Weekend update: Received the new bow I bought off Tony in the classifieds. Super clean, shoots great, but need to get to a shop and setup for me. I still have my Helim ready to go if I can't get it done in time. Shot a little this weekend, felt good, need to finish getting all my cold weather gear cleaned and prepped. We open the 28th, if it's hot as usual, I may not hunt for a week or so, but I have my eye on a really nice buck, so some afternoon hunts might be in order. It's coming quick, so here's to a good season for all of us moving forward.
Yeah, I do. NC opened 9/7. I sat one evening and one morning on my land, but no deer spotted. OTOH, I see deer many evenings behind my home, in a different county than my land.
Our season opener was this past Saturday, it’s been hot and humid here so I really didn’t feel like going out. We also have been stuck in a south/southeast wind for the past couple of weeks which is not the best wind for my property. It is going to cool off and the wind is supposed to be shifting early next week so I will probably get out then.
Checking in from the SLC airport after an elk hunt. Should have killed a beautiful 5x5 but had an equipment malfunction, hurts! Will post more details later
Got some cam mods on the way for my new to me bow. Was going to order an actual Mathews quiver....$170...they can go...oh you know, the place, c'mon man. Nothing else exciting to update, trying to stay somewhat active here. Opening weekend shows 84/60 & 82/59, if the humidity drops, that would be cool, I don't care to sweat in a tree, doesn't seem right.
brother in law was trying to take some pokes at coyotes this past weekend and said he walked out the cabin to where he was going to hunt early a.m. and a large buck was eating acorns 20 yards from cabin. sweating in the tree is just terrible. I walk slow, have jacket off try not to get hot, think I've always done a good job then get settled into the stand and the sweat faucet turns on.....
I'd fall out of my stand if I saw a 200" deer on the hoof in NC. I've seen them on the walls of a very limited few...
Alrighty, new arrows ordered from Lancaster Archery, should be in the 450+ weight range. Every deer can be 200+ if you don't know how to measure.
I don't know if anyone is interested, but on previous teams I have been on we started WhatsApp group conversations. They can be completely silenced! I enjoyed it just because I don't always update or talk much in the group thread. If anyone wants in, let me know.
Ok, I'll get to this intro and elk story now. First off, I am 35, live in SE Louisiana. Hunt some leased land in the pine plantations of central Mississippi as well as an annual public land trip with my dad in Illinois. I have a 1 year old which will definitely change the frequency of how much I hunted in the past but I'll still get out there and make the most of it. I spent last week in the Unita mountains of NE Utah elk hunting. It was a very tough hunt as they didn't want to talk or respond to calls. Anyway, the only real encounter of the trip came the night of the first full day. I bugled from a small meadow and immediately got a soft response. Initial reaction was that the bull was 400+ yards off but slowly realized that the time it took for him to respond was so short that he had to be close. As this is crossing my mind, we hear branches breaking. Look up hill and he's headed straight to us. The bull stops at 75 yards to rake a tree for 2-3 minutes. My buddy was on my right ranging. The bull started our way, at an angle, steps out at 62 yards perfectly broadside. I stop him, confirm the range with my buddy and let it rip. I say "OH NO!" immediately! The arrow just sailed high and passed over his back by about 6-8 inches. I was sick, had no idea how it happened. Bull was a solid 300" 5x5 Fast forward to the next day, we're hiking and I grabbed my bow to put it down and feel the sight housing move a little. Somehow, an allen screw came loose and it allowed the sight housing to hang low a little bit (causing me to aim higher than intended). I tighten everything back, take a practice shot and bullseye it at 30 yards. Really sucked but I have some sort of relief knowing that it was something mechanical more than it was on me not executing. So yeah.... we're onto whitetail lol
WhatsApp, groupme or plain ol group text chat I have no preference. I'm pretty busy M-F (maybe look some evenings or at lunch) and hunting weekends. Discuss amongst yourselves, let me know. My buddy is out hunting elk in CO for the next week...I wish I was there. He heard a bugle last night shortly after he arrived and we had a short strategy exchange this morning as we both know the area fairly well.
