Squirrelhunter91's Journal

[Squirrelhunter91]

Well folks for the second straight year, I was out for the Spring NY Youth Turkey Hunt. Here is how the story goes:

Friday, April 22nd

My dad and I had to go watch my 8 yr old brothers Little League Game before we could leave to go turkey hunting. So roosting the turkeys was out of the equation. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif My brother's team won and my brother started a triple play. The other team had bases loaded, 0 outs and my brother was at 3rd base. He had a line drive hit to him, he caught it, stepped on third and threw the ball across the diamond to first. BING-BANG-BOOM! Triple Play! LOL So once his game was over at about 8:00 PM, we left for the cabin. We arrived at about 9:30 PM and got all of our stuff ready for Saturday. Decided to wake up for 4:30 AM.

Saturday, April 23rd

We woke up at 4:30 AM and there was a light drizzle going on. We vouched to go anyway only because we knew the birds were going to have to come down sometime... The weather report had predicted the weekend to be a washout but it was on and off all day. So we got on the quad and rode up to our property line. We hid the quad in some brush and started walking. We set the decoys up in the middle of a field at about 5:45 AM. We sat there getting soaked in the rain and calling. Our slate calls got wet really fast and the box call was just about done. The only call we really had left was my diaphragm. At about 6:30 AM, we decided to pack up and go back to camp. It was really coming down around that time. We got back to camp, got undressed and went for breakfast at the diner in town. Then after the diner, we went to the Trading Post to get some supplies for the house. My dad and I have to work on the plumbing and stuff on the house because our pipes froze on us in the winter and most of the pipes bulged. Our solution to the water problem was to cut out the bulged pieces of pipe and connect the two ends with a cut out of a garden hose with two hose clamps around both sides. It worked for the most part. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif My dad then had to go back to the store to get more clamps. During that time when he went to the store, I fell asleep for another 2 hours and he woke me up at 10:00 AM. He told me that the rain stopped and we should go out hunting again. I agreed and off we went. Through the same routine, park the quad, hide it and then off. But, then we started seeing turkey sign. This was good. There was hen and gobbler scat all over the place along with scratchings and stuff that weren't there before. This meant that the birds were off the roost and moving around looking for food. We followed the scat around, found feathers and stuff etc... Then as we were heading back to the quad because time was almost up to hunt. (In NY in the spring, we can only hunt turkey's until 12:00 PM) Then my dad takes out his phone to check the time to see if we had to unload the gun. It was 11:59 AM. So we kept on walking and look up and sure enough there is a turkey walking away from us on the trail. We couldn't tell if it was a hen or a gobbler because it spun around too quick. I could have shot it, but what if it was a hen?

Sunday, April 24th

My dad woke me up at 4:30 AM because I slept through the alarm clock...lol... He told me that it was pouring and it was a thunderstorm. So I said that we will stay in and wait until it breaks.. So we went back to sleep. I then woke up at 7:30 AM and awoke my dad. The storm broke and it was an overcast. I said that we should go onto our buddy's land. He owns a 100 acre farm and he gave us permission to hunt it. We drove to his place on the quad and drove the perimeter of his property on the quad, we didn't see anything. So we decided to go back to our spot on top of the mountain. And again, the same routine, except this time, we parked the quad down below and not up top. We walked around the mountain until 9:00 AM coming up with nothing. Now here is where it gets interesting. I walk up the the edge and start talking to the woods.. lol.. it sounds wierd but I swear that it works.. I said, " Come here turkey, turkey, turkey!Come here turkey, turkey, turkey!" Then my dad comes to the edge of the ridge with me and pulls out the box call. He lets out a series of yelps and guess what!? Two different gobblers answer us back! We start walking the ridge and calling every 50 yards or so. They kept answering us back, but they weren't budging. The problem with these birds is that there is no hunting pressure on them that the hens always come to the gobblers. So we go down the mountain and set up where we think he is. He was on the property line of our property and the hunting camp's property. But, we have permission for the hunting camp so we had nothing to worry about. The gobbler hung up on us for about 10 minutes, then he answered my diaphragm. He was walking away from us. We set up the decoys and started aggressively calling. He kept answering us back, but walking away from us. So we packed up the decoys and got on the quad and went up to the farm again. He was on the farm's property line and another guy's property line. This gobbler was so close, but yet so far. We had to stop pursuing this bird because he crossed over onto another person's property and we didn't know the landowner. At one point when I started cutting on my diaphragm, he gobbled 5 times in the same minute! But then he stopped gobbling and we figured that a real hen got between us and him.

