Week 2 - time to ramp it up a bit!
Pennsylvania
The boy deers are are gettin itchy. Wonder what the poor folk are doin the week?:) please be safe!
Jamis 1st Bowhunt starts tomorrow afternoon. Mebbe we'll do it live? ~(8o)
Buddy of mine's boy shot a real nice buck a couple days ago... at least 3 years old is my guess. They don't eat it so I told them I'd get rid of it for them. Big body. Lot's of meat. Long sinew.
LOTS of deer getting hit on the road around here the last week or so. Herd must need reduced again :^)
First day of vacation today. Slept in :^(
We went out this morning, but didn't see any deer. Activity so far has been sluggish, but we did have a nice looking buck and doe move past us a bit too quick the other day. I have worn out brakes avoiding deer in these parts. :)........Did have a few doe walk right up on me last night while fishing the creek - guess I should have toted the recurve with me, oh well.
Roger, I used to hunt the woods around the creek below the dam... heck, all the way down past 79, then on down to 19... for ducks and squirrels too :^)
That reminds me, I need to go check some apple trees :^)
Was out until noon seen zero deer. Came home seen two and 7 turkeys in the yard, figures.
Jeff, I just got back from there - nice 28"er in the cooler bro'. :) The ducks were circling in sets of 4-6 all evening and a pair of beavers worked up and down the stream. The same two doe walked down the bank at about 5:30 pm again tonight......could have killed either easily, again. Squirrels are out in full force and blue heron were alighting everywhere. Made the loop out of there on to RT 19 and a couple of trucks parked by the power reducing substation on the left - you know where. ;^) Going to get some chili dogs from Coney Island now and I'll skin that beautiful cat when I get back. I love archery season.
Saw my first buck chasing doe tonight. They were about 130 yards away feeding in a buckwheat field for about 15 min then out of nowhere the chase began. Unfortunately not by me!! He's a real nice 7, I'm guessing 3 1/2 yr old. Really got the blood pumping!
The does are starting to not come out in the open as much. Might be the moon phase, weather, hunter pressure, or maybe some small bucks are starting to harass them, I haven't seen any buck yet though. Same thing happens every year.
Yes seeing more deer hit on the road now, I think it's a combo of things, hunters and small buck chasing does, dawn and dusk deer movement coinciding right with rush hour traffic, that's gotta be a bad.
Son of a... Yer still fishin' down there... I love it!
I'll hook you up on them apple trees bro... a nice, quick spot for junior to throw a stand in within spittin distance of the apples and slingshot range of the road. How old is he now? On 'good apple years', like this, it can be the place to be. Small 'island patch' overall... ya wouldn't figure... countless 'parkers' just drive by/around it... Morrels grow there, in the good years, in the spring too... unbeknownst to just as many passers-by.
My favorite striper spot is practically within view of them apples and where yer pullin in them cats. Hike in, then wade in. Wee bit of a hike fer a tike, not bad though, even at 10-11pm... me and my son done it when he was 9-ish with no working flashlight(my bad) and a fraction of a moon... brushy sometimes when yer carrying a long heavy striper rod, but a fair/good trail. He's 19 now. Anyhow, it's a good spot for ya once yinz get there... long, wide gradual sandbar... and safe... you'd like it... alwifes spawn there... yinz can wade on solid 'ground' 30-40 yards from shore in hip boots... really lovely at night with the moon, stars and all... but then it drops off... deepest spot in the lake. I'll go with ya the first time... at least...
I hear ya on the great blue goose... I like em... They're VERY patient predators, and I SERIOUSLY try to emulate them in the woods... monkey see, monkey do... gits er done.
Watch for swans, snow geese, and other migratories on the lake down in that area this time of year... pretty, pretty, non-usual critters... I'll be over that way tomorrow and will check on said apples/deer and report back.
5 doe and a small buck this evening. Took out a mature doe at 20 yards.
I saw deer every time out until Saturday, didn't see a deer all day.
now that Andy has graduated and I don't have college football games every Saturday I get to hunt again, and I'm going out every chance I get, mostly seeing lots of deer just no good shots yet, just need more time in a stand.
Jeff, went down there tonight; no luck this evening and everything was quiet......Hey, while I'm at it, thanks for that tip you gave a while back about "bait sacks", it worked for me. :) Never have done fished me any stripers, but if your willin' then I'ma learnin'. :) Would love to hear more about that spot for deer huntin'. We're always up for trying new places and that area is only about a 15-17 minute drive from my door step. My boy is 14 now and growing faster than they make food and clothes. Bought him new "Muck Boots" in men's size 11 this year and I'm certain they'll get hammy downed to me next season. Hope the new bow shop project is going well.
Passed on a big doe Saturday evening at 5 yards, and missed a huge yote at 20 yards. Shot right under him. Can't wait for next Saturday!
Stick, great pic! Great smiles. Thanks for sharing!
