Treestands and Girlfriends at Camp
This past weekend was a busy one for our camp. Originally, this was supposed to be a simple trip with Moose coming down on Saturday to help me set a few deer stands. Angus then decided to help out. By the time it all netted out, Moose’s and Angus’ new girlfriends decided to show up, and then some of Moose’s friends from high school came down for some shooting. It was quite the scene. It all culminated in a massive steak dinner and a campfire out back under a full moon. Amid all this, we did get quite a bit … More . . .
The First Moose Hunt
I went to point to the story of honorable #2 son’s first deer hunt, and I found that it was missing. I had pictures, but that was it. It was a seminal moment in both our lives, so I felt it bore setting down properly before the details have fully left me. This is going to be another year where the KY Yute Season goes by unobserved. Moose’s daughter, The Mooselette, is just a year or two shy of her first deer hunt. However, she will be coming to camp again this year. She says hunting with Grandpa at the … More . . .
O.D. and His Theory of Deer Rifles
Several times I have commented to y’all about all the stupid hunting stuff that I find rolling around in my head. These are just bits of detritus that I have picked up over the years. A good number of them have come from my long-time acquaintance with O.D., the local deer expert. O.D. holds court down at Mister Browning’s store. He is most entertaining; however, there is something about his sincere delivery that makes what he says stick. In the past, I have listened to him go on about how a bout of bad weather drives every deer in the … More . . .
Success with Bob’s Model 44
Right now, I’m all alone at the farm. KYHillChick and Angus are down on the KY/TN line at the family reunion. Moose has a friend or two down at the campground. I’ve hardly seen them all weekend. The plan is for KYHillchick to stop at Sonny’s BBQ in Richmond on her way north and bring BBQ for dinner this evening– we’re all rendezvousing at the farmhouse at that point and staying through until Monday PM. Before I left for the farm, I loaded up another 40 rounds of 44 Mag– Hornady 240 Grain XTP’s over Hodgdon H110. They don’t have … More . . .
Bob’s 44 Carbine
As I mentioned at the beginning of the summer, I inherited a Ruger Model 44 Carbine from Bob’s estate. Since then, I’ve been slowly working towards turning it from a safe queen to a working deer rifle. I met Bob in 1982. I probably saw the rifle for the first time in 1983. It had probably been gone into Bob’s gun cabinet shortly after its manufacture in the early 70’s and only come out for guests. I am acquiring more and more stuff left over from dead friends. I suppose that is the sign of leading a long and fruitful … More . . .
The 4 MOA Deer Rifle
With all the really good bottom end deer rifles out there, folks are beginning to lose sense of what it was like to own a deer rifle that couldn’t hold to a pie plate at 50 yards. As I opined here on the 24hourcampfire: Current Rifle Accuracy You have to understand a bit of the history. It used to be that you needed to pay a premium and do quite a bit of work to get to the kind of accuracy we are seeing with out-of-the-box offerings now. It used to be that. . . 1) Ammo was kind of … More . . .
The Hunter’s Handbook
Look what I found on Archive.org The Hunter’s Handbook There are all sorts of hints and tricks and recipes for guys going to deer camp in the 1880’s. Views: 0 Related posts: PA Deer Hunters — Bless their Hearts Deer Hunters: Time to Start Thinking Salt
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My 2019 Deer Hunting Goals
I used to publish a set of goals for the upcoming deer season. That was back when folks were paying attention to me more, and I was stuck for writing copy, and there really were big mountains left to climb in my deer hunting career. Now that I am not an active pro-staffer for anybody, and my throngs of gentle readers have gotten used to me, it seems rather superfluous. Still the tickler in my head keeps telling me– time to write about my goals. So here goes. First off, honorable #2 son, Moose is coming back online. He is … More . . .
What’s Wrong With Me?
Life changes you. I can remember one of the highlights of my life was being taken to the 1970 All-Star game. I heard as well as saw Pete Rose bowl over Fosse at home plate. To this day, I can close my eyes and see Pete and Fosse like it happened last night. I always mark my year as before the All-Star Break and after. This year, I didn’t even know the All-Star game was played– can’t tell you who won. It came and went and nothing happened. For nearly all of my adult life, I always waited … More . . .
Who Comes to Deer Camp?
Now is about the time of year that a landowner should start thinking about who is coming hunting in the Fall. Hunting is an important management tool. Every year, a guy like me should be thinking about how many hunters, how many deer, what sizes. The answer for the past 10 years has been 3-4 hunters, a buck and a doe apiece– give or take. That includes my best friend and my sons and a total of 5-6 deer taken per year. Off our 200 acres, that seems to be about enough. Some years, double that harvest would hardly put … More . . .
What makes a good deer rifle?
What makes a good deer rifle? I’ve been contemplating this now since the first Reagan administration. Every time I pick up a rifle, I’m pretty well judging it based on how well it would take a Whitetail. However, for all that mental energy, I do not think I have ever sat down and written down my thoughts. It’s almost been 40 years. I’d best get started. The first thing I have to state is that my idea of a good deer rifle is based wholly on where and how I have hunted. If you hunt somewhere radically different, then you … More . . .
KY Expands Crossbow Season
Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa Tolliver lisa.tolliver@ky.gov 1-800-858-1549 Kentucky’s Crossbow Deer Season Extended Changes take effect with the 2019-20 season FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 4, 2019) – Kentucky deer hunters will have a longer period in the field with their crossbows, after a proposal to expand the season went into effect May 31. The new crossbow season will open the third Saturday in September and close the third Monday in January. This year that timeframe begins Sept. 21, 2019, and continues through Jan. 20, 2020. The proposal to lengthen the … More . . .
Two Deer Guns from Big Bob
As you may remember, my dear friend Bob passed away over the winter. His widow let the Shamanic Dream Team have dibs on his collection. Bob was a collector, mostly of Rugers and mostly pistols, and most of these were well outside my budget. I chose two deer guns. The first one was one of the first rifles that Bob ever showed me. It is a Ruger Model 44 Carbine. I’ve heard this is the best close-in deer gun out there. The Scope came off O.T.’s 25-06. It’s an early Aimpoint red dot. O.T. is another of my hunting buddies … More . . .
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