Bucky had the deer report thread from sept 17-oct 1. I thought that was a cool idea
went out tonight on a blind hunt in a public swamp. I had a couple areas in mind going in that were about a mile back that I found using google earth/topo, the plan was to find some fresh sign and set-up.
It was a hike getting back to the first spot which I thought would be killer! acorns on the ground but not much for tracks. and absolutely nothing for fresh rubs.....
I followed some trails that went out to points where I could see other clusters of big trees out in the swamp that probably hold bedded deer on occasion, but there just wasn't enough fresh evidence to sit there.
I ended up backing out of that spot. walking around another .3 miles to check the other area.
On the computer I could see many trails entering this other point from a rather large island about 80 yards to the NE.
When I was getting toward the edge, I could tell the trails were getting a lot more use here, but still no rubs. I crossed a small open wet area which I thought was the 2nd and final edge before the island....and as I reached the edge, whoops, this was the island!
Cursing myself I followed the trail up and onto the island which was much bigger than I thought. I only made it a little ways and spooked a deer feeding along the edge, looked like an average sized deer, it was about 4pm. I started looking for a spot to set-up. This end of the island came to a good point and there was plenty of tall, thick brush surrounding it that would hide a deer in the 80 degree heat.
The tree I found had some fresh droppings under it that must have been from this morning or last night. I could see quite a ways in 2 directions down the edges of the point, but the mainland had lots of small oaks, popple, and other 5" trees so it was tough. Didn't hear much of anything until about 5:45...I could hear something off in the brush about 40 yards away, making all kinds of racket snapping twigs. I figured it was a family of coons or a porky.
Finally after about 20 minutes a big bodied deer stepped out towards the tip of the point where I walked in. I clipped onto my D-loop thinking it might be a 2.5 yo buck....but it was one of the biggest swamp donkey's I have ever laid eyes on!!!
She smelled around and knew something was off, she was upwind and started circling and looking over at the tree, bobbing her head. She offered a couple shots at 30 yards but decided it would take all night to drag this horse out of the swamp if I killed her.
Eventually she decided something was up and bounded off into the swamp...never did snort though.
All in all it was pretty awesome going in blind and setting up the LW and sticks 40 yards away from the queen of the woods! haha I'll maybe head back to that spot in Nov and see if I can't whack a buck patrolling that island edge, if nothing else I can scout it more in depth this post season. One thing I learned, if going in blind and planning to set-up on fresh sign...your better off making a whole day of it, and finding the sign that is worth while. I still haven't seen a fresh rub this year....
Oct. 6th-Oct. 20th hunting reports
- RaisedByWolves
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- Zap
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Re: Oct. 6th-Oct. 20th hunting reports
Cool.....
Sounds like a good hunt.
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Re: Oct. 6th-Oct. 20th hunting reports
Good stuff.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
- Black Squirrel
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Re: Oct. 6th-Oct. 20th hunting reports
Cool story, your getting closer!
- BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Oct. 6th-Oct. 20th hunting reports
Awesome hunt man! Going in blind must be tricky. With all these dry crunchy leaves I am not too excited about doing that much walking around. You should have stuck that old doe. I hunted public land last night where I thought a buck bedded and does would pass through into some oaks unfortunately neither happened. I was going to shoot a doe if I could get it on film but as it got closer to dark the less I wanted to mess with dragging one out. I am glad none showed and I wasn't forced to make a decision.
here are my reports from the live from the stand thread
Oct 9th.
Set up in mature timber along "select cut" last night. Saw about 8 deer and heard 3-4 moving around I never saw. The cut is about 5yrs old the popples are starting to grow tall and thick. In the past the deer move around the edges of the cut but with them being thick the deer are now just moving through them browsing. I set up expecting my "target buck" to be bedded to the south west of me and to funnel past. The deer all took a different route to the south and into the cut and I never saw any horns but heard grunting from the south. Also had a doe come by bleating. Had deer all around me and they even worked to downwind. I was stuck in my stand for a half hour after dark. When I started packing stuff up and taking my stand down the does downwind finally busted out of there. I don't believe the buck that was grunting ever came past my set up. Debating heading back there to a different tree today or hitting some public land. After seeing the deer movement in this spot I am confident that when I return in November I should see a buck or two cruising by. This is 40acres of private land in Oneida Cty, WI. It borders our family land and yrs ago we were given permission to hunt it. This spot is thick and nasty with one small over grown atv trail through it. The owners haven't set foot on the land in yrs and it sees no pressure or human activity all yr except when I bow hunt it with my mobile set up and opening weekend of gun season when a relative hunts his stand in there. I believe this to be where the big buck I have trail cam pics is living.
Oct 10th.
Hunted public land tonight in Oneida County. No deer seen. At last light thought I heard some approaching. I set up south west of a bed I scouted and found in spring. The wind was southeast I thought for sure the buck would come from the north in daylight with the wind in his favor and me just outside the scent stream. No dice.
The trail in had hairy canine turds every 150ft or so along with a few dead critters. The wolves or coyotes, hard to say which, are tearing it up in this spot and maybe caused me to see no deer. On the way out I heard lots of rustling in the brush where the most canine sign was. I beat feet outta there.
here are my reports from the live from the stand thread
Oct 9th.
Set up in mature timber along "select cut" last night. Saw about 8 deer and heard 3-4 moving around I never saw. The cut is about 5yrs old the popples are starting to grow tall and thick. In the past the deer move around the edges of the cut but with them being thick the deer are now just moving through them browsing. I set up expecting my "target buck" to be bedded to the south west of me and to funnel past. The deer all took a different route to the south and into the cut and I never saw any horns but heard grunting from the south. Also had a doe come by bleating. Had deer all around me and they even worked to downwind. I was stuck in my stand for a half hour after dark. When I started packing stuff up and taking my stand down the does downwind finally busted out of there. I don't believe the buck that was grunting ever came past my set up. Debating heading back there to a different tree today or hitting some public land. After seeing the deer movement in this spot I am confident that when I return in November I should see a buck or two cruising by. This is 40acres of private land in Oneida Cty, WI. It borders our family land and yrs ago we were given permission to hunt it. This spot is thick and nasty with one small over grown atv trail through it. The owners haven't set foot on the land in yrs and it sees no pressure or human activity all yr except when I bow hunt it with my mobile set up and opening weekend of gun season when a relative hunts his stand in there. I believe this to be where the big buck I have trail cam pics is living.
Oct 10th.
Hunted public land tonight in Oneida County. No deer seen. At last light thought I heard some approaching. I set up south west of a bed I scouted and found in spring. The wind was southeast I thought for sure the buck would come from the north in daylight with the wind in his favor and me just outside the scent stream. No dice.
The trail in had hairy canine turds every 150ft or so along with a few dead critters. The wolves or coyotes, hard to say which, are tearing it up in this spot and maybe caused me to see no deer. On the way out I heard lots of rustling in the brush where the most canine sign was. I beat feet outta there.
"The history of the bow and arrow is the history of mankind." Fred Bear
- BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Oct. 6th-Oct. 20th hunting reports
On the 9th I believe where I set up was a good spot to get a crack at the buck I have cam pics of but it would appear the trail leading too and from that bedding area has dried up and the deer are using a different trail about 100yards away out of sight because of the thick growth of the young popples. Had I tried to get closer to that trail and the buck bed I would have bumped bedded does. I was tempted to go in and shoot a doe on the 10th (last night) but I let the spot cool off as I am anxious to see what the rut produces in there. I switched to public and it was a bust.
"The history of the bow and arrow is the history of mankind." Fred Bear
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