Thanksgiving morning at about 4 a.m. I'll be heading out for deer camp in Pennsylvania. We go to Indiana and pick up my son. Friday morning we head down to Youngstown, Ohio and stay with my brother overnight. Saturday morning begins the pilgrimmage to Clearfield County, Pa. for the absolute best deer opener there ever will be. Bright and early Monday morning the Pumpkin Army will ascend the mountains of Penns' Woods once again. Shots will ring out, memories will be made. To all the Pa. boys, it's gonna be good to back home on the hill. 'Can't wait be there. Good Lord willing, I'll be there when my boy fills his first tag this year, with Dad's old 99.

Good luck to everyone, and we'll see you soon. Have an Iron City Light ready and waiting. I'm really thirsty, boys!

Wish you nothing but the best of hunts.

Iron City aka "Red Dot"? Boys that stuff will ruin your taste buds. Pick up some Yengling, try Black and Tan, and move up more than a little while still keeping it Pa true.

The folks in Pa. Sure have a great whitetail hunting tradition. Good luck on your hunt!

Where at in Clearfield County?

I'm gonna miss another PA season.

I'll be thinking of my dad, Baby, Digger, Rabbit, Uncle Floyd, Maz, Don, Uncle Ed and all the other fellas that used to make deer camp in PA the best time of year for a young kid.

Roll 'em!

Good luck, looking forward to the start of the season in the northeast as well.

Yeunglings oktoberfest, is a good one too...grin

+1, didnt think it would ever happen that I would not be home in PA for deer season again but it has been too many years since I roamed the mountains of Potter county!

I am hunting Texas Dc 4 to 8 but it sure isnt like being home ...

Boone Mountain between Beers Road and the Boy Scout Camp. The camp's been in our family for all most 70 years now. Sadly, all the original members are gone. None of the other guys had kids that showed any interest in it, so the camp came down to me and my brother. My brother's days afield are probably done. Knee surgery and other ailments have taken their toll. We're struggling just to hang on to the camp right now. Keep your eyes posted guys-it may be for sale next spring.

Yeah, nothing stays the same (Except for Yuengling, that is still good)for years. The amount of hunters at all the places I go is really down. Ever stop going to an area for a while and try to find a certain place a couple years later? Even the woods changes after a few years. Well, sometimes change is good. It really does feel good to go back to a place where you grew up hunting for years. Good luck out there.

Good luck.

Still dealing with some issues, but ill be up. Whether in the woods or on the couch I gotta be there. Good luck all and bring home the big one!!

Cheers to a great season and great memories!

Here is a shout out to Coalcracker, his son, Z, Cousin Dale, the Breiners and all of the other guys chasin whitetails in eastern PA. Shoot strainght and be safe!

+1

I have gone to the "big woods" of Pa. for over 50 years. The only year I ever missed was that of a new job and out of state boss.

In 16 years, I never attended a public school that even tried to have classes on the first day of deer season.

Good luck and shoot straight. I'll be over in Forest Co.

donsm70

me and my son on one side of the hill in Bradford county, and my wife and daughter on the other side of the hill....I get more excited for deer season than anything else, when my children started hunting 4 years ago I now get even more excited! by the way, they have the first two days off. My boy is 11 and has shot 3 bucks and 5 doe in the last 4 years, and my daughter is 9 and whacked her first doe last year. hopefully a buck finds her scope this year. lenny

Good Luck to All & Happy Hunting!

We will scout Saturday afternoon and Sunday if necessary, but we will most likely end up in spots that our family has hunted for over 7 decades now. Dad's Tree, the Witches Tit, the Pallet Stand. No matter what else happens at deer camp, these tried and tested spots always seem to produce. I have no doubt that Dad the other members of the Old Guard will once again be watching over us. Here's to all the guys that will be in the hills, and to those who won't. Good luck guys.

What antler restriction do you guys have in your hunt area?

I'll be with my dad & 2 brothers. We'll be between sigel and brockway in 2f. Good luck, and most importantly...stay safe.

Good luck and drive safe!!!!

Did you ever consider leasing it rather than selling it? you might make enough to cover the exspenses and still keep it in the family.