*BUT AROUND THE AREA WHERE WE SET UP THE DECOYS, WE FOUND A TURKEY NEST WITH EGGS IN IT!*

Here are some pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/Squirrelhunter91/turkeynest1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/Squirrelhunter91/turkeynest2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/Squirrelhunter91/turkeynest3.jpg

[Squirrelhunter91]

My 2nd Youth Turkey Hunt: Follow This Link (http://www.realtree.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=645107&an=0&page=0#64510 7)

Alrighty then folks, I am now going to attempt to recap my season. I warn you, this is going to be very long and contain lots and lots of pictures.


Opening Day - May 1st, 2005

My dad's friend Kenny met us up at our cabin the night before. My dad owed him a turkey hunt because back in the mid 90's or something like that this guy took my dad turkey hunting, so ever since then, my dad has owed him one.
So we get up at about 4:30 AM, eat a few snacks, have some coffee, hot chocolate etc... At about 5:30 AM we get on the quad and head up the mountain. My dad dropped me off in one spot and took his buddy to another spot on the other side of the mountain. My dad then later returned and we set up in the area where we heard a jake gobbling the weekend before. Sure enough, I let out some soft tree yelps at dawn, and he answers us back. He just wouldn't budge. As it got lighter out, we regrouped with Kenny and it turns out that he had a hen walk almost into his lap, coming to his calls. That was our opening day. Not very exciting, but worth it in my opinion.

Saturday, May 7th, 2005

We go to our spot where we had the jake gobbling the past two weeks and sure enough he answered us back, but it seemed like he wanted to play the game. He just can't really gobble, his gobble sounds like he has marbles in his mouth, so we nicknamed him Marbles. He kept getting closer and closer. But then he just hung up. We guessed that a real hen got in between the two of us and took him away. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Bummer. The same thing happened on Sunday, May 8th, he started coming closer and closer, got within 80 yards or so, and then hung up.

We couldn't go out on Saturday, May 14th because my dad had a 50th anniversary party for his aunt and uncle.

Sunday, May 15th, 2005

We got in contact with Bill Purdy of Purdys Custom Turkey Calls (www.purdyscustomturkeycalls.com) a few days before and we agreed to meet at his house for 4:15 AM. His house is an hour ride from our house. So we had to wake up at about 2:30 AM to be at his house at 4:15 AM. We made it to his house earlier than expected. We got there 15 minutes early so we made good time. It was a rainy wet night and that led to the birds being extremely quiet that morning. The area we hunt turkeys in by his house is an apple orchard. The turkeys like to stick to the hardwoods around the orchard and inside the abandoned (sp?) orchard. We hiked up the mountain to a spot, stood there and listened for gobbles. Nothing was happening. Then at dawn, we set up the decoys and sat from about 5:30 AM until 8:00 AM calling every 10 minutes or so. Not a single gobble heard. Then we pack up the decoys and start getting ready to go home. Usually if nothing is happening by then, nothing at all is going to happen the whole day. Bill then pulled a call out that a rep from Knight and Hale gave him. He handed it to my dad to let him try it out and just mess around with it for a few minutes. My dad started yelping on it and then a tom answered us back! We just couldn't believe it. As it turned out, it was just a courtesy gobble and not a mating gobble. He was between us and another hunter who was also calling. We met up with the other hunter later. We came up on the calling on a trail. Sat and talked with them for about a half an hour. We then went back to the truck and let out some yelps, nothing! As we were driving out, we see a big old tom walking across the orchard moving towards the area where we were just calling a few minutes ago. Right there Bill's cousin Timmy says, theres a bird. My dad then says, " Look it's a Tom! Look at the red head on it!" We get out of the truck, I load up my gun and we start stalking this Tom. At this point, he is running back in the direction he came from. As we were walking after him, my dad lifts up his gun, and as he did this, the Tom ran and flew off. My dad said that the bird was too far anyway and he wasn't going to shoot.

I didn't make it up for May 21st or 22nd because I had a school project to do.--- Just for the record, my dad didn't hear any gobbles or see anything.. So he said... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

My brothers and I had a half day in school on Thursday and we had off on Friday because we had an extra snow day that we didn't use. So they gave us half of Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off from school. Friday afternoon, my brothers, my dad and I all went up to the cabin. The plan was to hunt Saturday, Sunday and Monday. My dad and I would go out hunting while we would leave my 2 brothers at the house with food and video games etc..

Friday, May 27th, 2005

As we were unpacking the truck, a local, Randy, comes by the cabin and tells us that by 8:30 - 9:00 tomorrow morning, I should have my bird because a Tom keeps coming through the field everyday strutting at the same time.

