Deer Hunting
In Praise of Ponchos
Some hunters I know sound like girls from my Mom’s generation waiting for the Paris fashion shows. They blow big bucks when the new fall styles come out– tree bark is out . 3D Sticks and mud are in. Goretex? That’s so last year, Man. I can’t say I was ever poor, but I have had little discretionary income to spend on hunting. My first hunting bow was bought used and I hunted with it for over ten years. I don’t spend a lot on hunting clothes. I still have a lot of clothes to hunt with however. Back at … More . . .
Shamanic Guide to Whitetail Deer Hunting
I got up early this morning and something got me to thinking of my first deer season. This was not exactly a memory to be proud of. While I sat with my first cup of coffee, I got to thinking how goofy things were those first few seasons. Despite honestly trying to learn all that I could and devoting an incredible amount of effort, I could never quite get the hang of it all. Those hunts are now treasured failures. Besides getting a laugh out it, I resolved that I would try and spend some effort in trying to pass … More . . .
Scent Reduction
The first batch of clothes is out of the washer and out on the line. The timing was a bit off– it’s supposed to rain tonight and there’s rain in the forecast until Thursday. However, I don’t think I’ll have too much of a problem. Although I agree with those who say hunt the wind, and you won’t need anything else, here’s what I do additionally to cheat: 1) I wash all my clothes in nothing but baking soda. Nothing. Ever. When I’m washing, I run the washer once with nothing but baking soda to clean out whatever stink has … More . . .
How still is still?
They always tell you to be as still as you can when you hunt. How still is still? Hmmm. I’ve been so still at times that a squirrel once climbed up my leg. On the other hand, I’ve taken a buck from the ground at 10 feet with a bow, while his sister stood and watched me draw from 3 feet away. I shot my first deer after standing up in plain sight to take a whizz, but I’ve also been busted sitting in a 25′ tree stand with a stiff wind blowing in my favor. It has a lot … More . . .
More thoughts on the Opener
So here is what I want to know: the low body count in September—is it me or is it the deer? More precisely, is it the lack of hunters or a problem with deer behavior that causes September’s low take? If I am any example, it’s mighty hard to get things going in September. Cold is a lot easier to deal with than heat (my hats off to you guys down South). On the other hand, it’s hard to see deer in September. You see lots of sign, but no Bambi. When you have a whole county of prime whitetail … More . . .
Thoughts on the Opener
So here it is, two days to the season opener for archery in Kentucky. I haven’t got my gear prepped. I’m still not practicing with my bow the way I should be. I’m just not into it yet. I’m getting away this weekend for some hiking and to visit some in-laws. Why? For years, I hunted only Ohio, and the opening of bow season was and is the first weekend in October. That is what I lived for. That is what drove me. That is what still drives me. Like the bucks, my neck does not swell until the leaves … More . . .
My Confession.
I am a cervid serial killer. I plot and plan my next victim all Winter long. I stalk them thoughout the Summer. Just seeing them gives me a thrill. Then, when the Fall comes, I go out and shoot them. I disembowel my victims. I take trophies, I feast on their flesh. I take pictures and hang them on my wall, to help remind me of my past episodes. When I can, I get together with like-minded cervid serial killers, and we boast of our past episodes and plot and plan future forays. I frequent websites and chatrooms that service … More . . .
Rude, Rusty Surpises in your Smokepole.
A lot of smokepole people have been getting rude surprises after switching to plastic sabots. The sabot has been leaving a plastic residue. The residue is promoting rust. The best thing I’ve found for plastic residue removal is Ed’s Red. It’s basically equal parts kerosene, automatic transmission fluid, acetone, and mineral spirits. This works good on just about any barrel, but it is especially good on shotgun and muzzleloader barrels with plastic residue. The recipe is everywhere on the web, I think the best page for discussion of Ed’s Red is Fr. Frog’s web pages. If you’re interested, and can’t … More . . .
What is my "goto" gun for Deer?
Somebody over at 24hourcampfire was asking the question: What is your goto gun for deer? Mine? I’ve been stretching my horizons over the past few years, experimenting with different pieces. I hunt both sides of the Ohio River; Ohio is a shotgun-only state and Kentucky is pretty wide-open for rifle restrictions. If I had to pick a rifle for a 200-yard shot, it’d be the Winchester bolt in 30-06. If I was going to one of my stands in KY, it would be the Savage 99 in 308. My back-up gun for most trips to KY is the Remington 742 … More . . .
A Newbies Plea for Help
From jackel235 over on kentuckyhunting.com: Help WITH GETTING FIRST DEER ——————————————————————————– Hi all i new to the forms Well my problem is i been hunting 2 years now and still have not got a deer I love to eat it and only way to eat it is to kill it well thats the problem i don’t know what i ‘m suppose to look for in woods for a good spot no clear spots all hills and woods. I don’t know when i am in a good spot for 5 days i hunted the same spot and no deer ever man … More . . .
Shamanic Guide: Take no load for granted
Never take a load for granted. This weekend was proof of that. I had two rifles out this weekend. These were slam-dunk no-brainers, that I had been putting off in lieu of some tougher loading projects. The fault was mine—these were problems I should have been discovering in June, not September. The first was the Savage 99 in 308 Win. It’s the one I’ve been talking about recently. The other was the Marlin 30-30. See Ode to a 30-30 I thought it was going to be a quick exercise. Fire a few rounds out of each, prove the rifles were … More . . .
Do you need Premium Bullets?
I’ve killed 250 lb deer and I’ve seen 300 lb deer killed in the Greater Ohio Valley within 100 miles of Cincinnati. None required a premium bullet. The are awesome to look at, but that size difference is deceiving. You have to remember that the key dimension in a deer in this discussion is the width of the chest. That dimension changes very little as the weight changes. The girth of a 157 pounder and a 340 pounder differs by only 10 inches. That’s using the chart over at whitetail.com. Assume that’s a circle and use trig to figure out … More . . .
I hunt not to kill, I kill to have hunted.
Does anyone else remember Highmaster over at Shooters.com? Gosh how I miss him. I had the utmost respect for that guy. I honestly didn’t care if he was everything he said he was; he expressed an ideal so well. It was funny; he and I had very different views on things like competition, but I really enjoyed our time together. I got to thinking about Highmaster as I was finishing off my coffee and slowly coming to at the loading bench. A quote was running around in my head. It’s probably an Aldo Leopold or that of some other great … More . . .
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