Bow Season 2014

[TacoBubba]

Have any of you ran across any bears before the season starts? I had one destroy a camera last year. I'm looking forward to the early bow hunt for bears. I missed a huge one last year. I had never seen one that close and got " bear feaver" and shot over the big boar. Edited September 17, 2014 by JkBubba10

[Slappy]

Acorns havnt started falling in my neck of the woods yet. I remember the exact weekend they started falling last year because we didn't see JACK SQUAT hunting the fields that regularly produce deer. Haha. We didn't have any oak tree stands then though. Now we have a few, so hopefully we get to see some deer.

[TNMTBik3r]

Here ya go. I don't have a digital photo from that day, scanned in the print I have one time but very poor quality.

 

[rugerla1]

Here ya go. I don't have a digital photo from that day, scanned in the print I have one time but very poor quality.

 

That is AWESOME!! Thanks for sharing  :up:

[rugerla1]

Have any of you ran across any bears before the season starts? I had one destroy a camera last year. I'm looking forward to the early bow hunt for bears. I missed a huge one last year. I had never seen one that close and got " bear feaver" and shot over the big boar.

I've never been on a bear hunt. I have hunted on my buddy's farm over the years in the eastern part of Jackson County and have seen bear scat on the narrow trails going up the side of the big hill/small mountain. The trails are lined with thick briars, cedars, and bodock trees, so you get a lil chill bump when you see the scat at 4 am heading through the dark and hope the bear isn't sitting in front of you  :ugh: We haven't seen one ourselves up there but 15 minutes from there, his aunt had a black bear standing in her driveway one night when she came home. So they are around in the area, just not that we have seen in person.

[TacoBubba]

I've never been on a bear hunt. I have hunted on my buddy's farm over the years in the eastern part of Jackson County and have seen bear scat on the narrow trails going up the side of the big hill/small mountain. The trails are lined with thick briars, cedars, and bodock trees, so you get a lil chill bump when you see the scat at 4 am heading through the dark and hope the bear isn't sitting in front of you :ugh: We haven't seen one ourselves up there but 15 minutes from there, his aunt had a black bear standing in her driveway one night when she came home. So they are around in the area, just not that we have seen in person.

They are a sight to see for sure. Once I figure out how to post pictures ill show some bears and deer.

[rugerla1]

They are a sight to see for sure. Once I figure out how to post pictures ill show some bears and deer.

Awesome, we love pictures 'round here!

[rugerla1]

Hey Batman, where are you? I've been waiting for you to comment. I'm starting to worry that you went to check your stand and the chiggers got ya!  :rofl:

[TacoBubba]

http://s1066.photobucket.com/share/links?u=http%3A%2F%2Fs1066.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FJkBubba10%2Fmedia%2FWGI_0371_zpsdxqyv2na.jpg.html%3Fsort%3D3%26o%3D98

Here is a pic of the big boar I missed last year

[KahrMan]

http://s1066.photobucket.com/share/links?u=http%3A%2F%2Fs1066.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FJkBubba10%2Fmedia%2FWGI_0371_zpsdxqyv2na.jpg.html%3Fsort%3D3%26o%3D98

Here is a pic of the big boar I missed last year

 

Nice bear.  Hope you get it this year.

[TacoBubba]

Nice bear. Hope you get it this year.

Thanks, me too!

[TacoBubba]

Here are a couple still in velvet. Should be seeing some bone soon.

[rugerla1]

^^^^Man, that gets my blood pumpin!

[rugerla1]

Picked up some new arrows today. Since I started bow hunting 5 years ago, I've used the aluminum arrows my brother in law sold me with the bow. Finally upgraded to carbon. I went with the Beman ICS Hunter. They seem to have really have good reviews, any of y'all use them?

[TNMTBik3r]

My brother in law wanted to go out this morning and take a look at the stands, he hasn't been able to hunt the past 2 years so is super excited to be back and for season to start.

 

While looking at the area he has hunted before, we stumbled upon this rub 30 yards from the tree he climbs.

[rugerla1]

That is awesome! I bet he's excited as hell now huh? Haha.
I checked my spot again, they ate another 40# of corn in 6 days and are tearing up the mineral block still. Good thing I don't have any corn to clean up before opening day. Didn't buy anymore since it's so close, they are coming through, now it's up to me. ONE WEEK!!! AGHHHH! :rock: Edited September 20, 2014 by rugerla1

[TNMTBik3r]

He can't wait! I may have to hunt over in that spot when he isn't here in town this season. That rub was fresh enough that bark was still piled up on the ground and not covered by any leaves.

[rugerla1]

He can't wait! I may have to hunt over in that spot when he isn't here in town this season. That rub was fresh enough that bark was still piled up on the ground and not covered by any leaves.

Gotta love it! Hope one of y'all see Bullwinkle!

[Wingshooter]

Hey Batman, where are you? I've been waiting for you to comment. I'm starting to worry that you went to check your stand and the chiggers got ya! :rofl:

Lol, I survived the chiggers but I had a huge battle with some ground-nesting bees. They stung me twice, but I won the war with gasoline. I nuked them all. That'll teach them for stingin' me on the forehead, haha. I've just been having to work so much lately, so my TGO time has been limited to brief moments on the phone.

