Brock's deer hunts '12-'13

[Milo]

Oh yeah, he was textin while I was aiming the first shot. I kept him well-updated! He only shoots his at 20 and under, but the dang thing is accurate as heck at distance too... but you gotta do it just right to get the most out of it seems to me.

keep yur thumbs down rookierotflmao

 

[finelyshedded]

Great stuff Brock! Hope you ventilate a stud with one of them! Didn't know xbows had recoil? Rotflmao

 

[brock ratcliff]

No stud ventilating to be done by me this year, Ric. I filled my buck tag with an "oops" on Monday of gun season. Recoil may not be the right term for it, I don't know what you should really call it, but they jump a good bit when you turn 'em loose. Fun as heck to shoot though...not as fun as a recurve or longbow, but still fun!

 

[Dannmann801]

Welcome to the dark side! :smiley_devil:
Dem deerz is gonna be:smiley_dead:
:smiley_cheer:

 

[brock ratcliff]

No hunting today, but I did shoot my Dad's recurve a bit. Shot pretty well, so I moved on to finishing the sight in of the Excalibur. I was shooing with lighter arrows than I originally sighted in with so my groups were a little bit high. Here is a 40 yd group, just a shade high. I don't think I shoot better groups with this thing than I do a compound, but I did tube an arrow. Mullz told me not to shoot for groups with it, but I figured at 40 I'd get away with it. I was wrong. These things are pretty cool, but I don't see it replacing my bows...at least not for now.

 

[RedCloud]

Now that's some shootin right there. Looks like it will make for a great late season cold weather blind weapon. Have fun with the new xbow.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I went over to the Ross Co. property this morning. Clear some shooting lanes, scattered some corn, and set out a trail cam. It should make a great ground-ambush spot for Mason once we get some cold weather. Hoping to see a good one stepping up to the buffet! I'll spend some time there too with either recurve or crossbow. It's just fun to plan a new set-up even when you don't have a tag. I really like this one. We'll stay in a drainage and pop out right at the group of trees that will be our groundblind. Have to shoot across the drainage, but I don't think we'll bump anything on the way in. Slip-in-on-'em set up if I've ever seen one!

 

[Fluteman]

I went over to the Ross Co. property this morning. Clear some shooting lanes, scattered some corn, and set out a trail cam. It should make a great ground-ambush spot for Mason once we get some cold weather. Hoping to see a good one stepping up to the buffet! I'll spend some time there too with either recurve or crossbow. It's just fun to plan a new set-up even when you don't have a tag. I really like this one. We'll stay in a drainage and pop out right at the group of trees that will be our groundblind. Have to shoot across the drainage, but I don't think we'll bump anything on the way in. Slip-in-on-'em set up if I've ever seen one!

Sounds like an awesome new spot Brock! I wish you and Mason the best of luck!

 

[finelyshedded]

Sounds great Brock! Just pray for some cold temps and some snow. Good luck

 

[brock ratcliff]

It didn't take the girls long to find it. I was a little worried they may not. I put the corn in an area we could slip into fairly easily by going up a creek and avoiding bedding areas on the way in. However, it isn't in an area I would try to hunt if it weren't for corn. It's just not a real good natural travel area for them. I scraped away the leaves and debris before putting down the corn in hopes the smell of fresh earth would help bring 'em around. I don't know if that helped, or just the corn, but they found it pretty quick! I checked the cam just a bit ago, and they have been there everday except the day I set the spot up. The group of tress across the drainage straight behind the deer in the pic will be Mason's ambush spot. I like this set up!

 

[bowhunter1023]

Gotta love the power of golden acorns! Good luck out there Brock!!!

 

[brock ratcliff]

Thanks, Jesse! We'll need a little luck for Mason to pull it off in there on a buck. I've already told him there will be no antlerless deer shot by him. He's already had a really good year. If it doesn't produce, that's fine, but I'm betting we will get a good one coming in before long. Can't wait to get a look at 'em! Only hunted this farm once this year, and I don't think anyone else has hunted it. It's just a 42 acre thicket with plenty of hunting around it though. The one day I did hunt it, I passed on a 115-120 ten before killing my doe for the year. That buck would be a great one for Mason, but there were much larger in there last year!

 

[brock ratcliff]

It would apparently be a heck of an afternoon to hunt! There are deer on every camera I looked at right now!!! BTW, this farm had next to nothing left on it four years ago. They quit shooting does, and are again enjoying the good old days. We killed 12 deer out of one stand there in 05 or 06. Lesson learned.

 

[xbowguy]

Good Luck with the new xbow Brock! Glad to hear you like it. They're not broke in until there's blood on it....just sayin'....lol....

 

[finelyshedded]

Heck yeah Brock! I'm sure a decent buck will find your honeyhole before long, it's just a matter of timing buddy. Good luck!

 

[brock ratcliff]

You were right, Ric! I took Mason in there tonight, but we didn't see anything. I'm gonna have to go dump some corn in a day or so, and I will likely set up a tent. Mason has a little trouble setting still, and he is quick to get cold and whiny. I figure the deer will get used to the blind eventually, and Mason can break dance and fidget all he wants once we get it set up. Here are some pics...

 

[brock ratcliff]

Got a bunch of pics of the ten point and big 7. Even got one of them sparring. Had as many as 6 antlerless in one pic... they are going through a bunch of corn!

 

[finelyshedded]

Hot diggity dog Brock!!! A couple very nice bucks coming in finally! Hope you can get Mason set up come muzzy seasons end.

 

[Mike]

Some nice bucks right there!

 

[Milo]

i set an inventory cam yesterday and the deer were really moving and HUNGRY!!..gonna chum for some lunkers muhself...