Anyone getting ready for deer season? i went and sat on my stand one night this week, a few deer came into the field. Kinda puts me in the mood for deer camp (I could care less about actually shooting something).

Gator

I have my new slug gun (T/C Encore 12 Ga) about 1/3 sighted in, with a month to go before I will be using it. As it usually is here, the best way to see deer is to be working in our horse barn and look outside. There are from 3 to 7 head that get within 75 yards of it every night at dusk. They don't even care about the dog barking at them.

We have a bad egg around here. There was a mother deer and her 2 babys. They shot (poached) the mother a few weeks ago. The babys alone and hungry took to the neibor, he was feeding them. They shot both babys the other night. Skinned them took a few parts of the meat and dumped there bodys on a neibors front yard. They know who did it but no definate proof. They could at least have the decentcy to hunt them legit and not poach them at night from a car. Its not like there are tons of deer here they were kinda everyones pets. When I used to hunt my father taught us big bucks and thats it.

I'm trying to get excited but I'm not very worked up about opening weekend. This year my Grandson/Partner gets to hunt with Grandmas Remington 222. He is now 8 years old and has done the target practicing. We've had the talks about safety, the finality of killing, getting your own meat as versus the grocery store, etc. I've put up a wooden picnic table near some wheat and have a good rest for him. The gun is still a little too heavy for him to hold offhand. Also, it should decrease the chance of a bad shot (my biggest worry). I have a couple of bucks spotted and timed for him. My only problem is that he won't get to go with me until the middle of November. Youth weekend in Texas opens tomorrow but his Mom (my daughter) is getting married tonight and lots of relatives are hitting town for the weekend. We are stuck with staying home and being polite. However, there is a chance that they will leave by about 2:00 Sunday.

Hey Alligator; I'm trying to hunt, darn rain almost everyday.I dislike rain more than almost any kind of weather.Gets on my glasses can't see. I'm like some of you all, I shot so many deer getting one does not matter that much anymore.I get more out of watching my friends get deer they get so excited.....I brought a stealth camera this year it's really been a lot of fun..still learning how to use it...set it up on the kitchen counter one night,set my duffle bag that i use for hunting about 10 ft. away, it has all my munchies to help me pass the time in the stand.caught the theif who was getting my candy late at night in her night gown......

Still another week until opening day, but so far we haven't seen any bucks, and very few deer. We have allot of hogs on our land and the deer are very skittish.

My wife has shot several hogs, but never a deer, so hopefully that will change this season. I'm more exited about getting her a buck than I am for myself. Unless it's something close to book, I doubt I'd ever shoot one on my land. Besides, the hogs taste better!!!

Eddie

I just bow hunt and have only had a chance to go 3 half days but did manage to get a deo and a nice 16" wide 8 pt, scored 108". I took my nephew to my land in KY for yout h weekend, put him on 3 does but he thought his Dad was serious when he said shot in the head so his shaking hands insured a miss. The next day had him on spike and 4 pt but I looked over to see him lean way out of the blind. His Dad was with him and was not a good coach at all. IF me I think would have got all of them great shot at 9 yrs old. Tok him again last wekend to WMA but did not see anything. I plan to be in KY on Nov 11 for opener and might even tryout a muzzleloader T/C encore I got for Christmas. Good luck to all.

Interesting about the hogs, Eddie. I put up a feeder on the creek a couple of weeks ago. The first night, the hogs knocked it over and pretty well wrecked it. They actually bent the steel barrel from the top. Big hog! I put it all back together and wired it to T posts. Haven't been back in a week to see how it is doing. However, I did walk the creek looking for rubs. I didn't see any. In previous years, it has been covered up by deer.

They aren't cohabitating well with the hogs. However, they better learn how. The hogs aren't going away.

DD,

My hogs come and go but I see a lot less deer when the hogs are around. I am going to fence in my feeders next year, just been feeding the hogs all year at one of my feeders.

Gator

I'll will be watching the sunrise tomarrow morning while trying to fill my archery tags. I saw lots of deer last weekend, just not the nice buck I am looking for.

jimmy s,

There is a running debate on the Texas Hunting Forum if the flash from game cameras scare off the big bucks or not. Either way, I have had a lot of fun with my cameras. Send some of that rain down Texas way!

Gator

I recommend using 2 1/2 to 3 inch aluminum fence post for legs with t posts and barb wire. I have used the legs for two or three and havent had any of them break like I did with the smaller ones. This year we put U- bolts on the legs and fastened them to the t posts. I dont know if it will help but we will see.

I've got 4 young kids and am taking a few years off of bowhunting and black powder. The kids and wife need me at home more than I need to be in the woods for now.

