Well,we got in at 4 this morning after a 20 hour drive and are busy washing and putting stuff up but i have to tell you, Dina did great! The deer were on the mid-night shift because of the full moon and we did not see nearly as many as usual But,Dina shot three deer and did a great job. She also called in turkeys and after 5 min. of training with a grunt call she called in a GIANT 10 point. It was cold,we got overfed by all the Aunts,saw geese and i did not get a shot. Dina did a very good job,She shot the first two deer the first afternoon in the woods,30 seconds apart, and made perfect 18 yard shots. We then had blood trailing 101 and my uncle gave her the blood-on-the-face thing. She has a ton of storys for you and will be along shortly. I am very proud of her. Tom
Simply awesome Tom!!!!
Way to go Dina!
Can't wait for the stories...
Sparky
right on! Be awesome to see some pics also....
Wow.... :readit:
geo
Really and now THE rest of the story...lol...mark#78.....like Paul Harvey would say....
Big congrats lady!!! :thumbsup:
Glad you had a great time and are back home safely. Sure been thinking of you guys.
Jesica
Congrats Dina..... :D .. Terry
I sure wish that gal had an identical twin sister! Hey Tom, I'll trade ya a nice Labrador retriever and a handfull of bows for her...
Way to go, Dina.
TA
Hi All!!
Our computer is down at home...we have to get a new dsl modem...so we will probably switch DSL companies. We have pics but I can't scan them in from work..which is where I am now...it's nice that I am able to come into work and go on line. Tom has digi pics which he will email me tomorrow to post....
I had a blast on the hunt ...I hated for it to end. I did not get a trophy buck with a big rack this time...but did come very close..and I know where those Babies are!!).....it is amazing the decesions you are required to make while on a stand...
I learned a lot on my first deer hunt...and know I have a lot more to learn...I am proud of myself for the decesions I made at certain times to not shoot.
I have stories to tell and pics to show..of a countrygirl on her first deer hunt in the big timber. (I have never been so cold, so exhausted or had as much fun in my life) Dina (I will post more tomorrow)
Wow Dina that's awesome! Can't wait for the stories and pics. Sounds like you did alright for a rookie bow huntress :thumbsup:
Cold? Dianne said just remember Mojam that will heat you up a bit.LOL
We missed you and Tom, glad you're home safe and sound.
Somehow I knew you would do well. I'm glad you and Tom had a good time and got home safe and sound. We are all proud of you, I know Tom is. Can't wait to hear more and see the pictures.
Way to go Countrygirl!!!!! :thumbsup:
Congratulations, Dina. That's great. Kinda makes up for the one I missed today.
Jawge
Right-on Dina! :thumbsup:
It's not fair though.....some guys go years without the opportunities that you had on your FIRST hunt. lol. ;)
Can't wait to see the pics...
rws
Good on you two. A great time and harvests besides, can't beat that!
That is Great! Congratulations and Good Shooting! Larry B.
Toooo cool, dina! waiting on the stories and pics, vital stats like hit location, penetration, distance run, etc, you know, all the good stuff! way to go! Steve
Very cool! Congrats! Did you use your selfbow on any?
Congrats Dina.You're gonna have to show us where all the deer are.Cuz aint seeing any around here.
Dang you and Wingnut...I tell and I tell ya don't shoot 'em deer or elk two at a time it's just toooooo dang much work :p
Pretty neat though aye?
Rusty
I can't wait to hear the story Dina. I for know that a thousand words is worth a picture. Give us all the details as soon as humanly possible. Way proud of you just like Tom says.. BTW Woogchilde tooker her 2nd lifetime deer yesterday with her muzzleloader. She calls it her 8 ft rifle..lol
Good thing she's a good hunter or I'd have to think about starting to eat raccoon instead of deer..lol
God bless,Mudd
Way to go Girl!!! I am looking forward to hearing all about your trip! Glad yall had a great time and are back safe and sound.
Okie Lance
Congrats Dina. Can't wait to see the pics and hear the stories.
