Our Picks

Grandson Jake is out with his dad tonight and he hit the big buck we targeted. I am on my way to the farm to make sure we have a recovery. Here ius a video of the shot it looks good. MORE TO FOLLOW


IMG_0685.MOV




DEER was retrieved before I got there, he only went less than 50 yards JAKE made a great and he dad David (BUSHNLO) took the video and was right on it.

We did some doe management in the morning and then my son took this great looking 8 in the evening .  He made a good shot at 20 yards with his Halon and buck was down within 40 yards .  Doesn’t get much better than that .  

Got out to hit the brine for 2 hours this afternoon.  Bucktailed  my limit with 3 good ones.. Worked through many shorties to finally get to these guys. A lot of bait in the inlets.

Ths guy gave us a perfect look this morning

Got this guy on the Reveal today, looks like a future 140"deer

 

 

My  buck of a life time finally  came by at 5pm  . He stood to my right 60 yds. away watching a button buck, I was shaking as the button buck headed towards me just hoping he continue in the same path. but NO  turned and walked in the opposite direction and out of site. The button buck came right to me hung around 15 minutes and went and followed the path of the big buck.    I figured that was it ,  5:30pm  came no deer . I was thinking to get out of stand and come back tomorrow . I text my wife and told her I just seen the buck I have been waiting for my hunting life and he walked away. She said stay you never know.  Now its 5:45 ,No deer , all kinds of things running thru my head,  I keep watching the way the deer left 6pm No deer .    A little after 6 I catch movement  coming from my left and its the buck just walking towards my direction, coming closer but staying on a trail 30 yds. away from stand, Now he is coming and going to pass me on that trail and I have no shot that direction  unless I stand and reach out between two trees to clear the crossbow limbs. so I start standing the buck still coming ,I'm up  slowing getting the crossbow out and the buck stops behind a tree  head sticking out  and all I look thru the scope and all I have is a shot at his neck . I became real religious and started praying one more step and he dose the one step. Now me looking thru scope and checking crossbow limbs are clear (CLEAR)looking back thru scope, have shot ,take it , HIT ,buck takeoff and piles up in sticker bushes 30 yds. away.      My best BUCK EVER!!!  at 66 I'll take it   I'm not a good writer but my wife and brother are tied of hearing it so I have to tell someone else.

Thamks for reading!   Jersey Jay see you soon.

 






 

FT DIX Range 14 Public Range opens TODAY

Mounted by John Noon Taxidermy in Sussex.   I was able to participate in the process by first picking the form - the Mears PD-74 (pictured) in LT,  which for my first pedestal mount, exactly represented the way the buck was looking as I release my arrow last Veteran's day. I wanted that look and orientation along with some neck wrinkle and am pleased that all that was achieved. I had a cedar pedestal made by The Taxidermy Woodshop. I wanted to use a Natural Cedar stump from a downed tree in my yard as the mounting post.  I have not totally figured out the "base" just yet but leaving it flexible.  Just surrounded with some fake moss for now, but it's a bit too green for my liking and already had a browner version on order.   I can easily remove and add leaves, rocks, grass, ferns, etc.   

So it's "done" as far as the mount, the pedestal, and cedar stump.   The rest may still be work in progress - very much open to ideas.

For example thinking of running a fake 28" cedar tree (pictured) up the back side of the mount. 

Some obviously feel this buck is a bit over-exposed and yeah I am sure it is.  But I cannot lie - damn proud of this one and experienced enough to know that it was my BOAL and would not expect something like this ever again, in any state let alone NJ!

Marion County, 210-7/8

 

Here is my story. This is my 7th season bow hunting.  Through my first 6 seasons I had not yet achieved my first bow kill.  I have had many exciting encounters and a few close calls.  A number of times I have been at full draw but the shots just did not pan out.  Last year I did have the opportunity to loose an arrow at a little 4 point.  Fate was with him, it was close to dusk and my arrow encountered an unseen branch!  But even without any “success”, every time out and every minute in the stand is totally and thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated.

 

Moving forward to this year (my 62nd), it started with a life changing event.  Last March after shoveling & snow blowing for a couple hours I suffered a heart attack.  It sure changes your perspective on things.  As I was recovering and regaining my health and making a few lifestyle changes it became apparent that I would be able to continue bow hunting (but not snow shoveling!).  So to celebrate a new outlook on life I went and splurged on a brand new Hoyt RX3! Needless to say I have been pretty excited for this bow season.

 

To date it has been a strange season.  I set up a camera for the 1st time this year.  There have been numerous deer (and a couple bears) showing up, although mostly in the overnight hours. Up until this past Saturday (10/21) I had spent upwards of 40 hours in the stand and had yet to see a deer from my perch.  It’s amazing how quickly your fortunes can change!  About 7:30 I hear something approaching and it’s definitely not a squirrel!  I grab my bow off the hook and latch on my release.  After a few minutes he reaches the tree line.  He spends at least the next 10 minutes browsing and all I can see is his head.  That 10 minutes or so did seem like an eternity but finally he stepped clear.  Bow kill in the books!!  More awesome than I imagined!!

