Hunting Report

[Mike]

How about a section with some hunting info??

[Pete33Vt]

It wouldn't bother me, I'd like to hear about how our friends at Maplertrader are doing on the hunting front. No luck here yet but I don't bow hunt yet either. Youth weekend coming up and one 10 yrs old that can't wait. Me either for that matter.
Good luck to all
Pete

[royalmaple]

Our gun season starts next saturday. Youth day was yesterday, only heard a few gun shots around, really windy though.

I got was picked for an bonus doe tag this year, so hopefully I'll be meat hunting for the first week, then stick it out for a nice buck or fill my other doe tag.

I don't think I'll have as much time to hunt this year, but hopefully go out and get it done, and then return to getting my sugaring stuff set up, and still have some time to get some kinks out.

[Mike]

VT went to the QDM method of hunting last year... I saw a lot of spikes last year but couldn't shoot any..We have had lots of buck around this year. Ive seen more buck this bow season than any other season in the past....I would reall like to get a deer with my daughter who got a doe permit this year for muzzle loading season....I hear a lot of people are seeing more bucks than they have been... I think the QDM will work, in a few years or so we should have some nice bucks around...... :D

[Sugarmaker]

I took a break from splitting firewood Sat afternoon and went muzzleloader hunting in Crawford county with tow friends from work. One (Frank James) is a backyard sugar maker also. We put on three small drives and saw deer on two of the three but no shots were fired. Several does and several bucks were sighted. Man it was nice to get out take the Thompson Center 50 cal. Hawken for a walk.
We just finished a week long marathon of dehydrating venison jerky from Nics buck. Eric and Nic also made some venison Kielbasa which is really good.
Cheryl made venison chili for supper Friday night it was great.
Nic and Eric were hunting for squirrels with our golden Sandy (she thinks she's a squirrel dog!). They brought home two nice size fox squirrels. They cleaned them and we had fried squirrel for supper last night. It was very good!

I am setting at the computer and surrounded by deer horns, deer shoulder mounts and turkey fan mounts.

Good Luck hunting,
Chris

[Fred Henderson]

I am hunting also, more trees to tap.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Bow season came in here last Sat and I went until noon, but didn't see anything. I spent most of the day yesterday scouting and hunting squirrels with my .22 Marlin and killed 6 grays which is the limit. Trees are peak this weekend and the color this fall is as good as I have ever seen it and the temps were in the 50's yesterday after it warmed up, so it was a nice day to be in the woods. Gun season doesn't come in here until the Monday before Thanksgiving, but I wouldn't care if it never came in. Where I have been the past two Saturdays is a bow only county and I hope to get another wallhanger. If not, then he or she is safe. :lol: :lol:

[ennismaple]

I got a doe with my compound bow on our Thanksgiving weekend (Oct 7). Rifle season starts on Nov 6 and I can really use the week off!!! My father saw a really big buck in the sugar bush last week when he was cutting wood - he's better not make that mistake in front of me!

Good luck to everyone trying to put some "free range" venison in the freezer!

[NH Maplemaker]

New Hampshires muzzle loader season starts this comming Saturday! Been seeing some nice one's in the fields late day. Time will tell the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say :lol: At my age it's just great to be in the woods enjoying natures best :!: Good luck to all you fellow hunters.
Maplemaker

[The Sappy Steamer]

After three seasons of remarkable patience my son Marc killed his first deer yesterday. It was a nice five pointer. He shot it at twenty yards, and it only ran twenty more. We sat for four hours in the morning and saw nothing. Then in the afternoon we sat about fifteen minutes and the buck came in to a mock scrape. What an awsome experience to share with a young person. I was forty yards away and heard Marc's shot. A few minutes later, he came down the lane full of excitement. Marc is profoundly deaf, and we use sign language to communicate. He was so excited, his signing looked more like he was trying to ward off a swarm of bees. Sometimes life is rich isn't it? Great memories :D If you have ever gotten bored sitting in a tree stand, just try to imagine turning off the sound. When I think of that, I'm amazed he was able to endure the long hours of waiting he put in over three years. Not to mention the blown chances because he can't hear the noise he is making and the fact that he has to be looking at the deer to know it's coming. What an amazing feat!
I killed a seven pointer out of the same stand four days before. I love it when a plan comes together :D

[Parker]

What are the details of making a "mock scrape"? Do you use sent on it? I am not much of a deer hunter but the last 2 jobs I worked on are infested with deer and I have seen sevral real scrapes on both,, I have an empty chest freezer ,a .50 cal muzzel loader and with 2-3 inches of rain comming today,,some time on my hands,,,,gotta take a littel break from the 4 foot wood,,,,,,,,,

[HanginAround]

Steamer, that sounds awesome, I bet you were as excited for him as he was. Thanks for sharing the story.