But gun season does start in a couple weeks and I'll be going some on my parents farm in Kentucky. A buddy of mine black powder hunted on the Kentucky land last weekend and saw 7 bucks and 15-20 does but they aren't in rut yet. I just bought my Tennessee property last November and am looking forward to hunting it for the first time soon. The herds are so healthy in this area that seasons and limits are starting to be extended around here the last couple years.

Eric

OK, I have to ask .....How many of you have deer heads hanging on the wall? And whats the biggest deer you have killed, as in 8 pt., 10 pt., ect..

Do you mean how many of us have heads on the wall, or how many heads do we have on the wall?

I rarely hunt myself anymore, but I do enjoy watching and guiding friends, family and clients.
I have attached a couple pics of two archery hunting clients/friends (Illinois) that were successful this week.

Mule deer can be very difficult to harvest with a bow because of their unpredictable nature.

Please excuse the photo with the bloody tongue as I havn't had time to "doctor" the picture.

Ed

Theo... either way LOL


I know we have them all over the house. Them that don't have heads as well. 4 deer heads right now and an abundance of horns!!

Very nice Edward! Don't worry about the bloody tounge, that is more of the norm for deer pictures than ones without the tounge hanging out.

OHH good pictures!!

Here are just a few of the ones hubby has gotten over the years, and these arn't the big ones LOL

Here are 2 of my three wall hangers.

My cousion found these two sketical remains locked together laying in his field. They apparently got in a fight and died together.

That last one would make an incredible mount.

Our season starts a week from tomorrow and I'll be hunting every day for nine days. We've got so many deer these days that I can shoot 7 off my property but only one can be a buck. And figure this, out of 10 years of hunting we have only shot one doe! Last year me and the brother in-law each got 8 pointers. His deer weighed 230 lbs dressed. Several years ago I got a 9 pointer that scored 142, that's the best so far.

bz:

Does MN's DNR really want you to harvest does, or do they charge you extra for every single tag you purchase like in Ohio?

OINK! OINK! OINK! OINK!


This guy needs a few more years to grow.

Dave, I have a 3rd generation night vision scope atop my .223, we need to get together to knock that boar out He will be at your feeder 2-3 hours after dark. Have you seen the hog traps that run around $300...they work great.

We have 13 inch spread restrictions on bucks, but luckily we have seen 3 legal bucks so far. I'm excited about Nov 4th, hoping the 15-17 inch spread with high tines walkes out ! He's a beauty !

As for me...I'll quit hunting the day I first sight a deer, and my heart doesn't skip a beat. Good Luck Guys !

Eastlad, we don't have the 13 inch restriction. Just the one buck/two doe quota. I have a hog trap but they won't go in it. I'm still learning.


I know a lot of guys who have quit hunting because they enjoyed photography so much. I guess that's OK but, to me, it's kinda like kissing your sister. I'm still a predator but really wanting to spend more time passing on what little knowledge I have.

I'll quit when I no longer get the momentary twinge of regret when I walk up to the deer. I doubt that I'll feel that way about the hogs. We will start actual hog hunting after deer season ends. I have guys wanting to lease for hog hunting but I'm just not sure about that.

Dang, a 3rd gen night scope. $Ka-Ching$!

Dave, you need to fine tune your hog trapping skills I will be more than happy to lend the little info I know !

Theo, yes I really do think they want us to harvest does but they do charge $14 per tag. Every year they have public meetings to discuss why guys aren't shooting more does. I haven't heard many complaints about the cost but the main complaint is what is a guy supposed to do with all the venison? I suggested that the state either hire or ask for volunteer deer processors who could just take deer off our hands and give the meat to a charity. If they did that I'd be glad to shoot 5 or 6 does a year.

FamilyTraditions - what kind of camera was used to take the photos?

bz, in Georgia there is a program for hunters to donate venison meat to "Hunters for the Hungry".

Frank

Frank, it's a 2.1 meg Stealthcam that I purchased from Academy last year, I think the technology has improved from this model, I will have to look for the exact model # on the unit and will post later next week.

FamilyTradition
Thanks. I have a couple of other brands and find a lot of variation in the flash capability and distance. Your;s looks great!

Frank

Frank, Wal-Mart carries a 3 meg Stealthcam with a very impressive 90 foot flash for the same price I paid for the 2 meg last year ( $169 ). Mine only has a 30 foot flash. Question is will the deer shy away from that bright a flash? I'm willing to bet it's a battery eating dude. Their cameras have an external power supply jack where you can plug a 12 volt deer feeder battery in. I have two 512 MB CF cards that I switch out each time I check the unit. Hope this helps. FT

FT

Thanks. I have a 6 megapixel LeafRiver that has a 50 ft flash range. I am getting about 1000 pictures/one month on a set of 4 D cells.

