Reel Doc

Greg

Congratulations. That old boy looks like he had some smarts to live that long. Kudos to you for finding that thick stuff to get him.

Greg

Top shelf Ray. Congratulations. Now you can hook up with Pete and chase some of those Jersey bear at the Donut shop.

Greg

That's one beautiful deer. Congratulations on your patience and willingness to wait until it all came together. Good Sportsmen get Great Memories!

Greg

Great story, great deer. The beauty of bow hunting is a clean miss can often give you a second chance. WTG

Greg

WTG, he was worth the wait. When you think about it, the best time to score a good bow buck is at the end of season so you are able to enjoy getting out for the whole time.

Greg

Thanks guys, that's a nice article. I wish some photos would come out on white bucks with bigger racks, but any I've seen are nothing special. We live about 8 miles from the site so I keep hoping a big boy will escape and set up shop in our thick little swale.

Greg

Pete,

All kinds of craziness in Jersey. One brute of a buck for sure. Send me a PM with your address if you want that F & S with the Jersey article. With all the entertainment you've provided about bucks, bears and goats, I'ld be happy to return the favor and mail you the mag.

Greg

Congratulations to you and your hunting partners. All good deer and that last one is a stud...hope he's getting mounted!

Greg

Great job... ...looks like perfect shot placement, I bet he didn't go far.

Greg

Two beautiful bucks Sean. How long are the brow tines on your Brother-in-Laws buck. They look huge.

Greg

Go get him Pete, looks like a good one. Just make sure it's not a bear in a buck suit.

Greg

Word around here this week is seek phase/early rut is on. Can't wait to find out for myself over the next few days. Oh, and Ray, stop making the womenfolk do all the dirty work!

Greg

Andy,don't you have a shooting platform on that tractor .

What farmer wouldn't?

You get those deer eating silage and apples out of the tractor bucket as soon as they are weaned, so 3-4 years later when they are sporting 150+ racks you "put put" out there with the bucket full of chow and the boys come running.

Then there is plan B...the heifer in heat decoy....oops, sorry Andy, I almost spilled the beans.

Greg

WTG, That is a nice buck. Can't wait to hear the story so long as there is no bear involvement.

Greg

I think you're right kman, as even Alsheimer admits photoperiod is probably 80% of the influence. So far in our woods everything is on course for a typical rut kicking in over the next 7-10 days. Have only seen does in groups, no solo hot mamas, plenty of rub activity, small scrapes by the young boys....I do not see sign of a big boy in residence on our land, so hoping he's over at the neighbors ready to come visit when the girls are acting sexy.

Alsheimer's first prediction of a late October mini-rut has not happened in our woods. Still, I just love the science of the whole rut process coupled with the "scratch your head" factor of the moon phase. I'll be curious to hear other reports in the coming 10 days.

Greg

Where else would a big game hunter have to fear being mugged in his treestand? And if not, you might just have a bear after the grub stowed in your field pack.

Those cowboys huntin in the West worryin about mountain lions and grizzlies got nuthin on you Jersey folk.

Greg

Must be they had their fill of doughnuts!

By the way, why is it you're always following the bears around?

Greg

Pete,

Did you see the latest Field & Stream gave you Jersey deer hunters a little love. I always wanted to hunt underneath the Thruway.

Greg

That first shot is suitable for framing. Nice pics.

WTG Condolences on the 3D target, it may never seem the same when you shoot at it!

Greg

Chris,

I would be happy to come up during bow season to help you remove one of those older "management bucks" that is polluting your doe population with such poor horn genetics!

Greg

Pete,

After those comments I'm sorry I brought up the bear thing.....well, maybe not.

Greg

Wow To think, bears in Jersey! Great photos

My nephew lives in Rochester, so he got his outfit at Gander Mountain last year. Was using a 2 blade mechanical on the arrow. It made a nice entry wound, one blade had a notch in it where I figure it hit bone then was redirected. Good 2+ inch cut as it made it's way through the liver.

My career choice being what it is, deer cleanings are like a post mortem for me, I use the same scapel blades I use for cow surgeries....it can be fun to trace the wounds created by the arrow...you can commence with the jokes about how twisted I am now.

As for the tracking, I didn't start hunting until my veterinary school classmates convinced me to give it a try, so haven't had that much experiece I guess. My underlying fear has always been about the wounding of an animal without recovery. Luckily, when I've missed shots in the past, its been a clean miss, though one time I gave a buck a belly shave with white hair on the ground to prove it. This time was the closest to a lost wounded deer, but we were not going to give up on it early knowing there was a considerable amount of arrow missing/in the deer. No doubt my nephew will never forget his first buck.

Greg