Don't worry, I'll bag one for you. Be hunting outside of Mills, just south of N.Bingham. We're gettin overrun with Amish and they sure do put a hurtin on the local deer population, so hopefully there will be few left when I get there.

Wish everyone a fantastic hunt filled with long lasting memories.

Stay safe, shoot straight, and watch for Johnny Law. They likes to make their quota in the mad rush to the woods!

SD

Welcome home, best wishes and good luck!

Thanks Dube. As for the antler restrictions, this is the first time I've been home since they started. I believe it has to be at least three points on at least one side of the rack. If anyone's interested in matching up at Grice's in Clearfield on Sunday afternoon, give me a holler. We go over there every year.

This year will be my 33 or 34 straight opening day in Pennsylvania. Not sure how many more I have in me but I'm still enthused and excited each year. Lots of tremendous memories of friends now deceased the taught me a ton.............

Our guys started hunting together right after WWII, in 1946. Dad, and one of the others had all ready hunted Clearfield County before the war. Originally they stayed with a local woman who took in hunters for the season. The lot for the camp was purchased for $50.00 in 1949. At the time, there was a 200 acre working dairy farm for sale in the area for $500.00. No one had any money, so our little piece of heaven was all they could afford. There were 5 original members, all veterans of WWII. They all served overseas, in both the Asian and European theaters. The camp was built out of hand me downs and anything the guys could scrounge for free. It started out as a simple one room cabin. Over the years, a kitchen was added and then expanded, and a dining room eventually went in. Back in the heydays of Pa. deer hunting, we'd have 10 to 14 guys in camp. Harvests were good. The camp accounted for many deer, bears, turkeys, and lots of small game and trout during the summer. My first deer season was in about 1975. It took me ten years to notch a tag. If my grades weren't good, Dad didn't let me go to camp, which meant I had to hunt back home in Ohio with a full choked 870 and slugs. At the age of 21, on the 2nd Tuesday of the Pa gun season, a spike buck simply appeared in front of me from out of nowhere, and I took my first deer. Sadly, this would be Dad's last hunt. He passed away the following spring. He was the last surviving member of the original crew, the Olde Guard, as we like to call them. Now, it's down to me and my brother. My son will hunt with us this fall. Ironically, he's been hunting for 10 years and hasn't filled a tag yet. We hope this will be his time to shine. He will be carrying a very special gun. Dad's beloved old 99, chambered for 300 Savage, and topped with the iconic K-4 Weaver. I can only wonder how many millions of deer have found themselves in the crosshairs of a K-4 topped Savage.

Here's to all the camps that will be coming to life here shortly. May the hunting be good, and memories even better. Good luck guys.

I can't believe that with all the folks always looking for a place to hunt, and your camp is down to just a couple folks. Do you want to keep it going? Have you thought about putting an ad on Craig's list?

My travel plans are still a bit up in the air (gotta get the kid back to college somehow) so I'm not sure when I'll get to DuBois but I'll be there.

Dad and I had the spotlight out a couple of weeks ago, we saw 48 deer (4 bucks for sure) within a mile of his farmhouse. Then on the day before Veterans day we saw another 4 bucks before noon while we were picking corn.

That's the good news, the bad news is his place is in the latest management area for Chronic Wasting. Oh well.

Gophergunner, PM inbound

Dale

We lay plans for a mew camp this week.

Property is owned by my cousin who owns a construction company. He bought the land for a hunting camp, but doesn't have time to do the labor. He asked if two of us if we would be willing to help start a hunting club. He would fund it if we would do some of the labor. Needs some equipment work, and the house was pretty much gutted.

There's only 17 acres but most of it is wooded, and it buts up to 2200 acres of state land.

The story of your camp is almost exactly the same as the camp that I am a member of. Founded in 1948 after WWII by guys who served in the war. They bought a house for $50 tore it down and built the camp out on the mountain. Originally a one room camp, a kitchen was added on in the 60's. There would be as many as 22 hunters there in the 70's (long before my time). We currently sill have 10 members, but only 3 will be hunting rom camp this year. That's the way it's been for about the past 8 years.

