Hows the Hunting Going?

[salmonslayer]

Number 2 son just got a couple of wild turkeys yesterday in less than 40 minutes (hello Thanksgiving) just a couple miles from here and the deer and turkeys are really abundant this year. The crops were full of acorns and grasshoppers and there was a lot of fat on the turkeys which I guess surprised me with the drought we have had.

Anyone else having much luck? Looks like we will be able to fill the freezer pretty easily this year.

[Vickie44]

Already got one doe in the freezer and just one week into bow season. Hope to see a couple more!

[foxfiredidit]

Have guided two pretty successful deer hunts. One into Kentucky and the other a local hunt. I no longer climb, am not a bow-hunter, and enjoy seeing the younger folks' success, especially if I put it all together and just show them where, what and the how of it. It's that "third" stage of a hunter's life I reckon, but it sure is fun. Personally, just waiting for gun season to arrive before I begin doing something about the level of red meat in my freezer and pantry. Good luck to everyone this year. (I put some photos in the G.O. forum.)

The grouse around here are down some but still enough to make hunting fun. They are supposed to be way down because the peak was three years ago in their 10 year cycle. The dog is having fun.

Went to SW MN a week and a half ago. Pheasant numbers are down over 80%. The winter was really bad so not too many survived and the spring was cold and rainy so most of the new chicks died. Most of the pheasants I saw were left from last year. They would run 200 yards and then get up and fly. I did blow a few shots. The locals I talked to said the same thing was true in SD. Apparently there is much whining about how much money SD is going to lose this year. There the landowners allow hunters to hunt their land only if the hunters pay up to $300 per gun per day. I would never pay for a nonresident liscense and the daily fee just to hunt pheasants. One of the ideas this country was founded on was that the king didn't own the game and the commmon man could hunt. Seems like only the rich can hunt SD now.

Firearms deer season opens in a week and a half. In this zone you can take up to 5 and I have an empty freezer in the garage HEE HEE.

[pheasantplucker]

Ohio's turkey season opened a few weeks ago, and the day before the opener, there were 7 jakes and 2 toms parading around the field just to the north of my cabin. Twice they came around a corner where I could have ambushed them...and of course now that the season has opened, I haven't seen one! Last spring, the week before the season opened, I had 11 march through the field where I have a ground blind on the edge of the woods...I have yet to ever take a turkey! As far as deer go, I have seen three, but the first one ran right by me (from behind) and stopped about 40 yards away, giving me a full profile look for almost two minutes. I wasn't comfortable with taking a 40 yard shot, so I just watched him and appreciated how cool he was. He was a nice big fat full bodied 8 pointer with a really wide rack. Heavy tines too. Shucks. The other two I saw while in my stand were two big does but neither presented me with a shot, so I'm still shopping!n Good luck all and stay safe!

[sevenmmm]

I bow hunted for whitetails all weekend and could have harvested a small buck. I video recorded the hunt and added a few other skits to make it more interesting. My brother thinks I went loco...

YouTube

[big rockpile]

I've hit a Hungry spell until yesterday Shot a Bearded Hen with my Smoke Pole.Deer and Hogs have been very safe around me

With this wind I'm going to try mostly for Deer but Hog comes its meat.

big rockpile

[mtman]

got me a 8 pointer with the blk powder will waite till monday we have a doe week this year

[salmonslayer]

Originally Posted by mtman

got me a 8 pointer with the blk powder will waite till monday we have a doe week this year

Nice. We get landowner tags and deer are plentiful so I expect we will be looking good for the deer season.

One of the turkeys he got was a bearded hen also Rock, seems to be pretty normal for Missouri as I got one last year also.

Good luck everyone and safe hunting. Here is a pics of the two from yesterday.

[boundarybunnyco]

nice turkeys. we have a lot up here, but we've never hunted them. hubby was elk hunting last week, no luck. only elk we saw were in the neighbor's alfalfa field...

[nobrabbit]

No venison in the freezer yet but husband got a turkey this past weekend.

[margo]

Whitetail season is open here for bow hunting. We're just waiting for rut and cooler weather. Have stands and blinds set in place, and I am waiting for hubby to get my crossbow loaded and cocked. Crossbow is legal here, and being a girl, I get to hunt with something I can handle. (no arm strength to speak of) maybe I'll get me one.

[CesumPec]

the poachers on my land are doing pretty well. Of course they had to cut one month old fence to get on the property and they had to hunt at 1 AM.

[Ruralnurse]

I got a bear last week.......................

With my car! He was a big, black and it was dark and he was barreling down the mountain headed for the river on the other side.

I slammed on my brakes but still hit his hind end with my passenger side bumper, pretty good size dent. It was dark, late and I was alone with no gun so did not stop to see if he died. I have driven past the same place several times and no sign of him. But I believe they are pretty tough so may have been OK.

My son will be going out soon. We have so much more wildlife in the last few years then I have seen in the past. I routinely see bear (obviously), gobs of white tail and mule deer, big horn sheep and elk.

Ruralnurse

[BarbadosSheep]

Only one buck this year so far. It does not look like it's going to be a good year. We need 8 of them to have enough meat for the whole year.

[Tad]

Went bow hunting for the first time saterday, spent 20 minetes in the stand and a 7 point walked up. 3 hours from the time I left the car untill he was hanging. I was pretty excited first deer with the bow and biggest buck to date!

[big rockpile]

Originally Posted by Tad

Went bow hunting for the first time saterday, spent 20 minetes in the stand and a 7 point walked up. 3 hours from the time I left the car untill he was hanging. I was pretty excited first deer with the bow and biggest buck to date!

That would just be barly Legal here,got to have at least 4 points on one side. I hate counting Points!

big rockpile

[big rockpile]

Originally Posted by BarbadosSheep

Only one buck this year so far. It does not look like it's going to be a good year. We need 8 of them to have enough meat for the whole year.

Small Deer or Big Family.

I killed 3 last year for me and my wife still have some left over.

big rockpile

[salmonslayer]

Originally Posted by Tad

Went bow hunting for the first time saterday, spent 20 minetes in the stand and a 7 point walked up. 3 hours from the time I left the car untill he was hanging. I was pretty excited first deer with the bow and biggest buck to date!

Nice Tad. I have wanted to start bow hunting to extend the season but man I just dont have the patience for it. Its usually so hot and buggy here during the early bow season that I dont think I could stand it.

[Tad]

Originally Posted by big rockpile

That would just be barly Legal here,got to have at least 4 points on one side. I hate counting Points!

big rockpile

One horn at least 3 in is a buck!