Frank

Frank, I just bought the LeafRiver and installed it yesterday. Expensive sucker! It looks good but the customer service is terrible. I called 3 days last week and never got a return call. Each day, I was assured that I would get a quick call back. Guess I'll work it out for myself.

I tried a 3.1 megapixel Moultrie but it sucked a rechargeable 6 volt dry overnight. Moultrie has a bad reputation on battery usage.I hauled it back to Cabelas.

Well, last weekend was youth hunting weekend in Texas. In order to get more youths involved in the outdoors, the weekend prior to regular hunting season opener is reserved for children under 18.

My Partner/Grandson and I escaped yesterday and went hunting. We saw no deer but, just at twilight, about 15 pigs showed up. He got a 60 pound boar with Grandma's Remington 222. Perfect shot and one really, really, pumped 8 year old.

An evening he will NEVER forget.
My son, now 24 and enduring his first year of law school, can take you to the exact spot his first deer was killed 16 years ago. He'll be in or near that spot this saturday around 6am.

I've shot my share of animals and still enjoy it, but getting my wife on her first, second and third hog have been more exiting than any deer that I've shot. We have our food plot growing nicely with plenty of deer sign.

The hogs are our biggest problem as they take over an area and scare off the deer.

Here's a few pics of some hogs from the last few months.

Eddie

Dave

I have had better luck than you with LeafRiver support. Ask for Don - he was very helpful to me. My first LeafRiver had a problem with the slot the CF card inserted in. Don swapped the camera with no questions asked.

My brother has a Moultrie and he is getting 4-5 weeks or 1000 pictures on a battery. The flash range on the Moultrie is very poor compared to my LeafRiver.

What problems prompted you to call LeafRiver? Perhaps I can assist you.

Frank

Damn Eddie that’s a butt load of hogs. I usually try to shoot up my hogs two weeks before season starts and that seems to keep them away from the feeder during the daylight hours. I seem to see more deer that way and you don’t worry about scaring anything away shooting pigs during deer season. I shot mine up one morning in September this year and they still won't come to the feeder during the day.

Dang!

I've never seen a wild hog.

Are they good on the Bar B?

Wild hogs are unlike domestic hogs in taste. They really are two different species in behaviour and flavor. Wild hogs are lean, white meat that has a wonderfull flavor. Young ones under a hundred pounds are the best eating, but even an old boar is fine without any seasoning on the grill.

I can't say the same for deer, pronghorn or most animals. Elk is good just as it is and so is sheep, but that's about it.

Eddie

Eddie,

Around here, we have an old German family that processes our wild hogs into the very best sausage that I have ever eaten anywhere. We take them the cleaned carcass and usually get our sausage back in a couple of weeks. You are correct in that it has a unique flavor...is almost "fat free" and best of all, IMO, is completely chemical free. Wild hogs are a real pest, but they also have a redeeming characteristic.

Hogs are greedy buggers, too. I've dropped one dead from a blind in S. Texas, only to see another hog come back 5 minutes later to nudge his dead buddy out of the way in order to keep eating the corn

Frank, I had computer issues that I finally identified on my own. I was using Windows ME on a laptop and it just wouldn't accept the driver. A friend is installing Windows 2000.

Also, when I first turn it on, go through the 3 step process and hit display, I have to do it fairly quickly or it won't come on. Then, I have to turn it off and go through the process again. There were several other "issues" that I just didn't understand. I went ahead and installed it yesterday and will check it next weekend.

I expect it will take some time to get used to. I realize that I was calling at a busy time. However, if I'm not quickly satisfied, I have to make a decision. Cabelas only gives a short time to warrant electronic stuff. I either have to understand and like it next weekend or back it goes. They really ought to put on more help at this time of the year. At this time, I'm not thrilled about LeafRiver. Even if it is my ignorance, they weren't there when I needed them. BTW, I prefer that expensive toys are stupid proof and bullet proof. My previous 35mm was a dream. Of course, it quit working and I have considered ordering the stuff to rebuild it.

Oh yeah, on the video, they keep stressing the importance of going through the 3 step process. What happens if I don't do it right? Does it go up in smoke? Kinda got me worried about that one.

For the money you can't go wrong with the Stealthcam. Dependable, easy to operate, great pictures and easy on the pocket.

Does anyone have experience with an infrared camera?

Gator

Dave

I bought my LeafRiver from Cabelas. When I had trouble with the CF slot, I returned it to LeafRiver. As I said, Don swapped the camera no questions asked. The firmware of the replacement camera from LeafRiver was newer and had a few features the one from Cabelas did NOT have. One enhancement is the ability to turn the date/time stamp off if desired.

