2024 - LIVE, FROM THE STAND!

Slow evening in the double stand.... Got in about 3:45 pm and nothing but wind and a few birds. Around 4:30 2 greys and a fox squirrel suddenly darted around for about a minute going about their business and then went quiet. The bird activity started picking up around 5:25, then about 20 minutes later the squirrel activity started picking up. Everything was moving a full hour later than yesterday evening. No deer despite rattling about every 20 -30 minutes - wind didn't help plus lost the grunt tube and need to get a new one now. From what I've seen they seem to react better to rattling than to grunting - Haven't yet had any nearby bucks completely ignore the rattling but I have had plenty ignore grunts.

My dad went out later than I did and set up in a different spot about 250 yards from where I was. Being in the oak trees and overlooking the creek bottoms he saw a doe that blew at something (not him) and a buck that must have bedded down there because he saw it not long after he walked in (around 5) and the deer busted him when he lowered his crossbow. He said he couldn't hear my rattling due to the wind.

Going to try again for a few hours tomorrow morning, and then maybe see if I can find time to go out for deer and turkey at a different property - a property that's known to have a better population of turkeys and bigger bucks due to restrictions on antler width. My dad once had about 4 large bucks under and near him while hunting there a few years ago - some of the biggest ones he's seen while hunting in a long while (the big 8 got him a bit excited but he couldn't move due to a deer being right below him).

I shoot my rifles year round so I know they are on.
I get this sick thing about wearing barrels out.

Heck yeah budd

He came in directly behind me, my tree is to big to get the crossbow around. He turned to go out to the field so I stopped him at 40 and had to shoot left handed. Hit was about 6 inches back from where I was aiming but quartered forward. He walked 50 yards and laid down, 5 minutes later he got up and went another 30 and laid back down. I was just able to see him where he laid, 15 minutes before his head went down for good. Hit one lung.

Congratulations, great buck.

That's pretty sporty to kill a coyote with a bow. I've killed a couple in over 50 years of bow hunting, but majority of the time they will spook or catch you drawing and spook. I find coyotes to be considerably smarter than deer.

Nice one bud and congratulations to all the last few days out getting the job done. Still living through you all. Looking forward to getting back home in a couple weeks, even though my cams have been pretty quiet the last few days. Only gotten one doe and half rack in last 4 days and only a single pic of each of them. Hope things start turning around...SF Woods

Heck of a deer. Great morning in the woods!!! Congrats.

You got one heck of an exit wound!