2020 hunting (killing the boredom)
Contributors to this thread:Pennsylvania
From: horsethief51
13-Apr-20
It has been quiet on here lately and I wondered if anyone just wanted to talk about where we are (outside of you know what). After coming back from the south over Christmas I have been observing things around the farm looking forward to spring turkey, pond fishing, groundhog hunting and bow season. My medical procedure slowed me down a month ago but I quickly started walking around and (exercising) pulling some big rubber bands. I found half an 8 point rack from a buck I used to see in a field after dark and a spike in a field where one walked up behind me while watching deer. Rut knows where I mean. There is no shortage of deer everywhere and the last 2 weeks there have been turkeys all around the house and everywhere else here. I had a conversation with a longbeard next to the house recently. I collected trail cam SD cards yesterday and the pictures reflected what I just mentioned. We also have lots of squirrels, raccoons, minks, porcupines, coyotes and feral cats, plus confirmation of said deer and turkeys. Winter, with snow on the ground, was a great way to see where the deer were traveling and yesterday revealed some new trails that were not obvious earlier. I found a few dead does here and next door, mostly young ones (I checked their teeth), and a decent 9 point (at least) over 2.5 years old that didn't make it. I do not care to talk about picking up sticks to mow my lawn and barnyard. I saw some hunting camp pics on Instagram of a UBP member who lives in Maryland and comes to PA where he was working at his camp. Have any of you made it to yours? I feel lucky to live at mine year round.
Send some pictures. Write what your thinking and what might amuse the rest of us. Chise, the bow maker, calls me once a week and Steve sends me lots of e-mails. Its pouring down rain right now.
From: horsethief51
13-Apr-20
From: horsethief51
13-Apr-20
From: hawkeye in PA
13-Apr-20
Started to prep for spring gobbler. Had planned to be in the mountains but now probally more time around the house. Prefer to be in the big woods, less people and safer IMO. The birds aren't near as vocal now as they have been. Becareful and best of luck.
From: Rut Nut
13-Apr-20
Work has been a little rough lately, but trying to get out as much as possible for “fresh air”. Went out for a few hrs after work last week for some turkey scouting/coyote hunting. But didn’t hear or see anything.
Been trying to tweak my form drawing my compound bow to find a way to do it easily and relatively pain free. Think I figured it out the last couple sessions- encouraging for the coming Archery Season! ;-) Amazing how a little change in form can be the difference between night and day!
From: horsethief51
13-Apr-20
Shortly after I wrote the original paragraph, 17 birds, mostly jakes, walked right past the house on the other side of the driveway. All red heads with little beards.
I am going to stat with my 35 and 40 pound recurve bows once I get the ok from the doctor on Wednesday.
From: Rut Nut
13-Apr-20
Nice Art! Hope those birds stick around for another 3 weeks at least! ;-)
From: Bowhunting 5C
13-Apr-20
5D
5D
Went 5 for 5 one doe this year, # from 5D and 2 from 5C. Held onto my buck tag hoping for a shot at the same buck we have been chasing for 4 years in a row.
From: Bowhunting 5C
13-Apr-20
Yes, he was that big….
Yes, he was that big….
And after a long chase that ended poorly, we found this legend dead next to a creek about 200 yards from our last stand... He was a worthy adversary! Out of the 4 years in a row we chased him, he was seen only twice on the hoof in the same week by me. Never given a shot, he was old, smart and hopefully, he passed on his genes....
From: Bowhunting 5C
13-Apr-20
A cool pic, the reflection was awesome
A cool pic, the reflection was awesome
More
From: horsethief51
13-Apr-20
Great story. Thanks.
From: Supernaut
14-Apr-20
1957 Blackhawk Hornet 53# @28
1957 Blackhawk Hornet 53# @28
I'm in 2B and am fortunate enough to have close to 300 acres behind the house to hunt and stump shoot. My job is considered essential so I'm still working which myself and my family is thankful for. My son and I both got a nasty case of bronchitis right before all the covid 19 hit and it was a rough 2 months for both of us but we are on the mend and thankfully my wife never got it. We are looking forward to trout fishing (haven't made it out yet) and spring gobbler.