Saturday, May 28th, 2005

We met Randy up at our buddy's farm at about 6:30 AM. We set the decoy up and start calling. 2 different Toms answered us back! We sat there calling for about an hour. The toms sounded like they were in the field, but not coming in. As I was calling, I was so rudely interrupted by an actual hen. I started calling aggressively and louder then her. She then shut up and went away. We then got impatient with these Toms and started to move up the hill towards the decoy. I then see one Tom run into the wood line. Then I call Randy and my dad over and they look and then another Tom ran into the wood line! But for some weird reason, the turned around out of the safety of the woods and started into the field again. AWESOME! We sat down again and got impatient after an hour or so and did the same thing again. They then flew off, never to be seen again the whole weekend.

Sunday, May 29th, 2005

We set up in the field again and didn't hear a single thing all morning. We went back to the house, I grabbed my pellet gun and went off to a spot where I put birdseed down in hopes of shooting a chipmunk. I get into the treestand and put my turkey call in my mouth and start calling. I then hear a cluck and a purr in response to my calling. I look up on the trail and I see a hen walking towards my tree. She came in quick, purring, clucking and putting all over the place. She was looking for a fight. I started imitating her, cluck for cluck and yelp for yelp. Her boyfriend, Marbles then sounded off inside the woodline. He wouldn't come out of the woods into the field. I never saw a beard on him, but I saw his jake like tail fan with raised center tail feathers, saw his red head and heard his immature gobble. I could not do anything but laugh about it. After they didn't find what they were looking for, they lost interested and left. About 10 minutes after they left, I did shoot a chipmunk at 20 yards with my pellet gun. No pics on the chipmunk because my dad couldn't find the camera.

Monday, May 30th, 2005

We didn't hear a single thing all morning.

While out riding, we were chasing a doe around a brush pile, just having some fun. We happened to stumble across a dead turkey. I hope it was a coyote kill and not shot by a hunter, breast meat, spurs and beard taken and the rest dumped.

I hope it wasn't a hen because she has a nest, I hope it wasn't a gobbler because I could have shot it. As of now, it is undetermined and most likely always will be. If you guys can tell from the pics let me know. There was no beard, and both leg bones were cut from where the scales start on the leg. Exactly where the spurs would be. Maybe it was a yote kill, and someone else found it before us and took the spurs and beard. We'll never know.

Pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/deadturkey7.jpg

Feathers from the tail fan:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/unknownfeathers1.jpg

Us out riding on top of Columbia Mountain:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/topofcolumbia1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/topofcolumbia2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/topofcolumbia3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/topofcolumbia7.jpg

I didn't add put this in the stories, but we went riding every day we were up there. We have 3 dirtbikes and a quad.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my season through my posts as much as I did being there.

[Squirrelhunter91]

Sorry about all the Red x's but I needed space in my photobucket account... if a mod could edit the posts and get rid of the x's I'd appreciate it.

I am leaving to go to my cabin upstate for 5 days. Won't be back till Monday. Will do plenty of groundhog hunting and red squirrel hunting. But you can't forget the chipmunks. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif lol... Well.. When I come back, I hope to have plenty of pics and some good stories.. We won't be there on Sept. 1st b/c that's when Squirrel season opens. But I bet we will go back up on the second and come home the third for crows. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Squirrelhunter91]

Ok.. I'm back from the cabin. Saw deer, turkeys, etc.. We worked on our food plots again. But this time we really did it right. 150 pounds of Lime, 100 pounds of 12-12-12 fertilizer and we tilled it! Finally, we got a tiller and got the job done. It rained the day after we planted and then it was sunny all day today. So the plot should take well.

Here are some pics of the plot, just after planting.

EDIT: I'm working on my Photobucket account...

[Squirrelhunter91]

