Bow Season 2009 begins - post your reports.

[ranwin33]

Report from my brother who is on our farm.  I'll be joining him late tonight and hunting in the a.m. on Wednesday.

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It was a nice cool morning not sure what the temps were. It certainly wasn't cold but I had a light coat on. I was up at 5:20 and in my tower blind by 6am! It starts to get light at 6:30. And around 6:30, momma and her fawn came out and entertained me for about an hour. They've been on the game camera pretty much every morning so I was not at all surprised to see them.

Around 7:30 a decent 8 pointer came out, wasn't real big but not bad. In that tower blind you can only get in a position to shoot out of 2 sides. I was all set up for him to come on my left side but he went to my right side and I couldn't get a shot. He was close enough but I couldn't get a shot. The buck and momma and fawn all left the plot together on my right side. I'll be set up to shoot to my right side tomorrow morning but of course they will probably go to my left then. It was still fun to watch them all. Saw a raccoon later on and that was it. 

I'll be heading back to tower blind around 4:30 or 5, sunset is around 7:20 so that will give me a good 3 hours to hunt. I'm going to run over and put a chair in the ground blind by the old plywood stand. That buck came in from the orchard area. I may hunt that blind tomorrow morning.

I can't get the Moultrie to work again but I have a wildview ready to go back out. I'm going to see if I can get that hung on your tower blind. I think there's a good chance that buck crossed right through there.
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[ranwin33]

Opening week -
 
9/16/09 - Wednesday - moon, just a sliver.
a.m. hunt.
Woods were quiet, very little wind, temps in upper 50's.  Hunted from the recently moved stand in the New Plot.  Got into stand about 5:45 a.m. and stayed until 10 a.m.  Nothing but me and the squirrels showed up.
p.m. hunt.
Good winds out of the north and east, temps in upper 70's.  Decided to hunt from ground what with the gusting winds.  Back to the New Plot, using ground blind installed in mid-August.  About 5:30 p.m. a large grey doe came in off to my left front - not at all where I expected to see deer near the plot.  Had a decent shot at 30 yards, but figured she'd turn left and come into the plot and I'd get a shot at 10-15 yards.  Shouldn't have waited, she continued straight ahead on her course and off into the brush.
 
6:30 p.m. a small racked 8 pointer came in at about 30 yards from opposite side of plot from the doe.  Nice body, but a young deer, good 2.5 year old.  Watched him for a while then he left they way he came in.
 
9/17/09 - Thursday
a.m. hunt.
Little wind, temps in upper 50's.  Hunted from the Double Stand, just off the native warm season grasses and beanfield plot.  Had a couple of does come through the beanfield plot but too far away to shoot.  One bedded in the field for about an hour before moving on.  Was hoping she'd double back and down the drainage ditch that borders the stand, but she never showed.
p.m. hunt.
Again with high winds out of the north and east.  Temps in the upper 70's.  Went to the Hilltop Plot, it's been my go-to stand since we put it in 4 years ago or so.  It didn't disappoint again. 
 
At about 5 p.m. had two fawns come in, male and female twins.  Both still had spots although they were fading.  The buck fawn spend a good five minutes eating dirt from the mineral lick 15 yards in front of the stand.  The doe fawn was more skittish, spending time in the brush five yards in front of my stand, and at one time walking directly under me.  They spent a good 30 minutes in the plot; I was surprised their mom never showed up.
 
5:45 p.m. had a doe in front of me off in the woods, she may have been mom, as she blew a couple of times then headed off.  About this same time another doe came out 50 yards behind her, off to my left, but did not come into the plot.
 
6:15 p.m. had a doe and fawn (couldn't determine sex) come into the plot at about 35 yards, but the doe never presented a good shot.  Made a brief appearance then went back into the woods. 
 
At 6:30 p.m. the parade of bucks began.  Had a decent sized 8 pointer come in at about 30 yards.  Nice muscled body, rack at ear width and OK height on the tines, but nothing great.  Might have been a 3.5 year old, but more likely a well developed 2.5 year old.  He looked like a race horse.  Let him walk as I know we have bigger deer.  While watching him I could hear other deer in back in the woods.  He left after about 10 minutes and two more smaller 8 pointers replaced him.  These both came in at 30 yards, but rather than going back into the woods, they grazed across the plot to the mineral lick.  One spent 10 minutes eating dirt while the other drifted back into the woods.  Just as the one finished at the mineral lick, he was replaced by a different 8 pointer who also spend about 10 minutes on the lick.  Too bad they were so young, they presented plenty of great shot opportunities.  The last two 8 pointers finally wandered off into the woods just as it was getting dark, about 7:40 p.m.
 
Oddly, all of these deer approached the plot from the opposite direction from which they normally enter the plot, and they exited the plot either into the woods or in the opposite direction from the fields where they usually feed.  It was like they were turned around morning to evening.
 
