White oaks have been dropping here for a month already and the deer are absolutely hammering them. I got out last night and trimmed 3 stands before it got dark and saw my first rubs and scrapes of the year starting to pop up. It won't be long now!
According to the great Bruce Buffer "It's Tiiiime!" (Almost). Saturday is the opener here in MN, which I can hardly wait for...just have to get a plan of action ready.
Fellas, what are your plans for the opener/early season. Any specific strategies you guys are planning on using? Any of you guys use trad gear at all and if so, does your criteria change? I have to decide what piece I'm going to but right now I'm leaning towards the piece in the photo below. There are some ag fields to the west (the right side in the photo) and I am hoping that the deer will be moving from the ag down into the timber to the creek and then munch on some oaks in the bottom prior to bedding. This particular area is bow only until Oct. 31 and I've seen some great deer in here the past and I should be able to move in without bumping anything since I'll be away from the food source and parked in a spot on a hill that allows for a more stealth entrance. As for my archery tackle, I'm debating on bringing the longbow, in which case I usually lower my standards a bit but I really want to hold out for a mature buck this year but I'll also be limited on time thisbyear so I'm torn about which route to go. All good decisions to have to make I suppose.
Hopefully I can get out this Sunday to set a couple stands and check on a few. I was finally able to shoot little bit the other night. It wasn’t to bad. This is the least prepared I have ever been for a season. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I have no early-season strategy, to be honest. My only real plan is to stay out of my better stands and spots until the time is right. Like many others, I've burned up my better spots by hunting them too soon, and I don't want to make that mistake this year. Now that my oldest son is hunting, I typically spend the early season trying to get him on a deer, and then I start seriously hunting for myself in mid-October. When I do get the chance to hunt early, I like to use it as an opportunity to explore new spots I don't typically hunt or throw some hail marys in strange locations where I think a mature buck may be living. The one exception to this will be a very particular buck in a very particular spot where I got pics of him quite a bit last year and pretty regularly all summer. If I happen to get intel that he's in the area and the wind/conditions are right, I will go in after him. The deer below usually disappears after his velvet comes off and shows back up in December. Anxiously waiting to see if he's actually going to hang around this year.
My early season strategy is laying a doe down opening morning hahah she will have to be a fatty though since I’m only allowed one… Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
It would be sweet to shoot a doe opening morning. I bet I can’t top last years first sit. I shot three coyotes with in 5 mins. I ended finding two and blood trailed the 3rd one for little bit before I lost blood. I believe it was 2 younger ones and the mom. Two were walking down a creek while the third one was taking the down wind side. They were trying to push a deer to one. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I got my first archery yote last year lol have tried for years but I always either missed or got busted. I was pumped until I called a taxidermist to see how much it’d cost to get mounted. Went on a small scout mission today. The chestnut oaks are raining on the large track of land I hunt. Generally the years those are super heavy the deer are really high up and I have good years! So fingers crossed. It’s funny i always see people say deer don’t eat chestnut oaks unless there’s nothing else but it always seems like they hammer them here in southern Ohio. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I have yet to get into the woods - busy with dove hunting (great season!), getting fall fields prepped (drought has been an issue), and other crap. Otherwise early season is a time to look for chestnut oaks, and early white oaks. I need to pick up a doe on the earn-a-buck portion of the Navy Base, so that will be a priority. Not much on the cameras lately. -fsh
You’re the only other person I’ve heard say they look for chestnut oaks early haha. Had a guy from North Carolina, that in now buddies with, tell me he walks right past them. You can hear deer chomping on them from 100 yards away ha Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
It appeared that there were four of them from what I could tell on the camera. Those were the best two pictures I had though. Less than 3/4 of a mile from the local elementary school.
Had my first sit this morning and didn't see squat. An owl almost landed on me and that was pretty cool but otherwise nada. I got a couple more pics of a decent buck that I might go try to get on tonight, it's a part that is heavily pressured by small game hunters so idk what movement would look like but it's worth a sit.
I had an owl land on my hand one morning. Scared the crap out of me. Left a little scratch mark. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
During rifle season it never fails that a bird or chipmunk will end up on the barrel of my gun leaned up in the corner of the stand.
Any crazy animal encounters you guys have had while hunting? A few years ago I shot a doe out of a ground blind with my bow. Shortly after she tumbled I had about a 45 minute encounter with a target buck. He never got closer than 45 yards. After he took off, there was. Porcupine 10 yards in front of me walking right at the ground blind. I ended up arrowing him at about 3 yards and he tipped over on the edge of my canvas blind.
Walking in one morning of the rut…had a very nice 9 point that was charging me like a bull. Couldn’t believe it. Idk if it was my light in his eyes causing confusion or what but he kept bluff charging me like a bear would. I honestly would have been happen to take him but it was a couple hours before daylight. He wasn’t scared of anything. Followed me almost to my tree before finally disappearing. Never seen him again. Assume he definitely got shot ha Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
