Anyone Else Gearing Up?

Scent control products




One dozen Victory Archery V1 (.001") HV 400 arrows with Blazer vanes and 100-grain Magnus Stinger Buzzcut broadheads




Magnus Stinger Buzzcut broadhead close-up




Half dozen Victory Archery V6 (.006") HV 400 practice arrows




120-pound target –– "The Blob"




Reflector tacks, uninsulated MT050 Scent-Lok gloves, bowstring wax, and moleskin

That Scent-A-Way green body soap in the first pic is a huge 32-ounce bottle, not the 12-ounce bottle you usually see on the shelf. A bowhunter needs all of that green soap that he/she can get.

I was born ready.

Where's the bow pic!

Since it isn't something I bought new for this season, I figured I'd leave it out. It's a 2008 Bowtech 82nd Airborne that I'll probably retire after this season:

Well, God blessed my wife and I will a son on 30 May so I think my hunting may be a little limited this year. That being said, I have felt deer season coming on like a fever since I got my new bow last month. I have been out to do some scouting and next weekend I have several stands to set. I am planning on hunting the first 3 or 4 days of the season and then wait until the end of October. Last year the early season was very good to me and I have seen the same activity so far this year so I am hopeful. I have seen 2 deer that will go at least 140" while scouting. Even if I just end up w/ freezer meat and only get out a handful of times this year, I'm good with it. Just have to hunt smart and do my homework.

Seeing everything you posted up, got me to thinking.
So I started looking for all my stuff. I have stuff all mixed up.

I actually found things I forgot I had bought on clearance after last season.

I had better get everything settled soon, as I am headed to camp in couple of weeks.
We have to put in a laminate floor in the cabin, do some grading for drainage around cabin.
Going to grade the road and spread some gravel.
Then clear all the trails of fallen trees/logs, and run brush hog, and finally split some wood for the upcoming Nov. gun season.

Maybe, just maybe, I might get a chance to get in the woods while there to actually sit in a tree stand for couple of hours.

Looking forward to everyone's AARs this season. It has been a little slow lately.

Our season is still 6 1/2 weeks off, but for the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm buying up everything I need way early instead of procrastinating. There's nothing like trying to find something important two days prior to the opener.

still pretty well set up from last year, but getting anxious for the season to change....................

I am currently shopping for a new to me bow.

Bought a new bow Friday, Just spent most of today setting up tree stands and blinds.... Oddly enough, as I'm making some minor adjustments to one of my stands, 3 deer decided to walk right under me, its gonna be a good year.....

I just bought a Mathews Switchback XT

Great choice. I know I love mine.

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Running with all the same equipment from the last few years.

Same here.

At the end of the '08-'09 season, I splurged for a Heater Body Suit. (www.heaterbodysuit.com)

I'm glad more hunters don't know how good it works.

I've got a good friend who has one (big-Al here on Arfcom). I took him hunting last season near the first of December on a very cold morning. Even with my high-dollar $600 bibs and parka, by midmorning I was freezing. I looked over at him in his heater body suit in a tree 20 yards away, and he was asleep!

What's kept you from getting your own?

You're a deer killin' SOB though, so I'd just as soon keep your ass out of 'my' woods.

Picked up a hoyt maxxis decked out with all fuse gear first day of july, already put about 2,000 arrows through it so I'm ready

He offered to let me try his suit out before buying one, but I never did. I'm tempted to buy one sometime. On that hunt mentioned above, I was tagged out, and he was looking to get just about any deer, since he has limited access to good ground. I took him to a 200-acre farm that I have sole permission to hunt, but seldom visit (after okaying it with the landowner), but we didn't see anything moving that morning. We did find two huge cedar rubs, so I'm confident that there's another big one roaming around there. I took a 150-class buck off that farm in 2005, and all the big buck sign ceased after that. I was quite happy to see it back last December.

I'm stocked up from last year's end of season close outs.
I am however in Colorado as I type this and will say that I am fired up now however.

I'll just leave this here....

OK, now that I'm home I can be serious about your question.
Honestly, I got so fed up year over year scrambling to get ready, find stuff, etc I did this last year.
Everything is organized and labeled. If it takes me more than an hour to get ready I'll be shocked.

For years I have stocked up on stuff when stores are closing out at the end of the season and not wanting to carry inventory.





And of course, the universal 'reloading' bench

Well, I had the 120# Blob put away because we'd had a chance of rain, and didn't want to carry it out there tonight. So, instead, I used the deer target, which doesn't give me multiple bullseyes to aim at. Big mistake.

Bitter sweet ain't it?

By the way, what's the reason you choose hunter's specialties scent elimination vs. dead down wind?

Because my local China Mart...umm...I mean Wal-Mart...carries the Hunter's Specialties brand.

I see lipstick on your fletching.

