Well this week was hot...I'm talking Mon-Thursday was hitting 70's! Well Friday a huge cold snap moved through and dropped temps into the 40's. I actually still kinda burned out by all the hunting I have done with hardly a tail flick of action decided to simply go to work and not take the day off.
As the day wore on I had a feeling I needed to get out there...the temp changes were stirring up action everywhere from what friends were stating or posting on various online sites.....so last minute I threw a vacation time slip on my boss's desk (with approval of course) at 1:00pm and headed home to shower, load up and hit the swamp property.
The Swamp Property hasn't really been a friend of mine this year. The combination of it being our first year hunting it, the corn sucking deer to it, the deer seemingly only bedding to the South in the sanctuary has equaled very little deer sightings.....but it seriously takes seconds to change a season and I fully expect that to happen at some point between now and the very last hour of the 2012 hunting season.
Here's the hunt's specs:
Where: Swamp Property
Stand/Location: Middle two-track (poplar stand) *My dad would be hunting with me a mere 70 yards to my West along that two-track.
Time in: 3:00pm
Time out: 7:16pm
Wind: N winds
We expected deer may come from the Northern bedding area moving cautiously with the wind, or more likely slipping from the West quartering/crosswinding to the East.
It was a great hunt except for the fact we only saw one deer. It was the same young 8-pointer I saw on the ground just 5 days prior. He slipped from the North and headed South right between us, presenting me with a 18 yard broadside shot (10 years ago he'd have gotten the arrow).
I sat hoping the entire rest of the night a bigger boy would use that same route, not likely yet without rut hard...asking a lot for a big boy to tailwind like the young one did.
So another disappointing Swamp Property hunt....all the changes in stand locations are just killing me and I'll probably be changing one tomorrow possibly even sacrificing some vacation time to make it happen!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
10-16-2012 Afternoon/Evening Hunt
Where: Swamp Property
Stand/Location: Far SW corner of corn field in tall grass
Time In: 2:00pm
Time Out: Dark
Wind: S winds
Well after a very uneventful morning hunt I decided to try something different. With the North/South corn rows and East/West corn rows flowing into the SW corner of the field I figured I'd give setting in the extremely tall grass in a tree line located right there. Here is some pictures to show you where I was seated in the 60+ degree sun...
Well just so everyone knows the original spot farther South down the line I was gonna sit in I discovered was in fact a buck bed! I took one step into the weeds/grass and saw them: TWO BIG FRESH RUBS...then I saw the bed with the customary back rest log in it.
My initial thoughts are this very well could be one of AWD's beds due to the fact of how he's moving along the Southern edge of the corn field...but only time will tell if I'm right I guess.
Well I'll make this quick, only saw 2 deer and heard some deer blow across the access road all at the same time....ALL DUE TO THE NEIGHBOR RIDING HIS HORSES JUST 25 MINUTES BEFORE DARK ON THE ACCESS ROAD! DUMB!
Stand/Location: Far SW corner of corn field in tall grass
Time In: 2:00pm
Time Out: Dark
Wind: S winds
Well after a very uneventful morning hunt I decided to try something different. With the North/South corn rows and East/West corn rows flowing into the SW corner of the field I figured I'd give setting in the extremely tall grass in a tree line located right there. Here is some pictures to show you where I was seated in the 60+ degree sun...
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| So hot I took rubber boots off in order to not sweat a ton in them. I did put them back on once it cooled off some. |
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| War pain needed obviously hah! |
My initial thoughts are this very well could be one of AWD's beds due to the fact of how he's moving along the Southern edge of the corn field...but only time will tell if I'm right I guess.
Well I'll make this quick, only saw 2 deer and heard some deer blow across the access road all at the same time....ALL DUE TO THE NEIGHBOR RIDING HIS HORSES JUST 25 MINUTES BEFORE DARK ON THE ACCESS ROAD! DUMB!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
10-21-2012
Where: Swamp Property
Stand/Location: SE ground blind on food plot
Time In: 7:00am
Time Out: 9:30am
Wind: SW to S
Well I ended up hunting the ground blind, just erected 10-20, on the Southeast side of the food plot due to not getting ready to head out early enough in my opinion to get to the tree I was gonna hunt (like to be nearly an hour before legal shooting time/hour and a half before sunrise).
