2009 Hunting Report

[buckwild]

OK, it's Oct 1.  I'd love to hear any reports of successful hunts, deer activity, pix from trail cameras - whatever you've got.

Good luck this year!

[Lot to Learn 2]

finally got out for a little while this afternoon. corn still standing but I found a good size spot in the middle of the field where I am guessing deer ate the corn before it had a chance to come up or for whatever reason didn't grow, so like a little island out in the middle.  I set up on knees with the standing corn behind me and some cover right beside me that allowed a shot pretty much to either side, I was only in trouble if the deer came in head on, which of course any hunter knows that is where she came in. I barely saw her about 50 yrds in the corn and had a lot of trouble following her and she made her way closer, man they really blend. It was getting just about dark and she finally made it to the clearing, I drew, she took 2 short steps and looked straight at me. I think she is still blowing. I must have been moving the bow up and down or side to side, something.  But it was great getting out and having an opportunity. 

[bobow]

I finally got out this morning for a few hours.  I did get to see what at first I thought was a large doe because it was still dark yet and it was out @ 55 yards (I ranged it on the way out).

It ended up being a buck but still too dark to see how many points but the rack looked pretty good for around here.  I was entertained for @ 45 minutes.

Since I am in a travel corridor and it is a marginal area, I am encouraged to have seen something the first time out.

I tried hollering "HEY YOU, BIG DUMMY, GET OVER HERE" but I guess his name wasn't big dummy [:D] 

[buckwild]

That is cool that you saw deer in the corn.  I hunt public land that leases several plots for agriculture.  I have never hunted the corn before, but always wanted to stalk the corn during a windy day.  Maybe this year.  Yesterday I set a stand up where deer are entering a clover field.  I didnt hunt it because the west wind that was predicted (by weather.com, wunderground.com, and NOAA) never happened.  Maybe next weekend,

[buckwild]

Hope you get a better look at him.  A lot better look.  Close enough to run your hand over his back!

[buckwild]

I got out Sat Oct 3 for the first time.  I found an apple tree near the crest of a finger that comes off of a larger ridge.  There werent many apples on it last year, but this year there are like 50 apples on it.  There was not a single one on the ground with plenty of tracks.  I am set up on the crest about 35 yards to the east.  there is also a subtle saddle 27 yards to my south that has a well used trail though it.  There is a bedding area to my south, and the finger runs north/south.  The wind didn't cooperate for me.  Supposed to be west, but it was variable ALL DAY.  It was raining off and on, and the forest was dripping all morning.  I jumped one deer on the main trail of the park in the pre-dawn dark.  I heard something crash behind me while on stand, but dont know if a branch fell or if a deer busted me.  I ended up leaving early, because I didnt want to educate the deer.  Did see two adult does in the clover around 4PM

[Floating Debris]

Sunday morning oct 4.
 
Hunted public land without adequate scouting and without a climber or groundblind.  I went over the land with google earth for weeks trying to find a decent place to sit.  Decided to try a sliver of woods that intersected to cornfields that was bordered by railroad tracks that was close to what looked like bedding - Lots of edges i figured.  Walked along the tracks, cut across, sat in a cut-in in the 1st row of corn.  This gave me shooting lanes left and right with the RR tracks in front of me.  7:30 two fat does climb over the tracks, walk along them giving me a 12 yard, obscured-by-branches shot on the tracks- which is illegal to take (right?).  They never crossed into to the shooting lanes, but I was pleased that I had found deer activity just by checking a habitat map.
 
Once I was leaving I found the highway they were cruising to:  The highway into the bedding area.  Next time, Ladies.  Nex time.

[Floating Debris]

oh wait...you wanted SUCCESSFUL hunts.  Sorry [:@]

[buckwild]

lol - I am interested in every hunt.  As far as it being a "successful" hunt, that all depends on someones definition.  If your hunt allowed you to put pieces together that helps the next outing, then by my definition, you were successful.  Someone else might have "success" just by being in the woods!
 
Good luck with the ladies!

[Legnip]

I got out this weekend only to realize that a 10% chance of rain means that it will be raining for the next 6 hours of daylight. I saw two deer and a flock of turkeys on Sunday afternoon. I'll be glad when the leaves finally drop and it decides to stop raining. I never saw was the first deer was, but it had a good size to it. It was feeding with its head down in thick brush. The second was a doe and she saw me first. I stood up to make a smaller target for the rain drops after 4 hours of straight rain. Oh well. It was just good to get out.