9/18/09 - Friday
a.m. hunt.
No wind, temps in upper 40's.  Back to the new plot, feeling lucky about it.  Had a doe blowing off in the woods along our ridge line around 7 a.m. - not sure what was bothering her.  About 10 minutes later had a small doe or button buck head by the stand at about 5 yards off to the left.  Moving too fast to get a good look at.  It posted up behind a tree at about 15 yards before heading off into the trees.
 
8:00 a.m. a small deer came into the plot and preceded to spend 30 minutes tempting me with a shot.  I just could not make out if it had buttons or not, and of course I left my binoculars back at the barn. Looked like there were some nubs on the head, but just couldn't be sure and figured caution was the better choice.  Plenty of shot opportunities with this one, but button buck or doe, it was fairly small so let it walk. Orange coloring has me believing it was probably a large fawn or yearling. 
 
p.m. hunt.
Temps in mid-70', not much wind, what little there is comes from the north and east.  Back to the New Plot one last time.  Pretty quiet evening.  Had a small 6 pointer, no brow tines, come through at about 6:30 p.m. and stay for nearly half an hour.  If he comes back next year as a shooter and gives me these shot opportunities he may be going down.  That was it.
 
9/19/09 - Friday  
Slept in and headed for home around 10 a.m. - got work to do in our back yard.
 
Thoughts.
All-in-all a good opening week.  Plenty of deer and good shot opportunities, just nothing I wanted to shoot. 
 
Have come to the conclusion that the stand we moved in the New plot has been poorly placed, it needs to be further back in the woods to allow for more freedom of movement, and location to plot needs to be adjusted as well.  This will have to happen next year.  As for this year, a shooting lane needs to be cut off left front quarter. 
 
Hilltop plot also needs a shooting lane cleared off right side of stand to open up view of one side of the plot that is currently obscured.  Too much rain and fast growing hickories this year.
 
Double stand has a tree behind it needing cut as it obscures the NWSG area. 
 
Surprised to see deer still digging on the mineral lick, they were hitting it HARD.
 
Deer travel on Hilltop plot is odd.  They started this travel pattern last year, but it was mixed in with regular pattern so I didn't give it much thought.  This year all travel so far has been in reverse of previous years for the time of day.  Perhaps they've established a new bedding area, but this still doesn't answer the question why they are moving away from food sources in the evening.
 

[whubbard]

First let me say, I enjoy your posts Ranwin.  I have hunted three times in Pemiscot county with very little action.  All three times from a ground blind, with only one doe being seen.  I won't shoot does here b/c of the two deer limit in the S.E. counties.  However, I went to the family farm in Oregon county with younger brother, and my father.  I hunted Friday evening, and saw nothing.  Sat. morning more of the same for me.  My dad had a 4 point within 30 yards about 7:15 and let him walk.  Sat. afternoon the rain started.  Hard at times, drizzle at times, but constant until about 7pm.  I had a one fawn and a maternal doe walk in behind me.  I drew, anchored, and let it fly.  Bought a pack of Rage broadheads on the way up there, and I'm here to tell you it did the trick.  The doe didn't run 10 yards.  I climbed down after only 10 minutes, and she was stone dead.  My brother helped me drag her out, and had her on the skinning pole by 8pm.  skinned, back straps, tenderloins cut out, and then quartered for the processor.  So, the first deer of the 09 season is down for me.  The weather is finally going to break this weekend so looking forward to some hunting in S.E. missouri.  Headed back to the family farm in two weeks to trout fish, and hunt at least two times.  Hopefully get to harvest another doe.  I'd love to have two in the freezer from our farm before i start hunting hard for the big boys.  unfortunately no pictures of the doe.  I'll try to get some from the next hunt.  Great time in the woods all weekend.

[ranwin33]

Congrats on the doe. 
 
I'm heading back to the farm this Thursday afternoon.  Hope to get some good hunting in Thursday and Friday with temps cooling down.

[GTOHunter]

Been out Bow Hunting almost every evening since Sept 15,haven't seen any Deer moving on the Farm yet,but have several IR trail cmaera pictures of Doe's with Fawns and a 6-Point Buck an 8-Pointer and a Big 10 Pointer which are all nocturnal so far.Found some rubs on several Cedar tree's,no scrapes so far.Earlier in the week I was hunting inside some deadfall tree's and had a good size Bobcat walk around me...!I will set up my trail camera over-looking one of the larger Cedar Rubs to see whats making them and the time of day!Plan on using my rattling horns and Doe decoy if it gets colder and a little more into the days of October. [;)]
 
 
Good Luck Everyone! 

[ranwin33]

10/1/09 - Thursday - moon, going to full. Temps low 60's overcast with spotty rain.

Got to the farm about 2:30 p.m. today. My brother came up yesterday but didn't do any hunting due to pretty good rain this a.m. Got unpacked and settled in, had a cigar with my brother, then dressed up and headed for the woods.

In the stand by 4:15 p.m. - hunting the Hilltop plot tonight, it's usually good to see something from and I was feeling pretty lucky. Had rain showers coming through on and off since I got to the farm earlier, and some pretty steady winds. No rain once I got to the stand, but the winds were going pretty good, fortunately the Hilltop stand is only 10 feet up, so swaying in the tree wasn't too bad.

