January marked my 4-year anniversary of blogging, first for Outdoor Life and the last 2 years here on BIG DEER. That means I’ve posted about 1,500 times, maybe more. To blog well, you have to be spontaneous and frequent, on it all the time. This thing is a monster. There are no outlines or deadlines, just post, post, post whenever and wherever you can. I’ve blogged at every hour of the day, in street clothes and camouflage. This is more information than you need, but I’ve bolted upright at 2:00 a.m. and run to my office in my underwear to post about deer. I’ve blogged in hotel rooms and  deer camps, from lodges with wireless to tents and trailers out in the sticks with my Verizon card. When I’m hunting and not blogging, I’m checking BIG DEER and your emails on my Blackberry (might have just got a giant buck somebody killed to get up on the blog!). I have saved every text and picture I have ever posted on one of 5 computers and/or backup drives. Sometimes when I’m rummaging through old files I’ll run across a post I really liked, and that sparked this idea. From time to time I’ll post a classic, like this one from my OL days: 

This pic popped up on my Facebook page this weekend. Really nice find of clean, symmetrical antlers (probably 4 1/2 year old buck). Picking up a matching set doesn't happen that often, pretty cool. Don't know the state, but looks like a brushy ridge somewhere in the Midwest. Now that the snow is melting away, sheds should start popping up all over. Send me your shedding report and photos. comment

What are you up to this weekend--shed hunting, fishing, food plot prep, just hanging out? 

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Mike: I shot this Ohio buck last Oct. 25. Here’s the story.
 
I was climbing into my stand very slowly and saw him bedded 20 yards away in some tall weeds. (I was hunting a 1-acre bedding area and had to be very careful going into this stand in the afternoon). I was about 3 steps up the tree when I scanned the weeds and spotted him bedded so close and facing my stand.

I decided to keep climbing, so I went at a super snail’s pace up the tree, and after about 15 minutes I finally made it to the platform without him seeing, hearing or smelling me. I did have the wind in my favor. After very slowly pulling up my bow and getting my release on, I carefully knocked an arrow, put my bow on the holder and cautiously sat down to regain my composure. My heart was pounding and my legs were really tired from climbing so slow.

I debated what to do next: Shoot him in his bed or wait for him to stand up and hope he gives me a good shot?

After assessing the situation I decided I had a good enough angle to his vitals, and that there were no obstructions in the way. I also decided that if I waited for him to stand up, I might not get a good shot angle on him. It was about 2 hours before sunset, and I didn’t want to take a chance on the wind swirling. I might get winded without a shot.

It was very cool to watch the buck lay in his bed and see his actions. Like all bucks do, he was bedded with his back to the wind, watching his downwind side.

I decided to go for it. I said a quick prayer, drew back, settled the pin behind the shoulder and let her rip. The arrow hit perfectly and he jumped up and made a half circle back of me and stopped no more than 15 yards directly south of my stand. He started to make a coughing sound and I knew he was hit well, but I instinctively knocked another arrow and shot him again from 15 yards broadside.

This shot was also perfect and he ran to the base of my tree and fell over. All 4 feet straight in the air and on his back!

He is a main-frame 9-point with double split brow tines and a kicker on left G-2. He has 6 points on left side and 6 on right. Main beams are 24” & 25" and he has a 19" inside spread. He green scored 161 3/8” and field-dressed 199 lbs. Thanks, Chad Moore

Very cool and well-written story, with some fantastic hunting moves and decision making. From our correspondence I could tell that Chad, who has been on my blog a long time, is a great bowhunter. This hunt is certainly proof of that, way to go man. comment

My friend Mark from Nebraska sent me this the other day:

I remember your blog (old one at Outdoor Life) once had photos of people who had deer tattos. I never sent you my bugling elk tat, but thought you might appreciate this work I had done this past weekend. I wanted to remember/honor/celebrate my first African safari, as well as my first cape buffalo, so I had this design drawn by a local artist and took it to Denver to get the work done.

