I say wait.... Weds/Thurs/Fri/Sat are going to be great days to be in the woods. The underfoot/overhead of the moon on those days is during prime shooting time. Good mornings: Oct: 29,30,31 Nov: 1,2 Good Evenings: Oct: 28,29,30
Well I have been extremely busy this month... But got out this weekend to hunt in south central WI. saw 1 doe that was it. ill be out next weekend to hunt a piece of property where 2 weeks ago I had a 140 bust me moving the camera at 25 yards in a ground blind. so hopefully I can get it done! Stay safe everyone!
Hey boys, your going to be sick of me after this all... but oh well LOL I need all the knowledge I can get from you guys. I went in this morning again and gathered even more intel. I couldn't get in until 9am as my wife was sick and had to take my daughter to school. So I slipped in at 9am and figured I would see what I could, and then would spend a hour stomping around and gathering intel. I wish I did this two weeks ago when I got permission but oh well. I'll let it cool tonight and tomorrow morning. Maybe pop in tomorrow night or wait until Wednesday morning. Tomorrow is supposed to be some nasty wind anyways so better I stay out. Ok here is a better map of that property. Google earth had a sharper image. I zoomed in on that right side of the property that I am focusing on. Ok so off the bat you can see the two bodies of water like before. You can also see the difference in colours from the evergreens to that greyish foggy colour, which is the hardwoods. This must have been a fall picture. ok so I'll try to explain all my jibberish on the map. At the bottom of the screen you can see my entrance on that powerline from the road. You can see that powerline extends right up to that clearing and pond on the neighbours property. Where I put that red arrow shows you where I park the truck, which starts my story. Yesterday evening came in late around 530. I pull in and you can see on the powerline I made a red circle, that's where the doe and monster 12 point were standing. Once I turned ignition off they darted in the direction I drew. I got out of truck and progressed up the powerline to my blue line you see on map which is my trail in the bush. But right as I got to that intersection I see a wide 10 walking away from me towards that pond. I go ahead and follow him slowly and before he got behind the last tree I grunted. You know the rest.... He spooked off straight towards the back of the neighbours. Shown by that circle. So in the bush on the right were my two stands. One by the road (purple dot) is existing from land owner who has never used it. I set mine just a little firther down as you can see. Now remember that orange line shows the creek bottom and the arrows showing the slope. This is a very steep slope and very high. At least 100-150' high. The only gradual parts are my two orange arrows on the south east side of the creek bottom. So my stand I can hardly see that blue trail which is a existing trail. I think this is my problem. So to explain the rest of the dots and lines, which were my discoveries this morning. I walked in at 9am as I said. instead of getting off the blue trail to my stand I followed it slowly. I see what looked like a scrapes. Now I can't confirm they are, I don't see any actual scrape marks from the hoofs. I just see all the leaves removed rather cleanly. Then I keep walking and see 2 more just like it. None really looked scrapped up, just nice and clean, but all had a branch nearby and all were about 3'x3' in size. So the trail ends roughly at a scrape, after that the leaves look plush and untouched so not sure deer travel in there. But sure enough right as I am looking down at the last scrape I see 2 deer run from behind the cedars out into the open and out to the back which is that red circle and arrow. I couldn't see antlers but I suspect bucks just from the body size. Lastly back to my original stands. That maroon dot is where I put some food, the food is totally been cleaned up. I found a little bit of deer crap, but walking back along the creek bottom I found some doe hoof marks coming from the cedars towards my food. I lost the track before the food but it was clearly headed in that direction. Lastly back on the power line. Right at the end where the 10 point was spotted. I made a purple circle, this is a huge section of Oaks. There are almost no oaks at all in the bush, but this one area I noticed today was all oaks. Maybe 40 of them. Nice tall ones. All the leaves were down, but I didn't see a whole lot of acorns. Probably already wiped out. Now that field up there where I spotted the 10 point is just a mowed lawn. That house back there is a super rich guy with a huge house. He has someone mow the lawn all around that pond. So besides grass there is no real food source there, unless this buck was cruising to check the oak trees. Anyways...... help me interpret this all??? Last night was more then likely a fluke the deer being on the power line. I have been here 3 evenings prior and never seen it. But then seeing those deer this morning at the north end of the property. I couldn't tell if maybe they were bedded in that cedar are and I jumped them. Or they were coming back in from that field and possibly bed somewhere in the bush. So I am going stir crazy now. In your guys experience my stands are probably in a bad spot right? Do deer often walk the creek bottom?? normally they will take the high road right to be able to wind? But there is sign down there? Maybe bedding down there and using the shallower slope by the truck parking to get up the hill?? Again looking at the north end of the property. Its surrounded by evergreens as you can see, but the hardwoods have dropped all leaves. And the leaves look so plush and fluffy, like nothing has walked on them. I couldn't see any trails at all. What would you guys do here? Morning only? Afternoon only? I have a number of stands I can use, or just use a climber. I'm so confused now as to how to hunt this place.
I would say the bucks are bedding high on the hill in the cedars with there back to the wind, This will make it very hard for you to get in there. They will see well before you see them. The problem with hunting creek bottoms is the wind coming off the hill will swirl in the bottom around the creek and blow your scent all over and down the creek and will alert every deer in there. My guess is they are foraging on acorns for the first hour then as dark sets in they move towards the green lawns and bushes at the neighbors home. This may sound dumb, but what I would do is set up in the oaks in the up wind side. The key is to set up on the edge of the wind and thermals. The bucks wont come out unless they feel safe and can smell the whole area. Its a fine line but you have to be on the edge of the wind to trick them and only hunt it when the wind is perfect for the bucks and you. If its only perfect for you, they wont come out there any way. IDK if any of this helps you or makes it worse. If there is now way to hunt the wind properly then I would set up 50 yards down wind of the scrapes by the nastiest thicket you can find. A buck will wind check his scrape before he commits to going near it.
