Those are some long shots, what poundage are you shooting?
[/quote]
Testy, its a Hoyt Charger set at 70 lbs. I’m shooting 366 gr total weight arrows tipped with Rage SS mechs. My speed is 290 fps. It’s pretty flat and my hunting range for Mule deer is 70 yds max. I took an antelope Buck in August with it at 50 yds.
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
Just got my new Excalibur Matrix 380 (260lb draw, 380 fps)
Gonna dial it in over the next week and head to a friend’s farm. He has a black bear problem he wanted some help with (and a shit ton of deer). I’ll post pics if I am successful. [/quote]
I love my Excalibur. Have harvested many deer with it. It’s my favorite for “Urban Archery”, when you don’t want the deer to travel very far for obvious reasons.
But to me with the scope it’s too easy. I bought a PSE compound bow in the summer that I planned to hunt with, but I broke a bone in my left hand in a motorcycle wreck in August and couldn’t practise for two months there, so I’m going to save that for next year. I’ve been looking at recurves also, I figure if I get one now and practise practise practise I’ll be good enough to hunt with it in a few years.
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
Just got my new Excalibur Matrix 380 (260lb draw, 380 fps)
Gonna dial it in over the next week and head to a friend’s farm. He has a black bear problem he wanted some help with (and a shit ton of deer). I’ll post pics if I am successful. [/quote]
Another thing, good luck finding your bolts. They pass through a deer like it wasn’t even there and keep going. Pretend like you’re shooting a rifle and always be aware of what’s on the other side, etc.
My advice to anyone interested in buying one, do not spend the $$$ on the scope with the illuminated recticle, it is only useful if you are hunting at night with the aid of a flashlight. Which, of course, you aren’t supposed to be doing.
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
Just got my new Excalibur Matrix 380 (260lb draw, 380 fps)
Gonna dial it in over the next week and head to a friend’s farm. He has a black bear problem he wanted some help with (and a shit ton of deer). I’ll post pics if I am successful. [/quote]
You still in VA? Let me know if your friend ever needs any help from up North here in Maryland.[/quote]
I’ll check the lay of the land and let you know. I was out with my compound bow over the weekend (Diamond Core, 70lb draw, 313fps, GT velocity pro, Muzzy MX3) and had a release malfunction - pissed me the fuck off! So I came home empty handed (you get what you pay for). I’m about to switch from a trigger, dual caliper style to back tension style release (looking at the Carter honey 2). So we’ll see how that works out.
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
Just got my new Excalibur Matrix 380 (260lb draw, 380 fps)
Gonna dial it in over the next week and head to a friend’s farm. He has a black bear problem he wanted some help with (and a shit ton of deer). I’ll post pics if I am successful. [/quote]
I love my Excalibur. Have harvested many deer with it. It’s my favorite for “Urban Archery”, when you don’t want the deer to travel very far for obvious reasons.
But to me with the scope it’s too easy. I bought a PSE compound bow in the summer that I planned to hunt with, but I broke a bone in my left hand in a motorcycle wreck in August and couldn’t practise for two months there, so I’m going to save that for next year. I’ve been looking at recurves also, I figure if I get one now and practise practise practise I’ll be good enough to hunt with it in a few years.
[/quote]
That sucks about the hand. I stopped riding a few years ago. I may eventually try out a recurve if work slows down, but right now I simply don’t have the time needed to dedicate to mastering it. I’d hate to half-ass it and wind up shooting an animal off target and having it suffer needlessly because of my incompetence.
Right now I’m focusing on harvesting the meat efficiently, ethically and skillfully, and to me that means using a compound or a crossbow.
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
I may eventually try out a recurve if work slows down, but right now I simply don’t have the time needed to dedicate to mastering it. I’d hate to half-ass it and wind up shooting an animal off target and having it suffer needlessly because of my incompetence.
[/quote]
This.
Sen the Fourth got a re-curve from Santy Claus a few years back. I got to where I could hit a paper plate fairly conistently from 20 yards out…but…it took me a few shots to get warmed up…I figured until I could hit accurate from the first shot I wouldn’t want to damage anything and have it running around with my arrow in it…and 20 yards ain’t exactly anything I’m proud to brag about…anyone hunting regularly and successfully with a recurve has my respect.
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
Just got my new Excalibur Matrix 380 (260lb draw, 380 fps)
Gonna dial it in over the next week and head to a friend’s farm. He has a black bear problem he wanted some help with (and a shit ton of deer). I’ll post pics if I am successful. [/quote]
I love my Excalibur. Have harvested many deer with it. It’s my favorite for “Urban Archery”, when you don’t want the deer to travel very far for obvious reasons.
But to me with the scope it’s too easy. I bought a PSE compound bow in the summer that I planned to hunt with, but I broke a bone in my left hand in a motorcycle wreck in August and couldn’t practise for two months there, so I’m going to save that for next year. I’ve been looking at recurves also, I figure if I get one now and practise practise practise I’ll be good enough to hunt with it in a few years.
[/quote]
That sucks about the hand. I stopped riding a few years ago. I may eventually try out a recurve if work slows down, but right now I simply don’t have the time needed to dedicate to mastering it. I’d hate to half-ass it and wind up shooting an animal off target and having it suffer needlessly because of my incompetence.
Right now I’m focusing on harvesting the meat efficiently, ethically and skillfully, and to me that means using a compound or a crossbow. [/quote]
Thanks, the hand is fine now, building strength back up. I figure I will practice with the recurve for 2 or 3 years and if I never get good enough to know that I can make a clean kill with it, it will still be time well spent.
