Yesterday was my first time back in the stand because of my back issues. I'm doing better every day, not ready for an all-day set just yet. I thought I bumped some walking in, but after looking at SD card, I discovered they were pigs. I hunted the afternoon as well without any luck. This morning, the wind is bad for my Oklahoma stands. Hunting Arkansas this morning. I did get a good daytime picture of a unique buck. He won't score a lot, but he'll hard for me to pass. Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk
Update: Put a plan together yesterday to try and do a gentle push on him or get a shot on him in his bed. The wind and rain made for some good stalking conditions. I posted a buddy and a neighbor in two strategic locations just off the edge of the cattails and I walked in on the pond edge down wind to hopefully get close to the area he was bedding in. I moved very slowly and methodically and was unable to locate him visually near the cattail edge. I walked into the cattails slowly and made a push toward the posters. He came out and right before he got into the shorter grass, spotted one of the posters and he took a shot, but missed. The deer than ambled toward the thick cover of the woods where my other buddy was standing and he took a shot at about 35 yards, but missed as well. We pursued the buck and looked for blood to make sure he wasn’t hit, but did not have any blood. We were now all upwind of him and made a push to try and locate him in the neighbors thick cover where he originally bedded, but we could not do so. At this point, I’ve come to the conclusion that while he is badly injured, he is not mortally injured in the immediate. He appears to be getting a little stronger in spite of having his one front leg dislocated essentially. He still has to eat and drink to survive so hoping he starts moving again. I do not think he will be going far so I’m hoping to still finish the job before the coyotes get him. I feel terrible and will give it my best to either recover him or get another opportunity on him, even if it is in gun season. I have an ethical dilemma of whether to pursue a different buck at this point. I think I will sit in hopes of seeing this deer again, but will not likely shoot a different buck with the exception of one. Here is a drone photo of him from Monday night.
That's too bad Aaron, hopefully you'll get him yet! You've given it the best you can! Props to you for your effort to recover him!
Is that the impact area on the elbow Aaron? It may be low enough for him to fully recover. Did the standers see him carrying his leg or running on it? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Congrats! Dang boys, I need to get to killin something! Hopefully this weekend in IL Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hunted on my parents' land in Arkansas this morning. I have two stands on their 10 acres. One, in the NW corner, along the fence line near a big wooded thicket, which I sat in this morning. The wind was out of the east. I saw a doe 120+ yards out in the neighboring field to the west and small doe later on in range, but on the neighbor's as well. The neighbor is a large company that makes snackcakes. I won't name the company, but many hunters take them to the stand. I picked the wrong stand again. I saw 5 does while driving along my folks' private driveway back to the county road. I got to my Oklahoma stand due to a dental appointment. I saw a doe followed by that tall, non-typical buck as I started to climb in the stand. I'll be back after them in the morning. Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk
Had a good sit tonite! I was in a blind and my son Logman was in a stand about 75 yards behind me, so we had this spot covered pretty well. I think he said he saw three or four but no shots. I was sitting there catching up on the LFTS when I looked up and there was a small doe 5 yards in front of me! She trotted off but behind her came this big nanny at 20 yards. Got her right in the shoulder, broke right through but no exit. Started out with just drops of blood but got better as we went, lots of blood towards the end. She took us through the thickest nastiest stuff on the property! Thanks to my son Logman for the excellent tracking help. we were on or hands and knees at times! Found her about thirty yards from our road going thru the property, so the drag was easy!
Unfortunately not. His entire front right leg is just hanging and he cannot use it and I don’t think there is any chance of it healing other than just falling off eventually. Just awful. Feel horrible.
I know I can’t contribute any more but I went in mid day hung a stand for the morning, went to the back of the property to hunt a stand for the first time this year, climbed in at 1:03, knocked an arrow, threw out some doe bleats followed by some grunts looked at my phone, 1:13, heard a grunt and released an arrow at 1:15. Freaking wild. I’ll get some better pictures, picking up my BIL now to help me drag 320 yards!
Anyone have any ideas on how to hunt my top target buck? I think what I’m doing is the best but doesn’t hurt to ask for other opinions. The 1st pic is the property lines, it’s about 160ac and all the fields were in beans and right now they have winter wheat that’s just coming up. I’m 99.9% sure he is bedding on the property next to me. The 2 blue dots are my tree stands (I have more if needed). The red dots are my cameras and the yellow is where he is going based on trail cam pictures. I feel the best thing I can do is sit and wait to see if he is early or late to move and gets on this property during shooting light. I sit mostly at the big blue dot on the right due to the times on the camera showing that’s my best chance. It’s also where I have the only day pic of him. I have 5 other cameras on the property and he’s not on any of them. I have 8 days before rifle season.
Just this one once. So I know he does get held up sometimes and it’s this pic that keeps me in this stand until I get other pics to change my mind.
This morning is probably my last set with a bow before returning to work on Monday. This afternoon, we are expecting thunderstorms. I'm hunting closer to home in a little patch of woods, almost in the city limits. I have killed a bunch of deer off of this place. I haven't gotten any pictures of shooters yet this season, but there are a bunch of does using it daily. My son saw a decent 8 pt around 120" earlier this week. I'll hunt this weekend, but rifle season in Arkansas starts tomorrow, and I need some meat in the freezer. Don't give up on me. I'm not finished bow hunting by any means. Sent from my SM-G990U1 using Tapatalk
Got into our IL property a little after 1:00. Been in stand for a few hrs. Button head came by a bit ago. Seen a solid buck in the corn field on my way in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
