2016 Hunting Thread

Conveniently enough I'm off work just by chance till about November 1st... Gonna be getting alot of morning and afternoons in my stands this year.. But knowing my luck come Nov 1st immediately be working 10 hr days 7 days a week. Last year bought my first muzzloader and worked 24 days straight in Dec.. Only 26 more years and I can just retire.. Can't wait!

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GM-GUY said:
Back in cell/wifi range. Upton Maine. I went with Norrhern New England Guide Services - my FiL and I liked the onsite meat cutting/wrapping + ARGO to pull the moose out.

My FiL with the moose.

I'll have to type the story tomorrow when at the PC - but almost no meat loss due to damage = two 150qt coolers stuffed (no ice - just meat) for volume reference, I had another bigger one made from 2" foam board and we split it up with ice.
Click to expand...

Good stuff, congrats!!!
 
The story from my Moose Hunt - Maine 2016 Zone 7 Upton 725lb dressed Bull, 41.5" spread

Day 1

Woke at 1:30AM, left at 2:45AM with the guide (Jason from Northern New England Guide Services - used to be New Hampshire Guide Services). They had spotted a ~60" bull in a cut about an hour from camp the day before - we got there early and waited till sun up. Walked down the dirt road, only spotted a cow and she booted into the bush. No other moose spotted alive that day - saw several being carted out on trailers and saw others prepping for the retrieval. When driving home at night - saw one cow in the road.


Day 2
Tried the same deal - almost - no joy. We did see two little bulls (400-500 live weight estimate), very mellow and hung out for us to drive down the road and drive back. They spared a bit, cool to see. Came back to camp at 11AM and headed to a new area at 3PM. About 2 hours south of the last place. Walk in and saw a cow and calf, heard the bull crash off towards the cut in the back. Commence what I call the Northern Maine Marathon (NMM), quick, quiet through the logging trails (slash, loose logs 2-3", ankle breaking territory). Get to where we wanted to be, perfect cut; brush and saplings chest/head height - a couple of cow calls and the real cow answers ??? This means the bull is back with her.

Issues: ~6PM (shoot till ~6:30PM), 0.5 miles out of position, same road back - Commence the second leg of the NMM.

Arrive almost at the field ~6:15PM, the bull - 80yds dead ahead and busts us. Starts to walk (Right to Left, almost perpendicular but a little away) - a cow call and he stops (~95yds) and Jason want to know why I don't shoot. He has the sticks and my heart is jackhammering like a QB on prom night (Ash - Evil Dead). I get the sticks and start lining up, he calls again and he stops (~110 yds) - click. I really should have taken the gun off safe when I laid it on the sticks - oops. Gun off safe, now the bull is trotting/running (not good - distance opening rapidly).

Jason says in the calming guide tone "SHOOT IT, SHOOT IT NOW !!!!"

Fine, line up, Weatherby 300 Mag (180gr TSX) goes off. The bull dropping in it's tracks without another step at 150yds+/- due to a spine shot directly over the vitals. Back legs out of commission, front legs not right, neck able to lift head.

I miss the next 3, besides maybe an antler hit - but the hole is ~0.24 and my bullet does not fit.

I walk over and one to the chest, behind the shoulder and done with a 180gr Accubond.

From sighting to shoot took 6-7 seconds maximum, moose can move.


Things, could have gone better. I could have shot at 80yds. I was zeroed 3" high at 100yds - maybe the bullet arc made me high at the 150yd mark (maybe it was the hole 1ft or better depression the moose fell in). I could have hit with at least one of the three misses. A heart/lung shot would be ideal, but it would have carried on for another ?100yds? and been in the tree line easy - ugly for moose retrieval.

As it turns out, even though I wasn't aiming for the spine (my left to right was spot on - just too high) it was the best possible as the moose literally fell instantaneously.

The other guys in camp all had ~30 yard or less shots, the guys who tagged out on day 4 were at 15 yards. All theirs were stationary. I would have gladly traded them some yardage at least.


I think that about covers it - almost no meat loss - ~300lbs of moose meat in the freezer.



