c_lou's Hunting Journal

[c_lou]

It's a tad late but I thought I would start a journal of my hunting experiences this year.

Monday October 4.

I got back from a vacation to South Dakota. I decided to hunt Monday afternoon since is was sunny and a nice 65 degrees. I left for the farm about 3pm. To start the season out terrible, I got a speeding ticket. Wasn't really paying attention, thinking about which stand and how to sneak into it. Oh Well my fault I'll take it. Got to my stand about 4pm and didn't see a thing all night. I got down about 6:45 and snuck out along the still un-cut cornfield.

Friday October 8
I got to my stand about 4pm. The wind was doing all it could to blow me out of the stand. I didn't see a thing. The funny part was, I looked at my watch at 6pm and said to myself "I bet the wind stops blowing any minute." Quite until 6:45 when I climbed down.

Monday October 11.
I wanted to try out my new stand tonight. It sits in the middle of 3 good trails. It was a bit warm today, 67 when I started the walk at 3:45. Upon seeing my stand I immediatly realized I had forgotten the seat part of my stand. So I climbed up and sat on the Metal braces. About 6:15 or so I had 2 small deer come running under my stand. This is when I realized that my shooting lanes need to be a little wider. I thought I cut them wide enough when I set up the stand. However, there we no leaves on the trees when I did that. Needless to say I let the 2 walk. I did have that heart-pounding sensation.

So this weekend I am going to cut my lanes a little bigger and rest the stand for a week. I am going to hunt my other stand in the mean time.

The pre-rut should be getting under way here in the next 10 days or so. I'm waiting to see the big boys come out of the corn.

[c_lou]

10/17/04 - 3pm

I wanted to get out early since it gets dark about 6:30. I got up in my stand about 3:45 and got settled in. Just a few squirrels until 5pm or so. Then it started to lightly rain. Nothing that drove me from the stand, but just enough that I couldn't hear much. Not to mention one of the farmers was picking corn behind our woods. I thought maybe he would drive some deer into our woods. No luck!. About 6pm a doe came wondering in from behind be. She passed within 2 yards of my tree and didn't even know I was there. I watched her for a while and thought about taking a shot. I didn't even draw back, she was just to fun to watch. She kept looking around like there was another deer, but I didn't see any. She never got wind of me and about 6:30 I finally lost sight of her. I stayed in stand another 15 minutes or so. Another fine night out in the woods. I am planning on going out tomorrow but may give it a rest until this weekend. I think the pre-rut is almost upon us.

Good Hunting
Corey

[c_lou]

10/24/04 Sunday

I went out about 3:30. I bypassed watching the Packer game because I figure the deer would be moving. I got set up in my stand about 3:45. To make a long story short, I didn't see a thing. I can't figure out where the deer went to. I did manage to see 3 scrapes so I know the deer are there. I also lost an arrow on the way out. It fell out of my quiver. I am planning on going out Tuesday. Our DMU has a T-Zone hunt this weekend, since I already have a doe, I am not planning on hunting. I do plan on hitting it hard next week. Grunting, Rattling, anything I can do to get those deer moving.

[c_lou]

11/02/04 Tuesday

Due to the Weekend T-Zone hunt I was unable to hunt this past weekend. Having the T-Zone during one of the best weekends really makes me mad, but that's another topic.

So I left work early to vote and go hunting. I got to my stand about 1:40 and starting right in with a grunt-rattle-grunt sequence about 2:00. I repeated this about every 45 min or so. To make a long story short, I didn't see squat. I think the T-Zone has the deer pretty nervous. I know there was a lot of hunters out in the properties around ours.

I am planning on heading out Wednesday, it's suppose to be nice and sunny.

[c_lou]

11/03/04 Wednesday

I don't know where the deer are. It's suppose to be hard-core pre-rut/chase phase and I haven't seen 1 deer in my last few outings. I went out about 2:30 and grunted and rattled as soon as I got settled into my stand. I did both a little more often than my previous night out. I am going to hold off on going until this weekend. I still think the deer are not coming out until after dark. I know the deer are there, the trails always have fresh tracks.

[c_lou]

11/06/04 Saturday

I got going a little late and didn't make it to my tree stand until 2:30. I was just barely settled in when around 2:45 a small 8 pointer walked by about 50 yards out. He was walking on the next ridge over, but I could see him pretty good. He wasn't a big deer, but he had a nice little 14-15 inch spread. I don't think I would have taken a shot at him, but who knows. I grunted a few times at him, but he didn't seem to care. It was pretty quite until 4:45 or so. It was getting to be dusk and I heard a deer coming from behind be. I peeked out from behind my tree and noticed a doe with 2 little ones. I then noticed another deer following up behind the 3. I stood up and grabbed my bow. I wanted to be ready incase it was a buck. It turned out to be Mama and 3 little ones. I have never seen triplets before. They didn't hang around long. A gust of wind came and they must have winded me because the 3 littles high tailed it back the way they came. Mama ran to the next ridge and stopped. It was then that I heard her blow twice and stomp once. Then she just walked away.

At least I am seeing deer movement.

[c_lou]

Wednesday 11/11/04

I got to my stand about 2pm. Around 4pm I noticed 2 deer sneaking along the corn field above me. As I was watching them I heard the familar crunch-crunch-crunch of a deer walking on the dry leaves. Where was it? I knew the deer was in front of me but I couldn't see him. It sounded like somebody walking not a deer. I stood up and noticed the 8 pointer making his way towards my stand. I saw that it was the buck from the other day. He is a nice 2 1/2 year old. He has good potential for next year. I hope he makes it. He had a 14 inch spread and nice 6-7 inche g2's. I really hope he makes it. Anyways he walked through my shooting lane at 15 yards, stopped licked a branch, did some business (#1 & #2) then meandered away. He never knew I was there. As he got to the top of the other ridge I hit the "can" once. Nothing, he didn't even care.

The deer are moving. Heading out tomorrow and Saturday.

[c_lou]

Friday 11/12/04

As I was driving to our farm about 1:45 I noticed a nice big bodied deer making his way through our high grass towards the pines. Not even out of the truck and I am seeing deer. Great I thought. As I was walking to my stand I saw a deer coming off from a ridge making it's way into the un-cut corn field I am set up near. 2 deer and not even to my stand yet. Around 4:45 I hear a deer making it's way towards me. Through the brush I can see it is a buck about 50 yards away. He never got closer. About 5 minutes later a small doe comes bounding out of the corn field right past me. Her and the buck hook up and I never saw them again.

Saturday 11/13/04
I got to my stand around 2pm. As I sat down I see somebody walking down the woodline. At the time I didn't know anybody else was hunting and I thought it was a tresspasser. As I got a better look it was my Brother-in-law Jake moving to a different stand. It was quite until 4:15 when I saw a buck making his way towards my stand. I stood up and got my bow ready, and waited for him to hit my lane. Well he didn't. I peeked around my tree, and not more thatn 30 yards away, there he was LAYING DOWN. I noticed it was the same small 8 pointer I had been seeing. Nice buck but just a tad to small. So I just watched him for 45 minutes or so. Then he lazily got up and strolled away.

Due to other obligations this week I am not able to hunt. So my next opportunity will be the gun season opener next Saturday.