2nd Bow Season Reports

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BackWoodsHunter
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:38 pm

I will no doubt. I wish we could shoot does. I don't know about you but we have a lot of them. Our property is on the line between Unit 31 (doe shooting is allowed and supported) and Unit 37. The only thing seperating us is Hwy 51. It'd be nice to see both 9pts go through til next season but the longer I sit in the cold the more ready I am to let the arrow fly. Good luck to you as well we still have plenty of time for hunting!


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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Wed Dec 22, 2010 3:56 pm

Heading out tomorrow morning to wait out the bedding area in the cattails. Hope to be all set up one hour before light.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:42 am

Headed out this morning. River didn't look safe to cross, so I sat on the N side of the river where the red X is, using the light blue access. Got there about 30 minutes before light. As I got situated on my ladder, I heard a snort and a deer took off about where the top orange X is. When it got lighter I could see the tracks. Two deer had come onto the river just 5 yards from me. One had split off to the west, and the other bedded just east of me. This of course happened sometime before 30 minutes before shooting light.

Then, about 15 after light, I could see a deer coming through the cattails. It was on pace to cross the river 60 yards east of me, then turned and walked straight towards me. I got ready for it to cross the river for me to shoot. Then, it disappeared. I have no idea what happened to it. It didn't cross the river from what I could see, and it didn't turn around. I know it didn't wind me, so I suspect it may have bedded just on the south side of the river.

I backed out quietly. My plan for this afternoon is to loop around and attack it from the south, using that big circle of tall cattails as cover from its sight, and set up as close as possible.

I know that a Nish wind wouldn't be ideal for a deer to leave this bed from in the afternoon, but I just don't see it going N out of its bed. It should go south to feed in the fields. Might be a little slower and more cautious, but I'll be pretty close to the supposed bed. If I don't see it tonight I'll hunt a different area tommorrow morning.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:16 am

Cool sit bowhunter15. Let us know how it goes tonight.

You buck only hunting, or anything goes?
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby 3dog » Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:28 am

Looks like you're covering some ground there B15, good luck!!
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby Schultzy » Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:25 pm

From the sign I've found the last 2 days I'm really going to have to earn my doe this year. With all this snow we've gotten the last 2 to 3 weeks allot of the deer have moved on out off of this property the last week In search for food. The 120 acres I hunt has 2 smaller food plots and 99% of the corn and beans that was planted Is either gone or It's buried In snow. Tomorrow I'm heading to the opposite side of the woods to see If deer are exiting the woods there heading over to the neighbors pastor where they feed their horses and cows. Got maybe 5 days of hunting left till the end of the year. It's been years since I've went with out a deer. Damn snow came way to early this year and too much of It. Not enough food here to keep the deer around. A good challenge like this Is fun to me though!! 8-)
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:38 pm

Turns out the river was impassable at all locations. I didn't walk an hour through a foot of snow and marsh for nothing, so I found another bed to set up on.

This particular bed we've found scouting before, but it was always vacant. However, the brush always had monstrous rubs inside and there's one tall tree you can tell the buck would bed under. Good exit trails, a big area of tall reeds attached to the SW side, and the deer only needs to go a short ways before totally secluded in cattails.

I came up from the SE side, going along the edge of the tall cattails. I could see fresh decent sized tracks leading to and from the bedding area. So I found a good spot (red X) to wait him out, and kneeled in the snow (too hard to sneak in with a ladder).

With only 20 minutes left, I heard a loud snort. I whipped around to see a doe hardly 20 yards bounding away through the cattails. I have absolutely no idea how she knew I was there. She couldn't have smelled or heard me. I guess she must have picked a small window through cattails to see me kneeled in the snow. I would have stood out I guess from her point of view as I would have been silhouetted against the snow with my duck camo. After that, I didn't expect anything to come out of the bedding area and nothing did.

Tommorrow morning I've got another spot picked out. There's a big tower stand in a good pinch point by cedar swamp that's just in the public. There were fresh tracks moving through this area during daylight and I believe sitting right in that tower gives me the best shot right now.

I'm basically meat hunting right now. I'm almost out of venison, already took a nice buck this year, and might not even hunt this area next year, so basically, if it's brown its down at this point.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:54 am

Should've had venison on the ground this morning! As I walked up to that big tower stand an hour before dark, I heard one deer run off which must have already been bedded close by. I got up into it anyway.

About a half hour after light, I just caught a glimse of a deer crossing the main trail about 100 yards down from me. It looked like a bigger bodied deer, but I couldn't tell if it had horns or not.

Then, 10 minutes later, 3 deer came headed for me. There was a big one, a medium one, and a small one. Couldn't tell if it was 2 does and one fawn or one doe and two fawns with one being tiny. Either way... My bow was set down, so I bent down to pick it up. One of them looked up at me. I froze, and after a while they kept coming. With bow in hand and release on the string, I just had to wait to see what they'd do. They veered, and for a second it looked like they'd cross a big opening about 30 yards away. However, as they kept going I realized what trail they were on. It would lead them to cross much too far away. I needed to shoot right away. I drew back, and by this time the first two were past the shooting lane, while the third was about to go through it at 40 yards. I sat there at full draw, but it wouldn't walk through. I had to let down. She sat there for a little longer and then took off. The other two followed suit, although they kept going the same direction they were headed. I could see them stop and wag their tails about 40 yards into the thick brush and cedars on the other side of the clearing, and then they walked off. If I had realized what trail they were on earlier, I would have shot the first or second one as they went by at 40.

