Not Checking Trail Cam for a year (I did it again)

[dkoy85]

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Thanks for sharing this amazing post and having the will power to do it again. That is a no-nonsense spot. A big buck killing location. I'm not sure what state you hunt but it looks like you have great hunting.

The property you hunt looks very similar to the property I hunted in Iowa last year... especially the doe bedding area and I had a lot of luck and big buck sitings from the edges, not to mention the buck I killed. We kept that bedding area free of stands and intrusion, but I was on day 9 of a 10 day hunt and the landowner gave me permission to pop into it and I had my buck on the ground 30 minutes after daylight. All week we were watching bucks run in and bump doe around. It was a very rare spot. Tall grass and cedars just like your spot. The bucks zigzagged the whole bedding area from top to bottom, so I was confident having a stand at the top would provide me with a shot at any buck coming in.

IMO now that you have the last 2 years photos, and the confidence in knowing what an all day sit can produce, it's time to get in there when the conditions are as close to as good as it's going to get. The day after you tracked that doe you should have been in stand all day, regardless of conditions, because you already stank the area up, and only over night, giving you an opportunity at fresh bucks the next day. You are learning a lot about this spot. Now it's time to experiment on how to hunt it If all else fails, and you don't have the wind you need, and you're nearing the end of your rut vacation get in the bedding- I bet you it will be one of your favorite hunts.

[sethg]

i love this thread. I would hunt it at least twice from Halloween to nov 10th, on best wind forecasted for that spot. If they bust you, you don't kill, which is same result if you don't hunt it. I'd gamble on it at least twice. preferably on your west wind, but i'd even do it on a north wind if I had to.

[hunter10]

Neat to see the camera location translated to the aerial. Good stuff

[Gibby]

Very Interesting, I hope you get a chance to sit the stand this year

[Bigb]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the comments.

I think this year the first day I have a northwest or west wind I'm going to head in (Halloween or after). I have a feeling that i'm going to have to head in around 8 or so and sit all day. Heading in before dark is just too dangerous and will bust too many deer out. That or hunt a spot I have on the way to this stand then approach it when the thermals switch. I am concerned because the trees in they spot are pretty narrow. If you look at the thread from last year I have a picture of the trail they use and you can see the trees are a bit narrow but will hold a stand. I think I'm going to give it a try in these trees but if it doesn't work, there is about a 250 year old oak that is massive that it right there as well. It would take some time to put up a permanent stand but I think it would be worth it. It wouldn't give me as good of shots and have to walk on the deer path a bit it would be tough to spot me in that oak tree.

A bonus about this spot is that you can see the creek bed and spot the deer walking the creek. While I can't shoot down there, I can see it and it can help me gather information.

A fun thing about this spot when I did sit right by there a few years back is that you can hear the deer crossing the creek in a few spots but can't see them. Kind of gets your nerves going since you can hear them but not see them.

Also, camera is already up in this spot again this year. I'll check it the first time I hunt this stand in the fall. Since people see to have liked the topic, I'll post some pics if there are any good ones. Hopefully one will be me next to a 5.5 year old 160" buck!

[Lockdown]

No need to sit that spot in the evening...

[dkoy85]

Just an awesome spot! I look forward to you hunting it this fall and reading what you learn and enjoying your hero photos!