While we wait for ice...

[JMailbox8]

... let's see your bucks! I was very fortunate to get this 125lb 8-pointer Saturday morning. Good luck to those still hunting.

[spot]

nice!

[perch bait]

Awesome buck!  Long tines and a beautiful light brown color. My Dad and I are still hoping to get something before the end of rifle season. Maybe some of this snow will get the deer moving. Good luck to those wondering the woods!

[JMailbox8]

The trick right now is to set up on the downwind side of doe bedding areas. As bucks are cruising, they move along the downwind side of these bedding areas to catch the scent of a hot doe. If they don't get that scent, they keep moving. I got this buck doing just that. I set up in my spot an hour before sunrise on the top of a large hill that has a stand of oaks. I shot him at 7:15am. On the downwind side of swamps in the afternoon is really good too as high hunting pressure is pushing the does to bed in the swamps.

[mudchuck]

I've only had does come thru and jumped a spike horn rubbing a small tree a week ago. I'm hoping the large buck I've been keeping tabs on is still around, will be out this afternoon, tomorrow, Friday looking for him!

[Crayfish2]

FINALLY got it done on Saturday, 11/26, with 2mins of daylight left.  I decided Friday night to hunt where I knew does had been feeding (pastures/fields) since I figured the rut should be pretty much over and maybe a buck would be out feeding as well.  Hadn't seen anything all day, hunting a big foodplot in the morning and still-hunting around mid-day.  Sat in one of my bow stands for the evening sit where I could see a couple of fields and the woods were really thick nearby.  Heard a grunt behind me, across a small beaver pond.  Checked around with binocs, but couldn't see anything.  Grunted straight away from where I heard the grunt, hoping to bring him around.  3mins later this guy stepped out at 35yds.  172lb 6 point.  He wanted to be an 8, but didn't quite get there.  Heaviest deer I've shot in over 30yrs.



Congrats on your nice 8pt, JMailbox!  How'd everyone else make out?  Perchbait and I have doe permits, so we'll be after them this weekend.

[flagfishon]

Great buck!  It's nice when all of your hard work pays off.  It's going to smell good around your shanty this year.

[perch bait]

Great job Dad!! Hopefully this coming weekend we can put some more meat in the freezer! Good luck to anyone heading out for Muzzleloader season.

[spot]

nice deer and nice rifle too.

[Crayfish2]

Thanks, everyone!  It was a long, tough season .... up until the last 2mins of daylight on my last day to hunt!  Hopefully we can find Perchbait a deer this weekend.  This is his first time hunting with a muzzleloader and we both have doe permits.

I love that Rem 700 Mountain Rifle, spot.  Always shoots great, and looks good too!

[JMailbox8]

Nice buck Crayfish2! I think my next rifle will have a stainless barrel.

[shadylane]

Killed this doe October 8th with the stick and string.  Came into the oaks at 8am with a handful of other deer.  She gave me a good broadside shot at 20 yards.  Headed to my daughters soccer game, and then gathered my tracking party (wife, 8yo step-daughter, and my 6mo son).  150 yards track toward the truck (gotta love that) and there she lay.  111lbs



Killed this one the evening before thanksgiving.  Got outta work early to take the gun for a walk to find a spot for thanksgiving morning.  Long story short, cut two tracks, one meandering, the other straight lining on top of the other.  Couple hundred yards later of tracking walked right up on him.  First shot was pretty much a whiff, 2nd shot running 100 yards through the woods proved to be true.  Light weight though, only 112lbs.

Heading out this weekend looking for the tag out.

[JMailbox8]

Good work shadylane! I'm hoping for the VT tag out too, but my wife is due at any moment to have our son, so muzzleloader/2nd archery season might be a bust. No big deal anyways, as I already have 4 deer tagged between VT and NH.

[shadylane]

my wife is due at any moment to have our son

That's some good news right there JMailbox8!  An early congrats is in order!

After eating a dry tag sandwhich from Ohio this year I was a bit nervous coming home with only one little one in the freezer.  This lil buck will help but we usually go through 2-3 deer/year so I'm still a bit nervous having two little ones in the freezer.  The wife and I both pulled doe tags for muzzle so hopefully one of us hangs up another one here soon.

[Crayfish2]

Great job, Shadylane!  Congrats!  Love the family effort and recovery pic.

And congrats to you, too, JMailbox, on your soon-to-be-born son!  Best of luck.

Hopefully we can get 1 more in the freezer, as well.  Usually go through at least 2 a year, if not more.  Plus my FIL is bugging me to shoot one for him since he can't get out anymore.  Maybe Perchbait will kill one for him this weekend.

[Lavman]

High fives all around guys! Good stuff and thanks for sharing!

Headed out hoping to let some smoke roll on the whitetails this weekend, good luck to all!

[shadylane]

Completed the trifecta Saturday morning.  Was willing to fill my doe tag with the first adult doe I saw . . . . Till this guy walked in 7am Saturday morning.
rutted out 6 pointer, 116.2 lbs

[Crayfish2]

Wow, what a great season, Shadylane!  Congrats!  Your rifle and ML bucks look a lot alike.  No luck for Perchbait or I this past weekend, although my buddy we were hunting with got a nice doe Sunday evening. 

[Light liner]

Hunting is way different than fishing.
Fishing takes skill, hunting is like scratch off tickets.
I can't wait for ice.

[NHHARDWATER]

Hunting is way different than fishing.
Fishing takes skill, hunting is like scratch off tickets.
I can't wait for ice.

Not sure if I would agree with that...
Hunting is like fishing. and hunters with little skill eat tag sandwiches most years.
Good luck is where skilled efforts and opportunity meet.

[Light liner]

I get one maybe 2 every 4 or 5 years.
I can honestly say all the deer I've ever shot including this year is 100% luck.
Right place right time.
That's all it is.

[spot]

Haven't been hunting for a number of years due mostly to a lack of time, but I think that in both fishing and hunting there is luck and there is skill. Unskilled hunters are often those who get in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Some successful hunters and fishermen go out knowing their quarry and arriving at the right place at the right time through planning while others luck out and, without any planning at all get to the same right spot and time.

Both end up eating well.

[shadylane]

lucky lazy hunters fill a tag every now and again.  Skilled hunters fill multiple tags pretty much every year, and do it without a deer finder

100% accurate hunting is all about the right place at the right time.  Takes skill to put yourself in the right place most of the time.

[spot]

and do it without a deer finder

Say it ain't so! 

[bootstrap]

didnt hunt much this year. boredom is setting in waiting for ice.

[flagfishon]

That's awesome!!!

[Lavman]

didnt hunt much this year. boredom is setting in waiting for ice.

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I see you are right in the Christmas spirit brother! Merry Christmas to ya! 

[bootstrap]

thanks lav merry christmas to you too. hope to see ya on the ice this season. 

[wmhunts]

... let's see your bucks! I was very fortunate to get this 125lb 8-pointer Saturday morning. Good luck to those still hunting.

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Nice job mailbox, getting into the deer slaying I see!
Killa!!
Congrats to Crayfish to, big buck, little rack....
Only in vt

[JMailbox8]

Wes! Great to see you back. How was the tuna fishing this year?