Well all was quiet till around 8:00 when I heard something off to my NW. Grab the grunt call and decide to see if I could figure out what it was. Grunted some and ending with some tending grunts. I hadn't even got the call down on the ground of the blind before I had a young 70 inch 8pointer coming straight for me through the food plot. He would continue till about 15 yards to my front before cutting West(left) and stood broadside for a few minutes.
He would continue to circle in behind me and approaching the blind close enough for me to hear his breathing. He eventually did get uneasy and blowing just a touch before taking off for the corn.
That is all the action I got but it was the first buck spotted while hunting and wasn't a terrible buck. Big body and rack for his age, which I'd say was 1 1/2 year old.
Finally saw a buck at swamp and he was reactive to calling....could be heating up?!
Stand/Location: SE ground blind on food plot
Time In: 7:00am
Time Out: 9:30am
Wind: SW to S
Well I ended up hunting the ground blind, just erected 10-20, on the Southeast side of the food plot due to not getting ready to head out early enough in my opinion to get to the tree I was gonna hunt (like to be nearly an hour before legal shooting time/hour and a half before sunrise).
Well all was quiet till around 8:00 when I heard something off to my NW. Grab the grunt call and decide to see if I could figure out what it was. Grunted some and ending with some tending grunts. I hadn't even got the call down on the ground of the blind before I had a young 70 inch 8pointer coming straight for me through the food plot. He would continue till about 15 yards to my front before cutting West(left) and stood broadside for a few minutes.
He would continue to circle in behind me and approaching the blind close enough for me to hear his breathing. He eventually did get uneasy and blowing just a touch before taking off for the corn.
That is all the action I got but it was the first buck spotted while hunting and wasn't a terrible buck. Big body and rack for his age, which I'd say was 1 1/2 year old.
Finally saw a buck at swamp and he was reactive to calling....could be heating up?!
10-20-2012
Where: Swamp Property
Stand/Location: Far west two track stand
Time In: 2:30pm up tree
Time Out: Dark
Wind: Westerly switching to SW late
I'll make it short and sweet.....SAW NOTHING!
Stand/Location: Far west two track stand
Time In: 2:30pm up tree
Time Out: Dark
Wind: Westerly switching to SW late
I'll make it short and sweet.....SAW NOTHING!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10-16-2012 Morning Sit
Location: Swamp Property
Stand/Position: Corn Blind
Arrived @ just after 6:15am (couldn't shoot till round 7:30am)
Departed @ 9:30am
This hunt was based upon data collected from a camera pull just two days prior. The camera is placed just a mere 5 yards to the East of the shooting lane through the corn and boy was it a pull. We had AWD (All Wheel Drive) on camera every single morning and evening that there was a W, SW or S wind and he was just missing or right at legal shooting time. Here's one of the best pics we had:
So I decided I would go in VERY early and try to be setting a full hour before I could even shoot. Mission accomplished but I messed up with one crucial thing, I'd trusted my memory. AWD was always heading West in the morning and East in the evening, but I failed to write that down somewhere in my truck.....may or may not have cost me him.
Arriving at the property I tried to remember and was pretty sure he was working from the West towards the East in the morning...BIG MISTAKE! Based on what I thought was true I walked down the Eastern side of the corn, got onto the access road and walked down past the blind like Bill Vale instructed and then into the blind. Well....if I'd remembered correctly I would have walked the Western edge of the corn, got to the access road and walked down it to my entrance trail and into the blind from the WEST.
I very well may have bumped AWD by walking where he may in the morning doing what he does moving East to West...can I confirm this: No, but my gut tells me it's possible.
For this reason I won't be hunting the corn for a little while unless the camera shows he continues this trend (pulling on Saturday or tomorrow during a rain).
All in all the morning hunt while quiet and nice...definitely didn't see a thing.
Got up at 9:30am knowing at that point AWD wasn't going to show and since I hadn't been blown or busted by anything I didn't want to be by a yearling buck or doe.
Stand/Position: Corn Blind
Arrived @ just after 6:15am (couldn't shoot till round 7:30am)
Departed @ 9:30am
This hunt was based upon data collected from a camera pull just two days prior. The camera is placed just a mere 5 yards to the East of the shooting lane through the corn and boy was it a pull. We had AWD (All Wheel Drive) on camera every single morning and evening that there was a W, SW or S wind and he was just missing or right at legal shooting time. Here's one of the best pics we had:
So I decided I would go in VERY early and try to be setting a full hour before I could even shoot. Mission accomplished but I messed up with one crucial thing, I'd trusted my memory. AWD was always heading West in the morning and East in the evening, but I failed to write that down somewhere in my truck.....may or may not have cost me him.
