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A couple more questions.... Who/where in the area (west central MN) would you recommend getting a soil test (quickly)? Is it necessary to spray round up if I'm planning to disk/plow prior to things turning green this spring? Thanks fellas.

You can get a big pot at W-mart for $20. Add some dawn detergent and boil on your gas grill for an hour. The meat and other dump will almost fall right off. The gross part is skinning the hide off the skull and then digging out the eyes and brain. That part is not good. Taxidermists will air brush them white with some shading and then add a clear coat. That really looks nice compared to the bleach/peroxide method. They don't like to boil them either (costs about $120)...so just the paint job is relatively cheap.

I also believe a large part of the October lul problem is that hunters have gotten busted on several occasions and the deer are starting to wise-up to the program. Using the same stand location too much and out of bad wind directions are a major factor. Heat is also a factor as mentioned previously. Then, a couple weeks later the bucks go nuts and don't care anyway! Last Saturday was likely my best hunt of the season for seeing good bucks. I haven't noticed much change in deer sightings. I'm heading out in a few...hopefully tonight is the night.

I have to agree with the perchking. Not always, but many, many times, the same guys that are saying "I hunt for fun and to fill the freezer" are the same exact guys that also say "hunting my area sucks cause we don't have any big bucks". Everyone wants to kill a monster and if you say you don't care, you are not being truthful. I agree with everyone here that hunting is a great sport and that's what it's about...not the kill. But, shooting a nice whitetail sure is a one-of-a-kind feeling. My take away from the original post was don't b*tch about your hunting situation if you don't want to take the time and effort to scout, read books, watch movies, check trail cams, etc. etc. etc. If you don't make the effort, then you aren't going to shoot a mature deer. TJM has offered as much valuable advice on here as anyone...and he gets ripped. I just appreciate the good info sharing....and I don't care whether his property is better than mine. Believe me, I'm jealous of his situation, but I'm not going to rip him and try to discredit his stories. It's amazing how these threads grow warts!

I have a pair of the 8x42s with the pop outs. They are very nice for a mid price range binocular. The only other thing that is a MUST is that harness strap deal that holds them tight to your chest.

Welcome to the world of archery hunting! That's the biggest challenge we all face. You definitely want your wind blowing away from their bedding area when afternoon hunting. However, once they get past you out into the field, the does will blow you out in a hurry. Bucks will never be the first to the field...they will stage in the thicker cover before venturing out. If they hear a doe blow the whistle, good bye buck. Find a stand location and wind direction that blows away from the field and bedding area. And only hunt the spot under those conditions. Also, if you are set up directly on the field, it will be very challenging to get out of the stand. The only reasonable option is to have someone scoop you up in a vehicle. I do this from time to time. Just quickly jump in the back after the deer clear the field. I don't think I've ever heard them blow when a vehicle arrives...they just run into the edge of the woods. Once you blow a spot out (spook a mature buck), you may as well stay home until next season.

Very impressive bucks. It's rare to shoot one buck of that caliber...but year after year...unreal! Nice job...

Any tips out there to rid the smell from rubber boots? I wear the tall rubber Lacrosse boots. They are only one season old. On some of those 75-80 degree days, they get pretty sweaty. Just wondering what scent-free product might help. I thought about pouring baking soda in there?

TJM - I sent you an email... Holler back when the craziness calms down a bit!

Even if it doesn't make B&C...who cares. Unreal buck of a lifetime without a doubt. Best 8pt I'll ever see. I'm curious...what did the G3 and H1 measure? I thought with 30" beams, 26.5" spread, and 17" G2's, that thing was surely 190+. The mass looked unreal...maybe the circumference measures weren't as big as I was calculating. Thanks for the opportunity. Very unselfish...

Come on guys. An 8pt like that is worth some money...the story, the animal, the whole deal. If not cash, then at least the opportunity to be in some mags or videos. I'd take my time too before getting excited and letting the cat out of the bag. Once the story breaks somewhere, it's probably not as valuable. Unreal buck....it's got to be the biggest MN 8pt ever...how old do you think it is? 5 1/2?

Hey TJM... Would you mind posting some pics of deer you've shot in the past? I'd love to see some of the bucks on your wall. I can't get over the pick of this monster you just shot...can't stop looking at it. It's making work tough today. I'm heading to the field in just a few minutes. Unreal... If you ask me, I'd kill a huge eight pointer over any other. A main frame monster 8 (140+) is tough to beat.

197 gross. Nice buck.

