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musky hunter

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About musky hunter

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    Sr HotSpotOutdoors.com Family
  • Birthday 10/04/1962

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  • Location:
    Duluth, MN, St. Louis
  1. Very dissapointing when any company goes through layoffs. I don't know how many people they employ, but 35 has to be a big piece of the workforce. Mathewes has always been a high priced bow and market pressure is showing up, there is a lot of competition because their competition also sells very good equipment. The hard winter in Wisconsin certainly put a damper in the local market this year, who wants to invest in a new bow when the deer herd is so low.
  2. I shoot a Mission. It was a good choice for me because it is compact, I shoot it well, and was in by budget.
  3. I agree with all the previous comments. But the most important is to try several in your price range, including used equipment of which there is lots out there. The good archery shop with an indoor range should be able to help you in all of the above and explain the differences so you can get a bow that is well tailored to you and most of all, you shoot well and enjoy.
  4. There are some nice choices out there. I got an Ameristep pop up a few years ago, just a little too small. The now make it with an extended top. Make sure you have enough head height so it doesn't interfere with the bow. The problem I found is that you just can't put a ground blind up and expect a deer not to notice it. They must be brushed in. That being said, why not just build a brush blind and not worry about hauling the thing in? Different story if you are leaving it permanently throughout the season though. I'm intrigued by the ghost blind, it's lightweight but somewhat akward carrying the folded up thing around. If I were buying one today, I'd strongly consider the ghost blind. Just my $0.02.
  5. That is as good as it gets anywhere! Congrats on a phenomenal hunt to everyone in the party.
  6. Sorry to hear of the troubles. Here is where I'm having a problem: "Her 2nd shot was a 23 yard broadside shot. I watched the lighted nock and arrow hit the deer a little high and back but not terrible. BUT there was absolutely no penetration." To me, a little high and back is under the spine but in the upper rib cage. How does any broadhead not penetrate? At any rate it was a disapointment. I'm not sure what happened and it may not be the fault of the broadhead. That being said, I switched to G5's this year, because I got tired of the mechanicals deploying every time the blade gets bumped. Resharpenable, no inserts, just a solid head. Lots of good choices out there. Good luck.
  7. About ground hunting again: the reason tree stands are popular is it gets you up above the game. While this isn't always available, there are places where terrain can do that for you, I have several where a hill sits above a trail. A little work to brush in a blind, maybe use some existing natural cover, and you've got an elevated location above a trail, and it cost only effort. Nothing against the $500 tree stands, but this is something you can do this year. And you can have several built preseason. At least in Wisconsin, there are no restrictions on the number of or building and leaving natural materials for blinds. Quiet in, quiet out. Wind changes, move to a different setup.
  8. I'd consider a self climber that you can leave hidden for the next trip if they would allow that, and you didn't need to have the stand for another hunt somewhere else. But the whole apparatus thing became too much work for me, hunt from the ground in natural blinds I make myself. But that is just my preference. I think the others gave you good suggestions on tree stands.
  9. You are a lucky man to have a wife want to do this too! Have her shoot the mangy 3 legged management deer with her camera just for kicks and giggles. Maybe she gets the big buck and maybe she doesn't, but at least you'll have fun together. Wish I could get my wife out with me but not a chance.
  10. I have both but prefer the four finger. I have never had a misfire with the four finger release and that has given me confidence I never had with the wrist release. I think this one gets down to preferences. I had too many accidental releases with the wrist release, particularly if I want to draw down the bow, it just seems that I never get my index finger off the trigger and the draw down motion for some reason put pressure on the trigger, and I don't like that. Never have that issue with the four finger release. But you hand could very well be different, so shoot what gives you the most confidence.
  11. I find a lighter bow is easier for me to hold on target, less gravity to fight. Stabilizers really do help. Mine is a Mathews, and is more of a hunting stabilizer and the greatest function is quieting the bow after the shot. It does dampen vibration, but I probably am not a consistent enough shooter to benefit much in accuracy from it. Target shooters like to have that long thing out there and I can see that really helping to minimize bow rotation from torque on the bow. So is it the additional weight that helps, or is it resisting torque on the bow at the moment of the shot that is more important? I suspect it's reduction in torque due to the weight of the stabilizer being farther from the center of gravity of the bow. So much for physics, it's working for you.
  12. I love my drop away, and it captures the arrow. Many good ones out there. The whisker biscuit is reliable but does add a little drag on the arrow, you will lose a few feet per second because of it. That is not the reason you won't get a deer. It comes down to personal preference.
  13. I had never heard of this suit until now. Just went to their web site and read some of the claims. I can't say one way or another, I think the suit's intended results "may" be in the plausible category. Similar to the ozone generator of a few years ago. People were skeptic then but not now. However, you can present evidence that the ozone generator works to mask scent. Presenting evidence of masked electromagnetic waves that would otherwise spook deer is another thing. For my scarce dollars, I will invest in something else first. I'm not dismissing the theory, just not yet convinced I really need it. Hopefully the entreprenuers of the suit can make a go of it, I'm wishing them well. For the sportsman that has it all and can afford it, why not.
  14. So I had a great encounter with a fine buck. No question he knew something was amiss, he spotted my blind location. I had the sight on him at 40 yds, just didin't quite get the 100% clear shot and the animal wandered off, always looking back at my location. I grunted, snort wheezed, but no way could get it to return. It's got three big scrapes near by. The animal didn't snort, just knew something was fishy. Is there a chance of this animal returning, or should I move the blind location to somewhere else on it's route, assuming I can find more scrapes. Is it spooked for the season, or does it return to the route?
  15. The northern Wisconsin rut is beginning to heat up. Today I hunted near three large scrapes, presumably made by the same animal. And as it was, near dusk one mature buck passed near my natural ground blind. White tiped antlers, big well proportioned body. I had it at 40 yards for the longest time. It knew something was up. I held and held and held as it moved thru looking at me, giving me only the 90% confident shot. I never released on the animal. But I take this as proof positive the bucks are starting to move.
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