YoungHuntr

Man I have been there- more times than I care to admit. The sickening feeling when you realize you've aimed where you wanted to but something happened- the animal moved as the gun went off, your scope was bumped, etc..... and seeing that blood on the ground gives you hope, but you can't find it. I know how tough that can be. I hope you have success locating him. The blood trail looked solid. Keep looking. You'll get it done if you keep a good attitude, which you seem to be doing much better than I could in that situation. Good luck.

Let us know how this turns out.

That's all she wrote. 24-10 Packers win. They had some really good drives there. Rodgers touched 8 different recievers in 14 plays during the first half. It was a good game. Just a bad day for the vikings. Though they have played some really good football during the year. I am just SO greatful this years play-off game was not like the first play-off for the packers last year- that was just painful to watch. And after a stellar season. Looking forward to the game vs the 49ers. Sorry to all the Vikings fans out there.

Well what did it score?

First touchdown for packers. Score is 7-3.

Go Packers!

Are those stickers in the snowy photo on his left side main beam, points G2 and G3?

Agreed. I think he'd be around 110" gross.

I had the WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE trying to order a pair of scope rings from Dick's. I believe after all was said and done it took them over two months to get them to me, even with a two week guarunte. And the rings were improperly milled (Weaver's fault, not Dick's, but still......) Plus it wasn't extenuating circumstances, it was incompetence that was the issue. That was my first and only experience at Dick's. Or first and last, should I say.

Wow, what a whopper! (pun intended) And perfect shot placement too! Pin-point precision almost as if you had placed it there by hand.

The G4's on that thing are UNREAL! What a bull.

If you think im haulin firewood more than 30 miles, your crazy. We are 300 miles apart bonehead! Read before you run ur mouth. Just sayin' Oh, I read the post alright, and thought about including that I know you are not competing with him directly. I was simply making a comment that I object to the insinuation that you should just look around and find someone selling it slightly cheaper vs supporting a young man learning work ethics and working hard for some pocket change. I did not mean to offend you. I was just suggesting you not take away from someone elses thread when it would be just as effective to start your own. Generally people posting classifieds do so assuming their add will remain their own without any hitchhikers. Again, sorry if I cam off as gruff, it was late and I was being brief.

Uncool to jack with someone's thread, especially a young man trying to make a buck. If you want to post an add for your firewood,do it in another thread. Just sayin'

WOW!!!! That is a giant, what a buck.

The only thing lacking from this post of epic awesomeness if a picture!

They've been called the "ribeye of the sky." Very nice red meat. Tastes excellent when prepared properly.

And yet according to the field and stream rut tracker we are allready peak or post-rut!

Big enough I would be willing to give you my non shooting arm for him, lol. Got to agree, the mid 120's seems like a good guess.

6.5x284 Norma, IMO. For a more common caliber, the 25-06 is VERY hard to beat.

I looked at that buck and my jaw dropped- he is no "last day" buck. That is a shooter anywhere, even in the strip, in my book. And I am sooooo jealous.

These make superb tamales. http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2009/11/venison-recipe-chef-john-currences-venison-tamales

I do actually shoot at 4 and 500 but not as often as at 300. At 300 I am grouping 3 consistently in a 4.0" group, so darn close to MOA.

Well maybe I'm looking for some true stories to cheer me up. Hunting elk and deer is my passion and for five years I have done everything in my power to be successful- to no avail. I do not mind getting skunked- but the way in which it happens bothers me. I was wondering if anybody has had similar experiences when they started hunting- having so many unfortunate events plague them. I am 16 and no one in my home is a big hunter. I still became enamored with the sport and took it upon myself to pass hunters safety and get hunting, organizing what tags we put in for etc.... I shoot on a regular basis and have never taken a shot past 250 yards. I consider myself a decent shot and know my rifle. I practice a lot on my shooting and I am consistently 1 MOA. I know how important it is to take your time and be calm. Anyways I've been on four Coues hunts. Almost took a shot at a buck before realizing my scope mount had come loose and my scope was wobbling an inch back and forth. Could not take the shot. Last year I went on an OTC elk hunt and shot at two elk. One was close and acted hit, but hours of searching and no blood trail lead us to believe it may have been a miss. I was shooting 165 grain SSTs which since then I place little trust in. I shot at another elk two days later that dissapeared into the brush. No blood trail. Had switched to 180 grain core lokts. Next day it was discovered, meat spoiled. It had fallen at most 50 yards from where it had been shot, double lung, clean kill. It had fallen in reeds literally 9 feet tall. Impossible to see from two feet away. Weeks ago on an elk hunt I took a VERY steady shot at a cow on top of a watering hole berm. She fell. tried to get up twice but rolled down further. Two elk I did not know were there got up and were joined by a third elk after a minute. I had a slim shot window but could not be certain it was the elk I had shot before. Turns out it was. A good blood trail petered out 50 yards away. Never found. I had spent two minutes setting up for that shot, getting prone on my bipod, getting steady. I was ready. And yet I believe she moved at the shot. I could not have shot at her again because I was not certain that she was the same elk (when the two others came out of the hole and were joined by another). I was shooting 165 Grain trophy bonded tips. Anyways I have done everything right it seems, always taking shots that I knew I could make and felt good about after taking, and I have had all these events plague me. It does not discourage me as much as it would some, but I still feel that this whole situation stinks. I will keep trying and am going after coues with the last two days left on my tag. Who knows what will happen. Anyways, has anybody else had such a run of misfortune? I do not wish anything like this to happen to others, but it would certainly help knowing that I am not the only one plagued by such mishaps that seem to be out of my control. I sight in my rifle before every hunt with the load I use and practice often out to 300 yards. I can't help but think its out of my control. So, iy may seem silly, but gearing that someone else has had similar experiences would certainly help. I haven't recovered a big game animal in my 5 years of hunting, but what bothers me is those animals that should have been recovered. One time happens. Twice is unfortunate. Loosing three animals really bothers me. But I will keep trying.

Good advice, I've practiced real life sitting, kneeling, and resting off of bipod prone out to 300 yards and off hand consistently at 100 yards. Did all that was possible to recover the animals. Maybe my share of unrecovered or lost animals was just dealt to me early on and for all I know I'll never loose another. Good thinking! Is that the San Juan in your avatar? Nice fish you're holding by the way. Why yes is just so happens to be the Juan. Upper flats actually. 19" Rainbow caught sight fishing big ants. Fly fishing is my other passion