 

Patience and persistence will always pay off in the long run.  Never give up, it is never too late!   

Went out tonight with a plan...I suspected that a buck was bedding on my access trail between a creek and the road. So tonight, I used the wind noise for cover and changed my approach by circling wide along a field edge and keeping the treeline between me and the suspected bedding. In std  by 4:10....but nothing was moving. Wind was howling, but I've had success using these kind of winds before. Second guessed myself wondering if I should have put a sneak up to bedding std. By 6:10 I was planning on using some grunt calls...so I let rip a long grunt w/ a couple burps. 10 min later this guy came in at 30 and finally gave me a quartering away shot at 20. He dropped on a spine shot and I followed up w/ a shot to the boiler.

I needed to get down and put my last arrow in the boiler again...he can't move..but he's alive. I run to truck to get backup arrow and finally put an end to his suffering. I'll spare everyone the carnage shot and spine shot video.

Recovery was with a great friend who flew over on just a txt msg.

 

My first large scale plot. About three acres. Very happy with the results so far. Planted soy beans and winter rye in early September. Even though it's only rained once or twice until last night, the deer have been hitting it pretty hard. Thanks tcook for the advice!

Spent way more time on this than necessary, call it an obsession I guess.    Starting from 2016 when my recently harvested velvet 10 was an 8pt, through his final resting place 09/17/2019.    This is a long journey, but it could be educational too. It also shows that not every buck adds 20" of bone every year. In fact, he showed growth from 2016 as an 8pt to 2017 as a 10, but he definitely was in poor health spring of 2018, and I feel his rack shrank a bit that year.   2019 - yeah he sure looked a lot bigger, especially when I finally saw him from a stand, during a hunt  for the VERY FIRST TIME since 2016.   To summarize, I last saw this buck while hunting on 6-day opener, 2016, and passed him up for the umpteenth time. I saw him constantly that bow season.    Each subsequent year, he was always around but on camera less and less.    This is why I am so shocked I was able to harvest him. He really has no pattern. My last picture of him this year was September 8th, so it was 9 days from his last appearance (on camera).  He really loved the mineral blocks this year in my woods, but it was not my woods where I took him. 

Here he  is 2016 including a video of him fighting.    He was a bully that year, chased off many a buck bigger than him, the only buck that he could not was a massive body 7pt - probably largest body I ever seen around here although rack was nothing special. 

first pic  he is on the left... There is no doubt - same buck.  3rd pick he is standing next to the "long horn" buck which was a freak buck that year that I took in October when I saw he had a broken front leg.  The longhorn - was 3.5 for sure.  Body a little bigger than the 8 which is why I think the 8 that became a 10, was 2.5 in this picture and 5.5 when I harvested him.      2nd to last pic is the huge bodied 7 I had a few close calls with.  Last attachment is video of the 8 fighting.

NOTE - the 11/11 pic shows that he clearly tore his ear as an 8pt in 2016, that stayed with him and only got worse!   That was his calling card every spring, I knew it was him. 

UP NEXT  - 2017











 




2016 8 pt fighting.mp4

This is my friend Sarah who wanted to get ito hunting. So we set off last Friday to take her first doe and she did a great job taking her first doe. We did have to wait to recover the doe until the morning since the shot was a little back and all we had was gut on the arrow. So we called in Darrin Doran and his trusty dogs. We went in the next am and his 5 month old Callie did a great job in recovering the doe. I highly recommand using Darrin if you should ever need dog tracker, they are awesome! His is number by the way is 908-331-2041.

 

So Sunday we went to a spot where there has been a lot of buck activity. Sarah was really excited when she seen the first buck a young 8 pointer, which she envetually let walk. Soon a couple bruisers were beginning to make there way in but hung up about 80 yards out. So we patiently waited and just before 6pm this beautiful 9 point buck made his way in. It took forever to get a shot on him and in the meanwhile another really nice 8 pointer joined the party.Sarah now had 2 shooter bucks and we went back and forth on which one to shoot. But she wanted the darker buck and when he finally got broadside she lit him up with a lumen bolt and the buck went 60 yards and died in a pond. To say it was exciting is and understatement! We went to the edge of the pond where Sarah recovered this big bodied 9 and the smile on her face was priceless! Love this sport and being able to help others join our ranks is an honor and privilege I know we all enjoy. Here is to Sarah and may she continue to Watch'em Drop!

 

Mentored Hunt Opportunities!

We have something for everyone... Adults, Youth, Women, Veterans, Disabled persons... All are archery and will take place on the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in Sussex, NJ.

 

 

Central Jersey semi-wild upland bird club has openings for a few new members. We lease over 3,200 acres in Monmouth and Ocean county. We stock 2,800+ birds over 32 stocking days. Our season runs from Opening Day of the small game too late February.

·        One time Initiation fee $300.00

·        Annual dues $1,350.00

If interested, please contact me at the following  djb1171@yahoo.com