As a side note, while the deer were there, I heard two loud grunts from the direction I saw the first deer headed. My guess is that it must have been a buck. The three in front of me gave absolutely no reaction to the grunt. Tonight I'm going to hit an area I've never even scouted before. I'll walk the edge I believe the deer will use and if there are fresh tracks, I will set up. Tommorrow morning I might bring in the LW assassin and sit where I saw that buck go through. He should do the same thing tommorrow... I hope.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:01 am

Your having good encounters. Go get that buck, and the year on a high note. Good luck.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:30 am

Should've sat the same spot. I set up by where I saw the lone deer move through yesterday Nothing went through there unfortunately, however, a lone doe went right through on the same trail they did yesterday. She was probably 70 yards away through some thick cover. Just in case she would veer and give me a shot, I moved my bow around to that side of the tree.

With just that little bit of movement, she spotted me and turned around and went right back where she came from. I was actually quite surprised she picked me out. I've gotten away with much more than that early season.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to get out again, but if I do, I have a great tree picked out. It's a tamarack right next to a cedar. It would need a little trimming but there should'nt be any way I'd get picked out.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:41 am

good luck man! at least you're out seeing the deer! where are they coming from any idea? on your last sit out there you should back track them and figure it out. Maybe santa will bring you a nice fat doe at first light tomorrow morning. Good luck!
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:21 am

I know that they're likely feeding in private crop fields, then walking through over a half mile of open cattails, then going through 40 acres of private hardwoods/brush, and cutting into a thick cedar swamp. I'm getting the action right by the edge of the private where it turns to cedar swamp. Mornings have been best. I will follow their tracks after my last sit because I'm curious as to how far back in a cedar swamp they will bed. It all seems the same. I don't know if they wander and plop down wherever they feel like or hit the same beds every time. I know it's mostly a late season thing at this land. Early season I can see them with about half the walking distance, but constant pressure pushes them way back and now I got to walk 2/3 mile before I even see tracks.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby Schultzy » Sat Dec 25, 2010 2:08 pm

Dammit!!!!!!!! Had a doe at 8 yards tonight. I purposely let her get through the 1st shooting lane so I could shoot her In the 2nd shooting lane. Out of no where shows a 110 Inch 3.5 year old 8 point that I've passed up twice this year. What's he do? He gets that I'm going to chase you look and takes after her and off she goes. This Is the 2nd time this year that a shitty gened buck has screwed my hunt up. A 3.5 year old 7 point screwed my hunt up with the big boy earlier this year. I was soooooo mad when she took off. He then stopped at 15 yards and I thought the with him, he's getting an arrow this time. I got my recurve almost to my anchor point and he takes off again In pursuit of her. I should've shot her In the 1st shooting lane. Damn!!!!!! A Christmas eve deer would be neat, something I've never done before. I don't know how many more chances at deer I'm going to get. The deer have really moved out of this woods I'm hunting.

You all have a safe and Merry Christmas. I'll be working (hauling milk) all weekend.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Sat Dec 25, 2010 4:01 pm

So close Schultzy....so close. Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.

One more day of family meet and greet and I'm back in the woods.
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Re: 2nd Bow Season Reports

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:33 am

Had another chance today... and missed. I put the lone wolf about 12 feet up that tamarack/cedar clump I had found. Decent front cover, back side was a little bare, but much better than any non-evergreen. Well, I mentioned it had good front cover, well, lots had to be trimmed just so I could get my bow back. There was one 3" diameter limb that was just perfectly in the way of my top limb for a shot to my right, which is where most of the deer were going through. I thought about trying to break it off, or move my stand up or down, but had already done a lot of work so decided to leave it there. I could still monkey my bow back if I really tried.

So right about when shooting light starts, I hear some crunching, and look up to see a large deer headed towards me. I have little doubt that it was the same buck that went through there a couple days ago. I grabbed the bow, and he looked up, then put his head down and kept walking. He looked like an average 2.5 year old for the genetics they have there. Spread was outside the ears, but short and kind of thin tines. Probably an 8 pointer, didn't count. Well worthy of being a "shooter". So as he crosses behind a cedar I draw back awkwardly trying not to contact the limb. He looks up again as I'm holding full draw with the nock like 5 inches out from my face, kind of hard to hold it there. Kept walking, leaned and maneuvered to get pointed at the shooting lane. He looked up again. He was just about to cross, but was looking very nervous. It was as if he couldn't see me when he looked because I was covered well, but the movement he had caught had him on edge.

He took a step into the shooting lane, and by his body language I could tell he was just about to bolt. I put the pin on him and released just as he took off. Well, the fact that he took off just then, combined with the fact that my top limb hit the branch during the release, combined with the fact that he was probably 30 yards rather than the 25 I aimed for all led to a low miss and he trotted off with his tail down. :cry: Probably not scared out of his mind, but knew that something definitely wasn't right.

If I had taken the time to remove that limb, I could have drawn and aimed much smoother, he probably wouldn't have been as on edge, and I probably could have gotten an arrow in him. O well, live and learn.

After I got down I did remove that limb and a few other saplings that were obstructing good shooting lanes for future hunts.


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