<font color="red"> My Foxpro's first blood </font>

Well, our crow season here in NY opened up on Sept 1st, but we can only hunt them on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Being that Sept 1st was a Thursday, we had to wait until Friday. We called and called, but nothing happened on Friday until almost sunset. I had a bird coming in to the Dying Crow, but I got too excited and shot way to early with my 20 ga. That shut the birds up real quick.
So, this morning ( Saturday ), my dad and I decided to give it another shot. We got up real early, around 6:00 AM and we were in the woods around 6:30. I hung the caller in a tree in the middle of the field and we got set up about 25 yards away in the treeline. I started up the Crow Gathering and whaddya know? Here they come, just as expected. Over the northern horizon they came and we let them circle the caller once or twice before shooting. One got above me and my dad, but directly in the middle. He was waiting for me to shoot first before he fired away. My dad and I were about 15 yards apart from eachother. So this bird is directly inbetween and above us. I lean out &amp; shoot and see feathers fall off the bird, but he keeps going. My dad shoot's &amp; hits him and he got wobbly, then I shoot once more and that bird just folded up and went down in the high grass. Ughh.... We got so excited and caught up in the moment that we couldn't recover the bird from the high grass. We searched and searched after the other crows boogied on out of there, but we had no confirmed kill for pics. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
So we then go to where the birds sounded like they went, and sure enough. That's where they were. My dad and I set up again and I hit the Crow Gathering once again, and here they come. They get right over us and boom, my gun roars, my dad's gun roars and down two birds go. The others scatter and get on out of there. My dad goes to get his, I go to get mine, but we then have a problem. Mine fell in high grass again and we can't find it! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I was extremely ticked by now and I just about lost it, but I kept my cool and all was good.
My dad recovered his and we used that as a decoy by laying it flat on it's belly with the wings spread out and the caller right next to it. But we then needed some breakfast and some more shells back at the cabin.
We eat breakfast, more shells and whatever...
Then we headed back to the same stand where we just shot two crows. Layed that sucker out with the caller and hit the dying crow. It took a few minutes of playing the sound on and off, but they came in again, this time I opted to shoot my dad's 12 ga. This was the first time I ever shot a 12 ga. The first shot I let off, I got the bird wobbly, but I was slow for a follow-up shot. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
The next stand we made was at the top of the mountain again with the dead bird as a decoy and everything, dying crow sound.
We had a bird then come in behind us, real quiet. Not making any sound until it was in front of us, but we both missed. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
We made one more unsucessful stand after that, and then a storm rolled in and shut the birds up.
But during that unsuccesful stand, I noticed a hawk circling the field. I then threw on a hawk/crow fight and that hawk came in looking for a fight. When it was directly over us, I switched to a rabbit distress and it nearly swiped the caller. It divebombed it, but didn't grab it. I called it quits after that... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

At the top of the mountain, I took a pic of my dad with the crow and the Foxpro.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/mecrowandfoxpro.jpg

[Squirrelhunter91]

Today, I pulled in a real nice one and kept him and ate him up already.
He was 14.5 inches and 1lb.

Here are some pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Fishing/9-27-05largemouth.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Fishing/9-27-05largemouth2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Fishing/9-27-05largemouth3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Fishing/9-27-05largemouth4.jpg

[Squirrelhunter91]

Today, as I was leaving thru my backyard to go fishing, I saw a bunch of squirrels running around and chasing eachother. Well, guess what... there was a sudden change of my plans... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I put the pole back and grabbed the pellet gun. At first, I dropped one chipmunk, bang flop. Next as I was ready to head home, I heard another one chirping so I went after him, located him and shot him. I then heard a grey squirrel barking above me. I look up and there he is, barking at me about 20 feet up. He only had his head over the limb because he was looking at me. He then shut up and started eating an acorn. He was sitting on the limb, facing me, still providing me with not much of a shot. I decided to shoot anyway. I shoot and, get this, I shot the darn acorn out of his hands! It exploded while he was eating it, but miraculously, it didn't hit him. I then reloaded and noticed that he was now broadside on the limb. I layed the crosshairs on his head and shot. Then, he fell. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Once he got to the ground he was dead so that was the end of the bugger. Turns out that this was a young squirrel, but he should be some good eating considering how young he is.
Here are some pics of the gun with the kills. Also, I used Gamo Match pellets in .177


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/9-30-05squirrelmunks.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/9-30-05squirrel.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/9-30-05munks.jpg

As I have shown before, these headshots are pretty messy:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/9-30-05squirrelheadshot.jpg

[Squirrelhunter91]

MY FIRST TURKEY!


Today, Oct. 5th, 2005 I shot my first turkey. Here's how the story goes:

This morning, we woke up at 6:00 AM and rode around the mountain on the quad. We were looking for some birds to bust up and then call them back in. Unfortunately we didn't see a single thing. Not a single turkey, not a single deer or nothing. Until we got near our cabin, we jumped 2 does that were bedded down in the field.
We then went for breakfast at the diner... blah blah blah blah.... After breakfast, I asked my dad to take me up to a farm where the farmer, a buddy of ours asked me to go and kill some pigeons in his barn with my pellet gun. We go up there and as I am getting set up with my dad for some pigeons, which turned out to be rock doves or mourning doves, I hear the crows sounding off in the field above us. I then said to my dad, those crows sound a little ticked off at something. I get outside the barn, located the crows in the trees and then begin to scan the ridge... and then I see them, about 4 or 5 heads bobbing up and down pecking and scratching at the ground below them. TURKEYS!!!!! Before I could say to dad to go back to the house to get the shotguns, he was already buzzing down the road in the truck... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I kept an eye on them and watched them. I watched two huge toms head in the opposite direction that the rest of the flock was going in. Whatever... Dad comes back with the shotguns and ammo... I load up, we both cross the barb wired fence and begin a stalk up the hill... I get to the top and see a bird, I lay the bead on the area where the head and feathers end/start, BOOM! My Mossberg 500 20 ga roared and down the bird went. The rest of the flock, which turned out to be about 20-30 birds, flew about twenty feet forward and then landed again. Except for two birds, one alive one and my bird that was flopping on the ground. I could have shot the second bird that didn't fly off, but I thought my dad was going to shoot at that one, which he did, but after he made sure that I wasn't going to shoot it. We were in a 2 bird area so we both could have filled two tags each, but we didn't. Anyway, my dad took a shot at the bird that didn't fly off and missed, that bird took off towards the direction of the rest of the flock, I went over to recover my bird and my dad ran past me to get to the rest of the flock. As I am standing on the bird's neck, I hear one more shot. Once I made sure my bird was dead, I started walking in the direction my dad went in. I then see him and ask if he got a bird, sure enough, he did. He shot a nice little hen and I got a jake. My jake had like little 1/8" spurs and NO BEARD AT ALL! I couldn't believe it. Not even a trace of a beard. I searched the entire chest, and found nothing. I don't think I shot it off... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Most of my shot got him in the feathered part of the neck, but it got it done. 20 gauge, Federal 3" 1 5/16 of #5 shot.
Now get this, as I go to reach for my backtags, I then found out that they weren't there! I jumped on the quad and rode the trails where we went earlier that morning, and then ran into surveyors who are surveying the land behind our property, who happened to pick up my tags. THANK GOD! I got back to the cabin, tagged the bird and then proceded to skin him out.

Here are the pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Turkey%20Hunting/10-5-05turkeydouble3.jpg

Dad's hen:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Turkey%20Hunting/dadshen10-5-05.jpg

My bird:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Turkey%20Hunting/Myfirstturkey210-5-05.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Turkey%20Hunting/Myfirstturkey10-5-05.jpg

Check out the spurs on my beast! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Turkey%20Hunting/turkeyspur10-5-05.jpg

[RangerClay]

Joe,

Congratulations on your first bird http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif That was great story but...... Why weren't you in school? http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I cannot see your bird because my school server will not load the pictures but I suspect you may have a hen unless you got one of this years chicks. Hens too have small knobs on the back of their legs but they never grow. That's does not diminish from your bird though, my first fall bird was a hen. When I get home tonight I will be sure to check out your pictures and see for myself.

Congratulations once again!!!!!
Joe

[Squirrelhunter91]

Oct. 30th, 2005

There have been raccoons tearing apart our garbage cans and ripping open the bags. My brother saw one one day while it was still light out and the last thing I want around here is a rabid coon. So I got sick and tired of having to deal with the garbage every morning and I did something about it. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
I keep a spotlight on my dresser so I can look out into the yard every so often and see what's around. I have seen fox, coon, deer, turkeys real early in the morning, you get the point. I have seen plenty of game from my bedroom window. Anyway, Sunday night I look outside at about 8:45 PM and there is a coon turning the birdfeeder upside down. That just about set me off. I grabbed my little brother and my bow. Threw the slippers on in pajamas and nocked an arrow. When we get outside through the back door, the coon ducks down behind a ridge. We get down there very stealthily. I then start making a kissing sound against my hand like something in distress. Then I hear some leaves rustle and tell my brother to start looking around with the spotlight. We're scanning, scanning, then - wait, what was that? - EYES! A racoon is staring at us while climbing up a tree. I suspected that he was getting some elevation so he would be able to see what is going on such as the kissing noise I was making.. FREE MEAL.. or so he thought. I get my brother to stand behind me with the spotlight so he could light up my pins, I estimate the yardage to be about 17 or 18 yards, find my 20 yard pin and lay it on 'em. I let the arrow fly, I hear the noise of the arrow hitting it's mark and then the coon growls and runs up the tree. I can clearly see that my arrow is in him and in him good. He then went up into the tree about 25-30 ft up howling in distress. After about 2 minutes of him howling, I hear the leaves up in the trees crumble and while that happened, we were watching him with the spotlight. I did not want to take a chance at losing another arrow with another shot. Anyway, we hear and see this crash and then we hear a loud thud and the howling just stopped. We then decided to let him sit until morning. I got up at 6:00 AM Monday morning and went outside, found my arrow then not 2 yards from where the arrow was, lay my coon. It was a perfect hit right in the lungs, but I don't know how it came out on his back left side. There was a perfect 3 blade "Y" right in his vital area. How about that story for my first raccoon, first predator for that matter?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/HPIM1698.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/HPIM1699.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Small%20Game%20and%20Varmints/HPIM1700.jpg