[Sugarmaker]

Steamer,
Tell Marc congratulations!. I am not a bow hunter but live with two of them and it seems to be about as bad as making maple. Every chance they get they are in the woods or practicing. I can see that it takes a lot of time and dedication.
Eat well,
:) Chris

[The Sappy Steamer]

I just finished up processing Marc's deer after an all day committment. It was great though. We got many more nice meals that Marc has provided our family with. He's a real proud and thankful young man. Roasts, back straps for the grill, hot Italian sausage,onion burgers,cube steaks,hamburger, and roasts. It's no wonder he's proud. It reminds me a lot of sugaring cause all of the troops pitch in to lighten the load. Just like sugaring, the clean-up alone is a real chore in itself. I'm glad syrup doesn't involve freezer paper or I'd be out. It' just not my bag I guess. Christmas presents from me are downright scary. Marc says thank you for your enthusiasm.
Hey Parker, check your PM and I'll give you the details on the mock scrape without boring the other folks. :)

[royalmaple]

Got a nice doe today. Actually shot it yesterday around 430, but couldn't find it till this morning with the daylight. I had to go back and look, I just knew I hit it. But with no sign I was beginning to doubt myself.

Not a drop of blood, or a piece of hair to be found. Shot it 130 yards away in a field, it ran for 70 yards for the woodline, then about 100 yards from that it was piled up. Took about 3 hours this morning to try and retrace everything and then a couple of big loops in the thickest stuff on the planet but the white belly showed right up by a tree. Still not a spec of blood leading up to it until about the last 20ish feet then a ponds worth.

First time that happened, normally I get them to fold right up, but this one was running on jet fuel I guess. It was gut shot so that explains it, had to have been the angle the body was at when I shot, she had just dropped her head to feed which propped up her hind end and really putting her guts on top of her vitals. I was a little high from my mark.

Not too bad 115-120 pounder.

[Sugarmaker]

More venison,
Nic arrowed a small doe last night. in the same wood lot as the buck, His dad helped move their stands last Sunday deep into the woods. Nic had this deer out a ways when he first shot (35 yards, He's young!) The doe jumped and his first arrow passed through the hind leg just behind the knee. (Right where you would hang her up). He then used his bleat call and called her back in within 17 yards and made a real nice lung shot. She traveled about 40 yards and piled up. Looks like we will be cutting deer again this week end, He is done for the year but may help dog a little for Grandpa come rifle season.

I am going to take at least one day for bear hunting, this year. A sow and two cubs have been seen in the area.
Chris

[The Sappy Steamer]

Chris,
Tell Nic congratulations on the doe. He's becoming a force to be reckoned with isn't he? That was a good move with the bleat call. I know I wouldn't have thought of it at that point, especially at that age. But, maybe that's why I was always out of arrows! Nice job Nic :)
Dan

[The Sappy Steamer]

Matt,
Sounds like a decent doe. I'm happy you ended up recovering her. :) What are you shooting? Last year was the first year we could use a rifle here in N.Y. I hunted with my boy, and had no intention of using it, except as a backup,or let him use it for a long shot. He wanted to use a shotgun. The guys I know that killed deer with rifles couldn't believe how much meat got destroyed by the shock of the small bullet. Most of our shots here in the woods are under fifty yards so we don't need the long range effectiveness, but the accuracy and lack of recoil sure are nice. However, we don't really want any venison jelly.( The maple is much better) What's your take on it? Ive got a Rem. 25-06 with 120gr bullets
Dan :)

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I am hopefully taking off a little early today and plan on archery hunting this evening and tommorrow am and then all day most days next week as I am on vacation. Trophy only, or it's safe. :D

[royalmaple]

I use a 308 with 150grain bullets, that is the flatest bullet I have found for my gun and also still having some knock down power. I think they are winchesters, they were shooting the best for me. I bought a new 18x50 scope. I was sighting my gun in for long range deer / varmits I was still in a dinner plate at 300 yards with shooting sticks.

I may have been a little off shooting as close as I was, it was 130 yard shot, only off about 6 inches from my mark, but position of the deer made it a gut shot.

