Looks great... Team Name - check Team Captain - check Team Avatar - check Now just get those bows dialed in...and lets get ready for a fun season. Think Positive - would love to see everyone tag at least one deer - let's help each other out. Hope the other 4 show up...if not, I'm sure Fitz will get replacements for us.
Team 2 - also remember, you cannot possibly post too much in this thread this season. Nothing worse than a team that rarely checks in, update us each hunt if you want, post trail pics, upcoming plans...heck, tell me how your dog is doing if you have to...extra life into this thread can only help everyone with tagging some deer....I would even like to help some of the newer guys with stand placement if you can post up an ariel shot of your hunting grounds...let's blow this thing up.
Thanks guys glad you like it Getting all my stuff together for tomrrow...hoping to get a morning hunt in before the rain comes. If all goes well I should be putting this old lady on the board tomorrow....she comes in every day Just gotta get something under my belt after not shooting a single deer with my bow last year...al my bucks havent been around besides the small ones so hopefully they decide to come back!!!
Nice doe. Hope you get her. I'm sitting and waiting for the 15th to come around, which is our opening day. Hopefully, my regular hunting buddy and I can scout a little before the season opener. We've been way too busy with work and life in general to scout. Sounds like we may be going into the woods blind; however, people have always pulled deer and a few monster bucks where we go. I'm not that worried.
I'll be getting in the stand this weekend, unfortunately not to hunt since I still have 31 days to go. We will be cutting shooting lanes and road ways. Going to hang 2 stands and hopefully plant 3 small fields with some late goodies. Hurricane Isaac gave us a ton of rain so not sure it will dry out enough for that but either way going to enjoy this 3 day weekend with some much needed woods time.
Yes!! That's not bad at all for "just making it up". I'm good with it if everyone else is. Thanks. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
I couldn't agree more BZ. If we all talk, we can only help ourselves. My stands are hung and I've been shooting a little each day to get ready. Our season opens a week from today. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
I have not done any stand work yet...it gets later and later each year now that I have 4 kids But my two primary properties we have all metal ladder stands...so a little lane trimming is all that is needed - might move one stand around this year. My other spot is State Land and I use a climber...so no preparation needed there - I really hope to take a nice buck on public ground this year - I have passed a lot of decent ones in the past, but with a 2 buck limit in IL, I'd really like to use 1 tag on any solid buck on state ground. Otherwise, my bow is SO ready to go...I've been shooting like crazy. I have an Elk Camp trip planned in late Sept...today is day 40 straight for shooting bow and working out - I'm deteremined to get an elk with my bow - any legal elk will do. So if I get a little quiet on here later in the month...it's because I'm 4 miles deep in the mountains chasing the awesome elk. My two oldest are 8 and 6 this year, so I do plan to get them in the stand with me more this year...would love nothing more than to harvest a deer while they are with me - nearly pulled it off last year. Those buddy stands are a little cramped with 3 in them Good luck to those hunting this weekend! Would be great to get on the board early...don't forget the 2 pics with your bow!
I handed down my Mathews Mission Craze to my son who's 8 almost 9. He is LOVING shooting it and already says he wants to kill a deer with it. Told him he had to work on that poundage first! Lol Love his attitude about it. He took his first deer last year with his gun. Hope to get my daughter who's 5 the Mathews Mini Genesis for Christmas. She only made a couple hunts last year. She is still a motor mouth like me and couldn't stand having to be so quiet. Hope this year she does even better than last. Can't wait to get them both in the stands this year! Don't know bout at the same time! I don't know if my nerves would allow it. ha
That's great that you're getting your kids involved in hunting at such a young age. Some of my greatest memories are sitting in a tree with my dad or fishing with him. I'm still working on details about flying down to my dad's land and bow hunting with him this year. Makes me feel like a kid again.
Got back from the first morning in the stand. had the big doe come in right on schedule but she had her fawn with her...which (A.) stood perfectly blocking her vitals the whole time she was broadside and (B.) made me a big wimp watching them love on each other and play together haha. But she never offered me a clean shot so she got to walk today. I will be back out this evening if the rain holds off, where the bucks like the cross from the neighboring farm into the beans.
I have 2 ladder stands up, and one back clearing in the timber for my climber, a tree had just fallen in the middle of it n had to clear that bad boy out by hand. I have my eyes set on 2 big boys hopefully they will keep in a pattern for October!
bz I just read your other post on elk hunting, it is absolutely on my to do list, good luck on your upcoming hunt! Where are you about in IL anyway, I meant to ask in one of my earlier posts?
i have a few stands up now but will put a few more up and have a few new properties i plan on exploring this season. i shoot a mathews switchback LD. just got a new string on the ole' gal so im still a bit off (1in high and 3in left) simple fix i just want to shoot that consistantly for a few more rounds before i go moving my pins. great avatar!!!!!! i'll chang mine soon!
With the holiday weekend, I've taken the opportunity to go shooting like crazy. I'm going later today, as well. My groupings are getting tighter and tighter at 30+ yards. I'm slightly concerned about 35+ (which 35 is my max but I practice past that anyways) as I can see my arrows kind of loft into the target. I'm getting decent penetration and my groupings aren't that bad at 40 yards. I think I might up my poundage from 65 to 70. Any thoughts? Also, does anyone use feathers like I do? I'm contemplating switching out all of my CE 350 Maximas with either the NAP or Bohning QuickFletch. Is anybody running these vanes and, if so, what is your opinion? Only 11 more days!!!
Here's my opinion on your questions... Confidence is the key to archery success and accuracy. If you think any of these changes can make you more accurate I would give them a try...but don't necessarily just make all those changes without keeping an open mind of going back if it doesn't go as you expected. I made many of the same changes in last 1.5 years. I shot 60lbs for years because I only hunted whitetail and I knew that was all I ever needed...at the end I was even shooting feathers because I liked the look and help steering my broadheads. My first Elk hunt made me realize I wasn't hunting whitetail anymore and the chance for longer shots was more likely also...I now shoot 70lbs and blazer vanes. I also practice more than ever...I feel now I have found a combination I shoot very well and my confidence is higher than ever. I've been really impressed with the blazers steering broadheads, and the additional poundage/speed has really tightened up my long range groups. Need to ask yourself if you are happy with how it's going currently or do you think these changes can make you better = more confident. I would always suggest starting with more practice, and work on consistent form...then look to increase poundage and change arrows only to help flatten trajectory... Good Luck - personally, nearly all whitetail shots occur at 25 or less yards...
