A lot of guys have responded to my piece yesterday about funnels and signs. In general, all I can say is that I think all you guys are barking up the wrong tree. It’s all in the salt. You and the state have it all wrong– deer can’t read. Deer … Continue reading →
Now you know, after that last post, there’s going to be some city slicker treehugger type that’s going to find this weblog and have an absolute conniption. Oh well. Some folks just don’t get the joke, do they? Then there’s the fellow (bless his heart) that’s going to take this … Continue reading →
When I was learning how to hunt deer, they always told me to look for sign and hunt the funnels. Deer signs were easy. They were big and yellow and they had a picture of a deer on them. In some places, the deer were shown just standing. In other … Continue reading →
I loaded up a bunch of .308 Win for the Savage 99 yesterday. They’re light as 308’s go, they’re more like a hot 300 Savage. Why? Why not load these puppies up to the max? Why not hunt with a 300 WSSSSM or a SAUUUUUM? Why? Why go to all … Continue reading →
Before we go further with this beginner’s guide, please let me disabuse you of some of the common misconceptions held among deer hunters: 1) You cannot hunt just anywhere. 2) Always obey all the rules. The game warden can come on private land and arrest you 3) Hunter Ed is … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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, … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
I am forever surprising folks when I say that if I intend on hunting from one of my bow stands, my ultimate preferred venison machine is a Remington 1100 in 12 GA with cheap 2 3/4 Reminginton Sluggers. Inside 75 yards, there is no need for anything else. If I … Continue reading →
How smart are deer? Deer can do a pretty good job of figuring out the big things in life, like where to go find food, water, shelter. They know the difference between a predator that wants to eat them and one that does not. I frequently stop the car and … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
Baking soda. I get a 50 lb bag. It lasts me a couple of years. I take all my hunting clothes and wash them in baking soda. It does a passable job on dirt, and a fantastic job on scent. It’s also cheap. First I run the washer empty to … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
Faulty Towers is the first of two 150-year-old barns that lie between the house and our new hunting blind. It got its name from the partially collapsed north wall, giving it a rather jaunty if not wholly eccentric look. Over the past couple of years, We have modified the walls … Continue reading →
On Labor Day 2003 I was in the barn, priming sheets of plywood for the soffits on the house. It was pouring rain out and after I got the priming done, I realized I still had vast amount of time to kill, and the rain was showing no sign of … Continue reading →
Opening weekend of 2003 was one of those times when it seemed nothing could go wrong. Angus’s hunt began with still hunting up on Gobbler’s Knob and working down into Pity Creek. On the way down, we nearly got a doe that had come to drink at the stream. We … Continue reading →
He froze. My right eye was blinded in the muzzle flash through the scope, but my left could follow him as he leapt once and then turned towards the bottom of the gully. I heard three bounds, a crash of brush, and then silence. It was 0650 on opening day. Twenty years of work had come to fruition, and a great buck had finally fallen to my hand.
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