Got the walls finished and stood up. Got a couple of pictures loaded for you guys to look at. Have to get a buddy's plank over here on monday so we can set the ridge and rafters. I will do some blocking this weekend and maybe start doing some boards on the side walls.

[Pete33Vt]

We had a great youth weekend here. My son got a button buck that weight 63 lbs. Alittle on the small side but being first deer its ok. His cousin got a button buck that weight 53 lbs. They were hanging together. Funny thing was they got them within 15 mins. apart. Same area same caliber gun. We had 5 kids at camp. They all say deer and all got shots off. Only rough part was two deer were lost. One was a spike about 150 lbs. And other was a nice rack six pointer. We did everything in our power to find them. But no luck. We even called in a tracking dog for the spike but no luck. All and all it was a great weekend. Next weekend its my turn.

[Fred Henderson]

Lets just hope that the 2 lost deer were clean misses. I wounded a nice buck once and never found it. Bother me for the longest time. Then about Jan a friend called to say that someone had gotten that buck the same day that I shot it. It was running thru a field near the guys house so he grabbed his gun and went out to shoot it. Just as he was drawing a bead on it it drop right in front of his rifle. It was totally bled out at that point, proved to be 7 points. I am glad that he got it and it did not go to waste.

[Pete33Vt]

I hope they will make it also. Like I said we spent alot of time trying to find them but no luck. This weekend we are all hunting in the same spot , there should be about 10-15 guys, so hope fully we can find them. Either dead or still running. I know the meat won't be any good after a week but at least we will know. I belive the rack buck, should make it. there was not any blood to speak of. Two or three small drops about 150 yards away from where the shot was made. So he should be alright. The spike I am not sure. He was losing alot of bone chunks. But if he is found running, i am sure someone will put him out of his misery. Even though its illegal to shoot spike here. Thats the right thing to do. RIGHT?
Good Luck to all.
Pete

[Fred Henderson]

Yes, that is the right thing to do. If there is any water nearby look those areas over good. Take the shooters back to the range and gently teach them that the first shot is the most important. Make yourselves a moving deer target. Better yet get the shotguns out and shoot some clays before deer season. Busting a few clays sharpens your reflexs. This I have done for the past 25 years and I owe the running shots that I have made on deer to busting clays before deer season.

[Parker]

Not too uncommon for us to find injured deer ,dead-,laying in brooks,,on the edges of swamps,,they go lay down in water for some reason,,

[royalmaple]

Yup-

If you don't get a good kill shot, guts or low in the lungs, they always try to find water.

Tracked one for a buddy last night, his kid shot it, we walked over a ridge for at least couple hundred yards last night, two hours after he shot so you'd think it would have bedded. Went till my batteries died in the flashlight, thank god for the moon last night. It was still leaking though. Gonna go back in today if I have a chance and give them a hand finding it, if it is dead.

I think he shot it in the brisket or maybe just skun its neck.

I hate trudging trying to find deer,especially at night... gotta make that first shot count. Although it is much easier said than done, but it is worth it. Nothing like just having them fold up.

[Fred Henderson]

I shot one last week and it only went 3 feet straight down. Yep, you guessed it it was a neck shot. I field dressed it and by the time the grand kids got done looking it over it was dark when we got it out.

[Pete33Vt]

I got Shawns deer cut up yesterday, pretty tastey and tender. I belive pratice shooting is the big thing. The more you shoot the better you will be. Its bad enough controlling the shakes when you do see a deer with out having trouble shooting. The kid that shot at the big six pointer, has alway shot from a rest at a no moving target, he just could seem to hold the gun steady for an off hand shot. And he lead it to much. The deer was just walking and he was aiming alittle ahead of where it was. But its all part of practice and experiance.
There was one bad point to this year youth weekend here. It seem that one hunter a few towns over had finished his hunt, took the clip out of his gun, then was playing around with his buddy. He pulled the gun up and pointed it at his friend. Pulled the trigger and,.... yep shot his buddy dead. He forgot to unload the camber. It was a bad scene from what I heard. It is so frustrating for me to hear of this. Where were the adults to make sure the gun was safe. What happened to teaching safety at hunter saftey course. Last year an 18 year old shot at a tractor cause he was bored and killed a guy that was sitting in it. It was his first year hunting.
I could go on and on, but i won't. It reminds me of that song, 'TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL"
Good luck to all and stay safe.
Pete

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

What kind of IDIOT would even point a gun at someone in the first place. :x :x

[Fred Henderson]

Brandon, Idiot or not it happens a lot, and it is usually between best friends.

