Deer hunting update.

[possum]

Well, this happened on Monday, the 1st.  I went out to hang my deer camera with my brother out at my cousin's place.  He was curious as to what is eating all their corn.  I drove up to the field opening and set up the camera, and we went back to the car and were talking.  When we went to get back into the car there was a cow horn buck about 15 yards from us.  He went into the woods after about 20 seconds of staring at us.  I got in the car and coasted it backwards out of the field.  Then I noticed I had committed the sin of all sins: I left my bow at home.  The deer circled around and came back out right at my camera.  I took my brother's camera phone and decided to practice my stalking skills.  The deer was eating corn so I decided to move as he was chewing and had his head behing a fallen cedar branch.  He was putting his head down and then pulling it back up trying to catch me moving.  But I've been busted on that one before.  I had gotten to @8-10 yards from him when my cousin called my brother on the camera I was holding to get a picture.   Oh well, that ended that stalk.  He needs to be culled, bad genetics, and stupid probably.  I'm not that good at stalking.  
The kids are at home on intercession (year round school) and wifey's working so I won't get to go out until tomorrow, if my honey do's are caught up

Just been a long week thinking about that deer.  If I get one it will be my first with a bow and first one in about 4 years with anything.

possum

[Ryano]

Good story's guys keep em comming!    I saw about 5 doe's this morning almost got a shot a big one but she knew some thing wasn't right and turned around and walked back the way she came in. It was miserable tonight a balmy 83 degrees whew thats to hot for this kind of stuff. I saw a small buck chasing another unidentified deer, I grunted and bleated but got no responce. I'll be back out first thing tomarrow, hopefully it will cool off a little. Supposed to be in the mid 80's again during the day though.

[cowboy]

I've been out for the last three evening's, and workin on bows during the day. The first eve was my first time in the woods with all my homeade equip. Went around and checked the stands and headed back for mine. on the way a doe and two fawns jumped and ran - while I was driving by. Got to my parking spot, camoed up and started still hunting in the direction I thought they'd wind up. The wind was in my face and the sun was at my back.
  Got about 100 yards from the truck and saw movement through the brush - antlers! looked like he was working a scrape or nibbling at some acorns or something. I eased down where I was to survey the situation (no concealment). No sooner had I kneeled down than a car went by and spooked the buck my direction, through the thick stuff. He was a big boddied deer with eight points, I watched him ease back down then continue to travel my direction (no concealment) I couldn't move or I'd be busted.
  guess I had buck fever and was waiting on that perfect shot - when he cleared the big tree his head dropped almost to the ground and those big black eyes bore in to me for a second - then BAM! he was gone. Didn't wind me, didn't hear me, didn't see me till that moment of truth - what a rush . I did draw on him but didn't let fly  - would have prolly only wounded him. Next time!!

[Ryano]

Sweet! sounds like your in a good spot cowboy!  good luck today!

[cowboy]

Yessir! Ryan - that's a heck of a place. Forgot to mention that I was twelve yards from that sucker before he bolted, hehe. That still hunting is quite a workout, shew. Buddy shot a hog (with wheels) the next day and gave it to me - he thinks thier gross, good for me (80# sow). Lotta sign: deer, hog, turkey, Hopefully I'll connect today .
 

[sonny]

First morning of the season for me....warm, muggy and foggy when I left home. Wasn't so bad once I got in my stand as it seemed a little cooler, though no breeze blowing.
I didn't see anything other than squirrels but did keep hearing a turkey gobble. Pretty sure it was a jake trying to get the hang of it as it wasn't a complete gobble- sorta squeak, then partial gobble, like a teenager whose voice is changing. Couple of hens yelping a bit too, trying to get the flock together I suppose.
May not go back out this afternoon as it's supposed to be upper 80s....never know I might change my mind. Ain't particularly enjoyable when it's that hot !!

[Ryano]

I heard a turkey gobbling yesterday morning too. I thought that was strange, never hear one gobble in the fall. I didnt make it out this morning, had to take the wife to the airport. I'm going to head out here in a bit though and fight the heat and skeeters.....

