Firearms season

[nomad_archer]

I believe Ohio got under way today and I am almost ready for PA to get underway on Monday. Good luck to everyone heading out.

[zachc]

Opening day for shotgun here in Ohio starts this Monday. I went today and checked out a new place I'll he hunting, only 7 acres but I have exclusive access and it looked like cattle paths all throughout it, tracks rubs and poop everywhere! Gotta say as much as I would rather take one with my bow, but I'm killing something Monday, gotta get some meat in freezer!

[nomad_archer]

Good deal zach. I couldn't remember when Ohio opened up. For some reason I thought it was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. But it's been a few years since I lived out there.

I walked around the state game lands yesterday look semi promising. There will be a lot of guys and I won't be getting there until after first light due to home duties. It should still be good. I am hunting on the ground for the first time in years.

[mrbb]

well good luck to anyone and everyopne going tomorrow
should be a good day to unt, chilly in the morning, and lots of snow up my way!

[MICH]

good luck if your out there tomorrow, any time you can be in the ohio woods is awesome..should be great

[nomad_archer]

Well plan a,b, and c didnt work out so I went and sat in the middle of the thicket. Its not much but to many people today.


Early morning view.
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/01/bbbc557a566ae3c4046d1c2fcf387bb3.jpg

[nomad_archer]

So far I saw 4 run through. I moved 100 yards and plan to stay here for a few hours.

[nomad_archer]

Moved closer to my spot at 930. 1055 had a doe come through. She is now in the freezer. The 300 win mag with 165 gr nosler ballistic tips made a mess on the exit wound. Entrance was behind the shoulder. Exit was then off side shoulder.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/01/eca0812135dfd0bacdddb40ffb738517.jpg

[mrbb]

well congrats, now for thet buck!!


I went for a irde about a few local game lands, TONS of guys out, sat on top of the MT from about 7 am till about 9, only heard like 2 rifle shots, and they were far off
theer had to be at least 150+ trucks parked on the game lands road??
in the snow driving in, and its been on the ground for about 4+ days now
I only sen like 10 sets of deer tracks on the 11 mile dirt road thru the game lands??
GUess deer herd there is pretty low?
at about 11 am, driving back to my place I seen one guy with about a 140 inch 10 pointer on the side of the road laoding it in his truck?

other wise, it was a sad opening day here, way quiet, and NOT due to lack of hunters out there??

[nomad_archer]

I know of two bucks and two does in the area I was in. Lots of shooting but there were a lot of second or third shots. This was my first time hunting that area. I will need to do more exploring because the area has serious potential.

[blackbeard]

The 300 win mag with 165 gr nosler ballistic tips made a mess on the exit wound.

Darn, you ruined some meat! Congrats. Miserable day to be gun hunting in Ohio, rain all day. I stayed in the house and worked, heck with that, I don't need a second doe that bad!

[zachc]

10850

Shot this doe at first light this morning! One down hopefully a couple more to go. Going back to the same spot in the morning, prolly pack a lunch and sit all day.

[00buck]

sat prety much all day and only saw 2 before legal light back at it in the morning good luck to everyone out there and i am hunting with a bow still just a dumb question do you have to stop hunting at sunset if you are bowhunting during firearms season or do you still get the half hour after

[nomad_archer]

Darn, you ruined some meat! Congrats. Miserable day to be gun hunting in Ohio, rain all day. I stayed in the house and worked, heck with that, I don't need a second doe that bad!
Turned out not to be so bad. Only lost the bottom of the off shoulder right above the knee cap. Thought it was going to be worse but after deboning it wasn't as bad as expected. Now if I could see a buck... Heading to my cabin Friday morning and staying till Tuesday. Unfortunately we can't hunt on Sunday.

[trperk]

Nice view! Better than my lonely office in Forest Park!

[compoundhunter]

No you can hunt half hour after sunset even with a gun now

[mrbb]

No you can hunt half hour after sunset even with a gun now

I think you mean half hr past sun rise, not sun set? half hr after sun set is most states legak cut off time per day?
not the starting time, unless your a poacher LOL
OR maybe coyote hunting, but most states close fater sun set hunting during deer rifle season, to prevent poaching/cover up

[zachc]

No in Ohio you can hunt, bow and gun, you can hunt 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

[nomad_archer]

Nice doe Zach, congrats

[ManOfTheFall]

Congrats on the doe Zach!!!!!

