OFFICIAL 2014 Bambi Whacking Picture Thread

[lx1x]

so I was too tired over the weekend, but I figure it's still worth sharing. Here's my opening day experience. first time bow hunting.


As you know, it was 90 and humid Friday. I have all my hunting stuff ready to do the night before, and in hind sight, I should have added some new clothes to the list this year. I'm rocking the same shells I wear in Nov. BIG MISTAKE.

Anyway, we're hiking into Liberty by 5AM, and need to go what seems like a half mile in over rough terrain. I'm hunting with a guy that knows the area and gets a deer out of there almost every opening day. we get to his tree, and he says go 50-60 paces up that hill and find a good tree, so off I go. By the time I find a tree, I'm already sweating a little and regretting my choice of clothes and the amount of crap I've humped into the woods. Up the tree I go using my borrowed climber that I barely practiced with. just enough to make sure I could secure it to the tree.

If you're guessing it didn't go well, bonus points for you. I FINALLY make it up the tree after struggling a lot and almost losing the platform twice. tree was a little too big I guess. I am ****ing exhausted and dripping wet. ready to pass out. I drink some water, doesn't help. I pour 1/2 my ice water over my head and am in heaven. I radio my buddy saying I finally made it. he tells me to just relax and cool down. While relaxing, I drop the radio, and I'm sure as shit not going down to get it. I call him and let him know we'll just have to text back and forth. I'm feeling a little better at this point, so I pull up the xbow and my bag. naturally in the process I manage to drop my phone as well. now I have no covert communication and no way to tell time (I gotta be out of there by 3 at the latest).

We both see a deer come up the hill outta range, and he tries to call me, but of course my cell is down on the ground hanging out with the walkie. I tough out the heat and make it to lunch. enjoy my sandwich and polish off the rest of the water. Since I'm w/o a clock, I figure it's getting time to go b/c the sun is halfway to the horizon. I start my descent, again almost losing the platform, but at least in the process figure out the best way to move this stand up and down: bear-hug the tree while leaning on the secured seat and move the platform with my thighs and legs. trying to just move it up and down with my feet under the bar didn't work for shit.

finally have my feet back on solid earth and retrieve my phone only to see that it's not close to 3, not even 2, it's still 10:30 in the facking morning. I give my buddy a call and tell him I'm back on the radio. Ask him if he ever pulls deer outta there around mid day, which he has, so after some consideration, back up the tree I go. albeit, this time a little more successfully. hang out for another 3 hours, don't see shit, and finally leave at 2pm. 3:30 I get a text, and sure enough a massive buck just walked halfway down the hill past where my stand was before bolting.

Hey, valuable lessons learned. I also lost 6 pounds of water weight.

ah.. joy of tree climbing..

been there.. done that.

 

[j_h_smith]

so I was too tired over the weekend, but I figure it's still worth sharing. Here's my opening day experience. first time bow hunting.


As you know, it was 90 and humid Friday. I have all my hunting stuff ready to do the night before, and in hind sight, I should have added some new clothes to the list this year. I'm rocking the same shells I wear in Nov. BIG MISTAKE.

Anyway, we're hiking into Liberty by 5AM, and need to go what seems like a half mile in over rough terrain. I'm hunting with a guy that knows the area and gets a deer out of there almost every opening day. we get to his tree, and he says go 50-60 paces up that hill and find a good tree, so off I go. By the time I find a tree, I'm already sweating a little and regretting my choice of clothes and the amount of crap I've humped into the woods. Up the tree I go using my borrowed climber that I barely practiced with. just enough to make sure I could secure it to the tree.

If you're guessing it didn't go well, bonus points for you. I FINALLY make it up the tree after struggling a lot and almost losing the platform twice. tree was a little too big I guess. I am ****ing exhausted and dripping wet. ready to pass out. I drink some water, doesn't help. I pour 1/2 my ice water over my head and am in heaven. I radio my buddy saying I finally made it. he tells me to just relax and cool down. While relaxing, I drop the radio, and I'm sure as shit not going down to get it. I call him and let him know we'll just have to text back and forth. I'm feeling a little better at this point, so I pull up the xbow and my bag. naturally in the process I manage to drop my phone as well. now I have no covert communication and no way to tell time (I gotta be out of there by 3 at the latest).