I am getting really excited about opening day! I still have a little stand maintenance to do, so I hope I can slip in there Monday and get it done without disturbing things too much. Edited September 21, 2014 by Batman

[rugerla1]

Lol, I survived the chiggers but I had a huge battle with some ground-nesting bees. They stung me twice, but I won the war with gasoline. I nuked them all. That'll teach them for stingin' me on the forehead, haha. I've just been having to work so much lately, so my TGO time has been limited to brief moments on the phone.

I am getting really excited about opening day! I still have a little stand maintenance to do, so I hope I can slip in there Monday and get it done without disturbing things too much.

BATMAN! Good to hear from ya, but sorry you got attacked again. Doesn't matter if they're bees or chiggers, they suck. I was actually out there today and heard some buzzing as I walked out and thought "Buddy, this is Karma for picking at Batman about the chiggers! There are a thousand yellow jackets about to stink your a$$!"  :rofl:  Turned out to be nothing, but I got some chigger love last week and the itchin' is still hanging around.

 

But I'm with ya, I'm watching bow hunting videos right now in between downs on the FSU game. Watching, learning, remembering, and anticipating the first deer to walk out Saturday morning.

[Wingshooter]

BATMAN! Good to hear from ya, but sorry you got attacked again. Doesn't matter if they're bees or chiggers, they suck. I was actually out there today and heard some buzzing as I walked out and thought "Buddy, this is Karma for picking at Batman about the chiggers! There are a thousand yellow jackets about to stink your a$$!" :rofl: Turned out to be nothing, but I got some chigger love last week and the itchin' is still hanging around.

But I'm with ya, I'm watching bow hunting videos right now in between downs on the FSU game. Watching, learning, remembering, and anticipating the first deer to walk out Saturday morning.

Thanks! Work has kept me way too busy.

I still have faint scar marks on my ankles from last year's chigger love. I hope the itching isn't too bad for ya, those things are brutal.

Picked up some new arrows today. Since I started bow hunting 5 years ago, I've used the aluminum arrows my brother in law sold me with the bow. Finally upgraded to carbon. I went with the Beman ICS Hunter. They seem to have really have good reviews, any of y'all use them?

My brother uses Beman ICS Hunters and he likes them. I switched from aluminum to carbon 2 years ago and have been really happy. I fletch my own with feathers and use red Nocturnal illuminated nocks. Those nocks opened up a whole new level of enjoyment when shooting my bow. I just use Muzzy100 broadheads. Edited September 21, 2014 by Batman

[rugerla1]

Oh, I'm good, it wasn't too bad. I went to the Dr yesterday and my scans/bloodwork came back perfect so no more visit for 9 months. If that one's the same way, no more at all  :rock:  So chiggers are nothing when you have news like that!

 

Thanks for the feedback. I shot with them today to make sure my poi wasn't way off. They shoot smooth and I actually shot better with them. It could be that my aluminum arrows were kinda wobbly from age, or could be mental since I know they are new. Either way I'll take it :)

[Slappy]

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[rugerla1]

Looks like you're about ready Slappy!! Nice stands by the way.

[Slappy]

Thanks Ruger!  I'm sorry its my ugly mug you have to see and not some super model...but hey, even if I was some super model, you'd only be getting excited about the deer stand anyways! LOL!!  

 

The first 2 pictures are of a stand that I placed fairly close to a bedding area so it should produce some deer.

 

In the last stand pic, I am SUPER excited about.  It sits overlooking a 4 acre clover field.  The deer tend to enter the field to the right and the left of that stand and should result in some fantastic bow hunting!  

 

It worked out fine....but I am not very proud of what I decided to do in order to install that last deer stand.  In my past, I have had serious illness as well as several surgeries to fix broken bones and torn cartilage (not completely hunting related)...so needless to say, I have an ABUNDANCE of caution to not cause myself more harm.  BUT deadlines and deer season can cause a man to go far past his comfort zone and if you look at that last pic, you can see 3 massive branches just above the seat of that tree stand.  Well those branches needed to be removed in order to sit in the seat.  

 

I have a Stihl, telescoping pole saw that couldn't even come close to those branches.  So the only option was for me to cut those branches WHILE IN THE STAND.  Yikes!!  Its hard to tell, but those were very thick branches, and the extended VERY far into the field (in an effort to out-compete other trees to get the sunlight).  So I knew I needed to cut the branches down, but that it would require 2 cuts for each branch.  The first cut would take off 90% of the branch, the 2nd cut would be right up against the trunk of the tree so I can lean back against the tree truck and still be able to hunt/draw my bow back.  Well, I decided I would use a chainsaw to make the first cuts of each branch.  

 

Again, I am still kicking myself for doing it, although it turned out ok.  My heart was at wedding night levels for like 30 minutes, but I successfully cut the branches, then had to finish them off w/ a hand saw.  

 

So, the stand is now perfect, and will offer many, many years of great hunting! Thanks be to God for not calling me home just yet.... :)

Edited September 22, 2014 by Slappy