[Pete33Vt]

Your both right, Its a sore subject for me,(the way kids are raised and act these days). I may not be that old but, I can still remember when kids had respect and common sense.And when there adults taught them right and wrong. And I can bet everyone thats one here is the same. There is not much hard work being done by kids these days. I wish I had the patience to work with kids, I could teach them a few lesson on life and get alot of help in the sugarbush. I am just glad my kids have respect and some common sense. OOPS here I got ranting again.
Well busy morning gotta make some food for hunting camp tonight. Headed there as soon as its done. Have a great weekend and good luck to everyone.
Pete

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just think how much society would be if they had never invented the TV. Wouldn't hardly be any school shootings or all the other violence that goes on. That's all a lot of kids see from the time they are old enough to walk. :x

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Another big buck bit the spitfire yesterday. I grunted him in going away from me about 150 yards away with my HS True talker. He came about 20 yds immediately and then locked up and fed about 10 minutes apparenty on acorns he found and then he came on a beeline. He was straight down wind in a scrape pointed almost straight towards me with just a slight left quartering and had his neck stretched up in a licking branch when I shot him. I was prepared to shoot him walking like the one last year as he covered the aprox 125 yards in aprox a minute when he stopped in an open area directly down wind. He never winded me but I didn't give him the chance as I turned the arrow loose within a couple of seconds from the time he stopped. He ran about 50 yards and then started plowing a furrow and hit about 6 trees before going down.

He was 3.5 years old and only dressed 140 compared to the 4.5 buck I killed last year that dressed 176. His rack was about the same size, not quite as wide and his G2 was broken off on the right side. He was trying to form a drop tine on the right side and had two small kickers coming off of the base on both sides and some nontypical trash on the back of the left base. It is an awesome experience to be able to rattle in the one last year and grunt this one this year. I had passed up quite a few small bucks this year and it is worth the wait to get a good one even if it took 10 more years. Rifle season opens up a week from Monday and I will be gunning for another one. Hope to get to bow hunt all day next Sat in the same area too. Might hold out for one a little bigger as I had to drag this one for 1.5 miles and then haul him on a deer carrier by hand for 3 miles. I put some pics on my website if anyone is interested. He had been fighting as he had a big scab on his head and had likely broken his right G2 the same way. :D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Guess I can't add any photos as yahoo is not allowing me to log in. 8O

[Sugarmaker]

Brandon,
Congratulations!!! Sounds like a nice deer and good job bring in him in.
My deer hunters are sound asleep on this rainy afternoon. Nic hunted Turkey and Eric searched for white tails this morning until they got soaked and gave up at 10:30.

[Fred Henderson]

Congrats Brandon. I overnighted at a cabin that I helped a friend build but he never finished it. I about froze to death. We hunted until 8:30 AM then gave up due to a threatening storm coming our way. It has rained hard all day.

[mapleman3]

Congrats Bud, your doing much better each year than some of the guys I work with up here, keep up the good work :wink:

[The Sappy Steamer]

Nice going Brandon. Sure sounds like you earned him!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Thanks guys. It took 7 hours to get him to the vehicle and was a long day after walking 12 miles up and down the sides of mountains and riding a bike 6 miles. Guess that's what it takes sometimes to get to the big ones. :)

[royalmaple]

Brandon-

Did you ever get the pictures uploaded? I took a look and didn't see them.

[super sappy]

The Ny southern rifel hunting season opens today. I just heard the first shot, 5:39 am 8O . The town graded and added gravel to the road this week so I am not sure who left all the beer cans the road hunters with the spotlights or the road crew.We are just outside of Albany and Troy so we get our share of city hunters shooting from the road. I will go and collect beer cans on sunday in the Am.I hope to get enough to buy a copper sap bucket from grimm.-Retired hunter Super sappy

[Fred Henderson]

I do not envoy you having to live there with all the road hunting fools around. I have said that if the southern tier was the only place that I had to hunt I would sell all my guns and do something different. Eight years ago I shot a buck that scored enought to be placed in the New York state record book, even though it was not thee record. I did not do it only because I did not want to see the sides of the road lined with pickups from all over the state. I would love to sit in a concealed, protected place and spotlight them.

[super sappy]

Just came home from the dump and the game warden is over at my neighbors with one guy in handcuffs and another in the car.The warden also had a real nice 6 pointer on his reciever platform. The Mcgowan road score is game warden 3 hunters 0 and it isint even noon yet. They ushally put up the robot deer on the day after thanksgiving,that is fun to watch.SS

[Fred Henderson]

Man I love to see that robot in action. I have only seen it on tv. The warden's must get a good laugh when someone shoots at it plus another one when they write the summons.

