Fourth Week. New enthusiasm.
Contributors to this thread:Pennsylvania
From: horsethief51
20-Oct-23
If you read my recent entry on week 3 you can see I am looking forward to week 4. I am always entertained in "the swamp stand" at the bottom end of the reclaimed (30 years ago) strip mine. I can't wait to look at the new trail cam pics because the 2 bucks may have gone right past it. We shall see. Hunting should only get better.
Thankful we have 3 weeks to go and bear is in, plus turkeys will be soon too.
Congrats to all who have scored, great seeing pics of folks under 50 years old here.
From: Rut Nut
20-Oct-23
Maybe I should come out sooner Art???!!! : )
From: horsethief51
20-Oct-23
At least the low hanging oak leaves are still on this tree. I don't think this deer was even involved last night. The others had bigger bodies. The two that were fighting made it sound like 2 baseball bat handles were being slammed together.
From: Supernaut
20-Oct-23
Good luck to everyone!
The buck in my neck of the woods have been ramping up this past week.
From: X-Master
20-Oct-23
Things are definitely going to ramp up this week if the warm afternoons don't put a damper on it but the morning should still be good. Remember all those fawns we find around the 15th to 20th of May - well those does are getting bred this coming week. I saw a sure indication tonight that it will happen to some soon. I had 2 does and a fawn in my backyard tonight and the one big mature doe was walking around for a longtime with her tail sticking straight out and cocked off to the side and we all know what that means.
From: Bowbender
21-Oct-23
Anyone remember when the 4th Saturday was the last? What was it 1993 when we got the two weeks in November.
From: Will tell
21-Oct-23
Yep, used to drive me crazy. I’d be squirrel hunting and see Bucks walking by. I did learn a few tricks like bleating with my mouth and calling some of them in.
From: horsethief51
21-Oct-23
I believe 94 was 5 weeks and 95 was 6 weeks. 3 of us got to blinds just after daylight between the raindrops this morning and stayed until 10. One spike came up to Chise's stand within 10 yards. Ed sat in a ladder stand in his rain gear under his umbrella. Rained pretty hard a couple times. Watching the wind blow and Penn state play. Hope the weatherman is right on his forecast this afternoon, we will see.
From: Bowhunting 5C
21-Oct-23
Art, hopefully you are dry and that pesky weather man is right. This guy came strolling in before I could get the bow up in the tree. They are killing the acorns.
From: Rut Nut
21-Oct-23
I had a Forkie feeding in front of me for 10 min at about 15y. Then he must have caught my scent. Didn’t spook, but turned and walked back the way he came.
From: horsethief51
21-Oct-23
We actually saw some blue sky and sunshine after the wing stop blowing this evening. I also saw 5 does out of range.
From: horsethief51
22-Oct-23
Chise and I moved a stand closer to scrapes in the creek bottom before he headed home today. Good looking weather in the forecast this week. Cold mornings.
From: 4406v
23-Oct-23
Saturday evening everything fell in to place. Shot this 7 point at 6pm. Not the biggest buck I've ever killed but he makes me happy. I lost my hot spot after 20 years right before the season. I was a little gut punched. Finding a new spot and putting it all together made me feel good.
From: Dale Hajas
23-Oct-23
I’m seeing lots of bucks with that antler structure Ron. Good job! Don’t you live near me? Westmoreland Cty?
From: Rut Nut
23-Oct-23
Congrats Ron! Glad to see you had some good luck after the “gut punch!”
From: Bowbender
23-Oct-23
Nice buck, Ron. Congrats!! I hear ya on losing your hot spot. Lost mine last year after 15 years.
From: Supernaut
23-Oct-23
Way to go Ron!
From: horsethief51
23-Oct-23
Way to go Ron.
In the tree for 4 hours this morning. Clear and Cold but not a breeze in the air for the first 3 hours. Nothing but a couple squirrels and some noisy birds.
From: Bowhunter shawn
23-Oct-23
Nice buck ..
From: Teeton
24-Oct-23
Deer one
Deer one
Deer number two
Deer number two
Same deer last year with the sticker point. You can see the similarity in the rack.
Same deer last year with the sticker point. You can see the similarity in the rack.
One more picture on sticker buck from this year.
One more picture on sticker buck from this year.
Nice deer.
I checked cams that we're out. I only got a few out this year, with my knee surgery in late june. Here are two nice bucks.
Now take off next week. Hunt deer and bear. Got a few bear on cam. With wet ground corns still up. Or week after.
From: Rut Nut
25-Oct-23
Nice buck! But is it just me, or does he look like he lost a bit of mass from last year?
From: Supernaut
25-Oct-23
Good luck out there everyone!
My neighbor has a butcher shop and does deer. I give him a hand a couple evenings a week.
He has really got in some big bodied bucks this week so far. Swollen necks, getting rut stinky and some real dandy racks.
From: Rut Nut
25-Oct-23
Sounds good Jim!
