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Zeal Team 1 team room

Hey who has a good tactic for keeping scope lenses from fogging. Yes I keep a lens wipes in my bag at all times. Real cold days aren't so bad, but those wet snow days are a problem. Also I'll take recommendation on scope coper caps - I run the ones provided by my scope manufacturers (Vortex, Zeiss, Leupold) - they all let moisture in.
 
Learned a very valuable lesson today while setting up my tree. If your going to use an ultimate 1 stick and then add squirrel steps on a cam buckle strap you should practice setup first lol. I know what I’ll be doing this week in the yard.
 
Learned a very valuable lesson today while setting up my tree. If your going to use an ultimate 1 stick and then add squirrel steps on a cam buckle strap you should practice setup first lol. I know what I’ll be doing this week in the yard.
Ya, going the same route. Are you placing strap just under top platform? I made a loop to hold strap but haven't had a chance to pratice setup also. First part of season I will be hunting private and mostly using bolts. Gives me a little time to practice with squirrel steps and stick.
 
Had an awesome hunt this morning. Saw 6 bucks and1 fawn all but 1 was in shooting range with my recurve. No does though. That’s the way it goes…if I hadn’t killed a buck already I probably wouldn’t have seen those bucks! LoL.
 
Scapula! I had a doe come in last night. Very thick area, rushed the shot a bit before I didn't have one. Loud hit, she ran off hard, slipped down quiet, waited, no blood on impact, no arrow. Found small about blood about 20'. Found arrow around 20 yards. Broadheads broke off at top of shaft. No penetration. Found small about of blood off and on until no blood. Grid search area thoroughly. Just makes me sick to know she is out there with my broadheads stuck in her shoulder!!
 
I shot right over a does back yesterday evening @20yds with my recurve giving her a hair cut. Got in a hurry cause the wind was swirling some and didn't get anchored good. Funny how you know when you mess up immediately. Anyways I'm Working nights for the next week so no hunting for me until next Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Our Youth Season comes Saturday and Sunday so I'll be with my Baby Girl most of the time. Hopefully I'll be posting pics of her and her buck. :smiley:
 
I got my first sit in yesterday afternoon. Every year the first couple of sits are a disaster. I arrived and parked with plenty of time to spare (thankfully). On my hike in, a new beaver dam created an fairly serious issue. The water levels in the swamp I am hunting are higher than I have ever seen. Now partially that is good, because it keeps other hunters out of that area. But it makes me nervous about the water level around the oaks I am trying to hunt in this location. I spent 20 minutes breaking the dam down a bit in hopes of lowering the water over the next couple of days (yes I know how futile that is).

I get to the oaks in good time apart from that interruption. There are three BIG red oaks in the timber right next to a swamp (spread out about 60 yards from each other). They haven't dropped nuts the last two years, so I figure they have to be on this year. I quickly check out the nearest tree, and yes there are nuts, but most are down and there are very few to be seen on the ground. Either the tree didn't drop as many as I would hope, or the critters have cleared them out. Regardless I move to setup on a tree.

Based on the wind I pick a slightly different tree than I have hunted before. A big multi stem maple. I start climbing and do ok - a bit slow. I put my gear strap on too low and hoist my pack on to it. Then I drop my screw in cup holder (phone, thermos cup, wind detector, book rest). I am not climbing down for this, so I just hunker down.

Within minutes my a$$ starts hurting and I get uncomfortable. Then the rain comes in. Then a murder of crows sets up on a big dead tree near me and crows and caws for 20 mins (What I would have done for a slingshot...).

Thankfully my legs and butt started to remember how to get comfortable, my rain gear did the job, the crows flew off eventually, and my book got me through the wait. No deer, but my first sit is in the books. Now I am ready...
 
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Please lord I humbly pray for you to inflict mild, but uncomfortable diarrhea, on my boss so he can become occupied elsewhere and that I can slip out and go hunting this evening. Amen.

The lord does work in mysterious ways. While I am not sure the diarrhea became real, I did manage to get out. Had a nice sized doe cross my path at 75 yards. I'll be out again tomorrow...
 
The lord does work in mysterious ways. While I am not sure the diarrhea became real, I did manage to get out. Had a nice sized doe cross my path at 75 yards. I'll be out again tomorrow...
Nice! I too will be on the morning hunt crew! Good luck
 
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