Busted!!!

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ghoasthunter
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Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:36 am

I read on her about all kinds of success in the field how about failure lets hear some stories of messing up. and then we all can have a lesson learned from it. I will start with a buck I was hunting a coupe years back one of the biggest deer I ever had a chance to hunt and I let him slip threw my fingers cuz I wasn't seeing his sign. it was wide open rolling hills so seeing beds was out of the question. this was before beast style I might add so I had no understanding of that type of terrain and didn't realize how often they move on wind shifts . I got the buck on camera in September over a mineral sight. I went a couple times during bow but just put it off as a buck that just drifted threw from time to time. well that buck was killed during muzzleloader season on a high nob about 300 yards from where I had the mineral. it was just dumb luck I even stumbled across that buck their were only historic rubs from years past. no new sign at all I followed the drag marks in snow right too that nob and found 20 beds on top from that one buck. the nob was on a corner between two major roads and the buck could see a logging trail to east that hunters walked in on and he could look over a large cattail swamp that everybody in the county hunted in. any given day their were 10 or more cars parked their. now every year I check that nob for beds. sitting in the wide open woods where you can see 200 plus yards. Image Image


THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
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headgear
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby headgear » Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:57 am

Most of my mess ups come from jumping bucks on entry. Right spot, right time but my bed locations are off. This isn't entirely my fault either, there can be a little bit of randomness built into were they bed and sometimes when you push that envelope you mess up. I think most of it is just gaining that experience about an area and how the deer use it. Early season they might bed different than prime time and sudden that area you plan to set your stand or entrance route is where they lay down. Sometimes I hunt larger bedding zones where there are dozens of beds and some wind/randomness changes they way they use the area. Have to know when to lay back or drive in further, this isn't something that is learned overnight.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:09 am

headgear wrote:Most of my mess ups come from jumping bucks on entry. Right spot, right time but my bed locations are off. This isn't entirely my fault either, there can be a little bit of randomness built into were they bed and sometimes when you push that envelope you mess up. I think most of it is just gaining that experience about an area and how the deer use it. Early season they might bed different than prime time and sudden that area you plan to set your stand or entrance route is where they lay down. Sometimes I hunt larger bedding zones where there are dozens of beds and some wind/randomness changes they way they use the area. Have to know when to lay back or drive in further, this isn't something that is learned overnight.
very true very true I love observation stands and glassing for that reason. if I'm in swamps sometimes ill climb a tree and glass over my entry trail. good HD glass is great and when you glass grid it go right to left then up and left to right don't randomly look. that's mule deer hunters trick I was taught that's very useful. I even have a tripod for my binos that I use in summer you be amazed how many times you can pic out just antler tips in tall grass when you grid search.
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Killtree
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby Killtree » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:14 am

After looking at the time stamp on pic I have to ask...

Is his but pointed towards his beds?
:violence-bowandarrow:
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:57 am

Killtree wrote:After looking at the time stamp on pic I have to ask...

Is his but pointed towards his beds?

he would come down and feed on acorns and beach nuts next to swamp he's actually pointed up a long mellow finger going to his beds I have him on camera coming down in grey light a bunch of times but the pics were not as good I think I have like 300 pics of this deer till second weak in October but all after shooting light once hunting season started he. its crazy that buck would bed so close but still not move till well after dark except for one good moon phase. he was using three ridges in a 1 square mile area that's my guess any way I found a good spring up their this year that I'm going to keep an eye on that right below bedding area seems to be a spot to hold a big one I just get that gut feeling. their are quite a few bucks that grow big in the more rolling hills I think its because of that forever switching wind.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:01 am

ghoasthunter wrote:
Killtree wrote:After looking at the time stamp on pic I have to ask...