For crying out loud. That's all you PA boys think about is beer. My dad, who is full blooded Hungarian, is the same damn way. I always thought it was because of his heritage or maybe because that's all they drank in the Navy, but now I know it's because he's from PA. Happy hunting to all you PA guys....:

The only problem is, my brother's health is not that great, and he's much closer to camp than I am. This will be the first time I've been home to hunt in about 5 years. I live just south of Minneapolis. If we're going to stay envolved, I need to be an active participant. It is probably time to let someone else enjoy it as much as we have.

There's much more to the hunt than drinking beer. We think about good times spent with friends and family, the hiss of an old woods stove as it come to life. Every camp has it's great traditions and memories. The characters that held court at the card table, the great meals, and memories of good friends who've gone on to hunt in a far better place. I have no doubt that Dad and the other members of the Olde Guard will be watching over us once again this fall. Maybe when I go draw for a jack to get the belly straight, they'll smile on me just a bit. It will mean way more to me if my boy notches his first tag. He is the last hope for keeping our camp going, if he chooses to. He has some big shoes to fill.

Good luck buddy. I hope your son is successful and loves the hunt. Get him hooked!!!!!

Good luck to all you guys hunting PA. A new job that I started in August is keeping me from going back this year.

Good luck Monday guys. Be safe.

-Ken

Will be roaming around the old familiar hills of Armstrong Co. Just talked with family up there and the they have gotten 2 inches of snow so far today.

Good luck and a safe season to all.

Where at in Armstrong county?

Up 66 out of Kittanning for maybe 5 miles, then turn left onto Ridge road. Run it for 3-4 miles and hunt the country that looks down on the Mahoning. You would almost be in Templeton.

Then perhaps further North around Tidal, which is where I'm originally from.

Good luck to all headed out to Penn's woods on Monday. I have to pick up the ham for Sunday dinner, and then I'm off. May the beer stay cold, the woodstove not go out over night, the cards run your way, and the deer cooperate. This is the best week of the year!

Heading up here shortly. Dads already up. Knife sharpened and VLD's ready to rock! Gonna take'r easy and piddle around til wednesday when everybody's gone then give'r hell the rest of the week. Good luck all!! Grab plenty of pics!!

I've done some fishing over there. I live and hunt between Dayton and Smicksburg. Good Luck!

Back to you. Dayton and Porter used to be a Grouse Meca.

Dayton also has a fine riflesmith.

How about that thumbcocker. I'll be between Georgeville and Smicksburg. That old creek hill is rough,but it's been my stomping ground for like 34 years now. You know any of the Wells family?

Good luck Monday fellas. I'm gonna get half a day it looks like. Then a double at work. 1500-0700.

Yes I know who they are, but I don't know any of them well. That's amish country over there, I would think it would be tough hunting.

It is. The creek hill has been timbered at least twice in the last 20 or 25 years. BIG rocks and steep. Not too much human intervention anymore. Everyone is holed up in hunting blinds. If there isn't a natural reason for deer movement it can be pretty slim pickings. The Amish kill deer for sure. On the up side,they hunt like beagles. Stir them up pretty good sometimes.

I married into the Wells clan. Been hanging out in that country since 79. Before the timbering started,that was some beautiful real estate. You could still hunt it then. Now it's brier and devils club.

How did everyone make out? I got a nice 9 point at 4pm. One shot with a 270.

Congrats! I got a small 8 at 7:30. Pic in my thread. Hope to see a bunch more on here from PA!

Congrats to both of you. Nice!!!!

Saw 15 total and bounced 6 out of their beds. One Buck for sure, but he stopped behind some trees and I couldn't count points before he walked off.

Four Turkeys, two Grouse, one gray Squirrel and a Raccoon rounded out the day.

All in all a good day.

Got a 5 point @ 7:20 AM near Clymer in Indiana County.

Saw 5 ladies.

Monday, I saw 18 baldies and over 30 turkeys. My buddy saw a couple of does and a small but legal buck which he let go. Dad saw 7 does.

Tuesday AM, I played tag with one or two in some tree tops but couldn't decided if it/they were legal or not. One look said forkhorn, next said there's 3 points on one side, next look said forkhorn and so forth. Then I got busted and there were 2 big white flags waving GOODBYE!. I've no idea if I was looking at 2 bucks or different sides of the same rack or a buck and a doe.

