Unfortunately I'm almost calling my year a wash too. Spent gun opener yesterday pushing trespassers away. I believe my neighbor has scared off or wiped out most of the deer population using illegitimate means to say the least... If I were to estimate night time shots 9pm-3am in past month within a quarter mile I've heard 30-40, not including ones during last light I'd attribute to poaching during bow only time. Actually had a spotlight shined on me coming back from hunting one night. Added to the mix Friday had a wolf right in my plot mid day, sure that helps. Hoping to basically try a few more times now and hope for a late season shot after legal people quit gun hunting. For next year Gonna work on habitat improvements to try and keep deer safer and improving my hunting entrances/exits/etc. not happy at all with how things went, but learned a lot and can build on that Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've got deer on camera but I can't seem to be in the stand at the right time. I haven't seen a single deer this weekend in 2 morning hunts. The wind picked up too much yesterday afternoon and I need to rest and relax this afternoon so I'll have to reassess which day to take off this week to hunt and wait for then and next weekend.
Rifle season opened here on Friday so I took the wife and Britney to the city for some visiting and fun. We bought a blind and Brit some winter pac boots ( sorrels ). We got back late yesterday afternoon and decided to go for a drive to see how many rifle hunters were around. Surprising to us there were not very many. Then the big surprise was seeing Trash running around right by the flipping road. We have a plan for the new ground blind !! The wife isn't crazy about it as it puts us about 60 yards right off a gravel road the road hunter like driving. We will be in a tree belt running parallel with the road that the deer like running during rut and old rut haunt of Trash's. We will set it up early this afternoon and hunt it the next 3 days hoping to get a shot at Trash. I will make a mock scrape if there isn't one in the area we set up to slow him down for a shot. There is another buck running the trees too that Britney really like also. Hopefully the road hunters won't be too bad as I will leave my vehicle sitting on a hill along side the road as a deterrent to keep them poaching and shooting in our direction. We have some very bad slobs/poachers and they all seem to come out during rifle season. Tim
Well I am back from vacation and hunted yesterday and today. Saw does and some small bucks but no shooters!! Checked cameras today and have an 8 point buck I named Shady McCoy show up on daylight hours last night!! Of course I wasn't hunting that stand!! I had him on camera back in the middle of July for six pictures at two different stands and then he vanished until this week!! I will be there in the morning hope he shows up!! Still seems slow here but I know a couple guys who killed bucks near me during the week but they came to good sources and weren't chasing does!!
Well guys wish everyone could have the season Im having. Im tagged out in IN and KY. I killed a nice 9 in KY last week and I finally shot a doe yesterday morning. I know I could have used my KY buck as my other 50 points but wanted to out and actually get a doe. Ill get it posted as soon as I get some pic loaded up. To top it all off, I received a phone call Sat night from a buddy who works at our local dispatch about a giant deer hit on interstate. I flew down there and actually was given a tag for him. He was hit by a semi and then ran over by a car but the antlers that are still remaining are incredible. The pics don't do him any justice. View attachment 54404 View attachment 54405
That's a beast. He Woulda looked amazing if he wasn't all busted up, but still is sweet. Good luck on getting him Lung. Gotta love a sweet buck with history Just checked cards today. Sunday I second guessed myself when I got in the stand. Thought the wind was gonna screw me so got pissed and went in to wait for better conditions. Today see if I Woulda stayed an hour and a half, this pic was 40 yards in front of that stand, wind Woulda been just fine entering there... Hope he makes another visit tonight. Shoulder got twisted a little changing a diaper yesterday (I'll pause for chuckles). Going to get it checked out again tomorrow. Before that I pulled my compound back and felt good, but that reminded me something's not right in all spots in it. Probably not any of the news good for here, but just an update. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well my week has not been going real great. Started hunting in MN last Friday, drove through a snow storm that dropped 14" of snow on Monday down to Southern WI. Now it's 17 degrees with 30 mph wind gusts. It doesn't look like the weather is going to let up anytime soon. I've been seeing deer which helps, but nothing worth shooting at. My standards will be lowering soon as my love of venison slightly overcomes my desire to shoot mature deer.
Same here. With 20° highs and lows at 0 or below, I wont hesitate to shoot the first nice doe I see and call it a year. I won't give up that easy but the extended forecast just hurts.
I will be hunting all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday again. (My wife must love me.) Been seeing a ton of deer and can't wait to get back out there. Good luck & be safe.
I'm hunting all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as well. I spiced up the mock scrape with some doe estrous last weekend and I'm thinking this cold front is going to put the rut in full swing. I am seeing a ton of deer on the side of the road just none during daylight while hunting, I think this shift in weather will change that.
I too will be living in a stand on Friday Saturday and Sunday. If I dont manage to get a buck then I will continue my vacation in to next week!
I'll be back out this weekend also. Deer movement is still poor during daylight but sooner or later a big buck is gonna slip up and I will be waiting for him. Tim
Things have been pretty slow for me also. I have hunted everyday this week beginning Sunday and have only seen a couple small spikes. We got a pretty good cold snap that set in this morning and we have a storm coming tonight so I hope I can catch a buck on the move this afternoon! Good luck to you guys hunting in the next few days!!
Hunted last night and saw two small bucks up and on there feet! One was chasing a doe and the other was working scrapes!! Hopefully it keeps getting better! I will be back in the stand this afternoon!! Seems like this cold snap has them on the move!
Had three does and two younger bucks walk by this morning. Bucks were just strolling through. Had to come in and thaw out for a few hours
Well I hunted hard the last seven days straight and things were pretty slow!! Saw a couple small bucks but nothing worth shooting!! I am back at work and probably won't be back in the tree til Wednesday now!! Good luck to you guy who are hunting this week!!
