***Team 10 - Nocked and Locked Thread***

i dont stat until the 1st here but i will be out probably 4 times a week until the end of the season dec 31. I've got my blind all set up stands hung and mock scrapes ready maybe tis will be the year that I can connect with one of the monsters that have been haunting me every hour of the day!

 

Be in the woods saturday and sunday am and pm. Saturday looks to possibly be windy and better conditions on Sunday if things stay as forecasted...Haha thats funny, as predicted.

 

I cant start till the first here. Im going to try to kill some does early. I checked a camera last night and had a nice 145 4 year old eight point in the daylight in the am. He was there 3 out of the last 6 mornings. We might try to hunt him early. If we get the right wind I might slide back down and check the camera a few days before season. If not we will just go there opening morning providing the wind is right. Im going to let frank shot him or hunt. Its his turn to kill one, but time will tell.

 

It's been a rough start for me. 1 morning sit and 2 evening sit. 2 does about 180 yards away is all I've seen so far. They have pretty much pulled all the corn out of the fields around here, so I'm guessing they are hanging around areas they can get to the corn on the ground easier. I still should be golden for late season w. my standing soybeans though.

 

I got some of my clothes out of the attic today. Put new batteries in the GPS and rangefinder.

At this rate, I might be ready by Oct. 1st.

 

Beans started coming off today. Brother sat tonight and seen no deer but may of been because a sow and 3 cubs were running around. Kid about 1/2 mile north of a property we hunt shot a 155 class deer the other night. Had seen the deer at least once. Unfortunate part is rumors are already swirling. Seems as though he may have shot it out the vehicle window. Unfortunately, it is probably true. Regardless a nice buck has hit the ground in my area. Looks like its on!

 

Thing are starting to look good for me. I found some nice fresh signs tonight and will be hunting tomorrow and at 7:40pm, I saw 2 big ole slick heads headed across our front hay field straight to the stand in hunting tomorrow! It's about to be on!!

Good luck teammates!! Can't wait to see some blood shed!

 

Glad to hear about fresh sign, hopefully the team starts getting some work done. Someone needs to jump start us.

Question for the team. When hunting what signs is everyone looking for to make in-season adjustments. Although I have numerous stands that I hunt year in and year out as proven stands (fixed stands), I have a climber and try to remain mobil throughout the season. I struggle with what tells me its time to move in and hunt a location.

 

I always hunt the edges. I try to stay out of the timber unless it is a stand that has very good access. Depending on what I see from the stand depends on wether we make a move or not. I hunt a lot of small food plots that are good vantage points and then move in from there. Once it gets good we will head more in to bedding areas. If we see some some hot sign, rubs, scrape tore up trail the spots you can feel when you see them. We grab a set and get up in a tree. The thing to remember in my opinion is when you find these spots stop and hunt them. Dont keep looking. Get up a tree and hunt dont disturb it anymore than you have. Thats the key. You can always move closer depending on what you see. You never know whats going to be bedded on ten more yards or what can hear you when you get that much closer.

I know this was kind of off subject but I watch for deer more than looking for signs. The more you can leave it undisturbed the better. Then get it and strike when its hot.

 

BH.COM-CLINTON thanks a ton. Here is my problem with that for me. I have 4 properties I primarily hunt. 1 property is almost 400 acres and its timber. The others are very similar in being a very high percentage of just timber. There are crops around it (some beans, hay, corn), however, there are also large connecting blocks of timber owned by other people as well. Even though I look at terrain heavily, there aren't much on the pinch points, field rows, and funnel side of things on these properties as they are not broken up by fields. The surrounding crop field are the neighbors also as the woods is literally all ours and the agriculture is other peoples. I struggle to pattern deer in these large blocks of timber. I feel they wander aimlessly most of the time. Although I get good bucks on camera all the time, it always seems like they are roamers as they don't hit my cameras frequently. Same goes for bedding areas, they bed everywhere on a couple of these properties; especially the one logged recently as it has gotten thick.

