This afternoon I went to my friends farm and hunted one of my new ladder stands. This one is between the oaks and the corn and should produce as there has always been good sign through this area.
As I settled in I couldn't help but think about how lucky I am to have this piece of land to hunt. My mind wandered back to 2011 and the nice big seven pointer I harvested about three hundred yards to the south of my stand.
Then my mind took me back to 2012 and the eight pointer that I harvested on the last morning of archery season, almost from the same tree as in 2011.
I didn't bring home an archery buck last season but the warm memories of the wide six point without guard tines taken on the next to the last day of late muzzleloader season made me smile a big wide smile.
And suddenly...... at the magical time when you expect to see your first whitetail of the season.... you hear a sound that snaps you back to reality! Faint at first and getting louder making your heart pound!
Yep....... the new season had started for me and here he was coming straight down the trail I was watching...... and right into my first shooting lane a mear thirteen yards up wind of me. The neighbors kid on a dirt bike! He never knew I was in the tree!
And to add insult to injury he had five friends with him all riding their dirt bikes throughout the area from 5:00 PM until dark. Just over the property line, on their side.
I had to laugh as I climbed down and started my walk back to my car parked up by the horse barn. Is this how my season is going to go? Who knows!
Stay tuned as I chronicle the ups and downs of this season.
I parked up by the horse barn and made my way towards the oaks. I walked fairly quickly until I knew I could bump a deer and then forced myself to slow down. I still hunted towards the oaks with the wind in my face.
When I got to the start of the oaks I was in full predator mode. Each step was slow and deliberate. Each pause was next to a tree with binoculars in hand checking out everything before moving to the next tree. I had been still hunting for over an hour and yet I only covered about one hundred yards, doing it inch by inch.
When I could finally see the other end of the oaks, I looked for a place to set up for some rattling and calling. A new blow down just a little ways ahead would be ideal. I settled in for some fun.
I started my calling with a can call sending several bleats softly into the air. I waited a few minutes to see if a deer might show. I followed up with some soft grunts. Still nothing. Time for the horns.
I started out the sequence soft at first but after a few minutes the ticking got a little louder. I added some breaking branches and foot stomps as my Black Rack horns picked up intensity. The full battle of the two imaginary bucks lasted about four or five minutes before I stopped. No deer showed up to challenge or watch.
With that part of my hunt ended, I decided to check out the oak flat for buck sign and I have to admit it, I was mildly surprised. There were rubs and a scrape in the same exact area that I've arrowed my last two archery bucks in.
Now I can't wait until Sunday morning, the next day with a favorable wind to hunt the oaks.
The weather had turned colder.... 39 degrees and a steady NNW wind was forecasted. My Mossy Oak weather app said the solunar times had peak activity from 8:50 to 11:50. The lunar position was directly overhead at 9:48. You don't get any better news that that while you are planning to hunt. It's what they call "text book"!
But...... somebody forgot to read the text book and do their share. I did mine! I promise... but the deer didn't do theirs!
I was in my best stand in the oaks, with perfect conditions, and perfect wind direction but I never saw a deer while on stand. None! Nada!
I sat until 10:00 and decided to call it a morning. I climbed out, packed up and made the half mile walk back to my car, scratching my head the whole way. I was disappointed.... no.... disgusted! What had happened?
I was about 100 yards from the horse barn when something caught my eye in the hedgerow behind some brush. It was a fresh rub on a tree about ten inche wide. I shook my head. I know that wasn't there on Friday and then something else hit me. Was that a deer laying behind the rub?
I slowly backed up and sure enough.... it was a small buck, maybe a four pointer staring at me as I stared at him. He didn't move for 20 to 30 seconds. Just stared at me. He finally had enough and jumped to his feet and was gone in an instant.
And here is something else that I had realised.... this was the exact same place that I had found about ten shed antlers last March! For real! These bucks must love to bed in this area all years long.
Now I've got to figure out how to get a stand up in that area. But I'll have to do that later in the week. Stay tuned... this is getting fun!
