Capt Vince Pierleoni

Congrats, Rob!

Nice going, congrats!

I am with you Ray. I am definitely going to do some predator hunting this winter. The last 2 days of Archery and 1st day of firearms the coyotees were howling up a storm at sundown. Although I think leasing is somewhat wrong, and will lead to less hunters in the future, we may be forced to find one ourselves.

Thanks for sharing, Squid. I remember him well, always had a pleasant demeanor around the Oak. Rest in peace, Capt Marv.

Congrats!

Congrats!

Congrats! was it random that he came that far to you, or did you call him in ?

Definitely a good starting point, but for Coho you will want some closer to twice the length as well.

Wow, you have definitely contracted "Salmon fever". Great question. I'm sure red/red combos would work for Cohos and Steelies, but I think the flasher/dodger is enough of a visual attractor. Having something trailing behind that is a more natural pattern provides a great contrast and probably appeals to a wider range of fish besides super-aggressive feeders, and is better suited for a wider range of water colors.

Absolutely correct, Lee. Had he not had his heart set on a deer, we would have had a "feather explosion". For the first time in our lives, I joined him in the blind last night with video camera. The wind was right, perhaps "too right", and we thought the incoming weather would have them moving hard. Perhaps a premonition, our friend/property owner says as we head in, "if you see one of the turkeys, take a crack at 'em". In at 2pm, the wind was light east. At 330pm I spot 2 black blobs, approx 100yds away. Before I can finish saying "they will come here" to the cut/standing cornfield, they are enroute. They presented a 30yd shot, but I could feel his hesitation. He really didn't want to hurt the chances for a deer, and they just weren't staying still. Of course, once they worked further out of range, he said, " maybe they will circle back around". I thought they would too, as the nearest cover was behind us, and the area is loaded with coyotees. After feasting for 20mins, here they come, we are about to capture a great hunt. He is about to get a 15yd shot. Just before they hit where he can take a shot,(they are to his right, right handed shot) they hit a wide row and go dead-away, circle around through the several rows of standing corn back where they came from. Oh well, we are here for deer anyway. We spend the next 90minutes staring at the edge of the woods and adjacent golden rod, trying to make the deer appear. About 5mins before end of shooting, with rain starting to come down steady, I spot a doe and fawn about 100yds away. No doubt still apprehensive of the weird structure tucked under a scrub tree. Now, all we care about is getting out of there without spooking them badly. I think we were able to accomplish that, as wind whipped up and rain fell harder. Funny thing about what you wrote, Lee, was about an hour into the sit, my brother said-"ok, this is about when the giant buck strolls over in front of us if this was one of those shows". We have one more watch for him for the 2010 bow season, friday afternoon. Lets hope he gets a shot.

Congrats Ray!!!

Sorry that happened to you Chad. My story like that happened about 16 yrs ago, and its still a vivid memory. I had a 10hr truck ride to think about it all the way home. As others have said, many more deer become coyotee food by gunshots. Taxidermists and processors all have testimonials to the resilience of these animals, evidenced by what they see in completely healed prior wounds.

Incredible story, Lee. Congrats!

Happy Birthday, Bob!

Congrats!

Congrats!

Congrats!

Guys, I dug into it and the new rod holders will be offered as an accessory sometime early in 2011.

Andy, awesome story. A very successful archer friend of mine said he learns more after he scores than any other time in the field. I too, accepted a suggestion to hunt the afternoon with our DMUs out here in the orchards of Niagara. They hold deer, but human intrusion is commonplace. I gave up setting up my brother in such areas, because although convenient to set him up, he always saw more humans than deer. How about suvs driving through your shooting lanes at last light? Yep, that just for starters. Yesterday was no different, but wow, what a learning experience. We walked way out of the way to prevent NE wind from hitting most likely bedding area with our climbers on our backs. The fog that has been plaguing the lakeshore this week was coming and going, it was 1:30pm. Set up by 2:15pm, the Sun came out. On one side of the strip cover in an open area of the orchard, hobby plane enthusiasts showed up. Enjoying their hobby, laughing, yelling and screaming their planes, they were oblivious to our presence. Not 20mins later, less than 100yds away to the other side of the strip cover, a gang of joyus shotgunners decided the new sunshine made for a great impromptu time to sight-in! Yikes! talk about feeling like we were just out for fresh air! Their shooting quickly put an end to the model plane fliers fun. They took off. The shotgun blasts annoyed me, and surely we wouldn't see a deer. My 1st mate Nick, much newer to bowhunting, was downright unsettled as the blasting and hooting and hollering went on. His text simply read-- WTF???!!!! My response was, the only thing we may see are some abandoned fawns. This party atmosphere went on and on, even though slight fog returned. Not being as intense on watch as usual in all honesty, I watched the squirrels in front of me chase each other around. Around 4:30pm, with the shooting still going on behind us, I catch a ghost, I mean an absolute GIANT "skyscraper" buck fast trotting through the orchard. He got to within 30yds of me and locked up. He stood still about a minute, and then spooked quietly off sneaking through the orchard. I think he simply hit a scent pool, that was growing around me as the increasing fog brought the air down. Knowing the area pretty good, I think he was a true wanderer, no way he has his core area nearby. It is probably in one of the many 5 acre backyard posted properties. My lesson was, no matter what the noise and human activity, timing is EVERYTHING. Not sure if I had a tag if I would have had a crack at him, even if I was more prepared mentally. I think the gloomy, dense air made him feel comfortable as he started his night cruise early. Like Ted Nugent says, most human movement is a piece of cake for the deer to pattern, and we are much more unnerved by it. All in all, I feel privlidged to see one of the "ghosts" of November, and even in heavily pressured areas they can make a mistake.

