Well ladies - I saw my first hard-horned buck on Tuesday night, and found my first rub as well. Now I'm ready to go kill some deer. :D Mike and I are going to create a few mock scrapes this weekend and put some trail cams on them to get a better idea of what deer are in the area. Also screwed some broadheads on the other day. Bring it on!
Heading out to IL lease to hang some stands on Saturday. Got one good trailcam buck so far...lets see where we go from here. Lousy photos, but nice buck.
Woke up this morning finally feeling motivated and excited about the upcoming season!!! For some reason haven't been in the mood but that has now changed. Will be out this weekend tuning up the bow and doing some scouting. Team 2's going to kick ass this year!!!
Frost warnings for this weekend.... yeah baby! I'm moving my camera today to a rub & scrape line on a ridge up behind the Lodge. I have to track down Count Chocula... it's killing me to know what he looks like this year!
Awesome news!!! I just acquired over 400 acres in Southern Illinois!!! I am the only one that has access to all this land also! I haven't seen it yet but know a few members on this site that hunted that land 2 years ago and it is known for many deer in the 160+ range! Hope to make a trip down in 2 weeks to check it out.
Is this the first you've seen this nice buck, or have you been following him for a while?? He wouldn't get a pass from me!
Yeah, this is the first set of photos we've gotten with him. The farmer told us on Sat. that there are at least 2 much bigger than him around. I believe him, but whenever a farmer tells me something like that...I never see the deer they are talking about. Fingers crossed!
Went out this past Saturday and started 3 mock scrapes. 2 in one small woodlot in somewhat of a line that I'll be hunting opening weekend, and other in a bigger woodlot where there's always a natural scrape. I just opened it up a little early and put a camera over it. :D Hoping to capitalize on a nice buck early in the season so I can spend more time filming and chasing some real big boys down South. This weekend I'm going to set out two stands and start another mock scrape in another small woodlot where a nice 140's 10 has been seen a few times. Eventually I'll figure something out and learn how to kill some nice bucks around here.
I think I'm going to go check my trail camera today or tomorrow. I might open up on of the scrapes thats near by aswell. Two weeks and one sleepless night to go!!
Checked the camera today. All does and fawns videos. Looks like my first plan is a 50 pointer... but where are the bucks??? I may have to wait until they start chasing?
Well boys, here's the area that I'll be hunting... The Yellow dots on the topo are a few of my past/present stand locations. The black dots on the E side of the lake is the resort & where I live. Red shaded areas are private that I don't have permission to hunt. I plan on hunting all over this area this fall. Last year I wasn't nearly as familiar with the area, so I ended up hunting a hand full of spots, time and time again. I surely over-hunted those stands. With my LW setup, I can pop into an area and set up for a evening (or morning) sit, and be off to another set the next day. There is virtually no hunting pressure here other than myself, my wife, & my dad. There's another group that comes up for the rifle season, but that's it. 12 Days, 19 hours, 53 minutes and 29 seconds until I can let an arrow fly.... I think it's going to be a long two weeks
Here is my area. C is a primary scrape area. there are 6 scrapes visible from a stand. I also have a stand about 80 yds SE of there along a trail that comes out of a thick bedding area. I have high hopes for that spot on a late Oct south wind.
Looks like I'll be up in WI for the opener this weekend. Trouble is - I wont' be hunting! I will be filming for Todd Graf. Hopefully we can lay down some decent footage and get a doe harvest on film if nothing else. After we get back I'll have to wait until October to start my hunting here in IL. Going out to check cameras tonight. I'm crossing my fingers that I've got something worth looking at!
Checked cameras last night and some good young bucks, but nothing worth getting too excited over. So far I've only got photos of one buck I'd like to shoot for sure this fall. He's a solid 4x5 that probably goes close to 130". For some reason the genetics on this farm produce bucks like this year in and year out and they never get bigger than that. Mike and I have sheds off two different bucks for several years in a row that never put on any tine or beam length, just mass. If I get a look at him, he's going down. First photo of him back in July A month later with a little bit more growth. Now finally out of velvet. He may not make 130 but I think he's a 3 1/2 year old which is good enough for me. After getting skunked on bucks last year I'm not going to be too picky come October. :D
Hey Greg just wanted to tell ya good luck this season buddy. I hope you kill a big E TX monster. Good luck to the rest of Team 2 also. Have a great & safe season fellas! Waid