I decided to put on the rain gear and give it a try. The wind was good for hunting the motocross ladder stand as it has been renamed.
I got to the farm at around 2:00 PM and made the walk down past the horse barn and I looked for any bucks bedded in the hedgerow again but nothing to see.
I had gotten to the end of the corn field and was about to enter the patch of brush when to my right, came a loud crashing noise. A small six point was chasing a doe through the corn.
They ran in and out of the corn and all of a sudden the doe was running straight towards me with the buck in hot pursuit. They almost ran me over! That were so close I could have touched than as they went by.
After they ran into the woods, I walked the final thirty yards and got ready to climb up my ladder stand. I tied hauling lines to my bow and back pack and climbed up. Once my safety harness was secured I pulled up my pack and bow I installed my tree umbrella and settled down.
I hadn't been up for more than twenty minutes when a doe and twin fawns started feeding into the little patch I was sitting in. Then came a spike buck and another deer that I thought was a doe but as it fed right below me, I could see it was a button buck.
About an hour later I saw a shooter walk across the end of the corn field headed away from me. I grunted at him and he stopped long enough for me to get a decent look at him in my binoculars. I think he is an eight point with some pretty good mass. He finally disappeared into the woods. It wasn't even 4:00 yet.
The rain became a little more active and so did the deer activity. A huge doe entered the corn at almost the same spot the buck had walked into. Then another... and another... then two more. By 5:00 there were at least eight does mingling in the corn about seventy yards away.
At just about 5:30 a four point walked out of the woods to my right and walked towards the corn passing just ten yards in front of my ladder. Then out walked a six point.... four on his right and two on his left. They both stopped just before entering the corn and stood there for a few minutes before turning to the left and walking into the oaks.
It was time to climb out and walk back to my car and I couldn't help but smile. That was a lot of activity in a short period of time. Maybe I'll have to hunt in the rain a little more often.
The trails were being torn up with little scrapes everywhere and lots of rubs. But the tree I had picked out suddenly didn't look big enough around for my climber so it was onto plan B.
I worked quietly as I attached my stand and climbed up to about eighteen feet. I had the wind right in the face and knew I was in for a special evening. I was sitting still and ready to shoot by 3:00 PM.
At 4:40 I saw my first deer coming my way. It was a cow horn spike with at least 12" antlers and don't you know he walked into my shooting lane and stopped perfectly broadside just 18 yards away. Then he turned and walked to less than 5 yards and stopped once again in the middle of another opening. I watched as he slowly made his way towards the corn field about 150 yards away.
I didn't see another until just before 6:00 PM. Coming from my left was a huge doe just walking along without a care in the world. But before she got to the shooting lane she stopped.... looked up.... and got nervous. How did she pick me off without me moving a muscle?
She turned back towards the swamp and stood for a minute or two before deciding to go around me and getting to the corn. I sat for another five or ten minutes and decided to call it a day. I doubt I could have seen my pins.
I lowered my pack and then my bow and started to quietly climb down. I had only gone about three feet when I realized I had more deer coming. Several does came trotting by my tree. After they were well by, I contained my descent.
I was only about five feet from the ground and here comes more deer! Five does followed by a dandy buck. I couldn't make him out very well but he was half again the size of the others and I could faintly make out his rack! He is at least a three year old with at least eight points.
I waited for them to pass and finished my climb, packed up and took the long way out so I wouldn't spoke them. My walk was smooth and quiet and I finally reached my car and headed home. I think I will be back tomorrow and move a little closer to the bedding area. Stay tuned!
The good news was I had three bucks within easy bow range. The first was the spike from last night. The second was six point that was a tiny deer. The third was a four point half rack. He had four on the right and broken off on the left.
The bad news was the does came through again but not within range and a descent buck passed by the tree I was in last night.
I can't hunt now until Monday. I'm bet I'm gonna have bad dreams tonight.
Up at 5:00 AM, showered and dressed in clean unscented camo and got to the farm a little later than usual. From now on, up at 4:30!