[Coo-wah-chobee]

     Yup heat and skeeters thats part of it....bob

[mullet]

  I went out this morning.Hot and drizzling rain,and left my Thermacell at home Didn't see any deer.Did have 7 big gobblers fly down about a hundred yards in front of the blind.I think I educated them last Sat,as they weren't having any part of the decoys today.They hung up about 50yds and wouldn't come any closer.We have a Tropical low moving in so I guess the rain will not quit,but I'm heading back out in the morning.See if the 8 point and spike and does come back that I saw last weekend and no decoy's for the turkeys this time.

[david w.]

i went out this morning. it was HOT.  I saw one walking in but it was WAY before legal light time. Other than that we saw nothing.  MY big brother nailed a coyote.  It was pouring blood. it was hard to track in mud and wet grass. we finally got on the trail we found pools of blood and pices of organs it threw up something to. coyotes are one tough animal.  we traked it into the woods for a long time but we didnt recover the animal. it was thick underbrush so we were probably within 20 yards of the coyote and didnt know it.   if it was a deer we would of kept on looking but it was a coyote and the landowen and us dont like them. but they are one beautiful animal.

[Coo-wah-chobee]

 ...................................David, Ya need ta find the animals yer wound , period. Dont matter whether its a deer or coyote or what. Personal likes and dislikes have nothing ta do with it and the landowner has nothing ta do with it. You owe it to the animal, beautiful er not in yer eyes. It shows respect fer the animal and yourself. Ifn ya dont know how ta track an animal learn BEFORE you go out next time and wound or kill something......bob

[cowboy]

Any thought's on tracking? I was wondering about that the other day - I have followed sign to a dead animal before, and a lot of that was knowing what direction they were headed (which helps a lot), and blood. But what if thier is no blood, what do ya look for - other than tracks, broken twigs, bent over foliage, and what not?
  Suppose you could do the ever broadening circle thing till you find it or don't - what works for everyone?

[mullet]

  I caught some flak on PP for the  three hogs that we didn't recover.I pride myself on good blood trailing and tracking.We were trying to blood trail in rain coming straight down and crawling along hog trails in thorn and palmetto thickets.In those kind of conditions I try to find an established trail that the animal seems to want to be on.Then I try to leap ahead after dropping a piece of toliet paper at the last blood spot so I have a reference point.I always carry paper with me so when the blood trail gets weak .Then I drop a small piece at every spot so I can get a pattern.The time Chris and I were hunting,we had to push them fast and not give them a chance to lay down,as the rain was washing the blood away.And with one,as soon as it bit the arrow off,The fat closed the hole and the blood trail quit.Normally,if I had time,I would put a dog on it.

[Coo-wah-chobee]

                   Tryin' ya best is all that anyone can do . Some foks are better at this than others. Ya need ta know the difference between deer an hawg tracks here down south as well as others canine, etc. Givin' up because ya tired and dont like the animal bothers me. Too bad dont shoot next time. Huntin' is NOT killin' they are too different things.This is a public forum and hunters dont need this nor is it indictative of the large majority  of traditional hunters. That being said, I blood trail. Ifn theres is no blood I use tracks. Palmetto thickets, thorn bushes, sometimes rattlers, heat and bugs are part of it. Smell plays a big part fer me. Have tracked fer 4 hours many times in the past. I dont give up until I cant see in the dark. In am it starts over until I find the animal er figure I have exhausted all possibilities. Many times I have started over from the shot site and did it again and again. Fortunately most times I have been rewarded. I dont care ifn its hot, rainy , buggy er whatever. Ifn ya kill it ya gonna eat it end of story. Think about that before ya shoot.....bob

[mullet]

  I agree with Bob.You have to do everything possible to find your game.Nothing worse than some hiker finding it at the picnic table with your arrow stuck in it.Unfortunatly on pay hunts ,when your time is up,it's up.