So, knowing all this.....Any other tips for me crew? I feel like I'm smart about my scouting, stand placement, scent control, and mineral sites, but every year I get to this point in the season and feel like I'm shooting blind when I climb in the tree even with all the work I put into things. Makes deciding where to sit hard and makes me worry sooner or alter I'm going to bump a big buck.

I'll be back in the stand on Saturday.

 

Well guys, and me lady, Another failed attempt to get home and in the stand. My wife has a kidney stone so we were at the urgent care for some time this afternoon and by the time I got home, I had less than an hour to get showered, dressed and hit the woods. Probably would have bumped deer on the way in. So, I guess I have no clue as to when I'll make it back on stand. This is getting frustrating already.

 

Well team, here's what I like to do. I like to change as deers patters change, you know when you start seeing rubs its about to be on.. Thing is I try not to get all caught up about the rubs, fact is most happen at night so I don't like to hunt them.. I like to hunt fresh scrapes when they start showing up because I know buck will frequent them for a couple of days to see what other bucks are in the area.. I try to stay with the doe's and whatever there pattern is.. If they are hitting acorns I use my climber in the hardwoods, if it's persimmons I'll throw up a blind in close proximity.. Sometimes If it's hot and dry I hunt close to water.. I like to hunt 20-25yrds. Off of major deer trails, along fence crossings with hair on them.. Especially if the hair is on the top wire and it's white belly hair, many time this means it's a buck crossing here, bucks with headgear prefer to jump while doe's prefer to just duck under the bottom wire a lot of times... It's not always the case but a good rule of thumb... Also I like ridge tips in the hardwoods seems like bucks run the ridges looking for doe's. I also like to hunt field edges, cuz as we all know deer like to skirt the edges, especially where a tree line meets a field and theirs a fence row... Hope this helps team.. These are alot of things I like to take into account when trying to pick which stand I will be hunting in for each hunt.. Of course, I take wind direction, weather, temp, and rut phase all into account while making these decisions..... Good Luck

 

Dunn, you defiantly have a different situation. In my opinion the first thing that I would look for is a good access point ( creek, ditch someway to get in undetected) Then I would take a stand and some sticks get the wind in my face and head in and look for hot sign. Right now there might not be A ton of hot sign. I would try to find some acorns if I was going to head into the timber. The thing that I have learned about the bigger timber that we hunt, Biggest is only 100 acres, is that it takes years to fine tune it and get in the right tree. I feel like in a few of our best spots it has taken us 3 or 4 years of moving 15 to 30 yards from the original tree to get it right. Deer will always take the path of least resistance even if its not an obvious funnel they will have there little quirks. It might take a while but you will get them figured out and the best part is you get to hunt to figure them out. Cant beat that problem.

Im not saying I know everything just trying to help. and remember everyone it is a long season take your time and go in when its good and when the time is right.

 

I'm trying to stay out on the edges except for when pulling cards. When getting good inventory I'll move in to hunt it. I'm running 20+ stands this season. I'm focusing on acorns right now, however, the crop is weak and small in most areas. I haven't been able to locate that spot where they are dropping heavy yet; if I do, I know where I'll be hunting. They are not heading out to beans anymore and cover is plentiful with all the corn (thats typical obviously). Water isn't a key focus point as its cooled off. Just not sure what field to get between them and bedding in for both morning and night hunts. Thanks everyone for your answers. I was afraid the number 1 tip would be time, however, its good to hear that as well as it helps me to remember that I have been approaching this correctly.

 

On my property, I have a lot of this. I need to walk the fence line again. Haven't done that in a while. Kind of slips my mind when it should be the first place I start looking.

The blind near persimmons would be another good thing to try on my property. I have a ton of three little trees all over the place. Thing is they keep them cleaned off and I don't have any good trees near them. I haven't given much thought to a blind. Looks like that's my next purchase. Lol.

 

Just arrowed a coyote at 25 yards. Haven't seen a deer yet. It's a good morning in the tree tho!

 

At least you have drawn blood! Nice target practice too!! Good luck!

 

Here's a pic. Felt good to draw back on an animal.

 

Congrats on the yote!!

 

nice. There should be a 10 point bonus for coyotes