huntin'sonovagun's *LATE* start journal

[huntinsonovagun]

Well, not sure why I never started a journal...I think I was going to start one on a spreadsheet, but never got to finishing it. I can rememver all the days I saw deer, just not every day I went hunting, so I'll work from memory up until the present [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Oct. 1- Killed my first deer w/ a bow (opening evening) out of the stand Dan (Okbwhtr) helped me scout (by the dam)...4 point buck

Oct. 17- Saw a good 7 pointer and a small 5 pointer out of the stand by the dam.

Oct. 18- Hunted a stand I scouted by myself in the river bottoms by my house, didn't see anything until the walk out. Got busted by about 3 doe. Will move that stand here next week.

Oct. 21- Hung the stand.....hunted it a couple times and never saw anythng, knew it was in a good spot so kept it there...it was hot...maybe that was why I never saw anything [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Nov.5- Thought they would be starting to rut so I took an old bottle of code Blue and an old bottle of Wildlife Research #1 Select Doe Estrus. Put it in Tink's Scent Bombs. Had a doe come out with a button buck following, once I saw there wasn't a "real" buck trailing her, I thought I would take her. Never offered a shot, but no loss...I saw some deer!!! Probably 30 min. to an hour later a buck comes running out and he is grunting. I here something behind me to see a doe running at him, he cuts her off and I think they are going to walk right under me, but she cuts the other way and he just stops, only a couple yards from the base of my tree. He was a 5 or 6 point...3 tine on the left w/ no brow tine and a fork on the right with possibly a tiny brow tine on the right side. Let him walk [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] First buck I have ever let walk...not as hard as I thought it would be...first step in management and I felt pretty good. Well, only seconds later I here crashing in the woods and glimpse something running in there, then a few seconds later it runs the other way. I look bac at the other buck and don't see him....either he was a sly rascal, or I really think it was another buck. After all the comotion ceases, I look behind me and its the doe...I get a good look at her face...she was young. I moved my foot seconds later and she must have seen it cause she took off, but didn't flag her tail, so I think I just startled her. Moments before it is time to get off stand, I hear something almost right below me....it is the young doe, I could almost jump on her....I know what limbs to trim now. I watch her leave the field and then I climb down....I guess this is why guys like the rut so much....this was my first experience with rutting whitetails!!!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Nov. 6- Hunted the stand by the dam. got my scent bombs out and was settled in my tree at 3:58 p.m. Saw movement and saw it was a buck!! Looked through my binos, couldn't see how big exactly, he was upwind of my stand (north of me) I grunted and used my "Can" but he didn't act like he heard me. It was 4:19 P.M. only been settled for about 15 minutes!!!! I had a feeling I would see him again tonight. I heard something in front of me (only 5-7 yards) around 4:32 p.m. and just thought a branch or something fell....a split second later a buck is walking in my shooting lane...exact same place where I shot my Oct.1st buck. I recoginze his distinct rack as the one I saw just a few minutes earlier. Somehow this dude snuck in on me from a place I wasn't expecting. I had my scent bombs (2 of them- one was Code Blue and one was # 1 Select Doe Estrus) on a small tree about shoulder high. He comes up and smells the Code Blue one and acts like he is going to make a scrape right there 7 yards directly in front of me, quartering away!!! I watch through my binos, even though I don't need them to see him clearly...I just wanted to see him a little closer. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] as he is licking a branch between each scent bomb, the movement causes one to fall off, startling him. I couted five points...this would have been an EASY shot, but I let him go. I gave a deep grunt and he must have not've liked it...he took off running, tail down though, and stopped before he enetered the woods where he went earlier. I think he may have smelled the estrus from UPWIND!!! Maybe??? This was the 4th buck I have seen from this stand...I haven't seen any does, but I know they have to be around. This is a bowhunting only area, so maybe the buck-to-doe ratio is fairly good. Anyway, rutting bucks are awesome!! I am now hooked on hunting the rut!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[huntinsonovagun]

Hunted the river-bottom stand this morning...didn't really see anything, I got busted...all of the sudden heard a stomp behind me them running off...turned around and barely caught movement....I think it was a deer...not sure if it smelled me or saw me move. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Hunted the same stand tonight....didn't see anything...think I need to give that stand a break for a couple days.