[Genesis 9:3]

Nice view! Better than my lonely office in Forest Park!

Two years ago I worked off waycross... not too bad if you were able to get in on the hunting in Winton Woods! (I missed out on that, but heard good things)

Zach, you have some fine looking steaks in that picture!

[MJH]

I think you mean half hr past sun rise, not sun set? half hr after sun set is most states legak cut off time per day?
not the starting time, unless your a poacher LOL
OR maybe coyote hunting, but most states close fater sun set hunting during deer rifle season, to prevent poaching/cover up


No they actually changed the regs. Its a 1/2 an hour before and a 1/2 an hour after now.

Mike

[zachc]

10851


Thanks guys! Well this morning went very similar to yesterday. I went back to the same property, set up at the same tree, and at 7:40 this girl met Mr Mossberg!

[nomad_archer]

Congrats again zach. You have been busy. If you are cutting them up yourself, you didn't even have enough time to let the grinder cool off.

[zachc]

Thanks again, busy is exactly right! Between the drive, killing, and cutting all by myself...killing was the easy part, lol. Out now driving some public land so we'll see what happens.

[mrbb]

HAHA< I always said the fun part of hunting starts to go down hill hafer the kill, from, gutting it, to dragging it out to cutting it up, and then or the taxidermist bills LOL
the fun can go south faster some days than others LOL

[nomad_archer]

Mrbb like my Monday went something like this....wow it is a legal deer. Gun up deer stopped.... Bang. Deer jumped twice and was down. Excitement soon turns to the realization that it is close to 60 degrees and I have a lot of work on the ground. Gutting is a 10 minute or less ordeal from start to clean up. The trick was at that temp how fast could I get the meat in the fridge. Took me 3 hours from shot until quartered and in the fridge. Finally got it wrapped and in the freezer tonight. The grinder I bought 2 years ago after the season has now paid for itself as this was the 5th deer through it and my 4th in that time span. With butcher costs $70+ a deer it is way easier to do the work yourself.

[Bushman]

I beg to differ. I gladly pay the 70$ b/c I don't have the time or resources to butcher a deer.

[zachc]

I'm gonna have to go with nomad on this one, $70+ to have a deer cut up isn't really worth it to me. On top of that for $70 you might not even get what you want out of it. We have taken deer to get them processed to a few different places over the years and have gotten some weird cuts back (ribs, shanks, etc), at least if we cut it up we can get what we want out of it. Also don't know if y'all have ever tried deer ribs or shanks buts there's hardly any meat on either, would rather just bone them out and get a lil more burger. And I understand why they do it that way, the faster and more deer they process the more money they get but still...

[nomad_archer]

My cabelas 3/4hp "commercial grade" grinder cost me $350 two years ago after season. So far I have put 5 deer, 4 of mine and 1 of my dads and at the going rate the grinder has paid for itself. One more deer and the good knife set I purchased will have paid for itself. So with that said 6 deer to pay off all of the equipment needed. I had a spreader and pulley before hand so that there wasn't an expense there but you can pick up a good one at tsc that is way better than the ones sold at the big box stores. For roughly $400 I was able to have what I needed to get started. So for $450 or less if you have nothing you can be up and running with good equipment. I made those investments at 28 years old so I will get my moneys worth over my life time. I didnt in my wildest dreams think I would put 5 deer through the grinder in two seasons and this season isn't over yet and my dad and I still have buck tags and 4 more days or parts of days to get out hunting.

Plus I last one I had butchered, I was not impressed with and my wife didn't like the meat. I clean the meat better then the butcher and I get more meat that I know is mine. Processing your own takes time but it is worth it for me. Plus when I hunt at my cabin I cant really take a deer to the butcher and pick it up a week or two later. The 4.5-5 drive is prohibitive to that.