I don't know what happens if you dont follow the 3 step procedure. I don't have to do the 3 steps twice like you indicated.

If you can get to Don at Leaf River, ask him. Perhaps you have a defective cam and can get Don to send you a new one.

Frank

My dad bought a "Talon" from Bass Pro last year. It works pretty good. Most of the animals dont notice it. They may look at it but they dont look spooked. I will try and get some pictures on here later.

Hey Frank, I called several times before I got through. I asked for Don and had a long talk. Nice guy. He answered my questions and said call back anytime. Of course, the cam is set up 70 miles away and I will probably forget what he said by this weekend. I'll probably learn by trial and error like I usually do.

BTW, no real problem if you short cut the beginning 3 step process. You just have to start over.

Thanks for telling me about Don.

Hey Dave

I am glad that you got through to Don. As you said, he is a nice fellow.

Thanks for the tip on the 3 step process. BTW I got about 1000 pics on one set of D Cell batteries - almost all were night pictures using the flash.

Frank

Follow-up on infrared cameras. I went to Bass Pro shops yesterday - the effective range of an infrared camera is about 10 feet, compared to flash cameras with ranges in excess of 30 feet.

I'm headed out later today with my 7 year old, his first time to "hunt" in the stand with Dad. This will be a great weekend.

Safe hunting everyone.

Gator

Here are some pictures from my dads infrared camera.

Here is a deer hubby got in "83" It went into the Missouri Big Bucks. I don't remember what it scored, 156 I think.

I saw a beautiful buck yesterday. It actually came out about 40 ft. from my ground stand. It was a 10 point, perfectly symmetrical, long tines and about 17 inches wide. It looked straight at me from about 25 ft., turned and went over to check out a scrape. I watched it work over a mesquite tree creating a rub. Then it walked away.

Beautiful animal but the rack just didn't have the mass I want. Also, when it turned sideways to me I saw that it's belly was perfectly straight with no sag. It couldn't be over 2.5 or 3.5 years old. I think I saw it last year. and I'm looking forward to seeing it next year. Hope it survives.

DD,

You demonstrated great personal restraint on the 10 pointer. Did you see any of those pesky hogs?

Gator

Dan, I didn't see any hogs. Also, it wasn't that much personal restraint. All I could think of was "Man, he's pretty. Just think what he will be like in a couple of years.".

Also, I'm coming to grips with the idea that I enjoy hunting more than I do killing. That's real mixed emotions for a predator. I told the Rancher next to me about the deer. He's going to start sitting out with his video camera to try to get some pictures of him. I have one almost as nice on my game cam. Of course, that's the problem with game cameras. They tell you what shows up at night.

DD,

You are right - it's more about the hunt than the kill for me too. I just put my 7 year old to bed. I told him I had a great time hunting this weekend – his smile was so big and bright that it made my weekend.

I would love to see some pictures on the 10...

NWW, that’s a nice deer hanging on your wall.

Gator

Thanks Gator.

I saw several deer last evening in my archery stand. I havent hunted for few years. It was nice to see the deer again. There was a doe about 15 yards but it was too dark by then. Thats ok no shot equals less work and I still enjoyed it.

We saw one buck opening morning. He was a small 6 point and too small to be interesting. Especially on the first day of the season. It was cold out and there is some evidence that the rut is underway. That little guy had just one thing on his mind!!!

The next morning we came around a bend in the road and there was a hog rutting around the edge of our road. He was 50 yards away, 125 pounds and down wind. It would have been an easy shot, but we passed on him. No point wasting a day of deer hunting cleaning a hog.

When I first started hunting, I shot the first buck I saw. That took three years of trying. Than a few years later, I shot the second buck I saw. Then one year I went hunting with a guy from work who had about the same luck I'd had deer hunting. We talked about it and decided to hold out for better deer. With two sets of eyes, we spotted allot more deer. We stuck to our word and let all the little bucks go. By the end of that season, I'd shot the best buck of my life to that point and seen more bucks in that one season than in my entire life before then.

It's easy to say, but was a hard lesson to learn. Don't shoot the small ones and you'll see more big ones.

Hunting also turned into something more for me after that. Before it was a frustrating battle of disapointment and wishful thinking. Now it's all about enjoying the outdoors, seeing the animals and enjoying the time it takes to find quality animals.

Now that I have a wife who is just getting into hunting, I find it's even more fun working towards getting her an animal. She gets so exited when we see something, and what's realy amazing is how quickly she can spot an animal. She spotted every deer and hog we saw over the weekend first except for one doe that I saw first. She's just an amazing woman!!!