[dogdoc]

better late than never--sounds like you are seeing a lot of deer. Best of luck getting the big one!

todd

[huntinsonovagun]

Hunted by the dam.....didn't see anything. When I got down, I decided to walk aound and check out the scrape and salt lick. didn't look like anything had been paying attention to the scrape. Saw some big tracks by the area where I saw the 7 point come out a few weeks ago....I just need to be in the stand when he comes out [img]/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[huntinsonovagun]

I pulled the stand by the dam...I have only seen 4 deer, 3 different times, and hunted it several times...at least 10, probably closer to 20 times. I will try to hang it tomorrow in that public area....think it was too close to the road for this late in the season, now that they have felt quite a bit of pressure. Hope I find a good spot................

[Griz]

Yeah Ryan sure hope you get that stand up soon.
The big boys moveing real good now.
Good Luck to ya..... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[huntinsonovagun]

I got out of school early...skipped class...anyway, hung that stand in the rain...and let me tell you, that was some cold water!!! Got it hung between a trail and a "finger". I thought they travel the low areas to stay out of sight (like a finger) and the trail is on a flat. (They run parallel to each other). So I am like 25 yards off the trail and about 35 from the closest edge of that finger (I am on the side of a hill)....hope they don't walk on the other side, unless it is real close, otherwise I will have to watch them walk out of range, but I will grunt, burp, fart, or anything to get them to turn around. I hope it is a good spot....I am horrible at picking stand sites...I'm talking, I rarely see deer at the stand sites I pick. I can shoot a bow pretty good, but just have trouble finding the deer (even the does). I guess it will come by trial and error. I will hunt it next week sometime. Hopefully I didn't scare them up too much...figured they were bedded since it was raining, and the rain would help dilute my scent. Wish me luck with this stand!!!!!!

[huntinsonovagun]

Hunted the stand in the bottoms this morning....didn't see a dang thing!! I can't seem to figure deer out...most guys see deer the majority of the times they go out....I don't even see does!!! The time I did see deer there, I saw 2 deer, then they left...then 2 more deer less than an hour later. They were different deer too. What makes all the deer come one day, then I don't see any the other times?!?!?! I tell you, these deer are hard to figure out. Guess that's why they call it hunting. I hunted till about 10:00 and then walked around....saw some deer crap that was fresh and big (clumped up too, like a biggin). Kinda looks like it was along a trail, but I doubt myself a lot since I rarely see any deer. Thinking about hunting the new stand tonight with some doe-in-estrous scent. Better get with it if I am going though....I am getting burned though!!!!! I just want to see deer, that makes the trouble all worth it, just if I see a deer!!!!!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[huntinsonovagun]

It had been about a month since I last went hunting because I got burned out. I got the itch again and went on Saturday morning. Hunted the stand that I hung in the rain and shot a doe!!!!!!!!! It was awesome. Left a trail of Wildlife Research "Excite" and it looked like she was following that. I waited for a good shot which I finally got at 21 yards to my right. would have been an awkward shot with me being right handed, but I got turned around easily without getting busted. She was following the trail I scouted out Which is a real confidence booster for me. These deer can make you feel like an idiot (most of the time for me ) and then other times make you feel like you own them. Lots of fun. Ready to get another one. I moved my River Bottom Stand during gun season, and am hopeing to hunt it tomorrow evening. I love this bowhunting stuff.

[huntinsonovagun]

Hunted the "rainyday stand" this morning until 9:00 because I had a doctor's appt. at 10:00 ideal conditions again (no wind and 28 degrees) but I didn't see anything at all. I was still content. I have had an awesome season, killing my first and second deer with a bow and passing up 2 smaller bucks with my bow. Just awesome. I am getting a Stealth Cam for Christmas, so hopefully I will hunt the River Bottom stand and hang that cam on the trail I am sitting on. Only one week left to get a buck!!!

[The_Kat]

Congrats on number 2 Ryan. I got burned out as well. I plan on hunting does this weekend with my gun, but I am done bowhunting for the year. I just wanna let my bucks grow another year, and try again next year when I got the ranch whipped into shpe.
Merry Christmas Bud!

[huntinsonovagun]

Hunted the stand in the river bottom that I moved during gun season this morning...didn't see anything. I pulled it and walking back to the house I saw the biggest rub of my life.....I was on a cedar almost as big as my waste!!!! It was high as the middle of my chest....I knew there were some big bucks, but this surprized me.

Only 3 days left to fill my other buck tag. Might hang a stand and hunt it where I started the season out. It should be cooled off in that area and might have a little luck. Either way, I had a successful season with my first and second bowkills ever. Also passed up my first buck ever (2 actually).

[huntinsonovagun]

Bump....so this one doesn't get lost either. I need to save my journals......