[Squirrelhunter91]

I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait... My 14th birthday is on November 25th and that means I can go out hunting for deer! The anticipation is killing me.. I have practiced and practiced all year.. It is down to 18 days and then I am officially a deer hunter! 2 years of hunting small game only is what kept me content until I could big game hunt.. I just really can't wait. Just shot a dozen arrows a few minutes ago. I practice every morning before school. My dad bought me a new 6 pack of Muzzy's the other day and I'm ready to rock and roll. But hopefully, I will be able to get my tags a few days before my 14th birthday, this way, I can be in the woods for my birthday. Man, I'm getting excited just thinking about it... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Squirrelhunter91]

Well, the other day, I was shooting out of the treestand, and decided to sit up there without the bow for a few hours just to see what would come by..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Deer%20Hunting/meinstand11-10-05.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Deer%20Hunting/meinstand211-10-05.jpg

Didn't see anything, but it was pretty cool just sitting there.

[Squirrelhunter91]

Update on racoon patrol duties:

I missed, I missed, I missed! Blew a shot on a racoon last night at about 3 feet.. lol.. had him treed and everything.. Now I just gotta find my arrow.. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Squirrelhunter91]

In New York, you have to be atleast 14 years old to big game hunt with a bow. Just so happens that today is my birthday. I have been anticipating this day for 2 long years. Finally, I can help bring home the backstraps. So, this morning I went out hunting in a stand that we have had set up waiting for me for a while.

I woke up at about 5:00 this morning so I could eat something, take care of business, get the update on the weather, etc. Weather was calling for temps in the upper teens with 11-12 mph wind gusts. It wasn't really that bad. Well, it might have been, but I guess I was dressed pretty darn good. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
At about 7:30, my eye caught movement off to the left about 150 yards out... On a little island down by the reservoir, I see a mature doe w/ 2 fawns making their way towards me. Now, at this point, the stream and a hill is still between me and the deer. So about 5 minutes later, I see them start crossing the stream. I see them hop up onto the land and one of the fawns starts walking up the hill towards me.. I then take the bow off the hanger when she gets to about 50 yards and then the momma doe, stomps her foot and starts heading to her left, with the fawns immediately following her. Bummer. They walk away and then about 3-4 minutes later, I see the doves flush out of the brush. About 30 yards from the cover, 50 yards from me, here come the 3 does again walking to my left, but at the bottom of the hill. They just kept on walking down the bottom of the slope. I didn't see a single thing the rest of the morning. Sat until 8:30. My toes were frozen. Other than that, I was fine. But I gotta admit it, when that fawn started on her way up the hill, I started shaking like a leaf on a tree out of excitement and being cold. LOL.. Gonna go out for the afternoon hunt around 3:00 PM. I hope I connect.

[Squirrelhunter91]

Ok, so now I'm back from the afternoon hunt. Good &amp; Bad News to report.

