14 Days To Go

[Big58cal]

Our bow season opens here in KY each year the first Saturday in September. This year, the first Saturday just happens to fall on Saturday, September 1st. The bummer though is that KY still hasn't realized that the crossbow is still just "another bow" and excludes it until October 1st for most everyone. Because of shoulder and back issues, I've got a hunting methods exemption though that lets me take my Excalibur during the ENTIRE archery season.

For some reason though, I'm just not that amped up about going yet. I was earlier in the year, but now I'm not. Our squirrel season opened this morning, but because of other things going on, I wasn't able to go. Normally, I won't miss the opening of squirrel season for anything, but this year I couldn't help it. I'm going to go next weekend and try to pop a few with the .17 HMR, so maybe that will get me in the mood for the opening of the deer season the next weekend. Don't know.

I still plan on being out there all day opening day though. Haven't figured out if I want to spend the day in my climber, a ladder stand, or in my little ground blind. Have to wait and see what kind of mood I'm in.

[VixChix]

Pull on some camo and go sit in the woods - that'll get you in the mood.

[one shot scott]

Good luck on the tree chihuahua's. (say that five times fast). I bet after that excursion the hunting bug will be so itchy under your skin it'll be like it never left.

[Masboy]

I can,t wait but know once it starts it,s going to be a long season and I have to go almost everyday because I,m addicted and can,t stop . and I love to squirrel hunt,goose hunt and others, but can,t stand the thought that I mite miss a nice buck coming by my stand and deer hunting always wins out!!!!

[flightattendant100]

Are the bucks there still in velvet? Are they still in their bachelor groups? Colton and I went out last weekend to sit in the stand and try to shoot a hog.Hogs didnt cooperate but a bach. group of five bucks did show up at one feeder and ate till it was gone, went to the other feeder and ate till it was gone. First feeder had fed again and they went BACK over to it and ate some more! We had 'em in front of us from about 6:30 am till about 8:00 am.In velvet they look great big.Big 58 if that dont get ya ready, they are fixin to say nice things about ya and divi up your plunder.GO SIT IN A STAND!!!!!

[Big58cal]

Yeah, they're still in velvet and still in bachelor groups (for the most part anyway). The first week of the season each year, there's about a 50/50 mix of hard antlers and velvet taken.

Gotta get the Equinox out today and finish setting the scope on it. I've messed with it a little this year off and on, but haven't had much time to mess with it. It's getting down to the point now where I better go ahead and get it done though.

Got the boy a little youth model .243 earlier in the year. I still need to put a good set of mounts and a good scope on it before the 2 day youth season in mid October. Not to mention I still have to get a good scope for the .454 Casull I got.

Too many things to do and not enough time or money.

[wabi]

We're a bit later for seasons here in Ohio. Squirrel opens Sept. 1, but deer isn't until Sept. 29 this year. Ohio is one of the enlightened states as far as crossbows though! Longbow, recurve, compound, or crossbow are ALL "archery" here!
I like to take my son (12 YO) squirrel hunting about every weekend until deer season opens. Gives us some "bonding" time and lets us do a bit of scouting for deer. Plus it gets our digestive systems back to processing wild game!
Now you've got me thinking about making a big squirrel pot pie.

[HIGHBOW]

I have four young bucks that have been coming in the yard and eating the wife's rose bushes, they are cute to look at but nothing I want to shoot. The guy across the road shot one about 2:30am Saturday, the wife heard him and wouldn't wake me because she knows I would be more upset than I am right now, he's too lazy to actually hunt.
If it continues to cool off it might be just about right by opening day. I just can't get into the hunt if it much over 70 degrees and I don't want spoiled meat. I'll get the Axiom out this week and make sure everything is still dead on and maybe get a couple of stands in place. The packing house makes some great bologna and sausage from doe last season. I hope each of you can have the best season of your life and if you are like me looking for that character rack or larger than what is on the wall-MAY THE RACKS BE LARGE AND SMILES TO MATCH.