Chad
fantastic Dina! now lets see them pic's :)
Congrats Dina! You know I think it took Fred Bear a couple of years hunting before he ever shot a deer. Sounds like you got the shooting down pat! You are right, one of the most important decisions is when and when not to shoot. I am still learning that one :-))
Ronnie
All I can say, besides the great cudos already expressed here, is that "just you wait, yung-un!"
The goddess of the hunt took a shine to you... she does that to beginners... you done good and had a wonderful experience.
Unless all the rest of our experiences are different than yours will be, you now gonna work for em, Woman! :)
That is how it works... the woods suck you in with great success the first time out and then it is all hard work from there on, but too bad! You're hooked! Nothing quite like that adrenalin rush, eh? Whoooie! :D
Look at me, I ain't stupid. I'm NEVER goin Sika deer hunting again! I know better... Saw 2 first time and got one. I'll never see another one!
Again, Congrats, Dina... with luck that like, don't matter Tom's Aunts may have fed you too much! Worth the cost, me thinks! :rolleyes:
Way to go Di .....sounds like a good story there..Mark#78
Congrats Dina, Glad you had a good time and brought home some meat. Sounds like we are in for some good pict's and stories. Chortdraw
Here's the story...
Well...we certainly had a great time...the ride up to Missouri..was long but a lot of fun..with Tom telling loads of fun stories and Dr. Rick..adding bits and pieces to keep us laughing. I did catch some zzz's in the back of Rick's van on the way up.
The "first evening" Tom put me in a Big Hardwood tree and he put up a climber about 30 yards away...facing a different direction. Just as the sun went behind the hills and the greese started flying over I saw two does following a trail in from the South. I stood up and got ready...when the first deer got to about 18 yards I picked a spot and turned a Zwickey loose! The shot was a pass through and the doe just kept walking like nothing happened. The other deer just stood there so I pulled another arrow from the Zipper's bow quiver and shot her also.
I got a little excited and had to sit down for a little bit.
Tom then came over and showed me how to blood trail. We got to the first deer and we discovered it was a button buck. I felt bad..but Tom said don't worry, when it walked past him he thought it was a doe too.
We then found the second deer and it was a nice big doe and I had made a good shot.
Two days later I was in the same tree and 4 deer feed in from the North and I shot a big doe at about 23 yards.
Since I had already taken a Buck ...everything broke loose after the first day and other then the 4 does that I mention up above all of the other deer that I saw that were in range were HUGE BUCKS! Most of them were 8 to 14 points. One day I saw two 6 points sparing about 15 yards from my stand. All I could do is watch...all those big bucks!!
Tom bought me a $2.97 grunt call from Walmart and showed me how to use it. I used it a few times with no results. On Wednesday or Thursday I was bored and started playing with the call ...a HUGE BUCK came over the hill seperating Tom and I in the Big Timber. It stopped and sniffed the air...I grunted softly...it grunted back and moved down closer to me and sniffed the air again...I grunted again..it came directly under my stand...and stood there for about 3 minutes. Now I could not take a shot...but had I been able too I might have been able place it perfectly..and then maybe not...it looked like it would have been a very difficult shot. There was a branch in the way...and while I have been shooting a nerf balls from treestands the feeling is not the same as having a HUGE BUCK directly under your stand. Of course all I could do was just watch this deer curl his lip, sniff the air and look for the other deer he thought was in his area!
Manomanoman this deer was HUGE..larger then our mule deer target. I plan to practice shooting the mule deer target from a tree stand at five yards in preparation for next year. Rick our hunting partner saw this deer as it left my area and almost went to him...but the buck turned and was out of range for Rick. Rick said the buck was a 170 B&C class deer....whatever that is. :)
During the week long parade of BIG BUCKS I also had a beautiful 8 point...broadside at 13 yards ...he had been chasing a doe from Rick's area and she came from one side of a fallen tree and he came from the other side ...the were going to meet head on...something spooked her and she turned flagged and ran....he stopped and just watched her for a couple of minutes and then slowly turned and went back the way he came.