I got to my favorite tree and didn't need my flashlight while putting my climber on the tree. Soon I was up and settled watching the squirrels do what squirrels do. The wind was perfect, SSW and blowing lightly.
At about 7:30 I saw my first deer heading towards the corn from south to north and knew he would pass by within range. I put my range finder on him and it said 22 yards. Dead deer! Except he was only a six point. I watched as he walked out of sight!
About an hour later I saw another deer coming around the corner of the corn field and headed through the oaks. I only caught a glimpse of him and knew it was another buck. I put my binoculars up and looked for horns. There they were..... white shiny horns coming my way. I stood up with bow in hand, ready to draw. He stepped out from behind a tree and he was only a crotch horn. I sat back down.
By 10:30 I was out of coffee and patience so I climbed out and packed up. My son was driving out from central New York and should arrive by around 11:00. As I walked towards my truck (notice I said truck?) I got a call from him saying he was about 15 miles out. He was coming to hunt and see my new Toyota Tacoma.
I arrived at my truck and he pulled in behind my truck at almost the same time. We talked and decided to go get some lunch. He hoped in my Toyota and we went to McDonald's. We were soon back at the farm and headed into the woods.
I had decided to put my son into the area I hunted a couple of nights ago. I took him to the best tree for today's wind and explained what I thought would happen, which direction the deer should come from, etc. It he saw any, they would be about 18 yards away. I let him know where I was heading and walked away, confident that he would get a chance at a deer.
I walked to the little brushy area between the corn and oaks and found a good tree to get up. As I was climbing, I saw Ed walking across the corn and waived to him. He would be about 200 yards from both my son and I.
I hit my perfect height and settled in as the gentile breeze hit me in the face. It was a perfect afternoon.
I saw movement to my right, about 80 yards away and knew it was deer. Two small bucks were coming around the corner of the corn field and heading into the oaks. They walked about 50 yards from me and were extremely cautious. Soon they were out of sight. Not another deer was seen. I was really disappointed my boy hadn't seen anything.
As we loaded our gear into the trucks I started to feel a little sad. I know I won't see him again until Christmas. But we had a few hours and it was the first time we've hunted together in a couple of years. We will have to do it again.
So...... tonight I am relaxing with my wife, watching TV and reliving my hunt as I write this down. Maybe tomorrow..... maybe the big buck making the rubs and scrapes will make a mistake.
Maybe tomorrow!
At just about 4:00 I heard something behind me and figured it was another squirrel. As I casually looked back I was surprised to see a small eight point making a scrape less than 20 yards away. I don't know where he came from and can only guess he came from directly behind me..... down wind.
I continued to watch and slowly stood up when he looked the other way. I reached for my bow and got ready for a shot as he was quartering away and then began to think. This buck was a lot smaller than what I know is down there. I estimated he was maybe in the 110" range and probably only 2 1/2 years old. I debated for a long time and smiled as he walked away looking for love. I hung my bow back up and relaxed.
I didn't see another deer and climbed down, packed up and returned home.
Will I regret passing on this decent little buck? Will I ever see one worthy of my arrow? Time will tell. I've only got nine more days left of my bow season and I'm not sure how many of them I actually will get to hunt. My wife and I leave for New Mexico on the 13th to celebrate the first birthday of our grandson Cason. We might go without fresh venison this year.
I sat until dark and didn't see a deer. We'll try again tomorrow.
I made my way to my favorite tree in the center of the oaks and just knew that with this colder weather, I'd be surrounded by deer. Well..... kind of!
I was up and sitting before it was light enough to shoot. The wind started swirling as it got light. According to my Scoutlook weather app the wind should have been out of the SSW, but it was mostly out of the SE!
At about 7:10 I saw movement coming from the south. A lone deer was headed towards the corn field to my north. I couldn't get a good look at the head so I decided I better get ready for a shot just in case. When it got closer I realized it was a small buck. He had spikes, but he also had guard tines. I let him pass to grow a little.
