speaking of dogs, my hunt this weekend will be shortened by at least one sit...weeks ago, I promised the wife I'd go with her to pick out our new pup from the breeder. Of course, Saturday morning is the only day that "works" for everyone (but me.) So the wife and I are driving separate and I'm going to hit the road running and drive straight through to deer camp in MI. I won't even have time to set up the camper; soon as I get there I'm changing clothes and hitting the stand.
News flash from deer camp- my uncle popped one 8 last night and another this AM. He's up there by himself and he's 71 years old so looks like I got my work cut out for me when I get there.
I shot a real nice 8 tonight. New farm and the farmer would like to see me get something. Actually he would like to see me shoot everything. He gave me a very slight quartering to shot and I just had to take it. I think it was a good hit and looked to be right behind the front leg. I thought heart shot. No pass through. Saw him turn and burn with arrow in him for about 80 yards, then he slowed down and walked funny. Gave him 30 minutes and got down to find blood while it was still light out. Long story short, tracked him for about 200 yards total on some really good blood. No arrow and no deer and blood was getting spotty so I got out and am heading back tomorrow morning with a tracking dog. Feeling sick to my stomach.
66 yards slight quartering shot in on the 3rd to last rib out through the breast plate complete pass through (only because I shoot a heavy and high FOC set up with a single bevel head) tracked her 23 yards and found her !! 66 yards is my new farthest but I don't look for that when taking a shot she started blowing at me and I had 10 deer in the field she had to go. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Thank You. Meeting with the tracking dog at 7:30 this morning. I think I slept for 15 or 20 seconds last night so I ready to go this morning!
I have made it on stand for a few mornings last week and a couple of evening sits. Had some good encounters with a lot of deer just not the particular deer that I have been hunting for in that area. Had a real nice 8 come in behind some does one morning, just needs another year. Had a 2 1/2 year buck already with a good rack that in 2 - 3 years could be a monster deer. Looking forward to this coming week, we had a cold front move through yesterday and last night and hoping tomorrow morning and evening will be good. Still not a lot of rubs or scrape activity and scouted a reliable spot that always has tons of rubs and scrapes and found only 2 small rubs. The bucks that came in following the does didn't seem to be pushing them or scent checking them either. Maybe this week activity will pick up.
Congrats on the doe Jesse! That was one long poke! Good luck this morning Doug, I'm hoping you find him. I'm sure that was rough night. Please give us updates if you can.
I ended up hunting Friday evening and only had a spike come by, he gets a pass. Then hunted Saturday morning and evening with only one deer right at last light, of course another spike. Checked camera while hunting and the rut activity really picked up! 5-6 bucks in one night, and one of them a definite target. A big 8 pt, I will download pics today and see if any are worth posting.
I thought it was a new buck, but its the same 8 pt I was getting pics of all summer. Still going to shoot him when I get a chance.
Missed a 140 inch buck this morning he was at 23 yards arrow deflected off a branch Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Sorry guys but no deer. The tracker had two dogs with him and we went through the woods three separate times with no luck. We never found the arrow and he said if the arrow was there, the dogs would find it. He was looking at the blood closely and thinks its a single lung hit and the deer will live. I'm going back there this afternoon and sit in a different stand and see if I spot him. I've been bow hunting almost 40 years and this is the 3rd deer I couldn't recover. I'm hoping I get a second shot at him or at least see him on camera soon.
Man that's rough! Just keep your head up and try and not let it get to you to much. In a perfect world hopefully he comes back out at some point and you will see him again.
I have lost a few deer and became sick and obsessed over them. It's hard to describe the feeling but mostly I want to make a quick humane kill and want to know that the animal doesn't suffer unnecessarily and it bothers greatly if I don't do my part to make that happen. It does happen though but it isn't easy. Good luck Doug with your future hunts.
Getting ready to go out this morning with the cold front that moved through yesterday. Will hunt this morning and evening with some work sandwiched in between. Hopefully the deer will be moving good. I am obsessed with one particular deer which may be my downfall. I have seen him on the hoof once in velvet not 100 yards from my stand. Watched him for 30-40 minutes one morning eating clover and grass. Big main frame 8 with a split G3 on his right side that looks like a mule deer the way the G3 splits at the top of the tine. I'm guessing this deer is about 7 - 8 years old and I had a good long look at him that morning. He may not score the greatest but is a real trophy in my book.
I’ve been out a few times and seen mostly doe and a few little bucks. October lull really set in here on my farm. Finally the cold front hits! I then had an unfortunate hunt yesterday in the AM. Forecast when I went to bed was for NW wind and cold so I planned to go into one of my best stands. When I woke up the forecast was saying SW all morning, WTF...but in reality it was blowing SSE when I walked outside. I figured it would eventually switch to SW so I took a chance knowing I’d likely catch the buck making his way back to bed from the SW field. I was in the stand for an hour before I heard some big deep buck grunts just SW of me within 75 yards in the thick cover. I heard him grunt 3 or 4 more times getting closer. I was stupid and instead of waiting I grunted back. At this he hung up and eventually blew at me. Wind was still SE so he couldn’t smell me. I snort wheezed and grunted again. Then just waited. He hung up there and waited me out...probably wondering why he couldn’t locate the buck that was grunting back. Wind slowly switches from SE to NE and he busts me. He must have blew 20 times after that. Curses to you Wunderground and HuntStand! SW my eye...disappointment to say the least...I ended up seeing two other little bucks and then got down. Now I’ll wait out two days of wind and rain, then Wednesday morning it’s going to be 31 degrees and forcast to blow SE. I’ll be in back in a stand for sure. Probably different location though. Hope for accurate wind forecast...
