoothbore flintlock I have ordered, in time to use it.
I'll use my 54 flinter, or maybe I'll get the 69 cal smoothbore flintlock I have ordered, in time to use it.
I also hunt with a recurve. No Shots taken this year. Has been a great waterfowl season, but still have'nt switched to BP only for waterfowl. I hunt from a kayak a lot. Heard they invented canoe guns, but have'nt for a smoothy that you can reload in a kayak.
Anyways in October for 1 week we have an early muzzleloader doe season. Opening morning I clean missed a 10 yard shot :shocked2: at a nice doe being chased by a lil 3pt. I can give you a list of excuses why I missed, but we all know it happens. While I was checking for any sign of a hit I had a hog of a 10pt come in on the does trail. He got within 5 yards of me before he caught my scent. (Bow season was still open, bow at the house). I did take a smaller doe later that week after work.
PA Rifle season. I was still thinking about the beast of a 10pt I saw. I passed several smaller bucks 1 was a legal 6pt nice and wide that my brother in law harvested for his first deer. His first year hunting with me. His parents took him out before, but usually a half day and not far into the woods. I took him 1.5 miles in,lol. I took a doe just before dark that day with a flinter. Day 2 we had heavy snow. I took 2 brother in laws with me that day.(I have plenty). Heavy blowing snow, I reluctantly left the BP at home an took the ol 30-30 for a walk. Stalked up on a doe and took her by 730am, pushed another to another BIL. 1 brother in law took my flinter and found out why you don't lean a muzzleloader against a tree in a snow storm. 6" of snow that day and that load was so wet you could'nt fire it with a road flare if you tried.
Did'nt get out again until the next saturday. Took a doe with the flinter at 60 yards freehand. It was an unusual day because I found a new spot on the mountain I've never been to. Found an old pile of rocks that usually ment some old timer used to sit there. I sat down to eat a snack for 5 minutes when 8 deer ran in, pushed from another hunter down the mountain. I watched those deer some in upwind 250 yards away all the way up to me when the first two hit my scent. 3 doe in line was a large healthy doe trying to figure out what the two yearlings were looking at. one of the many oaks up there was covering her vitals so here I stood aimed at either one of the first two did'nt want to risk shooting a button buck. So I stood, rifle shouldered but pointed to the far right in a very awkward position waiting for a shot on the big doe. Not wanting to move my feet in the crunchy snow because I was pinned down by the two yearling. Finally she took two steps and gave me a quartering away shot. She went 25 yards and was down.
So the 6 days after thanksgiving and I put 3 in the freezer. I pushed for the rest of the family the rest of the season. 2 BIL's took first deer hunting with me, and Father In Law took a doe. Never saw my 10pt all season.
After Christmas season Is Flintlock only in Pa. Hunted the 26th saw several, no shots, then the Saturday after Christmas I hunted a snowstorm and jumped 3 deer, did'nt get cowsknee off quick enough, and I don't need to take running shots. Walked the ridge parallel to where I jumped the bedded does. If I hit theyre tracks I can make a game plan. Instead I hit another hunter. An old timer (with a nice old T/c). He did'nt cover his lock in the snow and had 2 shots at the does I jumped, but prime was bad. I jumped 3 but 8 came out of that block of pines to him. I tried to move around on them but never found those buggers the rest of the day.
Last day out New Years Day. Cold as a well diggers ***. went out in more fresh snow. Hit those pines from a better direction and spotted 2 deer over 200 yards away on the hill. Forgot my bino's. So I dropped back down the ridge and moved along aways til It got so thick I could'nt go farther without waking up the dead. I slowly came up the ridge, now I can see 5 deer, closest is 100 yards and I have no rest and plenty of brush in the way. So I go all for nothing... I move in 25 yards in the next 30 minutes. Finally the close doe figures that that critter down the hill covered in snow keeps getting closer... I line up my shot, 75-80yards. Going for a high shoulder shot because I guess I was second guessing the range and my abilities... I miss... The whole hillside is deer running. I watch "my" doe run right up to the others and over the top with them. I find no blood or hair in the snow, In disbelief I follow her tracks to the top without a spot of blood or a missed step in 10" of snow. I followed those tracks for a good half mile, back tracking to check any that broke away from the group. Nothing.
All in all I have to say this was my best season in many years. Yeah I filled a few tags but it just seemed like I was able to get back in the deep areas and have more time to hunt that usual.