Is his but pointed towards his beds?

he would come down and feed on acorns and beach nuts next to swamp he's actually pointed up a long mellow finger going to his beds I have him on camera coming down in grey light a bunch of times but the pics were not as good I think I have like 300 pics of this deer till second weak in October but all after shooting light once hunting season started he. its crazy that buck would bed so close but still not move till well after dark except for one good moon phase. he was using three ridges in a 1 square mile area that's my guess any way I found a good spring up their this year that I'm going to keep an eye on that right below bedding area seems to be a spot to hold a big one I just get that gut feeling. their are quite a few bucks that grow big in the more rolling hills I think its because of that forever switching wind.

their is a bed down that way though their is a nice swamp point in their but theirs a stand and guy sitting on it every day.
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Killtree
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby Killtree » Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:36 am

Don't make much sense for him to be heading TOWARDS bedding at 9:30 pm
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Rob loper
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby Rob loper » Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:56 am

Killtree wrote:After looking at the time stamp on pic I have to ask...

Is his but pointed towards his beds?


Most likley. Yes. I would think so at least that general direction
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:18 am

I posted about this on another thread but I'll add it here...maybe it can help someone to not make the same mistakes I did. I had a stand set up 150 yards from the road near a couple of apple trees and a big thicket. My think was the deer would stage at the apples before heading across the road to the fields. October 24th I sat this stand for the first time. At 5:45 a 150's class 10 point comes out of the thicket and hits the apple tree 25 yards away. Unfortunately, I didnt have a shot at him. After he ate apples for a little while he continued towards me. As he approached my shooting lane I drew my bow. It looked like I was gonna have a 20 yard broadside shot. Right before he steps into my lane he turns towards me and walks straight at me. He gets 15 yards from me and looks right up at me. I held me bow back as long as I could and tried to let down slowly but he saw me and took off. My stand is at the bottom of a little hill and I think he was looking up to the top of the hill before he went up there and I happened to be right in his line of sight. After being busted I thought I should move my stand about 25 yards to another tree but decided against it. I didnt figure I would ever see that deer again. After letting it cool off in there I decided to give it another try on November 6th. I got to my stand at 2:00. At 2:30 I see that same buck coming from the opposite direction he came from last time. He either come across a wide open field and crossed the road or was bedded right up by the road and I snuck in without him knowing. He went to the other apple tree that was 40 yards from my stand and then headed right toward the same shooting lane I had him in before. Right before stepping into the lane he stopped and stuck his head out and looked right up at me! This time he didnt take off he slowly angled away from me. I thought I had a clear 30 yard quartering away shot but when I let it fly I saw my lighted nock deflect off a twig. I think I caught him right across the brisket. I had a blood trail but not for very far. I looked for him for 2 days with no luck. My brother ended up seeing him 300 yards away on Nov 18th no worse for wear. I learned a couple things this fall. Always follow your first instinct or gut feeling. I knew I should have moved my stand but didnt. That buck ended up walking 15 yards from the tree I was gonna move it to. Also, when hunting a destination food source like apples, make sure you have a shot to the apple tree. Instead of sitting by one of the two apple trees I decided to sit right between both of them and have a shot to the trail between the two. I also dont know about setting up at the bottom of a hill that the deer are going to be climbing. I think its just natural for them to be looking up towards the top on their way up and they could end up looking right at you. Lastly, both times I saw this buck were right during the major moon movement period. I'll be paying more attention to that next fall.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:31 am

Killtree wrote:Don't make much sense for him to be heading TOWARDS bedding at 9:30 pm
well hears what might be going on its still early and this is a mature public land deer in a very high pressure area this year also had a real heavy bumper crop of acorns this time of year mature bucks will play around with scrapes and such where I am. he's probably night bedding down in swamp edge and chewing cud we have a lot of bears so deer get bumped in daylight in swamps. also he is standing in a pile of salt so that's a big draw for them.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:54 am

Killtree wrote:After looking at the time stamp on pic I have to ask...