Bushman, I do not know your situation but not having the time and resources to process a deer leaves you with only one choice and that is to pay the going rate. I get that I needed to do that for years when I was in college and or living in an apartment. For me now it is a choice and I have the space to process the deer and I make the time to get it done.

[mrbb]

well I agree, some of the place's up here charge over a 100 bucks for a basic cut, and then if you want things made it can run up over 200 bucks to get a deer butchered??
CRAZY in my eye's
but I have a few friends that are butchers and they get a ton of business, and folks pay no questions asked??
My one buddy put his 3 kids thru collage on $$ he made butchering deer
he used to butcher like 700-1,000 deer a yr, for like 15+ yrs, then the deer numbers dropped and so did the deer bought in, and then the Game commission and all its red tape about butchering and blah blah, rules and crap!
,
he gave it up, , but MAN he made a lot of money over the yrs, and he had one of the cleanest cuts going
he is a full time butcher , and he used to buy all his supply's at work, everything came back, wrapped just like in a store, , foam bottom, blood rag, boneless and cut clean
, used to rent 3 tractor trailer freezers, and hired local high school kids foot ball teams normally, and man they could cut deer up fast!

But to pay a 100+ bucks to get back 35-40 lbs of meat?? is a lot to many folks


I've butchered a LOT of mine own deer, then, got spoiled, my one buddy, LOVED cutting up deer?? not sure why??
but when I killed one, all I had to do was call him up, drop it off, and about 2 hrs later go pick it up, all de boned, and wrapped in freezer wrap, and labeled?
for free , well,I gave him a case of beer for every deer he did! ? LOL

then, he moved, and one of my other buddy's opened a butcher shop, and still has it, so, again, last 15+ yrs, my deer get cut up, and all I have to do is drop em off! and get back in a few hrs!
I have it spoiled folks LOL

[nomad_archer]

Here we go back at camp getting ready to head to the stand.... Game on

[mrbb]

well good luck, raining here, and calling for rain all day tomorrow??
should save a lot of deer for next week, or next yr LOL

[nomad_archer]

Here is the view from the stand. Stand needs turned 70 degrees now that I know what the deer are doing. This is a pretty decent mountain spot.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/05/535725ce91658c903ece64e99fd1695d.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/05/aae106577602144d2bfda80612fd6898.jpg

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/05/ebee7096cd2731bb48f4aa1f75583f72.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/05/947501f0b0a71c778e0914c71d1a2de9.jpg

[mrbb]

looks good, but need to see a deer LOL

[nomad_archer]

I have in this spot. Saw a doe and spike last night

[mrbb]

I was just sayinbg, to make the pic's better, and it a better spot, would just mean to have deer in in NOW , while you there LOl

Crappy weather day today here, seems Like Monday will be a god day if your still up there?
Good luck!

[nomad_archer]

Today has been slooooooow. Saw a doe coming in at 7. I took a break at 1 to dry my clothes and saw a second doe 100 yards from my stand on the way in at 3. Both gave excellent shot opportunities but I don't have a doe tag. Now if a buck would wonder by that would be great.

I am staying till Tuesday and I can't wait for Monday. I am using tomorrow to explore this area more. I really didn't scout here. A guy at camp said it looked good so I put my stand in . it has not disappointed.

[mrbb]

well almost NO one was ouyt today here, normally on fist saturday, my road is like a free way with hunters going in, as I live on a dead end here, and it leads to 3 gun clubs property's, almost zero traffic, guess most guys are dry weather hunters anymore???

I had deer in my yard from about 3 pm till dark too, seems they didn't mind there being no hunters out LOL

been getting a few pictures of a main frame 10, with two small stickers, so guess you could call it a 12 pointer
shows up in me yard about 9;30 till about 11;30 pm, last 6 nights in a row
not a big buck, MAYBE 130's if that, be nice to see if he makes it till next yr
if weather stays like this, I bet he wil, unless he runs into a car LOL
a shame, I recall yrs back, (80's early 90's)
rifle season the woods were full of ornage all two weeks, now its like opening day, maybe second day, then the two saturdays, and slow the rest of the time???
if we had better food for deer in the forest, we should have a lot mroe deer, based on poor hunting effort LOL

[nomad_archer]

Yep hardly any one in the wood on Saturday. Most guys hunted 2 hours then quit. Today it will probably be just the 8 guys and one or two more in the woods. Almost all of the camps are empty.

