***Official LIVE from the Stand Thread, 2019***

I've never been one to put hot hands in my boots. My feet don't get THAT cold honestly. If I add a pair of cotton socks I will be good tomorrow.

I've never actually put them in my boots. I'm Minnesotan for God sakes. I'm cold blooded.

 

Sounds like the doe to buck ratio is out of whack; so many does that the few bucks do not have to fight for the right to rut party. Kind of like being one of two guys at a sorority party with 100 drunk college girls. No reason to fight when their is plenty of opportunity for even the ugliest runt in the room.


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Yes, I'm back hunting my regular stand sites. I lost one of them, a nice straight black walnut, which was partially uprooted, and is now leaning too much to hunt from. That's the stand I shot the wide, tall brow tine buck from Oct 18th.
The other tree, a locust, needed a large hanger removed that was hanging down in front of my field of view. That took an hour to do, somewhat quietly. Time well spent though, because it's the stand tree that has the best chance at my target buck, again!

 

The calm winds have arrived, see ya in a few hours. Likely won't have signal until I shoot something or leave for the day.

AT&T towers suck in this area amd keep getting worse.

 

I'd be pretty stoked too, if I had the next three weeks off to hunt the rut! You're golden.

 

Shot buck tonight. Lost him.
More details later tonight but track over a mile w/3 beds found

 

with him bedding so much it sounds like a liver shot. quit pushing and check tomorrow.

 

This will be Monday morning here.

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Good Luck!

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Be patient noodle.

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I’ll be out tomorrow afternoon, haven’t hunted this spot in a few weeks, hopefully 12-pack decides to show up. I’ve putting off shooting a deer thinking he’s right behind them, I need to close the deal on something, the freezer is very low.

 

Is a tracking dog an option? With you bumping him out of three beds, I think he will be dead tomorrow. Probably won’t be much blood after the last bed though.


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Thats more like it! Foreshadowing!

Getting back to warm feet for a second. I wonder if you ditched the cotton socks if your feet would stay warmer. Those neoprene boots don't breath and that moisture on the cotton next to your skin will rob you of heat.

 

Kevin, you are going to have a great hunt. I came home to a sick son and a sick daughter today. No hunting at all for me tomorrow. You are going to hit the timing just right with that cold front rolling in tomorrow afternoon.

 

My feet and hands both sweat readily. I wear wool socks year round for that reason. I use toe warmers if there is any chance of being in the stand for more than 3hrs.

 

Saw a couple of does, a decent 8 and a basket 8. Both the bucks came in nose down trailing a 20 minute old path from that doe. When they crossed that scent I put out they both got a wee bit excited sparred for a second and went back to trailing. Its early here but I can see deer are starting to move more and bucks are just now starting to step out in the last couple minutes of shooting light. The cold rain and winds knocked the remaining acorns down and I suspect these must be the good ones bc big buck activity has been null.

 

I had just my merino wool cold weather socks and my alphaburleys on tonight and they got just a bit cold. I’ll have a much longer sit tomorrow. We will see what happens when I wear both.


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Where did you hit him?

 

I think I got back of lung and exit gut.
wish I could make this a shorter story, but after the 25 yard shot (pass through) the buck crow hopped about 40 yards and stopped behind a big oak. I thought he was wobbling back and forth and was about to tip over, but after about 5 minutes of this he started walking away keping the oak between us. I would've stuck him in the ass with another one if I'd have known what was to follow. realizd he was probably licking his wounds. He then walked about 80 yards up a 2 track, then cut straight uphill and towards private property.

I gave him a half hour till dark, then got down and checked arrow. Definitely exited gut. Crap.I
Slowly followed the trail, blood was spotty but fresh snow made it easy. Got to the property line and could clearly see the tracks crossing the line, across a 2 track (private side) and into their woods. At this poi t I'm about 100 yards from POI. So I start walking the line which will lead me back to another 2 track on the public which eventually leads me to camp, planned on getting in my truck and going to find the owner (who leases the property to a big group.) But as I'm cruising down the line I see headlights on the private side so I wait until they pull even and flag them with my headlamp. Guys get out and ask if I'm lost. Nope. I say "I hate to have to ask but I'm gonna ask- " and explain the situation. Guy says he doesn't mind but he wants to help. While I'd much rather give it overnight, being this guy's lease (big money) I'm not in a position to say no. Very long story short, honestly while we were on the trail way too soon I can tell you I wouldn't have been able to stay on the track that long by myself, the guy was a really good bloodhound. 2 or 3 times we lost the trail and he eventually found blood, 2 or three times same and I found it. The buck had the ability to stop bleeding just when his footprints in the snow merged with other deer tracks. That dang deer went around and around in a series of S turns, up and down, a couple figure 8s, and maybe a Crazy Ivan.
Finally after walking around for 2 hours, we ended up trailing it with a final speck of blood back at the 2 track less than 50 yards where it originally went into private. His prints merged with several others and into some CRP-type tall weeds and brambles and we could not pick up blood or figure out which track was his. We circled around the thick stuff and tried to follow any prints that came out but couldn't find blood.
All good we tracked him close to 2 miles. 3 beds. No steady blood after his first bed. The guys were more than accommodating, I couldn't really argue when they called it. They took my number, said 4 more guys were coming up tomorrow to hunt that property and if they found him they'd call me.

He was a small 8, maybe 100" but wider than his ears . He was quartering to then turned, but looking back I got antsy and punched the trigger a split second too soon. I also think it might've deflected a bit.

Pissed at myself. Literally less than a second and It would've been a perfect shot.

 

Going to go hold my new grandson in the morning and then go home and hunt probably one of my last sits on the ranch.