GETTING READY - ARE YOU?

[Doug Casner]

Buddies wife went to Yellowstone Park on some kind of trail ride couple weeks ago. Said the bulls were soundin off. Doug

 

[Bill Norris]

Bill, what about those giant swamp skeeters! Do you shoot them too?

Absolutely gotta keep them bad boys at bay. We got some that looks like they could drill a well.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

This weekend is time to scout some honey holes for chukar and rabbits. A lot of rain, it could be good! If not, another season of reloading and shooting steel beyond 1k yards.

 

[5spd]

In front of my shooting hut, day n night.
If I was to want an elk I don't need to look hard.

 

[Bill Norris]

In front of my shooting hut, day n night.
If I was to want an elk I don't need to look hard.
View attachment 1477466
View attachment 1477467

Nice.

 

[JFrank]

Went up the mountain a ways today, I was certainly struggling to catch my breath.

 

[17cal Fan]

21 years ago I stored 7 storm windows (as opposed to throwing them away) in a shed on my brothers property where we deer hunt. Figured someday we might want them to use on deer blinds. In the last 2 weeks we have installed 6 of them between 2 blinds. We've gotten 21 years older and being cold just hurts now days. We've only been talking about installing them for the last 5 years or so. It's done and think it will make a big difference in comfort on the stands. This is my stand which faces west/north west. If there's a breeze it's miserable but there's been a pile of deer shot from here along with a few coyotes. Total of 4 panes of glass and they all slide. Wiping the tracks down some garage door lube made them all slide just fine.

 

[MikeT49]

I'm op-testing a new hang-on treestand in my backyard. I am using a extension ladder during the process, kinda a redneck ladder stand. Most of my current hang-ons weigh about 30 lbs or more. At 74 they are getting too heavy. The new stand is a Hawk Helium Pro. Advertised to weigh 12 lbs. Well that's BS. It actually weighs 17 lbs. Has a memory foam seat, foot rest but no armrests. So I'm also testing out a strap-on shooting rail. Hopefully my butt can handle the memory foam for extended periods.
Put new strings/cables on my Ravin R10 crossbow. It was a PITA to get my arrows to group together. Turns out it's like a bullet lot number deal. I bought 6 new .001 arrows as I was down to 8 arrows. To make a long story short Ravin for their proprietary arrows use different vendors. The new arrows had point inserts that weighed 7 grains more than the old arrow inserts. I actually had to strip the fletching off most of the new arrows and rotate vane position 60 degrees. AAaaarrrgggGH
I have always tried to be very precise with archery gear. Luckily Ravins have been out long enough that their are alternates to their proprietary arrow BS. Bottom line, I will be happily back to building my arrows from components. Screw factory ammo.
Putting out food for my local blacktails. One of my bucket list items is to shoot a deer on my property. Finally have enough around here to shoot one. I have picked out Barbie (short for BBQ). Nice yearling w/o any fawns. These damn blacktails pretty much don't like any typical deer food. They do love apples. My neighbor gave me some ears of corn. Put some out, surprised me, they absolutely love cob corn in the husks. I'm trying popcorn, jury is out. They seem to like grainiac apple blocks. They also love grapevine leaves, so I have started some vines for next year.
Got my licenses and tags (7) for my yearly deer hunt back home in Wisconsin. My bud informed me that there are finally enuff grouse to make hunting feasible. I have not hunted birds since 1989. You have no idea how pumped I am. Broke out the old 870 20 gauge. Going with 1 oz # 7 1/2 for the first one or two. Don't know yet if the second or third shell will be #9 TSS. Probably start with an IC choke. This will be a hoot.

 

[swd]

I’ve been seeing a lot of smaller bucks. Finally a nicer one starts showing up and yesterday morning a bear comes in and POOF just like that all the deer are all gone. Not even a doe..

 

[Bill Norris]

I’ve been seeing a lot of smaller bucks. Finally a nicer one starts showing up and yesterday morning a bear comes in and POOF just like that all the deer are all gone. Not even a doe..

Seen that before. Deer wont hang around where a bear is frequenting.

 

[markT]

We have severe drought so I can’t plant food plots. Decided to just use a better bait ( legal). White oak acorns.

 

[dryhumor]

I haven’t hunted this stand in at least 5 years. Bicep and ACL tendon tears put me on the ground. Bush hogged around it last week, cut the limbs and vines off of it this week. Only found one brace bolt missing. No worries, the tree has grown around the chain and rear of the seat; it’s there for the duration.

Sitting on a power line on my pasture edge, over a briar patch. It’s a hard spot to hunt scent and wind wise. Kept trying to find a tall stand with no luck. Used to use a climber, but the noise was always on my mind.

Came upon these stands one day riding by a small sporting goods store on the job. CB’s Lever Lock stands. This one is 24’ tall, took 3 of us to stand up, and best of all- made in the USA. It’s been on this pine for at least 18-19 years…

 

[ncageneral]

I spent most of the afternoon at a stand site I havent hunted in years, it was given to me by an old well respected friend. Had to cut a road through the swamp to get in there. The tree had actually grown around the stand, odd thing is the old lanes I bush hogged are as clean as a whistle, all I had to do was trim the overhanging branches to open it back up. Set out a feeder full of peanut butter rice bran, cut the stand out of the tree, killed all the poison ivy. all I have left is to put one more rachet strap around the lower attachment point and I'll be ready. Cleaned out lanes to the west , north, and east. Hope to put one down with a handgun in this location, 50 yds max range. Got some stout 180 357 mags loaded up.

