whiskey

Cabela's has several nice turkey vests on clearance. I just ordered a Tactical Tat'r that sold for 100.00 for 29.99. Check the Bargain Cave.

Welcome neighbor

I will be there some. Our party was drawn for the AEDC hunt the same day.

This looks very much like my Maxpedition bag. For me, the size is too big 90 percent of the time. It is nice to have the extra room when it's needed, but that isn't too often. I find that the bigger bag I have, the more crap I carry, then it gets heavy and I start looking for reasons not to carry it.

Well there is no way to get good at it without doing it a lot. I pretty much hate it. I do it, but I hate it. I have never puked, but I have been close on a couple gut shot deer. I wear latex gloves to keep stuff out from under my fingernails, I know, what a puss. I carry a saw and cut the pelvic bone, it makes it easier for me to not bust the bladder and to get the intestines/anus out with no meat contamination. My daughter got her first deer last year and because it was late on sunday and she had school the next day she got to skip the gutting. I am going to make sure she kills one on a saturday morning this year.

at that weight you should consider sticking with a fixed blade head. That is plenty of weight to kill deer easily. There is just a lot of talk about needing minimum energy to use expandables. I do not know how true it is, but it does make sense to me. If I were you I would look hard for a cut on contact head like the Montec G5. Check out what the traditional long bow shooters use. The Magnus Stinger 2 blades have always been popular with lower poundage shooters. Uncle Ted uses the Magnus and kills lots of animals all over the world with them.

I think Lone Wolf stands are the cat's meow. I have to hunt alot of public land which means that I have to walk a long way with my stand on my back. I want something light and small. I suffer through sitting in a small stand to have a lighter stand to carry. If I had to hunt out of a nice big Summit, I would have to hunt close to the truck. They are great to sit in all day, but I am too short to carry them for miles and miles. I have a light weight summit loc-on/climber hybrid that I use with buck steps for bow season. I have an ol man stand that weighs alot but is comfortable. I use it on private property when I can leave it in the tree.

Just a quick testament to the Jak-Hammers. 2 years ago I shot a 3 year old 8 point buck during early bow season at 42 yards. He was broadside and it was a tough shot between two trees. When I shot I heard a loud SMACK! I figured I hit one of the trees. The buck turned and ran hard about 20 yards, stopped, stood there for a minute or so and fell over dead. I had hit a rib dead center. The Jak-Hammer busted the rib and got to both lungs. The arrow did not exit the far side, but the deed was done. I am shooting a 63 pound bow with a 27 inch arrow. Technically I am on the very bottom of "acceptable" kinetic energy needed for shooting mechanicals in the first place. YMMV

I bought one to use while hunting with my daughter. She can move more without being seen, we are close to each other and it keeps the wind and rain off. It was so effective that I plan to use to as needed for myself. I hate sitting in the cold rain in a tree stand, so the blind will be used on rainy days. It does limit your sight compared to a treestand though.

Howdy Neighbor.

I have been to Hal's several times. Bought a few guns from him too. I know he does a lot of gun smithing and has a lot of repeat customers. The post above is the first negative comments I have heard.

Here is a good deal on a LH Hoyt from a TGO member. There are good shooting bows and considering all the equipment he is selling with the bow, it looks like a good deal to me. http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/non-firearm-classifieds/24350-fs-lh-hoyt-cybertech-bow.html

I use the Wasp Jak Hammer SST expandables. They are basically identical to the Rocket Steelhead expandables that Wal Mart has from time to time. Muzzy 3 blades are probably the most popular broadhead around if you want a fixed head. I have always had good luck with the Thunderheads too. Not all broadheads are created equal. I have had cheap ones come apart leaving blades in the deer. I have had cheap expandables perform horridly. Just go with a popular head that your bow shoots well.

welcome neighbor

Most bow shops have several used bows that can be had for alot less than new. This will allow you to pick up a quality bow at a reduced price and get the custom fit that a bow smith gives you. I would never recommend a new bow shooter towards a "do it yourself" set up. The bow shop will have you up and shooting on target before you leave.

Sorry for the tough time your nephew is having. This thread screams two things at me. 1) Taurus needs to improve their customer service. 2) Only buy guns from a quality dealer that will fill in when the manufacturers customer service leaves off.

An expensive mistake. It's a term for shooting one arrow directly into the end of another arrow.

I have shot about all of them and for hunting it is hard to beat the whisker biscuit. Competition shooting requires something better, but I don't think that I will ever change away from the whisker biscuit after hunting 4 seasons with it now. It holds the arrow great and I can shoot little bitty groups with it. Got my first Robinhood using a whisker biscuit, at 30 yards. Probably dumb luck, but the groups are small with it always. I don't hunt or even practice past 40 yards.

Kevin made my favorite holster. I hate to see him close up.

The best thing you could do is find a mentor. It's not always easy, but you can do it. Spending time at the shooting range meeting people. Go out to local public hunting land and meet other hunters during scouting times. You will be surprised at how many hunters are willing to help you if you just ask nicely. The one piece of advice I will offer is, the more time you spend in the woods, the more you will understand about deer habits. Start sitting in the woods now. When you have a free evening, go sit till dark.

a friend of mine takes several pope&young deer each year from downtown Atlanta. He leases small wooded lots. Some less than an acre. Most are less than 5 acres.

No surprise. Ignorance breeds fear.

Well, if it eats then it sh...s. Can you find any scat? That would determine hog, goat or deer or skunk ape. I was thinking the moss could have been flipped by an armadillo. The grass and deer looking prints could still be deer. I am sure that there are deer and armadillos in your area. It could be hogs, but less likely.

My brother swears there are Skunk Apes in Auburntown.

This is one of my favorite places to spend time in East Tennessee. http://www.hiwasseeoutfitters.com/ Not sure if it is outside your travel area though.