I would go with this guide service again - 100% on moose for 11 years iihc. At least 10 a year, sometimes more. They guide VT, NH,ME. Next time is my sons turn to come.
 
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ThePreBanMan said:
It's never too early or too late to scare deer away.... [smile] But if you want to increase your odds save that for the rut.
Click to expand...

I just pulled a card today and had two boys going at it right in a doe bedding area.

So if you know they are sparring where you plan to go it may not hurt since it will not sound strange to any bucks in the area.

I personally have never had any luck rattling but than again I never used real antlers.

Also, why wait for the rut? That is when they are chasing and not sparring with each to the best of my knowledge.
 
Opening day of small game season found me drilling with the national guard. I was not happy when I got my drill schedule for this year. But.....got released early enough to get out for 2 hours of shooting time left and the wma is close by. Didnt hit the pheasant fields figured they were pretty well worked over that late in the day. So took my son for squirrel again.....we got 2 nice ones. He field dressed them on his own this time which is awesome. Nice having small game open so I can run down after work for a couple hours.

honestly there is nothing better than taking the shotgun for a walk in the woods!!!!!
 
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GM-GUY said:
Back in cell/wifi range. Upton Maine. I went with Norrhern New England Guide Services - my FiL and I liked the onsite meat cutting/wrapping + ARGO to pull the moose out. View attachment 179639

My FiL with the moose.

I'll have to type the story tomorrow when at the PC - but almost no meat loss due to damage = two 150qt coolers stuffed (no ice - just meat) for volume reference, I had another bigger one made from 2" foam board and we split it up with ice.
Click to expand...

I thought you were going with bosebuck guides, what changed your mind?
 
exojam said:
I just pulled a card today and had two boys going at it right in a doe bedding area.

So if you know they are sparring where you plan to go it may not hurt since it will not sound strange to any bucks in the area.

I personally have never had any luck rattling but than again I never used real antlers.

Also, why wait for the rut? That is when they are chasing and not sparring with each to the best of my knowledge.
Click to expand...

I've read in a couple of different books but most notably Peter Fiduccia's that you shouldn't rattle outside of the rut or right before it. Light sparring just before and a bit heavier during. It's not natural, educates the deer, and sends them high tailing. But he says rattling during the rut and pre-rut is okay if you create the total illusion. In other words don't just rattle but also put down some buck urine, inter-digital, and tarsal scents. Scrape the ground and russle leaves too. You have to create the total experience. When you rattle on it's own from a tree stand or blind the bucks know it's not natural and will spook. that by way of all those other elements missing.

You maybe able to get away with that in less pressured states. But the deer of the northeast are heavily pressured and well educated. I'm sure we've all seen deer look up in trees for example before coming out of a tangle. I know I have anyway. They've been grunted at, rattled at, shot at, had every bottled scent in existence thrown at them... and they remember.

On an off note I've read about a dozen whitetail hunting books the past couple of years. Peter Fiduccia's were probably the best. I've read 3 of his.. It really opens your eyes and makes you begin to think outside the box.. Plus he writes about hunting heavily pressured deer in the northeast so I found it to be the most applicable as well. Most of his experience is in NY. Peter Fiduccia seems to be considered the authority in the industry on deer calling as well. Books I've read by other authors - like Hal Blood's Big Woods bucks specifically call out Peter Fiduccia and say if you want to learn how to call no one can teach you better then him.

This book is probably the best of all I've read. Take a loot at the reviews on amazon for confirmation - it's a good one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616083581/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I will say that the tactics seem to work too. So far I've been hunting blind on land I've never stepped foot on before and I've gotten on more deer than I ever have before. In many cases hunting in places where there is no sign.... Let that sink in for a moment. Because it took me a while before I could buy in and tried it. Mapping trophy bucks wasn't bad either. Precision bow hunting by Eberhart I found to be pretty poor though. there's another book: Whitetail Savvy: New Research and Observations about America's Most Popular Big Game Animal, that although not specifically geared towards hunting has a lot of insightful stuff on their behaviors that can help you get on them too. the author's writing style is dry so you really have to force yourself to pay attention. The knowledge is good but the delivery is poor... I found myself taking notes from that book because after a chapter or two it was just too hard to continue to digest the writing and I was reading more like a drone to get through it then absorbing the information.

