Yesterday afternoon I decided to sit in a huge funnel at the end of our lakes outlet. About 4:00 I loaded up the canoe and started my mile long paddle. By the time I picked a tree with sufficient back cover and a good view, got my LW stand set along with my camera, bow and pack all settled in, it was 5:25. This was one of those sits, where it just felt like something could happen at any given moment. I watched a mink play along the water's edge, had an eagle cruise down the outlet and through the trees about 15 ft above my head, and heard a beaver taking down a few small trees. It was a great sit. With only 15 minutes of light left, I heard some brush rustling to my SW. I caught the back end of a deer sneaking up the hillside at about 70 yards. The deer paused for 5 min or so, them turned 90 degrees towards my funnel. He came into an opening at 60yards, but it was already to dark to make out how nice his rack was. I know he was a decent basket, and if I had to guess, I'd say in the 100" range, at least. Over the next 15 minutes he slowly made his way closer. He didn't take the main route to cross to the other side of the lake. Instead he walk right through the thick brush along the side and back of my stand (at about 15yards). It was just too dark to see anything, but he was close enough that I could hear him breathing. Sure enough, I hear another approaching deer coming from the East, opposite of the buck. As the second deer gets closer, the buck slowly turns and starts to head back the way he came. Now the 2nd deer circles within 7 yards of my stand, and I can hear it breathing. At this point it is so dark I can't see my feet. Deer #2 eventually walks SW and at one point charges about 15 yards through the brush and make a weird grunt and snorts at the 1st buck.The weird noise sounded like an abbreviated cow moose call, or a single grunt like the series of grunts a bull elk makes at the end of a bugle. I've never heard anything like it. For awhile I thought that it could have even been a moose, there are a ton in this area. This kept me in my tree even longer. Anyways, I sat in my stand until I was sure they were gone. They never busted me and both walked off calmly. At one point during all of this, a flying squirrel glided to my tree and scurried up past my head and jumped off into the darkness. It was 9:10pm by the time I got back to my canoe. I grabbed my camera and bow, but I left everything else for fear that taking my stand down might spook them out of there. What a night! Bring on the rest of the season!
Good read there Fitz!!! Interesting noises you heard. Could've the 2nd deer been a moose like you were thinking? A couple years ago I heard a doe make some calls that I've never ever heard before. I've been deer hunting for 24 years this year, It just goes to show none of us know even close to everything about these whitetails.
Fitzy, I been there man ......AWESOME read and I look forward to hearing the end of the story ...you know, the one that has you sitting behing that buck with a bow on his chest
So here's a photo of the area. The Blue dot is my stand and the blue dash is where I canoe to. The red line is the path of the buck, and the yellow line is the 2nd deer. the strip of land is about 65 yards wide N to S. There was a S wind. There's a south wind today, but it's going to switch to a NNW wind tomorrow.
While Jeff does have a point, you didn't get busted and it sounds like you had a great hunt. Hunts like that are sometimes more worthwhile than one where you sit down have deer on you and shoot in the first 15 minutes. Good read.
GMMAT is correct. That is quite the setup Fitz, one heck of a funnel if you ask me. Great read, and good luck!
I understand that a NNW wind should be the best for where that blue dot Is but I don't see where your your getting your Info saying PM hunt. You don't know where the deer are feeding or bedding by looking at this. Hell this spot looks like It could be good anytime during the day possibly. That Is one sweet looking funnel there Fitz!!!!
GMMAT, The largest trail that crosses the funnel is along the South edge where the beaver dam is. They do, sometimes cross further N, but it is very thick. If there's a N or NW wind, I hunt a tree to the SW right about where the red line starts. It overlooks a slight opening to the W edge of the crossing. If I sat much further to the N, it would place the main trail 35+ yds away, plus I would have much of a view of it since it's so think. It is a perfect funnel, it's just not perfect as far as huntable trees. Here's a wider view....