On the morning of the last day...I was watching the fence line looking for my chance at another doe...I did not know there was a huge buck under my stand until he BLEW and scared me to death!
Tom says my first hunt is amazing...because I had so many firsts!! He has told me that he has never seen bucks spar. He is really impressed that I grunted the deer in.
My biggest lesson was learned the hard way. Next year...I want to get a big buck before I go after the does.
Congrats Girl!!! Your a Natural!!! To bad you didnt get to see any snow but Wow what a hunt!
So are you going to show us some pics or do we have to beg??? LOL
Okie Lance
Lance...I promise some pics tomorrow. My back log on my desk here at work kept me occupied all day. Some of the best pics need to be scanned and I will try to scan them to disk tonight and bring them in with me tomorrow. The computer at home should be up and running no later then 5 pm tomorrow...shame I have to work till 8 p.m.!
Hey guys I bet you all think I dreamed of deer on my ride home from the hunt...well I was in the woods...but the funny thing was...all I saw was osage staves....just laying around waiting for me to pick them up!! Snakey Osage!! LOL!
Lance...have you started the self bow yet? Dina
Fantastic job Dina! :thumbsup:
How exciting to have that much success on your first deer hunt. That venison will taste sweeter than any other. :D :D :D
Does a button buck count as a buck in MO's bag limit or did you all agree that a buck is a buck is a buck amongst yourselves? It seems that BB's get counted as antlerless in most states I've hunted. It can be very difficult to distinguish sometimes. I killed one with a shotgun, thinking it was a doe, this past Saturday.
Can't wait to see the pics!
Wow, That's just awesome! Actually, that's just unheard of! Great job. :bigsmyl:
170" B&C. Whatever that means.
HUH? Dina, DO YOU HAVE A CLUE???? HUH?
AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Ste...AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH......ve
Dina,
E-mail me,and I will fill you in on everything.If you are going again next year, let me know and I will send you all the regulations as soon as they are available.
(we can't have B&C bucks walking under people like that, they may have a heart attack)!
WOW Dina..your story had my heart pumpin along wit ya...
congrats girl...simply awesome...now ya got them bucks ta get...
Great story....you ought to sen it to PA..
Sparky
Now that i have a few moments to type i wanted to report that Dina was a real trooper. Rick and i hunt hard and she kept up and never fussed. As a matter of fact, one night she said "i'm staying up tomorrow" i said "where"? She said "On stand". And she did;from daylight until dark. I was impressed, as i came down for a big farm house lunch and a nap. Anyway,she was a great hunting partner,as she is my life partner. But get her to tell you about cutting her clothes off in the woods. Tom
ROFL...Tom you are BAD! I didn't think you would tell about that!!
Babe....do you really want me to tell them?
Dina, I don't think you can wiggle out of this one... :)
Dina, I sent you a private message.
Thanks Tim for the email and info! Dina
Sounds like a great trip. What part of Mo. were you hunting.
Missouri Conservation counts button bucks as antlerless.
Ron
ok I don't have the heart..would somebody plwease tell Dina that hunting isn't always like that and that bucks like that are actually very RARE to even see and that now that she know's how to kill deer with one shot she's doomed to overs and unders and left and rights
Damn, if it was easy as Dina makes it sound we'd all be tagged out :bigsmyl:
PS I wanna hear the story Tom's referring to ...can you post pics hee hee hee
Well finally I have a minute to post from work.
Steve and all the selfbowyers...since this was my first hunt I used a bow that I shoot very well...I used "Tom's" Zipper Extreme which is 55 @ 28...I draw it 24 or 25 inches. Tom has now given the bow to me!
Next trip I will take a self bow or 2.
