If you have seen anything from the start of this thread it was about following and pursuing an 8pt buck that I deemed "Biggie Smalls" after I first encountered him in early July of 2017. All summer he made himself fairly visible in the travel corridor I had cameras set on, but come bow season I wasn't able to lay eyes on him and my camera only caught him twice the whole month, also a week of my vacation not happening because of work complications didn't help that cause. The last I had of him was the middle of rifle season, where I have a quick a video of him leaving the property one rainy night around midnight, want to say it was Nov 17. I went into this season praying that I would be able to catch back up to him this season to continue our story together on this small farm and ridge in the green mountains. Well, after some late season scouting and finding what I feel is his bedding area and even more home corridor, an area I didn't get into last season when pursuing him. A spot not a few hundred yards from where I had him all year last year. I set a camera out just to see what I was getting for buck action there, knowing it would most likely be a buck I get there over a doe, I just had that feeling with him. After my first card pull the 3rd photo I captured, was in fact a buck, that was standing a mere 12in from the camera. I could be way off and this couldn't be my boy "Biggie" but those early brows remind me a lot of his last year and this is exactly the type of photo I was expecting with him. Also, "Biggie" had a small white line on his nose like his buck does now, this one is longer looking though, time will tell. So, all I can do is hope this buck sticks around and I can follow his growth and in fact see if this is a story I can continue with this buck. Crossing my fingers til next card pull!
Also, have 3 different 200lb+ range bear on the hill as well showing themselves, one being a big sow with one of her cubs from last year. Sept 1 can't come soon enough to start chasing them around again!
I put in my first micro kill plot back on July 21 ahead of a three day thunderstorm that was about to roll through the area. This area is tight against a habitat break of pines and some thickets/bedding. About 80 yards to the east of this micro plot is a 5 acre at feild that's about to get its second cut so hoping I can continue to catch them coming through this area and staging up before hitting the field and orchard at night. I raked in a 40lb bag of lime with a bag of Evolved Harvest Throw and Grow No Till Summer Crush Mix, a rye grass, hemp and rape mix on the 21st of July. Because of the hike in I didn't bother with the fertilizer 13-13-13 mix it called for. Went back to check the plot 13 days later while on a hike around the mountain (Aug 3) and was happily surprised to see it popped! Have a doe and her fawn frequent it almost daily since it started growing just 5 days after hitting the dirt as well as had a passing bear and nice 3 year old looking eastern roam through as well a few times. Going to get a bag of Evolved Harvest Throw and Grow Extreme Oats to fill in the spots that didn't grow much and give some more forage for them come October with the Brassicas and Oats hopefully maturing and more clover never hurts. For my first go at it, I'll take it for now. (Photos: before, during, after)
timberline and sticks ready for deployment up to the micro plot - going to broadcast some Evolved Harvest Extreme Oats over the already planted EH Summer Crush when I throw the stand up and with the usual and expected northernly winds I'll be there Sept 1 to put a Ramcat through a roaming black bear! Will post photos from the new set and progress of plot when I put it all in within the next week!
Haven't had the connection to upload the video back when I got it but this is the last video/picture that I have of my #1 target buck 'Biggie Smalls', July 8 2018. So far in 2018 I only have two run ins with him both where I expected him to be, but I wasn't expecting him to disappear for the last 5 weeks like he has now, his most action last year was the month of july and beginning of august, so I am hoping that he starts showing himself again soon. I recently put in a plot in this location in the last 2 weeks so I am hoping maybe that draws some interest from him one evening in October.
few of the bear on the hill (as much as I hate not being able to upload the actual video files from my camera, I'm in the midst of getting new wifi service at my house so they're sitting on my laptop, here are snapshots)
shot my first black bear on 9/10 around 930am right behind the house Dressed 157lbs .308 - 180gr Federal Fusion See her twice last week in stand with my bow but just out of range, brought the gun with me as I always do to pull SD cards and she stumbled in front of me through the golden rods and berries. Her final misstep.
This whole thread was started when I began chasing “biggie smalls” three years ago in central Vermont. Well, after the long trek, chase and pursuit my good friend was able to smash him with his rifle the first week of the season in NOV 2018. Weighed 180lbs and scored 124 and change.
