Happly Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone, post the pumpkin you want on your porch tonight.

8 Point Buck 10/27/14

Last night I went hunting again with my friends from Whitetail Disabled Hunting and Associates. I shot this great 8 point buck with my Tenpont Maverick crossbow at 25 yards.

It was a great evening hunt, the weather was warm and hardly any wind. The landowner was so nice to talk with as we were getting ready to go.  She wished me good luck on the way in, and I needed all the luck I could get.  Glen and Rich set Beth and I up under an apple tree for the evening hunt, the set up was perfect for my wheelchair. 

I can't thank Glen and Rich enough for all their hard work and the great work their group does every year.  They sure put me on a great buck.  When we were finished hunting and my buck was recovered the landowner and her husband brought out champagne to celebrate!  Their children (6, 8 and 10) came out to see the buck and congratulate me.  It was a Fantastic night with friends enjoying archery season at it's best.

SOS Emergency Food Rations

SOS Emergency Food Ration's make a great addition to any bug out or hunting pack.  I find these bars to be much better than a candy bar and they provide better nutrition on a long hunting day in a ground blind.

US Coast Gaurd approved for 5 year shelf life under all climatic condtions

Each pack contains 9 fortified food bars

Designed to sustain life until rescue or addtional food is available

Compatible with drinking water restrictions

Coconut flavor

Per bar: 9 individually wrapped bars in a airtight vacum sealed bag

Calories: 410

fat: 18g, 7 sat, 3.5 trans

cholesterol: 0mg

sodium: 15mg

total carbs: 53g, dietary fiber 1g, sugars 31g

protein: 8g

vit A: 6% daily

vit C: 15% daily

calcium: 2%

Iron: 6%

PA Muzzleloader Season Opener Today

Today starts ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER (Statewide): Oct. 18-25. Hunters can harvest an antlerless deer with the required antlerless license. Good luck to all the smoke pole hunters out in the woods trying to fill their doe tag today.

Remember that hunter orange is required today!  Be safe and shoot straight.

My Knife

You may remember my post about my Ka Bar knife last month.  I had the opportunity to use it on two Doe so far this year and the first thing people say is "wow, that's a big knife". The second thing they all say is "man that's razor sharp".

This knife might be a little over kill for gutting a deer, but nobody ever accused me of doing anything halfway.  If I need a sharp knife it's in my bag, I never have to go home and get a bigger knife.  Ka Bar, it's not just for the zombie apocalypse baby.

Scopes Are Mounted

Last night my brother and I mounted two scopes.  The first one, a Nikon 3x9x50 Pro Staff went on my .243 and the second scope was a Bushnell 3x9x40 Trophy Hunter, it went on my Stoeger shotgun.  The Truglo shotgun scope I was going to mount looked cheap and the eye relief was not good for the weaver 93 mount I had.

We used medium (blue) Loctite on all the screws to keep everything locked down tight.  The Nikon used regular screws and the Bushnell used allen screws.  They were both easy to install.  We also bore sighted both scopes using the laser Sightmark.

The next step is getting both rifle and shotgun to the range to complete the sighting in process.  I want to do this while the weather is still nice.

Weber Smoker

Yesterday I fired up my new Weber smoker with charcoal and added mesquite wood to smoke several dinners.  Turkey breast, Chicken breast, Pork loin and a beef roast were all smoked on the new Smokey mountain series cooker.

It was very easy to do and was the best bbq I have ever eaten by far.  The smoker was perfect and I can't wait to try it again soon on Pheasant, Russian boar, and Venison.

Reporting Your Harvest in Pa

Reporting your deer harvest in Pa is really easy.  It can be done by snail mail (US post office) no postage necessary,  The game commission also has an APP for $9.99 as well as a free online program that allows users to complete the process in a matter of minutes. 

I reported my two doe kills online at the game commission site for free.  Use the quick link on the right side of the home page (Report a Harvest)

Remember to tag your deer before moving it and always report your harvest to the Game Commission.  It's up to us to manage our states wildlife resources.

Mature Doe at 12 Yards

Last night I was hunting with some friends from Whitetail Disabled Hunting and Associates and managed to take a very nice mature Doe.  We hunted a few spots using the ground blind first. They pushed several deer my way including a nice six point but I was unable to get a shot at him.

The next set up I just blended into my natural environment and had a few doe go bye.  I also had a few turkeys walk right in front of me at 18 yards.  The guys worked really hard getting my everyday wheelchair in and out of the woods, up some very steep hills.  It was not easy by any means.