I guess the point that I'm making is that these books will do far more to get you on deer than a rattle bag will... I don't even take mine out anymore..
 
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Saw 4 does and a nice buck today. None came in close enough to give me a shot. The buck hung around for a while. at one point got to within 35 yards. But that's stretching it for me and there was some junk in the way and he was behind my stand so the tree was in the way. Had the shot been a bit clearer though I may probably would have taken it... Was a nice buck.... damn.... One more shot out of state before opening day on the home range.
 
NHAtHeart said:
I thought you were going with bosebuck guides, what changed your mind?
Click to expand...

I spoke with them, nice enough folks, but NNEO has 100% success and on site meat prep, from what I recall Bosebuck was over an hour away from theirs - pricier too. Not as bad as the one who wanted $5K - and NNEO wasn't the cheapest either. What sealed it was I brought my FiL hunting, he voted for NNEO and I am pretty sure this is his last moose hunt. 76yo, two fake knees, bad hip, surgeries on both feet (break & hammer toe) and 10% range of motion on his right arm. He also broke a tooth on a potato chip while there.

He's the only one I have left (besides wife and kids of course), his vote carries a lot of weight.
 
GM-GUY said:
I spoke with them, nice enough folks, but NNEO has 100% success and on site meat prep, from what I recall Bosebuck was over an hour away from theirs - pricier too. Not as bad as the one who wanted $5K - and NNEO wasn't the cheapest either. What sealed it was I brought my FiL hunting, he voted for NNEO and I am pretty sure this is his last moose hunt. 76yo, two fake knees, bad hip, surgeries on both feet (break & hammer toe) and 10% range of motion on his right arm. He also broke a tooth on a potato chip while there.

He's the only one I have left (besides wife and kids of course), his vote carries a lot of weight.
Click to expand...
God love him for still being out there! I hunt with a couple of old fellers that dont have too many seasons left in them. Learned alot from them over the years.....and the stories are always great.....even if we have heard them a dozen times. One hunted snow shoe hare last year from a lawn chair.....guide drove him to a good spot on the snow machine and set him up cuz he has a bad hip. dogs drove one to him and he fired the old double barrel 16 gauge at it and unfortunately he missed. He still laughed and had a blast!
 
GM-GUY said:
Things, could have gone better. I could have shot at 80yds. I was zeroed 3" high at 100yds
Click to expand...

Just curious - why are you zeroed for such a long range? If you're 3" high at 100 then that has you on bullseye at what - maybe 300ish yards? Doesn't seem like those ranges are likely to be encountered in the woods. Just curious what drove that choice...
 
The only table I have of 'knowns' is +3" at 100yds, +3.7 at 200yds and zero at 300yds. Across some of cuts could be 300 or more, some much more. 400yds is only 8" low


On edit:

I ran an online ballistics program and checked out where the bullet should have been at 150yds ... ~+5" [shocked]
So my shot in the spine, aimed at the vitals on a trotting/running moose was better than I thought.
 
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ThePreBanMan said:
I've read in a couple of different books but most notably Peter Fiduccia's that you shouldn't rattle outside of the rut or right before it. Light sparring just before and a bit heavier during. It's not natural, educates the deer, and sends them high tailing. But he says rattling during the rut and pre-rut is okay if you create the total illusion. In other words don't just rattle but also put down some buck urine, inter-digital, and tarsal scents. Scrape the ground and russle leaves too. You have to create the total experience. When you rattle on it's own from a tree stand or blind the bucks know it's not natural and will spook. that by way of all those other elements missing.

You maybe able to get away with that in less pressured states. But the deer of the northeast are heavily pressured and well educated. I'm sure we've all seen deer look up in trees for example before coming out of a tangle. I know I have anyway. They've been grunted at, rattled at, shot at, had every bottled scent in existence thrown at them... and they remember.