[Pete33Vt]

No luck so far here in northern Vt. I put alot of miles on and have seen a few deer nothing to shoot at. The deer are really good at not being seen. Would love a few inches of snow then the would stick out alittle. But still having a great time talking with the guys. Seen alot of good looking sugar bushes in the woods. I think i spend more time looking for maples and old sugarhouses then hunting. But it make it all worth it. Going to try again today.
Good luck to all.
Pete

[maple flats]

Our local season opened Sat. I saw 0 but on Sunday I went out about 9:45 and 3 nice does walked past at 10:20, I got the biggest one. She was only 127# and will be good eating. She was a 2 1/2 yr old. Trying to do my part to bring the local herd into balance. We have too many does. I only have seen small bucks in archery season (and does) but no big ones let alone in range of my bow. My woods has lots of traffic in and out, the deer like my little piece of heaven. Still looking for a nice buck.

[mapleman3]

Topic moved to Sugar Inn
Thanks

[davey]

On saturday morning I had a nice broadside shot at a big doe from about 20 yards at most and with one shot took a 1200 point willow tree. I never worked so hard dragging a kill out of the woods. does anyone have any good recipes? Never saw the tree, which was about two inches across between me and the deer.

[Revi]

I have been sitting up at the top of our lot with a shotgun on my lap. I saw a pile of deer poo and a lot of tracks, but no deer yet. Still, it's been fun. I also look at the tubing and think about all the little fix ups we'll have to do...

[HanginAround]

LOL @ davey

You guys spending too much time looking at the maples, that's why sugarmakers can't be good hunters LOL.

[Father & Son]

Our rifle season opens next Monday. Friday I was doing some work around the sugar house and behind me I heard a grunt and then another. Turned around to see an eight point staring me down at 15 yards :o . He stood there for 10 or 15 seconds then snorted and trotted off :x . Probably won't see anything of him on opening day :( . When I told Chase about it when he got home from school he said I should have thrown the shovel at him I had in my hand. Oh well, neat to have him that close to the sugar house.
Jim

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rifle season opened her today and I am off again this week for vacation. I shot a 10 point about 8 am this morning and it took several miles and 6+ hours to get him back to the vehicle. Kicked myself all day for shooting him and still am, but too late now. He was 125+ yards in the woods and his head was in some brush for over 5 minutes. I cranked the scope up on 16.5 power and debated for a minute or two and then shot he. His G2's were 7 to 8 inches and the G3's were 6 to 7 inches, but he was only 2.5 years old and I hate to shoot one that young.

Oh well, water under the bridge as the entire time I could only get a few glimpses at the left side of his rack which was the highest. Was hoping to shoot a 125+ buck, but he will taste good as he had tons of fat on him. He will look good on the wall beside his other 2 buddies I have gotten in the past 13 months.

Good luck to all. I didn't buy an extra stamp for rifle so I am done. I may hunt 1 or 2 more days this week with my bow as I have an extra stamp. :)

[Steam]

Rifle season opened her today and I am off again this week for vacation. I shot a 10 point about 8 am this morning and it took several miles and 6+ hours to get him back to the vehicle. Kicked myself all day for shooting him and still am, but too late now. He was 125+ yards in the woods and his head was in some brush for over 5 minutes. I cranked the scope up on 16.5 power and debated for a minute or two and then shot he. His G2's were 7 to 8 inches and the G3's were 6 to 7 inches, but he was only 2.5 years old and I hate to shoot one that young.

Oh well, water under the bridge as the entire time I could only get a few glimpses at the left side of his rack which was the highest. Was hoping to shoot a 125+ buck, but he will taste good as he had tons of fat on him. He will look good on the wall beside his other 2 buddies I have gotten in the past 13 months.

Good luck to all. I didn't buy an extra stamp for rifle so I am done. I may hunt 1 or 2 more days this week with my bow as I have an extra stamp. :)
I was lucky to get a deer this year with all the rain up here in NH. Last Sunday's football game I shot a spike horn. Looked for a couple of hours and tried again in the morning. Found him at 0800. Had at least 15# removed from his hind quarters, dressed at 135#. Coyotes don't waste anytime getting to the deer.

Seen deer up at the camp in Maine, on Sunday when they are safe. Just thought I would say hi to all fellow sugarmakers now that I have the web on my ship.

