***Official LIVE from the Stand Thread, 2018***

I hunt a big military base. I have done a lot scouting over the years, but most of it has centered around rut hunting. Find a good spot, don't hunt it til the rut. Get as many of those spots as possible, and repeat. Sounds decent until the military closes down 80% of the base, and all your good areas shut down for days and weeks on end. So I ended up scouting a 1,500 acre spots over like 4 to 5 days this past off season. I knew it was open a lot and I could hunt it consistently. I found some awesome buck sign in there and looked at some spots that offered the greatest diversity for a buck and was a good distance from the road. What I got was a long, narrow, ridge that was flanked with great cover.

So on October 4th I went in there to hang a trail cam and to scout for white oaks. It was real hot but I needed to get a cam in there to scout for me during the rut. Basically I wanted it to provide intel for next year, as to whether the bucks traveled that particular corridor. I was just looking to maybe hunt it once or twice during the rut and then check the cam after November. So I go in and scout in early October and start picking up sign, big buck sign. Whatever this thing was, was big and active. And to further it, there was evidence of tremendous feed sign from white oaks right around some thick bedding type cover. I hung the cam and left.

I was all set to hunt another military base last Saturday, but the base got pummeled by a recent storm and shut down. I asked the wife if I could stay up north in VA to hunt Sat morning and she said no problem. I looked at the wind and temps and they were perfect for that set-up. I thought of several other areas on base that fit the bill, but I kept coming back to the buck sign...the feed sign...it was soaking wet...the winds were perfect...the temps had dropped almost 30 degrees in three days. If the area was open I was going to hunt it. Sure enough it was and I got a pass. I put my face into the wind and walked through some nasty stuff to get to it. I could have used another trail that was much easier, but the wind would have killed my hunt and potentially would have allowed a deer crossing that ridge to cut my boot tracks.

You know the rest of the story after he came in and gave me a shot. After it all boils down to it, I got lucky. The buck was looking to eat his last meal of the morning before bedding and had been freshening up some of his scrapes right after the long rain that had occurred all the way into that early morning. Right place right time.

 

I took one recently. They changed the format from the last one I took. Shortened it to maybe under 45 minutes. Still a pain in the rear. So in 1992, you did this and that and drank this and did that?...yes sir. Yes sir I did. lol

 

Thanks for posting that. Good old fashioned "boots on the ground" intel. Followed up with some new fangled technology. Your hard work and woodsmanship really paid off for you.

Blessings...........Pastorjim

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He made me stop saying yes sir / no sir haha... he was like I don’t want to break you of this habit but all I need is yes or no.


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Do you happen to have an aerial of the land you are hunting?

 

So is the camera still out there then?

 

Confession time...

9:35am this morning ... DEER! BUCK! High rack but narrow ... 35 yards. Walking towards me. he gets to 15 yards and give me a broadside shot ... do I shoot? Big body .. had to be at least a 2 1/2 year old ... stop looking at the antlers .... but is he really what I want??? Draw bow and I did not settle the pin at the right height ... I pulled the trigger...

Arrow sail over his back and I see the illuminated knock glowing brightly... I missed ... not shaking ... not disappointed ... knew I didn't aim the right height.... he jerks a little and stands there for 3 minutes ... then walks towards me ... now he is at 10 yards and i settle the pin on his mid lung ... couldn't pull the trigger ... he hangs around me for 10 minutes just eating and smelling and working little trees over ... could have shot him 3 more times ... but I just enjoy the show noticing that his 8 point rack had some good mass and webbing on his left side.... very cool encounter ...

I've never been so indecisive .... i hurried the first shot ... the second time I drew on him the pin was settled tight right in the 10 ring...and I let him go ... too many voices in my head (and BH.COM)

sigh...

 

I’ll be waiting for Pix!!!


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Happens. On both fronts.

 

As you well know, confession is good for the soul. You'll Git-r-done next time!

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Were you hunting with Rob again?

Atleast the regret is on a clean miss rather than while skinning him out and not feeling completely satisfied.

It all comes together eventually, just put in the time on stand and let the opportunity present itself.

 

Found the spot for the AM never set foot in there before. Transition+bedding+saddle/funnel. Looks like a killer spot hopefully the walk there is somewhat open for me lol. Only about .30mi of a walk so shouldn’t be to bad.


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Finally able to post in this section of the forum. It's opening day here in Alabama and it's hot 85deg. First sit of the season I'm sitting in a small patch of hardwood with thick pines to the west and over grown fields to my east. It fields good to be back in a tree.

 

Yes

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Rough. Once I commit it is on! KILL or be killed Tony!

Long season left brother.

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First sit of the year! Acorns everywhere, wind is good, rangefinder is back in the truck... Let’s do this!


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Confession time is over...

But why the reluctance-By way of prior experience/observation are you expecting many more or larger opportunities?

I told you, you were due...now you gotta get back in line :D

Good luck, bend at the waist and commit or not.

 

Slow out here today. Saw two Doe at 70 yds at 1430, nothing since. Raining on and off 65 degrees. Think it’s gonna be a last light afternoon.

 

Good luck Dan

Roll Tide Roll

 

Good luck brad

Roll Tide Roll