Anyone have tips for hunting turkeys? I’m going to some public land tomorrow and have never been before.
suggestions on where to set up? Will be going in before daybreak to a place I’ve never been before, so I don’t have high hopes of finding a great spot, but just general suggestions would be appreciated.
Calls for someone who has never called before?
How long would you stick in one place before you pack up and move to another? I’ve read online to wait about 10 minutes between calling, so I’m thinking if I’m in one spot for 30 minutes and don’t hear anyone calling me back I should pick up and try someplace else.
It’s supposed to be 65 degrees and sunny in Maryland tomorrow before turning cold and rainy the rest of the week, so I’m thinking I’ll have a good time whether or not I actully see/shoot any turkeys.
[quote]sen say wrote:
Anyone have tips for hunting turkeys? I’m going to some public land tomorrow and have never been before.
suggestions on where to set up? Will be going in before daybreak to a place I’ve never been before, so I don’t have high hopes of finding a great spot, but just general suggestions would be appreciated.
Calls for someone who has never called before?
How long would you stick in one place before you pack up and move to another? I’ve read online to wait about 10 minutes between calling, so I’m thinking if I’m in one spot for 30 minutes and don’t hear anyone calling me back I should pick up and try someplace else.
It’s supposed to be 65 degrees and sunny in Maryland tomorrow before turning cold and rainy the rest of the week, so I’m thinking I’ll have a good time whether or not I actully see/shoot any turkeys.[/quote]
Fall hunting for turkeys (at least down south) is much more of a grind than spring. With fall, slowly easing around the woods in areas where you know they frequent, listening for hens to talk to one another without calling yourself is the best way to get to them. When you hear some get as close as possible, maybe even try to spook them a little so that they ease away (don’t terrify them and make em fly but just give them a little nudge) then set up where they were and sit tight for 15-20 mins before letting out some soft purrs and clucks. Mimic what you hear them doing while they were scratching. Don’t over call with volume or quantinty. Keep it soft and only occasional, similar to tree talking to one on a spring morning.
Can you shoot hens in the fall? We can so being picky isn’t really an issue.
As far as calls, I strictly use a diaphragm mouth call because (especially with public land birds) it requires less movement on my part and I can call with my gun in the ready position.
[quote]sen say wrote:
Anyone have tips for hunting turkeys? I’m going to some public land tomorrow and have never been before.
suggestions on where to set up? Will be going in before daybreak to a place I’ve never been before, so I don’t have high hopes of finding a great spot, but just general suggestions would be appreciated.
Calls for someone who has never called before?
How long would you stick in one place before you pack up and move to another? I’ve read online to wait about 10 minutes between calling, so I’m thinking if I’m in one spot for 30 minutes and don’t hear anyone calling me back I should pick up and try someplace else.
It’s supposed to be 65 degrees and sunny in Maryland tomorrow before turning cold and rainy the rest of the week, so I’m thinking I’ll have a good time whether or not I actully see/shoot any turkeys.[/quote]
Fall hunting for turkeys (at least down south) is much more of a grind than spring. With fall, slowly easing around the woods in areas where you know they frequent, listening for hens to talk to one another without calling yourself is the best way to get to them. When you hear some get as close as possible, maybe even try to spook them a little so that they ease away (don’t terrify them and make em fly but just give them a little nudge) then set up where they were and sit tight for 15-20 mins before letting out some soft purrs and clucks. Mimic what you hear them doing while they were scratching. Don’t over call with volume or quantinty. Keep it soft and only occasional, similar to tree talking to one on a spring morning.
Can you shoot hens in the fall? We can so being picky isn’t really an issue.
[/quote]
We can shoot 1 hen and 1 tom.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
As far as calls, I strictly use a diaphragm mouth call because (especially with public land birds) it requires less movement on my part and I can call with my gun in the ready position. [/quote]
Are decoys much help in the fall? I’d like to get some nice ones eventually, but I was contemplating picking up 1 for cheap just to have something.
[quote]cwill1973 wrote:
Elk heart, deer liver, and cream cheese mashed potatoes makes for a mighty fine meal.[/quote]
How do you prepare your deer liver? I’ve tried it a couple times now and haven’t been able to enjoy it yet.[/quote]
I think it helped that I had it in a cloth game bag for a day or two which soaked up a lot of the blood from it. Cut all the membrane off it. I pan fried it over medium-high heat with two sauteed onions in coconut oil until what little blood was left inside stopped running out. Salt and pepper to taste. For me, coconut oil makes everything fried taste better. I grilled the heart on my Green Egg.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
As far as calls, I strictly use a diaphragm mouth call because (especially with public land birds) it requires less movement on my part and I can call with my gun in the ready position. [/quote]
Are decoys much help in the fall? I’d like to get some nice ones eventually, but I was contemplating picking up 1 for cheap just to have something.[/quote]
I only use decoys in the fall. In the spring, I am on the move to much. Get a feeding hen or two (but I don’t think they are necessary at all) and set them up where you push them from. Then just get set up in an area with good cover and wait. As far as trails, it doesn’t really matter. If you find sign where they have been scratching then you know they are in the area, then you just need a little luck to find them.
I also know of a couple guys that pop a blind up in the fall when they find scratching and just wait, like deer hunting but that bores me to death.
In regards to decoys I actually use the Montana 2D decoys but any of them will do. I don’t really see the need in the outrageously expensive dekes.
Found a good looking tree and sat from 7:00 am to 10:00 am…arrived a little later than I’d hoped…believe I had some turkeys talking back to me, unless it was another human, but couldn’t get any to come where I could see them.
Hiked around from 10:00 to about 1:30, but didn’t scare anything up.
Had 3 does and 1 buck come within about 10 yards from me while I was calling the turkeys.
