daily report
West Virginia
Maybe this has been done before on here ... maybe not. I am always wondering what other people are seeing. Thought it would be nice to get a brief summary of hunts each day.
For example I hunted this evening and see 5 does and one yearling. I also seen one that I don't know what it was. I was hunting edge of woods and cattle pasture.
I saw a 6 point this morning. Only deer I saw.
Saw a spike and 3 point following a Doe w/ her fawns. Not chasing, just following.
Friday evening saw seven ... One buck but did not get a good look at him. Four coyotes yapping at 630 within couple hundred yards. Never seen them. Saw 6 other deer. I think most were does and fawns. Didn't see them well either.
Only saw 2 does this am and a fawn this pm. Have no idea why it was by itself.
Maybe it was a runaway? You know how kids are these days.
well he was real small and I saw him two times with no other deer around. Most I have seen that small have momma with them.
They are starting to get a little frisky
Saw 17 Monday. 12 morning. One small buck. 5 evening. One good buck. I may have seen more than that. I don't count them again if I think I already seen them.
Tuesday morning saw 3 2 yr old bucks. 2 eights1 nontypical base 8. Hit grunt a couple times no response. Saw 1 1 yr old. Saw total 9 deer all day.
I saw 24 patients yesterday. Oh wait, wrong report. I should be looking for bucks. Can't wait to get back to mtn tomorrow. LOL
Got home from work just before dark and walked out to glass one of my food plots and saw 2 nice bucks - one about a 16 inch spread and another pushing 20 inches. The biggest made a few half hearted attempts at chasing a few of the does in the plot but stopped the chase after about 10 or 15 yards. Will try to hunt hunt the plot when the wind is right next time.
All of my mocks scrapes are being hit now.
Only problem is a pretty big pack of coyotes has moved into the area within just the pass few weeks. Normally see one or 2 running around but this pack normally has about 9 to 12 running! I was out jogging/walking the other night when they started yipping and howling within about hundred yards of me sounded like about 7 or 8 of them. Then neighbor's wife called him at work the other day and told him she counted 12 in their back yard! Got a damage permit from dnr to start trapping for them now. Several pets have come up missing and they are getting very close to our houses right now. Last friday night they were within 40 or 50 yards of our house and then did the same to my mother in law. Next day she had 2 of her cats missing.
Sounds like its time to lay the hammer down on em' JayD :-)
you have to get a damage permit to kill coyotes? Didn't know that.
Babysaph, do you live in Pendleton Co. ? What part if I may ask.... ?
My cabin is in Pendleton county. Upper Tract area near the smoke hole
Haven't been there since the late 80's early and mid to late 90's. We used to hunt on a couple of turkey farms in the Reeds Creek area.
We had a camper set up on one of the properties. Would go into Franklin a lot to get groceries and eat at Thompsons from time to time.
Had some good times up there and took some nice deer there as well.
Nobody has to get a damage permit to kill a coyote
Had to get one to start trapping for them now though! You can shoot one year round - just not trap them year round. I have been unsuccessful trying to call them in the past few weeks - plus not a ton of time - very busy with work and trying to finish up before rut hits! Trapping season does not start until November 7th I believe.
Yeah, you are right about trapping . I guess I was just thinking about shooting one.
LOL no problem. l never knew they would run in such a large number like this! Plus they are pretty darn brazin - need to thin them down and hopefully be quick about it
No, don't thin them out. Kill all of them LOL
Seen 3 bucks this morning, all together and feeding out of bow range. Nice 8 pt, a 6 and a 3pt... no does around at all but the bucks were grouped up....
Saw one doe from the stand . Man the deer disappeared
2 does and fawn this morning.
Not a single deer seen this morning. Spent almost 4 hours in the stand and only saw 2 squirrels and a cat. Oh the October lull...
It is the October lull. Where do the deer go? Lol. I saw 3 this evening I missed a doe. Hit a limb. I hate when I do that. Didn't hunt this am.