Got into the stand at 3:00PM. Saw nothing but a bunch of squirrels and birds until about 4:53 PM. It was still light out at this time. Anyway, I'm sitting there in the stand, and you know that feeling you get when you just know that something or someone is watching you? Well, I had that feeling then heard some leaves rustle behind me. I slowly turn my head and see 2 mature does making their way towards me. I go to reach for my bow on the bowholder and the lead doe picks me out in the tree. She stands there stomping her foot, trying to get me to move. It didn't work.
So the doe that was behind her, then takes the lead and gets 15 yards away from my tree. At first, I slowly get the bow off the holder, (at this point, the doe has calmed somewhat, but still knows something is up), attach my release to the D-loop and begin to draw. As soon as I get to about 3-4 inches of my actual draw, the doe that was watching me then stomps her foot and begins a staring contest with me. I let down my draw and just wait for what seemed like forever, which probably only really was like 45 seconds to a minute. She calms down once again and they both then look back the way they just came, giving me the perfect oppurtunity to draw. The doe that took the lead infront of the other doe then takes a step forward, leaving her shoulderblade out of my arrows way. I let the arrow fly. I just see her turn around and run the opposite way about 30 yards and just stop. About 15-20 seconds after the shot, she then went down to join the other deer that are coming up the hill. Calm as she was when she came in. I saw my arrow sticking in the ground so I assumed that it was a clean miss. She just then met up with the other deer and just resumed mulling around. Judging by her behavior, it looked like a clean miss. Then like 3-4 minutes later,I see two does up on their hind legs boxing eachother. While this is happening, another doe comes up the hill and walks up to the arrow that I just let fly at the other doe. She sniffs it, walks around it, sniffs it some more and then just walks to 10 yards away from my tree. After shooting the first shot, I immediately knocked a second arrow. Anyway, so here this doe is, 10 yards away. I stand up slowly, draw back and lay the pin on her. Then I tapped the trigger on my release and the arrow found its mark. I hear that THWAP sound and she does the death kick. She then takes off running w/ my arrow in her( I think, unless it went through her ), tripping and stumbling down the hill and disappears from my view. I know I slammed her, but the first one I was skeptical about. Anyway, I get down retrieve the arrow from the first doe and find blood, white/brown hair and fat on it. The blood wasn't good blood, so I think I hit her below the vitals, on the white/brown hair line. The arrow was not sticking out at a different angle that it was shot at, it was on a perfect line from the point in the treestand. We decided to let them sit until tomorrow morning. Hopefully tomorrow morning, I will can recover both deer. Have tags for both of them. Possibly 5 points for Team Heart Attack ( Team 18 ). Wish me luck!

POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART!

[dogdoc]

good luck tomorrow---I know you have one deer down but I bet a quarter the first deer is just fine.

hope you find her tomorrow
todd

[Squirrelhunter91]

Just got back from looking for her for an hour and half and very sorry to report, but we didn't find anything. We kicked up a bunch of does, but none with arrows sticking out of them or any wounded, thank god. I'm just feeling very bad about not recovering them. I am going to practice all day today.

[Tominator]

Great story Joe. I'm surprised about not finding the one deer. Like Todd said, I'd bet the first shot hit brisket and she'll be fine. The other one sounded like a dead deer though. If you saw the arrow sticking out, where did you hit her? If you didn't get pass through, you probably didn't get an exit wound and therefore she bled out inside and will be tough to locate, but it sounded like she's dead.

It's cold enough, she should be fine if the yotes didn't find her. Sure hope you find her bud.

Keep at it. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[hutchies]

Stay with it bud. She is out there dead somewhere.

[Adjam5]

I think he hit her in the scapula. You know that paddle on the shoulder...We look and looked, but suburban deer have few places to go, and we scoured those woods good and no deer, no arrow.
Pulling only 40lbs, he may not have had enough energy to penetrate thru that bone.

[Adjam5]

Hey Guys...I'm Joes dad. He has been coming with me to hunt since he could walk.
I am doing my best to get him his 1st deer and maybe his 1st buck too http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif We have been hitting it every weekend and I even let him play hookey http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifone day so we can hunt http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
He's got good grades...so what the heck http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Oh that funky thing below Joes stand is my other son Mikes old sand box.
Good Luck and Hunt safe.

[hutchies]

Congrats Dad on raising your kid up right. I hate the fact that less and less kids everyday are learning about the outdoors. Congrats for having a great son and one heck of a shooter. Fred Bear better watch out the way Joe shoots. Give yourself a pat on the back. You have earned it.

[Squirrelhunter91]