Then I bailed and headed home due to the lousy weather forecast (freezing rain etc late in the day).

I never got a chance to meet up with gophergunner (the OP) but did talk to him on the phone Monday night. I won't tell his day but will say he thoroughly enjoyed coming to Pa. and hunting from his camp again.

Dale

Congrats..

I'm still humping the hills.

Today things were moving and out come evening. Big rain is supposedly on the way for Friday and Saturday.
Saw 27 Deer-21 from around 3:15 till 5:15-around 30 Turkey and one Possum.


THE Buck showed himself at closing time and the clock saved his day.

saw 2 legal bucks and a doe on monday and the 7 point is quartered and hanging in the shed. had the tenderloins and some 'strap last night for dinner. mmm, mmm, good.

and my ruger frontier in 338 fed did a job on that buck. those 200 grain fusions are serious deer hammers.

me and the boys will hunt behind the house saturday and then close out the season next weekend back at camp.

Well I hope things work out for you and you get that buck!

Me too, but he knew I was there and knew he made a mistake. I could make out the wide past his ears main beams, but the points blended into the dark/evening background and I couldn't make them out. Snow on the ground and things may have worked out different.

I doubt if he will let me catch him again soon.

Mr. Bruno I presume??

That would be the man.

I hunted all day Monday. Saw 7 deer including a 5 pt. Someone missed it down below me and it rand across my front from right to left angling up the mountain. I never made horns until it was all most out of sight. Threw one at it more in exasperation than anything else, but never touched it. It ran in front of a kid from the camp next door and he got it with a clean well placed running shot. It was his first deer, and boy was he excited. I found the remains of two old tree stands I'd hunted in the past, bringing back some very pleasant memories. Monday afternoon, I hunted up high on the hill into my dad's old spot. I just couldn't stay up there-still hurts too much to know Dad's only up there in spirit these days. Still hunted my way back down the hill towards camp. It was a good day to be in the woods. They were forecasting freezing rain for Tuesday, and I didn't want to get stranded up on the mountain, so we broke camp Tuesday morning and headed back to Youngstown. There's no deer hunt like the Pennsylvania opener. Those of us who've been fortunate enough to experience it are very lucky indeed.

I got a small 8 on Monday morning. The 338 Federal did it's job.

Congrats!



GG was really hoping to see you post horns, but sounds like you had a great time nonetheless. That neighbor boys got a good story for the rest of his life. Nothing like hunting PA!

Had an hilarious morning hunt. Worked my way up this valley for around 1.5hours. Like most streams it winds back and forth and sooner or later you are pinched on the steep banks on each side. Which requires a careful crossing if you don't want to get wet.





At the end I finally worked my way to the top and worked it back.
Some may remember that last year I came across an albino Buck and got a pic of him in the brush. Well, I saw same white up ahead and thought there he is again. Put the binos on him and he looked a little bushy. Hmmmmm. Followed up and this is what I found. WTH are two goats doing down in here. Or is that a Goat and a Lamb? There is a farm around a mile away, so I guess they went on a tramp.





Still hunted till 4pm and then went to finish out the day at my favorite stand. Which looks across a regrown strip mine field.
Saw 9 Does and took a pic of these four that were around 180 yards away. Decided to hold off on filling the Doe tag. Mistake?
Time will tell.




Another good day.

You went all the way to PA and hunted one day?

Last Saturday I had to work. I figured I would'nt miss anything because of all the rain. Between my house and a little town named Elderton I saw about 50 or so vehicles and about 20 or so amish buggies. Most of these were around Keystone lake. So I guess there were some guys out hunting. Still, the kill around here is way down. I have a few days off and am going to try and get a doe. Good luck to all!

Just leaving to go back out. Come evening the Does took a pounding around my area on Monday.

Two more from yesterday, around 40yards that lived another day. Maybe I'm going soft on Does, but I'm still looking for horns.

Keep after it, that buck will come along.

Went out this afternoon, did'nt see a thing. I have three more days to get my doe.

