Team 16 - Fatal Trajectory

Hard to believe November is only 2 weeks away!!! Ready to get this thing started


Heading out in the morning, will probably be my last sit until November 1st. Had to cancel Halloween hunt due to uncertainties at work.

Can't believe this slump I'm in with the bow, starting to get to me a bit. Good luck this weekend if you're going out, dang full moon.

 

Woke up and decided not to sit this am, I'll be out tomorrow though. Supposed to have some cloud cover overnight, really don't like full moons, especially on clear nights. This west wind is a bit pesky, but should be ok if I sit the stand I did this last Sunday.

 

I'm heading out for a sit in the morning. Not crazy about the full moon either, but we were camping last weekend, and I am just itching to get a morning hunt in. West/Southwest wind is good for my go-to stand, and I'm looking forward to a cool morning in the woods! Good cool weather coming in next week.........so the deer should be starting to move pretty good.

I'm hoping for a good frost soon too. Our timber is thick.......and we could stand to lose a few leaves!

 

Cool fromt moved in over night a bit windy today but it should settle over night. heading out in the morning. up date on Monday.

 

Almost had some points this morning. Had a thick cloud cover and light rain all night. Let up just about half way to the property. Moon was shining bright by the time I got there, was surprised at all the deer in the bean fields already. Started off slow and had two young doe come in. One was feeding perfectly broadside at 8yds. but every time I would set to draw back she would snap her head in my direction. She never spooked but went around the backside of a little tree island. The other followed her and I was able to get drawn back. Held for what seemed like 5 minutes(probably less than 2) but she had a bush in the way. Let down and they walked into the woods.

Had some turkey back behind me scratching in the leaves at the same time, they hung out and eventually went off the wrong way. About 9 o'clock they came back out in te same area and headed into the patch of woods the two does from earlier went in. Was hoping they would kick them up but nada. The 3 turkey made one more appearance just after 10, one caught me shifting as I was trying to get an angle to shoot behind me. That wa the end of Thanksgiving dinner dreams.

By that point it was nearing 11 and figured I was already there and it was a full moon, decided to sit the rest if the day and see what happened. Didn't have squat moving until about 5:45 when a small racked 5-8pt. walked out about 70 yds away. Basically a spike with some points lol. I grunted at him a few times, wanted to see if he was receptive to calling, had his attention but he just walked off. Probably a good thing, if given the chance I may just have let one loose on him lol. I'm getting desperate.

That pretty much ends my days in he woods until Nov. 1 when I start my vacation. Didn't even pull my cards, hunted a different area and want to leave that area unbothered until then.

 

We still had steady rain this morning, so I didn't venture out. High winds and family things got in the way of an afternoon hunt today. I'm moving a stand with/for my son tomorrow afternoon, and setting another stand for me, so I am ready to go as we get closer to November. I want to get things ready to go for my vacation the first full week of November. It looks like were going to get a good frost toward the end of next week, and that will get me more pumped to begin to get busy with serious hunting.

Also going to move a couple of cameras and switch cards tomorrow afternoon. I have a camera on a promising spot I haven't hunted much, and I am eager to see what is moving thru there. After tomorrow, I am ready to get some points on the board for Team 16!

 

Been out as much as possible lately. Today found an oak ridge with poplar whips on it, its tore up! Probably found 30+ rubs in a couple hundred yard area. Definitely some bucks using it but cant figure out where they're coming from, thats tomorrows task. Been rough with getting deer sightings, but keeping my head up and expecting it to change soon. Good luck everyone who's getting out!

 

Here in Central Illinois, we are getting our first good hard freeze tonight and Friday night. The deer are starting to move good, and it's time to get down to business of getting some meat in the freezer and some points on the board for Team 16!

The wind should be perfect for a couple of our stands, so I'll be after 'em mornings and afternoons this weekend! Good luck everyone..............have a great weekend!

 

almost had a nice 8pt last night, 50 yards no shot. I've had this doe and yearling pass right under my stand 2 sittings in a row, just don't have the heart to shoot the mom because it still follows her everywhere

 

Good luck all going out this weekend. Really wish I was going tomorrow, mid 20's overnight and 5-8mph winds. But I hav to pick up some OT while its available.