 

[ryewhiskeybent]

I always hunt whitetails with an outfitter in NC or SC. The most difficult thing I've got to do is drive my lazy butt down there. Hopefully the lanes will be clear and the fat deer will be feasting on shelled corn for a few weeks before I arrive.

Any outfitters in particular that stood out? Lost the lease on the best spot I’ve had and the rest are hard to hunt close quarters only. Hoping to get my 5 y/o out next season and would love to take her somewhere where she will get to see a lot.

 

[Charlie-NY]

Any outfitters in particular that stood out? Lost the lease on the best spot I’ve had and the rest are hard to hunt close quarters only. Hoping to get my 5 y/o out next season and would love to take her somewhere where she will get to see a lot.

I have hunted with a dozen different outfitters. They ALL have shortcomings so I'm always on the prowl for a better place. Last year I hunted at a place that only had access to pine tree nurseries. The large tracts of land were all in different stages of growth or cut over entirely. Not much around to hold deer IMO. The hunting was lean. I've been to some terribly run down lodges where I wouldn't want my dog to stay in. One of the biggest issues is what outfitters allow you to take and what "fines" they may impose. I started hunting in NC because the state has very generous bag limits, typically 6 deer/yr. I don't shoot 6 deer but I do like to take an early deer or two and then hunt for something more impressive for the remainder of the week. This isn't permitted everywhere even though it is legal and you have the tags. A 13" or 14" inside spread is minimum in some places. Even some of the 8 point bucks don't make that and you can be assessed a $300 fine or more. I shot a beautiful, tall (light bulb) 8 pointer and it came in just under the required width. It cost me an additional $300. Occasionally, I've had "guides" show so much favoritism to some hunters that you know you aren't getting a fair shake. Let's face it, the guides KNOW where deer have been spotted in the preceding days. If large bucks have been spotted, they know exactly where, and place whomever they want in those areas.

FWIW - I am hunting at Lily Pond Creek this year. I've been there a couple of times. Accommodations are fine and the food is excellent. This year you are permitted to take one buck and one deer of either sex on a 5-day hunt. If you fill your 2 tags early, you're done. I'd like to continue hunting all week and, hopefully, take an exceptional deer but that would be an issue. They have no antler restrictions at this place.

I hope my comments haven't been too negative, but they reflect some of the things I've encountered. Overall, I enjoy my Carolina deer hunting and haven't missed a season in 20yrs or so. You said that you want to "see a lot of deer" while in camp. To be honest, this has never been the case in any camp I've ever hunted. I always see deer, but I rarely see what would be a large number of deer. Maybe someone else could provide their Insite into hunting whitetails in NC/SC with an outfitter.

 

[ryewhiskeybent]

I have hunted with a dozen different outfitters. They ALL have shortcomings so I'm always on the prowl for a better place. Last year I hunted at a place that only had access to pine tree nurseries. The large tracts of land were all in different stages of growth or cut over entirely. Not much around to hold deer IMO. The hunting was lean. I've been to some terribly run down lodges where I wouldn't want my dog to stay in. One of the biggest issues is what outfitters allow you to take and what "fines" they may impose. I started hunting in NC because the state has very generous bag limits, typically 6 deer/yr. I don't shoot 6 deer but I do like to take an early deer or two and then hunt for something more impressive for the remainder of the week. This isn't permitted everywhere even though it is legal and you have the tags. A 13" or 14" inside spread is minimum in some places. Even some of the 8 point bucks don't make that and you can be assessed a $300 fine or more. I shot a beautiful, tall (light bulb) 8 pointer and it came in just under the required width. It cost me an additional $300. Occasionally, I've had "guides" show so much favoritism to some hunters that you know you aren't getting a fair shake. Let's face it, the guides KNOW where deer have been spotted in the preceding days. If large bucks have been spotted, they know exactly where, and place whomever they want in those areas.

FWIW - I am hunting at Lily Pond Creek this year. I've been there a couple of times. Accommodations are fine and the food is excellent. This year you are permitted to take one buck and one deer of either sex on a 5-day hunt. If you fill your 2 tags early, you're done. I'd like to continue hunting all week and, hopefully, take an exceptional deer but that would be an issue. They have no antler restrictions at this place.

I hope my comments haven't been too negative, but they reflect some of the things I've encountered. Overall, I enjoy my Carolina deer hunting and haven't missed a season in 20yrs or so. You said that you want to "see a lot of deer" while in camp. To be honest, this has never been the case in any camp I've ever hunted. I always see deer, but I rarely see what would be a large number of deer. Maybe someone else could provide their Insite into hunting whitetails in NC/SC with an outfitter.

Thanks! Good info.

 

[dryhumor]

DEF Fluid Cage

Had this for several years, with the intent of building a deer stand with it. They are pretty plentiful, and in some cases either free or minimal cost.

Pulled the metal cage off of the skid and opened up a go through opening.



Got a seat that I use from time to time….



Used some materials I had on hand, some lumber I bought. Had the 4x6, and most of the decking boards, screws, and aluminum steps. About $100 into it.



Had one bag of camo, might need more or might not…



These DEF cube cages work pretty well. Got a lattice to add camo and rigidity, and light enough for one man to handle.

 

[markT]

^^ meets code for sure!! I used some old knocked down road sign posts. Looks like a "hat." drove some in the ground with sledge hammer next to the legs then ran a lag bolt thru channel and post. prevents any blow over from wind or sinking or rot..

 

[dryhumor]

^^ meets code for sure!! I used some old knocked down road sign posts. Looks like a "hat." drove some in the ground with sledge hammer next to the legs then ran a lag bolt thru channel and post. prevents any blow over from wind or sinking or rot..

It’s pretty solid. No wiggle.

Next thing will be a roof. On the prowl for scrap siding…