Sounds like everyone's already given up. I refuse to "re-cap" until Friday, January 16th!! I will be out each afternoon until then, unless I truly fear for my safety (am I obsessed?) Today should be easy, but the next 3 will kind of suck, but it still beats work! Last week I got my Heater Body Suit-that thing is kick-ass!! No more coat and bibs for me!! I guess I'll give it some serious testing in the next few days. If you don't hear from me, please call 911 and follow my cell phone siganl... I sure hope there's someone going out besides me. Besides, its not the huinting thats hard, it the field-dressing in subzero temps thats downright painful! Hopefully I'm not the only crazy one, Leebow
I wish that I was able to get out the next few days but I don't have the ability to hunt during the week with work and family. Good luck and hope you lay the hammer down before it's all over! Let me know your thoughts on the Heater Body Suit after you put it to the test. I was looking at them at the ATA show last week and was impressed with them. I also know the owner so could easily get one but not sure that I would use it.
Leebow I am out with ya. I am hunting all the afternoons until the last day. I went out a couple of mornings last week and it seems like they are only moving around in the evenings around here. I have seen some great bucks in the previous years right at the last day. Good luck
Right, me too. A few years back I shot a nice "doe" on the last day, and it turned out to be a bald buck, no idea what it looked like, but it was big and old. I felt terrible. I'm not too worried about the cold, its the extreme cold, with the extreme wind thats gonna suck, may as well stalk the bedding area... RK, Pingree sightings have dropped a bit after the 60 degree meltdown. I found out the hard way that the fields were flooded. I tried to cross, bad idea. Wrung out my pants and socks, then remembered I still have to cross again on the way back. OMG was that cold. Then it re-froze solid on top, but the water underneath drained away. I knew what would happen, and sure enough, last time I was there I saw some monster tracks taking about 12 foot leaps, and where it reached the ice under the snow, I could see where it lost control and fell, and skidded on its rump, got up, and hobbled onward. When the creek level went down the ice layer on top stayed,(maybe an inch thick) and I can see where deer tried to cross, and fell through. I'm sure they will figure a way over eventually. That one hobbler did. Right. Mornings seem hopeless(sorry RK)like they wait for the afternoon heat before they move, and they are grouping together. Good luck to you too, and make sure to wear extra heat warmers!
Mornings have been bad, most movement has been around 2-3pm at the Raceway. I'm gonna try to get out again over the next few days but this snowstorm is not looking good right now
Looks like wind out of the south, so maybe I will go Pingree. Will update you (all)tonight/tomorrow. Tomorrow looks better that I thought, highest wind at 4am, then drops off to 10mph at 4pm...Hmmmm.
I'll be out there all week trying to get a shot at a mature doe or buck. My dad saw 9 different bucks last night while he was sitting but only one was a shooter and he got no shot. A couple of the other ones he saw should be pretty good next year though. I'll be going out here in a couple hours. Good luck to everyone thats still out there with me!
I hunted yesterday evening and saw around 30 deer. One was a huge 10 pointer that will go in the 160's easy. He came within 60-70 yards then went the other way.
I plan on going out Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I was out yesterday morning and was pulled back on 3 different coyotes...they just never would stop in the right places to get a shot. Saturday and Sunday morning my best friend shot a couple of does. I like the cold temps coming in. It should force the deer into their feeding areas a little earlier. I just hope I can pick the right spot to sit!!
Yesterday I went out to Big Rock, saw lots of fresh sign, and figured they'd move early due to snow coming in. Then about 3:30-03:45 the neighbor started sighting in his handgun. Too late to move. Then 4pm the other neighbor did the same thing, right out of his pickup truck. Then 4:30 a snowmobile started screwing around in the feeding field. Game Over. Body Suit worked great though. Will try again today, maybe the cold will keep them from reloading.
Should have went to Pingree. There was a herd of Damish Road that was headed from where your property is a little after 9PM, not sure if they bedded up by you along the creek but there were at least a dozen of them and I see them every night.
I was late getting out of work, so I stayed close. Should have stuck to my original plan. I will try to make up for it today. I have a question though, because the wind is questionable. Is their nose any better or worse as it gets colder???
The deer have been favoring the old gangster farm that used to be owned by Sam Battaglia at night so they appear to be coming from where you are at. As far as smell I have heard two arguments but can honestly say that I wouldn't discount their ability to smell; however winds over 15mph will greatly disperse scent so you should be fine today. Good luck, call me if you connect
The Dept of Conservation is putting on a trapping seminar tonight that my boy and I are going to, but then I'll be out tomorrow and the next day. Supposed to be a high in the teens for that final sit... sure glad I just got in my new Gray Wolf Woolens wool jacket lined with both Comformax and Liteloft!
Might be going out the last evening, haven't decided yet. This wind is terrible and I am getting soft!
I went out this evening and seen 24. I seen 4 small bucks all with their antlers. I seen 1 that was a 130-140 class and one that came by that you could seen that he had dropped his antlers. He was a huge body and made the other deer look small. Just my luck. Can't wait to see if I can find his antlers. All together great night. It was well worth freezing in the tree.
