Okay, I give up. Well, on early season public land hunting for this year anyway. I've been hunting hard and I've seen a total of two deer from my stand so far. Very disappointing. This past weekend I drove to camp, set up, took a shower, drove to a spot and walked in to find that the spot no longer existed. Well, the spot was there but all of the trees were gone. They had clear-cut that section of Chickasaw State Forest. I just drove a little ways down the road to a saddle, parked and walked in. That evening I had does blowing at my truck and one deer walked almost to me at last light but I must have moved too much trying to spot him. I heard him turn and walk the other way. The next morning I had high hopes. I sneaked in, hooked my bow up and as I reached for the rail of the top of my Summit Viper to swing myself up onto the platform I bumped it and the top section fell against the bottom section with a VERY loud clang. I climbed my tree with deer blowing at me from three different directions. I didn't see or hear anything the rest of the hunt. Oh well. I'll be taking this weekend off and then next Friday I'll be on my way to Ohio for a 9 day hunt. Should be interesting. I invested a good chunk of change on some good merino wool cold weather gear in case I need it. I wasn't very well prepared for cold weather and I don't want to get up north and have it turn too cold for my southern climate gear. We'll see how this hunt goes. If I don't see anything in Ohio for nine days during the rut I may just sell my bows and take up golf.
Darn that's rough Johnny. Man I'm sorry. I'm excited for your Ohio hunt though buddy! That should be a good week and some change. Public land can be rough and it always seems when you are struggling you end up slipping up like your climber situation. We have all done something like that.
Well, true to form my season thus far sucks. It's been warm, warm, warm. I told my wife that since I would be leaving next Friday for nine days in Ohio I would stay home this weekend. Wouldn't you know that a cold front would blow through, the temps would drop and the deer would start moving. I'm an old retired Navy Chief so I could add a few colorful expletives here, but I won't. Actually, my wife said I should go, but I had already said I'd stay home and I don't go back on what I say, especially when it comes to my wife. I've got it WAY too good to do something stupid. Meh, it's all good. I just know that next Saturday I'll be in a tree in Ohio during the rut and sometime during that nine days something is going to die. I've already starting washing my gear. I'm trying to get the stink off my new Alphaburly boots and I've got to figure out how to wash all of the new merino wool gear I bought. I can't begin to tell you how stoked I am just thinking about this trip. Aaron can vouch for that. We see each other every day at work and it's all I can talk about. I'm almost 50 and I feel like I'm a pre-teen the week before Christmas!
Man Im fired up for you! Any hunter gets excited at the thought of Ohio in November! You better find a way to keep us updated here and there while you are there. Def a good move to stay home this weekend. Always good to keep a smile on the womens face. I have mixed feelings for tomorrow. Wind sucks for all my stands...but it is going to be one of the better days of the season. Not sure how Im going to play it...and dont have much time to decide. Im kinda disappointed in myself and my stand placements this year...but I got alot of time to learn and get these things figured out. All part of the game.
I have tap-a-talk on my phone. Quite a few of my posts come from my iPhone. Hey John, if you don't mind, PM me your phone number and I'll pm you mine. I don't have the technology installed to post pics from my iPhone, but if I get something I can text you a pic and you can post it in the team thread. How strong is the wind supposed to be there tomorrow? It's too bad the wind is wrong for you tomorrow. Is it going to be a light wind or something more significant? If it's not a light wind that's to your advantage, especially in the morning when the thermals should also play to your advantage. Sit one of the more borderline stands based on the wind direction if that's the case.
well it wasn't with a bow but my son killed a doe yesterday during tennessee youth weekend. the encounter was more exciting than the actual kill. first a really nice bobcat comes up out of the bottom to our left in between us. i am thinking shoot the cat. well that cat sat down right under my son's tree, right under his stand. my nerves can't stand it so i whisper fairly loud to him shoot that cat. i am probably 35 yards from him. well, the cat takes off. while watching it leave i catch movement out of the corner of my eye in front of us. 2 does coming right to him. the shot was maybe 20 yards, she ran maybe 30 yards. it was a 4 year drought for him. the encounter was better than the kill like i said.
Well, today is the day. All of the equipment is loaded and we leave for Ohio right after work. I'm really having trouble focusing on what I need to get done.
so wish i was going with johnny to ohio. i feel he will have a trip to remember. best of luk, my prayers arewith you brother.
Just got on the road headed for Ohio. About 15 minutes before time to leave my wife called. She and my daughter had taken my daughter's truck to get a trailer load of hay. Well my daughter had stopped to fill up with diesel, but she filled her Chevy 2500 up with gas instead and then drove 13 miles. I had to take my truck and fly to Ripley, TN to get the trailer load of hay. I think my daughter is going to learn a lesson about paying attention to what she's doing - to the tune of about $1,000 to $1,500. I'm a little ticked about getting on the road two hours late, but it'll be okay. Good luck this weekend guys.
hey guys havent checked in a real long time but im still here lol.. ive probably got about 30 hrs in the stand so far but havent a good size buck walk in front of me yet... i would have a doe on the board but you can only get one tag here so im not wasting my one a only tag on a doe .. got a bunch of pictures now of a massive 13 point with split brows like 6 inches long on both sides... ill putt some pictues up of him soon.. anyways hope all of you are haveing a good season so far.. the big boysare gonna start moving anytime so keeps your heads up and your releases clipped ..
Hey glad to hear from you. Dont feel bad, I'm around 115 gours and nothin to show for it. Gotta happen sooner or later. Keep us updated brother n thanks again for checking in.
Johnny my best friend was driving through eastern Ohio last night heading to work and passed 8 dead bucks including a shooter...so although sad news, means they are chasing not to far from you. Can happen at any time for you brother!!
It's heating up here. Had six bucks ( two 8 points, one 7 and three smaller ones) and one doe in bow range this morning. Didn't want to shoot the doe and the the 8 points were about 100 to 110 inch deer. Not what I'm after here, especially since we know that there's a 12 point in the area. Still, it was an awesome show.
