Yea, I've been hitting the stands frequently. Couple times a week. Plan on starting all day sits since a lot of my buddies are killing good deer mid day. Small guys chasing and cruising all morning then big guys jumping up mid day and crusing a little. Had a new guy show up that's a STUD! Sure hope he sticks around or at least chases a doe by and I can get a shot. Naming him Wowza!
I had a close encounter last night, just not close enough for a shot. He was a old slob of a 8 pt that I believe I saw last year. I didn't know he was in there. I did a run and gun last night and picked a tree then stood there for 10 minutes, then convinced myself to move back 50 yards. Couldn't make up my mind, and wouldn't you know that pig walked 10 yards from that tree and was walking with the wind.
Wow that's half moose half deer. Antlers palming like a moose. I've been hunting hard since last Wednesday. Every day morning and evening, between the south and north bush at the farm I have permission on and the bush behind my house. Trying to hunt the wind, have had some crazy swirly winds though last few days. It's been tough hunting. Tomorrow is a south west wind which really sucks for all my stands. But I have a good plan for the morning. I will be sitting on the ground in a open field which is a crossing between two major bush. I plan to sit until noon tomorrow. Deer I've seen have been after 930. Evenings have been a complete waste of time. Haven't seen anything besides that day I walked in on those bucks. After to,or row I won't be able to hunt until weekend. Then next week I should be off whole week. Maybe just Monday ill need to work. So a better part of the rut I should be in the woods.
Well I can't say I didn't put a lot of hours in. I need to go back to work now for the rest of the week. This weekend I'll be out there again and all next week. Hopefully catch the peak rut. I did smack two coyotes this morning though. That's always a good feeling.
I am heading back tomorrow evening after that big boy I saw the other night. Going to sneak in and set a new stand tight to the ticket he came out of. The wind will be perfect for the buck to be bedded in there and I have the perfect place to sneek in just on the side of the wind. I feel like I can make this happen tomorrow, but if not at least I will have the stand set for future hunts.
Holt why kind of stand do you take to set up mid season? I have a ton of ladder stands. I almost want to chuck them all. There so damn noisy. Everytime you climb up or move in them the ladders clang together.
I take lock on stands and use screw in steps or climbing sticks. I sold my climbers this year and only use lock ons. I set most in key areas and tweak them thru the season. Then I have a couple I use for run and gun set ups that I take down after the hunt. The best part about the lock on stand is its versatility to set up in any tree unlike a climber.
lock on stand meaning a standard hang on??? ratchet straps?? So what you guys think, tomorrow is a E wind, rain. Where do you think I should sit? 5 and 6 are being heavily used by deer.
Sitting here watching my boy and here a bunch of dogs cut loose in my backyard, walk out side and see a 150" 10 pt hauling *** in front of them to get away. Walked down and checked the camera and sure enough they were chasing his *** everywhere. To bad I wasn't hunting or I'd have a nice buck, a beagle, and a black mutt for my hero pic!
Lol that's one thing I hate about the plot behind my house. I see deer and get pissed why I wasn't hunting lol Holt. The bush on the north end is a thick jungle which I don't walk in. All pines, downed trees, young growth etc. but in a circle all the way around it is a atv trail. It does one big circle and comes back to that land bridge road you can see by the main pond. Would deer really he cruising the down wind side of that to see which does are hiding inside? If not I'm going To head back to my stand in the south bush. I have not been there in over a week. It's a timber at the top and thick cedars at bottom. Wind will be blowing towards te bottom of the hill. I can't see that being a problem since I'm well over 100' above that bottom. So my scent should be well over top
Pretty windy today but I relocated a deer I call BJ last night. Haven't had him on camera in almost 2 months! Found out he crossed the freeway and is in a tiny thicket with corn on the North and South side of it, still has standing beans on the east side as well. Just got permission from an old man to park in his driveway and walk into the wind to the wood lot. If he shows up like he did in daylight last night I'm going to punch my tag. He may not be the biggest buck I'm chasing but he's a 4.5 yr old stud. Taking all day Friday to sit in the tree as well, then off to Indiana for 4 days to hunt with my buddy.
Hey boys. Finally some action tonight. Had two does come in at around 430. I sat and watched them until 533 which was legal light. They were on my corn pile in the south bush. Holt you were right they were bedding in that thin strip of cedars between bush and pond. They came up behind me. Had a north wind this evening so they were upwind of me entire time. I was hoping a buck would follow behind. Whole hour and nothing. I didn't want to shoot them right now. I know I can easily get a doe for the freezer in December in my backyard. So I didn't want to screw up this spot as it's the first good action I have had all season. Now that I have two does there and no buck was there. That just means they are not in heat yet and bucks are not interested right? If I stay on too of them a buck should follow soon? Is this spot worth going to in mornings now? I imagine I should leave this for evenings only. Cause I would be spooking them comjng into the bush. Tomorrow were expecting 20s in the morning. But 15mph winds with gusts up to 25 from the north. Not sure where I want to go in morning now. Or go at all.
Sounds good, Stick with the does and the bucks will come. Just don't pressure them to much and blow them out. I would use the wind tomorrow to sneak into a area that every time you go in you bust deer out. With the higher winds they wont hear you coming in, and take your time.
Couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to hunt this evening with 20 - 30 mph winds and a light drizzle but with rut starting up and gun season this weekend I made a late run to the closest of my stands. Got in about 4pm and had a doe and 4 point by 420. Ended up having a 2.5 yr old 8 a half rack buck which would have been a 10 if he hadn't broke one side off and a few does before dark. Mid way down my climbing sticks a buck busts in at about 45 yards, couldn't see which buck he was but he was definitely a shooter from what I could make out. Snuck out and didn't seem to spook him.
K ill try same spot in morning. I actually left my quiver there anyways. Was all worried about sneaking out didnt even think to grab quiver. So I only have one arrow with me. Gonna sit late. Any buck down winding there bedding area will need to pass me. But that being said I too will be winded. F it. We will see.
There's no way they were bred already is there? Cause this is where I saw those big bucks before Halloween. Because if that's the case one of these girls are dieing lol.
So tomorrow is supposed to be cold and windy. I have a new stand that faces south and sits just into the woods on the edge of a bean field near a scrape and a ton of rubs. The deer seem to come across that field from the south so I am thinking of hunting there tomorrow until about 9am. After that I plan on moving into the woods pretty much directly behind the field stand so that I can stay out out of the wind as much as possible. I am planning an all day sit for tomorrow so hopefully they are moving. I will be getting out my heated vest and insoles tonight and making sure they are ready to go!
Yeah, the temps here tomorrow morning will be in the low 30's with a light wind. I cant wait! I plan on doing a all day sit on a stand that I just hung Wednesday. I am hoping I don't need to sit all day and get a buck early in the morning! On this day 1 year ago I had my best sit of the year in this same area, so I am hoping for a repeat tomorrow.