Ya so basically your asking me to hunt the end of the power line. I was thinking the same thing. Normally we have a west or north wind during the season. I could dump a ton of food in there by the oaks. I'm ok with that. Short walk from truck lol My other idea was this. Near the first scrape. I set up on the south east side of the trail with my back to that thick crap. In there it's really thick. I could dump a ton of food on that trail too. North or west wind no way ill get winded unless a deer is in the open field behind me. Which won't matter to me anyways. And if they use that trail to get out to the field they will pass right by me. And even any deer coming up from the creek bottom will pass me as well. What you think?
I guess another question is. How to hunt the does??? Because the does will be where the bucks are in a week or so. Would the spots were talking about being good all day rut spots?
Well I had the best weekend I could have without actually seeing a deer. I took Saturday off from hunting to get some firewood for the winter. I hunt the same property that I get firewood from. About a year or so ago I found out that the property next the property I hunt has 86 acres of MFL land. I didnt know anything about this land so I decided to see if I could find the access point. I found a spot but I wasnt sure if it was the right one so I went over to the neighbor's house to see if they knew anything. I had never met them before. It turns out the guy is a hunter and was super nice. He told me all about the MFL land, where there was water, and how the deer moved around the area. I had never had a chance to really scout the property I am hunting but I had afew ideas of where I might put a couple of stands. He confirmed that my hunches were spot on (only by luck) so the next day after my morning hunt I walked along the edge of the wood and bean field. I had found very little sign on this property but in 10 minutes I found a scrape under a low hanging oak branch with acorns everywhere, 8-10 rubs, and 3 trails going into the woods. I found a good spot to put a ladder stand near the scrape and now I am excited to hunt this property again. Saturday after my morning hunt I will put up the stand while trying not to disturb the area too much and give it go that night.
Nice 400 that really is great news!!!! Now don't flood this thread with questions on how to hunt it. I've already got all that room reserved lol. Good luck out there. Good luck out there. So I have made my final ruckus in their before the rut. Today was a good day as it is stupid hot and tonight were expecting a big storm. It was windy like hell so helped keep my noise at a minimum with all that racket from trees in wind. Plus all the rain will wash away my sins and scent left behind. Basically on that second scrape is where I set up. I pushed the stand far bck as possible off trail with back at the cedars. So no way they can come from behind me unless they go onto the field. I can't imagine that being a smart move in daylight for a deer. Directly in front of me is a super steep slope and just the trail going across. So any deer traveling north south in this bush only has two options. Down in creek bottom or right past my stand. And if there at the bottom and want to come up. The only shallow spot is to my left at the power line trail which is about 35 yards from stand. I cleared lanes, dumped 5 bags of corn and 4 pails of carrots. Let them settle in before I come back.
I never had much luck with mature bucks coming to a bait pile, but the does will and you only need one hot doe to make it work. The set up sounds good, but remember that a buck won't go down a trail naturally with out the wind in his favor.
Guys, it almost happened tonight here in Wisconsin. Right at about dark a doe came out of a trail in front of my stand at 13 yards. She then walked across into the corn and out of sight. I was waiting, hoping a big stink nasty would be following behind, but nothing. I tie the rope around my bow and am ready to let it down when I hear grunting from the corn field. By the time I untie the rope the buck is out of the corn and going following the same trail that the doe came out of but he was going in. It was so dark I couldn't even see the string to attach my release to, so I know it was too dark to shoot. I couldn't tell how many points he had but at dark and at 13 yards I could see that he had heavy main beams and a brute of a body. Again, I don't know how many points he had but I feel 99.9% confident that had he come out earlier and had I shot him, I would be the newest member of the pope & young club. To top things off, I have a camera in front of the tree that he walked by. I went to check the camera, I had a picture of the doe, and of me, but that stinker didn't even set off the camera. Goes to show that trail cameras don't always tell the whole story! I'll be back out there Thursday after my Greek class. I lost my call so I'm going to buy one tomorrow. I wonder if I had my call if I could have called him in before dark. Oh well, what if's. Still exciting to know that there's a shooter in the area!
Got in stand about 20 mins ago. Wind is right, really cold today just about freezing. Expecting a lot of rain tomorrow. So should be a busy night. Have not been in since two days ago when I set everything up. Camera is showing 1300 pics so I imagine I set it up with the sunrise. I'll have a look at card later. Let's see what happens.
Yea he's a new guy. The first buck is my true target deer. He'd been in my backyard several times since those pics above. He usually winters here but I need these crops to come off and for him to survive until then before I get serious about him.
Ohhh boys were getting our first snow. It's snowed all night. I'm heaving in right now. Hopefully the white gold will have them moving.
Got back out this morning, temps were high 20's and a hard frost. The deer were definitely moving with small bucks chasing does pretty hard. Didn't see any of my shooters but getting ready to head back out for the evening.
Thought I was gonna get it done tonight but the drop tine buck I have on camera had other plans. Just before shooting light ended he crossed the fence about 150 yards from me and was heading my direction. Only thing that stood between him and my arrow were three does. He decided to put his nose to the geound, start grunting and chasing the does off in another direction. Overall it was an awesome experience and evening.
