2020 Hunting

2020 Hunting Pictures

Marybeth’s first hunt - Randy’s earliest buck - Glen’s biggest buck with a bow - Stephen’s first deer with a bow - Jen’s first tree shot. Glen’s first tree shot. Bruno’s best Buck with a bow

After a year of anticipation and excellent practicing, Marybeth climbed into the stand for the first time. Not unlike many beginners, the deer have avoided her so far. Randy knocked down a small 8 point from the ravine stand on the second day of the season to put meat in the freezer and break the drought that has plagued him for the last couple of years. Aubrey joined the deer recovery team and has learned how to track blood trails.

Glen connected with a doe on the ridge stand. The tracking team (including Aubrey) was out in full force but suspended the recovery after 3 hours of a slight blood trail. The next morning after another unsuccessful search, it was discovered that the doe jumped the fence that morning and the arrow became dislodged from its shoulder. At that point we knew it was not a fatal shot and concluded the search.

Stephen experienced a dry fire and caused a significant string and cam failure just before his second week of hunting. The bow was taken in for repairs and came back with scarlet and gray strings. Since then, he has been threading arrows. Jen attempted a shot on a doe only to hit the tree next to the stand at 10 feet high! The arrow still remains.

Glen followed up with a 7 point buck from the south side stand. Stephen responded the next week with his first deer harvest with a nice spiker buck from the same south stand at 30 yards. He threaded a perfect shot only to have the broad-head fail to deploy. Despite the single lung shot, Glen followed up with an ass shot to help the cause. It was determined that the lung shot was the fatal shot.

After postponing the bow trip so everyone could vote, Randy, Stephen and Glen met Bruno in NY for a bow hunting weekend on Nov. 5th-8th. Gov. Cuomo imposed travel restrictions which caused Stephen, Randy and Glen to pass a Covid test before entering NY. Fortunately, all came back negative. The search for an RV was useless and it was decided to self quarantine at the hotel and in the woods. This was Stephen’s first time to NY. The first mishap required a rewiring of the trailer which had a short in the lights. No problem for Glen and Randy to repair. While Stephen was so focused on dropping the string on a buck, he dropped the coffee pot instead and broke the carafe. Ugh!

The first day of the hunt, Glen dropped the string on a nice doe at 25 yards. Randy was about to draw on a doe at the same moment and the three doe in his sites spooked on Glen’s string noise which was only 100 yards away. By the time Randy could muster another shot on the biggest of the does, daylight had diminished to a point where twigs at 25 yards were not visible. The arrow flipped after hitting a twig and thwarted the effort.

The following day, Randy failed to convert on an eight point buck at 25 yards due to indecision on his part in pin selection. Rookie mistake. Stephen also failed to convert on a six point buck at 30 yards due to site misalignment. A frustrating day for everyone. Both Glen and Stephen missed at opportunities to take a coyote. Stephen lost his arrow and Glen pulled a Jen and hit a tree at 12 feet up! Randy retrieved the arrow but he broached still remains.

Bruno joined on Friday night and converted on his best bow kill buck ever with a nice eight pointer.

The grouse population on the property has significantly increased with two walk up scares and two other sitings while in the tree stands. A welcome development.

After an exciting bow hunt in NY, Randy and Stephen, Bruno and Larry decided to double up on the bow chances in NY on a Friday-Sunday trip. Friday night Randy and Stephen ventured to Patty’s which was better since mandatory sanitization was instituted. Much to everyone’s surprise, Glen decided to drive up Saturday morning to join us. Club 57 was the go to restaurant which failed Randy on the Beef on Weck, pork chop and daily special. The Stalin buck was back in the Sally stand area on a couple of occasions. Stephen and Randy heard his relentless stomp but could not get eyes on this buck which is at least 2 1/2 years old by now.

Randy found Stephen’s strap which was left at the three river’s stand the week before. Stephen also found his release which he left at the pine stand the night before and we found his wallet….again after losing it at the hotel. The funniest was his version of locking the truck and leaving the door wide open! I sense a trend.

Larry was left with plenty of Sausage and Egg biscuits for the ride home….his favorite. After the second weekend, Stephen harvested a nice doe out of the pine stand, Randy took a small doe (dog) on a stalk, and Glen converted on a button buck with his truck! Meat in the freezer!

Freddie converted on a nice doe which was hanging in his garage when we dropped the trailer off at his house for the week.

The next weekend was a brief bow hunt and opening day of gun season. The morning hunt was not too productive with a few glimpses of a doe. The afternoon hunt was very quiet. Bruno joined us for Friday evening at the hotel. Glen and Randy had pizza delivered which was less than stellar. Opening day was more or less a buck only day. Nobody saw antlers the entire day. Johnny and Armon made a surprise appearance at the property where Armon met Glen and Johnny waived by Randy. Randy showed that he was human and wounded a doe at 25 yards with a shotgun. After tracking 2 1/2 hours, the blood trail disappeared and the search was called off. Glen, in Elmer Fudd style, stalked in on a doe at the Cable stand and threaded a shot on a small doe.The next day Armon stopped to say hello to Randy and proceeded to walk the property. No bucks were seen either day.

Bruno sited in his shotgun and 308. Glen now has a new Christmas wish with a Remington 308 on the list. Both Randy and Glen confirmed that Randy’s arrant shot and Glen’s perfect shot were not due to luck or any gun issues. Both threaded the target. We all missed Stephens antics which provided comic relief.

Bruno, Glen and Randy had a most enjoyable time despite the meager harvest of a small doe. The Village Cafe in Arkport became the new breakfast greasy spoon that replaced the Country Kitchen that recently closed down. The Best Western was packed regardless of the Covid spike across the country.

Glen and Randy started the Hannum Deer Processing business with their first employee Aubrey helping out. 3 of the 8 deer taken on the year were processed at Hannums.

Randy, Glen, Marybeth, Stephen and Jen all had a practice session on Thanksgiving. The bow tree was full while the arrows were pulled from the target. Randy, Glen, Stephen and Jen hunted on Black Friday only to bump two doe on the way into the stands. Later that evening, Randy found Stephen’s range finder and Allen wrenches sitting on the outdoor patio…..the trend continues!

Bruno, Justin, Gianna and Jared headed to Steuben County for a post Thanksgiving hunt. Great weather allowed Gianna and Jerad to see deer near the patio. Randy, Glen and Marybeth hunted at the Steer infested property. No deer were seen.

Fred connected on a Super Buck in East Otto, NY. 3 shots with the rifle and he was still kicking. It was only fitting that Fred’s Buck Knife sealed the deal with Dick holding down the antlers.

Glen connected during late gun season at the Stark County property on a doe on the way in to the stand. That makes 5 for Glen this year.