Back to work. In Houston now, going: England-Spain-Greece-Suez Canal-Africa-Austraila-Antarticata-New Zealand-Home. Should be home mid Feb, wife better have the battries charged!! Safe and happy hoildays to all Gregg

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Trust me, I am not complaining at all. I didn't necessarily expect to kill one but when it takes you 2.5 hours each way of riding a bike and walking up the sides of mountains so steep you can't stand up, you try to hold out for a big one. Most of the places I hunt I could be to where I want to hunt within 15 minutes or less from my vehicle and a small buck might be difficult to kill. I killed 13 small bucks from age 13 to 25 and sometimes I hardly even seen a buck for the entire season, I just started tropy hunting 6 years ago and when you do that, you do things you wouldn't normally do like leaving the vehicle 3 hours before daylight and walking for 2.5 hours to get to where hardly anyone else hunts. :D There are places like that in every state, but 99%+ of the people don't hunt these areas because it is too much work like taking 7 hours to get a deer back to the vehicle. :?

[Fred Henderson]

Brandon, As the old saying going " after you kill the deer you work has just begun".

[Sugarmaker]

Brandon,
Congratulations! Sounds like a nice deer and you sure put in the work for it.
I saw 8 deer, 3 gray squirrels, 4 fox squirrels, and a steel head trout. Great day to be in the woods. Oh Yea. NO bear :) I thinks its back to work tomorrow.
Regards,
Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: After killing the 10 point on Monday and taking 6.5 to 7 hours to get him out to the vehicle, I decided to take Tues off as I was to cheap to buy and extra gun stamp as it was $ 22 before season started and it is too late after season opens. I still had an extra bow stamp, so I decided to go bow hunting yesterday and sit in my climbing stand all day and just enjoy the day and the beautiful day as the weather was nice as I knew I would likely not even see a deer. After a 2.5 hour bike and hike straight up the side of the mountain yesterday morning, I was finally able to get in my stand about 7:30. About 8:45 a doe came by and around 10, I decided to rattle and then about 10 minutes later grunted a couple of times. After waiting a few minutes and not seeing anything, I pulled out 1 of my 2 new Field and Stream magazines and turned 3 pages and heard something behind me coming and it was a doe. I stood up and then I saw HIM. I got ready as he was coming nearly straight at me and would pass within 5 yards broadside of my tree. The only problem was that the doe by this time was straight up the hill behind me and eye level with me and nearly straight down wind even though I was 30 feet in the air. The buck was 20 yards away facing me and slightly quartering. I shot him in the right front shoulder and he ran down the hill and stopped about 20 yards farther away. He stood and walked around and for about 10 minuters and started to walk away and then turned and came back as the doe appeared to be very hot. He was hurting bad and bleeding good, and I managed to stick a 2nd arrow in his right side and he tore out of there and went down the hillside in front of me and it is almost a 100% grade and after traveling about 40 yards on it, he then went end over end and tumbled another 150 yards before he stopped dead. It was by far the biggest buck I had ever seen in the wild in my life and he was a massive 10 point with almost a 20" spready and high points and very good mass. He appeared to be an extremely old deer, possibly 8.5 years old. May be the buck of a lifetime for me, especially with a bow. I gross scored him today and he scored 136 & 2/8.

I would post pictures off all 3 of the bucks I killed this fall on here if someone would tell me how to get them to show up?? :oops: :oops: :oops:

[royalmaple]

Brandon-

Sounds like you got a honey hole there. You may want to go buy a power ball ticket.

When can we look for your new show on the outdoor channel?

My yahoo was working well when I uploaded photos recently. I know I did have to go in and make my folder public so that the pictures would show up. Why they have all pictures initially private now that only the publisher can see is beyond me?

Or at least that is what was happening to me, since the last upload I did this spring.

You better save me one of those 10 pointers if I am going to come down to a guided hunt. I'll buy a bike if I need to. :lol:

I know this guy that has camps up in northern Maine and he was telling me he had a guy last week shoot a buck that was 338 pounds whole, and was something like 260 ish pounds, I can't remember, dressed.

What a monster. We do grow them big up here, but that is unreal.

[HanginAround]

Sounds awesome WV. I'll start a thread on picture posting, seems the question gets asked often.

[mapleman3]

Brandon, the pics you sent me were fantastic !! I don't know whats happening yet with photos being uploaded..

