This time of year, everyone seems to get their drawers knotted up over whether it’s okay to bait for whitetail deer. Some say it’s not Fair Chase. Some folks say it’s okay. One of the things that’s missing here is whether or not hunting over bait is even all that … Continue reading →
KY Yute Season has come and gone. Mooseboy is home with his mother. The M1 Garand is down on the bench awaiting a quick oiling before it goes back on the rack. We had two days, and there is no venison in the freezer to show for it. That’s okay. … Continue reading →
The Remington 742 has managed to still serve a purpose even after retirement. I took the offending Remington 742 and placed it in a positon of obvious disgrace next to my gunsmithing table. All the other rifles have an easy view of it whenever I open the safe. The message … Continue reading →
I use kite string to mark trails. If I’m hunting a new spot that is tricky to get to, I’ll put kite string between two branches here and there to give me an idea of where to go. It’s cheap, and the synthetic stuff they use now is fairly reflective, … Continue reading →
I usually can save it until I take a break at midday. I have not hunted the same stand morning and evening in years. I have not seen a deleterious effect from an occasional whiz of the stand, but it also helps to not use the same stand every day … Continue reading →
Sue and Hugh had invited me to hunt their 50 acres over in Grant County, Kentucky. The place consisted of a few acres of bottom land, a creek, and a ridgetop with an abandoned farm on it. I had been having good success hunting near the old family cemetery up … Continue reading →
It was always a quirky rifle, but dropping out the trigger group and giving it a good cleaning always seemed to get it going again. I’ve probably been prolonging the inevitable. No matter what, I always tried to hunt a couple of days each season with it. It kept me … Continue reading →
Pat Ford: The deer I’m thinking of was laying with it’s legs under it. I put one right in the middle of the forehead and it took two to do the job. To which I reply: Finally, I have a second true-life anecdote to confirm my thesis that head shots … Continue reading →
PatFord over on 24hourcampfire.com wanted to know You have shot a buck. Instead of dropping it takes off and when you find it it’s laying in a bramble patch with it’s head up looking at you. Where do you considder the best place to shoot to finish it off quickly … Continue reading →
If it’s fairly cool, I just haul it back to camp and do it there. Mind you, I’ve got a place that allows me to get a truck in nearly everywhere. If I down a deer, it can be up on the meatpole in a half hour or less. I’ve … Continue reading →
I had not expected my birthday to cause me to become so reflective. However, I found a thread over on 24hourcampfire this morning. It was one of the usual conversations you see starting up this time of year: What is your favorite deer cartridge? I was about to jump in, … Continue reading →
I was on over at www.racksandspursclub.com. It’s a fairly new board, and one that I would heartily recommend to everyone. Anyhow, I lifted a thread from over there. I guess my point in including it here is similar to what I said to one of my younger buddies after we … Continue reading →
I was always so hot on the idea of rolling back the start of bow season from early or mid October to September. Then Kentucky did just that. The result? I start hunting about the first weekend in October. Why? The heat. Last year, they took a total of 39 … Continue reading →
I was about even on score (AM vs PM) until a few years ago. Now it’s getting sort of lopsided towards mornings. The difference is that now that I’m hunting an area with a good deer population, I’m more likely to score on opening morning, and then that’s it. I’m … Continue reading →
Cover scent? I’ve pretty much given up on the idea, except that I’ll probably throw some cedar boughs in the trunk that holds most of my clothes. If the deer are going to smell anything on me, cedar is probably the best choice for my woods. Mind you a do … Continue reading →
The other day, Mooseboy and I were out freshening up the licks. I’m running only two licks this year, one over by the campground and the other by the garbage dump. The others can probably go a year. Anyhow, we had an 80 lb sack of rock salt that I … Continue reading →
TJK over on 24hourcampfire.com was wondering if anyone else had noticed that deer all seem to run in the direction they were facing when they are hit. Some agreed, some didn’t. Here’s my take on it. I’ve had mixed results, and I cannot honestly say that I’ve seen a pattern. … Continue reading →
Hurricane Dennis hit the Ohio Valley in a way that reminded me of one those interminable groupies from my days running the Black Hole Coffee House. Sluggish, bloated, Dennis moved in and never left. After putting up with him for a week now, it seems he will never leave. Day … Continue reading →
Over at the 24hourcampfire, we were all jawing about whether or not it’s important to wait for a broadside shot. Flinch made the following statement that summed up the feelings of many there: “I take the shot that is offered. Broudside shots are way over rated. From any angle, it … Continue reading →
I’ve spent most of my life living with cheap bullets and cheap ammo on deer and not had much of a problem. Most of my time has been spent with Remington 12 Ga sluggers and Walmart special 180 grain 30-06. I hunt dense cedars and Eastern hardwoods, and I hunt … Continue reading →
A single shot from the right gun on the right day can impact your hearing for the rest of your life. Be careful. A shot from a normal rifle under normal conditions in the woods probably won’t harm your hearing permanently. However, a muzzle brake, or shooting under a tin … Continue reading →
It’s been several years now, and I have to say that I am so glad I took this up. What we are doing is trying our hand at acorn farming. See, we have acres and acres of white oak with tons and tons of acorns just lying on the ground. … Continue reading →
I recently saw some controversy on one of the forums regarding how to approach a deer, once it’s down. Some found the idea of poking a deer in the eye to be abhorent. Some felt it was wrong to use your rifle muzzle. Count me among the eye pokers. I … Continue reading →
I used to take a themos of coffee all the time. In fact it was a that small thermos that was , in part, responsible for my first deer. I’d run out of regular coffee that morning, and used some ultra-high test espresso stuff to brew up my thermos load. … Continue reading →
From 24hourcampfire.com If someone handed me $6500 to go hunt deer, I think I’d see if they’d let me use it for Moose, either in Eastern or Mid-Western Canada. If I had to stick to whitetail, I would be asking you guys for suggestions. I’m with RonT on what he … Continue reading →