Anyways in October for 1 week we have an early muzzleloader doe season. Opening morning I clean missed a 10 yard shot :shocked2: at a nice doe being chased by a lil 3pt. I can give you a list of excuses why I missed, but we all know it happens. While I was checking for any sign of a hit I had a hog of a 10pt come in on the does trail. He got within 5 yards of me before he caught my scent. (Bow season was still open, bow at the house). I did take a smaller doe later that week after work.
PA Rifle season. I was still thinking about the beast of a 10pt I saw. I passed several smaller bucks 1 was a legal 6pt nice and wide that my brother in law harvested for his first deer. His first year hunting with me. His parents took him out before, but usually a half day and not far into the woods. I took him 1.5 miles in,lol. I took a doe just before dark that day with a flinter. Day 2 we had heavy snow. I took 2 brother in laws with me that day.(I have plenty). Heavy blowing snow, I reluctantly left the BP at home an took the ol 30-30 for a walk. Stalked up on a doe and took her by 730am, pushed another to another BIL. 1 brother in law took my flinter and found out why you don't lean a muzzleloader against a tree in a snow storm. 6" of snow that day and that load was so wet you could'nt fire it with a road flare if you tried.
Did'nt get out again until the next saturday. Took a doe with the flinter at 60 yards freehand. It was an unusual day because I found a new spot on the mountain I've never been to. Found an old pile of rocks that usually ment some old timer used to sit there. I sat down to eat a snack for 5 minutes when 8 deer ran in, pushed from another hunter down the mountain. I watched those deer some in upwind 250 yards away all the way up to me when the first two hit my scent. 3 doe in line was a large healthy doe trying to figure out what the two yearlings were looking at. one of the many oaks up there was covering her vitals so here I stood aimed at either one of the first two did'nt want to risk shooting a button buck. So I stood, rifle shouldered but pointed to the far right in a very awkward position waiting for a shot on the big doe. Not wanting to move my feet in the crunchy snow because I was pinned down by the two yearling. Finally she took two steps and gave me a quartering away shot. She went 25 yards and was down.
So the 6 days after thanksgiving and I put 3 in the freezer. I pushed for the rest of the family the rest of the season. 2 BIL's took first deer hunting with me, and Father In Law took a doe. Never saw my 10pt all season.
After Christmas season Is Flintlock only in Pa. Hunted the 26th saw several, no shots, then the Saturday after Christmas I hunted a snowstorm and jumped 3 deer, did'nt get cowsknee off quick enough, and I don't need to take running shots. Walked the ridge parallel to where I jumped the bedded does. If I hit theyre tracks I can make a game plan. Instead I hit another hunter. An old timer (with a nice old T/c). He did'nt cover his lock in the snow and had 2 shots at the does I jumped, but prime was bad. I jumped 3 but 8 came out of that block of pines to him. I tried to move around on them but never found those buggers the rest of the day.
Last day out New Years Day. Cold as a well diggers ***. went out in more fresh snow. Hit those pines from a better direction and spotted 2 deer over 200 yards away on the hill. Forgot my bino's. So I dropped back down the ridge and moved along aways til It got so thick I could'nt go farther without waking up the dead. I slowly came up the ridge, now I can see 5 deer, closest is 100 yards and I have no rest and plenty of brush in the way. So I go all for nothing... I move in 25 yards in the next 30 minutes. Finally the close doe figures that that critter down the hill covered in snow keeps getting closer... I line up my shot, 75-80yards. Going for a high shoulder shot because I guess I was second guessing the range and my abilities... I miss... The whole hillside is deer running. I watch "my" doe run right up to the others and over the top with them. I find no blood or hair in the snow, In disbelief I follow her tracks to the top without a spot of blood or a missed step in 10" of snow. I followed those tracks for a good half mile, back tracking to check any that broke away from the group. Nothing.
All in all I have to say this was my best season in many years. Yeah I filled a few tags but it just seemed like I was able to get back in the deep areas and have more time to hunt that usual.
armymedic.2
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Messages
- 586
- Reaction score
- 1
careful RD
this is primitive.....you mean traditional!
of course i jest. good to know there are other bretheren about! figured there were some other toxophilites in here!
this is primitive.....you mean traditional!
of course i jest. good to know there are other bretheren about! figured there were some other toxophilites in here!