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

OK! Photos are now available on my Yahoo website link for all 3 of the bucks I harvested this fall or you can click on the following link:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/wvmapler/album?.dir=ea83&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/wvmapler/my_photos

[HanginAround]

Looks good WV, thanks for the link. Must be lots of deer around WV if you are allowed 3... always been only one here, and in the last 10 yrs, only a buck unless you win a lottery for an antler-less deer tag.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Pete,

There are quite a few deer around here and you could kill 6 or 7 bucks in past years but they are gradually decreasing it and trying to encourage people to shoot larger bucks as in the past few years, you could kill either a buck or doe during rifle season and the saying was if it was brown it is down. The state has even implemented some antler restrictions in 3 or 4 small public hunting areas this year. :D Now it is down to 3 bucks total per year with combinations of different of archery, gun and muzzleloader.

[HanginAround]

Wow, hard to believe... 6 or 7. I did see a lot of deer the few times I was through PA and OH. I guess our shorter warm season and harsh winters have a lot to do with the size of the herd, because we certainly have forest.

[mapleman3]

Brandon, one question, with those gorgeous bucks how come your not smiling :wink: :lol:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

:oops: :oops: My wife says the same thing. 8O 8O :lol: :lol: :lol:

[maple flats]

I think you're just too serious. If you want your own show on the outdoor channel you'll need to work on that. Watch a guy by the name of Roger Raglin if you want to see excitement. Sure is some good shooten there.

[Steam]

I hunted WV about ten years ago. Some area near Clarksburg. I tell all my hunting buddies this: I seen more deer the first day than I seen in a whole season up in Maine, and we were setting up tree stands that day. Let a couple of arrows fly, wish I could say more. Now with the Hoyt and Goldtips I could finish the story.

The guy who I hunted with in WV came up to my camp in Maine for a week the next year, didn't see a deer in six days. They are wise creatures no matter where they are. Good shooting Brandon

Gregg

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Gregg,

Thanks and I know the aproximate area where you were hunting and the deer population is probably double or triple what it is where I hunt, but sometimes that is better because too many deer leads to inbred deer and poor genetics. :)

[Steam]

Brandon,

Sent you a picture of the possible new NH state record buck. You can tell by the look on the guys face he is beaming! Top of the food chain right there, he does look thin to me, must have rutted it all off?

Gregg

[Pete33Vt]

Well hunting season wrapped up here in VT. (My wifes pretty thankfull). I ended up getting a 124 lbs doe on the 5th. Finally got her all cut up. Fried up a little and man she was good. Can't wait for sugaring so I can cook up a package or two while boiling. Now all we need is some good thick ice for ice fishing. So now the fun begins. I have a long honey do list and alot of stuff to do around the sugarhouse.
Over all I would say that the season went ok here. I saw alot of deer and alot of spike horns. Hopefully they will mature to bigger bucks for next year. I did read in the paper that the state is going to go over there rules and regs. for next year and do more fine tuning to them. I hope they work.

Good luck to all and have a safe and happy holidays.
Pete

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Gregg,

I never got the pics you emailed me and would love to see them if you could send them again! :)

[Daren]

Hey Brandon....you gotta be kidding....all three awsome! How green do my letters look...the envy is ugly I know...but....

I did have some luck up here for the first time with a rifle since 1983. Shot a 4 point out behind the house this year on opening day using my Grandfathers rifle that was given to me by my Grandmother. My father was never a hunter, but my gramp took me out and I was hooked forever. I dont think he ever shot one himself, but that never mattered. It was all about family and being at camp. (Whatever happens at deer camp stays at deer camp :) )It is the second deer off our own property and a trophy for me as they all are. You can bet I have a smile on my face. The wife was hunting only about 80 yards from me in another draw and was with me just after I walked to it. (took a few minutes to get out of the treestand without killing myself). I had two opportunities during the muzzleloader season but did not pull the trigger. I figured I could be choosy with one in the freezer already. Guess I should have cashed in on the opener of that one too. My wife had a chance for her first deer on the last day of muzzy season, but she said that the deer came out too close and that she could not move to get the gun up. Boy was she pumped when she called me at work. Anyway...congrats to all and I loved the pics.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Daren,

Thanks and yes I am still in shock. I am obsessed with chasing trophy bucks, way more than making syrup if you can believe that. There is only about 4 weeks of good hunting here, the first 25 to 28 days of Nov. Bow season comes in her around Oct 15th and it the deer don't move much until Nov. Gun season comes in the Mon of Thanksgiving week, so that usually only leaves about 3 weeks to bowhunt and the first 5 to 6 days of Nov aren't that great, so there is about 14 to 16 days of good bowhunting. Once gun season comes in, they lock up pretty quick if you are in an area with any pressure at all.

