Good morning everyone! Sunday morning, and coffee is ready.

 

Good Morning Indiana!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

Good morning everyone...light snow flying here today...I'm all packed to head to LA where...urrr...it isn't snowing!

Hope everyone has a GREAT day today!

 

You too Joe, have a safe flight!

 

Good morning Indiana.

Have a safe trip to the left coast Joe.

 

Joe, when my kids were around 4 I bought the Double Bull Matrix 360*.
Even though my wife is a stay at home wife/mom, and our budget was extremely tight at the time, I wanted the best to house my new huntin' buddies. All my research led to this one. I can't give a good comparison to any others because this is all I've used, but I can gaurantee that I feel every dollar I spent for this one has been well worth it!!!

You can stake down each corner as well as there are ties coming off each hub on the walls that can be anchored to the ground. I had to supply the tent stakes which work great.

I have sat in very heavy winds in the spring and it always works perfect.(tip: always stake out the blind, because calm mornings can lead to a windy day, and it will happen right when the bird is coming in. I had it happen) Mine was made before Primos bought out Double Bull, but I would suspect the quality is still very good.

I think you can still get them for $400 which is what I paid for mine about 7 years ago, that's a very good deal in todays dollar imo.

I've never seen this site in my life but it was the best example in a quick search that I found.> DISCOUNTED - Double Bull Matrix 360 TALL & Standard Height Ground Blind

I work with a guy that has young kids that bought some $100 blinds to put around his property. After looking at mine he went and bought the Matrix and said he feels it will out last way more than 4 of the $100 dollar units.

Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Ben

 

be safe to LA Joe, and....uh......I'd take snow over that place any day!

 

Thanks guys...my flight leaves around 1:30 today up to Detroit before catching the 777 out to LA...I must say...the 777 is my FAVORITE first class seat out there...even over the 747!!!...My flight lands at about 9pm your time tonight...so kind of a long day today...

Got my buck back from the butcher yesterday...the jerky and snack sticks are PHENOM!!!...I've still got the doe yet to pick up...and no real room in the freezer either...yikes!!!...between the meat from the doe last year, the 5 bags of crappies we didn't finish this year (and I treated a bunch of folks to fish fries this year too with elephant ear desserts...yum...)...but I digress...da wife better do some rearranging in the freezers before next weekend when the next deer shows up!

Speaking of deer hunting...there's some pretty good sales right now on tree stands and climbing sticks...with the new property I'll be hunting next year...I'm picking some stuff up...plus my youngest daughter (the one that was with me when I shot the buck)...informed me she wants to shoot her OWN deer next year...so...that will entail a .22 rifle to teach her shooting safety and skills as well as a .44mag rifle for her to shoot...I've got a 20 gauge shotgun that she could use but I'm not sure if that is a good choice or not for her...the .44mag rifle surely kicks much less...anyone (Nebo) got any insight before I make the plunge on new shooting implements...

Also thanks Ben for the insight on the blinds...it sounds like I should definitely go with the hub style due to the winds...the extra staking features are nice...most of my hunting will be from tree stands when I'm alone and in the blinds when I'm with one of the girls...or when the weather turns sour!...I had been looking at KillZone blinds...but I'll definitely take a look at the Double Bull ones too...the hard part for me right now is I need stands, climbing sticks AND a blind...momma ain't too happy about outfitting a new piece of property with all this hardware PLUS I need more guns (which for me is a great thing but for momma...she just sees more guns!)

Joe.

 

if you can get past the beautiful smile from this beautifull young lady I call my daughter, there is a Double Bull 360 in this pic from back in the spring.


and yes Joe I have some good input for a youth gun for deer. I bought my kids a Ruger 44 mag just this year. Kinda pricey at $600 but I believe it is a well made gun that will last for generations, and my son took his first deer with it this year so now it is sentimental, haha. I'm saving up to buy my daughter her own for next year. Then I will buy one for myself,LOL, a fantastic deer gun for youth and adults alike!! I topped it with a 2-7x33 VX-II Leupold scope with Alumina Leupold flip up scope covers. The recoil is very manageable and I wish I would have bought this gun when they were 4, instead of a 410.

 

Ben,

Thanks again for the inputs...I just LOVE that photo of your daughter with that tom!!!...warms my heart to see dads teaching their daughters important life skills...