2 small bucks this morning feeding. 7 does and 1 small buck this evening feeding. I filled my doe archery tag on one of the 7 this evening. Zero rut activity.
They don't go anywhere. They just bed up and don't move.
That is my guess. They start that winter coat and then we get those warm Oct days and they just hole up in shade and just do not move much.
Exactly , after it cools off after dark and the sum isn't beating down on them then they get up and feed. Especially the older bigger bucks, by now they have packed on a lot of extra fat to prepare them for the rigors of the rut coming up. They might on occasion get up and move a little early in the evenings but if they do it will usually be right at dark.
I saw two deer opening day.
I saw two deer First Monday evening of season.
Didn't get to hunt again until Last Saturday. I saw two deer.
I hunted last Wednesday evening. I saw zero.
I hunted yesterday and saw three deer.
I've been in the woods a total of 20 hours hunting and saw 9 deer. Lot more Oak mast here than I thought was, in the first of September.
Funny thing is, I'm averaging a little over two hours per deer sighting while hunting and, about 3 per hour while cruising timber. Course I'm jumping them going through the woods but, there are a lot of deer out there. Been seeing a BUNCH while driving to and fro during the day, the last two weeks. I haven't laid eyes on a decent buck yet that I can remember.
Not running any cameras right now so, I'm missing out on what's out there.
gobbler, those are some big bodied deer.
Get'em JayD! Snares, snares, snares, and more snares. Set them around each other in pairs or bunches. When you catch one, you have the opportunity to catch multiple ones at the same time. cut them no slack!
God Bless men
They should be, they ate clover and soybeans all summer. LOL
It is starting. I saw a buck and a doe in a yard last night in the middle of Parkersburg.
I saw an eight point chase a doe through a field and across the road on my way to work in Greenbrier County this morning.
Sunday morning walking to stand I heard a buck grunting, Sunday evening right at dark, what I believe to have been a buck came in and nudged does off some acorns. Could not see definitively though, too dark
I killed this morning. What I would consider a management buck. I had pictures of this deer last year and figured he was 3 minimum and possibly 4. So this year that would make him 4 or 5. I will post pictures later. This morning about 10:15 I saw what appeared to be a decent buck two flats below me. Only saw him briefly due to all the leaves on the trees. I picked up my grunt tube and hit it lightly then I lightly rattled using my pack rack. I kept hearing a little commotion below me but now it was on the other side of the tree. He finally came into sight rubbing every sapling along the way. He came up into the logging road to my right at 35 yards and then he started walking my direction. I drew when he was at 15 and he just kept coming. He got to 10 and I was afraid to bleat and stop him because he was so close. I hit my release and hit him back and high. He ran about 60 yards and fell over dead. I was very relieved. I did hit liver but due to the speed with which he died I must have hit a major artery. I probably wont be taking any more walking shots.
I did not score him yet. He may make 105 or so but he did field dress 142 lbs. I will post pictures on the meatpole later.
I saw five deer total this morning. 1 doe with 2 fawns and a little scrub buck .... maybe a 4 pt.
It looks like a fine buck to me. With those stickers off the right main beam I would think he was at least 4.5. I would be proud. While it's always great to kill a huge buck, let's face it not every buck is going to be a 180. I personally think for most areas of WV a mature 4.5 yr old buck is an true trophy. So, congratulations!
Still not seeing anything till they come out in the fields after dark
Still not seeing anything till they come out in the fields after dark
Yeah, most of the bigger ones are laying low till dark. Maybe with this front with rain coming thru and the cooler weather behind it will nudge them into moving earlier?? I hope LOL
I hope so too! See does in the fields but no bucks with them
I like management bucks. They are bucks I manage to kill. :)
I found a line of scrapes yesterday, hoping to watch them after this rain.
Well glad I was able to get the damage permit for the yotes - we now have two less coyotes! Going to go after them hard until the weekend and then all my effort will be after deer. Will take a break from trapping until gun season starts - don't want to put a lot of my scent over the area and scare the deer.
