Finally checked cameras and it was a snooze fest. Three bucks on four cameras, biggest being a 6 point... Not sure if I'll get out during this week, and it sounds like a lot of rain coming for the weekend as well. Keeping my fingers crossed
It's because that's what we do, and we're a little crazy. Even without seeing a deer, I would go back tomorrow if I didn't have to work!
Yup definitely a little sick. I think I had a time last year were I went 7 sits with out seeing a deer. It can make you crazy if your already not!
Most definitely a little crazy! I've been watching the weather to see if this big rain storm over Wisconsin is going to break on a day that I think I can sneak away from work. It's a 4 hour drive one way there and back and I'm still considering doing a one day trip.
Do it man! If you get a deer it make it all that much better! But it also make for a long day to make that drive back.
Ha, that's hardcore! That's the one thing that kills me is the driving. The older I get, the more I hate long distance driving. I envy the guys that hunt in their backyard. I'm lucky to have the spots that I got, but I've never had a local spot
Been there many times. I think we've all had those times when you're saying "what the hell am I doing here"!
That's exactly what I was asking myself last season! There are not a lot of deer where I hunt, and I wasn't seeing many at all, but when my cams SHOW ME that there's deer around, especially a pretty good buck, that's enough to keep me going back time and again. I realized years ago, that it gets down to how many hours you can put in on stand. The more hours you rack (pun intended) up, the better your odds of killing a buck, or any deer for that matter. Maybe that's why I didn't see a single hunter on opening day Saturday, but that's all good with me. I didn't see many deer last season, but I did see the right one! It's almost like the Public land I'm hunting is my own property, when I don't see other hunters.
A little update for me. I shot another doe last night, it was the matriarch of the group that I have been watching all summer. She had 50 lbs on all other does. I checked camera a couple days ago and she has been coming by about 30 minutes before dark. So I sat just trying to target her. It worked and she came in a lot earlier then I thought, but stayed out til 30 minutes before dark again. I let her go past me then took a shot when she stopped. I thought I hit a double lung. I went down and got the arrow and covered in liver blood. Little did I know she was bedded only 15 yards from the arrow and she ran when I got the arrow. Waited a couple hours then took up blood trail, it went about 30 yards then stopped. I grid searched for a hour with no deer. Went back this morning and looked in the day light, still no deer. Had to get to work and shortly after I got there I got a call from the neighbor that my deer was dead on his driveway. Left work and went and picked her up, was able to salvage about 50 percent of the meat. I'm still mad I didn't find her last night! I ended up hitting 1 lung and thru the liver, she must have been quartering a little more then I could see.
Worked out a deal w my boss to work a double tomorrow and take next Friday off so I don't have to choose between either burning another day of leave or having to drive straight from work Friday night for Michigan and going in cold for the Saturday opening AM. Now I can leave Friday AM, get there noonish, scout a bit and pick my exact stand spot for the next morning. Even leave my climber chained to bottom of my tree and slip in extra quiet in the dark!
Congrats again Holt! I'm itching to wack a doe almost as bad as a buck Noodles, sounds like a plan. Good luck!
I just hit a doe, maybe a little high, but exit hole looked pretty good, so hopefully I can find her in short order. I'll wait and hunt the rest of the evening to give her time.
Well, no luck for me. On the bright side (maybe) I think she is going to make it. I tracked her over 200 yards last night before backing out. Was able to track her another 75 on blood, then followed tracks for 150-200 more. No signs of her favoring a leg or anything and she moved right along and had the other doe with her the whole time.
That sucks man! But just keep at it! That same thing happened to me on my first deer this year. But I knocked down 2 does since then, and it really helps to boost your confidence. As long as you feel you did all you can, just move on to the next one.
If she made it 400+ yards and had stopped bleeding she'll probably make it as long as she doesn't get infected.
