** Official Midwest/West Team Thread**

Ok


Cold front moving in tomorrow, highs in the mid 60s to high 50s. Hopefully will be good! All of the deer stay in the corn fields all day except for a few does and fawns. Theres corn for 100s of miles in each direction so who knows how far some of the bucks have gone. It will be a late harvest too this year, probably won't get everything out until pre-rut in late oct.

 

Harvest finally got here so I've been busy with that the last couple weeks. We are in for some cruddy weather so I should make it out for a couple hunts later this week and weekend.

Tim

 

Had a great hunt this morning, 35 degrees, rattled in a nice 3.5yo 8pt and a 1.5yo 8pt, I have lots of pictures from last year and this year of the 3yo, and maybe even from 2 years ago. I'm guessing he will score around 130". Passed him up at 35. Also almost got a shot at a doe but either she was broadside in the clearing but I couldn't get the camera on her or vise versa. Best hunt in probably 3-4 weeks. I'll be after it again tonight, going to try to get a doe.

I just checked 3 cameras and there is a lot of fighting or sparing going on. Cool pics too. Mostly at night.

 

I zapped a decent 4X4 (mid 120's) last night @ dusk. Shot was a little high but still in the Killzone. Gave h an hour (due to coyotes everywhere). Looked for an hour last night then decided to take up the trail again in the morning. Tracked him for 1/2 mile this morning then nothing.....found my arrow about 750 yards from where I shot him. Arrow looked good & plenty of blood on the trail. I guess it wasn't meant to be?


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That's heartbreaking. Hopefully you find some sort of remains of him and the coyotes haven't torn him up much.


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I think if he made it that far he probably isn't gonna die from the initial hit. That sucks! Hopefully you get another chance

 

Thanks fellas. I was sick to my stomach Friday night & hardly slept.


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We all have had the same feeling.


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Single lung hit deer can go a mile or further and live for 8+ hours. If that is where you hit him he is dead by now. Liver hit deer can do about the same but they usually bed down somewhat soon after the hit.

 

I kind of had a double edged sword after I shot him. Between when I shot him & when it got dark I saw 3 different coyotes from my stand. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have taken up the trail until the next morning.


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So you shot him last night right? And you looked for 1/2 a mile this morning and found the arrow but no deer?

 

Correct


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Do you know where you hit him? How far

 

Headed out scouting tomorrow. Temps are looking like mid to high 40's in the morning. My hunting partner is talking about going to a different location tomorrow. I overheard a co-worker talking about taking his kid out this weekend, right to my spot!! So we'll see. I'll definitely update you guys on what we find tomorrow night.

 

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Here is where we are looking at scouting tomorrow. It's about an hour drive from the house. Sunrise is around 6:50-ish and the temps will be in the low 40's until 9 am, so hopefully we have some scouting success.

 

Should be good

 

given the decoy a try tonight.


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I shot a doe this morning but no bucks yet. I'm heading out right now to put up a mock scrape dripper and check 2 cams.

 

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I had to change on the fly this morning. The area we wanted to look at had a gate with "Private Access w/ Fee" on the gate. So here is the route we took. We crossed through the draw we were in as we worked our way up. I missed marking one glassing spot on the way up. We only passed two other vehicles while we were out, which was a surprise considering where we were.

Here is my scouting summary:
1. We need to look into Forest Service rules. The map I posted yesterday had a gate with a sign saying "Private Access w/ Fee". All the maps we looked on had the road marked as a FS road.
2. The deer are still high. Marshall said they were about where they were this time last year.
3. Having the 13th off will be a benefit. It gives us an extra day to move if needed. We are still hoping to hunt our original spot, but have an excellent area if we aren't.

I have pictures on my phone and will post in a little bit.

 

This is what I've been waiting for all year!! They are picking this 250 acre corn field just across the road. Last year I hunted the same night they picked it and had probably the best hunt in a long time!! The deer have a lot less cover now.