Is his but pointed towards his beds?
ImageImageImage hear are more pics of his travel and from the time stamped on the one the clock could be off by a hour I think the sun is still out at 7:35 but you can see his travel on 07 October.
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 8:18 am

Mathewshooter wrote:I also dont know about setting up at the bottom of a hill that the deer are going to be climbing
He gets 15 yards from me and looks right up at me.
2 things I noticed (dropping thermal) on trail where deer were climbing but it was early still so were you going to move stand for thermal later on? and you were 15 yards from him how come you didn't put one right down that wind pipe that's a deadly shot and it was the right distance. that would have been my reaction if you don't ethically take shots like that I understand and I'm not being judgmental.
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 8:29 am

ghoasthunter wrote:
Mathewshooter wrote:I also dont know about setting up at the bottom of a hill that the deer are going to be climbing
He gets 15 yards from me and looks right up at me.
2 things I noticed (dropping thermal) on trail where deer were climbing but it was early still so were you going to move stand for thermal later on? and you were 15 yards from him how come you didn't put one right down that wind pipe that's a deadly shot and it was the right distance. that would have been my reaction if you don't ethically take shots like that I understand and I'm not being judgmental.


I dont think thermals were in play here as the wind was blowing towards 3 o clock and he was at the 12 o clock position. It was a pretty steady breeze too. Ive never taken a head on shot at a deer and didnt want to chance it, especially on a buck like that. I did have a few guys at camp say thats a deadly shot after the fact....as long as you get it between the shoulders. At that distance it would have been a chip shot.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 8:40 am

Mathewshooter wrote:
ghoasthunter wrote:
Mathewshooter wrote:I also dont know about setting up at the bottom of a hill that the deer are going to be climbing
He gets 15 yards from me and looks right up at me.
2 things I noticed (dropping thermal) on trail where deer were climbing but it was early still so were you going to move stand for thermal later on? and you were 15 yards from him how come you didn't put one right down that wind pipe that's a deadly shot and it was the right distance. that would have been my reaction if you don't ethically take shots like that I understand and I'm not being judgmental.


I dont think thermals were in play here as the wind was blowing towards 3 o clock and he was at the 12 o clock position. It was a pretty steady breeze too. Ive never taken a head on shot at a deer and didnt want to chance it, especially on a buck like that. I did have a few guys at camp say thats a deadly shot after the fact....as long as you get it between the shoulders. At that distance it would have been a chip shot.

roger that on thermals. I've been their more than once with the frontals I practice for them now and have killed three deer that way it saved my buddies ohio hunt this year he took home a nice 135 in buck his was same as you except for a scrape instead of apples. i practice on a 3d year round out of a stand in my back yard just for weird angles now. i think its something that has to be mentally prepared for the whole time I'm drawn on a deer now I'm looking for that pocket to slip an arrow in.
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Mathewshooter
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Re: Busted!!!

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Sat Jan 20, 2018 8:48 am

ghoasthunter wrote:
Mathewshooter wrote:
ghoasthunter wrote:
Mathewshooter wrote:I also dont know about setting up at the bottom of a hill that the deer are going to be climbing
He gets 15 yards from me and looks right up at me.
2 things I noticed (dropping thermal) on trail where deer were climbing but it was early still so were you going to move stand for thermal later on? and you were 15 yards from him how come you didn't put one right down that wind pipe that's a deadly shot and it was the right distance. that would have been my reaction if you don't ethically take shots like that I understand and I'm not being judgmental.


I dont think thermals were in play here as the wind was blowing towards 3 o clock and he was at the 12 o clock position. It was a pretty steady breeze too. Ive never taken a head on shot at a deer and didnt want to chance it, especially on a buck like that. I did have a few guys at camp say thats a deadly shot after the fact....as long as you get it between the shoulders. At that distance it would have been a chip shot.

roger that on thermals. I've been their more than once with the frontals I practice for them now and have killed three deer that way it saved my buddies ohio hunt this year he took home a nice 135 in buck his was same as you except for a scrape instead of apples. i practice on a 3d year round out of a stand in my back yard just for weird angles now. i think its something that has to be mentally prepared for the whole time I'm drawn on a deer now I'm looking for that pocket to slip an arrow in.



The hill was not a real big hill either. I'd post pics if I could figure it out!
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