TNMTBik3r

How about $5 mags? No idea on this brand though. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Firearm-Components/Magazines-Clips%7C/pc/104792580/c/104717880/sc/104442480/HPS-30-Round-AR-15-Magazine/1774245.uts?destination=/catalog/browse/magazines-clips/_/N-1100238/No-96?WTz_st=GuidedNav&WTz_stype=GNP&recordsPerPage=48&WT.mc_id=ir92929&WT.tsrc=AFF&rid=10&avad=55963_f7382f4f&WT.mc_id=al41227&rid=12

Arrow took him through the lung and liver before passing through his stomach, explains the first crash, he was dying. I know better ones will come along, I haven't taken many deer with a bow anyways and always excited about any deer I get. I have just made it a habit to try and pass on smaller bucks with my rifle. This property has some decent bucks, taken a couple nice 8 points during rifle season.

Never taken a buck with a bow before so shot a small one this morning, think it was a 5 point. Would have let it walk with a rifle but meat is meat...once I find him anyways. Sitting in the truck waiting a while to track him. He took a step right as I released so I thought I hit a bit too far back. But he ran 20 yards then crashed, only to get up and take off again 30 seconds later. I waited 45 minutes then got down and checked the arrow and has some slime and acorn pieces on it. I think I heard him crash a second time but giving him a couple hours to bleed. ETA - dragging him out now. He was down right where I thought I heard the crash, about 40 yards out of sight. Only a 3 point, looked like a 5 earlier. Almost wish I had passed on him now but it is meat.

Almost every range I have seen says no reloads. Has to do with their insurance policy. I have seen a couple places enforce it and others not care or ask questions. I haven't stopped in at Eagle Eye but it is not very far down the road. Another range is closer and cheaper so I stick to it.

Checking the weather while sitting here and see a frost advisory for the morning. Should be another great time to hunt.

Now I have a decision to make, hunt the ridge again this afternoon or switch to the field stand and see if anything hits the pear tree. Pears have been getting ate, I just don't know when... wish I had a trail cam out there but maybe next year.

Alright, so I actually saw 13 this morning. I pulled into the cemetery lot right at 5:00am and had 2 stand up in the headlights. The property I hunt has a right of way behind the cemetery and a dirt trail down the edge of two other peoples property for a few hundred yards. Parked and walked down the ridge and got into my climber I left out there Thursday. At 6:20 two deer came walking up to my left and a bit behind me - I could see their outline well and one of them kept standing on it's hind legs eating at branches. I had a shot, they were only at about 25 yards but it was still a bit too dark for me to feel comfortable taking the shot as I knew there was brush in that area that I could not make out. Settled back in and a few minutes later heard something walking up the ridge directly in front of me. 3 does popped over the edge and stopped at 20 yards. I let the arrow fly at 6:35 and heard the smack. At 7:00 I climbed down and found the arrow, verified blood. Sat some of my stuff down at the tree stand and slowly began trailing. I was going very slowly and looking ahead, at 7:30 I bumped her from where she bedded down - saw her right before she stood and hobbled away over the top of the next ridge. I snuck down to where she had bedded and saw a nice pool of blood,decided to wait a bit before continuing as she was moving slowly but too far ahead for a shot or me to catch up. I stood there for 5 minutes and all of a sudden heard walking behind me. I slowly turned as 5 does came walking down the ridge behind me and stopped 20 yards away feeding. I had a shot but decided I did not want to trail 2 deer. I waited another 5 minutes and slowly shifted my feet in the leaves causing them to look up and then walk off. I continued trailing, got to the top of the ridge and the 13th doe jumped up about 50 yards to my right. Another 60 yards and my doe was laying up against a tree. I finally got back to the truck about 8:20 with her. I didn't make a great shot but clipped a lung and she finally bled out. Went in in front of the shoulder and out behind the other shoulder. I kind of rushed the shot because this doe was in front and standing still but the other 2 were moving up quickly - should have waited to see where they would have moved and taken more of a broadside shot. I am going back out this afternoon and tomorrow morning, want to have 2 in the fridge before I start grinding burger. Used a Horton Pro 175 crossbow with red dot. Horton Bone Collector Carbon bolts and NAP Spitfire Edge 100gr 3 blade broad heads. I don't think anyone will mind these pics, not very graphic but this is a WARNING if someone looking over your shoulder is squeamish...

Doe in the bed of the truck and heading home. Will tell the story later but I saw 10

It is a GREAT book. I need to read it again soon,but I have several books I haven't read at all so not sure when I will get time.

Sam sent me a bottle of it and have to say it is probably my favorite hot sauce. I haven't tried but a couple dozen, but this is the best. Great combination of flavor and heat.

