Sunday night if the thunderstorms have passed. Looks like our streak of hot weather is coming to an end... YES! Highs in the low to mid 50's Monday and Tuesday, see if that'll get these deer moving a bit.
So, my brother came up for the first time in 2 months. We were celebrating his son's 3rd B-day here at the Lodge (which is why I wasn't out at all this weekend). Just before he left, he ran across the lake where he's had 3 camera set up since his last visit. Well, I think he might have captured the first photograph of Count Chocula, the buck I was chasing all last Nov & Dec. Looks like I'll be paddling as soon as the wind dies down over the next few day. It's cooling off too! Low of 26 Tuesday night!
Looks like Saturday morning I'll be up in a tree with Mike behind me with the camera. He's such a stand up guy he's giving me the first hunt of the year. Hopefully I can capitalize on it! The stand we'll be sitting was hunted a total of 3 times last season, and we could've shot deer out of it all three times. Here's a screencap of "Wonka". A nice 2 1/2 Mike passed up last season in our first sit in this stand. Hopefully he shows up as a nice 3 1/2 so I can put an arrow through him! Good luck to everyone else who is headed out for the first time this weekend. 'Tis the season!
Good luck Justin. Almost put 50 on the board last night. Had a doe at 30 making her way to my foodplot where I had a shot. As I was starting to draw back, a truck passed on a gravel road on the opposite end of the filed and she got spooky and turned and walked back into the woods. Never saw her again.
In stand update...deer count 0. Squirrels...0. As you can see I hope things pick up in the last hour. Haha
So I take it they didn't pick up? The weather has been super windy the last few days. It's supposed to calm down a bit tomorrow. I'm hoping for a better week of weather so I can get out more. Some time this week if the wind is right I'm going to head to my Outlet Funnel again. After doing some searching online, I'm positive that the second creature that came in on me opening weekend was a cow moose and not a second buck. But I'm still anxious to get back there.
Well boys - anyone else out hunting yet or what??? Saturday morning the wind was wrong for the stand where we wanted to go, which meant we had to pick out a tree and hang stands in the dark. When it got light we were pretty happy with our overall setup. One small doe showed up behind us that Mike scared away when he coughed. Damn bronchitis. Saturday afternoon we bumped 10 or so does on our way in, then didn't see anything from stand. Full moon had them on their feet early. We should've went in at noon, but we were dumb. Sunday morning Mike hunted and I was behind the camera, and he passed up shots at probably 8-10 does. They just kept coming, stopping at 20 yards, and turning their heads away from us like God was begging him to shoot one of them. But with one doe already in the freezer and more season ahead of us he doesn't need the meat, and didn't feel like it. So we returned home emptyhanded this weekend. We'll be back at it next weekend and provided we get a good wind will be in the same stand, only this time I'll be the with the bow in my hand!
Well you saw my post in the bowhunting forum. With rain expected all week and clearing next weekend I'll just have to be optimistic about my chances next weekend.
Well after giving my Outlet Funnel a 14 day vacation after my encounter opening weekend, I headed back last night. I was sitting in a different tree due to the NW wind. Had a buck slip into the same area I saw the 1st one. He was only 25 yards away, but he stayed in the thick brush along the edge of the little clearing. He made a small rub but then wondered off to the south without presenting himself... I had a second deer coming in after dark, but I quietly got down and snuck out. I didn't want to get trapped in my tree again. With the off and on drizzle all night, it was easy to be sneaky. We'll see how the wind plays out this afternoon, again I had to leave my stand up, so I'd like to head back again so I can take it down.
Sorry I am not too active on the forum. I figured I should give you guys an update. Me and my buddy Wayne are headed out to our lease in JoDaviess County, IL on Fri. We will hunt Sat & Sun. Wish us luck! Brian
Go get 'em Brian! I started a mock scrape yesterday near where I had my trail camera. This ridge had a tone of rubs/scrapes last year that I found this winter snowshoeing. It's only a matter of time before they'll kick it into gear. Oh yeah, There's snow showers forecasted for the weekend:D
Today going better that last hunt. Had a deer at 5 yards but it was a button buck...Ahh. I need venison!
Now that the rain is clearing, the wind is going to be 20mph today... grrrrrrrr! Makes it hard to paddle solo across the lake when its 20mph. MoBow, I'll try and get some photos if it snows this weekend:D
Come on boys, we need some points! Looks like I may get out for a Friday afternoon hunt, then Mike and I are headed back down to our lease this weekend. I'm up to bat first in the doe stand from last Sunday morning. If a nanny comes by she's going down!
I'll be out again Saturday evening. I have to make one of my daughter's soccer games in the AM. I can't miss all of them. Hopefully I'll earn at least 50 by Sunday evening.
I'm sick of waiting for the weather to break, so I'm headed out after lunch for a long afternoon sit in a new spot. Sneak in, set up, and sit 'til dark... The deer have become much more active over the last week. There are tracks all over the resort, but mostly from night traffic. Sun- Weds we have no guests....:D I'll try a get an all day sit in there, but if the weather is too nice, I need to stain our 5 Bedroom Cabin... boooooo. I'm also planning a mini-deepwoods adventure for the last week in Oct. Two or three days where I'll pack a tent into the backwoods and make a camp that I can hunt out of. My hunting buddy backed out due to work, so I'm going to try it solo and see how it goes. Smack dab in the middle of over 800 inaccessible acres... should be an adventure for sure