I had to go to State College early this morning, on the way back to Somerset, I was thinking "I'll go hunting when I get home, it's pretty decent and the weather may have them moving". About halfway up the mountain, I started to see snow in the woods and thought Good! Then I got on top of the mountain and the fog and snow rolled in with the wind howling.

I said screw it and took a nap.

I'm going to Shippensburg to pick up my son on Friday and then head to DuBois for the last day, hopefully at least one of the 18 does I saw on opening day will show up.

Dale

9 Does and a:



While pulling into my cousins house. Actually 5, but I couldn't get the camera out quick enough. Changed locals today and hunted around his corn fields and little wood lot. Friday we are putting on an old time family Deer drive.

Then while eating dinner there were 2 Bucks in his back yard. Ya gotta love it.

Sounds like everyone's having a good season.

I haven't seen the number of deer as usual, but with the weather we had this week. Im looking forward to getting out tomorrow

I've been kicking some out of their beds during daylight, but most frequently seeing them around 4:15 to 5pm in the fields when they come out to feed.

With the warm weather and full moon it seems like they are not moving all that much during the day. Very few hunters out to get them moving. Which I would prefer, but they were up and moving more in recent years in the area I hunt.

Same here, mostly see deer out after 4pm. Haven't seen any before 8am. I'm hunting a new spot this year, so I dont know their habits as well as usual either. Looking forward to getting out with snow on the ground.

I saw two bucks the first day.

One was definitely not legal and the other I couldn't tell.

They'll be bigger next year.

I got this one right after lunch today.

Good deal!!!

They were moving today, plus you could see them with the snow.
Saw 23. One was a nice Buck with dark chocolate antlers. Problem was he saw me first.

Four on the hoof from the evening stand.

My friend that lives down the road from me saw 25 in a bunch. 5 bucks none legal. Well I guess Saturday I'll be a driver. Still a lot of bucks out there.

Saw 13 walking around and 10 from 3:30-5:00 while waiting.


Addition: Funny thing was that before the season doing scouting I didn't see a single Doe with Fawns. All were by themselves, which I thought odd and wondered if the Coyotes had been on a hard prowl. So far during the season each adult Doe has had a least one yearling with her.

GG-


Waxing eloquently in the months preceeding this and the MN hunt - only to put in one day each has earned you the new nickname "One-Day-GG".

Temptation finally reared its head on the next to last day, and this Doe with no apparent yearlings showed itself in my Cousins field. He and I sat in his shack, no climbing hills and kinda warm. I feel a little guilty. Just a little.

The Toby was in there with us again also.

Congrats, Harry. Looks like your partner in the bed of the truck approves too.

Thanks much.

I hope blood is good for him, because he was doing some serious lapping.

Nice going! What kind of rifle did you use?

The goal was to break-in the Montana .300Savage on a Buck, but since this field had the opportunity for something long I used a Nula 7mm-08.

Good deal!

Congrats and don't worry, my Lab would always lick all the deer blood up and he lived to be 13!

And the shot was how far?????? Congrats on a good looking doe!!

I killed two with my NULA 7-08 last weekend. Neither were very far, one at about 100yds and the other about 75yds. (NYS)

Congratulations.

Stretched it out a little for me at 358. Leupold 6x42 with a CDS dial. A little too high shoulder. She dropped, but had to walk up and end it.

She was a big Doe.

I've seen that Lab before.......

He knows your shooting perch pretty well also. I think he still dreams of all those Squirrels.

Addition: Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all down your way.

Thanks Harry, same to you and yours.

Congrats Battue and all the others that had success. Missed PA opener this year but vowed to be back next year, will be toting a 7mm-08 of some sort

It was a combination trip including several family visits all jammed into one week. The plan was to hunt Tuesday also, but the weather forecast was for freezing rain starting Tuesday morning. I don't know if you've ever driven on Pa. roads in that kind of weather, but it's a pretty dicy proposition without chains. We made the decision to break camp and get out of the mountains in front of the weather.

My brother got stuck up at camp one year by a heavy snow and ice storm and couldn't get down off the mountain for three days. Luckily, he'd shot a deer because he was getting a little thin on food by the time they could get our trail opened up. Most of my trips home include hunting and family time. this was the case here too, so my hunting time was limited.