From: Bowhunter shawn
26-Oct-23
Looks like rain again this Saturday... it's been the October lull here in my area , little warm weather , almost fell asleep in my stand ladt night , hopefully next week's cold tempatures get the deer on there feet ...
From: horsethief51
28-Oct-23
Monday, 10-23. Story to follow. Chise bow did the trick. First sit in a new stand location.
From: Supernaut
28-Oct-23
Outstanding, congrats!
From: Phil Magistro
28-Oct-23
Congratulations Art!
From: Teeton
28-Oct-23
Nice Art and a text book shot. Looking forward to your story .
From: Rut Nut
28-Oct-23
WHAT? You holding out on us Art?! ;-) I find that post very cryptic! I don’t think Art was using a Chise bow...................and I don’t think anyone but Art was hunting The Farm on Monday. Plus I didn’t get a text or e-mail about it. I’m guessing this was Chise, Ed or Nate hunting at home.................
From: Rut Nut
28-Oct-23
Well, you know what happens when you ASSume! ;-)
I just got a quick recap, but I’ll let Art tell the story! Leave it to Art..................he is an enigma! ;-)
WAY TO GO ART! CONGRATS!
From: Bowhunting 5C
28-Oct-23
Congratulations Art!
From: horsethief51
28-Oct-23
Thanks guys. Just got home from a funeral, so this may take another day to put together.
From: Bowbender
28-Oct-23
Congrats, Art!! And that's a sweeeet looking bow.
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
Thanks for all the nice comments guys. That's a 44#, Chisebow, New Breed, Tom. A reflex-deflex design. He also makes the A Stalker traditional longbow, and once in a while, a recurve and a take down, but don't ask him to do the takedown. That was my third buck with his bows, plus I've taken a turkey and a coyote with his stuff. Here's a picture of him while he was still alive.
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
New Breed Chisebow.
New Breed Chisebow.
Prequal: Last Sunday (10-22) before Chise went home we went on a scouting run around the property and we moved a stand where I previously took two bucks, just across the little creek bottom where it would be closer to some great sign. As we were finishing I told him the best time to get a deer is the first time in a new location. I also reminded him that I was thinking about "changing my luck" and using my New Breed Chisebow. Since my heart attack, shoulder injury and hernia repair over the last 4 years, I was finally able to slowly rehab back into my compounds and stickbows this summer. Over the past 15 years I have done this a few times and it has worked out.
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
Monday morning I went to the spot on the end of the hill where I shot my buck last year and stayed until 11 AM. Heard turkeys but did not see a deer. After my usual nap I headed out to the stand about 4 PM. It is located in a 450 yard long reclaimed strip mine hollow facing east. The big hill and woods are behind and to the front is open field with grasses, willows and other bushes they plant. I also mow a main trail down the middle and up and down the sides at angles. Its just under 175 yards across.
It may sound odd, but we removed a section of the stand so instead of sitting with your butt 20 feet high you are only 15 or 16 feet high. There are not any trees along the edge big enough for the stand, only brush, so I had to move into the woods and down over a 5 foot bank 12 yards to get on a big tree. What was perfect was there is about 1 to 2 foot opening to shoot through and right in front of the stand was a natural lower opening to get an arrow through. I was well hidden and very little brush had to be trimmed.
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
About 5:45 I heard a buck grunting 200 yards up hill to the right and saw a big doe walking out with a 3 point watching here. They went back and forth for over a half hour then after a doe bleat from me she headed straight for me. She actually almost walked in the trail to my right that I came in on but decided to feed on the brush between us while moving to the open spot in front of me. She then faced me and moved even closer eating leaves, but never sensing my presence. I could hear her chew. I guess my Woolrich sweater makes good tree camo.
As she kept going towards the scrapes, licking branches and rubs above, I looked up and watched the little buck come to within 30 yards of the edge where he cut diagonally to the scrape first, then to the rub. My view is through brush but I could see him hitting both the scrape and rub, before he kept after the doe.
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
By now it was around 6:25 and I felt a little chill in the creek bottom air. I was still warmed up as I saw bigger antlers at the rubbed tree, and knew it was not the 3 point. As he moved down to the scrape I stood up and turned around to face the tree more, to have a shot if he came down the trail. It seemed like he was back trailing the doe and I could only see his antlers as he came down to my shooting window where the doe had been feeding. When he stopped his nose was in the ground and his eyes were below the brush. I shoot 3 fingers under and put the cockfeather to my nose. My feathers disappeared in the spot you see above and he wheeled around 180 degrees. He went about 20 yards, made a right turn and ran about 50 yards around a stand of willows into the mowed trail where he went down. After a couple tries at getting up he went still and made some loud breathing gasps for air. He was done, right around sunset.
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
I texted Kathy and asked if she could get ready to help and I went to get her. She always loves to help (LOL). Especially when I gut hers for her. It was so heavy for a couple of 70 plus year-olds we could not lift it directly up onto the deer rack. We had to pull it up over the end to slide it on. I'm really glad I got to use the stickbow made by a good friend one more time on a nice fat farm buck. Now I guess Perry and the guys will have a chance at the big(ger) ones.