In regards to cutting off my clothing....LOL! I was dressed for the hunt on a very cold morning...I had run out of long underwear bottoms and sooooooooooo :) I figured my exercise leggings would serve the same purpose. This did not work out...I was wearing 2 long undies tops, undies, the leggings camo tshirt and pants camo sweat shirt, hunters safety vest and my heavy bib overalls and a heavey camo jacket...thermal face mask, thinsulate gloves, sock liners, heavy socks and boots, and a camo hat with ear flaps....after trudging across a pasture...then 500 yards across a harvested soy bean field and down a steep incline and back up out of the ditch...into the woods and then through the briars I decided the leggings were not working...so while Tom attached my treestand I took off the jacket...lowered the bibs and pants and got out my pocket knife and started cutting my way outta the leggings...when he turned around he was REALLY surprised!
.... and what happened next?... :)
Congrats Dina, you've done very well :thumbsup: !
Oh, Deerfly, you should never ask... it was likely a very private moment of likly mental ;) bonding between that big hunk of hubby and his happy huntress wife!
After some of the stories Tom told about he and Dina in their early years of marriage at the ATAR shoot, when they graced my camp, I can only imagine that after all these years, the word "surprised" may not be totally accurate or even in Tom's vocabulary...
"Cha Chink- which one do I kill first, honey" I'll never, ever forget that and the wonderful way you told it Tom! Yup...you got a keeper! :)
Congratulations to you both! Dina I warned you early on in this thread that this ain't normal...you just been had by the goddess of the hunt! She showed her gender kin some favor, but you gonna pay now, girl, you gonna pay...just like Ole Ferret said! Dont' matter...you're hooked...
Now after that clothing description, I gotta wonder how the hell she even pulled a bloomin bow at all!!! That's some mighty layerin you was doing girl! :D
Girlfriend, I am very proud of you to say the least. You are a natural and to have such good luck your first time out is unreal. As for the pocket knife scene, I am just gonna say that a lot of fun can be had in the woods. :D
Jesica
oh Doc I was justa' teasin'. Met Dina and Tom last year at the TBOF state shoot. Mighty fine folks fer sure. I was thinking the same thing on the layers too! :thumbsup:
Wait until you see the pictures of how many clothes she had on to stay warm; i don't know how she could walk,let alone pull a string.
Today I hear that this Sundays forecast for Maryville is 13 degrees with snow. Wish I was there!! Dina
Deerfly, I know you was teasin...I fffffergot my smiley face! But the mental pictures of Tom's face when he turned around...well, it's a caution for sure! :)
I had visions of something them aunts of Tom's was feedin them didn't agree with the girl...been there and done that in the woods before...just cut em off and use em for coyote bait. :o
BTW, Tom...
Now you gave her yer bow cause she bloodied it so well... ain't it time to start fetchin that sweet bride some good woolies like Merrino undies? Sounds like Christmas to me!
I know good-uns are expensive, but it'd be better'n her wanderin around in the woods like a weeble... if'n the girl fell down, she may not be able to get up!
I can't wait to see these pictures! I got visions of her li'l arms stickin near straight out to the side like a kid in a snowsuit! :) Sorry, Dina... words paint pictures! :D
Dave,i am looking at the new Cabela's catalog now and i am going to get her some windstopper clothes. Everyday out there is windy and it cuts right thru the layers of clothes. Yep,i gave her the Zipper recurve; she shoots it better than me and Lord knows she has taken more deer with it than i,BUT, that does not mean that she does not have to replace it with another bow for my inventory! Tom
Hmmmmmmm hey Babe...what bow do you want?
Uh, oh...boys, we may be gonna be witness to internet view of matrimonial negotiations on a bow here! Whooie! :p
Tom,
With an opening like that afore about 10,000 trad gang fans, the sky's the limit now, hoss! Dream time here we come! Girl gonna haveta get herself a p-time job!!!
:bigsmyl:
Hey Doc ...whose side are you on?? Besides I just had a custom Schafer Silvertip Longbow made for him for his retirement gift AND I gave it to him 4 months early! He has a matching Schafer Silvertip Recurve that I got for him for Christmas....