[bigredopie]

KY still sounds pretty progressive compared to MO when it comes to crossbows. Without a medical exemption you can only use them during rifle season in Nov. I wish they would see the light and open it up as I my son would love to use his Excalibur for more than target practice.

[Big58cal]

Got to get out squirrel hunting yesterday morning. Only saw 5, but was able to get 3 of them. The 2 fox squirrels I got head shots on, the gray squirrel I shot off-hand in the food plot as I was walking out. With the way the scope was bouncing around on him at about 60 yds, I figured a mid-body shot was my best bet.



Gotta love the little .17 HMR! There's something satisfying about picking up a squirrel that's had the majority of their head "evacuated".



After I got done hunting and got the squirrels cleaned, I set about taking some stands down and moving them. Had a ladder stand that was up that wasn't in the best of spots and hadn't been used in years. Where the tree had grown, it had tightened the chain up, lifting the top platform free from the ladder portion. Took my climber down with me and used it to go up the tree to loosen the chain enough (once I finally got the lock off) to get the sections back together. Got it down, taken apart, and finally moved up to the ridge where I normally hunt. I set it back off the bench in a spot where I've never seen a deer come through with plenty of cover up near the platform. Got a good shot to the areas where the deer normally come through though.

Went to move another stand, a hang on, that's been up for several years as well, but wasn't able to. It's going to take more than my climber to get up that tree!

While I was up on the ridge putting up the ladder stand, I put out a little feed and a flavored salt block to go along with the mineral block that was up there.

My brother sent me a picture last night from a camera with the subject of the email as "You're not going to believe this!"



Being the usual pecker-wood that he is, he put in the email, "Not even gonna tell you where. You wouldn't believe me anyway." He's been known to pull a fast one on me in the past with stuff like this, so we'll have to see how this one shakes out. Seems kinda fishy though. If it had been one of our cameras, why did he take the time to remove the camera ID and date/time stamp down at the bottom? If it is one of our cameras, I hope that bugger comes past me next weekend.

The "bad" news though, right now they're calling for rain next weekend from the hurricane that's down south right now. Guess we'll have to wait and see what kind of track it takes. I really don't like bowhunting in the rain because of the chance of it washing away the blood trail (had it happen once before). But regardless of rain or not, I guess I'll be perched up in my little ladder stand and see what I can see.

[denisdendenis]

I hope everything goes well for you ,and get the big one
PS
be safe and have some fun
Denis

[HIGHBOW]

Big CAl 58, I think you better have a serious talk with that brother. I haven't seen anything that big as of yet this season. I'm waiting for a few cool days or nights in order to mask my scent in getting the stands back in deep woods. I don't have a 4 wheeler and I can't use one on my favorite hunting place so it's all hard work in getting the stands in the right location, I don't leave them out after season for very long.
Good luck to all those early hunters, I'll be scouting and getting prepared for the swollen necks and scrapes to appear.

[bigredopie]

Wow, that is a couple of beautiful racks you have there. If that picture does not get you worked up for the start of the season, you may need some serious help

[Big58cal]

Big CAl 58, I think you better have a serious talk with that brother. I haven't seen anything that big as of yet this season.

Nah, I think he's yanking my chain. I can't think of anywhere around the farms that looks like that. Besides, like I said it seems kinda' fishy that if it were from one of our cameras, why would he take the date/time and ID stamp off down at the bottom, not to mention renaming the picture? It may be from somewhere around the area, but I don't think it was taken on our land.

[gr8ful ky]

Saw those pictures of those nice bucks. That has got to get you all fired up for opening day . Nice job on those squirrels. Yesterday next door on my best friends farm, @ 6:30 am there was about 20 turkeys, 3 nice blue heads. I hope there are around on Sept 1st. I had my doctor fill out the crossbow exemption form , so I am good to go next week( thanks for the tip ) I also moved a tree stand from Adair county to Barren, not so far to travel anymore, and lots of deer on the property. Still hunt the property in Metcalf , and there are lots of deer there also. Hope to post some pictures next week ,if all goes well. Looks like some bad weather coming up from Issac on Friday or Saterday ? Will have to take it day by day, I hate to hunt in hard rain. Good luck !