Am I the only one?????

Coppertop,

Here’s a quick story that’ll get ya goin’. My uncle owns a nice sized farm and has a bunch of family members who come out and hunt it. Everyone sits, and they don’t make too many drives the opening weekend or so.

So, one of the hunters is a younger cousin of mine. She gets one of the better stands and sits out there hoping to see a Deer. I believe it’s the end of the weekend and she hasn’t seen a thing. So they rotate stands and my Uncle draws that stand. That next day, he sees 3 different shooter Bucks. Including one beauty 11ptr which he harvested.

It’s difficult to stay positive, but persistence pays off. Mr. Big can stick his head out at any time, on any day. Keep plugging away and I’m sure it will all pay off.

I pulled the trigger on a small buck this year by mistake. Probably the result of putting in to much time in the stand without the chance at a shooter. It is rare for me to harvest a buck. This is two years in a row, but last year was the only true shooter. I went 5 years before I shot that nice one last year.

One thing about IDA is there are a lot of great hunters and you get to see the best of the best when if comes to deer. For every big buck harvest and pictures, there are 100 other members still holding out hope for that big one. It is hard to post a picture of the ones that you did not shoot or did not get, so the site is pretty much dominated by nice shooter bucks. The best part of seeing all these nice deer and it gets a guy pumped each time he is sitting in the office thinking about hunting

I pulled the trigger on a small buck this year by mistake. Probably the result of putting in to much time in the stand without the chance at a shooter. It is rare for me to harvest a buck. This is two years in a row, but last year was the only true shooter. I went 5 years before I shot that nice one last year.

One thing about IDA is there are a lot of great hunters and you get to see the best of the best when if comes to deer. For every big buck harvest and pictures, there are 100 other members still holding out hope for that big one. It is hard to post a picture of the ones that you did not shoot or did not get, so the site is pretty much dominated by nice shooter bucks. The best part of seeing all these nice deer and it gets a guy pumped each time he is sitting in the office thinking about hunting

Coppertop don’t feel so bad, its bow hunting and if theres one thing that makes a guy frustrated and creates patients too its bowhunting. The property im hunting is in one of the best spots in n.e. Iowa. Theres so much good land where im hunting its a toss of the coin weather its where im at or up the road a few miles at another place. Im seeing lots of big deer and a couple real decent bucks so far but all out of range even with blackpowder so don’t feel so bad. Its been 5 years since i’ve taken anything close to a wallhanger, thier just not under every tree. The place i hunt is the kind of place that i don’t know if you could ask for a better place, for real and thier still not where i want them to be, thats whitetails. The trail im on is so heavily worn that theres a 2′ deep grove worn in the dyke where the deer go over the top of it to get to the water to drink and theres so many heavily used trails its a take your choice type of thing and still no bucks where im at. I know the best i can do is put as much time in my stand as possible to be there when one comes by. My areas so good that the first time we were hanging the stands a fawn came walking by and we had to stop and let her pass, a couple hrs later a big buck at a solid 250 lbs and two older does came out of a timber a few hundred yards away, theres deer everywhere but not under my tree so far but thier there. I bought a blackpowder rifle too make sure i put meat on the table with doe’s if i don’t score with about the hardest way there is to take a big buck and thats with a bow. Stay in your stand and keep hunting and good luck and enjoy everything else the big outdoors has to offer too, thats what i do, even if its listening to the hungry coyotes and trying to learn the turkeys better but i know its be there incase a nice buck does come by, thats bowhunting.

Coppertop don’t feel so bad, its bow hunting and if theres one thing that makes a guy frustrated and creates patients too its bowhunting. The property im hunting is in one of the best spots in n.e. Iowa. Theres so much good land where im hunting its a toss of the coin weather its where im at or up the road a few miles at another place. Im seeing lots of big deer and a couple real decent bucks so far but all out of range even with blackpowder so don’t feel so bad. Its been 5 years since i’ve taken anything close to a wallhanger, thier just not under every tree. The place i hunt is the kind of place that i don’t know if you could ask for a better place, for real and thier still not where i want them to be, thats whitetails. The trail im on is so heavily worn that theres a 2′ deep grove worn in the dyke where the deer go over the top of it to get to the water to drink and theres so many heavily used trails its a take your choice type of thing and still no bucks where im at. I know the best i can do is put as much time in my stand as possible to be there when one comes by. My areas so good that the first time we were hanging the stands a fawn came walking by and we had to stop and let her pass, a couple hrs later a big buck at a solid 250 lbs and two older does came out of a timber a few hundred yards away, theres deer everywhere but not under my tree so far but thier there. I bought a blackpowder rifle too make sure i put meat on the table with doe’s if i don’t score with about the hardest way there is to take a big buck and thats with a bow. Stay in your stand and keep hunting and good luck and enjoy everything else the big outdoors has to offer too, thats what i do, even if its listening to the hungry coyotes and trying to learn the turkeys better but i know its be there incase a nice buck does come by, thats bowhunting.

I hunt in Buffalo County, the reputation of the Mecca of Big bucks, and in 25 years I have yet to shoot over a 9 pointer, and over and 18 inch spread. In that time, I have only missed one HUGE buck, and that is when I was 16, 21 years ago. I had one other real nice one that I saw at a distance in the woods but just couldn’t get a shot at. Other than that, it sems the big boys walk by only when I’m not there. I have a stand I hunted for 4 years straight, 2 years after I went to another, my cousin shot a great 11 pointer from it.