I hunted for 17 years before killing anything big enough to mount and now I have four that I got in less than 13 months. For 13 years, I was happy with any horns and killed 13 small bucks with a gun before I got obsessed with chasing big ones. Took 5years to figure out I had better find out where big ones were as I wasn't having any luck seeing hardly any in the normal areas. Go figure, but you can't kill them if you don't hunt where they are and I try to only hunt where I know there is a chance and pass up everything else. There are places in every state, just take a lot of homework and sometimes a lot of time and work each day just to get to these areas.

May not be the buck of a lifetime, but likely the season of a lifetime. I may be a little more selective in future years providing the Lord allows me to be able to hunt! :D

[Fred Henderson]

Brandon, I am much older than you but like you I hunted 15 years before I got my first buck. Then I bought my own land a killed a big 10 pt. It scored 141 1/2. After that one I let a lot of smaller ones walk. I did get another 10 pt but it only scored 123. I hunt for the meat and the big racks so if by near the end of the season and no big racks I will take a small one.


PS: If the deer are allowed to over browse the range there will be no maples to tap in the future. :D

[Sugarmaker]

Getting ready for muzzleloader in PA. Jim we will need to get together.
I just dropped off a model 1897 Winchester 16 gauge pump to get it blued. This was my dads gun and he killed several bucks with it. There are 5 small notches in the stock. Wished I could ask him about those? He was not a rack hunter, back in those days you hunted for meat. I remember my grandfather and dad telling about the time the went deer hunting and walked all day through several squares and only saw one track. If PA doesn't stop the doe hunting for two weeks it will get much tougher to locate deer for our grandchildren. I think the deer population is about right as it currently stands. Not as many as in the 1980's but a lot more than when my dad was a kid in the 1930's. anyway the gun should look nice and maybe something I can hand down to my grandchildren. I also have a mate to it that was my grandfathers that I had blued by the same gun shop 30 years ago and it still looks very good. Those old punkin balls sure do a job on Deer. I killed a nice buck at 40 yards with that gun and never saw a deer hit so hard. Well now I'm rambling time to wrap it up for the day.
Bottled 30 lb of honey tonight. Should be enough to get through to our March Open house. Orders keep coming in.

[Father & Son]

I think you're right about where the herd is but antlerless season needs now to go back to three days but most importantly the game commission needs to acknowledge that there is a coyote problem and if left unchecked it will be disasterous to all game animals (and domestic too)!

Jim

[hholt]

I'm originally from Pennsylvania and still go back to hunt in Forest County with my brother every few years or so. I shot this buck on my farm here in Illinois 4 weeks ago. That's my 2.5 year old son "Little Henry" and my blood tracking dog "Bear". I'll have that kid emptying sab buckets in no time.....

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b163/hholt/06buckmerge.jpg

[Fred Henderson]

Hey the little guy looks right at home , That IS a nice looking deer. What did it weight?

[HanginAround]

Methinks the dog and the kid are gonna sit right there and eat it 8O :lol: :lol:

[Sugarmaker]

hholt,
That is a awesome buck. Love the dog tugging on it!

Our crew has hunted hard since Christmas (7 days) and we finally got a small doe up close to one of the guys and he was real happy with the muzzleloader performance.
I nicked one that I hope is recovering. Hate to draw blood and not find the deer. This one was moving very well after the 75 yard shot, hope it was just a little bit of skin.

We have one more week of muzzle loader still looking for horns.

Regards,
Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Hholt,

Tremendous deer and congrats. They sure grow them big in the midwest and IL. It appears you took it during the second shotgun/muzzleloader season??

[hholt]

Yes WV, I shot him 2nd shotgun season, on the Saturday after the ice storm, which was really bad here in Madison County, about an hour northeast of St. Louis. We were very fortunate and only lost power for a couple of hours. The hunting after the storm was really good with the deer heading to food sources early and most other hunters indoors. I had babysitting duty that evening and had a blast taking Little Henry out to help drag (he shined a flashlight for me). He was very brave!!!!

I just finished fire bricking my arch this past weekend but with cool temps I think it will take a while to fully cure. It seemed to set up ok though. I wish I had one of those little plug in ceramic heaters I could stick in there.

Good luck Chris and others that are still hunting!!!!

[Fred Henderson]

A couple of heat lamps will do a lot for you.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Or a small fire with some newspapers a couple of times will help it cure also.