Hunting & Fishing Took a Friend Hunting...

[The Surgeons Ghost]

Took a friend hunting this Saturday evening, with his bow, and seen 16 deer. One of those deer was one of the bucks that I had been watching since June. My daughter had went ahead and named him Skeezer for his non-typical rack. He has a 10 point main frame with several stickers. We counted and we estimate that he has at least 13 score-able points. The last time that I field scored him was around the last part of July and we figured him to be around 163 B&C. Of course his rack has gotten a bit bigger since then. Either way, he is a buck that anyone would be proud to have on their wall.

I do not have a bow due to my inability to draw one back because of my shoulder being in horrible shape. So, next weekend I am going to try and put him a bit closer to Skeez. We'll see...

If he doesn't get him with the bow, his ass is mine come rifle season, that is if some other hunter does not get him between now and when Shelly and I get out there.

Wish us luck!

 

[Sportin Wood]

Re: Took a Friend Hunting...

Damn... you guys get to hunt them during the rut? Our bow season for and deer has come and gone, and the rifle season on deer ends tomorrow. It sucks being a rifle hunter and having to hang up your unfilled modern deer tag in October in WA.... thats why I hunt with a bow. Last week and November and all December still to fill my tag with any deer. You got any pics of this beast you speak of?

 

[The Surgeons Ghost]

Re: Took a Friend Hunting...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: StanwoodSpartan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Damn... you guys get to hunt them during the rut? Our bow season for and deer has come and gone, and the rifle season on deer ends tomorrow. It sucks being a rifle hunter and having to hang up your unfilled modern deer tag in October in WA.... thats why I hunt with a bow. Last week and November and all December still to fill my tag with any deer. You got any pics of this beast you speak of? </div></div>

I knew someone would be asking me for a pic. JK'ing

No, I am sorry to say that I do not. I don't run game cams and the camera that I have is not good enough, at distances, to get a picture that would do Skeez any justice. I do keep a camera with me but the deer would have to be closer than 60 yards for me to get a good enough pic of him. Since he is a very nice animal, I have steered away from him until the time comes that I am ready to harvest him. I don't want to run the risk of bumping him out of the area. Being as old as he is, it would not take very much pressure to do that, bump him out of the area or go nocturnal that is. Skeez has a smaller buddy, named Bubba, that has 9 points on his rack. He field scores around 145 - 150. The last time that I scored him was after he had dropped his velvet. I haven't seen Bubba in about a week & a half. Since Skeez is the dominate buck in that area, I figure that Bubba has moved on to another area to get ready for the pre-rut and rut.

To answer your question about the rut and using a rifle. Our season for bow starts on the 1rst of October and runs all the way to the 15th of January. Primitive/Muzzle Loader runs from the 27th of October until the 4th of November. Modern Rifle runs from the 17th of November and ends on the 2nd of December. A bow hunter can hunt everyday without stopping for the other seasons/weapons, providing that they were Safety Orange during the seasons that require the use of Safety Orange.

It (the Rut) doesn't happen a whole lot but sometimes the Rut will coincide with Modern Rifle and when it does, its a blast! But more often than not, the Rut will happen between the end of Muzzle Loader and end just before Modern Rifle or during the first week of Mod. Rifle. We should be getting ready for Pre-Rut, which usually happens right around Muzzle Loader. Some of Oklahoma's biggest deer are killed during the ML season.

Oklahoma had a severe drought and a record number of days above 100 degrees in 2011, The "Rut" happened around the time for Muzzle Loader in my area (i.e. 2011), which is highly unusual. Oklahoma has not fully recovered from the drought of 2011 and we are still experiencing drought in most of our state. So, it may prove that this deer season may be another odd season for the "Rut" in our state. Lets hope it doesn't. From what I am seeing, Pre-Rut is just around the corner. Personally I do not think that the "Rut" will hit during Muzzle Loader, but I sure do hope Modern Rifle gets to see some of the heavier times of the 'Rut."

I took a 140 a couple years ago of our place during rifle. I put his ass on the wall.

 

[bassani]

Re: Took a Friend Hunting...

that guy better be a really good friend for you to put him on that deer.

our rifle season in MS doesnt start til the 2nd weekend of november and the rutt typically is around christmas

 

[gunnut223]

Re: Took a Friend Hunting...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Surgeon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I do not have a bow due to my inability to draw one back because of my shoulder being in horrible shape. So, next weekend I am going to try and put him a bit closer to Skeez. We'll see...

</div></div>

Im not much up on other states laws for hunting, but can you use crossbows at all? In PA here it was first that you needed to be handicapped, or couldnt pull a bow back for whatever reason-shoulder, arm, etc. So then the Game Commission for what ever reason, opened crossbow to whom ever wanted to shoot them and everyone started using them because they were a lot nicer than a compound or long bow. Just never fell in love with the crossbow.

Ive owned one, they are very nice and accurate, but extremly cumbersome.

Our rifle season starts Monday after Thanksgiving, and goes for 2 weeks, we just had a week of muzzleloader, and since end of Sept til end of Jan we have archery. Bear, turkey, small game all fall in there as well.

Anyhow, I hope you have Skeezer mounted on your wall.

 

[The Surgeons Ghost]

Re: Took a Friend Hunting...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Maelek</div><div class="ubbcode-body">that guy better be a really good friend for you to put him on that deer.

</div></div>

I have shot so many of those lil buggers its not that big of a deal to if someone that "I take out there" gets on of the bigger bucks on my place. I wouldn't like it so much if someone hunting on my boarders or trespass were to get him. But hey, that is life. What can I do?

 

[The Surgeons Ghost]

Re: Took a Friend Hunting...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gunnut223</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Surgeon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I do not have a bow due to my inability to draw one back because of my shoulder being in horrible shape. So, next weekend I am going to try and put him a bit closer to Skeez. We'll see...

</div></div>

Im not much up on other states laws for hunting, but can you use crossbows at all? In PA here it was first that you needed to be handicapped, or couldnt pull a bow back for whatever reason-shoulder, arm, etc. So then the Game Commission for what ever reason, opened crossbow to whom ever wanted to shoot them and everyone started using them because they were a lot nicer than a compound or long bow. Just never fell in love with the crossbow.

I've owned one, they are very nice and accurate, but extremly cumbersome.

Our rifle season starts Monday after Thanksgiving, and goes for 2 weeks, we just had a week of muzzleloader, and since end of Sept til end of Jan we have archery. Bear, turkey, small game all fall in there as well.

Anyhow, I hope you have Skeezer mounted on your wall. </div></div>

We can use a crossbow, with out the need for a permit now. But, since all that I own is an old bow, I can't really afford a cross bow right now. I could have though, that is if I had my priorities in line with bow season. But, I tied my money up into a new rifle project.

like I had stated in another post, I have killed so many whitetails that it is not that big of a deal to me. I just like getting out there and watching them and scouting for the upcoming rifle season. So when I do get out in the field I take a few of my friends out, that have bows, and let them enjoy some of the fine hunting that I have on my place. I take my rifle along with us and I hunt for hogs, varmints, or coyotes. They get to enjoy some hunting on a place that they might not otherwise get to hunt and if they are fortunate enough to get a nice deer, great. I at least got to be there for it and I also look at it as it was my scouting that put them on the deer. I would take any of my friends out there to hunt, as long as I felt okay.