Sorry I didn't meet up to your expectations that I spend every waking moment in the woods. I get in as much time as I can, and this was a FAMILY trip back to where I'm originally from. I see this doesn't measure up to your expectations, but I had to do frivilous things like go to the cemetary and put flowers on my mother and father's grave, visit with my dying cousin, meet up with my buddy who's house burned down last year-you know-lots of nonsensical non-hunting stuff. I'll be sure to go over my itinerary with you when I do my next trip home. By the way-this was the first time I'd been home in about 5 years and had a LOT of catching up to do.
Believe it or not, sometimes there's more to the trip than sitting in the woods for 6 days straight.

That's a poke no doubt.

Holy witchcat - lighten up man. You'll note the "", ie, meant in fun.

Finished up the last day sitting in the morning with old family, and a new young guy who married in and seems like a hard core Deer hunter.

Then the drives started and nothing has changed. Where where you and why were you not here? Didn't you see them? WTH where you doing, I told you? No, I meant over there!!!! WTH are you laughing at?

Anyway, we moved a bunch of Deer around, at least 25 to 30 depending on who you where. Saw maybe 5-6 different Bucks. 3 for sure not legal, one really nice one that someone missed and one barely legal trotting up the hill, me with the cross hairs seeming so easily moving on his shoulder and my Cousin saying take him. Perhaps it seemed easy only because there was no pressure. I knew from the first look I was not going to shoot.

Unfortunately down the hollow he turned into someone else did. Not sure if he escaped or not.

It was a great season, God willing there will be more.

Amen on the many more seasons. We had about twenty deer up doing drives. No bucks were seen and one doe was taken.

Looked forward to getting out after the snow on Wednesday. I got to hunt Thursday afternoon and ended up shooting this eight point at last light. It was the first legal buck I saw all rifle season.


My buddy came down from NY to hunt a few days. He got this six first thing this morning.

Hard to finish off a season better than that.

Very nice!!!!

Yep, both buck look pretty similar and came off the same mountain.

Places I grew up hunting in Pa. are now either full of people(townhouses, etc) or gas rigs..........

There are so few that really "Get IT" deer hunting in PA means so much more than killing a deer, the bitcheng and whining crowd needs to just grow a set, we don't need a Saturday opener and we don't need Sunday hunting and we don't need the whiners, go see your grandparents, take your kids shooting or just enjoy your family that's what hunting in PA is about.

Great thread, and I thank "battue" for pointing it out to me via a PM. Hope everyone had a great season.

I made the pilgrimage this year. While bittersweet, it was a very special hunt. We mainly headed down to help my sister clear up our mom's estate. Monday morning, I was in my late mom's tree stand, with her last hunting license in my pocket for good luck. I hunt with the last rifle my dad bought before he passed, stashed with family; a M700 Classic .280 Rem. Weather was absolutely miserable. Wind, rain, sleet, snow.....all day. Saw a huge buck that I couldn't shoot in the morning(skylined for starters, and on our neighbors land) he disappeared, and was never seen again. The smaller buck that was not far behind, bedded down in sight. Just before dark, he got up, crossed on to our place, and walked right by me at about 50 yards. When I dressed out the young 3x3(with nubs for brow tines), I was glad that I'm a "shoot till their down" kinda guy. Shot number one it turns out, was deflected by brush, and never touched him. Shot number two, taken at full tilt run, hit him in the middle(liver/rear lungs). He stopped with just his head/top half of the neck above the brush, so I put one more just below the base of the skull, and that was that. Pretty emotional laying hands on him, and decided the only photos were going to be memories.

Brought him back to AK as an extra bag, and so far, the backstrap and neck roasts have been awesome eating. Going to can some, and grind the rest.

The icing on the cake, was a phone call from my cousin(and best bud) today. He had triple bypass about a month ago. His Doc gave hime the OK to hunt, and he did. This evening, on the last day, he dropped a 3x4 buck!

An unmistakeable, and sad trend I'm seeing, is a very significant decrease in the number of people out deer hunting in PA. Before I left home for Basic Training, it was religion. School is still closed for opening day, but it's nothing like it used to be. Just not a lot of young folks out there. Before I turned the legal 12 years old, I used to follow my dad around with a BB gun, and couldn't wait to wear a hunting license and carry a real rifle/shotgun.

