MaineBuck's 04 hunt log

[mainebuck]

Figure it's time to start keeping the journal up again now that season is just over a month away and I'm starting to see some deer. The bow is pretty much tuned up with new gear. Still haven't decided on broadheads, probably be montecs. have to have a stripped out limb bolt replaced so I can get 60 lb. Treestands have been touched up with paint. Still need to buy a new climbing stick for a stand I got at a yard sale.

Deer sightings are good. lots of does around. haven't gotten much out of the trail camera yet. going to put a stand in the area i saw the 8 pointer the 2nd day of last season and see if he's around. found more of his sign scouting this spring. going in on the backside of the bedding area. Saw a true monster buck saturday night in the expanded zone. went to try to see him again yesterday (sunday) with joe with my digital camera to try to get some pics. rain storm moved in so he didn't show. found one of his beds along side a strip of woods bordering the field. he's in the ideal bedding spot. 2 escape routs and a lookout on on entrance to the error over a ravine that parallels the strip of woods. monster crap in there too. I'm guessing 140 to 150 inch deer. hard to tell for sure by the look I got at him saturday. plan to put the trail came out there in that strip of woods with some corn next week. he'll be my emphasis early in the season. there will be other hunters around there so if he's not gotten in the first two weeks he'll be tough to see til the rut.

other than that I have a couple spots I know are gonna produce come sept. 11th. just have to see if I want to fill the freezer with does or wait on bucks since I should have plenty of moose meet after september. signing off.

[JimT]

Do not forget to pick out my doe.

[mainebuck]

Your doe is as good as in the freezer Jim. I'll get them patterned for you so you don't waste a day up here.

Status on pre-season work is as follows:

PT started Monday. That's a royal pain in the arse, but I need to drop a few pounds before I start hiking through the woods. I've been running on the treadmill every night and feel a spring in my step already. A month of that and I should be good to go.

Still seeing deer here and there. Got a spike on the trailcam in one of my expanded zone spots. Picking up the camera at one of Joe's spots tomorrow. Was right under the apple tree with grain so should have some hits. Undecided on where to move it. Probably try to get the big boy on film. Haven't seen him in about a week. I've driven by a few nights but he hasn't been out. I'm thinking he may have been spooked from what Joe said about him taking off after being shined with his headlights. That's OK. The fewer people who see him the better. Have touched up paint on 2 stands. Still have to do 1 stand and a climbing stick. Still have to buy another stick for one hang on stand.

The bow is a matter of concern. Stripped limb bolt but that's not hurting anything. A bend on part of my cam is somewhat worrysome. I'm going to watch it close and play it by ear. Don't want to send it off for repair at this point in the game. If I can get through this season with it I'll be happy. Ship it off in January. Shooting is going good. Popping about 25 or 30 arrows every evening. Good out to 40. Have to refletch arrows before I tune my new montecs. The new tornade release is working out good. Love the fall away. Very comfortable and smooth. Only concern is the velcro strap which is a little noisy on the draw. Have to work on keeping that quiet. Just need to tune broadheads, shoot from my stand some, and shoot with mak, gloves, and gear on and I'll be set. Less than a month to go and counting. Have to visit all my spots one more time just to nail down the desired wind direction and build a spreadsheet for reference. That'll get done when I'm on my short maternity leave. signing off.

[mainebuck]

The hot topic today is the status of my bow for this year. I'm going to forego repair and try to make it last til the end of the season. I don't want to miss the first few weeks of hunting by sending my bow on vacation in Florida. Stands are all painted up. Scouting is pretty much done. Next on the agenda is to hang two morning fixed stands and tune Montecs. Hopefully those will be done by the end of the week. Tonight, back to the treadmill after a weekend away from it.

[mainebuck]

Went to pickup my bow last night. As the guy was handing it to me he noticed the cables were coming off the cam crooked. Turns out I have a bent axle and that is likely the cause of the bent metal on the cam. It's still at the shop. Hopefully it won't take very long to get a new axle. Time's a tickin.

[mainebuck]

Not directly related to hunting season, but the new little girl arrived into the world this morning at 4:03 am. We don't yet know what her name will be, but she's perfect in every way. Let's hope she stays that way so mommy can manage her and her sister and daddy can still have a hunting season.

[HuntingInMaine]

Congratulations on the little one! As my ex said when we had our second "Another rifle on the ridge!" lol

[mainebuck]

Got about 2 hours of sleep last night. Was up with the new baby, Emily, quite a bit. Picked up the bow today and ready to start shooting tomorrow. Went to check my trail camera this afternoon and only 2 pictures on it in the last week. Walked a little further in the logging trail and jumped a real big fawn. Looked like he was about 50 lb, pretty thick. Put the camera where he crossed and 3 trails intersected. Hopefully get a few hits there.

[mainebuck]

Just went out and shot the bow for the first time in a week or so. My it's like therapy for the soul. I've been exhaused, hyped up on caffeine, and back down and exhausted today. Almost too worn out to go out and shoot, but darn it if I don't feel like atleat 80% again after flinging 30 arrows. Bow feels good, shoulder feels good. Have to do another paper tune tomorrow, tune broadheads later in the week, and start shooting elevated with a facemask starting this weekend. 2 weeks from Saturday and it's back to the woods.

[mainebuck]

Spent about an hour getting the bow ship shape this morning. Tied a new leather rest cover on the shakey, fresh moleskin on the riser, waxed the string. Broke a string leech while waxing. That will give me a good excuse to try the stealth leeches.

[mainebuck]

Can tell I've been home the past two days by the number os posts and by how much I'm getting done. Got all my clothing washed in scent free detergent today and it's been hanging outside all day. activating the tinks carbon sack and scentlok suit right now and they'll all be zipped away in a storage tub until opening day.

[mainebuck]

went out riding this evening and saw 3 deer in the expanded zone. One little spike eating apples under an apple tree. In a field saw a doe and fawn on the field edge. Weather is beautiful. High 60's during the day, 40's at night.

[mainebuck]

Shot about 40 arrows last night and grouping is getting better. Weather is perfect. Cool 60's and no bugs. Have tomorrow off so I can hang 2 stands, paper tune, and shoot broadheads. 2 weeks and 2 days to go til the backstraps hit the bbq.

[mainebuck]

Just got back from putting out a hang-on stand. It's my API baby grand. It's up about 18 ft. in a cedar tree on the outer edge of a scrape line at the bottom of a ridge. The deer are running parallel to the ridge. Found a couple oaks dropping acors and they're hitting them hard. This should be a good all season stand as it will have cover after the hardwoods lose their leaves and there was rut sign there last year. About 20 yards out from the stand is another cedar tree. I put a mock scrape under it and broke a licking branch above it. I'm putting the human pee theory to the test folks were talking about on here. Took a nice whiz in the fresh scrape. We'll see what happens. Hopefully I'll have a N or NE wind on opening morning so I can hunt the stand.

[mainebuck]

Hey Mainer, I'm in Auburn. this is my 2nd seasaon and I'm ready to put all the spring scouting and learning experiences from last year to use. I managed to stay out of the way of most of the expanded zone hunters last year. Only ran into one other hunter on the last day of the season. I think this year's got to be better than last as far as the acorn crop and the weather is concerned. Good luck to you and the Mrs.