Fitz's 2011 Season Journal (*semi-live)

damn that count down is depressing

 

I have been remiss, I completely spaced that I have some videos from our doe encounters this week.

Here are a couple from the first doe on Turesday...

[video=youtube_share;a5EMXNAsyvk]http://youtu.be/a5EMXNAsyvk[/video]

[video=youtube_share;P-4VtIdZPcM]http://youtu.be/P-4VtIdZPcM[/video]

And here is the doe from Thursday AM. I did get a little video if the fork chasing her, but it's hard to see as I was moving back & forth trying to talk with Nick.

[video=youtube_share;rvBAY_lYHGE]http://youtu.be/rvBAY_lYHGE[/video]

I think I might get out this evening if I can finish up my list of projects here, including taking out 2 of our docks for the season.

 

Also, I forgot a funny story from our second day at the beaver dam...

It was early afternoon, and we decided to do some calling. So, I pull out my MAD Heat Bleat and give it a couple whirls. Immediately after we both hear a bleat from the far dam. When we hear it a second time, we both start laughing uncontrollably. The beaver was returning my bleats!!

So I decided to mess with it a bit and called a few more times. The beaver called back, then got in the water from it's perch on the lodge, swam under the ice to wards us to the edge of the dam and busted a new hole in the ice. It continued to call for about 2 minutes.

First time I've ever called in a beaver


Here's a recording I found to give you an idea of their vocalizations. It actually sounded a lot like a doe in real life...

[video=youtube_share;QOkOjyQmOz0]http://youtu.be/QOkOjyQmOz0[/video]

 

Headed across with my dad in about a half hr. Gonna pull my LW and trail cams after dark. This will most-likely be my last sit across the lake. I hope Blade decides to cooperate tonight!

 

Is the lake that close to freezing? Or why will that be your last sit across the lake?

 

A couple bays have ice. But I leave weds for the WI season. It'll most likely have ice when I get back after Thanksgiving.

 

ok, well good luck....

 

Alright, here's the plan. My dad pulled his boat this afternoon and is going to put it in our neighbor's storage garage in the far back corner of their property. I'm going to drive ahead of him in the golf cart and use his noise as cover to set up along a snowshoe trail we have cut nearby. I'm hopiong that there will be a buck hanging with all the does in that area. With any luck they will all filter by on their way down to the lake

Updates to come.... I need to go shower now.

 

So here was my replacement ride for the canoe tonight....



And here was my distraction...



You can see the garage from the trail's entry...



Now here is where the deer should come from (right to left)...



And here is where they should die...



Now I'm ready, but will the deer show up?

 

Tractor just left, let's see if this works!

 

It did not....

The neighbor to the North rode his 4wheeler into a stand about 150yds to the North of me 20 min after I was settled in. At about 3:30 he takes a call in his stand, I got to hear his side of a very pointless conversation. Then at 4:30 (1/2 hr left of light), he gets down and 4 wheels off....

Different strokes I guess.

 

Well, tonight will be my last bowhunt until the Monday after Thanksgiving. I was trying to decide if I wanted one more shot across the lake or if I should stick to this side and hope something is cruising with the does here.

... I owe the stealth canoe one more trip.

But, I think I'm going in deep to the backside of the old beaver pond. West wind might just work for an ambush on the creek crossing there. My brother has a tree he sits in for rifle season there, but he didn't make it up this year (new baby).



The yellow dots are when I've been hunting & the red is where I'm thinking of going. I know it's think in there, but I'd like to give it a shot. Worse case, I can't find a suitable tree and a back out to the beaver dam.

 

The final voyage.

 

It would seem that in my haste to get out tonight, I forgot my kill pack and my lifejacket... Not a good start.

 

... And my scent killer spray fell out somewhere.

 

Alright here's the view in front...



There's up creek...



And back towards the pond...



I'm gonna do a little calling then sit right for the night.

 

Yay, an unexpected rain shower....

 

Mixed with sleet

 

I was serenaded while taking my stand down tonight.

[video=youtube_share;rCwmMedVowM]http://youtu.be/rCwmMedVowM[/video]

Not sure if this will work, I'll check when I get in.

 

And another...


[video=youtube_share;yS5WCzF0Jqo]http://youtu.be/yS5WCzF0Jqo[/video]