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Team 5 Thread

Am hunt, was set up in a new tree before first light saw 5-6 deer around 7:45-9, all does and spikes/forks and for the most part 50-75 yards away until this one wandered over. I was in a spoon and crockpot mood after letting a few smaller deer walk earlier this season so decided that if anything gives me an easy shot I was taking it. This forky 4 pt did just that, worked in to about 25-30 but was a bit too far/stray branches for me to take that shot, decided to wait, he walked off but then came back around and gave me a broadside shot at about 12 yards so he's now in the back of my truck. That's the exit, entrance was slightly back/higher, double lung right above/behind heart. He ran maybe 80 yards but did somewhat of a semicircle and thankfully ran closer to the truck, watched him fall. Relatively easy drag due to distance and size of deer lol
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Pup slept through most of the process, but it's quartered and in a cooler. Each time I do this I keep thinking about how some of you guys pull this off in the field. I'm using a table and it's still slow and hairy.
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thedutchtouch said:
Pup slept through most of the process, but it's quartered and in a cooler. Each time I do this I keep thinking about how some of you guys pull this off in the field. I'm using a table and it's still slow and hairy.
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It’s less hairy than you think & not remotely hard. The only hair is a few cuts & I RARELY find hair in my game bag or as I’m processing quarters anymore. You can wipe your knife clean on the inside of the hide or small meaty parts left behind as you work.
 
thedutchtouch said:
Pup slept through most of the process, but it's quartered and in a cooler. Each time I do this I keep thinking about how some of you guys pull this off in the field. I'm using a table and it's still slow and hairy.
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One side at a time. Do one side and flip. Repeat. Pack up. Leave. It gets easier after you do it a couple of times. I've done 60 to 70 so far between my deer and friends. I don't even have to think about it anymore.
 
I went out this morning and scouted a couple of spots I picked off topo maps. Never been there before. Both spots were pretty good. The topos got me in the ballpark, boots got me to the spot. One is a creek crossing with a hot, lone white oak on the opposite bank. The other is just a white oak on a hillside. Both show good sign. The creek crossing one has food, water and cover and plenty of fresh deer tracks down in the sandy streambed. I'll hunt that one first.

After the scouting, I went back to that area I hunted on Saturday after looking for the doe I shot on Friday. The oak was still dropping, and that spot is far enough back I'm pretty certain I am the only one going back there. I saw a lot of squirrels but no deer.

Gotta keep after it.
 
shmelton said:
We’ve made some major headway this week. A few more bucks on the board, and we will be in the running! I want to get back out there, but work is getting in the way since the time changed.


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I'm planning to go out Saturday to add a doe, or if I'm lucky, upgrade the forky.
 
Well guys I have today, tomorrow and Friday off to hunt.

I plan to hunt mostly public. I went in blind to a spot this morning but couldn't find much good sign so I ended up spending the morning scouting.

So far it doesn't look real great. But we'll give it a shot.
 
I went out this morning and scouted a couple of spots. One turned out to be good enough to supersede the spot I had in mind for this evening. I found an area that apparently had been select cut several years ago. They left the young white and red oaks, and removed all the pines. The new growth is just maples and briars. This area sits up on top of a hill with the road running through a lot of it. I scouted several areas and finally found a pair of small white oaks on the edge of the cut dropping really well and there was fresh deer poop under them. I backed out and came back this evening about 2 and climbed and hunted over them. Nothing showed this evening so maybe it is a morning spot. I plan to be back out there soon.

I still have those two other spots in my back pocket to try too.

Between the scouting and the hunt, I eased into one of my primary scrape locations and checked it out. The scrapes were not open yet, and I didn't expect them to be. I went in to "prime" them like I normally do. I collect deer poop throughout the season and freeze it. I then put a little bit from about 5 separate bags in a Gatorade bottle and hydrate it well with some recycled coffee, if you get my drift. I shake that up well and then it gets poured on the scrape. This works pretty well. My thought is that the buck can possibly tell the poops are from different deer, deer he is not familiar with. Once they find that the scrape is open and has been freshened, they will generally start hitting it themselves.

Tonight was also my first real climb since I changed out the Raptor buckle on my saddle for an Amsteel whoopie belt. It worked like a charm. It is very simple and weighs nothing. I like it.
 

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What size is the amsteel? Are you using that as a bridge or just the belt?


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shmelton said:
What size is the amsteel? Are you using that as a bridge or just the belt?


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It is 1/8", which has a weight rating of 2500 pounds, I believe. It is just for cinching the saddle tight to me for the climb up and down, and to keep it up once I put the saddle on at the base of the tree before I clip in. It is not to hang from at height.

Here is one on the Wraptor #4 saddle. I have saddle #3 set up the same.
 

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NMSbowhunter said:
It is 1/8", which has a weight rating of 2500 pounds, I believe. It is just for cinching the saddle tight to me for the climb up and down, and to keep it up once I put the saddle on at the base of the tree before I clip in. It is not to hang from at height.

Here is one on the Wraptor #4 saddle. I have saddle #3 set up the same.
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Gotcha, it’s a great idea. I’m sure it would work great as a bridge too, until you slid that razor sharp broad head across it. That’s one reason I use 1/4” on my bridge. It’s starting to get a little worn looking, and I’m looking at other options. My try webbing next time.


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Ok, off today and still in tree. About an hour ago spotted big buck around 100 yards downwind, was hoping he would come from other direction. He winded, but not bad. Enough for him to turn away and start walking, I hit grunt and he turned back, really trying to wind anything. Started walking away again, hit antlers and grunt, now he is very interested and starting to walk back toward me, but still soo cautious, snort weezed at him and boy does he want to come in, but he just knows better. I played with him on and off for about 15 minutes, finally he gave up went down into ditch and vanished for about 10 minutes. Spotted him way downwind , but still looking back. Also seen he went toward a couple doe that where down where he ended up. Man that was fun. I got the whole weekend to hunt, trying to think up another game plan for him.
 
JASmith said:
Ok, off today and still in tree. About an hour ago spotted big buck around 100 yards downwind, was hoping he would come from other direction. He winded, but not bad. Enough for him to turn away and start walking, I hit grunt and he turned back, really trying to wind anything. Started walking away again, hit antlers and grunt, now he is very interested and starting to walk back toward me, but still soo cautious, snort weezed at him and boy does he want to come in, but he just knows better. I played with him on and off for about 15 minutes, finally he gave up went down into ditch and vanished for about 10 minutes. Spotted him way downwind , but still looking back. Also seen he went toward a couple doe that where down where he ended up. Man that was fun. I got the whole weekend to hunt, trying to think up another game plan for him.
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You needed a partner to call from upwind so you could be waiting for him when he tries to circle to get your scent, like in elk hunting.
 
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