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Post by boonechaser on Dec 1, 2020 19:20:17 GMT -5
2020 season was full of ups and downs. Started with a encounter with my number #3 Buck (140 class 8 PT.) on Nov.3rd. Perfect 30 yard broadside shot in fading light where I didn't see the small tree limb that I hit. Strike 1. Continued to have several encounters over last few weeks with couple of my top bucks but we're all either out of range or offered no shot. Fast forward to Nov. 27th. Missed a nice 9 PT. Earlier that morning after having a scope issue Strike 2. and now am not in best of moods.. Lol .Decided to hunt a food plot stand of beets, radish and turnips for evening hunt. At 4:15 I see a buck 100 yards or so below plot , I quickly get a look with binoc's and recognize him as one of target bucks. He is walking away so I grab grunt call and let go with 4 loud grunts. I saw him turn his head but lost him in the thick cover. Within 5 maybe 6 seconds he pops out of cedars 25 yards away and continues walking straight towards me. At 15 yards I take the shot and he drops. Just that quick my season of missed opportunities is over.. The wide 8 was one of our older bucks, he carried same size rack for last 3 years just not showing much , if any growth. My guess is he was a 5.5 year old and scored around 128". He was a worthy opponent and I am very pleased with taking him as I have had numerous encounters and pictures and videos of him over last 4 seasons.... Chalk another buck up with help of ole grunt call....
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Post by greghopper on Dec 1, 2020 19:59:31 GMT -5
Interesting information about you deer!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2020 20:11:38 GMT -5
2020 season was full of ups and downs. Started with a encounter with my number #3 Buck (140 class 8 PT.) on Nov.3rd. Perfect 30 yard broadside shot in fading light where I didn't see the small tree limb that I hit. Strike 1. Continued to have several encounters over last few weeks with couple of my top bucks but we're all either out of range or offered no shot. Fast forward to Nov. 27th. Missed a nice 9 PT. Earlier that morning after having a scope issue Strike 2. and now am not in best of moods.. Lol .Decided to hunt a food plot stand of beets, radish and turnips for evening hunt. At 4:15 I see a buck 100 yards or so below plot , I quickly get a look with binoc's and recognize him as one of target bucks. He is walking away so I grab grunt call and let go with 4 loud grunts. I saw him turn his head but lost him in the thick cover. Within 5 maybe 6 seconds he pops out of cedars 25 yards away and continues walking straight towards me. At 15 yards I take the shot and he drops. Just that quick my season of missed opportunities is over.. The wide 8 was one of our older bucks, he carried same size rack for last 3 years just not showing much , if any growth. My guess is he was a 5.5 year old and scored around 128". He was a worthy opponent and I am very pleased with taking him as I have had numerous encounters and pictures and videos of him over last 4 seasons.... Chalk another buck up with help of ole grunt call.... You give me hope after all that, that perhaps maybe even my season can turn around. |
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Post by deadeer on Dec 2, 2020 13:06:29 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing. You always offer great intel.
YES on the grunt call. Hopefully everybody gets to hear bucks and does make natural sounds. It's an eye opener! They are a lot more vocal than I realized. Growing older and having patience and confidence in your spots goes a long way in interacting with deer. Not shooting the first one you see and blowing that set helps too!
I have called in many bucks. My private land buck this year was grunted in. I called in a buck I was about to shoot. Saw him a ways off on a ridge and lost him. A few mins later he came out the other side. I called and he came in on a dead run to about 40yds and stopped behind a tree. I was ready to shoot when he cleared, but took off like a scared rabbit for no reason. Out of the corner of my eye, a bigger buck had came in out of nowhere to investigate, and scared the first one off. I was able to harvest the intruder. Calling works wonders, at the right time. Not always.
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Post by deadeer on Dec 2, 2020 13:07:56 GMT -5
2020 season was full of ups and downs. Started with a encounter with my number #3 Buck (140 class 8 PT.) on Nov.3rd. Perfect 30 yard broadside shot in fading light where I didn't see the small tree limb that I hit. Strike 1. Continued to have several encounters over last few weeks with couple of my top bucks but we're all either out of range or offered no shot. Fast forward to Nov. 27th. Missed a nice 9 PT. Earlier that morning after having a scope issue Strike 2. and now am not in best of moods.. Lol .Decided to hunt a food plot stand of beets, radish and turnips for evening hunt. At 4:15 I see a buck 100 yards or so below plot , I quickly get a look with binoc's and recognize him as one of target bucks. He is walking away so I grab grunt call and let go with 4 loud grunts. I saw him turn his head but lost him in the thick cover. Within 5 maybe 6 seconds he pops out of cedars 25 yards away and continues walking straight towards me. At 15 yards I take the shot and he drops. Just that quick my season of missed opportunities is over.. The wide 8 was one of our older bucks, he carried same size rack for last 3 years just not showing much , if any growth. My guess is he was a 5.5 year old and scored around 128". He was a worthy opponent and I am very pleased with taking him as I have had numerous encounters and pictures and videos of him over last 4 seasons.... Chalk another buck up with help of ole grunt call.... You give me hope after all that, that perhaps maybe even my season can turn around. Never give up! The 2nd rut is about here. I have seen MANY good bucks in the late season. I would put my odds on afternoon food sources. Good luck, hope you finish with a bang! |
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Post by boonechaser on Dec 3, 2020 4:01:48 GMT -5
Joesy Wales, stay after it. If there is one thing I have learned through years, it is the more time you can spend on stand increases your chance of success and will give you more opportunities. Not gonna lie, I was getting frustrated but kept grinding it out. Good luck to you.
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Post by MuzzleLoader on Dec 3, 2020 6:30:58 GMT -5
I’d rather hunt muzzleloader season than anytime of the year. Find the foods source, that’s where they will be. They are hitting fields now around 430 pm each night. They gotta eat with the colder temps. The does missed in 1st rut will be in these fields as a bonus.  |
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 3, 2020 11:12:34 GMT -5
Food..  . |
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Post by esshup on Dec 3, 2020 11:29:50 GMT -5
Woody, when were those planted? I'm trying to figure out a planting schedule for up here so there will be fall/winter forage. I am not having any luck planting fall forage in July/Aug/Sept. Not enough rain to get them going.
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 3, 2020 11:52:40 GMT -5
Woody, when were those planted? I'm trying to figure out a planting schedule for up here so there will be fall/winter forage. I am not having any luck planting fall forage in July/Aug/Sept. Not enough rain to get them going. I'm not sure as this is on my neighbors property that I walk through to get to my spot. They had soy beans in the fields and they had a late pick so I'm not sure. I'll ask... I dont have a lot of luck with radishes and turnips on my little food plot as there is a lot of shade. I understand they need a lot of sun. |
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Post by bullseye69 on Dec 3, 2020 21:17:26 GMT -5
Woody, when were those planted? I'm trying to figure out a planting schedule for up here so there will be fall/winter forage. I am not having any luck planting fall forage in July/Aug/Sept. Not enough rain to get them going. I'm not sure as this is on my neighbors property that I walk through to get to my spot. They had soy beans in the fields and they had a late pick so I'm not sure. I'll ask... I dont have a lot of luck with radishes and turnips on my little food plot as there is a lot of shade. I understand they need a lot of sun. Yes full sun and med water. |
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Post by boonechaser on Dec 4, 2020 6:26:38 GMT -5
Food.. . I was actually hunting over a Beets, turnip and Radish food plot on this hunt. Buck scent checked plot from downwind and ultimately came in to grunt call. I planted this plot mid July right before a good rain and it turned out great. Planting in SE IN is July 15-Aug 15. But need a good rain to get established ALSO good dose of fertilizer 200-300 lbs acre. |
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Post by budd on Dec 4, 2020 9:41:34 GMT -5
Try and get my turnips and radishes in by last week of July. Then the first of November i here its a good idea to go over the field lightly with a disc to pop everything up on top of the ground so it dont get froze in. That way the deer can eat the whole turnip instead of the tops sticking up out of the frozen ground.
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Post by esshup on Dec 4, 2020 10:01:54 GMT -5
Thanks guys. The one place that I have in mind is a full sun plot, right about an acre, VERY sandy soil though. I had a soil test done last month and will be liming in a few weeks, then fertilizing next year. The biggest problem is the rain. It was planted and then the rain stopped for at least 6 weeks. I have no idea how much seed was lost to birds during that time. We had a small rain, and the turnips and beets popped up, but then the faucet shut off again. They are only about dime sized, and only a couple inches tall.
I put some winter wheat down in October and that popped up a few inches, and the deer are keeping it mowed. Next year I guess I will just plant a LOT earlier and keep my fingers crossed.
I will have to figure out a way to get seed actually "planted" next year instead of broadcast spread and dragged with a chain link fence to cover, then rolled with a lawn roller to compact the soil. The ground was killed with Roundup, mowed and rototilled prior. I have a 5 gal bucket of surplus corn seed from a farmer to plant next year, and will try using that as a screen, then go with beets/radishes. There is about 1/4 acre of clover there next to that 1 ac spot that needs to be redone too, it's about 5-6 years old.
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 4, 2020 11:02:47 GMT -5
Woody, when were those planted? I'm trying to figure out a planting schedule for up here so there will be fall/winter forage. I am not having any luck planting fall forage in July/Aug/Sept. Not enough rain to get them going. I'm not sure as this is on my neighbors property that I walk through to get to my spot. They had soy beans in the fields and they had a late pick so I'm not sure. I'll ask... I dont have a lot of luck with radishes and turnips on my little food plot as there is a lot of shade. I understand they need a lot of sun. I asked the farm owner about when the turnips and radishes were planted and he was not sure as he leases the farming out. He said he does have trail camera pictures of the field edge and they were up and growing when the beans were still standing. I know zilch about farming so the question is - Can he plant while the beans are still standing or did he have to plant at the same time? There is probably 50 acres of radishes and turnips. I understand this is good for the soil too. |
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Post by medic22 on Dec 4, 2020 11:53:38 GMT -5
I'm not sure as this is on my neighbors property that I walk through to get to my spot. They had soy beans in the fields and they had a late pick so I'm not sure. I'll ask... I dont have a lot of luck with radishes and turnips on my little food plot as there is a lot of shade. I understand they need a lot of sun. I asked the farm owner about when the turnips and radishes were planted and he was not sure as he leases the farming out. He said he does have trail camera pictures of the field edge and they were up and growing when the beans were still standing. I know zilch about farming so the question is - Can he plant while the beans are still standing or did he have to plant at the same time? There is probably 50 acres of radishes and turnips. I understand this is good for the soil too. Yeah my neighbor planted turnips for a cover crop for his garden, I planted winter wheat, both ate good for soil and choke out weeds. Between that and a heavy acorn crop on my oaks, its really drawn the deer in. Had to move up my timeline for going live on the electric fence to protect the blackberries. |
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