2014 rifle season pics, keep the pics from your stand and trail cam pics coming too!

[Wingshooter]

Woke up from a nap, jumped out of my recliner after reading your post. Decided, ehh, what the heck! In my climber now waiting on a mutuel deer either sex, to come on out. Good luck!

I didn't see a thing. I underestimated how cold it was going to be, so I'm still thawing out I think. It was good to get back in the woods though

[rugerla1]

I didn't see a thing. I underestimated how cold it was going to be, so I'm still thawing out I think. It was good to get back in the woods though

I didn't see a dang thing either! I was surprised since I froze my butt off with that wind blowing arctic air :rofl: off the lake in my face the whole time. I figured something would be moving.

P.S. I'm thawing out too! Edited November 2, 2014 by rugerla1

[Wingshooter]

Haha. Yeah, that arctic cyclone was breathing right down my neck. I was hunting near a bedding area, so i figured a deer would have to at least get up to pee or something. I didn't see one animal the whole time.

[rugerla1]

I am close to a bedding area too, have a rub line, still nothing. I've seen on Facebook several people who killed nice bucks this morning. I figured they would stay bedded down this am with all the crazy wind. Guess I was wrong.

[Luke E.]

 They moved some last night and early morning believe it or not. I didn't think to take a pic but when Maroonandwhite and I were putting windows in a ground blind I took him up to the top of a big hill and ended up riding the 4 wheeler right through a huge fresh scrape that had been made sometime since last night at dark. I think they stayed in the woods and small hidden clearings (based on trail cam pics and tracks/sign that I saw this afternoon). 

[Luke E.]

[Luke E.]

 

 

 Okay, I need opinions. Should I cull this deer out of the heard? I have seen deer that, year after year, were a spike or every year shows up as a 4 point, etc but every year the buck shows up with the number of points, only bigger. Do you think this guy has something genetic that keeps him at a 6 point or do you think he'll put more on next year. I ask because he doesn't appear to be a young deer and he's old enough to put on a large (dimensional) rack so it seems odd that he would only be a 6pt. I'm nothing sure I was very clear with my question so if I wasn't just let me know and I will try to explain it better.

[Rightwinger]

Genetics makes the "form" food makes the size.  He's going to stay in that "form" all his life.  In good feeding years and with the right nutrients in the ground, he can grow some thicker antlers just in that same shape.  I would cull if you're seeing better in the area.  If not, let him continue to at least pass this decent genetic trait.  If you can plant some food plots, get the tecamate or other growth foods out.  He may be keeping younger bucks from coming into this area.  All I have heard is that deer generally never leave a 6 mile radius from where they are born if food is available and nothing drives them out.

[rugerla1]

Haven't seen anything but my breath. Any luck y'all?

[Luke E.]

 Genetics makes the "form" food makes the size.  He's going to stay in that "form" all his life.  In good feeding years and with the right nutrients in the ground, he can grow some thicker antlers just in that same shape.  I would cull if you're seeing better in the area.  If not, let him continue to at least pass this decent genetic trait.  If you can plant some food plots, get the tecamate or other growth foods out.  He may be keeping younger bucks from coming into this area.  All I have heard is that deer generally never leave a 6 mile radius from where they are born if food is available and nothing drives them out.

 

 That ^ is EXACTLY what I was trying to say/ask. You figured out how to pack it all into a short sentence where I babbled on and probably never was clear ;)

I have at least 10 other bucks that I have pictures of now and they are all 8 or 10 point deer with racks at or past the ears and decent-really good height. Some are still young and don't have monster mass but I figure if I keep a couple plots planted and good minerals out for them through the off season they should thicken up and be even bigger next year. What is pretty interesting is that I have been averaging seeing a new buck every 2-3 days over the last month so they seem to be drawn into the areas that I've planted and are coming in off of neighboring properties. I've found 2 rub/scrape lines that are going pretty good already and have found 2 others that they are getting started on. I've also found some random rubs scattered around the woods so I have no doubt that they are spending a fair bit of time on my side and maybe some time just over the property line.

[Wingshooter]

My trail cam caught this guy trespassing near one of my stands. Question is... Why wasn't I there to greet him? :shrug:
The pic got me all kinds of excited though!