The last set up proved to be the best and I shot this nice doe at 12 yards, dropping her in her tracks.  It was a great hunt with great people using my crossbow.  I am really impressed with my Magnus Broadheads, they are two for two with no tracking necessary on doe's this season.

Thanks Beth, Glen, Rich, Mark and Marty for getting me out and onto deer. I had a great night and will remember this hunt for a long time!  All of our hard work paid off and my freezer will be full of delicious venison.

Stoeger M3000

This is my new Stoeger shotgun, it is a semi automatic 12 gauge. I have not had the opportunity to shoot it yet but I'm looking forward to getting it set up and taking it to the range soon. This shotgun received great reviews and comes with three chokes including a turkey choke.

I had so much fun shooting pheasants and clay pigeons this year I thought getting a semi automatic shotgun would make things easier next year. Loading a pump shotgun in my adapted brace was difficult and I believe this semi auto will allow me to take a follow-up shot if necessary.

I have the same scope on my Mossberg and it works out really well. I plan on mounting the scope on the new Stoeger and getting it patterned while the weather is still nice.  Having a scope on my shotgun really improves my accuracy. I can't wait to take this shotgun to the next ham and bacon shoot sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania wounded  warrior group.

Pittsburgh international Airport bow hunting

I recently won the lottery at least concerning hunting at the Pittsburgh international Airport. They held a lottery that would enable bow hunters to hunt on a portion of their property to control the Whitetail deer population.

Picking up the permit was easy and it's good all season. Their wildlife biologist and program director were very knowledgeable and offered advice about easy wheelchair access.

Hopefully I can complete some scouting of the property and harvest a mature doe or a nice Buck this season.  I'm looking forward to being a part of the airports population control.

1st Day of Buck Season 2014

I was hunting on Saturday at my friend Ryan's place.  The last several years he has put on a hunt for individuals with disabilities on the first day of buck season (archery). This hunt is always fantastic and I look forward to seeing him and all the guys from Whitetail management Associates of greater Pittsburgh.

This year they custom made several ground blinds that are wheelchair accessible. They are so nice, the pictures do not do them justice. The doorway is large enough to accommodate my action track chair which most ground blinds are unable to do.

All of the windows are removable from the inside and the blind is insulated.  It also has a completely level wooden floor. I felt like I was hunting from someone's living room, overlooking a food plot.  If Ryan put's in satellite TV next year I am moving in permanently.

I was entertained by turkeys from 6 AM until 10 AM sometimes as close as 20 yards. If the birds were in season I could have easily taken one of the four gobblers that walked around my ground blind for a total of four hours.

Every year this hunt gets better and better. This year Bob was able to take his first Whitetail deer ever. Mike who usually takes at least two deer missed one this year. I had an opportunity to take a small doe in the evening at 15 yards but opted to pass. I seen a total of 12 deer in the evening (two really nice bucks) but did not have an ethical shot.

This gobbler and his buddies were at 20 yards numerous times I love watching them and hearing them. Seeing turkeys up close is fantastic.  The hens gave me a great lesson in calling that I hope to use next month.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this hunt! I look forward to this every year and really appreciate all of your hard work and giving up your first day of buck season so that I can have an opportunity to get out and hunt.

Archery Doe 2014

Last night I went bow hunting with my brother John for the first time this year and managed to take this young doe at 30 yards.  I was using my Tenpoint crossbow with 100 grain Magnus Buzz Cut Broadheads.

The Burt Coyote Lumenok bolt made it easy to see the shot was perfect.  The Doe only went 20 feet after the shot. I watched her go down at 6:45pm

This is a picture from the field using my brothers cell phone. Of all the evenings hunting, this is the night I forgot my camera! I would have liked to get some better quality pictures, but these will have to do.

To many archers, this small doe may not be a trophy, but to me, any animal I harvest is a trophy. Don't  let what you can't do stop you from what you can accomplish.  Shoot straight and be safe in the outdoors, good luck in all of your adventures this fall.

Hunting Checklist

Saturday morning is the first day of my archery season (Buck) and I want to make sure I am ready. Here is my last-minute list for my backpack and packing the van.

Crossbow
Bolts
Broadheads
Crank
Zip ties
Brace
Extra trigger BMF
Range finder
Knife
Multi tool
Rope
License / pen
Face mask
Hat
Camera
Headlamp
Scent spray
Calls: grunt, bleat
Water
Scent free wipes
Snacks
Latex gloves
Phone

Jacket
Fleece
Boots
Pants
Socks


First aid kit
ChapStick
Advil
Antacid
Tape
Extra batteries