I'm glad I asked you about the .44mag...I was thinking that was the way to go over the 20gauge...I've got a single shot .410 that was MY first gun...although back then in Jersey you could only shoot small game with a .410...today the .410 is legal for deer...I'd prefer the .44mag though so it looks like I'll be on the hunt for one this year too!...I'll definitely look at the Ruger...I always like Ruger products...I'm looking a the 10/22 to teach them to shoot and I've got a GP100 .357 with 4" barrel that is one of my favorites to shoot!...

Thanks again for the inputs...

I better get my stuff done so I can start thinking about lunch and heading to the airport...I would take snow over the NUTS in LA anyday...thankfully I'm south of LA in Anaheim but they are all NUTS out there. LOL

Thanks again,
Joe.

 

You're quite welcome Joe. I always enjoy helping out with the youth and passing on what I've learned, and I'm always encouraged to talk with other parents that are passing on the love and passion for the outdoors to their children.

My daughter has a 20 gauge (you can see it to the left of pic leaned up) that she turkey hunts with, but she definately likes target shooting the 44 much better. Although when she shot the 20 gauge with magnum turkey loads and got her bird she said, 'I didn't even feel it dad." totally priceless.

oh, and remember, when it comes to mother, and explaining all the new gear.....................It's for the kids.

Ben

 

I figured when they are actually shooting at something they wouldn't feel the recoil of either...but shooting from a bench flat footed in a seated position...I would think the 20gauge recoil with slug loads would certainly kick a little more...plus I have a Franchi semi-auto that cycles via a spring and I have shot it...it kicks differently than a semi-auto that cycles due to shot exhaust gases...but I know she will shoot that eventually too.

I was also thinking about just letting her use my .50cal muzzleloader as I shoot .44 mag slugs in that with sabot's and 95grains of powder...that doesn't kick that hard at all...decisions...decisions...I'll likely go .44 mag rifle though since she can reload that SOOO much easier than a smoke pipe.

I must have jinxed myself talking about my 777 today...as I was driving to the airport (and I am now sitting there and if you notice the time it is past my 1:30 departure)...anyway Delta was calling my while I was driving to tell me my 777 from Detroit was 3 hours delayed due to mechanical issues...when I got here I went to the counter and now I am headed to Dallas on American Airlines and my gate agent at least put me in first class again...and he doesn't have to since my first class seats are "free" upgrades..."free"...yeah right...I've logged over 225,000 miles this year alone on Delta...I wouldn't call any upgrade on their airline "free"...hehe...

So...I'm now getting in about 1.5 hours later on the American flight than the original Delta and 1.5 hours earlier at best over the "fixed" aircraft if they ever get that one "fixed" tonight...I've been there too many times!...and guess what...they just announced that my original flight (1:30) up to Detroit is now delayed until 4pm as well...DOH...hopefully the switch to American was a good thing!!!

Thanks again for all the help and advice...yeah...momma knows I'm doing this for the kids but also to get a piece of property that I can hunt without so many other people...we had 10 acres of private land where I've hunted for the past 20 odd years with my buddy and he let someone on there a few years ago who now is bringing up other people. I can only hunt weekends and this guy fills that 10 acres with 2 more people in addition to US!!!...4 people in 10 acres is way too close for me...so now at least I've got some new land...but with new land comes new equipment to outfit...but much less stress for me...I am torn though since I've killed a LOT of deer on that property...I'm sure it will take me a bit of time to dial in this new land...but I'll bow hunt next year just so I can hopefully pattern them...this land has some low lying swamp ground which is great for big bucks to lay and chew their cud in...I'll be checking that out first!!!

Well...I better start shutting this puter down as it is getting somewhat close to my 'new' departure time...

Take care...talk to you folks later or tomorrow!

joe.

 

funny you mention, my daughter shot my 50 cal Knight DISC in line this week and was so surprised how it hardly kicked. Either way you go, it's exciting your daughter is excited to harvest her own!!

.....and the switch to a new hunting ground can be a positive family event, keep it just for you and the kids and when you start havesting deer, and others want to go, it will be easy to explain that you keep that place a sanctuary for the kids....it's their hunting spot and they just give you permission to hunt too.

Hope the trip gets back on the right track and be safe out there Joe!

Ben

 

That is AWESOME, I wish my daughter showed a bit more interest in hunting. She'd rather stay home wiht the girls and my son just wasn't old enough this year...next year I will have him out with me...he'll be 6 then.

 

ha ha! Tried that one this year for a new tree stand....she caught on though...next year when he's 6 I can get one!