Last weekend, I took a 35 yard shot at a 130" 8 pt. He was standing directly broadside with his head in the dirt eating. I shoot a bowtech tribute at about 255 fps. The second I pulled the trigger on my release he dropped like a rock. I watched my arrow and thought to myself, "I hope it hits the spine". It hit the very top of the back and I saw it hit the dirt behind him. I ranged my tree from the spot he was standing and it was 34.5 yards. While practicing, I can hit a 3" circle from 35. I also aimed a tad bit low. I barely scraped him and found a little blood and fat on the arrow and only two vanes. Weird deal...but they definitely do hear the bow and drop like a rock sometimes. Many other times, I've smoked them and they never move. Tough to know when to plan for it....but I always aim low 100% of the time.

Thanks for the info. Last time I checked (over a year ago), the Outdoorsman only carried one of the "top three" bows...Hoyt. I was surprised to see that Scheels carries all three. I know there is a lot of animosity regarding who makes the best bow, but it's hard to argue that Mathews, Hoyt, and Bowtech are not #1-3 (not in any particular order). I shot them all last year and was torn between Mathews and Bowtech. I'm planning to give them all another try out and actually purchase one this year. St. Cloud is a bit out of range for me...mostly because inevitably something needs adjustment and I can't afford to drive that far every time I need service. Is there anywhere else in Fargo that carries Mathews? I know Sportsmans carried Bowtech last year. Gander doesn't have any of the 3.

Thanks. Ya, I'm also looking to purchase top of the line this year. I'm a bit behind in planning (as with everything), but better late than never! I just want to make sure I get the perfect set-up (and finely tuned with paper and all the other tricks)...because I'm far from an expert on the equipment side.

Does anyone have suggestions/experience with any of the help at the new Fargo Scheels in the archery shop? I'm looking to get a new set-up, and I want to make sure I request the most experienced person! Thanks.

I have 2 clarification questions. I'm not a scorer, but thought I had this down more than it sounds. 1. Do you always get 4 circumferences? I thought you got 3 if it's an 8 pt. and 4 of it's 10 pts. or bigger, but never more than 4. I thought you take circumferences at the base and between each point, but not at the end of a main beam for an 8 pt. 2. On the main beam/spread caveat mentioned above, my understanding was that if the main beam isn't longer than the spread, then you get the longest main beam for your spread measurement. This would come into play when a buck grows short main beams that go straight out and result in a abnormal inside spread. Can anyone that is an expert clarify some of these scoring issues. Thanks.

Nice buck....tough one to pass up. They always look bigger walking around. Roughly, I would score it as follows... G1's 3 G2's 8 G3's 5 C1 4 C2 3 C3 3 Beams 18 Spread 16 Total (Gross) 104 Pretty scary when you think you have a nice one and it barely scores over 100. It's happened to me plenty of times! Once they get to 10 pts., then you can really rack up a nice score. I shot a 120 this year that I thought for sure was P&Y when I shot. It had 9 pts. instead of 10...couldn't tell for sure since everything happens so fast. Nice job.

Suprisingly enough, fewer does leads to much better buck hunting in a specific area. The lower the doe population, the more competition the bucks have to bread a hot doe during the rut. This in turn leads to rutting activity during daylight hours...bucks tend to move more frequently over farther distances and become more territorial. With a high doe population, often times rutting activity is confined to night time hours only. I've witnessed this first hand.

Not uncommon for this time of year. They are rubbing already. I've witnessed it also.

TomBow, Compliments on your archery knowledge. It's nice to have a resource like you to access for free info! Thanks. Do you run a shop? I'm planning to purchase a new set-up next spring and would like to buy from a knowledgable, reliable source.

By far the best program on the Outdoor Channel. It would be great to be on there, but their expectations are very unreasonable. Go to their HSOforum and checkout the qualifications. It's something like provide your own travel expenses, send in video footage from past hunts, show them the property you have access to, and must be able to hunt almost everyday in November. I'm speaking from what I remember....I certainly wouldn't qualify since I've never had a hunt video taped. I thought it was funny that the group from MN barely hunted in MN during their season. They traveled to other midwestern states to get a shot at a decent buck. Just another example of the poor buck quality.

Again thanks for the information. I purchased some mechanicals and they fly as true as my field points. I'm extremely consistent out to 50 yards. For this reason, I'm reluctant to change anything with the set-up. I was a little concerned myself with the mechanicals not opening on impact because after they passed through the target, they were always closed. However, the cut through the target clearly shows it was opened. The instructions also had a similar warning about closing after the exit.

No offense to anyone, but...... I do find it interesting that some archery hunters hold themselves to a lesser standard than rifle hunters when it comes to antler size. I hunt for the sport and therefore, I wouldn't shoot any smaller buck with a bow than a gun. My vote is F (125-130), no matter the weapon in my hands. Where I hunt, the group has a standard of 8 pts. and wide as ears only. This is something that gun hunters and archery hunters both abide. Archery hunters don't get a free pass because of the greater challenge.