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 →
As a shaman, I have to expect the world of dreams to regularly supersede mundane reality. It is just part of the job. Saturday night was no different. It was a wonderfully boring day at deer camp. I had done some touch-ups on the utility shed, done a little squirrel … 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 →
A while back, a bunch of us over at the www.baitshopboyz.com were musing over how to find north without a compass. Well, let me see. I had a buddy who lived through the Bulge. He said the Big Dipper and the North Star were usually obscured, but that Orion was … Continue reading →
That one is easy. Back in ’97 I was doing a lot of hunting in the Big South Fork region of southern KY. Buddy Joe Taylor was a local folklorist and storyteller, and we’d taken a shine to each other and Joe took me around a lot, showing me good … 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 →
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 →
I just love having fun with the counter boys, especially at the big chain stores. It’s a nasty habit, I know. Still, I just love it when somebody hands me a dusty 45-70 Marlin and tells me that I NEED this rifle to bring down deer. It just makes my … 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.
Continue reading →Coyote 2002 Look what came out at sunrise on Sunday of Week 2 of rifle season. He hopped around a bit and then sat with his back to me at 180 yards. 30-06 Winchester 670 165 Gr Hornady SPBT on top of a hefty load of H4895  Views: 2 … Continue reading →
13699: Ode to a 30-30 11/12/02-10:41 AM Posted by: shaman from Shooters.com ODE TO A 30-30 PART III by Shaman As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool to his folly. Or at least that is how it felt. There I was, up in the stand at Heartbreak … Continue reading →
11136: Ode to a 30-30 06/03/02-1:22 PM Posted by: shaman from Shooters.com Ode to a 30-30 Part II The Trip to Target World After the call to Bob, I had pretty much given up on buying a new deer rifle. Oh sure, I still hit Gunbroker.com, and I still read … Continue reading →
05/16/02-12:48 PM Posted by: shaman from Shooters.com Part 1 The Dream By Shaman We all handle stress differently, and everyone has their favorite methods of stress reduction. Since giving up climbing without a rope a few years ago, I’ve found shooting a box or two of ammo at the range … Continue reading →
