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Post by harmonist34 on Dec 22, 2017 10:57:49 GMT -5
I’ll be in the woods in 30 minutes or so for probably my last hunt of the year. Hoping to get it done.
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Post by harmonist34 on Dec 9, 2017 21:35:58 GMT -5
Congrats! A memory neither of you will ever forget.
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Post by harmonist34 on Dec 9, 2017 18:05:27 GMT -5
Really appreciate all the good advice, guys. I think the bottom line is that it's stupid to buy land at this point unless I'm 100% sure it's killer hunting land...and in this case, I'm definitely not sure. I need to look into leasing so I can hunt closer to home next year and get a feel for how much difference it really makes. I'm lucky to have a good place to hunt now, but it's a 4 hour round trip, and that's just hard to love. But the comments about leasing allowing you to limit your investment and to just decide to walk away if it's not producing or if things change about the setup really resonated. I don't want to be stuck unloading some property I just bought 5 years before when I realize the purchase was a mistake...and if I "lose" a few dollars in the next few years leasing, at least I'll be more knowledgeable about what I want when I'm sure it's time to buy.
Maybe I should start a new thread for this followup, but...for those of you with successful leasing experiences, how did you find properties for lease to choose from?
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Post by harmonist34 on Dec 7, 2017 23:52:19 GMT -5
What's the smallest amount of wooded land you'd consider purchasing if it's surrounded by good farmland? I do gun hunt, but my primary interest is archery hunting land.
I've got my eye on a couple parcels that are in the 20-25 acre range, but each is only 7-10 acres of woods. I have a feeling I'll regret not having spent my limited capital on a larger parcel (or at least one with more wooded acreage) if I jump on one of these...but they've got several things going for them, not least is that they'd be less than an hour from my home or workplace.
Basically, I need somebody to talk sense into me...because every time I look at these parcels, I end up wanting one/both of them that much more.
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Post by harmonist34 on Dec 3, 2017 4:11:55 GMT -5
Decided to try again tonight. Went over to mil place, neighbor mowing his yard. Hurried up got behind my house to watch a field. Last remaining light I see a deer. But he turns heads back up the field and turns. Looks back, it’s a perfect 12. Long tines and symmetrical. 200 yds in fading light I’m cocked and locked but couldn’t pull the trigger. It’s 545pm. 547 is legal time. Couldn’t see well enough and didn’t feel confident I could make a killing shot. Ugh 😑. Disappointed. Thanks for making the right call. In our day of antler porn TV and social media look-at-me-all-the-time there are no shortage of people who go to great lengths for the attention that a big deer provides...and conveniently neglect to post about the ethical or legal corners they cut to end up with one. Kudos to you and everyone else who does it the right way.
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Post by harmonist34 on Dec 2, 2017 14:13:06 GMT -5
Been sitting all day a few miles east of Big Oaks. Saw a doe by the car first thing and nothing but squirrels and birds since. Something like 8 shots in 7 hrs today.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 11, 2017 12:54:47 GMT -5
Hunting private ground about 15 min east of Big Oaks. Had a couple doe in sight mid-morning but slow until after 11. Since then had a young six cruising the top of the ridge behind me and a couple of annoyed does. Then had a nice young 8 come by below me just out of my bow range. He met up with a couple does and moved along. Nothing big on any of my trail cams so he may well be the dominant buck around here right now. Watching a spike wander by now.
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Post by harmonist34 on Jan 18, 2017 9:23:09 GMT -5
I usually don't get out until late Feb/March, but I'm a lousy shed hunter, so thinking I need to get out earlier this year. Saw a buck in the backyard his week that looked like he had just dropped. Anybody found any good ones yet? Worth heading out this weekend or too early?
