1.) Bob Peck - 10/31/2016

[SIZE=4][B]First there was this at 40 yards with a 2-blade Rage[/B]
[/SIZE]





[SIZE=4][B]Then there was this in the trunk of the company Sonata[/B] (man I wish I had a truck)[/SIZE]



Hunt Story:
Late as hell getting to the stand. It's sunset @ 6:30 and scary dark @ 7:15. I'm just getting to the stand a little after 5 p.m.

Busted the doe out of position less than 5 yards from the climbing sticks. I figured it was 78 degrees & all the action would be in the last 15 mins. Wrong.

She bounds off alarming the world. I climb the ladder sticks and get half way up when I notice she's in the tree line on the ridge in front of me maybe 30 yards away looking right at me. What the? I freeze and play the "who can do the best statue game". I win. She loses. She slowly moves off. Surely she must be sauntering away. Wrong. I reach the top and climb into the stand with my back facing where I last saw her. I partially get my 3-D top on, nock an arrow and wrap my release on my wrist. What the?! She's less than 20 yards away browsing like there's no problem and acting like I'm drenched in Evercalm. Instead my sweat mixes with the prevailing wind carrying boatloads of my scent right at her. Nada.

This goes on for 20 minutes with either a head-on shot or hind end shot. In other words, no shot.

I slowly try to pivot to a better position. BUSTED! She blasts off in a wild fury. Hunt's over but .... nooooo, she's 10 yards away doing the duck and weave and not in my direction. She's fixated on something I can't see.

10 minutes later she filters back within 40 yards broadside. Very calm, very poised. Plenty of time to get the breathing under control. Easy. Easy. Thwack! She stumbles forward and my lighted nock bounds off into the darkness. Of course I'm replaying the first shot of the season which was a rock hard bone, shoulder shot and unrecovered deer. She's blasting across the grass-covered logging road in an arc around my stand with her snout auguring into the turf. "She's done." I say to myself but the blood trail is not what I call profuse for the first 20 yards.

I summon my inner-McCombie and focus. My friend and his brother Mike can spot the faintest whisper of a blood droplet. I can too. I just have to come to the conclusion it's Saturday night, no one is counting on me to be anywhere, there's no threat or rain and for right now, I've got all the time in the world. No pressure.

"Where would she go? Where did I see her go?" There's no trail in the road which is a good 15 yards wide. I take up the blood trail where she crossed the road and oh boy! there's a huge blotch of blood where she must have stopped. I use the headlamp and a hand held high intensity LED flashlight to discover the spray across the forest floor. "She can't be far and I bet she's tangled up in briar thicket up there. Eyes!" Deer number countless on the forest floor.

I take a knee by her body and thank God for the experience just like I always do. I pray the day never comes where I'm unable to do this but still I know ... that day comes for all of us. The stars are vividly punching through the canopy. I'm sweating like hell but all is good, all is right and it's another venison donation on the way to help out someone I'll never meet. Eat well my friend wherever you are.

2.) BULLZ-i - 10/31/2016

THAT REDNECK AED WONT BRING HER BACK AFTER THAT RAGE DAMAGE. CONGRATS!

3.) DParker - 10/31/2016

{Robert De Niro as Paul Vitti in "Analyze That"}

[I]Look at the size of this trunk. You can put three bodies in there.[/I]

{/Robert De Niro as Paul Vitti in "Analyze That"}

Oh, and...you're almost out of duct tape.

4.) billy b - 11/01/2016

Congrats Bob, ain't it nice when a plan comes together? Even if it wasn't your exact plan:wink

5.) Jon - 11/01/2016

There ya go Bob, nicely done!

6.) luv2bowhunt - 11/01/2016

Way to go Bob! Much better job this time.


........oh and congrats on the deer too.:tu:

7.) bluecat - 11/01/2016

Good job Bob!

8.) Bob Peck - 11/01/2016

Thanks Gents (you too Luv2).