Had squirrels moving around so figured I might see some deer moving early as well. No such luck though.

Around about 6:15 I had been standing for a bit, which I tend to do during the last hour or so of daylight so I'm ready for anything that might walk by. I was looking around when the thought popped into my head that I just needed to sit down and watch the woods in a direction I don't normally keep and eye on. I had been sitting all of about 3 minutes when I noticed a big brown blob about 50 yards up on a trail we had cut to connect the Hilltop and New plots. I focused in on the blob and realized there were two deer on the trail. As I watched them, two more came out, and then another three. I thought about giving them a call, but then decided I'd just stay silent for once and see what would happen. As I sat there they began to make their way in my direction, so I quietly as possible stood and pulled my bow from its' hanger. It didn't take them long to move into the part of the Hilltop plot I call the annex, which is where my ladder stand sits. I had four good size does and three fawns just to my right front quarter. One doe and fawn moved directly under my stand; had a perfect shot down through the doe's shoulders, but shooting top to bottom to me isn't all that ethical of a shot so let them pass right under my stand. The other two fawns and two does made their way through some brush about 15 yards to my right front, but I let them walk as well, figuring once they got out into the Hilltop plot the light would be better and I'd have my pick of the largest does. The last doe began to follow the other four through, so I took a quick glance into the Hilltop plot to make sure the other deer would give me a shot. They were all stacked up behind some brush, so I decided to go ahead and take the last doe. She passed by at about 15 yards and I let the arrow fly when she gave me a broadside shot. She was in shadows and with the difficult time I had seeing my pins, I placed the arrow about 3-4 inches farther back then I'd would have liked. She kicked out and headed off through the brush. The other deer cleared the area, then came back to the plot. I thought about taking another doe, but one was enough for the eveing I didn't want to worry about two tracking jobs figuring I'd have at least one given my shot placement.

I gave the doe about 30 minutes, then decided to get down and look for my arrow. Looked over the area pretty well, but couldn't find the arrow. As I'm searching for my arrow I notice something odd looking across the trail just inside the tree line. Didn't pay it much mind at first, thought it might be a deer but it didn't really look like one. So I continued my arrow hunting, then I gave the odd looking thing a better look. Finally I realized it was the doe. She had traveled at most 20 yards and piled up dead. I hadn't heard her crash due to the wet leaves and wind.

She's gutted and tagged now, will take her in for processing after the a.m. hunt.

Used Trophy Ridge, 3 bladed Undertaker broadheads. I got pass through on the deer, and did later find the arrow. Very impressed with the broadhead given the marginal shot placement. The 1.5 inch cutting diameter was able to take out both lungs, and she was filled with blood. Examination of the exit wound probably indicates the one flaw with these broadheads, they do not lock open and when no more pressure is placed on the point they begin to close up. Exit wound was at best an inch across. But entry wound was a full 1.5 inches. Either way, with a marginal hit the deer traveled no more than 20 yards, so they did the job and did it very well.

Final part of the story. As I'm walking the trail back to get my ATV to cart the doe out, I meet a fair sized 8 pointer heading down the trail right at me. We both see each other at about the same time, 30 yards apart. He spooked and headed off into the woods. I don't think he realized what I was as he didn't blow, just kind of hit the breaks and made a quick right hand turn.

Well off again in the a.m. and maybe one of these bucks we've got roaming about will show up. Will upload some pictures tomorrow.
 
10/02/09 - Friday a.m. - temps upper 40's, wind out of north, gusty.
 
Hunted the Double stand this morning.  Not much moving; only one doe in the Hidden plot.  Brother Scott also saw a doe, neither presented a shooting opportunity.
 
p.m. hunt - temps mid-50's, rainy and windy.  High winds.
 
Too windy to be in a tree stand.  Hunted a ground blind off in the woods from the Hilltop plot.  It will be a good gun stand, but not very useful to bow hunt from.  Still, it was a way to get into the woods.  Didn't see or hear anything, other than wind and rain.

[ranwin33]

October 23, 2009 - Temp 43 degrees, wind mild out of north, misty.

Went to the New Plot this a.m. to hunt from a treestand. Figured that if it started to rain I'd just get down and go to the ground blind right next to it.

Got into the stand right at 7 a.m. things were just starting to get light. The woods were pretty quiet, saw a couple of squirrels early on but that was about it.

Around 8:45 a.m. I was just getting ready to do some rattling when a young doe walked into the plot, broadside at 20 yards. I got up to take the shot, then decided I'd just watch her for a while. At about the 15 minute mark I decided nothing was trailing her, but she had moved out to 30 yards. Dithering back and forth on whether or not to shoot her, I finally decided that having not taken all that many deer with a bow, I still needed practice so that pretty much decided her fate.

Took her broadside at 30 yards, pass through using the Trophy Ridge broadheads again. Put a good size hole in her. She ran about 50 yards, then went down. Took out both lungs and nicked the heart. Really liking these broadheads so far.

My brother was hunting the Tower Stand, but saw nothing at all. Maybe this evening when we head back out.