Again, I hope everyone had a great season, and have many more in the future!

Jeff

Jeff,
Fantastic way to honor your mom - that's pretty cool.
She was right there with you bud.

All hail the great Pennsylvania deer drive!

Nice thread fellas. Glad some made it back for the opener. Always enjoy battue's pics. I had a good time this year hunting with old buddies, doing drives we did as teenagers. T'was fun. I moved back 3-4 yrs ago and this year was the first year I made it through archery w/o punching my tag. Forgot how much fun rifle season is. I still cant sleep the sunday night before.

Anyone heading out flintlock hunting?

I'll be out for flintlock, the deer seemed to have my number this year.

I saw 18 does on opening day but my area was bucks only. Tuesday, (the icy forecast one) I hunted a couple of hours and saw a buck or two in some downed tree tops but no shots. Then headed home before it got really bad. The first Saturday, I forgot my license at home and as I drove back to the Game Lands parking area with it, I saw two bucks cross the road from posted ground into more posted ground. I swear they were laughing at me.

Yesterday, I saw no deer, only a couple of turkeys. Today, I looked out the kitchen window about 7:15 AM and there were 2 deer in the pasture, one turned and ran across the front yard, about 25 feet from the front porch. Great hunting, fun memories but tag soup is still on the menu so far.

Depends on the weather a bit but I'll probably hunt here in Somerset most of the time and then head to DuBois for the last Saturday. That's my birthday, maybe a buck will make a present of himself.

Dale

That can only be truly appreciated by serious practitioners of the craft

There's not many left. Everyone watches the TV shows and sits in their stands or pop-up blinds. I sit sometimes too, but there's nothing like a well executed deer drive.

Hope to put on a couple more the day after Christmas as I still have my doe tag. Its a bit tricky with the flintlocks, you definitely don't want them coming out of the thicket full bore.

A hunting buddy of mine had'nt killed a deer in five years. He just wants that trophy buck or for his kids to get one. I kidded him that his firing pin in his 270 was rusted in place and his rifle would'nt go off since it had'nt been fired for so long. On our last drive he shot a nice doe and he was as happy as if he had shot a trophy buck. We had a good season, I can't believe it's over already.

Back when family and crew were larger, the area not as broken up, and spikes where allowed, we had it down to a science for our area. Can't remember the exact number, but I think 17 Bucks was our highest first week total for Deer drives.

Addition: For those who think shooting at running Deer is black magic voodoo, then they need to watch a good hand that grew up with driving Deer.

Hunted opening day and both Saturdays. Finally scored on the last day. My hunting bud Joe took a 5 point and I got a button buck.

The hunting experience has grown to a very special part in my life....much more than just the hunt. Getting together with good friends, being in the woods, away from work and just the peacefulness of the woods is all special to me!!!

Harry......I left you a PM. I lost your number.....please call me!!!

It's like a giant chess match, played on the landscape. I miss it greatly but most of the gang have gone to the great hunting grounds in the sky and well, you can fill in the rest of the story.

Dale

I remember all the local landowners had an agreement. Everybody stay on there own land the first day. Day two- everything was fair game for driving.

To piggyback on what battue was saying about shooting running deer, most of the crew I hunted with were also avid rabbit hunters. Come deer season, they simply put the 870 down and picked up the 760. Hunting techniques were essentially the same and effective.

Now, me and my one buddy do a lot of 2-man drives on the parcels we can still hunt. We usually wait until wed. and put out a lot of deer too. Its a credit to his knowledge of the land and most importantly, how the deer react.

"there's nothing like a well executed deer drive."

Or a finer way to get your azz shot off!!

Ok, that is the teaser, now tell us about the why. I'm sure you have been in on more than a few drives to come to that conclusion.

Anyway, it is all in the set up, but I would be interested in knowing where the ones you participated in had problems. Perhaps we can all learn something to make ours safer.

How many hunters participated in the drives you put on? Large group of hunters of over 10? 5-10? 5 or so? 2 or 3?

In addition, I no longer find them as much fun as in the past due to the fact I think it gives an unfair advantage to the hunter. I would rather still hunt.

Well said!