justtracytrolling

I definitely like hearing pros and cons from real hunters as opposed to biased, paid for opinions that you get everywhere!

I dont think lighted nocks will help you kill anymore deer at all, but they are worth there weight in gold as far as finding your arrows which saves time and money. I never liked bowhunting on field edges as I didnt want a broadhead in a haybale, but with lighted nocks losing arrows just doesnt happen. As far as knowing shot placement goes I learned a long time ago everybody sees what they want to see. I cant count the number of lost deer stories Ive heard that started with I hit him perfect (many were me before I learned what perfect is)....when in reality if they did hit em perfect he'd be dead and would have been found quickly. If you struggle to find deer you are doing something wrong!

Here is a pic of the 2...id sell the fuse blade....

I was wondering if everyone is using todays light short stabilizers or is there some guys like me that still use a heavier long one. When I bought my dream season the guy at the archery shop pushes this tiny little stabilizer on me and I did fine with it, but thought Im a better shot than this last year and put my old one on and bingo my groups tightened up especially beyond 40 yds. I started doing some research and found out that the competive 3d guys still use long ones and even y bars. So my question is why use the little ones if they dont do the job. Obviously a 30-36 incher isnt practical but as long as the stabilizer doesnt extend past your nocked arrow it wont be in the way. Has anyone else tried comparing them by shooting groups?

I shot competively for years with a tiny power peep and a scope and just loved it on a bright range, but never really found anything that i liked for hunting till my current set up. I went to a single pin adjustable sight and a BIG peep. The ring around the pin fits exactly in the peep so I no longer have to center the pin. I just make sure I can see the whole ring in my peep and Im locked in. If my anchor point or head position is off at all I lose a part of the ring. Im def gonna look at the rear site though...sounds great. I work myself out to 80 yds practicing so anything in normal bow range is a done deal.

Its killing me not going every night, but if the deer you want is waiting till after dark to show up theres no point in pressuring the area. Even the mature does are real late....ill be shooting something soon tho cuz I am 100% outta meat as of last week. Id say I put up enough tho as normally I have filled a tag or two by now!

I spent the day saturday working at camp with my son Cody and buddy Wyatt. After we got the mowing finished we headed out for a evening watch. Cody sat in some mature oaks along a creek and had zero action till he got to the truck and the new seeding was full of deer including a shooter. Wyatt sat where I sat last time and he saw close to 10 and 1 little buck he passed. I moved to a stand that offers a good view of deer coming to another new seeding field of clover from the neighbors sanctuary. The neighbor doesnt hunt and doesnt allow it. He has all the big woods and the ridge, but no food. Too say he has a deer problem would be an understatement...I saw about 25 or so, but most of them came too late or too far and the only shooter was still on the neighbors rifle range away when I snuck out. Im leaving that deer alone till crossbow season unless he shows up somewhere else...its just to tough to set up on him and get the shot I want. I have a good idea where I can kill some does now just need the right wind on a day I can hunt. Come November 1 we will be done at the lake and ill get out more. Im trying something new this year which is leaving the deer alone more till rut or cold weather as they arent moving much in daylight and pressuring them just makes it harder.

Its all shot placement and taking the right shots....ALL broadheads will kill....If you STAY in the cage you will never lose a deer with a rage in the cage with a fast bow. I have a friend that lost numerous deer with expandables because he takes bad shots...if you want to take bad shots cant beat a muzzy. In the cage though a rage is FAR better over a conventional. Ive killed between 25 -30 with no losses and ive watched every deer go down except 2 which I heard fall just over a knoll. I never used to hunt in the rain because I had 2 deer I couldnt track and by the time I found them they werent any good. Now I dont care how hard it rains I know Ill find my deer because the rage kills them so fast you dont have to track em.

We all need a reset Kevin...that's quite a catch!

I was looking for the rule on handling fish that have a closed season. Im pretty sure you arent supposed to handle or take them out of water for pictures. If you can you shouldnt be able to... If a species is closed for angling I certainly think we should leave em in the water and its definitely not ok to target closed species.

Mine is forward too....just put an extra rod holder down low and spin it forward....but my trees are mounted to the deck not the gunwale. I bet you could mount one of his bases on each side on the deck and put a stub of 2' aluminum mast in the base and put a rod/net holder on it. Options are unlimited with his stuff! Cant wait to see pics when you are done!!!