I'll be out 11/1-11/10 for my vacation or until I get a good one down. Going for 50 points first morning and if its cool enough I'll toss it in the truck and sit the rest of the day. If I can get a good buck down that weekend I'm going to cancel my vacation and head back to work. Weather permitting I'll be doing all days sits.

 

Well I guess i suffered what every bowhunter never wants to ... A miss... 38 yds took a shot at beautiful 6 pointer... I flat out missed

I let my adrenaline get the best of me and 1st time bowhunting jitters I believe did me in ... Im pretty sure I jerked my trigger on the release... Sorry fellas... Hopefully I will do better my next time out

I have my actual vacation days from the 19th-21st of Nov...

 

Have I mentioned I'm a procrastinator? Sitting here at work and it's 23 degrees. Supposed to be windy overnight and tomorrow but I'm contemplating getting out for a morning sit. Sunday looks great as well, but working Monday I'm not sure.

So hard to sit out a weekend like this

 

Please take the following as nothing but as it's intended, and that is constructive advice:

As a new bowhunter, I would suggest putting a limit on your shot distance. You may be able to drill tacks at 40 yards on your backyard target, but doing so in a hunting situation is a totally different animal. Long shots, coupled with limited experience shooting at animals in a hunting situation, is setting yourself up for a wounded animal that you cannot recover, and personal disappointment as well.

We were all new bowhunters once upon a time, and I can vividly remember my desire to take my first deer with a bow. That being said, I passed on several shots I probably could have made, because I vowed not to break my self-imposed limit of "nothing over 25 yards". I stuck to that rule, and in my second year, I harvested my first deer.

There is just so much that can and will go wrong with the adrenaline pumping thru you during a close encounter with a deer. You owe it to yourself and your quarry to take good shots.......and in archery, that often means close shots, so the end result is positive for you and the animal. Stick with it.........you'll connect soon enough. A miss is better than a bad hit, and lost animal anyday!

 

Alarm is set, we'll see what the winds are like when it goes off.

 

I'm with ya! I think the morning wind will be tame enough for a good morning hunt, and I hope it settles down enough for an evening sit as well. The deer should be moving..............now we need mother nature to cooperate for a couple of days.

Good luck in the coming days............and be safe out there!

 

I had a good morning in the stand. Temps were brisk, and until the sun was up for a while, the winds were not too bad. I flushed the resident turkey flock on the way into my stand. For anyone that hasn't done that before.....imagine a freight train running thru the woods in the dark! They make all sort of racket.

About 8:00 a.m. I had 3 does come in from the west, right toward my stand. I had a shot at one at about 12 yards, but she was a yearling, and I decided to pass on her. The other 2 never presented a shot opportunity, but they were bigger, with one being a very good sized doe. Family things this afternoon didn't allow me enough daylight to make a good afternoon hunt, but I will be back out in the morning. Brisk temps and light winds tomorrow morning........my kind of hunting weather!

 

I woke up at 3 and winds were gusting to 28mph. Decided I wasn't going to hunt only to awake to calm winds about the time I would have been getting in stand. I'll definitely be out there in the morning, anxious to pull my cards and see if traffic has started picking up around my favorite spot. Lots of rain coming up this week here in Illinois, mostly on Wed/Thur.

Vacation starts Friday!

 

My evening hunt turned into a call from my son Chris about 6:00 p.m. As soon as I answered the phone, and I heard him panting, I knew he had taken his first deer with his bow. We had several pics of this 8 pointer on my trail cameras, and Chris connected and put a great shot on him. Smacked him at about 25 yards, using his Bear Anarchy, ICS Bowhunter arrow, and NAP Killzone broadhead. The Killzone did a number on him. Knocked him down, he got up and went about 20 yards, stumbled, and piled up less than 50 yard from the initial shot.

Pretty good sized Illinois Buck..........and a very nice first bow kill. Needless to say, I am proud of him for getting it done, and getting it done right!

 

Congrats again!

 

Yeah I learned a few valuable lessons that day.. I appreciate the input... I think I am going to limit myself to 30yds and less for now... I am confident in my shots from 30 and less ... To be totally honest i felt good about that shot but I missed... Not sure what i did but I am definitely not out to wound animals so its baby steps from here on out...