I also sometimes wonder if I will ever get a shot at a real trophy. It kinda gets me down at times, but then I remember it is only deer hunting, I got alot of other good things to be thankful for, and who knows, it could happen at any time.

Keep the faith my man, you are not alone!

I hunt in Buffalo County, the reputation of the Mecca of Big bucks, and in 25 years I have yet to shoot over a 9 pointer, and over and 18 inch spread. In that time, I have only missed one HUGE buck, and that is when I was 16, 21 years ago. I had one other real nice one that I saw at a distance in the woods but just couldn’t get a shot at. Other than that, it sems the big boys walk by only when I’m not there. I have a stand I hunted for 4 years straight, 2 years after I went to another, my cousin shot a great 11 pointer from it.

I also sometimes wonder if I will ever get a shot at a real trophy. It kinda gets me down at times, but then I remember it is only deer hunting, I got alot of other good things to be thankful for, and who knows, it could happen at any time.

Keep the faith my man, you are not alone!

Don’t get me wrong coppertop I know there are things you can do to help increase the number of quality bucks on ones property. I have been hunting for 18 years, my father for 40+ years, and my brother for 16 years. The last 18 all on the same property. It took us all of those 18 years to harvest one, yes only one 160 class deer which was taken by my brother this year. We have taken many nice bucks, but none that I would consider to be a once in a life time deer as my brother did this year. Big bucks are big because they have been blessed with the instincts to do the unpredictable. True trophies are few and far between, that being said the number of people with email and internet has grown exponentially…you just hear and see more about big bucks now than you did previously because the means of communication have improved.

If I were to take one buck in my life time similar to what my brother took this year I would consider myself very lucky and fortunate…either way I will die a happy man.

Lastly, I really do believe that genetics and forage have large impacts on the quality of bucks. That being said I do not feel that all areas of this great state are all the same. The better forage/mineral content that an area provides the faster a buck is able to his maturity. The faster bucks hit maturity the more quality bucks co-exist, the greater the likely-hood of taking a quality buck.

Put in your time and be patient…it is a virtue. Your time will come and if it doesn’t, well you still got to share in the peace and solitary of god’s creation, something that many people just can’t appreciate…you will still be the fortunate one.

Take care!

My brother could wipe the smile off his face for 4 days…

Don’t get me wrong coppertop I know there are things you can do to help increase the number of quality bucks on ones property. I have been hunting for 18 years, my father for 40+ years, and my brother for 16 years. The last 18 all on the same property. It took us all of those 18 years to harvest one, yes only one 160 class deer which was taken by my brother this year. We have taken many nice bucks, but none that I would consider to be a once in a life time deer as my brother did this year. Big bucks are big because they have been blessed with the instincts to do the unpredictable. True trophies are few and far between, that being said the number of people with email and internet has grown exponentially…you just hear and see more about big bucks now than you did previously because the means of communication have improved.

If I were to take one buck in my life time similar to what my brother took this year I would consider myself very lucky and fortunate…either way I will die a happy man.

Lastly, I really do believe that genetics and forage have large impacts on the quality of bucks. That being said I do not feel that all areas of this great state are all the same. The better forage/mineral content that an area provides the faster a buck is able to his maturity. The faster bucks hit maturity the more quality bucks co-exist, the greater the likely-hood of taking a quality buck.

Put in your time and be patient…it is a virtue. Your time will come and if it doesn’t, well you still got to share in the peace and solitary of god’s creation, something that many people just can’t appreciate…you will still be the fortunate one.

Take care!

My brother could wipe the smile off his face for 4 days…

You are not the only one coppertop I still have not used one tag yet this year and I have the all season licence. I have been deer hunting now for 23 years, it took me 21 years to put one on the wall and he was not a monster by any means. (see pic below) Enjoy your time out in Gods creation and it will happen for you when you least excpect it.

You are not the only one coppertop I still have not used one tag yet this year and I have the all season licence. I have been deer hunting now for 23 years, it took me 21 years to put one on the wall and he was not a monster by any means. (see pic below) Enjoy your time out in Gods creation and it will happen for you when you least excpect it.

We’ll I blew it twice this year.

1st – mid 140’s 10 pointer that I got two shots at, yep, two shots I screwed up on.

2nd – mis judged a smaller 8 pt on 11/13 and just missed under it’s belly.

I will say the last 2-3 years I have spent more time hunting small (some very small) funnel area’s. Places where car’s, tractors and trucks drive by less than 30 yards from my stand location on a gravel road and other hunters walk past on a field road 20 yards on the other side. Creek bottoms are great funnel area’s as well. I think sometimes these locations are overlooked as everyone wants to head for the “big woods”.

We’ll I blew it twice this year.

1st – mid 140’s 10 pointer that I got two shots at, yep, two shots I screwed up on.

2nd – mis judged a smaller 8 pt on 11/13 and just missed under it’s belly.

I will say the last 2-3 years I have spent more time hunting small (some very small) funnel area’s. Places where car’s, tractors and trucks drive by less than 30 yards from my stand location on a gravel road and other hunters walk past on a field road 20 yards on the other side. Creek bottoms are great funnel area’s as well. I think sometimes these locations are overlooked as everyone wants to head for the “big woods”.