Arriving at the property I tried to remember and was pretty sure he was working from the West towards the East in the morning...BIG MISTAKE! Based on what I thought was true I walked down the Eastern side of the corn, got onto the access road and walked down past the blind like Bill Vale instructed and then into the blind. Well....if I'd remembered correctly I would have walked the Western edge of the corn, got to the access road and walked down it to my entrance trail and into the blind from the WEST.
I very well may have bumped AWD by walking where he may in the morning doing what he does moving East to West...can I confirm this: No, but my gut tells me it's possible.
For this reason I won't be hunting the corn for a little while unless the camera shows he continues this trend (pulling on Saturday or tomorrow during a rain).
All in all the morning hunt while quiet and nice...definitely didn't see a thing.
Got up at 9:30am knowing at that point AWD wasn't going to show and since I hadn't been blown or busted by anything I didn't want to be by a yearling buck or doe.
10-15-2012 Another All-Day"er"
Place: Homestead
Stand: #4
Wind Direction: W
Arrived @ 6:45am
Departed @ dark
Another long tedious set. It wasn't until around 9:15am I had deer work their way from downwind, which wasn't a big deal as I was so high and on a hillside, up the hill. They got to the crest and didn't like the stiffer winds up their I feel and eventually headed back down the hillside. That would be the only deer I heard or saw all day long...another shocking day of slow activity, but still saw deer so better than the skunks at the swamp property.
Here's some pics from the day:
Stand: #4
Wind Direction: W
Arrived @ 6:45am
Departed @ dark
Another long tedious set. It wasn't until around 9:15am I had deer work their way from downwind, which wasn't a big deal as I was so high and on a hillside, up the hill. They got to the crest and didn't like the stiffer winds up their I feel and eventually headed back down the hillside. That would be the only deer I heard or saw all day long...another shocking day of slow activity, but still saw deer so better than the skunks at the swamp property.
Here's some pics from the day:
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
10-13-12
Stand Set: Stand #5
Wind Direction: Out of S/SE all day
Arrived @ 6:45am (roughly 45 minutes before legal shooting time)
Departed @ 7:40pm
It was quite the set. I arrived well before light, made the very short walk from the property owners house and was up the tree getting set well before daylight was even hinting at rising. This would be the very first sit at this property as we just recently picked it up and would be hunting it for the first time this year. We knew the deer used this property we just didn't know exactly how or when and trail cam pictures can only show you so much (a point this hunt proved).
Not even a half hour after legal shooting time and right at sunrise time I had movement. First I spotted some deer skirting around the hill to my north, but sadly up about half way up it and well out of range and while hard to make out I don't believe any of the 3 were bucks. While trying to figure out if any of them were bucks I heard something to my left...but not just my left my left rear. Now I'm only about 20 yards from the owner's barn which kinda sits up in some oaks , and figured all movement would occur in front of me. Well that wasn't the case, I officially had at least 4 deer smack dab behind me coming from the East and moving to the West. This little button buck was photogenic:
These deer would eventually work on behind to my right in under a ton of young hickory trees which are now sporting bright yellow leaves, but there are so many of them it's like a carpet under you and figured the deer kept moving off to the bedding farther to my west and north.
The next few hours were quiet and with approaching storms scheduled to hit around 1-2 I decided to get down at noon switch the camera card from the camera directly in front of my set up on a scrape/trail about 25 yards to my front. I climbed down, took two steps to the camera and heard deer take off from behind me...immediately I knew those deer that had worked in behind me had never left, instead they had bedded down in under all those baby hickory trees...frustrated I switched the card, walked quickly to the barn to relieve myself (forgot pee container as I hadn't expected to hunt all day) and quickly climbed back up the tree to check the card on my digital camera. It had nearly all day activity here and there with a few bucks in them (only one decent one, but a pass he'll get for sure). Don't like the camera angle and given a rain or a sit in this stand I'll probably switch the location or angle of camera.
Anyways, I wasn't back up the tree more than three minutes and I had to put the camera down because I had deer coming back in from my left rear...it was the same deer that had worked in and obviously bedded down. They had no clue what I had been and I can only assume wanted to find out. I knew it was the same deer because this little button buck was easily spotted the first time and this time I pulled out the camera and got some nice shots of the little guy. The two older does eventually got uneasy not knowing what had spooked them and they turned and walked back to the East, I would late see them right before dark working back to the South against the wind to the corn field which is that direction. I would see deer also moving that direction up on the hill side again about 30 minutes before dark. One of the deer up on the hillside was a mature deer whether buck or doe as I could only make out it's legs and part of it's body and it was a loooong body. Those deer would have been just steps away from the stand (#4) we have up on the hill side which we get to from the South and I may have to sit sometime soon to see if the deer keep moving like that.