Did you get your tuning straightened out?

Sounds kinda like the shallow reason I picked Dead Down Wind. I don't recal ever being winded by a deer when I've used it, however, but until I get a mature buck downwind of me in bow range, I won't be completely sold on any of these concoctions.

Heck no.

I can drill field points, but when I put those Magnus broadheads on my arrows, they all group in a tight spot to the right of the bullseye. I've tried both a stiffer .350 and a weaker .500 spine, and they still hit in the same place as my .400 spine arrows. With the lipstick on my fletching, I showed a very slight contact with my cables. I spent some time the other day and made a small shim to fit between my cable guard's mounting surface and the bow. That took care of the lipstick on the cables, but caused my field points to hit way left, with my broadheads the same distance right of the field points as before.

I don't notice any torquing issues –– especially when you consider how consistent my field point and broadhead groups are. I may put a Death Grip torqueless grip on my next bow for the heck of it. In the meantime, I'm going to admit defeat and pick up a couple of packs of Rage 2-blade broadheads (which I killed my last 5 archery deer with anyway.) I'll save the dozen Magnus broadheads for next season.

I shot at 30 yards tonight for the first time this year. Looks like I may have to move the 30-yard mark on my adjustable sight up just a hair. I never get in any hurry to get beyond 20 yards when I first start my practice routine, as I feel that since 30 yards is more difficult than 20 yards, any mistakes I make back there early on would probably make me shoot worse at 20. I try to shoot a month at 20 before moving back to 30, 40, and 50 yards. I would never shoot at a deer beyond 30 yards, unless I'd already put an arrow in it and needed to finish it off.

Nice! Looks like your a few adjustments away from opening day. I was thinking about getting some of the Magnus BuzzCut broadheads, but may just stick w/ Muzzy MX3s.

Angle looks like you were shooting from the ground.
If you're hunting from a stand at 30 I'd leave her right there and hold bottom 1/3, you'll be good to go.

I just bought a new Mission UX2, this will be my first time attempting to bow hunt. I'm still trying to figure out what to do about arrows and such, probably just going to use aluminum ones for now.

Carbon fibor is the new thing
Go to a bow shop and they will fit the right arrows for you. Theres alittle more than just picking up any arrows.

Oops, I did it again.



You think I would learn my lesson. 16 more days...

IM me, I'll 'splain why that fancy new target you have has 9 different dots...

I put those 9 dots on there myself for a reason.

Robinhoods are fun, but heartbreaking at the same time

It looks like we are running neck and neck. I just looked, and I have 11 fused arrow pairs on top of my gunsafe.

I can't bring myself to separate them, so each time I do it costs me two arrows. So, this practice season alone has cost me 1/3 of a dozen.

Too bad it's so expensive, otherwise we could have a contest.

That is weird, My old bow is one you had too

What are we getting next?

Big-Al and I were goofing around with our bows the other evening, and walked back to my 50-yard mark. Last year, before all this broadhead tuning crap, I didn't do too bad from back there. But something was amiss this time. Both of my shots were the right elevation –– but about a foot to the left in the same spot! Big-Al drilled his right in the bullseye and made me look like a fool.

Anyway, tonight I dragged out the Blob target, and hung a plumb line from top to bottom. I then proceeded to walk back tune. My windage looked pretty good at 20 and 30 yards, but at 40 was a pretty good chunk left. My target didn't have the height to do a 50 yard shot off my 20-yard pin, but I knew from the 40-yard shots what I needed to do. I moved my rest in (right) 1/16", and reshot 20, 30, and 40. All shots were in a vertical line just right of my plumb line. I then moved my sight to the right, and reshot. All grouped vertically along the plumb line, so I knew I was good to go. Then I proceeded to shoot 20, 30, 40, and 50 with their respective pin settings, and all grouped great.


50 yards

My Muck Woody Elite boots arrived today via UPS.

I was surprised at how light they felt, and they look well-made. Muck boots come highly recommended, so we'll see. I've got 7 days to get that rubber stink off of 'em.

Muck boots are really nice.

Good luck getting control of the rubber smell in 7 days. Any particular plans for killing the scent?

7 days for you, about 13 hours for me.

I sprayed them down liberally with Scent-Away spray, and plan to leave them on the porch for the next week. If they don't seem to have a reduced odor by the end of the weekend, I'll have to take other measures –– possibly rubbing mud on them, etc. (I don't know).



That hurts. It really hurts.



Good luck!

I think we all expect pics in 24 hours

I shot the deer in my avatar at 4:15p.m. on the opener a few years ago. I was bored all fall.

We are expecting some really windy weather tomorrow, so I don't expect to see much. I just can't wait to get out there, though.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

That just means they will be extra hungry when it calms down See, I am learning this stuff...slowly.

Hope they work out for you.

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