Haven’t been deer hunting in a few weeks now, but should get out for a couple sits soon. Spent this last weekend chasing antelope, and am stoked for this public land goat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've really been debating on whether to spend the money on OnX or not. I've been using the free version and it's been suiting my needs well. But sometimes I wish I had the extra items.
I'm with Justin on this one. I have OnX and it is awesome. Especially when you are looking for new places to hunt.
If you are a veteran or active duty you can get it for 50% off through The Fallen Outdoors veterans group. NC has a Solid group, also hunting opportunities in NC and outside of NC, most of which are free just buy your Lic and Tag for where ever the hunts are. If your aren't a vet or active duty. The Hunting Public has a 20% off code when you sign up through the OnX website only enter THP. I have been using the Ohio On X and found out that what I thought was 20 or so acres of public unmarked where I catfish down the road from my house is actually 300 acres, and covers almost everything that I thought was private ground and has crp and woods and tree lines separating everything nicely. Worth every penny.
Well nothing big to report from opening day. Had a mature doe at 80 yds and 2 yearlings at 20 yds over the rice bran pile. Friggin hot as hell (86 and the app said it felt like 102). Plus is rained during the evening hunt.
Yeah screw that noise. That's freakin' HOT! Nothing exciting to report here. Got my first IL hunt of the season in last night. Saw 2 or 3 deer but they were behind me in some thick stuff so no shooting. Looking like warm weather and rain for about the next week straight so I'm not sure if and when I'll be out again. Probably for the better - keep some pressure off the deer and let them stay nice and relaxed. Once we finally get a nice cold snap I have a feeling they're going to move pretty good for a day or two.
Just got settled in. Made a mock scrape 22 yards from my stand. Bring on the cold and snow! Let's see what the Sitka can handle. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I don't know how you guys hunt like that..lol. except when I'm shivering at -15 during the late season I wouldn't mind trying. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I had 2 doe and little one come in an hour after I got settled. The wind was wrong but I hunted anyways and they walked in front of me 10 yards and smelled me. They both sniffed around and looked right at me, but never blew or stomped. Eventually they turned and walked away flicking their tails. Then a couple hours later they came back from the opposite direction and again walked right in front of me, smelled me, stared at me and eventually walked away. Then one came back and smelled around, and walked to the base of my ladder and just stared me down. She never blew or stomped, but left pretty fast. Is my stand compromised? Or am I ok since they never blew or stomped? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Oh and it started raining as soon as I got back to my pickup, then it soon turned to sleet, and now the ground is white. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I'd say you're fine - keep after it. Looks like I'm going to be able to sneak an afternoon hunt with my little guy today. We are catching a break in the rain for a few hours so I'm hoping the deer move a bit before dark. Going to sit in a ground blind on an alfalfa/clover/chicory plot where there's a lot of afternoon activity. Wind and conditions are right so I'm crossing my fingers we can get it done before the storms hit.
This is what I woke up to this morning. Don't have to work, so family time today. Maybe hunt this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Good luck this afternoon, Justin. I wanna build an enclosed blind next year so I can take my boys along. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Well guys - I failed the team on Friday night. Should have our first 50 points in the board and my first kill with the little man in tow but alas, I came away empty-handed. We weren't in the blind for 5 minutes when I see the first deer appear about 25 yards away. Turns out it's a big doe with her button buck fawn. They read the script and walk right in front of the blind and have their heads buried in the chicory with no idea we are there. I settle the crosshair (shooting the crossbow) on her vitals and let it rip. Arrow zips through her so fast I have no idea where it hit. Watch the footage back on the camera and it looks like a perfect heart shot. With the storms rolling in quick we give her 45 minutes and take up the trail. Amazing blood at first - big piles of frothy lung blood. It starts to tail off a bit but it's still very good. With light fading it's getting harder to see, but it's pretty much a stand-up trail for about 200 yards. By this point it's dark in the woods and it's thundering/lighting pretty bad. My son is getting scared and we're about 1/2 mile from the truck. So I reluctantly decide to back out and come back in the morning. I can't proceed with him in tow plus at 200 yards with no deer I'm starting to question tracking anyways. So we head home. Friday night it poured for hours - probably an inch or more of rain. I get back yesterday morning and all blood is completely lost. Even in the large puddles of it are gone in their entirety. With no blood trail I grid search everything within a 200 yard radius of where last blood was at. I walked 4 hours and 4 miles in about a 40 acre patch and came up empty. I know she's dead there somewhere, I just can't find her. There is a pretty decent chance she made it into the neighbor's, but that particular guy doesn't like anyone and won't let us step foot on his place. Without blood or definitive evidence she was in there I didn't even bother the guy. I would have pressed my luck if I knew she was in there, but I wasn't going to try without facts to back up my hunch. I feel awful because I know she's dead, I just couldn't find her. The shot was a couple inches low but not bad by any means. I honestly have no idea how she didn't run 100 yards and pile up. I thought for sure it was heart. Red dot is the arrow entering. We're on level ground from the blind.
That sucks, Justin. I understand your decision making process and I just don't understand neighbors like that. I mean..I kinda do, but it's pretty annoying. Keep your head up and kill a big buck! Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