From: hawkeye in PA
29-Oct-23
Congratulations Art.
From: Dale Hajas
29-Oct-23
Nice Art!
From: Rut Nut
29-Oct-23
LOL! Art is the only guy I know that can pick up a stickbow he hasn’t shot in a year, Shoot it a few times, move a stand to a better location and then put an absolutely perfect shot on a buck the next day! Then keep it a secret for 5 days..................that’s why I call him an enigma! : )
Congrats buddy! And THANKS for giving us mere mortals a chance................(at the big bucks! ;-)
From: Bowhunter shawn
29-Oct-23
Congrats Art , great accomplishment , I give guys lots of credit shooting recurve and long bows , I'm still shooting my 2017 hoyt defiant , great job again ..
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
What you don't realize, Perry, is that I got in shape this summer by shooting my 35 and 40 pound recurves first. Steve will tell you, I shot one of my stickbows at the first 3d shoot we went to. Last Sunday and Monday afternoons I shot off the bank in the yard at the same angle and distance as the shot I had to make.
From: Rut Nut
29-Oct-23
I’m just saying, most of us would have had to shoot the bow we were gonna hunt with for many months (if not YEARS) to feel confident enough to hunt with it.............
From: horsethief51
29-Oct-23
OK. thanks.
From: Phil Magistro
29-Oct-23
Nice buck Art. It's a great story too!! Glad it all came together for you,
From: Bowhunter shawn
29-Oct-23
You always have a great story Art ...
From: Rut Nut
29-Oct-23
Ain’t that the TRUTH Shawn?! ;-)
From: Bowhunter shawn
30-Oct-23
Yea , he's always got good stories .. bet younz have a blast when you 2 get together to bowhunt ...
From: horsethief51
30-Oct-23
He does bring some great beer, but its not like we need it.
From: Rut Nut
30-Oct-23
LOL! You know what they say Art..................VARIETY is the spice of life! : )
Shawn- we have a great group of guys that are BLESSED to have an invitation to hunt The Keefer farm! It’s usually not just Art and me................Kathy and Art are very generous to share their homestead with all of us! And to tell you the truth, they really spoil us! Rides out to our stands in the UTV, hot meals after the evening hunt and we even get some afternoon naps in. ;-) And then watching football or baseball in the evenings with some “adult beverages”.....................
Sitting out in the sunroom with all the euro mounts he has hung up on the walls, he can tell you a story about every one.................he has taken more bucks on that one property tHan anyone I know. And we enjoy hearing the stories about each one..............some of which we were fortunate to be around to help load on The Prowler. : )
From: Bowhunter shawn
30-Oct-23
Sounds like you all have a bunch of fun when you guys get togeather to bowhunt , that's what it's all about perry ,I remember the days my dad me and my brother would archery hunt out of our camp in forest county togeather back in the 80s 90s and early 2000 s , have lots of good memories ., my dad passed in 2018 but he loved being in the woods bowhunting or along a mountain stream trout fishing.. lots of great memories.. we would rifle hunt out of camp too. Mostly now just my brother my nephew and me make it up there ...
From: horsethief51
31-Oct-23
Straight up route 66 from Clarion/Shippenville. Only 18 miles or so to the farm down route 68.
From: Rut Nut
31-Oct-23
That’s an UNDERSTATEMENT Shawn! We have an absolute BLAST hunting together at The Keefer Farm! : )
3 more days......................
From: Vonfoust
31-Oct-23
You had me at "after my usual nap" Art! Congratulations!
From: horsethief51
31-Oct-23
Thanks Chris. Except for sleeping in a tree stand, everything I know about napping, I learned from the guys that hunt with me. Wish I could fall asleep as fast as them. You should see me in a blind.
From: Mr Bowhunter
01-Nov-23
Curly 9 point 10/22/23
Curly 9 point 10/22/23
Not a bad weekend for me. This was the one I had my eye on. A big heavy 9 with bases so thick you couldn't wrap your fingers around it. The small to medium size bucks were really chasing the does around. I have a lot of great video of that activity. Then came Curly.
From: Mr Bowhunter
01-Nov-23
From: Red Beastmaster
01-Nov-23
Way to go ken!!!
From: Phil Magistro
01-Nov-23
Congratulations Ken!
From: Supernaut
02-Nov-23
Congrats on a dandy buck Ken!
From: Rut Nut
02-Nov-23
GREAT Buck Ken! Congrats!
From: horsethief51
02-Nov-23
Great one Ken. Wow Ken, since I got my buck last week, I've been thinking about you guys and your place a lot. Got one of my first stick bow bucks there, with the Kodiak Magnum, 15 years ago. There was just a shed/camp and the greatest outhouse/shower I ever saw. Still have my art work of the bulldozer? Kathy would like to see a picture of your cabin if you could squeeze one in here.