Well I just found out from Tom that we still have no internet at home....... I can't stand it!! I am in severe withdrawal from not being able to go on line at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have...on my lunch hour... posted a few pics from the hunt in my webshots folder. I will update it as soon as possible. I put the folder on the top line of page one. Dina
http://community.webshots.com/user/countrygirl32082
Excellent, Dina.
You and Tom are so sweet, I got 2 cavities just reading your post. :p
Wow Dina it sounds like you had an unbelievably great hunt! And though there are usually many more slow hours in a season of hunting, everything usually DOES happen in bunches like that. Plus you always see biguns when/where you either can't or won't shoot. Just sit back and enjoy!!
Wow.
Both Cabela's and BassPro have basic insulated thermal coveralls in womens' sizes.
Congratulations on your deer,really like your stand tree, lots of cover from the branches and shadows
Hey Dina...It dont mean much, but I'm proud of ya!
Hi Everyone...
Oh no...poor Joey...sorry about the cavities!
Ky Gal...there was only one morning when I did not see any deer...and only 2 hunts...either morning or afternoon when I did not have them within range...so I saw deer everyday and had them within range everyday.
On Wed of last week...after the guys had not been seeing anything...I suggested that we take a different stradegy...and stay up all day...Tom asked if I had any idea how hard that would be...and I didn't....but the next morning we got up even earlier skipped breakfast but stopped and picked up coffee and power bars at the local HyVee grocery store. Rick and I stayed up all day on Thursday...from 5:00 am to 5:30 p.m...Rick came down and checked on me once...and I stayed in the tree for 12 hours straight except for coming down once for about 7 minutes...around noon time Tom relocated his stand to a different part of the farm.
The biggest deer I have ever seen in my life came over the hill from Tom's original location that afternoon. That is the deer that I grunted in...which came right under my stand...about 5 yards from me. The deer never saw or smelled me. I was fine that day and night...but the next morning was really a challange to get back up for the last hunt.
Hey Fishie if you read this...my Aunt and Uncle who own the farm..call one of the sections I hunted in the Big Timber area to seperate it from all the hedge rows on the property....Tom and Rick also call it the Meat Locker. :)
The pics of me in the treestand are not in the Big Timber area they are in an area called the Park...which was renamed the Bates Motel because I took 3 deer from that stand. :)
Calvin...what you said..means the world to me!! Thank you. Dina
hey, Dina...
Side? I ain't takin sides...! Ya just get on here in public and asked the man, "Gee, honey, what do ya want?"
:) Sounds by the descriptions of his "retirement bow" and previous Christmases, that you both take care of one another pretty good! Prolly why you both still look at each other the way you do!
Joey,
They are sweet! Cutest danged couple together I laid eyes on in a long time. Good to see the institution of marriage alive'n well in today's world! Good on you and Tom, Dina!
Now... I got this CRS thing going on w/ memory so tell me true, didn't you say early on that Tom set that stand for you? Or picked the site! I never seen a better lookin stand location. You flat disappear up there... I see it's a ladder stand? I wondered how you climbed into a hang on using stick or whatever w/ all them clothes!
I stick by my "weeble" comment! I'd hate to see anyone with that many clothes on have to answer an urgent nature call! :)
Cuter than Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston?
Ahhh Doc Nock...big brother...you will never know how fast I had to move during my 7 minutes outta the treestand on that Thurday..the temp had dropped and what had been a mild indication turned to desperation...the biggest danger to me that day was getting into the ditch which is about 15 feet deep...I could not find the cheater ladder which was embedded into the side of the ditch (a dirt cliff) and created my own path...only by the grace of God did I not land on my face or butt getting down there.
I hunted 5 different stands...the one where you see me in the stand is in the Park..aka the Bates Motel...it is a ladder stand on one side of the tree...I climbed the ladder...crawled over two good size branches with a branch overhead to hang on to and the swung into a fixed hang on stand. The first time was scary but I adapted quickly. Each morning I would tie my bow and back pack to a string and then bring them up to me.