We both see a deer come up the hill outta range, and he tries to call me, but of course my cell is down on the ground hanging out with the walkie. I tough out the heat and make it to lunch. enjoy my sandwich and polish off the rest of the water. Since I'm w/o a clock, I figure it's getting time to go b/c the sun is halfway to the horizon. I start my descent, again almost losing the platform, but at least in the process figure out the best way to move this stand up and down: bear-hug the tree while leaning on the secured seat and move the platform with my thighs and legs. trying to just move it up and down with my feet under the bar didn't work for shit.

finally have my feet back on solid earth and retrieve my phone only to see that it's not close to 3, not even 2, it's still 10:30 in the facking morning. I give my buddy a call and tell him I'm back on the radio. Ask him if he ever pulls deer outta there around mid day, which he has, so after some consideration, back up the tree I go. albeit, this time a little more successfully. hang out for another 3 hours, don't see shit, and finally leave at 2pm. 3:30 I get a text, and sure enough a massive buck just walked halfway down the hill past where my stand was before bolting.

Hey, valuable lessons learned. I also lost 6 pounds of water weight.

SOP for the first time climber. You'll get the hang of it. As far as clothing, you are just one of many that overdressed for the day. A friend of mine was so hot when he finally got to his tree stand, he stripped out of all of his camo gear and climbed the tree in his underwear and t-shirt. Lucky for him it was at least a camo t-shirt. He saw nothing, not surprising, but was out again on Saturday morning. He still hasn't seen a thing.


Good Luck!
Jim Smith

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Tiny and Tender.

Also, The Mill in Hereford is having a sale on hunting related products, gear, and feed.

Saturday, September 27.

8 am-5pm.

 

[vinjet700]

Tiny and Tender.

Also, The Mill in Hereford is having a sale on hunting related products, gear, and feed.

Saturday, September 27.

8 am-5pm.

 

[j_h_smith]

Tiny and Tender.

Also, The Mill in Hereford is having a sale on hunting related products, gear, and feed.

Saturday, September 27.

8 am-5pm.

Congrats!

Jim Smith

 

[wilcam47]

Tiny and Tender.

Also, The Mill in Hereford is having a sale on hunting related products, gear, and feed.

Saturday, September 27.

8 am-5pm.

Dang...our fawns still have spots here... I could have shot a doe last night but she had a fawn with spots so I let her pass..

 

[Inigoes]

Dang...our fawns still have spots here...

Same for SoMD

 

[wilcam47]

Same for SoMD

once the spots on the fawns are gone...momma is fair game IMO

 

[dist1646]

Sammich deer are O K but, the ones that fit on 2 Ritz crackers are really tender!

 

[engineerbrian]

once the spots on the fawns are gone...momma is fair game IMO

my neighbor knocked the spots off a fawn this evening in my back yard. He by passed shooting momma, and said he kept thinking about how tender those steaks will be

 

[Anubis]

so I was too tired over the weekend, but I figure it's still worth sharing. Here's my opening day experience. first time bow hunting.


As you know, it was 90 and humid Friday. I have all my hunting stuff ready to do the night before, and in hind sight, I should have added some new clothes to the list this year. I'm rocking the same shells I wear in Nov. BIG MISTAKE.

Anyway, we're hiking into Liberty by 5AM, and need to go what seems like a half mile in over rough terrain. I'm hunting with a guy that knows the area and gets a deer out of there almost every opening day. we get to his tree, and he says go 50-60 paces up that hill and find a good tree, so off I go. By the time I find a tree, I'm already sweating a little and regretting my choice of clothes and the amount of crap I've humped into the woods. Up the tree I go using my borrowed climber that I barely practiced with. just enough to make sure I could secure it to the tree.

If you're guessing it didn't go well, bonus points for you. I FINALLY make it up the tree after struggling a lot and almost losing the platform twice. tree was a little too big I guess. I am ****ing exhausted and dripping wet. ready to pass out. I drink some water, doesn't help. I pour 1/2 my ice water over my head and am in heaven. I radio my buddy saying I finally made it. he tells me to just relax and cool down. While relaxing, I drop the radio, and I'm sure as shit not going down to get it. I call him and let him know we'll just have to text back and forth. I'm feeling a little better at this point, so I pull up the xbow and my bag. naturally in the process I manage to drop my phone as well. now I have no covert communication and no way to tell time (I gotta be out of there by 3 at the latest).