I went out and hung a stand this afternoon. Actually just took my climber and found a good spot and leaving the stand at the bottom of the tree. I had to get moved down the ridge more to better cover the other trails but I feel good for Saturday morning. On the way out saw a doe and a small buck (looked like a 6 point) standing in the landowners yard.

Cool, I am going to look at the site and see about ordering some.

  Yeah I know but I wasn't going to bother anyone with it. I needed a good excuse to buy a vise anyways  :) I have one now and got everything tightened up right. Plus now I have everything to build my pistol upper without needing help (I think).

Hey Sam, do you mind sharing where you buy the Gib's Hellbanero sauce from? Sorry if I missed it earlier in the thread... I want to buy some, Amazon has it but shipping cost is $41.50 for a case, higher than the actual case of hot sauce!

Got it fixed today, definitely requires a vise! 30 pounds appears to have been the original torque based on the gas tube hole. I torqued it to about 45 pounds. BTW, the Wheeler Armorer's kit is nice, I got the Master kit for $100 from Cabelas a couple weeks ago.

Yes my dies get cleaned after every session, usually. I tried spraying the brass at a 45 degree angle while in a tray, and spraying a baggie and shaking around. Doesn't matter how I use it, brass gets stuck. Never stuck a .223 brass but had several that felt like they were ready to stick but was able to power them free. I use OneShot only for my pistol brass now even though I have carbide dies it helps. All rifle brass gets shook in a baggie with Dillon spray lube (lanolin based) or my mix of RCBS case lube 2 (designed for the lube pad) diluted with alcohol. Never stuck a case with either of these.

They have to be trailed?! Dang I always just went home if they didn't drop. /s Typical deer isn't going to run across an acre lot with both lungs deflated. New, sharp broad heads with wide cutting diameter put in the right spot and you shouldn't have to trail very far. My average trail is 30 yards. Sure the stats say they can run over 100 yards but how often does that happen? Rely on your equipment and skills and if one runs into the neighboring lot no big deal since you have already spoken to the land owner.

Shoot em. Use a good broadhead with lots of cutting edge and take sure shots to try and help prevent blood trailing to a neighbors land. Better yet, talk to the bordering neighbors and get their thoughts on if the deer are a problem - start the talk gently, ask if their flowers, etc are being eaten and then mention wish the deer could be thinned out, don't jump straight to hunting them, but after talking for a while you may be able to get permission to hunt their land or at least trail across it.   I don't hunt in my subdivision but have considered talking to the land owner behind us, his strip of woods is a funnel for deer coming into the field to browse or eat on people's flowers and stuff. But I do hang deer in my garage and skin them within sight of several neighbors and never a complaint.

I saw 4 does this morning at 6:30, but the closest they got was 50 yards. That is 7 in 2 mornings and all in the same spot crossing the ridge.   Next weekend I am carrying my climber and moving about 20 yards down the ridge. This way I will be able to cover all of the trails in use, not just 2...   I killed 2 from this ladder stand last year during rifle season and it is not a terrible location but my FIL placed it, and it is a terrible spot for a stand IMO.  Picture 2 trees, one 2 feet behind and 1 foot left of the other. The stand is attached to the 2nd tree, so the first tree blocks basically anything from 1:00 to 4:00, and makes swinging a crossbow or rifle around for other shots to the right very difficult. And he placed the ladder on the uphill side so the platform slants down to the back causing leg strain when you stand. I told him I wanted to move the stand this spring but he didn't agree. And since it is not my land or even my stand I left it but next spring it is going to move.

I really wanted to roll over and fall back asleep. But I'm up and heading out to catch something moving before the rain hits.

I heard one run off. Was in my stand at 3:15 had just fully settled in and heard a snort and running about 60 yards away in the little hollow. Nothing else except several squirrels and then some POS trespassing came into the field wide open on a 4wheeler and dirt bike at 5:45. I was furious, they made a lap and then tore out before I could get down or anything. I said forget it and came in for supper.

Saw 3 does, couldn't get a shot. Was a good morning though.

Nothing moving on the way out, I was in my stand at 5:30 and 5:45 something walked by at about 20 yards but I couldn't see it. 3 does came up at 7:30 and hung around for 20 minutes but I could never get a shot. Would have been over with a rifle but I didn't want to risk squeezing an arrow into the couple small openings they gave me when they came into bow range at 35 yards, all I needed was 5 feet in one of 2 directions and would have cleared the brush. Great morning regardless! Back home, have to work for a while but hope to be done and out to the woods again by 2 or 3. If not, always tomorrow morning.

Hope everyone's arrow flies true this morning. Enjoy being in the woods regardless.

I can come look for one of those 8 points for you. ;)