Our early bow season in Virginia ends this Fri and bang sticks (muzzleloaders) starts on Sat. There is still a ton of cover and leaves on the tree so I'll alternate during muzzleloader season between the bow and mz.

I'm taking off Thurs and Fri and hunting Sat and Sun to go for two different strategies one of which I've never tried before.

1.
Going to wear the ghilly suit and sit almost immediately adjacent to a crossing my Plot Watcher tells me is an active travel corridor. I'm going to use a 2-D decoy to hopefully divert their attention away from my best impression of a pile-o-brush. Never done this from the ground.

This strategy works like a charm from a tree stand. I have better success with this method when the decoy is fully visible from a distance. When the decoy is in thicker cover and deer "discover" the decoy suddenly they seem to freak out.

I'm going to set the stage with scent, fake rubs and scrapes.

2.
Gonna pack in a climber and leave it at the base of an existing set. I'll hunt the morning out of the existing set and then hike to a heretofore never hunted section of the property. During spring turkey I noticed a tree had taken out a section of fence and the deer created a cattle crossing of tracks. I don't know if it's still this way but I suspect it is. I'll get a hunt or two out of this new set and then be positioned for the bang stick opener on Saturday and then into rifle season. I'll leave the climber on the tree and retrieve it when the season ends.

9.) bluecat - 11/01/2016

Keep us posted. I've been thinking about the ASAT suit and sitting in some brush.

10.) Bob Peck - 11/01/2016

Two things I learned the hard and painful way:

a. practice in the ghilly suit
b. wear a string guard of some type on your both forearms

Trust me, it hurts when the bowstring gets caught on the ghilly fibers and then slams the bow into your face.

11.) bluecat - 11/01/2016

12.) bluecat - 11/01/2016

13.) DParker - 11/01/2016

[QUOTE=Bob Peck;45138]Two things I learned the hard and painful way:

a. practice in the ghilly suit
b. wear a string guard of some type on your both forearms

Trust me, it hurts when the bowstring gets caught on the ghilly fibers and then slams the bow into your face.

[URL="http://s392.photobucket.com/user/zulubob/media/gander.mountain.ghilly_zpshszedku5.jpg.html"]http://s392.photobucket.com/user/zulubob/media/gander.mountain.ghilly_zpshszedku5.jpg.html[/URL][/QUOTE]

It seems like the ghillie wrap on that rifle renders the optics somewhat less than usable.

14.) Jon - 11/01/2016

When I was in the Philippines, there was this guy who walked around Angeles City they called him the "Rag man". He tied rags around himself from clothing items he found, I guess to stay out of the elements? Anyway, he had the best "ghillie" suit I've ever seen. I think you should make your own suit Bob, make sure you report back with results.

I actually found a video of him on youtube
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPuBRo1eJ40[/url]

Here's another
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4VzNUe6ApY[/url]

15.) Bob Peck - 11/01/2016

[QUOTE=DParker;45141]It seems like the ghillie wrap on that rifle renders the optics somewhat less than usable.[/QUOTE]Yeah. Agreed. I use a rubber band around both ends of the optics to keep the sight picture clear.

16.) Bob Peck - 11/01/2016

[QUOTE=Jon;45143] I think you should make your own suit Bob, make sure you report back with results.[/QUOTE] It's easier to get free stuff showing up with the UPS guy. Use the thing, throw some multi-syllabic fancy words together, pretend I know what I'm doing when I don't ... next item please! :grin:

17.) DParker - 11/01/2016

It looks like Luv2 could be Mr. ghillie-suited AR guy soon: [URL="http://fox43.com/2016/10/27/house-passes-bill-allowing-semi-auto-hunting-rifles/"]PA House passes bill allowing semi-auto hunting rifles[/URL]

18.) luv2bowhunt - 11/01/2016

It will be interesting to see what the PA Game Comm. allows them to be used for. I'm thinking it will not be for deer hunting. I'd be shocked if they allowed that.