On an off note I've read about a dozen whitetail hunting books the past couple of years. Peter Fiduccia's were probably the best. I've read 3 of his.. It really opens your eyes and makes you begin to think outside the box.. Plus he writes about hunting heavily pressured deer in the northeast so I found it to be the most applicable as well. Most of his experience is in NY. Peter Fiduccia seems to be considered the authority in the industry on deer calling as well. Books I've read by other authors - like Hal Blood's Big Woods bucks specifically call out Peter Fiduccia and say if you want to learn how to call no one can teach you better then him.

This book is probably the best of all I've read. Take a loot at the reviews on amazon for confirmation - it's a good one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616083581/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I will say that the tactics seem to work too. So far I've been hunting blind on land I've never stepped foot on before and I've gotten on more deer than I ever have before. In many cases hunting in places where there is no sign.... Let that sink in for a moment. Because it took me a while before I could buy in and tried it. Mapping trophy bucks wasn't bad either. Precision bow hunting by Eberhart I found to be pretty poor though. there's another book: Whitetail Savvy: New Research and Observations about America's Most Popular Big Game Animal, that although not specifically geared towards hunting has a lot of insightful stuff on their behaviors that can help you get on them too. the author's writing style is dry so you really have to force yourself to pay attention. The knowledge is good but the delivery is poor... I found myself taking notes from that book because after a chapter or two it was just too hard to continue to digest the writing and I was reading more like a drone to get through it then absorbing the information.

I guess the point that I'm making is that these books will do far more to get you on deer than a rattle bag will... I don't even take mine out anymore..
Click to expand...


I have have watched some of Peter's calling videos and he does it better than anyone I have heard. Plus the amount of different types of calls was very interesting to see.

As for making the total experience, I do not even bother with scents anymore, my belief and after talking to some of the folks at HB is that the scent being layed down will be forgein to the local deer since it from location other than were you are hunting and does more harm than good.

As for rattling, I am like you and do not even take the one rattle device I have out anymore. I just could never them to work so they stay in the box in the garage.

The only thing I take with me now a days is a grunt tube. Do not use it that much but I did use it after missing a doe last year when I hit a branch. I said what the hell, tried a few and she came back over to me but behind a tree with to many non visible branches (at that time of light). Could not believe I pulled that off.
 
exojam said:
I have have watched some of Peter's calling videos and he does it better than anyone I have heard. Plus the amount of different types of calls was very interesting to see.

As for making the total experience, I do not even bother with scents anymore, my belief and after talking to some of the folks at HB is that the scent being layed down will be forgein to the local deer since it from location other than were you are hunting and does more harm than good.

As for rattling, I am like you and do not even take the one rattle device I have out anymore. I just could never them to work so they stay in the box in the garage.

The only thing I take with me now a days is a grunt tube. Do not use it that much but I did use it after missing a doe last year when I hit a branch. I said what the hell, tried a few and she came back over to me but behind a tree with to many non visible branches (at that time of light). Could not believe I pulled that off.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on the scents as well. Plus in order for them to work you really need to have them upwind from the deer. Which means you're upwind too when using them near your post. So it kind of defeats the purpose in my eyes. I use a grunt tube during the rut too but that's about it. I only ever had it work one time. leaves were crunchy and I couldn't get to my stand quietly. Sun was setting and I was running out of time. So thinking about Peter's book I went outside the box a bit, trotted doing my best to sound like a deer trotting through the leaves (intentionally making noise) and blew on the grunt tube a couple times. A doe ended up coming in but I wasn't ready. Only time the grunt tube worked for me... but I still carry it. If a deer is walking away and the timing of the year is right what have you got to lose...
 
GM-GUY said:
I spoke with them, nice enough folks, but NNEO has 100% success and on site meat prep, from what I recall Bosebuck was over an hour away from theirs - pricier too. Not as bad as the one who wanted $5K - and NNEO wasn't the cheapest either. What sealed it was I brought my FiL hunting, he voted for NNEO and I am pretty sure this is his last moose hunt. 76yo, two fake knees, bad hip, surgeries on both feet (break & hammer toe) and 10% range of motion on his right arm. He also broke a tooth on a potato chip while there.