She never even hesitated about passing on the hogs we saw. There were three of them over the entire weekend. Some we could have shot easy, others would have taken some effort. She knows that it will take effort to get a good buck and doesn't want tow waste any time with hogs that we can shoot year round, or killing a small buck early in the season. If she doesn't have one by mid December, than she'll take what comes along, but until then, we're having allot of fun!!!

Good luck everyone,
Eddie

Eddie, that sounds great. I dislike people that shoot at every thing they see just to be killing it. People around here get that way sometimes, not my hubby, he takes his time like you do and enjoys seeing everything he can. I grew up in the city and wasn't around hunting until I met my husband, he has taken me out several times but with no luck. I have seen deer just couldn't get a clear shot. Then one year I thought I would try to go by myself just to show him I could, I saw a nice buck, at least an 8 pt. problem was he saw me too, we stared at each other for what seamed a long time then he walked off. I waited for him to come back into site, but he was running so I couldn't shoot. So I walked back over where I saw him go and started looking for him again. I found him in a thickett, or I should say he popped up right in front of me from a thickett. LOL At any rate I didn't get the deer but I had a fun story for the guys when they got home, and they hadn't seen a thing. LOL

Well any one have a deer this year? Our season opened Sat., so far we have 2 buttons and a small doe. Hubby got a big buck this morning, when he gets here I will take pics and show you.

I was bushhogging this morning and kicked up the same 3 deer twice: a 7-pt, an 8-pt, and the fattest doe I have ever seen. They only moved about 50 feet, far enough not to get run over by the tractor, and stood there looking in every other direction in case there was a real threat nearby. The second time I was on foot and they were barely any more concerned. I'm gonna have to hunt while bushogging.

Ohio youth season is next Saturday & Sunday. I hope to be out guiding my son.

Well, it wasn't as BIG as hubby made it sound, but a nice 7 pt. We took this one to the locker plant to be made into summer sausage.

Dave ask me to post this pic. I know he would not want any of you to drool on your keyboard and short out your computer.

Thanks Eric, I tried for about 30 minutes and then yelled for help.

I have 3 pictures of this guy but this one is the best. I expect he is just about totally nocturnal.

If I ever decide to sell my land he ought to add about $200 per acre.

OUCH! Put my little buck to shame, but like you said he only comes out at night, I think they know their horns are coveted and stay hid. How else would they survive to pass on there genes.

Chris, I am totally a trophy hunter. However, I'm not sure I will ever pull the trigger on what I consider a truly magnificent animal or the best of the breed.

I had no idea that sucker was on my land and I doubt that I would shoot it.

Hi New_Water,

Tell your husband congratulations on a nice buck. One that size would make a fantastic first buck for my wife!!!!

Dave,

That's a very nice buck. One like that will be even better next year and with him breeding, you guranteed to have quality bucks on your place.

It's a myth that big bucks are strictly nocternal, they have just learned how to avoid being seen during the day. Sometimes you have to get withing five feet of a buck like that for him to move, they know that if they are in thick brush and don't move, they will never be seen. They have also found areas to move around that they are safe and can avoid contact with humans.

Big deer are very smart and it's what makes hunting them such a challange!!!

Thanks for the picture,
Eddie

That's a fine buck there Dave! Just looking at his backline and his belly, I don't think he is very old and anywhere near his potential!

The game camera's are alot of fun and I enjoy messing with them about as much as I do the hunting. I have a new one sitting here beside me that my uncle ordered to put out this weekend & I just bid on a Sony camera to put together another homemade trailcam. My wife likes this little "addiction" about as well as all the others I've had...ponds, fishing, golf, hunting......

On your camera at the feeder, if you will take a weedeater and knock all the tall weeds down between the camera and the feeder, the flash will extend farther and give you better/crisper pics. Weeds and brush tend to "gobble up" the flash on the cameras.

Ross, I think you are right about his age. I see him as about 4 1/2 YOA.

Yeah, I definitely need to use the weedeater. I hadn't thought about it shortening the flash range. I also have a problem in the settings. During normal daylight, everything gets pretty washed out and whitish looking. I have it pointing North so, it's certainly not getting the full sun into the lens.

Eddie, I agree that an awful lot of them aren't totally nocturnal. Maybe they are just good at patterning me.

Our gun season starts this Saturday up in the Catskills of New York State. I just started using a trail camera this past fall and it has really opened our eyes to what is out and about when we are not around. I have shots of bear cubs, wild turkey and some nice size (For us up here in NY where the Whitetail is king) white tails. They don't compare to the big boys you Texans have but are great hunting.

While bow hunting a few weeks ago I got a shot of this one with the digital camera that I keep in my back pack.
Who can notice the comedy of this photo? Look closely.