We still have to use flintlock in the post-Christmas muzzleloader season.

19.) DParker - 11/01/2016

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;45149]It will be interesting to see what the PA Game Comm. allows them to be used for. I'm thinking it will not be for deer hunting. I'd be shocked if they allowed that.

We still have to use flintlock in the post-Christmas muzzleloader season.[/QUOTE]

The text of the bill certainly isn't any help, as it consists solely of lifting the general restriction on semiautomatic rifles a la...

[QUOTE]A SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLE MAY BE USED TO HUNT GAME IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSION.[/QUOTE]

So if they don't do any promulgating with regard to deer, what do you think they're most likely to identify as appropriate targets? 10/22s for squirrels? You don't have a feral hog issue there yet, do you?

20.) BULLZ-i - 11/01/2016

LUV2.......... THEY SAID GHILLIE SUIT NOT GUILTY LAWSUIT

21.) luv2bowhunt - 11/02/2016

[QUOTE=DParker;45151]So if they don't do any promulgating with regard to deer, what do you think they're most likely to identify as appropriate targets? 10/22s for squirrels? You don't have a feral hog issue there yet, do you?[/QUOTE]

Predators. I think they will allow them for coyotes and foxes. I doubt the Comm. is going to relax the deer regs. Matter of fact, they are talking of making more areas of the state shotgun only, due to urban sprawl in so many areas.

There is no hog problem here and I doubt there ever would be. Most of our state would fall under the category of 'open timber' and the way these goobers hunt everything to the verge of extinction, hogs would probably not be around very long.

Seriously, if you make a drive to the public land areas in Maryland the parking areas are all filled with PA vehicles. They kill everything they can, everywhere they can.

22.) DParker - 11/02/2016

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;45154]Predators. I think they will allow them for coyotes and foxes.[/QUOTE]

Oh, yeah...duh. That's the obvious one, but it didn't even occur to me.

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;45154]There is no hog problem here and I doubt there ever would be. Most of our state would fall under the category of 'open timber' and the way these goobers hunt everything to the verge of extinction, hogs would probably not be around very long.[/quote]

Maybe. But never underestimate the ability of feral hogs to survive (and thrive) in any area with any amount of hunting pressure. Seriously, these things are survivors on a par with cockroaches...only much tastier.

Now if you'll forgive me, I need to sight in my suppressed .223 chambered semiautomatic evil black weapon of war rifle so I can legally hunt deer with it and a 100-rd magazine on public land next weekend. (OK, I don't have a suppressor...yet...or a 100-rd mag...which would be stupid....but, you get the idea.)

23.) Swamp Fox - 11/02/2016

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;45154]Predators. I think they will allow them for coyotes and foxes. I doubt the Comm. is going to relax the deer regs. Matter of fact, they are talking of making more areas of the state shotgun only, due to urban sprawl in so many areas.

[/QUOTE]

Punkin balls...That's the answer. The accuracy of a fast-pitch telephone book, so not a "sniper weapon" thank God. That's good for the children. I insist you bring this up at the next game commission meeting. Much safer than modern slugs. Also, if you're gonna get hit with a 12 ga./ .50 cal. projectile, it's much better if it comes from an antique or at least pre-modern piece of technology at short yardage rather than from across the valley, and it beats the heck out of a pea at 2600 fps. at any distance.

24.) bluecat - 11/02/2016

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;45161]Punkin balls...That's the answer. The accuracy of a fast-pitch telephone book, so not a "sniper weapon" thank God. That's good for the children. I insist you bring this up at the next game commission meeting. Much safer than modern slugs. Also, if you're gonna get hit with a 12 ga./ .50 cal. projectile, it's much better if it comes from an antique or at least pre-modern piece of technology at short yardage rather than from across the valley, and it beats the heck out of a pea at 2600 fps. at any distance.[/QUOTE]

:-):-)