Archery Talk

@bucktales lemme know if ya want me to grill-em up for ya !!!

 

And thus ends PAs regular archery season. (Special reg area not included). Saw 9 this evening. 8 doe and a small 4pt. Pretty good ending to the season.

 

here in ct, Archery runs on public till Dec 31. Private land in a couple zones it extends out till mid jan.
I have something like 9 tags left including private land ML, but unfortunately no room in the freezer for additional deer as I still have a lot of vacuum sealed meat from last season plus the dink I got this week.

 

Time to make jerky!

 

Yeah, I know.

 

Need my address???

 

So @bucktales post got me thinkin'.... Post up your jerky recipes.

 

All done.
Mixed, triple ground and vacuum sealed in 1lb portions.
Made about 15lbs today.

 

Had something really cool happen today...
It was midday and me and a buddy were driving around just kinda killin time and waiting to see when the rain would start.
We had the windows down and was driving by some public (where the truck is in the pic) and we heard some deer crash thru the tall grass (behind me in the pic). So he immediately stops the truck and we see 4 bucks chasing a doe like 35 yards off the road, they're all grunting and goin crazy 'n shit.
My buddy says he's going in there and I'm like 'not without me yer not'.
So we get out, grab our bows and a grunt call and dive in there (I was still wearing my Hey Dudes ). We spread out about 30 yards and he starts blowing the grunt call and I start kicking leaves with my feet. About 30 seconds later I hear a deer crashing in so I immediately drew my bow and out of the brush comes a 115" 8pt. He stops perfectly broadside at exactly 14 yards for maybe 15 seconds, then crashes deeper in there towards where the doe and other 4 bucks went.
When he leaves, my buddy hits the call again and I start raking leaves again. 30 seconds later another buck comes crashing in, this times its a spike. He stops right where the other buck did, then walks over to within 10ft of my buddy.
I never even knelt down (damn knees), I was just kinda standing in the open.
This was one of the cooler 'hunts' I've had in a while. No shots were fired but damn it was fun.

This is exactly where I was standing when those bucks came by.
We saw 14 bucks from the truck, then it started raining so home we went. It looks to be a great week!!

 

Putting the crossbow away today (Ohio's archery season runs thru the end of January though). Still bummed about crippling that buck at the beginning of the month. Only been out 2 times since.
May be done bow hunting for good......we will see come next fall.

Gun season starts here on Monday. Gotta get the ground blind set up today or more likely tomorrow (I know that is late, but the deer have never been bothered by it in the past. My son plans on going again after missing last year. I don't care if I get one, just hope he does so it keeps him interested in the sport.

 

We all have some shitty experiences in doing what we love, and it truly sucks....but I hope you continue bowhunting.
I have alot of flaws when it comes to hunting (probably more than most), but I try to improve, I try not to take stupid shots (I use to do that more than I care to admit) but most of all...I just love it. As long as bowhunting is legal I'm gonna be out there. I truly hope you are too.

 

Sorry Paco....not gonna like your post. I understand where you are coming from. I do. Last year I watched a buck for over an hour. He was definitely 140-ish. He finally got into position ~30 yards, shot felt good, sounded good... Long story short, never recovered him. Found some gut material around 100 yards from hit site, no blood, nothing. That was the first one I had not recovered in 20 odd years. It sucked, it hurt, not that I didn't fill my tag, but I failed to make a clean shot and recover the deer. Anyone who has hunted, bowhunted, has been there. Doesn't make it any easier, but we all relate.

Me? I re-evaluate. Was it a good shoot opportunity? Was the deer on high alert? Was the deer in a bad position? (I think that was the case for me, was almost sunset).

So no, I'm not gonna like your post. What I am gonna do is tell you what I tell myself. Never quit. Never give up. EVER.

 

Actually. I don't expect anyone to LIKE MY POST!!! Just stating my opinion/frustration after 44 years +/- of bowhunting that this may be the end for me. I appreciate everyone's thoughts greatly, though.

The buck had NO idea where I was! I stopped him 'broadside' in an opening with his head/neck behind a tree. No interference between me and him. No idea what went wrong, which is why I am in my current 'funk'.

Hey, I quit tying trout flies last year (due to eyes and fingers not working like they used to) and gave all my stuff to my son. He will get all my crossbow stuff, too, if this is truly 'it' for me.

EVERYTHING has to end sometime, right???

Also, 2019 was the last year I hunted in Pa. - that was the year they started the Saturday after Thanksgiving gun opening day - WAY too many NEW ignorant/unethical assholes where I had hunted for over 50 years!!!!

 

lol you can go back and find my posts from the last two years. Had the same experience back to back seasons. Shot a deer broadside (one spike was less than 10 yards from me) and never recovered either deer.
I decided to hang my bow up this season and only rifle hunt. Spent this entire year and the upcoming off season tuning and practicing with the hope I can change my luck next year.

I also recognize that everything does come to an end eventually but just know we all have had shit happen.

 

Sure its frustrating, shit happens...ive lost deer. Until i physically cant go anymore, thats when ill quit...
I guarantee theres guys out there that physically cant hunt that would give anything to hunt again...

If you lose a fish do you throw your gear in water and leave? If so let me know, ill take your gear.

 

Paco, my intention was not to offend you with my comment of "Not gonna like your post.." If I did, I am sorry. I fully understand wanting to know what happened. I coulda sworn the buck I shot was broadside, stopped, oblivious to me... a shot I've made numerous times. But somehow something went wrong. It. Happens. We don't have to like it. We choose to work thru it. I use to tie flies. Still do to a certain extent. The days of me tying 18 & 20 BWO's are over. Threading 6X tippet takes a bit longer, but when the sulphurs are rising, I'll be thigh deep in a spring creek.

There's a guy on Bowsite.com. His handle is Paul@the Fort. Paul still goes on 2 week solo backpack hunts for elk every September. Shoots a recurve. Packs his meat back to base camp. Paul is 82.

Last year the 1,100 acre farm I hunted for 15 years was sold to the state and became a state park. Public land and the hunters descended on it like vultures on a carcass. My goal for 2023 was to find new piece of private. That happened in May. It's not 1,100 acres, but it is 245. I took a 7pt Oct 7th. and my son shot a nice 8pt Nov 6th. I'll be 62 in December. Been doing this for 50 years. Way more sunrises behind me than ahead. Which is why I cherish each and every one.

You are right, in one thing. Everything comes to an end. But it will be because I can't. Not because I won't. There's a difference.

 

This feller was up by the road sniffin around

 

@Paco Devo.. as you well know, you, have to do you, words of encouragement, arnt meant to be disrespectful, as we will ALL, always respect, your decisions that you make for yourself...

 

gawd......................