Currently doing to prepare for next year? I am just laying low and rolling with the lil' guy.... And enjoying every minute... ( Almost every minute anyhow! ) Shed season will be picking up pretty soon and I am really itching to get out in the woods and hopefully find some bone!
just got my new bow so I'll be spending some time getting that sighted in and set up just to how I want
Playing with new equipment and getting back to house remodeling. Once rifle season is over, I'm hitting the woods. I may even pick up a trail cam to take some post-season inventory again.
Nothing as of yet. I've been laying low myself and not able to get out and hunt. Jill is 8 months pregnant and going to school full time, so I've been hanging with Wyatt a lot lately. This winter will be busy with sport shows and chilling with our new little daughter. A few winter scouting trips and some shed hunting will be done though.
Trying to take one of the big bucks out of the herd this season to give the rest of them a chance next year!:D
I already started (as usual) a little post-season scouting on one of my grounds here in Illinois. Even just picked up some new ground across the border. Have a TON of decisions to make over the next few months on where I'll be hunting next year. Already started on that homework. Of course.. looking forward to shed season as always. And even.. dare I say.. put out a trailcamera.
What's all this next season nonsense, this is still this season! But I did pick up two digital game cameras! I set one out before I set up. The other, I'll set out later.
I never stop scouring maps. Found/Scouted a sweet piece of public land, almost 1.5 miles back though (per gps). Had a 100" 8 point at 10yds while scouting, awesome experience. Not sure where we'll be living next year, hopefully my wife gets in a new school district. Its tough scouting when you dont even know if you'll be able to hunt the spots you find the following year.
Still hunting and scouting. It ain't over yet !! I still have until the 4th of January to hunt. This weekend is look great for hunting... 10 - 15 below for day time highs. OH YEA... NOT !!! Thinking about a new bow and arrow rest for next spring. I've notice in the last few days with our bit of cold temps... I've been looking at the ground more when I see deer track/trails or heavy trampled feeding areas. Dec 17th a couple years ago brought us our first sheds. While the deer have it much better now then that year... the thought of tines sticking out of the snow gets the shed hunting blood in me a pumping. Will we find 200 sheds again this year ?? Will Tyler kick my arse again this year ?? I know Tyler is getting pumped up for it already !!!! I think he is scouting more for finding the shed hunting spots then hunting spots !! LOL Other then that... working and trying to stay warm !!! Tim
I'm still hunting, but I already have a few areas that I have scouted on our farm during the shotgun season. I'm also planning on hitting the public land scene a bit more, and doing a whole lot more summer glassing. However, for the time being (if I can get the rain to stop), my focus is on tagging a doe and filling my other buck tag.
You still got all your digits or did you freeze some off while hunting this afternoon ?? If I see another... I love hunting in cold... or I love hunting in snow... Or worse... it it is 20 above and I am freezing my butt of POST... I will track them down and punch them !! LOL Tim
Still hunting here, well I will be when this horrible weather lets up. For next year............I already am making sure I can still hunt where I do now and perhaps doing something I NEVER dreamed I'd be doing, perhaps leasing a small parcel of land just so I can have something to myself. Also patience being practiced as I may now be in the position to purchase some land, just have to find it.......lol.
2 Moultrie D40's on Matt's (Rick James) recommendation and I could get two of these for the price of one of the others. He's had tremendous luck with them and battery life is superb. I hope I have half the luck with these. I know trigger speed is slower so set up is crucial. I set the first one out along the corn field that all the deer seem to walk. I'm setting the other out probably tomorrow IN the cornfield.
Season is still going for me. I'm going to whack some does this weekend in PA, to try and keep our doe/buck ratio in check. We have been at about a 1/1 ratio for the last 2 years, and I intend to keep it that way. I haven't taken any does yet this year off that property, and I'm hoping between Dan, myself, and my Dad.......we end up taking 3 before the season is over. I may bring the .270 out this weekend just to ensure I can get it done, and look at it as interactive grocery shopping. I'll also be at it both of the Saturdays in the PA late archery season after x-mas. Other than that, I've secured a spot on a 1500 acre lease that is split between 8 guys. This spot is only about 45 minutes from home, MUCH closer than the 2 hours to Dan's and 4 hours to my place in PA. None of the other members bowhunt, so it will be all mine for a good 3 weeks of early archery. I've already covered a lot of the property on foot, but plan to cover the whole thing. I know one specific 4.5+ year old buck that I want to pin down bedding areas for, and I'm hoping he doesn't leave for a different winter yarding area. This winter I'll be covering it on foot well while also making yote calling sets. I want to figure out where and what this buck is doing and why. One of the guys on the lease saw him last weekend and apparently he is tall and has LOTS of mass. Other than that, I'll be making at least one weekend trip to both my place and Dan's, where we will be doing yote calling, and shed hunting, and looking for specific bedding areas. I didn't get out at all last year during the winter and I plan to change that this year. I've got several good 3.5's that haven't been killed that I know of at my place and Dan's, and I'd like to learn more about where they are bedding so I can start off on the right foot for next year. This year I knew the bucks were there, and what general areas they were bedding in, and that was good enough to produce several sightings of good bucks........but not good enough to get them in that 30 yard zone.
Right now I am still hunting and will be into January. I am currently working on securing another 70 acre parcel close to home here. After my trade show season (January), I will be hitting the woods looking for sheds, beds, and specifically a particular tree to mark for a set in one spot.