[kckndrgn]

Got this from my trail camera.

 

http://youtu.be/vMnNn9gkqvI

 

Lots of does, some still have youngen's hangin' around.

 

Snapped this with my phone a couple of weeks ago.

[whiskey]

Took the afternoon to go squirrel hunting with a buddy and his two boys. They aren't quite old enough to sit still more than a few minutes at a time, but they did manage to sit still long enough for a young 4 point buck to walk up within 25 yards from us. The little buck couldn't figure out what those bumps on the log were, but he stayed long enough for the kids to get a good look. The funniest part was that the little buck was drooling like crazy. Slobber strings stretched from his mouth to the ground. I thought he was just hungry and drooling for the acorns under the oak we were sitting near. However, after the buck blew and trotted off, I took the boys on a walk around the edge of the field, where the buck had come from. We found a heavily used trail leading from the field into the woods. At the edge of the field was a persimmon tree that was loaded and dropping persimmons. I let the two boys taste test the persimmons and the little one got a bitter one. He spit and drooled just like the buck. Then the light bulb went off. I guess deer don't discriminate between fully ripe and slightly ripe persimmons. The buck must have stopped to get a few on his way to the acorn flat. 

[rugerla1]

My trail cam caught this guy trespassing near one of my stands. Question is... Why wasn't I there to greet him? :shrug:
The pic got me all kinds of excited though!

Dang! You better go get acquainted with him!

[Luke E.]

My trail cam caught this guy trespassing near one of my stands. Question is... Why wasn't I there to greet him? :shrug:
The pic got me all kinds of excited though!

 

That's a nice tall racked buck! I hope you are there next time to issue a trespassing citation! The best part ( to me anyways) is that he's exposing himself during legal light hours.. Good luck

[Luke E.]

Got this from my trail camera.

 

http://youtu.be/vMnNn9gkqvI

 

Lots of does, some still have youngen's hangin' around.

 

Snapped this with my phone a couple of weeks ago.

 

 

What kind of trail cam have you  got? The reason I ask is because mine have a "video" setting but I'm not sure if it's actual video or if it's just a time lapse of several pictures. I should have taken some time to experiment before I hung them all on trees. I guess I could swap one out with a none video model that way I don't miss anything and spend an evening learning how to use those extra functions. The ones I have that have video capability are Wildgame innovations brand.

[Luke E.]

Took the afternoon to go squirrel hunting with a buddy and his two boys. They aren't quite old enough to sit still more than a few minutes at a time, but they did manage to sit still long enough for a young 4 point buck to walk up within 25 yards from us. The little buck couldn't figure out what those bumps on the log were, but he stayed long enough for the kids to get a good look. The funniest part was that the little buck was drooling like crazy. Slobber strings stretched from his mouth to the ground. I thought he was just hungry and drooling for the acorns under the oak we were sitting near. However, after the buck blew and trotted off, I took the boys on a walk around the edge of the field, where the buck had come from. We found a heavily used trail leading from the field into the woods. At the edge of the field was a persimmon tree that was loaded and dropping persimmons. I let the two boys taste test the persimmons and the little one got a bitter one. He spit and drooled just like the buck. Then the light bulb went off. I guess deer don't discriminate between fully ripe and slightly ripe persimmons. The buck must have stopped to get a few on his way to the acorn flat. 

 

 

 That's awesome that they got to get "up close and personal" with the young buck. That may be all it takes to get deer fever to set in on them.

[Luke E.]

 I went up to Bass Pro this afternoon to meet a guy to buy a muzzle loader from him (I let my CVA Optima go as part of a trade deal) I could tell right away that this on (also a CVA Optima) had been used a good bit but I found that there was some rust and pitting it the barrel that I wasn't told about. In his defense I don't believe the guy realized that it was in that shape as he seemed to be the "it's nothing more than a tool and i'll treat it as such" kinda guy. It had a cheap 4 power BSA scope on it and I gave him $125 for it so I figured I could overlook the rusty bore at that price. I will be surprised it I ever shoot the thing out past 75yds and honestly I'd say most work it will do will be in the 25-45 yard range so the loss in accuracy due to bore imperfections should never be evident.