I'll tell you the story in a few days.

Tuzz

I hate to say it, but I don't think it's your settings. Alot of cameras have this problem with washouts/whiteouts. I have a couple Moultries that get about 10-15% washouts to some degree each time. It does seem to be getting better as the arc of sun is less overhead this time of year. If you will look at the picture properties you will likely see that the "overexposed" pics tend to have a longer shutter time than the ones that look good. It's a matter of the camera not reading/sensing the light level correctly most of the time.

Also, there is a great little FREE program to use with these gamecams. It's called Picasa2 from Google. You can DL the photos directly into this program and crop, zoom, lighten, etc. Very neat program.

DD, nice deer - game cameras are great, they have patience I dont have (plus night vision).

Tuzz, looks like someone pulled right on that shot, was it at that deer or another one?

Gator

You'd have had him, Tuzz, if he hadn't climbed down out of that tree at just the wrong instant.

The best rack of my hunting career I took with a bow. This 11 point and I surprised each other on a trail. I got the drop on him, took careful aim at his vitals, and shot through his right front knee. Like 2 feet of error at a 15 foot range. :rolleyes: Fortunately he went down long enough for me to get off a better shot.

My wife asked me if I was working as an enforcer for the Deer Mob.

Boy, Tuzz, somebody was really high in a tree on that shot. Actually, our AVERAGE deer are seldom as big as yours are. We just have a lot more of them. We just don't show our average ones. I have pictures of several(or more) bucks that aren't as big as the one you showed.

Ross, if that is the problem, it goes back to Cabelas ASAP. I really need pictures of deer that are around when I want to hunt. I can't see a thing other than night, dawn and dusk. Yep, I changed the ISO setting to darken, took a picture outside and it is over exposed. No change. Thanks, it goes back for a trade in.

Dave

What model Leaf River do you have? I have the DSS6 and get good pictures during the day. I emailed you one of turkeys.

The Moultrie takes good photos in the daytime but the flash is VERY weak at night. My brother has a Moultrie. We put it beside my Leaf River and the Moultrie's flash range appears to be about 10 feet while the Leaf River is 30 feet +.

Frank

Frank, I have the DC 6SS. Great nightime pics but, like Ross says, it is over exposing in the daytime. I talked to Don and he said if it didn't work to send it back to them. However, that takes a lot of time and deer season is now. I'm going to take it back to Cabelas tonight. I only get a limited time there on electric stuff.

I had a Moultrie for one night. It went through a fully charged 6 volt battery in that night on 26 pictures and quit at midnight. If you look at the Game Cam web sites, you find out that Moultrie has a terrible rep for battery usage. I've talked to people that got a month on their batteries but most seem to get about 3 days.

If I can't get this stuff sorted out, I will probably go with the Cuddeback.

Dave,

I had to replace the first Leaf River 6SS. The compact flash card was sticking in the camera. Instead of returning it to Cabelas, I shipped it overnight to Don at Leaf River. When I got the replacement in a few days, it has updated firmware with a new feature or two. Apparently Cabelas had a run of cameras from a year ago and Leaf River had improved the firmware. Perhaps this would fix your exposure problems??

My brother's Moultrie is lasting for 700 pictures on one battery.

I hope you sort it out. Keep us posted.

Frank

My dad saw this deer on saturday but couldn't get a shot. He was only 300-400 yards from where this picture was taken. I'm guessing this deer is 4 1/2 years old.

Now, that's pretty.

He may be a year older than that. I see a little bit of sway in his back. Of course, with the camera angle, it's hard to say.

Well guys they are out there.

Chris, tell him congratulations. That's really a nice one.

Thanks Dave, he's pretty happy about it.

They sure are out there.

That photo of the deer and arrow was taken with my digital camera that I keep with me while hunting. After missing that Big Boy 3 times and running out of hunting arrows he still hung around to say "Cheese" and get a few photos taken. The arrow in the tree was the first shot. It spooked him a little when it smacked into the tree but he still kept coming around to see what was going on. The other 2 also went wide right at the same tree but bounced off. Sad thing was that not a half hour before I was saying to my self that I should have cut those 2 trees down as they were blocking my view. Never gave it a thought last year when I bagged another buck from that spot with the rifle.

At least I can prove that I saw him. Now all I need to do is learn how to shoot straight from my tree stand with the bow.

I still may get the last laugh. Gun season starts this Saturday morning and I will be in teh same stand at the same time but this time packing my 30-06.

Will let you know who gets the last laugh.

He’s tempting me…
This has been going on for two weeks now, the freezer is full so this one gets to enjoy one more year.