My First Deer

Woke up this morning, had a good feeling about the day, not sure why, just had a good feeling. But couldn't hunt in the morning, had school all day and dad had to go look for Rob's buck. So, I come home from school at 3:05 PM and notice that my dad isn't home yet. I ask my mom and she said he called a few minutes ago and said he is on his way home. So I get on the computer and go on the forums etc.. then at 3:48 he walks in the door. I get off the computer, run upstairs and tell him I want to get in the woods. He says ok of course. I get suited up, grab the bow, get sprayed with earth cover scent and get the harness on. I get up into the tree and am sitting there watching the squirrels chase eachother, fight, bark, mate etc.. Then I turn to look behind me and see 4 does making their way towards me. Immediately, my adrenaline starts pumping. They walk about 5 yards away, completely unaware of my presence. I let them get comfortable in the area. Then after about 3 or 4 minutes of watching them, I took the bow off the holder and rest the cam on my knee. So here these 4 does are. 2 mature does, 2 1.5 year olds. The two mature does are about 20 yards away, one 1.5 year old is 15 yards away and the other is 10 yards away. The mature does weren't giving me much of a shot so I then turned my attention to the little uns. The doe that was at 15 yards was broadside, but had a rock on the other side of her, so I rethought about sending an arrow her way for fear of a passthrough and the arrow getting sent somewhere. Then I look at the doe that is 10 yards away. She has her back to me, giving me only a Texas Heart Shot. Definitely not a shot to take with the bow. Then for some reason, she turns broadside for me. I stand up undetected, draw back and lay the pin on her vitals. Wait for her to stop for a second, and shoot. THWAP! She's hit. She just collapses on the spot. Hit right where the heart is at. The other 3 does take off running at the sound of the string, but my doe is laying there. She then rolls over, breaking my arrow and pulling herself away with her front 2 legs. I knock another arrow, draw and say "bah". She freezes for a second and I touch off the other shot. PERFECT! Right into her vitals. Now all 4 of her legs are paralyzed and she is rolling down the hill. She rolls down about 20-30 feet and lays down. I get down from the stand, see her laying down, run up into the house and tell my dad. That's when he made the above post. He grabs the knife, the camera and the drag. I tell him she's still alive and on her way down to the stream. He then grabs his bow and says he's gonna finish her off with a shot from his bow and that will be that. So he grabs his bow, nocks an arrow and takes off down the hill. I am behind him coming down, tripping over everything in excitement. The doe sees us coming and heads for the stream. My dad stops, draws and shoots and misses. No big deal. She then jumps in the water for some reason. He puts his bow down and jumps on her in the water. As soon as he jumped on her, she let out a distress bleat. Not what I wanted to hear, but such is nature. So then he holds her head under the water attempting to drown her. I get down there and he tells me the camera is in his pocket. DANG! Guess where his pocket is? In the water! I take the camera from him and the knife. Turns out the digital camera doesn't work anymore. So anyway, he is holding the does head under the water drowning her and then I tell him to get her head up out of the water and cut her throat. He does it and that's that. We get him back up onto land, her onto land and leave her at the bottom of the hill so we can run back up to the top so my dad can change out of the wet clothes. So we run back up, he changes, I put my bow down and everything. We go back down, dress her out and then begin a drag up the 45 degree slope she ran down! We get her up, took us about 10 minutes but we did it. LOL... We take pictures with the backup camera, but the only thing is this camera isn't digital and now we have to wait for the film to develop. Ok.. no big deal. I'm sure it will be developed by tomorrow afternoon.. lol.. gotta get them pics and scan em and post em! So then, I fill out my tag after the pictures and everything and ask my dad if he has something to cut a hole in her ear with and a tie rap. He says yeah and brings a sharp thing over to cut the hole in her ear. Turns out, the sharp thing he used had a sharp edge and no point. It goes through her ear and cuts open his finger. YIKES! Now my dad is in need of stitches. So once again, we run inside from the garage and wrap it up with gauze and tape and stuff temporarily. We the get the deer up on the "gambrel" ( http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif inside joke ) and leave her to hang. So now my dad then tells me congrats and gets in his car to go to the hospital to get his finger stitched up. I come inside, eat dinner and now here I am posting the story.

5 points for Team Heart Attack! Gotta wait for pics to develop!

[Adjam5]

Thats MY BOY...I'm SOO PROUD OF YOU SON http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Good Job.
I am sold on that water when wounded theory for sure. Guess whose having backstraps for dinner tomorrow? http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Squirrelhunter91]

Ok everyone.. while I was at school today, my dad had the pics of me and my deer developed. I just scanned them and here they are.. They are not of the best quality, but you can see me, the bow and the deer! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Deer%20Hunting/myfirstdeer12-7-05.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Deer%20Hunting/myfirstdeer212-7-05.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Deer%20Hunting/myfirstdeer312-7-05.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SH91/Deer%20Hunting/myfirstdeer412-7-05.jpg

In about 20 minutes we're gonna pick the deer up from the butcher and I'll scan the tag. Then post it on the Contest Entry thread..

[hutchies]

Way to go Joe!!!!!!!!! Keep rackin them points up for us buddy. Better tell your mom no more groundhogs or treerats for dinner, we're havin backstrap.

[Squirrelhunter91]

My dad is coming home today after being upstate at our cabin looking to get a deer with the muzzleloader. He is coming home around mid day so I can get into the woods with the bow. We still have 2 or 3 doe tags to fill and a buck tag. Just need 1 more to completely fill the freezer. I've been watching a nice six point the last few days.. plus a 5pt since last year.. Looking forward to getting in the stand later..

[Squirrelhunter91]

Deer season is over.. now it's time to go out small game hunting.. I have off all of this week from school.. so the squirrels and rabbits are in trouble!!