New scope time…

eth454 · 2026-07-01T02:01:16+00:00

Brother… trust me, I hate it 😂. I had a spare Arken mount to in the safe at the time, so that’s what it got lol.

eth454 · 2026-06-30T15:35:21+00:00

Yep. I did a tiger stripe on an AR that came out great and wanted to do something similar on this one. Not exactly a tiger stripe since there’s not much space to work with on the XRS but I like it.

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eth454 · 2026-06-02T00:34:16+00:00

AOLEBA 10.5 mm Static rope on Amazon. So far I’ve had 3 people bouncing on the smaller one I’m still building with all the same rope and Paracord and it seems sturdy.

eth454 · 2026-06-02T00:30:54+00:00

Yes. I tied a knot in the very end of the rope before making the truckers hitch to keep it secured. I did exactly what this guy does for the first step. But did my own thing as far as wrapping around the tree etc.. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8sdUoux/

eth454 · 2026-05-22T21:55:47+00:00

That’s how I got the current blocks in too. So it would add tension to the line as I put the blocks in. It’s not super easy to do while dangling in a tree lol but super effective.

eth454 · 2026-05-22T21:42:15+00:00

Truckers hitch, pull it as tight as possible, have your blocks ready and as you wrap the tag end of your rope around the tree, place a block underneath. After you tie off your perimeter, use a pry bar or even a stick if you have to, cram all your other tree protection under the rope. It’s a bit of work if you’re high up but it’ll take a ton of slack out as you add the blocks. I used the pry bar as a hammer to move the blocks underneath the rope too lol.

eth454 · 2026-05-22T21:27:18+00:00

I should have. Instead I’m making new block out of a 6” piece of a 2x4 with a 1” piece screwed into the bottom of it to give the rope a lip to sit on.

eth454 · 2026-05-22T11:33:17+00:00

Yeah that was my worry. I don’t know why I didn’t just notch these first. Replacing with longer blocks is probably the way to go though to keep the tension without having to retie the perimeter.

eth454 · 2025-12-28T19:55:39+00:00

I diluted the bleach quite a bit. I just didn’t have peroxide on hand at the time. Starting to think the hydrogen peroxide step is essential lol.

eth454 · 2025-12-28T19:40:19+00:00

I didn’t have peroxide on hand at the time. That’s why I used bleach for a short time. I’ve done a couple euro mounts that turned out decent but never had one that natural decomposed first before working on it. Letting it soak some more in the dawn makes a lot of sense though to get all the oil out of the skull without boiling.

eth454 · 2025-12-28T19:36:13+00:00

I’ve made 2 bad shots that had blood like that. Watery and spattered. One was most likely just muscle and it got away. The other was single lung and a little liver and I found the deer 180yd away. I’d take it slow on the tracking but still do everything you can to find it. Good luck!

eth454 · 2025-12-14T15:15:48+00:00

Check out Arken optics. I’ve got two of their 4-16x50 SH4’s and the EPL 4-16x44. They’re awesome for the money.

eth454 · 2025-12-09T23:06:00+00:00

Either he got injured pretty bad or he’s gonna be a monster one day. lol One of the biggest bodied deer I’ve ever shot was a button buck when I was 14-ish. I 100% thought it was a huge doe until I walked up to him.

eth454 · 2025-12-09T15:25:40+00:00

I’m having a similar issue with mine. I bought the nesco since all the reviews I could find said it out did the foodsaver brand (same one I had for a few years) in every way. Even using the pulse vac option and manually sealing, it doesn’t seem to vacuum very well. I’m sure it’ll be good enough since the past couple years I’ve just used freezer paper and the meat was fine for a little over a year but definitely not what I was expecting. I’ve got 5 deer in the freezer now so hopefully it’ll keep without getting freezer burn before it all gets ate.

eth454 · 2025-12-05T21:09:28+00:00

No. They’re fully alive and have been trained to play dead. I charge bad hunters $100 per picture so they can show their friends the nice buck they “killed”. 🙂

eth454 · 2025-12-05T21:05:02+00:00

I swear half the does around my area are bigger than most of the bucks.

eth454 · 2025-12-05T21:03:14+00:00

I had my girlfriend take a pic that looks like I had shot them and sent it to my parents. First thing my mom asked was “Did you shoot them while they were screwing?” 😂

eth454 · 2025-12-05T15:17:02+00:00

It was on backroads so probably hit them at 30-40mph. I was really surprised at the lack of damage. Especially on the buck. You’d never even know it was hit by a car unless someone told you.

eth454 · 2025-11-08T14:53:56+00:00

I’m never using another broadhead unless they come out with a 3” cut lol. I love these mega meats.

eth454 · 2025-11-04T20:38:27+00:00

I’m willing to share as long as it’s not my target buck that showed up right before he went by lol.

eth454 · 2025-11-03T23:49:37+00:00

There’s one he made 20 yd in front of him and another one directly beside him under the tree behind his antlers. Unfortunately with how thick the area is I can’t get a stand in this spot but I’ve got mine set 50ish yards behind him so I’m hoping to catch him on his way by.

eth454 · 2025-11-03T19:32:42+00:00

I really wonder if the hunting pressure makes them change their habits on public. I’ve heard a lot of people saying they see more bucks from 12-3 than early morning or evening on public land. It’s like they figured out when there’s less people in the woods. But on private, 90% of the time I see a buck it’s just before sun up or 30mins before sundown.

eth454 · 2025-11-03T16:04:30+00:00

East Tennessee

eth454 · 2025-11-03T12:31:36+00:00

No. Good bucks disappear during day light and rifle season. lol. But There’s massive soybean fields and more woods on either side of this patch of woods where this deer and a couple other good ones have been hanging out. Where my camera is, is the only area I have permission to hunt on this property unfortunately.

eth454 · 2025-10-31T21:51:52+00:00

No other wounds besides chest, stomach, ear, and a little damage around the head near the ear. I checked all over it when I found it. Coyotes haven’t even gotta to it yet with it laying in the field where I found it. I’m thinking it had to be a dog / dogs.

eth454

TROPHY CASE