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Post by harmonist34 on Mar 23, 2016 17:08:18 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words, all. A couple other pics of deer ones he's done:
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Post by harmonist34 on Mar 21, 2016 18:25:22 GMT -5
harmonist34: Can you tell me more about it? How big is it, how big does he usually make them, and what do they usually cost? I showed a few people that and they are bugging me with questions. I am curious, do you know if he uses plasma cutter or a water jet to do it? Thanks. It's really big. They're the end caps from big backyard propane tanks. Maybe 3 foot+ in diameter and 250 lbs or so? I'll direct you to him for pricing - I think it's changed over time as his material costs changed, etc. www.facebook.com/Toms-Fire-Pits-726912357399735/Here's a video of him making one. I think it's a plasma cutter. www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_MH-xXbjW0
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Post by harmonist34 on Mar 21, 2016 17:47:30 GMT -5
greetings me again what is a fire pit? is it a patio heater? or a patio brazier? I may be right i dont know. it is a real nice job anyway. lol regards Billy I suppose it could be a heater. More of the brazier thing, I guess. Has a grate that sits inside about 1/3 the way up or a little higher, and you can set up a small fire for viewing and warmth enjoyment...
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Post by harmonist34 on Mar 20, 2016 21:14:13 GMT -5
A good family friend from Missouri has been making these gorgeous fire pits for a couple years. I've really been wanting one, and my favorite of his designs were his deer-themed fire pits. Ended up ordering this one, with a deer hunting side for me and a canoe trip side for my wife (to remember her childhood canoe trips with her outdoorsman grandfather). Pretty thrilled with how it turned out. Now I just need to get it sprayed down with high heat grill paint to help prolong the rust. Then I just need to figure out where to set my stand up next year to see deer with racks like that in the woods...
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Post by harmonist34 on Feb 23, 2016 20:56:59 GMT -5
I've looked in the backyard without any luck but haven't yet gotten out where I hunt. Hoping to one of the next couple weekends. Deer on the camera have mostly still been holding onto their antlers. Anybody found any good ones yet this year?
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 16, 2015 7:59:40 GMT -5
In the stand at the Rookery in Ft Ben. Hoping for a good day...
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Post by harmonist34 on Aug 5, 2015 21:28:11 GMT -5
I've had a camera in the woods behind our new house in the Lawrence area of Indianapolis for about a week. First big buck showed up this morning!
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Post by harmonist34 on Jul 26, 2015 22:32:01 GMT -5
What a day. A friend and I have had 4 cameras out since April 1. I decided to go replace batteries today, and dragged my 7 and 9 year old girls along. Weeds were very high and thick, it was hot, poison ivy was everywhere, and the younger had a bathroom pit spot that...let's just say...did not go optimally. So I had them play in the creek while I looked for the cameras. Found the first one, downloaded the pics...and they were the same pics as last time! Yep, like an idiot, had somehow turned the thing off. So I went trekking after the second, and...exactly the same thing. Went up the steep hill and through a TON of wild raspberry thorns to find the last one. Wouldn't you know, a poison ivy vine had climbed the tree and was starting to go over the top of the strap holding the camera on. I'd had enough, so I just gingerly picked it up, threw it in the pack, and headed back down the hill. Of course, I missed my landmark and got started going the wrong way, and wasted 20-30 minutes wandering around until I climbed the hill again and re-oriented myself. Found my daughters happily playing in the creek still, to my relief. We got pizza on the way home, and they ultimately decided it was a good time! Luckily the 3rd cam had taken plenty of pics. 7000+ of them, in fact. I had it pretty low, and once the weeds got high, it was getting tripped by every breeze. But after wading through the pics, I ended up with 250+ decent ones. Because of all the wasted pics, I ran out of batteries at the end of May, so I'm not going to see how these bucks developed until closer to hunting season.
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Sheds
Mar 15, 2015 17:50:54 GMT -5
Post by harmonist34 on Mar 15, 2015 17:50:54 GMT -5
Buddy and I spent 3.5 hours looking on Saturday and found these two.
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Post by harmonist34 on Feb 12, 2015 21:41:41 GMT -5
Good input, all! I never ultimately had a chance at either this year. Saw a couple 9/10 pt bucks over the course of the season, but not in shooting range in the right season, and I don't think that either was this ten pointer. Hopeful that both of these and their friends will be around next year! Given the number of good bucks I saw on camera this year, am excited to do some shed hunting here soon...
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Post by harmonist34 on Feb 11, 2015 18:00:44 GMT -5
I'll have to try the digital camera approach. Mine's a pretty small one, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see enough, but it's worth trying. Also will keep my eyes open for a DVD player like that - seems like a good solution.
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Post by harmonist34 on Feb 11, 2015 0:06:08 GMT -5
Beautiful deer.
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