When he got well passed, I sat back down and got comfy! I was undisturbed until around noon. I had plans to stay in this tree all day but the way the wind was swirling, I decided to move.
I walked out to my truck, left my climber, locked the door and headed back to the woods. I had decided to sit in my ladder stand.
I had settled down and enjoyed the view. I used my laser range finder so I would be ready when the deer got there. If they got there.
I was losing hope as it started to get dark. The wind was still swirling, but not as bad. I was thinking about climbing out when to my surprise, a deer appeared, coming from the corn field. I was up, bow in hand and ready to draw as the deer entered my first shooting lane. It was a crotch horn.
He stopped in each one of my shooting lanes from 18 to 23 yards and offered many broadside shots. He finally walked into the swamp and I knew it was time to get down and call it a day.
My walk was quick and I felt the chill on my old body. The trucks heater works very well and I was warmed before I got halfway home. But its only 16 miles.
When I got in I was pleased to see my wife made a huge crock of chili. I enjoyed eating it in front of our fireplace and washing it down with a cold Bud Lite! Life is good!
#proudfather
As I walked back to my truck I couldn't help but smile. I was blessed with another archery season and I had an awful lot of chances at small bucks. I do not regret passing them at all.
We leave for New Mexico early Thursday morning for our grandsons first birthday party and I couldn't think of a better reason for missing opening day for shotgun.
We'll be back to hunt the second weekend. Hunt safe and enjoy it! You never know if it will be your last!
I also admire your attitude!
My season with the bow has ended the same way. Passed some, tried for others. Played the game against the elusive whitetail, and once again, he/they won....
Enjoy the grandson's birthday party! Future hunter! :)
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I have only hunted twice with a gun and I never saw a deer.
Once was at camp with my dear friends on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I got up at 3:00 AM and made the drive and hunted in the snow near DeRyter. I was so tired on Saturday, I didn't hunt. I left at around noon and made the drive back to Rochester.
I am going to try to bow hunt the farm during the late season..... let's see what the weather does.
I waited until the last weekend so the deer would calm down and return to a some what normal routine and I'm glad I did. I saw quite a few even though I didn't shoot one. I hunted from the ground each time.
My first evening hunt was Saturday, December 13th. I sat on a hedgerow between two cut cornfields from 2:00 PM until dark. Had three does come in and browse until dark. I was able to back out on the opposite side of the hedge and walk out without spooking them.
I returned on Monday afternoon and hunted down in the oaks about 100 yards from a cut cornfield and had four does and two small bucks (spike and four point) come down through about a half hour before sunset. The bucks were about ten minutes after the does.
The four point came within 10 feet and stared at me for the longest time before walking towards the field. He was trying to figure out what I was. I almost laughed at the expressions he was making. You've got to love dumb bucks!
Yesterday afternoon the rain stopped at about 2:30 so I found a great little blow down and sat inside it. But after being there for about ten minutes, the wind shifted and I had to move. I headed back to the oaks and saw the four does once again as they headed to the corn field about 20 minutes before the end of the season. I saw two more does on the second field as I walked to the truck.
Over all... I thought this season was one of my best even though I still have my tag in my pocket. I saw many deer in my limited time hunting because of the travel my bride and I did during the season. We won't be traveling in October next year.
I called Ed on the way home and he said that our number one targeted buck was taken during the second day of gun season and that he didn't find out about it until last weekend. He was a nice three year old ten point, dressed at 185 pounds and estimated score in the 140's.
Ed killed our number two buck on the last evening of bow season while I was in New Mexico. He was a heavy horned eight point which Ed said he thought he would be in the 130's.
The biggest buck I had encountered was the small eight point which I passed on and as far as we know, he made it through the gun season. I've put out a trail cam the other night and I'll leave it up for a month or so to get an inventory of the bucks that have survived.
I hope you all had a great season and I also hoped you enjoyed reading about mine. I know I have enjoyed writing about it! I only hope that I will be granted another season next year!