Went out for the first time Saturday, Had a doe with her Button Buck pass right under me and not much longer had 13 turkey pass under me as well. Never had turkey so close without being spooky. After hunting the am I pulled my card and had this buck at 15 yards last Saturday at 7:23am while I was working on my roof!!! Got down around 10:00 and drove to another property and moved a stand, while doing so I kicked up a 1-1/2 year old buck with some good potential (was beaded in some high grass with a spike). Got back out in the evening and only saw that flock of turkey while walking in.
Buck I kicked up. I was on the quad so it didn't get too spooked, just trotted off.
Congrats, Stick! Awesome pic, too!
Saw a nice 8ptr on Sat 5:15pm squirting edge of corn field stopped 40 yards facing me no shot. small spike 6:15. This morning 3 does out of range.
A pretty doe and worthy gift. Enjoy her to the fullest. Congratulations, Justin.
My daughter and I shared a blind Saturday evening. Had 2 bucks walk past at about 10-12 feet! One was a 5 pointer, that most likely wasn't legal.
We listened to a grouse drumming, and 3-4 grouse fly up into the trees before dark. Heard a deer bust out behind us just as we got settled for the evening hunt. Saw a hawk fly thru the trees and every danged chippy in the area sent out warnings. I mean, instantaneous warnings everywhere!
She was thrilled to have been out, and I was thrilled to be there with her.
Got wet hiking to my stand Saturday morning, but once I got dry clothes on and settled in my tree, it stopped raining and I was glad I was there. Didn't see any deer. But I have found a lot of scrapes about everywhere I look. It seems pretty intense and a bit earlier than normal. Perhaps there are more mature bucks around this year or a tighter sex ratio. Any other thoughts?
Brad, Glad you too are experiencing your daughter hunting again!
Ten years ago my youngest daughter went bowhunting for her first time. After two stands, she discovered that it really wasn't her thing, and I do not deny that I agreed. She was 12 then. She is hunting with me this year once again. She is still a great shot. Although she has no doe tags, she is sticking it out and learning. She saw deer 2 of 3 stands so far. This past weekend she put a real scare on a doe, who scooted off and then walked within 15 yards of my stand - but she was through the brush. No shot.
Isn't it fun?
Deer got real spooked real quick. Went out for the first time this year Monday afternoon/eve (warm out). Only saw a real spooked doe and fawn. Wind was bad for my spot. Still haven't seen a buck. I might just wait till late Oct and November to get serious otherwise probably a waste of time. If the weather turns cool again to hang a deer, a meat doe will be on order. Lots of rabbits out at dusk on the path too for the taking once small game comes in.
Jen, it's a blast, it really is.
Really nice to see/hear that folks are getting their loved ones involved! I tried with my son years ago, but it just wasn;t for him and decided I was not going to push the issue.
Jen- I know what ya mean. I went out with Bowjo to one of his properties in 5C on monday. He put me in a great spot. Unfortunately, i picked the wrong tree! When I got up to height I was leaning back at about a 45 degree angle. THought about going back down to adjust, but decided to stick it out due to temps and getting late. I decided the best way to stand was on the 2 "downtubes" on my climber that were the only level part of it! ;-) Unfortunately, a BIG doe came out straight in front of me and CLOSE! Can you picture me trying to draw with an open stance, balancing on those downtubes with a doe at 10y in front of me(still don;t know how I drew without her seeing me ;-)? It must have been a sight. Of course the doe caught my scent before she could turn and give me a broadside shot, and the next thing I know she was back in the thick stuff and snorting loudly! All I could do was laugh. :)
Perry, Bad trees suck, period! Funny how the bad ones are usually the only ones in range of deer trails.
Hunted with ground setup Tuesday night due to shoulder injury. Had two nice doe at 35 yds head on, think big one winded me as it was sniffing air for 3 minutes, then just reversed course back in woods. Had my thermacell on don't know if that did it, otherwise in was pretty scent free. But, it got ny heart pumping, I'll take that anytime first time out!
Hope it survives the winter
Still kinda slow in Fulton County. Too many acorns.
Had 2 bucks sparing this AM from 9:L15 til 9:40 in the corn field to my left. Sounded like they were about 40 yds away. Never saw them but was neat to know they're around and getting itchy.
Shot a doe last night and saw a smaller buck on Wednesday. Haven't seen or heard a turkey all year and haven't seen many squirrels.
Shot my second doe Friday evening. Switched to G5 heads this year. Terrible blood trails.
I got the boy up a tree this morning and heavy winds with some rain doused our hopes for a deer sighting......oh well. Headed an hour and twenty minutes southward here in a bit to hunt in a small patch a good friend owns. We've got an old pop-up blind that I used to kill deer from set and staked. Don't mind the cool temps one bit. :).......Rain we hate. :(
Thursday morning injumped a buck on the way out of the woods around 930. Can't see any deer from my stands though.