Thankyou guys, for the kind words and well wishes. We will give it our best shot.

Beauty of a buck, Rob. Great story too.

Jerry, I COULD tell a story in less than 3 cell calls if the guy on the other end(YOU), didn't live in a Lakefront home built like FORT KNOX!!!! If you had normal walls, instead of 3 ft of poured concrete, perhaps you could actually conduct a phone call without it cutting out! When you asked for pics I thought you were only joking about posting, but here it goes: Well, my priority the last few seasons has been to put my wheelchair confined brother in position for "fair chase" Bowshots on Whitetail. He had only been bowhunting a couple years when he tragically became a parapalegic. He can shoot a fly off an apple with his compound, but of course is limited to the ground, and getting to those blinds is often louder and tougher to control scent. With the help of some good friends, some old, some new, we are getting better and more efficient. He, like many of us, loves big antlers, but understands what hunting is all about. He has been invited to special "high fence" hunts, and although appreciates these, really considers the fair chase game to be "real" hunting. With the help of a good friend, we relocated a blind to the edge of a partially cut cornfield. Not completely sure what direction the deer would enter the field from, we hoped for the best. Meanwhile, I ended up in a portable in an open woods along a ditch about 100yds off a thicket, about 200 yds from Marks ground blind. Set up by 2pm on the 10th, it started like SO many, with sightings of PREDATORS. First, a huge coyotee. Then about 3pm, a red fox. With supposedly a NE wind, that actually was swirling all over, I was feeling good about my scent preventative measures with these keen-nosed critters moving around me. However, the swirling wind made me feel the blind set up could be doomed, as a NE wind would at least let him see the deer before hitting the stream. At 4pm, my fears were realized,as what I believe was a adul doe started blowing for all the world to hear. She was west of me, near the edge of the woods near grass and cornfield-where we felt they would most likely enter the field-and hopefully saunter over in front of his blind. Instead, what I think happened was she spotted the "new addition" to the landscape. She returned to the thicket. Another adult doe snuck back into woods and was cautiously circling around my position. As I followed her movement, I shifted my feet and the stand(which was wedged too tightly between 3 trees ) creaked. The doe bolted about 30yds, but settled down quickly and actually picked at some browse. At this point, with the woods on "high-alarm", and now my thoughtfully concealed stand creaking by rubbing adjacent trees, I felt no hope for the rest of the hunt. About 10 mins behind the doe came the buck. By no means a trophy by todays standards, but by far the best deer I've seen this season from a set. He hung up for about 10 mins behind me at about 30yds, no shot possible because of the 3 treed set. He apparently was more cautious because of the blowing earlier, and I thought the swirling wind or the new "creakster" stand would end it all. If the wind stayed NE, and he tried to go around me like the doe, I should get a shot, I was thinking. Unless of course, the stand F%@ed me. He then of course made his move to the more difficult side to shoot, down wind and to my right. My safety belt helped me get out away from the trees, out on the edge of the platform and take the 25yd fast walking shot as soon as he hit the ditch. No way even consider stopping him with as tense as the deer seemed. Put it on shoulder and it hit slightly behind for a double lung pass-through, bolted out of site but heard it go down in seconds. Remained in stand until dark so my brother would have best chance. At last light, he had a buck he believes crash in directly behind him. He couldn't see it, but he heard the gut-wrenching blowing and snorting. Either the sight of the new furniture, or our residual scent from getting him set-up got us. He text "game over". We were back at it setting him up last night in Orleans co, and we will get him out at least 3 more quality sits before 2010 archery season is over. I think I'm gonna keep setting him up on cut and standing corn, as they are playing hard in it right now. Thanks guys for the congrats, and congrats to all who have scored some backstraps and to those that got the "wall hangers"

Tony, yes they are. I never thought the original design was a problem, the "clean" cover is flat, with no protrusions to catch anything. The new design is even less obtrusive. Think about it, out in B.C. where they were designed, they fish for Salmon in harsh, saltwater environments. Any model they make is proven,proven,proven.

Great shots Jeremy. That 1st one crossing power lines could be Mag cover. You gettin' paid while doin this? Nice gig!

Sometimes it seems like its just meant to be, and others, it just all falls apart. Great Pennsy Buck!