Hey Jim, nice deer, hope you get him. I shot a similar one last year, 8 point, tall narrow rack, but weighed 230 lb dressed. Gotta show you guys my new hunting tower next to my new pond. I plan to shoot a few out of this one.

Nice pictures everyone. I found this rub today, biggest I have ever seen - the tree is at leats 6 - 8" across. Hopefully a big deer made it....



Gator

What kind of tree is that, Gator? It's looks almost like Sassafras bark.

It could be Theo, I am not sure...I'll have to take a closer look next time I go down.

(edited to add: maybe mr deer-deer was trying to rub up some sasafrass tea!)

: )

Gator

This is my first year to try some deer hunting, but we've had our game camera up for a while. Here are two cool shots from the past month. There are more pics on my home page.

I shot this fellow last year with a rifle. He is a 10 pointer scoring right at 130 and has right at a inch deduction, beautiful animal! picture doesnt do justice. I normally hunt with a recurve, but I have jacked up my shoulder and havent been able to draw my bow back very well and if anyone knows about traditional achery equipment know that it gets harder to draw the farther you pull a recurve or longbow back, I think though that I might be able to draw a lower poundage bow back that I have for the remaining achery season as long as I keep the shots 15 yards and under I should be good to go, This guy is a farm raised deer by deer breeders of missouri and his name is Haus son of Heart attack, he is suppose to be a 200+ scoring buck and I think he is 4-5 years old I forgot to mention that Haus is a 24 point buck that weights in at around 240 lbs

CC nice buck, wouldn't it be nice to have that to hang on the wall for your first deer? Problem is what would you do for next time? LOL
Texas seams to have more of the larger antlered deer then we do near us in Missouri. However northern Mo. has more there then here in the south. Nice Deer trailsguy, hubby would faint if he saw something like Haus in the woods.

My buddy harvested this nice 10 pointer off my parent's farm in Kentucky last weekend. It scored in the 140s. I didn't get to hunt last weekend and won't be able to go this weekend either but am planning on going next weekend.

Well, my deer season is now over. Got a decent 10 point.... not huge, but a good deer for my area of north Texas (Jack County).

Here's a pic of him on the hoof


I really like the Cuddeback no flash cameras... I'm getting so many more pictures than I used to with the older model CamTrakker.

And two pics on the ground

Here's a photo of the Buck I shot Sunday Like my Pop taught me...if you see does during the rut, let them pass, the buck will be close behind ! (2 does came by, 15 minutes later, this guy walked out). Since I built my pond, the does have established home territory, it's now up to "chance" to catch the big bucks coming thru.

Nice bucks guys. Muzzeloading season opens today so guess where my hubby is...lol All we need is ANOTHER one to hang on the wall. LOL

I stalk hunt with a pistol, mostly for in search of a yearling doe. I got what I was looking for yesterday eve. with my new Grizly 45 Win. mag., a great hunting cartridge for hunting! Heart shot @ apx. 35 yds.
I've passed on several bucks this year including a nice 8. The woods would be full of good bucks if we could only convince others to stop shooting the little guys. It'll have to be an outstanding buck for me to shoot him.

Ric, with a pistol, that is cool. I got two does last week with the bow in the burbs of ATL. Passed a total of 15 bucks during the rut last week. The deer get age on them in nonhunted popualtion and with bow only to boot they are quite large. I got a nice, smaller but cool buck, on sat. w/ matching split g2's.

So few people meat hunt around me that we appear to have a close to 1 to 1 ratio of bucks and does. Most hunting neighbors are trophy hunters and nobody leases out their land so we can pretty well control our own destiny. It seems to be working out pretty well. I've seen more deer this year than I've seen in years.

Now there is one less buck and it was a real trophy. My Grandson/Partner got a decent sized 4 point (cull) buck and he is the happiest 8 year old in Texas. He took a pig 3 weeks ago. Both times it was with Grandma's Remington 222. Well, Grandma had a talk with me today. She is giving the gun to Trevor for Xmas. He's gonna be excited.

I got just what I was after this A.M. - a nice sized doe of proven fertility (accompanied by two yearlings). Take that, surplus population. And BOY do I love my new T/C Encore in 12 Gauge!

Congratulations. What is a T/C Encore? Do you have a picture of the beast? Can you come shoot some of mine now?

Thanks Greg, sounds like you did get a cool buck!

Dave, your grandson/partner is lucky to have you as his grandpop.

You shot mama Theo! :p

Thompson/Center Encore: switch-barrel (in 2 minutes) single shot, mine is shown with a rifled 12 Gauge barrel


Here's Mama:


While cropping and scaling the second picture, I noticed a recurring problem with digital cameras. In deer photos, they seem to make most of us look 40 to 50 pounds heavier than we actually are. And in my case, a 2 week growth of beard appears to be a dirty face and neck.