I picked up a 1957 Blackhawk Hornet recurve, they were made about 15 miles from my home in East Mckeesport, PA, back in February. I just finished the refinish on it about a week or so ago and have been shooting it daily. I'm really looking forward to hunting with it this season.
Stay safe and God bless. -Jim
From: horsethief51
15-Apr-20
That looks like it will get the job done Jim. I interviewed Bob Kirschner for an article in PA Bowhunting years ago and he had started working there at a very young age. He said that he can tell if he made the bow by the way the string nocks were cut. Each maker did them slightly different. Those things aged well. Bob lives in a neat log cabin near Apollo and he has a lot of neat old bows hanging around the house, at least one that was given to him by Fred Bear. He is also a very accomplished cabinet maker and turkey call maker.
From: Supernaut
15-Apr-20
Art, thank you for the outstanding info on Bob Kirschner, it would be neat to meet him and talk with him about the history of the Blackhawk bows. I'm 47 and have archery hunted since I was 12 but only recently (3 years) started shooting and hunting with single string bows. My grandparents lived in Mckeesport in the 70's when I was a kid so when I found out about Crovatta Bros. bows about 6 months ago, I knew I had to have one. I picked up the Hornet pictured above in February and since have acquired a 1956 Chief, a 1961 Bee, and a 1963 Scorpion. I plan on hanging onto all of the bows so I will eventually refinish all of them. The Hornet has been a real shooter and I thoroughly enjoyed the refinish process.
Thank you again for the insight. Be safe and God bless. -Jim
From: horsethief51
15-Apr-20
As a kid, Bob used to walk the railroad tracks picking up scrap metal to save up for a bow. I believe he got an engineering degree and worked in that profession for a Pittsburgh company. He had (has) a very successful scent company and I got to see his barn and pens with animals, including deer, raccoons, foxes and skunks. I watched him bottle feed his fawns, which he had to do 4 times a day, when they were little. He is one of the few people in the world who knows how to descent skunks for people to keep as pets. He was making hunting shows and writing hunting books & videos back before it got so popular. Too bad he doesn't do hunting shows anymore. I used to visit with him at Harrisburg and Monroeville. He has some great mounts and stories to go with him.
From: horsethief51
15-Apr-20
Bob was really a good shot with a recurve bow. In the late 60s/early 70s Bob would travel around to the Ames department stores and put on shooting demonstrations with those bows. I believe he actually held the state record for an archery buck.
From: hawkeye in PA
15-Apr-20
Have a couple of Bob K. whitetail books and also when he was the speaker at sporting events. Been years since I've been to his place. Great Guy.
From: Thunderflight
16-Apr-20
I have been teleworking since March 16th. Since Im not up walking around or going to meetings I find myself being locked to my computer which I swear was also sucking my soul from my body.... lol
To break it up I started going on short hikes around my place. That really helps and is also getting me in shape earlier for elk season. :)
Ive done a lot of coyote hunting this year. Im yet to get a shot at one, but I can usually get them howling.
From: horsethief51
16-Apr-20
Here are my spring warm up bows. Left one is a 40#, 66" Bear (Grayling) Minuteman takedown, middle is a 40#, 62" Ben Pearson Puma (the other side of the limbs are green), right one is a 35#, 62" Bear (Grayling) Ranger, with which I have actually taken a groundhog.
From: horsethief51
16-Apr-20
Here are the two sheds I found this year that are described above.
From: horsethief51
16-Apr-20
Here is what remains of the 9 point that did not make it.
From: Banjo
18-Apr-20
From: Rut Nut
19-Apr-20
I got out yesterday with another Bowsiter doing some coyote hunting/turkey scouting(maintaining our social distancing of course ;-)
Only 33* when we started out at noon and 37* when we got back to the vehicles at 5pm. Crazy weather for April 18th.................even in the Poconos!
Didn’t hear or see any, but found PLENTY of scat-both coyote and turkey.
This is what it looked like in Pike Co. in the morning.
