Deer Hunting
It’s Over, 2021
First off, my apologies for not writing sooner. The season ended with me unable to make posts to the weblog. It was a combination of screwups with the ISP and web provider, and my laptop going on the fritz. I got the majority of the problems ironed out after I got back to town. Our last weekend of season was a bit of a fizzle as well. We left camp on Saturday with one more day to go. However, now that camp has been closed up and I’m back in town, I figured you all deserved some accounting. Post Mortem … More . . .
Angus Put One More on The MeatPole
Last year at this time of the season, I think we had 6 on the pole and ended up having 8 by the end. This year, Angus put just the third deer of the season on the pole with a few minutes to spare last night. Angus accidentally fell asleep on the couch yesterday afternoon, and did not wake up until 1620. He threw on his gear and ran out to the stand at Blackberry. He had just gotten his gear up and sat down when three doe came up to watch. He shot the largest of them. The doe … More . . .
Moose’s Doe, 2021
Most honorable #2 son, Moose, got one to the meatpole yesterday afternoon. He took her out the front window at Midway. I was shooting out of Hollywood and when I heard the shot, I came down and went over. As it happened, Remnar was just arriving at camp. We had him grab the truck and roll on out. Moose took the shot at 1713. At 1813, the doe was dressed and back on the truck and we were heading for the processor. This is the first deer we have had to the poll since my buck on Saturday. Action has … More . . .
The Savage Speaks Again
It has been since 2014, but my Savage 99 kept its promise this morning. I’ve been carrying it up into the stand for The Rifle Opener since 2003. The Savage 99 in 308 WIN has only been shot at the biggest bucks. I always put it away after filling my buck tag. This morning, the Savage spoke again. You have to understand this was a pretty big thing. I was dealing with existential problems back over the summer. I even got to ask the surgeon that question you don’t want to ask: Will I be able to be in my … More . . .
So when IS The Rifle Opener?
The Commonwealth of Kentucky picks the second Saturday of November as the beginning of its Modern Weapons Season. This year, that means The Opener is on the 13th. Looking back on it, it has always seemed like the date of The Opener has flitted about. I was sitting here fretting with my usual pre-season jitters, and I thought I would calculate it out. What I found is that there is a bit more order to it than I originally thought. 2020 –> 14th2021 –> 13th2022 –> 12th2023 –> 11th Okay so far, it’s orderly. Now comes the jump 2024 –> … More . . .
Whatcha Taking to Deer Camp?
I emerged this AM from the secret underground Shamanic Reloading Cave with the first of four rifles destined for our upcoming deer camp. The Rifle Opener is a week from tomorrow. I try to be ready well ahead of time. There were several projects that I wanted to work on this year. They mostly had to get pushed aside due to the whole mess with the Left Nut. I was fighting existential issues when I should have been out at the bench testing loads. As a result, I’ve had to pull in my horns a bit this year. The Big … More . . .
Is it Going to Rain on the Opener?
That’s a good question. First off, let me give you the latest outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). As you can see western KY has got a bullseye on it. The eastern half is not as blessed. My guess is that we’re probably going to see rain. If you squeeze Wunderground.com, you see a lot of rain Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but none of it is particularly hard rain, just on and off showers.  I can only think of a few times in my career having to deal with rain on Opening Morning, and a few more where … More . . .
How do I Stalk Deer with a Bow?
From Quora: How do I stalk deer with a bow? First off, let me give you some background. I started bowhunting whitetail deer back in the early 80’s. I spent 20 years as a bowhunter before my shoulder pooped out on me. I have not bowhunted since 2007. I have a 200 acre farm in Bracken County, Kentucky. My family and fill our freezers with venison every year during Rifle Season. I am probably not the best authority on stalking. I’m a walking landform; my measurements pretty well match John Wayne’s year by year. I’m about as stealthy as a bulldozer … More . . .
Hunting the Full Moon
We just witnessed the full moon in October. Folks call it the Hunter’s Moon. Folks also kind of get mixed up as to why. I want to discuss the moon’s influences on deer hunting and maybe shed some light on why we associate the moon so closely with hunting. Let me begin by stating that I never have nor will advocate staying on the couch due to the phase of the moon. Every time this topic gets brought up, somebody pipes up with “There’s no way you’re going to keep me out of the woods no matter what the Moon’s … More . . .
Muzzleloader Season, 2021
At our camp, Early KY’s Muzzleloader Season has turned into Not Hunting Season, and it was highly successful. First off, let me explain Not Hunting. Years ago, I put forward this idea, and I received a lot of positive feedback. The rules are simple. In order to successfully engage in Not Hunting: The Hunter must be hunting in an open season. The Hunter must be kitted legally (Hunter Orange, etc.). The Hunter must have all valid licenses and tags. The Hunter must be carrying a functioning weapon appropriate to the game. The Hunter must make all efforts to engage the … More . . .
Hey Doofus!
This story starts in the first month I was hunting at the farm. In October 2001, I had put up a stand overlooking a trail that ran along the back fence. On my first sit in the blind, I realized that a tree less than 10 yards away had a much better vantage, and so I moved it. It only took a few minutes. When I finally had enough, I got down and left the bulk of my gear at the base of the stand and went for a look-see around. I had not scouted this part of the property … More . . .
Does an ATV Spook the Deer?
From: 24hourcampfire.com earlybrdCampfire Regular Joined: Nov 2015Posts: 1,169long mtn va How do they affect the deer as far as early morning riding going in vs walking I’ve done the walking up mountains for 30 odd years and had good success? The answer I am going to give you may leave you scratching your head as to what to do, but that is just the way it is. First off, let me explain my situation. I’m the patriarch of a deer camp that sits on 200 acres in SW Bracken County. Our Opening Days sound like WWIII. There are at … More . . .
Eye Candy, 2021
I collected the card from the camera out at Campground the last time I was out. There are some nice shots worth letting y’all see. The Big One is back. This post has already been read 1113 times! Related posts: Eye Candy Eye Candy 2017 Eye Candy, 2020 It’s Over, 2021 Muzzleloader Season, 2021 Moose’s Doe, 2021
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