Wow, I don't know much about body ink, but that looks awesome. Maybe I ought to get me a big old drop tine branded on my upper back :)

If anybody else out there has a hunting/gun/archery tatoo, let's see it. If we get enough submissions I'll pick what I think are the top 3 and then we'll post them and vote on them and give out some cool prizes. Send your images to mikehanback@yahoo.com

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The email I got said:

These are pictures of a buck taken on Mike Gibson's 50,000-acre ranch... Mike had seen the deer over the last few years and had been eyeing it until it grew to over 200. Mike shot this monster with an open sight Sharps .45 cal. rifle at 150 yards. This is a free-ranging deer – no high fences. The buck scored 212 and has at least 18 scoreable points.

This amazing buck and story intrigue me, because we are planning a Buck Stops Here TV hunt in the Panhandle near Amarillo this fall. My research shows that some giant non-typicals live there; Mike's monster is more proof. The Panhandle is not the typical Texas you see on TV; you are hunting terrain and deer like in Oklahoma and Kansas. I am really fired up to go now!

BTW, check out that Sharps rifle, awesome. And another fine picture, great job Mike. comment

Matt, aka Flatlander, sent me this guest blog awhile ago:

You spend thousands of dollars every year in preparation for the season on tree stands, food plots, guns, gears, accessories, you burn vacation time, you put in countless hours on stand to make your dreams come true. You shoot a trophy buck and take a few photos of him, knowing that you will have years of enjoyment when it returns from the taxidermist, right?

Well maybe not. We take it for granted that people watch out for our best interests. But my good friend and videographer, Chad Schieler, from Bloomington, IL was one of many to have a set of antlers stolen from a local processing plant one time. There was no attempt from the company to make things right with the bill, or even apologize. This was not an isolated incident; several area whopper bucks vanished into thin air. The company was being investigated by the state conservation police, but they have told the hunters there is little chance the racks will show up.

Lesson learned: Don't let your trophy out of your sight unless you know the person so well you would trust your kids with them. Sadly in this day and age, with the value of a trophy rack and an increase of crime due to the economy, some people are trying to make a "BUCK" any way they can. Look out for yourself and your bucks, no one else will! Mike, please help spread the word so our Brother Woodsmen don't get ripped off. —Thanks, Flatlander

I add right off the bat that most taxidermists and processors are good, reputable people. In my travels I have left racks and capes (some BIG racks) with taxidemmists all over the country; I have 5 bucks out right now. But the people I hunted with vouched for the companies and their credibility—I had references.

Once I got burned, with the old, heavy 9-pointer in the picture. I rattled up and shot that awesome deer 5 years ago and have not seen him since. I didn’t pay a taxidermist any money up front, but that is not the point. That buck was special--it was one of the first deer I shot on TV when I started filming for the Versus network. I keep holding out hope the rack will show up, but I doubt it.

Flatlander is right, do your homework and don’t leave your hard-earned cape/rack (or good meat at a processor) unless you know the person/outfit, or have heard good things and have references, or at least have a good feel about it. Be really careful and cautious if that rack scores 170-plus. At any taxidermy shop you’ll have to put down 50%, that’s just good business. Never pay in full up front.

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Huntersurvey.com polled more than 40,000 people and compiled this list of our top/favorite brands in 2009:

• Rifle: Remington (16.5% of all purchases)
• Shotgun: Remington (22% of all purchases)
• Muzzleloader: Thompson Center (29.5%)
• Handgun: Sturm Ruger (16.6%)
• Rifle ammo: Remington (28.8%)
• Bow: BowTech (14.8%)
• Arrow: Easton (30.3%)
• Broadhead: Muzzy (25.3%)
• Game call: Primos (34.8%)
• Knife: Buck (16.7%)
• Scent/scent covering: Scent-A-Way (24.5%)

Thoughts: No surprise hunters love their Remington rifles (notably Model 700) and ammo (Core-Lokt); they are time-tested on the range and in the woods; I’m proud to shoot Remington on "Buck Stops Here" TV for sure… T/C no surprise… Bowtech sort of a surprise, I knew they were strong, but not that strong; I have never hunted with a Bowtech, but people who do love those bows (tell me if you do)…. Muzzy hanging strong amid all the hype and promotion of Rage and other expandables… I didn’t realize Primos has more than a third market share (this survey at least), but it doesn’t surprise me, I like those guys and they have always built good, quality calls and promoted them responsibly to the everyday hunter like you and me.

Your thoughts on these top brands?  comment