Was reflecting a few days ago of the past 45 years of bowhunting and some of the ways I've either killed or at least sat doing so. I've always been a " do what needs to be done" kinda guy when it comes to hunting. When I was young, nothing would stop me. Learned I could kill deer (or at least see deer) if I read the sign. One spot that was incredible was under a bridge that crossed interstate 94 over a river. Could not legally park there so I'd suit up, have my bow n gear ready and have my girlfriend drop me off and pick me up at dark. 100s of cars would pass overhead with nary a clue a bowhunter was right under them. Shot 2 deer there. Old buildings/ steel grain bins. Yep, many times. What you got? Got plenty more to add but will wait and hope others chime in.
I hunted a outhouse one time that had apple and pear trees around it. Was on Hoosier national forest. Old overgrown homestead. I killed a couple does out of it. Used to hunt local military base that had training bunkers that I would sit in..
I sat in a hole from a root wad from a tree that had fallen over. Up in Ontario, shot my first bear in that hole.
In my early 20s I was a wandering soul of a hunter. I had no treestands or harnesses. I had no idea what the heck I was doing. I'd climb pine trees and attach a second belt around a limb and then my own belt for an improv safety harness. Blended into the trees really well. Haha. I killed a couple deer that way.
Me too! There are SO MANY ways to hunt deer without sitting in a tree. BHH, there's a country song in there somewhere. Lol
I made my first climbing stand based on the old baker style climber. It would loose bite on the tree and scare the crap out of me. Crazy how many times I almost fell out it...
Had a guy stop by the office asking for permission. The building sits on 20 acres but it is all mature trees with no underbrush. H just wanted to park at the office and use the storm pipe that goes under I-94 to get to the woods on the other side without getting busted. Good idea but he never shot a deer in that spot.
Seems like I 94 is a travel corridor! Jeez, I was hoping there would have been more stories. There is so much out there then sitting in a treestand!
I also remember a few years back got called to a massive peat fire in Kittson county the most NW county in Minnesota it was the Boxing Day fire December 26th was up there for 2 weeks punched my ticket on being a wild land fire every month of the year in Minnesota. We were on several hayfields and different properties. The "stands" in the area were all cars on stilts. Not just one farm but several, hunting out of junk cars.
We used to push out all these neighborhood wood lots to a power company line we hunted, had 100’s of deer it was hard to get on target with the bow there was so many coming by. Also used to ride my pedal bike in full camo with a climber on my back and bow strapped to basket, parked at my buddy’s house and walked over and hunted wood lots by the turnpike. Also dug out hillsides by downed trees to sit and hunt off the ground. Much simpler times, less calculated and just had fun.
I had more fun then not killing one then I do now when I kill one, trying to get back to just hunting and having fun. My goals are getting in the way and some tech I’m goin away from should make for some fun hunts next year. I still have a blast, but I overthink everything now bc I have a flood of information.
We also used to cut V’s in either side of 2x12’s and wedge them into V’s of trees and sit on them to hunt out of. Used the limbs to climb up the tree, I missed so many deer hahaha. Good times.
Awesome guys. There used to be and old railroad trusses crossing a river. Made of wood timbers. Deer had a MAJOR trail under that bridge. I would climb up the braces and post. Missed a true GIANT doing that. Did that many times as a kid. Uncomfortable but when young n poor, didn't care. Lol.
How about an old abandoned junk yard? I hunted a big buck many years ago in and around a junk yard full of old cars and piles of scrap metal. I even sat in an old car one evening because it was raining. Back then, bows were commonly 40" or so ATA. No way I was drawing the bow in the car so I had no idea what I would have done if he came in... lol.
My dad's friend had permission on a small farm directly across the street from a State Park that was off-limits to hunting. This property didn't have a tree on it - just a small house and a cut corn field that the deer would feed in. The landowners had a bunch of junk cars, tractors, etc next to their barn. One of them was an old camper trailer. I would sit around inside the camper and look out the windows for deer to cross the road from the park, then open the door and shoot (at) them while sitting on a bucket. It made for a great "blind" during those cold late-season hunts!
Good stuff guys,. Keep em coming. When younger, (I should not have done it) but I'd dig pits about 3 food deep in crp fields. I don't recall ever filling them back in though
Used to hunt my friends parents property after work. It was really close and I could be in my stand with an hour of shooting time. One time I had a buck come crossing the field heading towards me while I was on my way to my stand, dove into their tomato plants and got comfortable. I was at full draw on my knees in the veggie garden for what felt like forever. He came within 15 yards but never turned broadside until I started shaking and spooked him! He ran off, wasn’t much time left so that was the end of that hunt. Really nice deer, never saw him again. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
