BUCKEE'S 2004 hunting Journal

[buckee]

I figured I'd better get this thing started, since our season opens on Saturday, the 28th of August.

It's the 26th today and I've just now started putting a grass blind together.
First thing on the menu will be a nice Mature blacktail doe this year. I promised my favorite farmer that we'd each take a doe this year, because they out-number the bucks 10 to 1, thanks to some idiots last year.
Mr Big is about the only buck they didn't get, which is a breath of good news as far as genetics go on the farm and I may even get a crack at him this year. He's a nice 5x5 blacktail.
Can't wait.

[buckee]

Well, opening day, it's raining, I didn't get my ground blind finished and my wife wanted to spend the day at the Country Fair. I don't think I'll be making it out today.. my back is killing me from all that standing around at the fair.

[buckee]

Season opened yesterday.
I got my blind built and set today ...LOL. I'm slow
This is where I'll be hunting tonight.

[The_Kat]

Geeze Dad,
it must be nice already getting to hunt! I still have to wait a month and 3 days!!!!!!!

Good luck with that big 5 x 5!

[buckee]

Went hunting tonight. I got down there really early because early in the season like this, the deer tend to come out earlier. I got there at around 5:30 pm and sat till dark.
Around 7:45 pm , 5 bucks came out and slowly fed across the field to my right, heading towards the far end of the field (last years far-end blind location). A bunch of does and fawns were working there way towards me over on my left along the bush-line.
Just about when the does had decided to commit to the hole in the fence , where I was set up, they spooked. Same with the bucks way over on my right, who had already gone into the next field. They came running back through.
I couldn't figure out why the heck they were acting so spooked, because the wind was perfect tonight for me. It was going right over my shoulder into the field behind me.
I waited around till last light and snuck out through the fence behind me, a little bewildered, to say the least.
I get half way up to the farmhouse and see a truck start up and turn it's lights on and slowly leave.
It looked like 3 guys in the front seat of the suburban.
The farmer isn't home right now and I'm the only one who has permission to hunt here.
Who-ever it was, was obviously sneaking around in the field behind me somewhere and spooked all the deer.
I'm a bit ticked, after sitting there for 3 hours, just to have some jerks ruin my hunt and spook all the nice relaxed deer.

I have to find out who these guys are now, and what the heck they are doing hunting the property (I imagine that's what they were doing)

Nice way to start off my season eh.
I probibly could have got a nice doe tonight, not to mention, one of those bucks was a dandy.

[buckee]

Here's my Ground blind set-up

It's behind that little bush, which I use as a back-drop to hide me a bit more, even though I'm behind the blind.

[mainebuck]

Looks like a good spot there. Hope you find out who was snooping around. I've had that happen to me before. Nothing more frustrating.

[buckee]

Went hunting again tonight.
Two bow-hunters showed up and I asked them if they had permission to hunt there. They said they did and one worked with Don's (the farmer's) son-in-law. Don still isn't home, so I guess I'll just have to wait to find out what's going on there.
They showed up about 20 minurtes before the deer started coming out last night. I guess they don't realize that the deer stage up only 250 yrds away on the other side of the stream for about 1/2 hr before coming out. Needless to say, nothing showed up, so I left a few minutes early.
I'm about ready to throw the towel in on this farm. I've been hunting it for about 13 yrs now and have had nothing but problems for the last 3 or 4 yrs.
The farmer assured me this summer that no-one else was going to be there except me and my friends.
I'm thinking that since I didn't get out till 2 months into the season last year, he might have figured I was too busy again and went ahead and let them hunt.
I'll find out when he gets home I guess.

[buckee]

Sept 02, 2004

Well, I gave it a rest for a few days, because I had to help my daughter move. I knew those other two hunters would be down there anyways.
I went and talked to the farmer tonight and asked him what the scoop was on these guys. Apparently he told them they could hunt down there for just a couple of days, because he thought I was too busy again this year to show up hunting ....surprise ...LOL
Anyway, I also told him that they were hunting in the bush, which is out of bounds except for retrieving deer.(private property)
He said "Yeah, I know they were...the neighbor called to see what was going on with these guys hunting on his land"
Guess what ...they got da boot tonight...LOL

Hear that Ken and Wilf .. it's all ours again.

Now we just have to wait for the deer to settle back down. They're spooked as all getout.

I hunted tonight, but the wind was from the north (all wrong), so I circled the field and set up in a little hole across the stream, hoping to catch a nice doe or that nice buck I saw the other night.
I had a 2x2(young) come out and start browsing across the field 35 yrds downwind of me. I had some scent out, but he didn't like it I guess. He sauntered back to the bush and disappeared.
A doe and two tiny fawns came out and grazed at 25 to 30 yrds for 45 minutes. The small buck joined them and then he made his way out in front of me and headed across the stream.
The doe and fawns were there till dark. I didn't want to leave with them there, but I was already late picking up my wife from work, so I snuck out the best I could. She wheezed a few times and hit the bush with her fawns.
If they had of been bigger fawns, I would have taken her, but they were really tiny little guys (late) and still nursing. Fun to watch anyways.

No points tonight team 11

[Tony]

nice pics buckee ... sure adds to the story of your blind setup...
i will have some in mine also...
good luck this season bud and get a big one...

[buckee]

Thanks Tony, all the best to you too Buddy.
I sure like that digital camera. A picture's worth a thousand words.

[buckee]

Sept 04

Went down to the farm again tonight. The wind has been a bit wierd today. It was blowing from the NE tonight, so I set up in the same little hole as the other night.
I saw a doe and 5 bucks. One real nce busk again and they were at 20 yrds, but it was way too dark to see them in my sights.
I even drew on him, but it was just too dark. Still legal shooting time, but with the trees al around and the dark backdrop, it would have been an impossible shot.
I had fun anyway watching the farmers black cat trying to catch mice in frot of me earlier. The grass is about 21/2 ft high and all you could see is this black cat come bouncing up in the air 3 or 4 times out of nowhere...LOL

[buckee]

Here's the little "hole' I've been sitting in for the past couple of times, when the wind is wrong for my other stop.

[buckee]

Monday Sept 06
Diana and I went down to Don's Farm last night, just to sit and watch. The deer have gone nocternal because of all the hunting pressure from those other 2 bow-hunters. I'm going to give it a week rest and hope for the best.
Saw 2 does and 2 fawns in the top field.
One small buck come across the middle of the bottom field and 2 other deer come around the back door way.
All came out right at last light. Normally you can sit there and count 15 - 20+ deer, 45 minutes before last light.
Time to back off.

[huntinsonovagun]

Man, too many "hunters" that aren't serious anymore. The same kind that steal your stuff. What is our world coming to? Hope your luck changes buddy.