When I hunted in the Big Timber aka The Meat Locker and was on the same side of the hill with Tom...I used a climbing stand. I can go up okay but get a lil scared putting my feet into the the straps to come down at night especially if it is after dark.
I got an email this am from my Aunt and Uncle and it is gun season there now and my Uncle says the deer are not moving at all. Dina...
ps... we are now looking at wool camo and wind stopper clothing. Rick wore 4 pairs of pants under his scent locker pants...2 pairs of long underwear and 2 pairs of camo sweats...(at least that is what he told me)...he also told me I need to learn to layer properly...so I am going to work on that!! My legs were the only place that got cold.
Dina, make that first bottom layer pantyhose.
Namath told me. :saywhat:
Yeah, right Joey, you ain't old enough to know Namath! Are you? ;)
Dina,
5 different stands! Wow. I used to like climbers but I love my hang ons with Rapid Rails...
Speaking of cold.. I remember livin in MT and at 24 degrees BELOW zero,, but dry, and it wasn't as "cold" as it feels at 30 degrees back here in damp air!!! You can put on all the clothes in the world and not feel warm when it's damp!
Last year, buddy Carl and I bit at the huge sport show in H-burg, PA and bought some of the morrino (sp?) wool undies..wow! They claim it won't stink if you take it off right as you get home and let it air out.. I tried it... it works! Really great stuff. We have the lightweight and at 16 degrees, I was pretty ok w/o a lot of layers.
I agree with those above that wind must be stopped to stay warm. I know Windstopper is a Gore product so I've avoided it a) cause that name costs more and b) goretex makes noise. My info is that Windstopper is the Gortex w/o the tape over seams to ensure water proof-ness... I don't like noisy clothing in the cold.
I've used comfortmax and it's pretty quiet and works well... just don't exert... it don't let no water vapor (sweat)out, but that stuff about Gortex allowing your "vapor" escape must be for ladies, cause I sweat big time in Gortex...
I'm sure others here will have had other experiences w/ varied products and Gore stuff to balance my opinion.
Seven minutes on the ground, huh? Sounds like a record of some sort! Especially considering all you had to get "through" to get ...well, y'know what I mean, Sis.
Pics are great. Looks like incredible country in which to hunt. Wow! But like we've been warning you... don't expect repeats! :) bucks especially know when you can't shoot em! Critters got that 6ths sense! You're young...you can live on them memories for a few decades now... :) :)
Mighty fine Dina/Tom !
hope you didn't use up ALL your luck !!!!! :bigsmyl:
BTW, email me your addy....gotta mail a package to you, hopefully tuesday. arra stuff....
Note new email addy....thunderridge@earthlink.net
God Bless.
Doc, I remember when he shaved his mustache off for 10 grand.
Even Bear was imprssed with that. :saywhat:
Joey,
What the heck did Fred Bear care if Namath shaved his moustache for charity :D
Never mind...we don't wanna sidetrack this thread about the rightful heirs to admiration: Dina and Tom on their great hunt...just couldn't resist!
I must be confused in my old age and mixin young and joey's with the down-under critters!
:bigsmyl:
LOL Joey..now that I think about it I remember hearing about you and some pantyhose a year or so ago on the bowsite. ;) I did wear silk long johns with the other ones from Bass Pro on top of them.
Hi Thunder!...I will email you at your new addy. Dina
Joey,are you the fella that wears an Easter Bonnet to 3-D shoots? Pantyhose just might go well with that.
Only in April, Tom.
And it's thigh highs that time of the year.
Joey,please you are killin me!!
Dina thanks to Sparky i will shortly have a Bamboo backed osage stave to finish out!!! He has been sending me photos of the process of glueing and it looks great!!! Hopefully i wont mess up all of his hard work!
I will start a thread when i get it and keep everyone up to date on it!!!
Thanks again Sparky! There are not enough words to express how much i appreciate all that you are doing!!!
Okie Lance
Way to go Lance. Sparky is a great guy to do that for ya!! Dina