 Anyways, The whole reason I started this post, I was on my way home and a couple miles from the house I looked ahead and to my left and saw a young 6 poit running at a full clip across a hay field along the fence row/tree line. We he set to try and occupy the same piece of pavement so I started slowing down, he stopped on the edge of the road, turned then ran just as fast back in the same direction he'd just come from. This normally wouldn't have been a "post worthy" deer sighting but as I approached him while he was on the shoulder of the road I noticed the 6 or so inches of an arrows sticking out just above or at the top of the shoulder. I watched the fella run about 200 yards back through the same gap in the trees that he came from. I wanted to get out and yell "your welcome" to whoever the hunter was that I just saved some tracking time.

[kckndrgn]

What kind of trail cam have you  got? The reason I ask is because mine have a "video" setting but I'm not sure if it's actual video or if it's just a time lapse of several pictures. I should have taken some time to experiment before I hung them all on trees. I guess I could swap one out with a none video model that way I don't miss anything and spend an evening learning how to use those extra functions. The ones I have that have video capability are Wildgame innovations brand.

 

I honestly don't remember, I think it's the $50.00 ChinaMart special I got a couple of years ago.   I also have a "wildgame" (I think that's the name) camera and it does the "time lapse" type video.  I keep that one in still picture mode, and this one in video mode.

I would just change one to video and let it set a week or 2 then see if you like it, that's basically what I did.

[Luke E.]

 Should I change the title of this thread to add "pics and comments from muzzle loader hunts" or would it be better to leave this on and start a new thread? Just thinking that it might be nice to keep all of the pics for this season in one place.

[Wingshooter]

I like the idea of keeping it all here in one place, too. :up:

[Luke E.]

I like the idea of keeping it all here in one place, too. :up:

 

 

 Done! If the title is to cluttered and confusing feel free to offer up a better option and I'll change it! I haven't been able to hunt yet this year but will be staying on property Friday night so that I don't have to drive Saturday morning. I'm not easily excited but I am extremely ready for Saturday morning. My weeks typically fly by but this week seems to be turning into the never ending week!

[rugerla1]

 Done! If the title is to cluttered and confusing feel free to offer up a better option and I'll change it! I haven't been able to hunt yet this year but will be staying on property Friday night so that I don't have to drive Saturday morning. I'm not easily excited but I am extremely ready for Saturday morning. My weeks typically fly by but this week seems to be turning into the never ending week!

I've been looking all over for this thread, but someone changed the title! LMAO! 

 

Good luck Saturday morning brother. Guess what I'll be doing at 4:30am that morning? Getting a scent free shower? Getting my muzzle loader or bow packed in the truck? Umm No. I'll be at WORK! GRRRRR! Yep, it's that crazy right now, but it usually is so it's no surprise. I've got plenty of hunting in during bow season, but not still having one down yet, and the rut activity picking up makes it hard ha ha. But anyway, I hope you bust a monster!

[Luke E.]

I've been looking all over for this thread, but someone changed the title! LMAO!

Good luck Saturday morning brother. Guess what I'll be doing at 4:30am that morning? Getting a scent free shower? Getting my muzzle loader or bow packed in the truck? Umm No. I'll be at WORK! GRRRRR! Yep, it's that crazy right now, but it usually is so it's no surprise. I've got plenty of hunting in during bow season, but not still having one down yet, and the rut activity picking up makes it hard ha ha. But anyway, I hope you bust a monster!

:) yep nothing like a lil name change to keep you on your toes.
I hate to hear about work getting in the way on opening day of muzzle loader. Maybe something will change between now and then and you'll get to go. I've been running feverishly (literally, I've been sick) trying to get things done to ensure nothing gets in the way of hunting Saturday heck now that the shoot house are carpeted, insulated and heating I may just camp out ;) jk, I have really bad knees so me being 6'2" would make sleeping in a 5' wide blind a painful experience.

[Hozzie]

Got this guy on a few shots when I checked my camera today.  He is a nice 8 pointer.  

 

Edited November 6, 2014 by Hozzie