Here's some pictures of the hunt...including one of how I spent about two hours of the hunt taking cover in the barn which the deer that kept moving behind me could have been shot from (hmm....ground blind possibly haha).
Overall good hunt and another great day spent in God's creation...and I saw deer which is always a good thing.
Wind Direction: Out of S/SE all day
Arrived @ 6:45am (roughly 45 minutes before legal shooting time)
Departed @ 7:40pm
It was quite the set. I arrived well before light, made the very short walk from the property owners house and was up the tree getting set well before daylight was even hinting at rising. This would be the very first sit at this property as we just recently picked it up and would be hunting it for the first time this year. We knew the deer used this property we just didn't know exactly how or when and trail cam pictures can only show you so much (a point this hunt proved).
Not even a half hour after legal shooting time and right at sunrise time I had movement. First I spotted some deer skirting around the hill to my north, but sadly up about half way up it and well out of range and while hard to make out I don't believe any of the 3 were bucks. While trying to figure out if any of them were bucks I heard something to my left...but not just my left my left rear. Now I'm only about 20 yards from the owner's barn which kinda sits up in some oaks , and figured all movement would occur in front of me. Well that wasn't the case, I officially had at least 4 deer smack dab behind me coming from the East and moving to the West. This little button buck was photogenic:
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| Gonna give him a year or three :) |
The next few hours were quiet and with approaching storms scheduled to hit around 1-2 I decided to get down at noon switch the camera card from the camera directly in front of my set up on a scrape/trail about 25 yards to my front. I climbed down, took two steps to the camera and heard deer take off from behind me...immediately I knew those deer that had worked in behind me had never left, instead they had bedded down in under all those baby hickory trees...frustrated I switched the card, walked quickly to the barn to relieve myself (forgot pee container as I hadn't expected to hunt all day) and quickly climbed back up the tree to check the card on my digital camera. It had nearly all day activity here and there with a few bucks in them (only one decent one, but a pass he'll get for sure). Don't like the camera angle and given a rain or a sit in this stand I'll probably switch the location or angle of camera.
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| Little buck working the licking branch above the scrape. |
Anyways, I wasn't back up the tree more than three minutes and I had to put the camera down because I had deer coming back in from my left rear...it was the same deer that had worked in and obviously bedded down. They had no clue what I had been and I can only assume wanted to find out. I knew it was the same deer because this little button buck was easily spotted the first time and this time I pulled out the camera and got some nice shots of the little guy. The two older does eventually got uneasy not knowing what had spooked them and they turned and walked back to the East, I would late see them right before dark working back to the South against the wind to the corn field which is that direction. I would see deer also moving that direction up on the hill side again about 30 minutes before dark. One of the deer up on the hillside was a mature deer whether buck or doe as I could only make out it's legs and part of it's body and it was a loooong body. Those deer would have been just steps away from the stand (#4) we have up on the hill side which we get to from the South and I may have to sit sometime soon to see if the deer keep moving like that.
Here's some pictures of the hunt...including one of how I spent about two hours of the hunt taking cover in the barn which the deer that kept moving behind me could have been shot from (hmm....ground blind possibly haha).
Overall good hunt and another great day spent in God's creation...and I saw deer which is always a good thing.
Friday, October 12, 2012
First All Day Sit
Well today (10-12-12) the wind shifted to the NE overnight and that mixed with the dark period pretty much starting today made me want to attempt to pull an all day sit in the spot where we got the pictures of RD since the wind and dark period were nearly exactly as the day he was there for the pictures.
Well to not bore everyone with the details of the "utility rope" dilemma I was all set and ready finally by 7am, with legal shooting time being 7:27 (sunrise 7:57).
The sun came up and God showed me one of the reasons I love hunting, where else do you get to watch this come to life:
Sadly though I would not see anything in the morning hours....mid-day hours and just to make things consistent the evening hours as well. I do believe I had some around me before light and after light but that does me no good now does it.
Well I'm currently planning on hunting again tomorrow first thing in the morning (not all day....I think) but chances of rains could affect that.