He's the only one I have left (besides wife and kids of course), his vote carries a lot of weight.
Click to expand...

Glad you guys scored one and had a good hunt! Good work getting out there, I've been on 3 moose hunts and they are much different than deer hunting.
 
ThePreBanMan said:
Just curious - why are you zeroed for such a long range? If you're 3" high at 100 then that has you on bullseye at what - maybe 300ish yards? Doesn't seem like those ranges are likely to be encountered in the woods. Just curious what drove that choice...
Click to expand...

Like GM said, 300+ yards is not uncommon on moose in cutoff's. My dad took one at a lasered 360 yards with a .270, I had a friend that took one at 240 with a 30-06.

Personally I've taken the biggest buck of my life at 150 yards and had no fear of holding dead on with my .270.

While in the thick stuff it's unlikely to get past 50 yards I've had several opportunities past 75-100 yards.
 
Hopefully some of the Mass guys had some luck today for archery opener. I saw a total of 7 deer and heard a grunt, but no shots.

1st doe came in shortly after first light. I had just heard a single Grunt behind me, and saw her poke her head from around a tree 30 yards in front of me as I sat wide eyed listening for the buck. She walked away inline with the tree keeping her hidden. Unfortunately I never located the Buck or heard him again.

2nd big doe came in at about 8:15 but had triplets in tow. They were small, had to have been born late June or July- so I let her pass as I wasnt confident the triplets were big enough to make a winter without her.

6th deer was bounding towards a field some 80 yards away

and last was big bodied deer I jumped as I walked out. Couldnt make out what it was.

No blood today, but still feel good seeing that much life on the first day.
 
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Punched my doe tag today. 20 yds with a Bear wild pushing a whitetail special. She ran about 30yds and just fell over. Got her cut in to primals and sitting on ice. Didnt weigh her ar F&W headquartes when I checked her but she ripped a 3 1\2in cleat off the wall of my shed. Big buck was cruising around the stand two hours before sun up making a ruckus.
 
Hunted Bolton Flats with two other NES'ers. Put up two woodcock and a pheasant which we missed.

Did see an EPO who checked our licenses and shot the shit for a bit... until he saw someone in full camo with no "don't shoot me orange" hat come out of the WMA. I'd wager someone had a rough afternoon.
 
admcd said:
Hunted Bolton Flats with two other NES'ers. Put up two woodcock and a pheasant which we missed.

Did see an EPO who checked our licenses and shot the shit for a bit... until he saw someone in full camo with no "don't shoot me orange" hat come out of the WMA. I'd wager someone had a rough afternoon.
Click to expand...
Some guys dont get it. Ran into a guy late saturday afternoon at crane pond....he was picking mushrooms on the side of the trail when he popped up and said "dont shoot me". No orange...just a brown sweatshirt and jeans. Dumbass
 
whacko said:
Some guys dont get it. Ran into a guy late saturday afternoon at crane pond....he was picking mushrooms on the side of the trail when he popped up and said "dont shoot me". No orange...just a brown sweatshirt and jeans. Dumbass
Click to expand...

Yeah well this guy was in full head-to-toe camo and carrying a sidearm. EPO was in a great mood until that. It didn't look like he wanted to do more paperwork but with each question the story just got worse.

Thanks for taking us out ADMCD.
 
bigblue said:
Yeah well this guy was in full head-to-toe camo and carrying a sidearm. EPO was in a great mood until that. It didn't look like he wanted to do more paperwork but with each question the story just got worse.

Thanks for taking us out ADMCD.
Click to expand...
What was the side arm? Shotgun and bow only on pheasant stocked wma
 
whacko said:
What was the side arm? Shotgun and bow only on pheasant stocked wma
Click to expand...
CCW pistol of some sort. Looked full size from where it what I could see from my position.

His license info also didn't seem to jive with what was in the EPOs database.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
nothing this afternoon. Not sure about heading out tomorrow since it is supposed to be so hot. I will play it by ear and see how it goes.
 

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