So last night I cant take sitting here another minute...its a full moon, cloudy, and windy. Off to Otisco I go...I figure gotta be a good night. I pull in...go up to my deck and see something on the deck...Looks like a package...well it seems old man has left me a one of his hot Savage eels to try! Thank you very much and Ill be sure to throw it some this weekend. I use the savage holographic sand eels with success in the salt for striper and I know they make a quality product. Incidently the lake went flat, then the moon came out, and It was dead. We did get a strong wind from 130 to 300 and lost 1 eye. I went late planning on fishing shallow, but wished I got up there a bit earlier and tried trolling as I limited many times this year trolling the full moon. Trolling is fun but if you can catch casting its awesome. THANK YOU AGAIN OLD MAN! Thats the type of thing this forum is about...sharing and making friends...not what you find in the trib section this time of year.

Nick, I use the Great Lakes Planer captains pak rocket launcher.

Nice fish old man and great report! Its down more like 30 inches...last weekend a buddy of mine got a toad fishing deeper water with heavy jigs for bass. Mid forties released...couple other guys got avg ones...I was fishing at night and only one I saw was the same big sob that hangs near the creek near the marina. I lost an f18 to it the week prior and it kept on feeding. Need to go stick that pig with more than light tackle.

I totally understand and its a surreal experience. Tracy caught a 48 tiger last summer and we will never forget. Im sorry if I came across otherwise! Just hate to see anyone get a ticket when they arent trying to break the law. I never intended to diminish your wifes amazing catch.

I can afford to feed my family from the store I just dont. I use does to do this and I have chosen a target rich location to hunt so I wouldnt care if they shut buck hunting down for 2 years to build age classes, but I KNOW that would be counterproductive when hunter numbers are falling and herd size is rising. As far as cost of hunting its nearly free if you meat hunt the way I grew up. We wore the exact same clothes hunting as working, no scents, calls, treestands, etc. Just a cheap hand me down gun and the cheapest slugs we could find and a license. Walk out back and shoot a deer, and of course butcher, grind, etc yourself. NO MONEY SPENT. BTW this is how I killed my biggest buck rackwise. Its not all about big deer. We do have to preserve the sport meaning we need young hunters and pushing people away or discouraging them wont help either.

UPSTATE, Im not being critical and believe you thought you were doing the right thing, but wanted to let you know that the use of a stringer is not allowed unless the fish measures the legal size. This is the definition as per the fishing regs.... Catch and release means catching and immediately releasing the caught fish without harm. Measuring, weighing and photographing of the fish are permitted as long as the fish is not removed from the water for an extended period or handled in a manner that could cause it harm. Fish may not be placed in a bucket, tub, livewell, on a string or any other holding device. This rule also implies that anglers by law must know how to handle fish in a manner that wont harm them if they remove the fish from the water and it doesnt measure.

That too is my experience Jeff. I fished the lake as much as I do Otisco a few years back and was simply amazed at the numbers of walleye, but I never had weeds the entire run from frenchmans to east of shackleton a few miles and just north of the buoys. Gecko where were running into em?

Nice job guys good luck on Seneca and keep the reports/stories coming! Les, Its not the same without you on here...cant believe you didnt bring a rod just in case! I packed one last trip to fla and when we checked in I find a pond right behind the resort...I ask at the desk if its ok to fish and bingo...only caught 2 lmb but 1 was a monster! Didnt have anything to measure it with and no camera but I have the memory, and probably a few scars from the bug bites.

It would be fun to reread this thread in 10 years and see how we feel then. I believe QDMA will spread on its own as it has to date. I also think if it happens over time it will be more widely accepted and less individuals will be left out. Its a fine line writing more difficult to enforce game laws. Look at the lack of unity among the trib fishermen....what we dont need is more arguing over what is the right way to hunt or fish. Educating the next generation and preserving our heritage is what is most important. I do wonder if killing big bucks will feel as special if and when they are everywhere. Where does it stop? My little 100-130 bucks on the wall will always be trophies to me as I know what it took to get em! Food for thought.....Good thread!

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.