From: horsethief51
19-Apr-20
Kathy and I had to take a ride up along the Allegheny River after dinner this evening to attend to some essential farm business. We got to see a mature bald eagle while he was fishing in the river. He must have swooped down 5 or 6 times trying to grab a fish. Much like me he was not successful but he did make a flock of nearby geese nervous. Love living in the country.
From: Rut Nut
20-Apr-20
LOL! : )
I had one fly right over the tree tops in the SGL on Saturday(directly overhead) probably the closest I’ve ever been to one. Was neat!
From: horsethief51
21-Apr-20
A d we had a quick blizzard today.
From: horsethief51
25-Apr-20
Is today youth turkey hunt day? Anybody take a kid out? Birds have been very active this past week around here.
From: Jeff Durnell
29-Apr-20
Boredom? What's that? Good thread Atemis. Went looking for morels the other day...found a handful. Was shocked there were two trucks in my secret spot, but soon figured they were youth turk hunters. It was Saturday so I left quietly. I try not to interrupt hunting folks when I'm shrooming... and I don't need shot again so...
Hope you are well.
From: Bob Hildenbrand
29-Apr-20
I missed a jake this morning at 11 yards.
From: horsethief51
01-May-20
Jake from State Farm?
From: horsethief51
03-May-20
It was not boring yesterday at all.
From: Bowhunting 5C
09-May-20
Just yesterday Morning
Just yesterday Morning
And down here in Montgomery County, guess who is setting up shop right around the corner from Methacton School....
From: Bowhunting 5C
09-May-20
And some really good antlers starting:
From: horsethief51
10-May-20
I bet I know wher that is. We have them here too. (I mean the coyotes).
From: Rut Nut
11-May-20
Looks like they are eating well down there!
From: Teeton
11-May-20
Bowhunting5C,, That deer I would say is going to be a shooter. If he's a regular on cam would you post his growing stages? It would be interesting to see how he's doing.. I plan of getting my cams out right after turkey season.
I spent about 4 hours yesterday setting up my second to my last tree stand. I put my tree stand up (when done stand comes down) and then I firer up the chain saw and clear all my shooting lanes or around my stands for next fall. Trees I cut down I then cut the branches off so they are flat to the ground. I'll cut open deer runs that I clogged up and sometime make runs that are predominantly up wind of my stands. I do this in areas that are thicker and the deer really use them well. I did 7 so far this year and got 2 more to go this spring and then done. Their usually good for quite a few years with only minor trimming. Come September all I have to do is set stands. Ed
From: Rut Nut
11-May-20
That’s cheating Ed! ;-)
From: Back tension
16-May-20
My 2020 season started off with a bang! Went to Texas to hunt with my Friend and day one started with a huge Bobcat Tom. The second I shot 2 Javelina,boar and sow. The 3rd day I shot a huge Wild Boar! One of my best hunts ever!
From: Back tension
16-May-20
From: Back tension
16-May-20
From: Back tension
16-May-20
From: horsethief51
17-May-20
Nice. There is a lot to offer south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Hear any turkies gobbling where you were at?
From: Bowhunting 5C
17-May-20
Ed, that buck is a regular. He summers there but ghosts once he hard antlers. He is not young and I have a bunch of pics of him the last 3 years. We have been knocking the doe down on that area for years and we see great bucks every year, the struggle is we only bow hunt there. Urban homes and horse corals aside they are slick, getting them out of a development with many pockets is difficult. If I get more of him, I will post them, he was a great 8 last year, a 130 ish buck but now I think seeing him early he may be something better.
From: Bowhunting 5C
17-May-20
First of the year.
From: Back tension
18-May-20
Horsethief, Didn’t hear a single bird but it was a little early yet (early March). Im chomping at the bit to get down to our family farm in Ohio though. I bet they are gobbling there. Can’t wait till this blows over. I have a lot to do down there mowing tilling plots and such.
From: horsethief51
18-May-20
What a shame you have a place in Ohio to take care of. LOL.
From: Back tension
18-May-20
Lol. It’s a great farm and it has some great bucks. I sure do miss it!!!
From: Rut Nut
19-May-20
Looks like you had a heck of a trip Ken! Congrats!
