Fact. My last bow kill was in November of 2007. Since then i have missed a handful of deer, and lost 2. Im not proud, but it was a learning experience that i wouldn't trade for anything. Rewind to Wednesday evening, September 30th. Im on a newly hung stand overlooking a bean field and a pond. I have deer moving all night, and just before last light, a mature doe presents me a 30 yard broadside shot. I take it, and miss. Great. More of the same. Fast forward to Friday, October 2nd. I wake up to my pager going off for an MVA. After standing in the rain for 2 hours, i help my dad install a garage door on the fire department. 3 PM rolls around and i KNOW that i need to shoot my broadheads. I have to build up that confidence. The results from 30 yards with the Rage practice heads: Now that im 100% certain that i can shoot, I head back to my bean field stand. Here is the video of the entire night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Pj3ykZnFA To some it may be JUST a doe, but it was more then that for me. It was my first archery deer in almost 2 years, and only my 3rd overall. Probably the biggest confidence builder ive ever had :D Also, the obvious secret to my success, Hoyt bows, Sony cameras: ...and facepaint :D The success pictures: __________________________________________________________ Thats the story behind my kill.... After that hunt, my season totals read as follows: 4 hunts, 4 does, 4 fawns, 1 buck. The next morning (Saturday), I hunted my ladder stand again and was disappointed with another deer-less sit. Thats now twice i have sat their and got skunked. 5 hunts, 4 does, 4 fawns, 1 buck. On Sunday night, i hunted my "Funnel" stand for the first time. I had deer off to me left about 100 yards into the woods, but none came into view. I have never seen or heard more squirrels in my life then at this stand. It was ridiculous. On the way out i jumped 4 unknown deer, and then another unknown deer and a VERY NICE 2.5 year old buck. I watched him through my bino's for a bit at about 120 yards in the last moments of light before he bounded off. Looks to be in the 100-110" range. 6 hunts, 4 does, 4 fawns, 2 bucks, 5 unknown, 2 shots, 1 kill.
...im going to be on the ground tonight :D Ive been in a stand on my first 5 hunts, only saw deer from stand on 2 of them. Tonight we have a SSE wind and a 70% chance of rain, perfect for the blind i brushed in on the side of this alfalfa field Sunday morning: As some of you may have remembered, i started a thread last week about whether to hang my stand on the beans or the alfalfa...well, i hung it on the beans and we all know how successful that worked, and now that they are turning yellow its time to hit up the green stuff! I have alot of history on this field, its where my brothers first glimpsed FD during the summer of 2007. Its also where i had my encounter with him last fall... ...but, just like it was on that day last October, my mission is still to fill my doe tags :D
I got skunked from the blind: 7 hunts, 4 does, 4 fawns, 2 bucks, 5 unknown, 2 shots, 1 kill. I hung a new set today around 4:30...got up in it, and decided it sucked. Searched for a new tree, found it, re-hung my stand by 6 PM. Around 7:05 after seeing nothing but raccoons and squirrels, i hear movement DOWNWIND of my location. I didn't have time to get the binos up before he disappeared into the thick timber. Im CERTAIN it was a buck though by the way he was moving...he never spooked, which i though was odd. He walked right by where i hung my first setup too. I made 4-5 mock scrapes in the area to see if i could muster anything up. The stand is set up on a ridge that has a HEAVILY used trail that leads to alfalfa and corn fields. Im pretty pumped about it. 8 hunts, 4 does, 4 fawns, 2 bucks, 6 unknown, 2 shots, 1 kill.
Friday: High: 47* Low: 23* Wind: WSW Partly Cloudy Game ON. PERFECT wind to set up near my mock scrape/"Dagger" buck :D I'm pumped. First time I'm able to hunt with these cold temps we've been getting. My buddy shot a 9tr, and saw ~6 dif bucks Following does around. Can't wait to be in the tree.
Took Jackie to the blind last night, Had 4 does come running through the alfalfa at 4:30 or so, and couldn't get a shot. Then around 6:15 had 2 mature does feed out and away. Overall it was a good hunt. 9 hunts, 10 does, 4 fawns, 2 bucks, 6 unknown, 2 shots, 1 kill.
Went out tonight, sat in the rain, saw 5 does late that were WAY out.... 27 deer on 10 hunts, 15 does, 4 fawns, 2 bucks, 6 unknown, 2 shots, 1 kill.
Great Night in the stand. First "cold" sit of the year.. Yote ran through at 5:30 but offered up no shot. Grunted in a TWEENER 8 [I think he was 2.5, with GREAT potential], then came a doe and two fawns.
I finally made it out for the first time on saturday.I got a late start and by the time I got to the farm it was just getting light out. I was almost to my stand when I saw a 100" 8pt walking the fence line 60yds away and a spike was following him. Once they walked off I climbed into the tree and kicked up a doe that was bedded 30yds behind me. I had a small spike walk under my stand about 8am and I saw a total of 9 doe but all were 60 - 80yds out. I found out that I need to move my stand about 40yds to cut the deer off when they jump the fence over to the farm I hunt. It was great being back in the stand!
made a post in the main forum, hadn't been in a while and still trying to break free from work - good luck guys need to get some horns in the dirt
I feel your pain. Between work and an insane amount of storms, I've not been in the woods as much as I'd like either. We've had so much rain that the DNR has actually shut down one of my favorite WMAs and there is no plans to reopen it this season. This stinks because I put the most work into this land of all the places I hunt. The bright side is it looks like my work will slow up near the end of the month just in time for the pre rut and rut activities.
Just checking in fellas, been sick as a dog. I had 1 doe w/in 50 yards of me Sat evening, thats the extent of my season so far. I'll be better by the weekend, then its prayer time for the little deer.
Ill be out for the first time this week this weekend boys, maybe tommorow morning if its not to nasty. I checked my cams and had 1 possible shooter visit my mock scrapes: Both cameras are out over newly freshened scrapes, hopefully the big buck activity will pick up soon. Keep plugging away boys!
Ahhhhh tis almost the weekend. Even get to work my lab saturday and sunday afternoons. Nothin' to do but hunt this weekend boys. Good luck!
Nice to here from ya again Franny, when you gunna put down the PA fergie clause so we can film some epic Ohio hunts?
I have had the flu (possibly swine?) for about a week now and it is not getting better. It doesn't look like I will make it out hunting this weekend. This sucks!
Went and sat my new stand today that i just hung. Glimpsed a deer late, but that was all. Slow rainy and cold describes it all. 28 deer on 11 hunts, 15 does, 4 fawns, 2 bucks, 7 unknown, 2 shots, 1 kill