Its cold so hopefully the deer are moving. Traditionally this day is deer drive day but the guys are getting to old to walk all day so we are posting. Its a shame that there aren't more young hunters but what can you do

[MICH]

Michigan dnr had a quote last year that the average age of the gun hunters here was upper 50's...NA you afe right its sad....all the rain in ohio last week saved a ton of deer.....the gun harvest #'s will be interesting..

[mrbb]

Well I do think there are more young hunters, just most are bow hunters?
I think more folks are bow hunting these days than gun hunting, or should I say more folks that make an honest effort to kill a deer are. They like the warmer temps, the less pressured deer, which to be honest are easier to kill for this reason, come rifle season, most places, deer get smart FAST, and ten to hide all day, and totally changes mostpatterns, making killing a buck in rifle season more luck, than skill IMO.
Even with the added distance a rifle offers, bow season is honestky the best chance these days at a buck IMO

[nomad_archer]

Well I am back at home now. Monday was a long sit. I saw a doe and a spike. There again was very little shooting and the majority of the guys in the woods were from our camp or the one next door. Everyone saw a deer or two but no one got any shooting. My dad and I had shooting if we still had doe tags but we filled those in archery. One of our guys jumped a very good buck so I hope he makes it until next year. But for now the cabin is winterized and I will not see it again until spring turkey.

I am not done hunting yet. I will be hunting locally this Friday morning and see if I cant get something to happen sitting on the ground again out on the game lands. You never know if you arent in the woods. I may hunt after Christmas but I am unsure.

[mrbb]

Well its been very quiet here, seems like most guys gave up;
Up my hunting camp, yesterday, one guy got a nice 8 pointer, nothing big, maybe a 100 inches or so off game lands, one other guy is up till Sunday, but out of about 28 guys in all, just one deer?
most are older guys that spent very little if any time in the woods, just hang out at camp these days. But , was a slow season rest
Good luck on Friday, should be a good day, calling for decent weather, which should mean lots of guys out moving deer maybe??

[nomad_archer]

It's the end of the road for most rifle hunters. Poor weather has most convinced to stay home. I will be out tomorrow on public land. I am pretty sure I will be alone but you never know what is going to happen. I plan on taking my stool and moving and sitting in one place for an hour or two at a time. That way I get to explore some new ground and post a bit as well.

[mrbb]

instead of taking your stool
have you ever thought about just taking the seat portion of your climber?? I find that make s a great quick and easy and comfy seat when walking and posting
the cable that goes around the tree, works as a great sling too, making carrying it easy too, to me , it beats a stool any day, and again, its easy to carry and rather light too???
gets you mroe use of your tree stand as well
and it keeps you up off the ground and more at eye leve with deer??/

[nomad_archer]

If I am going to take the seat portion I will take the whole thing. But who needs a tree stand when you have a big rock in just the right place. This is 100 yards from where I got the doe opening day. There are a few people in the woods today hopefully they get the deer moving.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/12/c29cce151706a957468fd9bcc49d9a42.jpg

[mrbb]

well I hear you, BUt I personally found the seat climber, does make things a lot easier when the ground is wet ot??
and its rather light, as light or lighter than any folding chair or stool, and it keeps be higher off the ground and more comfortable too
and it carry's very easy, almost like a sling?
so, it was just a tip I found works a lot better than stools and chairs, maybe I'm gettiong old and need a softer seat than a rock these days too LOL

But have used many big bolders as treestands over the yrs, same can be said with cliffs too, they are natures tree stands some times LOL
and FREE and no carrying at all!!

[Bushman]

Well Im probably done till muzzy. It will be my first in OH in awhile that I still have my buck tag. Hope the weather cooperates.

[nomad_archer]

I am not waiting for the after Christmas archery to come back in here in PA. I will be getting out at least two days. I am working on my wife to try to get another two days out in the woods. But we will see.