Well to not bore everyone with the details of the "utility rope" dilemma I was all set and ready finally by 7am, with legal shooting time being 7:27 (sunrise 7:57).
The sun came up and God showed me one of the reasons I love hunting, where else do you get to watch this come to life:
Sadly though I would not see anything in the morning hours....mid-day hours and just to make things consistent the evening hours as well. I do believe I had some around me before light and after light but that does me no good now does it.
Well I'm currently planning on hunting again tomorrow first thing in the morning (not all day....I think) but chances of rains could affect that.
Monday, October 8, 2012
First Hunt 10/6/2012
We I finally made it into the woods to chase the elusive whitetail deer. I can't express how awesome the feeling of that first hunt is, I think it's only trumped by the feeling right after you just put an arrow in a buck's boiler room.
Saturday marked the first time my father or I put rubber soles to the ground at the swamp property with any kind of weapon in hopes of putting BBD text out to our friends.
I chose to sit in the poppler stand, which is the star (map) located on the center North/South 2-track trail. The wind was suppose to be out of the West by 6 am, swinging slightly from a S/SW direction from the over-night hours. A very good wind for that stand as the deer will be working quartering into the wind heading back to bedding areas to the NW and some across the line to the W.
Being the first hunt I forgot how long it took to get dressed outside the truck (NOT TO MENTION IT WAS FREEZING OUT!) but I'd given myself plenty of time and was on stand about 25 minutes prior to legal shooting light, nearly an hour before "sunrise". After the pre-hunt prayer my hunting season was officially underway.
Sadly though the most action I had all happened right away and still before legal light. I heard the sounds of what I think were two deer slipping up the woods between my stand and the Western stand we have set up. It was just minutes haven't climbing and got my blood flowing thinking that was a great sign.....but I would be proven wrong. The next 3 1/2 hours would prove to be anything but good as nothing that didn't have wings or a bushy tail would show up. I was kinda surprised but not really once I realized the wind never shifted and was still coming out of the SW, meaning I was trying to hunt deer that would have had to tailwind back to the bedding...making me think the two deer I heard very early very well could have been a couple bucks slipping back to the bedding well before light (the only "safe" time to tailwind).
Oh well, I broke the ice of the season, froze my butt off (didn't layer for sub-40 degree weather) and did manage few decent pictures....the only thing I accomplished.
*On a side note, we've been learning EHD has been killing deer all around this swamp property....so we're just hoping there is still a couple decent bucks out there walking....I hate coyotes...but man I love them compared to EHD!
Some of the "bored" pics I took:
Here's to hoping my future hunts well include some deer in them. Still very early in the season.
Saturday marked the first time my father or I put rubber soles to the ground at the swamp property with any kind of weapon in hopes of putting BBD text out to our friends.
I chose to sit in the poppler stand, which is the star (map) located on the center North/South 2-track trail. The wind was suppose to be out of the West by 6 am, swinging slightly from a S/SW direction from the over-night hours. A very good wind for that stand as the deer will be working quartering into the wind heading back to bedding areas to the NW and some across the line to the W.
Being the first hunt I forgot how long it took to get dressed outside the truck (NOT TO MENTION IT WAS FREEZING OUT!) but I'd given myself plenty of time and was on stand about 25 minutes prior to legal shooting light, nearly an hour before "sunrise". After the pre-hunt prayer my hunting season was officially underway.
Sadly though the most action I had all happened right away and still before legal light. I heard the sounds of what I think were two deer slipping up the woods between my stand and the Western stand we have set up. It was just minutes haven't climbing and got my blood flowing thinking that was a great sign.....but I would be proven wrong. The next 3 1/2 hours would prove to be anything but good as nothing that didn't have wings or a bushy tail would show up. I was kinda surprised but not really once I realized the wind never shifted and was still coming out of the SW, meaning I was trying to hunt deer that would have had to tailwind back to the bedding...making me think the two deer I heard very early very well could have been a couple bucks slipping back to the bedding well before light (the only "safe" time to tailwind).
Oh well, I broke the ice of the season, froze my butt off (didn't layer for sub-40 degree weather) and did manage few decent pictures....the only thing I accomplished.
*On a side note, we've been learning EHD has been killing deer all around this swamp property....so we're just hoping there is still a couple decent bucks out there walking....I hate coyotes...but man I love them compared to EHD!
Some of the "bored" pics I took:
Here's to hoping my future hunts well include some deer in them. Still very early in the season.
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