We both see a deer come up the hill outta range, and he tries to call me, but of course my cell is down on the ground hanging out with the walkie. I tough out the heat and make it to lunch. enjoy my sandwich and polish off the rest of the water. Since I'm w/o a clock, I figure it's getting time to go b/c the sun is halfway to the horizon. I start my descent, again almost losing the platform, but at least in the process figure out the best way to move this stand up and down: bear-hug the tree while leaning on the secured seat and move the platform with my thighs and legs. trying to just move it up and down with my feet under the bar didn't work for shit.

finally have my feet back on solid earth and retrieve my phone only to see that it's not close to 3, not even 2, it's still 10:30 in the facking morning. I give my buddy a call and tell him I'm back on the radio. Ask him if he ever pulls deer outta there around mid day, which he has, so after some consideration, back up the tree I go. albeit, this time a little more successfully. hang out for another 3 hours, don't see shit, and finally leave at 2pm. 3:30 I get a text, and sure enough a massive buck just walked halfway down the hill past where my stand was before bolting.

Hey, valuable lessons learned. I also lost 6 pounds of water weight.

Tie the climber together with a couple pieces of parachord or whatever. I assure you losing the platform really, really, sucks (or so I'm told). You had a harness right?!

 

[HogCommander]

Spotted fawn blues

Dang...our fawns still have spots here... I could have shot a doe last night but she had a fawn with spots so I let her pass..

Had a group of 4 show up tonight...two fawns (still had spots) with a small doe plus a spike buck. The spike was the only one big enough to justify the processing fee but would rather take a mature doe than a spike buck.

 

[Dave]

Tie the climber together with a couple pieces of parachord or whatever. I assure you losing the platform really, really, sucks (or so I'm told). You had a harness right?!

absolutely, and I'm glad I did lol. I'll be tying them together for sure next time.

 

[Squirrel Hunter]

This thread is only going to make me sad, going to be on crutches the next few months and can't make it out.

 

[wilcam47]

This thread is only going to make me sad, going to be on crutches the next few months and can't make it out.

We are going to be moving down the road 10 miles...so wife said she doesnt want to deal with hunting deer right now

 

[j_h_smith]

This thread is only going to make me sad, going to be on crutches the next few months and can't make it out.

I hear ya. I just had a back procedure, only to get ready for a knee replacement on Oct 6th. So, whatever I get, I get in the month of September. And I usually never hunt in September.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

 

[bojaydk]

Ok...my opening day heart break.

It was a tough one. I haven't been able to visit this forum all week and these pictures still make me sick. It's funny how quickly I go from loving to hating deer hunting.

I picked out what I thought was a perfect tree on some private land we use in Calvert County a few weeks ago. The tree is literally 30 yards from a driveway but well hidden from view. Easy in, easy out, I thought. The tree is just off a well used deer trail and the swamp and the drive way create this great funnel that I thought for sure would bring deer right to me. I left my climber hanging on the tree so I'd have less to carry in and less human smell on me.

So the morning of opening day I get dropped off at about 5:30am where I thought the path to my stand was. I was wrong. I got totally disoriented and ended up bush whacking and making a ton of noise in the dark for at least 45 minutes. I was sweating and pissed off. Finally, after stomping through the entire forest I found my stand. By the time I got up the sun had started to rise and I sweating like hell. Then the bugs came. For a hour I fought off those damn mosquitos who I'm sure are attracted to sweat. I was almost about to give up, I thought there was no way a deer would come by after all the noise I made and how I must smell (I was using a ton of Nose Jammer btw) plus these bugs are killing me. But then, at about 7:30 a nice wide 8 point comes cruising by, right where I thought he would. It caught me by surprise and as soon as I saw him I realized that in all the commotion I had forgot to range my area. I guessed he was about 25 yards away but I didn't have time to range him. So I got my shot off and boom, arrow went right under him. Turns out he was more like 30. He took off and I had to sit and stew for the rest of the day. That would have been the biggest deer I had ever shot. Lessons learned- always range early, Nose Jammer works, wear gloves to deter skeeters.

Whew, that felt good. Ready for Saturday.

 

[j_h_smith]

Don't worry, you'll get him on Saturday!

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

 

[HogCommander]

Ok...my opening day heart break.

(rest omitted for brevity)

Lessons learned- always range early, Nose Jammer works, wear gloves to deter skeeters.

If you always hunt early season in warm weather, would highly recommend a Thermacell. Worth every penny in my book. Turn it on, get it warmed up, then put it on lowest setting and the skeeters will steer a wide berth around you. Haven't seen any deer spook because of the smell either.

 

[foxtrapper]

Thermacell keeps horse/deer fly looking ugly things away too. I have way too many on my Cecil land in summer. Yuck. Fly into my face over and over. I got the thermacell so I could target shoot in summer. Only been out once though, but it worked. It works on my front porch in town too. Keeps away those stupid lil black mosquitos that are out all day.