I'm not used to seeing you without floaties.

Dang it you guys, I didn't get a picture of my trophy doe.

The deer(bambi) is in the background, giving the illusion of a larger than life, TG. The cropping also makes it look like your earmuffs need to be cropped. kidding.

You know, I had just been thinking it was time to revisit the King Ding-A-Ling thread.

No need now.

Kidding, Theo, just kidding.

But seriously, it looks like you really had to suit up with hard weather gear and such to nab this fine doe.

Does the doe look 40-50lbs. heavier???

That's a really cool looking weapon. Theo have you hunted other game with it?

Sunil:

Very perceptive. Yes, digital cameras also make the deer look smaller. It's not as noticeable with does, but the rack size on bucks loses anywhere from 2 to half their points.

BTW, if anyone doubts the apparent pound-adding abilities of digi-cams, I have a number of old deer hunting pictures taken on film in which I appear to be as skinny as a rail - what more proof could you want?

BM:

Those aren't earmuffs. I am a proud graduate of the Krusty the Klown Kollege of Deer Hunting. Let me assure you the hair looked worse yesterday without the hat.

Bruce:

This doe blooded the Encore. But I have a pair of T/C Contenders (the Encore's older, smaller brother) set up as a pistol and a carbine that I have used on groundhogs and other assorted varmints (in .223 Rem, .22 LR, and .357 Maximum) and deer (in .357 Maximum, pistol only).

Bruce attempts to get back on topic. Theo, that is a fine looking weapon. What other barrel(s) do you have? Dont know too much about deer guns. I only have a Winchester model 92 with octagon barrel in 32-20. So, you shoot slugs at deer? For close quarters hunting?

Hey Theo I have the contender with the 16" barrel in the 7-30 waters calibur, it is a tack driving pistol. The bullet is basically a 30-30 necked down to a 7 mm bullet.

I would love to have the encore in a 243 I think that would be the perfect bullet for all around from varmit to deer.

In addition to the Rifled 12 Gauge barrel I have a .44 Mag barrel for the Encore.

I've spent about 15 years adding Contender barrels when I get a chance to pick one up reasonable. I have got:
.22 lr (10" octagon)
.22 lr match (10" bull)
.223 Rem (Super 14)
.223 Rem (21" Carbine)
30/30 (Super 14)
.357 Magnum (10" bull)
.357 Maximum (Super 14)
.35 Rem (Super 14 - stainless)
.44 Mag (Super 14)
.45 Long Colt (10" tapered - NOT .410 compatible)
45/70 (21" carbine)

I wish Encore barrels were as easy to come across used as Contender barrels. I think maybe I'd like a 22-250 barrel for the Encore, but I need it like I need another fishing rod (actually, not nearly as much ).

I'd post a pic of the great buck I got this year...if I'd actually gotten one . Instead, here are a couple of pics off our cams over the last month or two:

Wow; Daytime!

man theo that 22-250 would be a rocket calibur! I bet that sucker would be loud in a 10" barrel. We were shooting ours at the range when a fellow beside us let loose with a 223 in a 10" barrel and you could still here the piercing pop of the thing even with ear plugs in.
I missed a sale the other day, this buddy of mine was left a bunch of guns and reloading supplies from a buddy that had passed away. He had a contender with 4 barrels all with either leupold or burris scopes attached to them barrels were 22,22 hornet,223. and 44 mag, all for 1000.00 he wouldnt split up the barrels and I hesitated before deciding to talk to him about buying them, 4 days later I went to him and he said he sold them to the 3rd person he told. Just as well I guess.

I went into my office today and somebody had put up this poster.

Theo, allow me please.


Harsh.

Should I delete this? I hope Theo is in a good mood.

I'm sure he knows we all like him enough.

Awww, you shouldn't have. No really, you shouldn't have.

Sometimes life in Neb. makes you want to howl at the winter moon - sometimes just tinker with the chemistry set - or just drink to much dew and catch a HSB !!! :p :p

On one hand, I am touched Bruce. I'd like to express my appreciation, but I'm all choked up. There's (whimper) something in my eye (tiny sob).

OTOH, what did I ever do to invite this abuse? Oh, yeah, never mind... :rolleyes:

On the gripping hand, I printed copies off and they're going up at work when I go back Monday.

P.S. Doesn't the sea of reality have a nice algal bloom?

There are some weird freaks on this pond boss forum.

I like it.

You're right, Theo. How could we all have missed that beautiful green water!

I knew I should have never/ever posted that picture - but I’ll root for the “Huskers” any how. :rolleyes: