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Post by varmint101 on Oct 23, 2005 11:28:26 GMT -5
Yep Woody, that's why I didn't shoot...because I asked myself if I should. I remember last year you saying that I will KNOW when to shoot and I did. I didn't even have to think about that deer last year, but I didn't have that same feeling with this deer though it is a nice one. Who knows, *IF* I see him again it may be lights out if I get a clean shot, but I know there are much bigger deer around and I know I'd never get a shot at one of them if I'd have taken this guy. lol It is how it is. We'll see if more opportunities arise.
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Post by jajwrigh on Oct 23, 2005 11:29:45 GMT -5
I had an interesting morning! I got into the stand and realized that my hat was missing and it rained all morning! I am cold just thinking about it! I climbed down around 9:30 and went to explore a large cornfield nearby. When I approach the line where the woods met the corn I moved very slow and stayed low. I caught movement off to my left at around 100 yards. I thought to myself "small doe" and a second glance revealed "coyote." I got really low and backed into some brush and got my bow into position. He began sprinting right towards me and I took note to the only piece of cover between him and I. I should have drawn when he was behind it, but I hesitated. He got within about 40 yards and I noticed a small red fox hanging from his mouth! Another few steps and he spotted me and bolted the other way. It was a new experience for me, but so far still deer-less.
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Post by jackc99 on Oct 23, 2005 11:30:29 GMT -5
Varmint - I'm gonna make you pay for this one!!!!!
Jack
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Post by raporter1 on Oct 25, 2005 10:11:50 GMT -5
Finally saw a shooter buck this morning. At 7:50 I still had not seen a deer and the wind was terrible. A movement to my left caught my attention and there stood a 10 point with about a 17 inch spread. He was still under a small beech tree with just his head sticking out. By the time I got my bow ready he had exposed his side and ducked back under the beech. I could see him browsing in the beeches and then he came out at 35 yards and since I had not practiced at more than 20 yards this year I just enjoyed the moment and decided he needed another year to add some mass and a little more width. The four deer I saw last evening and this one all came in with the wind.
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Post by INBowhunter on Oct 25, 2005 13:59:05 GMT -5
Looks like I'm late to the party, so here's my notes for the year thus far..........
Oct. 1, 2005 a.m. 65 deg., clear, wind 0-5 NW Hunted from climber next to “Secret Spot” plot on west side of xxxx's farm. 2 does appeared 40 yards west before I was finished getting settled in stand. One saw me but calmed down enough to feed toward me. I drew as both does walked behind a tree and held for the one that originally saw me. She didn’t offer a clear shot while the second doe walked into the open. I slowly swung my aim to her while she watched, and when the pin was on her pulled the trigger. She was 12 yards away when I shot, rolled after a 50 yard run. Shot with Bowtech Liberty, Goldtip, and 100 gr. Rocket Steelhead XP. Approx. 85 lbs. dressed.
Oct. 1, 2005 p.m. 80 deg., clear, wind 0-5 NW Hunted ladder stand at SE corner of Crawford. Acorns dropping like crazy. Persimmon trees in alfa-rack plot and near stand are loaded. Saw 2 does late (6:00 p.m.) cross over ridge 50 yards to my right moving from N to S feeding on acorns. 3 bucks feeding in alfa-rack plot when I walked to truck. 2 were very small, 1 was approx. 15” wide, 8-10 points, probably 2 ½ yrs.
Oct. 8, 2005 a.m. 55 deg., clear, wind 5-10 NE Hunted from climber next to “Secret Spot” plot on west side of xxxx’s farm. Saw nothing.
Oct. 8, 2005 p.m. 68 deg., clear, wind 5-10 NE Hunted from pop-up blind on west edge of alfa-rack plot. Has small 1.5 year old 8 pointer feed to within 40 yards. He noticed blind and came to within 20 yards before spooking and running off. Saw big doe in upper clover plot on walk out.
Oct 15, 2005 a.m. 65 deg., overcast, wind 5-10 SW Hunted in stand next to old oat plot. Saw nothing.
Oct. 16, 2005 p.m. 80 deg., overcast, wind 5-10 W Hunted stand in from SW corner of upper clover plot at Crawford. Doe and fawn came into SW corner of clover at 6:15…no shot opportunity.
Oct. 22, 2005 a.m. 50 deg., overcast early, sunny later, wind 0-5 W Hunted stand in from SW corner of upper clover plot at Crawford. Saturday morning began crisp and overcast with a hint of more rain. I climbed into my stand about thirty minutes before light wearing my rain suit just in case the sky decided to open up. Less than ten minutes after climbing my tree I hear crunching in the leaves thirty yards in front of me, followed by the crunching of acorns...it's a deer. She eventually made her way around me in the dim light until she was downwind, then smelled somethign she didn't like and ran off about fifty yards and began snorting. After she left, the morning was quiet and slow, occasionally broken up by squirrels. Around 8:00 I thought to myself that the morning had turned out to be a bust and that the first doe of the morning probably ruined it for me. Not two minutes later a slight crunch snapped me to attention. A doe was twenty-five yards in front of me and coming in. I was sitting and thought I would be busted. When she stopped under the walnut tree twenty yards in front of me to investigate the fallen walnuts her head was hidden by another tree. This gave me the chance I needed to stand, remove by bow from its hook, and get into position. She made her way to my right picking up acorns as she went. It appeared that she was on her way to the food plot that sat 35 yards behind me. As she passed behind a tree I drew. Shooting to the right from a treestand while wearing my safety harness is difficult. The tree strap on my harness is short and limits my mobility in that direction, so I was hoping to get a shot before she got too far to my right. At about the 2:00 position from my stand she stopped and I settled the pin behind her shoulder. In a split second my arrow was sticking in the ground, lumenock shining brightly, and she jumped and ran ten yards then looked back toward the arrow. She then flicked her tail in the "all's calm" signal and began feeding away from me. I thought I had shot under her. The more I studied the situation, the more I thought that she must have been standing at twenty-five yards....and I had held for twenty. I mentally kicked myself but decided to sit for another hour to see if anything else would come by. My plan was that when the hour was over I would quietly walk to my arrow and check it, then sneak toward where I last saw the doe. As I quietly descended my tree I looked in the direction the doe had walked after the shot and halfway down my tree, I saw her white belly. I thought to myself "NO WAY!" Talk about going from the valley to the mountain top in a heartbeat. I was on top of the world. Doe dressed 125 lbs. 23 yards away at shot, traveled 40 yards after shot. 100 gr. Grim Reaper.
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Post by Woody Williams on Oct 29, 2005 19:24:58 GMT -5
INBowhunter,
Looks like you keep a meticulous log. Thos can be very interesting and informative.
Congratulations on the doe..
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Post by Woody Williams on Oct 29, 2005 19:31:36 GMT -5
I went back up this afternoon to my spot in Warrick county to drop a stand and take it to my spot in Vanderburgh county (UDZ) .
I also went in to check my trail camera and get my arrow I left stuck in the ground at the point of impact.
The scrape that my buck was headed for hasn't been touched, but the others down the line have been torn up.
One at the end of the field is about the size of my truck hood and fresh as a daisy.
Looks like my son will be onto that buck.
IMO - I do believe now (pre-rut) is the time to hunt scrapes. When the does really come in the big boys will abandon the scrapes and just go looking for the does.
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Post by cambygsp on Oct 30, 2005 1:39:52 GMT -5
YES!
My 12 y/o son and I hunted a scrape line yesterday morning. We were lucky enough to get to see the little basket rack 8 that craeted the scrapes. Actualy, that little basket rack got an education while providing one.
We had him at 12 yards BROADSIDE and my boy was at FULL DRAW. Not too sure where the boy had his pin, but the arrow hit right under the deer...lol lol
My son has been saying all along, he *knows* he can kill one if he can just get withinn 15 yards...lol.......well, now he knows, It aint that easy!
We did get to watch the deer for about 25 minutes working over several other scrapes before offering us a shot. Pretty neat experiance for a 12 y/o kid. We seen several other deer, all were too far for a shot or to tell if they were bucks or doe.
This was my sons FIRST real close encounter, he was sharp as a tack the rest of the hunt. At 10:00am I asked if he was ready to pack it in....his response was "lets give it another hour". We didn't get back to the truck till about 12:15.
We'll be heading back out this morning (in about an hour) for our last bowhunt of the season.
P.S.
We had the SAME flock of turkey on us again yesterday, seeing how we couldnt shoot any, we counted this time. 27birds!
MAN!...It's fun when your seeing critters...it's even better when you child is seeing them!!!!!!
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Post by Woody Williams on Oct 30, 2005 7:47:06 GMT -5
Sounds like the young man got a valuable lesson..and had a great time in the process..
Driving back the country lane to my place I saw at least 15 hens and poults cross the road heading right into my place.
Where were them suckers during fall turkey season??
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Post by jajwrigh on Oct 30, 2005 22:16:12 GMT -5
Today was a great morning, cool and scenic. I spotted one doe but she was small and a little out of range. Maybe next time..
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Post by hoosier on Oct 30, 2005 22:24:44 GMT -5
Went this p.m. and saw 5 does/fawns and 2 bucks ( a smallish 8 and a big bodied 9 pointer). Both bucks stood up from their beds on a big ditch in the middle of a picked cornfield. I have been seeing quite a bit of chasing the past few days. If you are thinking about when to bowhunt, NOW is the time. The big boys are starting to show themselves. I also saw 3 bucks on the way home (a good sized 10 point with a doe in a neighbor's pasture and 2 small bucks together in a beanfield).
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Post by raporter1 on Oct 31, 2005 21:12:18 GMT -5
Moved back to my lucky ash tree on the edge of an oak woods surounded by a thick edge and then a meadow. Saw a nice doe at about 60 yards feeding on acorns. After a while a fawn came tearing past her and ran right to me. The doe then fed toward me but went into the thicket. I saw her go out the other side of the thicket and feed in the meadow. She then turned and came toward me approaching a nice clearing I made next to a big cedar tree. As she got to the cedar she turned and went in behing it and then back in the thicket. Both deer are within 20 yards of me but never gave me a shot. I caught a movement in the middle of the woods and could tell it was a big deer. It worked it's way to the thicket but never got closer than 50 yards. This is the big boy, nice and wide and at least 10 points. He comes through the thicket and only needs to take a few more steps and he hits that opening the doe didn't take. Well he makes a right turn and goes the same trail the doe took. I get to watch him as he circles in the meadow, I tried a doe bleat and he would stop but not turn around. Rattleing and grunts got the same responce. My stand is still there so I will try again in the morning.
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Post by suitcase on Nov 1, 2005 9:00:24 GMT -5
On Saturday 10-29 as I was walking to the very back side of the property (takes about 25min to walk) I jump 3 deer right where my climber was going. I figured well there goes the evening hunt but continued to the tree and climbed up. As I was climbing, the fawn ran across the cut path back to where momma was I guess. About 30 minutes later, I catch movement coming from the bedding area, and before I know it a doe has worked her way right underneath me. She was feeding on acorns and I could hear her munching them. Finally she started to move straight away from me. At about 20 yards, she turned slightly which gave me the perfect quartering away shot. I took all of the advice that you guys gave me (Thanks Again), and put the 20 yard pin right on her and pictured it being the target. I took a deep breath, held it, and let the arrow fly. She jumped, took about 5 steps and stopped. About 10 seconds later she started to do a TIIIMMMBBBEERRRRR, and ran about 5 more steps the way she was falling, hit a tree and fell dead. Total of about 10 yards from point of impact. I looked back in the direction of where I shot her, and I could see the orange nock glarring in the sun. It was a perfect pass through that stuck about 6 inches in the ground.
About 45 minutes later, the mom was working the same path and stopped right under me also. I decided that I didn't want to shoot 2 does in one night, and was hoping a buck might be following her. Well, she ended up busting me somehow. I decided to get down early to start the extremely long drag.
The only problem with the whole hunt was that I was so excited a didn't look the deer over closely before I shot, and she ended up being a little he. Over the weekend, I passed on 4 other bucks ranging from little forks to a medium sized 6-pointer, so I guess there are enough bucks walking the area that taking a button won't effect it too much. I'm still holding out for the big boy that I've seen!!!
Suitcase
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