I have not been bowhunting much yet - got a big project that came up at the last moment just 2 weeks ago on a high school baseball field and spent all last week renovating it.
I did sit in my treestand Monday evening - saw a ton of deer and turkey - even saw a mink! A spike chased a few of the does - but right before dark a very nice 8 or 9 point came in. He had nothing on his mond but filling his belly. He stayed in the food plot for a long time with does all around him - and could have cared less.
Speaking of my food plot - I am going to start another thread on it - just got some good news!
Found 6 very fresh scrapes in Nicholas county yesterday and very fresh rubs seen a button buck by itself very big so mom breed early last year I think, pretty sure i seen his mom being harassed by a buck not sure what it was
Hunted Monday. Saw 2 does and 3 turkeys. Lots of squirrels. Didn't hunt yesterday or today and most likely won't hunt again until Thursday evening because of the wind and rain. But when it stops and the temperature drops I'll go hard at it the rest of the week.
Saw countless deer on about a 5 mile drive home from church tonight. Right below my house, I saw two 1 1/2 old bucks and a new buck I hadn't seen before bedded by some does. He was probably a two year old but nice to see a new buck. With this full moon, you think it would be wise to sit through midday filling this front?
It might be a tad early? But who knows? If u have the time, it beats watching TV
This buck was moving midday during the seeking phase about this time a few years back He came threw under my stand to check a scrape. i made a mistake and was not there thought it was to early for an all day sit cost me that buck.. 12:30 if i remember right and it was a warmer day to, learn the most from the ones you don't get
same buck midday checking another scrape
here is another all of them are very close to there bedding areas and on public land
Last year, Nov 3. He had just chased a doe out of the picture. I'll be off all next week and hunting regardless
Saw the same 8 point this evening when I got home from work that I mentioned seeing Wednesday night after church for the first time. Since then he has broke both his g2 and G3 off on his right side. Can only assume he was in a nasty fight?
Started hunting again for a few days . The # of scrapes and rubs has increased over the last week. Saw 2 different groups of small bucks sparing, nothing serious . Saw no chasing in spite of seeing a lot of deer. But I did hear a buck grunting a couple of times in the holler below me.
I found what I would call the most serious scrape that I have found so far. Most of the others have looked like they were just going thru the motions . This one was left close to my stand after I hunted yesterday evening.
IDK what's wrong with image tool??
I don't know but you made my head hurt for minute looking at that first pic. Lol...I'm in a treestand and flipped the phone upside down...after I looked up and had to grab tee lol
Only scrapes I have seen are the mock ones I have made. I did see my first rub today - a small one right in behind my treestand. I think here in the panhandle things are a little slower then the rest of the state. Saw two small bucks here this evening with about 6 other deer and all had one thing on their minds - filling their bellies.
This morning things were slow - saw 3 little ones and one coyote about 80 yards out - times like this morning I wish I could carry a rifle along with the bow just to shoot a coyote! LOL
Oh- and I did see a pile of bear pooped that would have made a elephant proud!
Saw 2 bucks chasing a doe this eventing. They had their neck and head low and their nose up. They were stomping and clomping chasing the doe around in circles. She was having no part of it.
I got a Holloween treat later
I think things must be a little behind here in the Eastern panhandle. Hunted Friday am and pm, then Saturday am. Only saw 4 does Friday evening. That's it. No cruising bucks. Finally saw some rubs show up this week. Looking at trail cam pics. None of the bucks tarsal glands are getting dark. Seems like they are just not there yet.
Magical Halloween evening got in stand about 4 because I had to work .... One doe right at dark.
I saw 2 different bucks chasing a doe all around my stand and field yesterday evening. They had their head and neck low and outstretched , when they got close to me you could here them clomping. It was pretty neat. First smelling and chasing I've seen.
In stand now ... 1115 ... Seen a 2 yr old 8 and yearling doe so far. Thinking about staying all day .. Decision time next 45 min or so.
No deer seen today but a coyote came past me about 30 yards put could not get a clear shot. Would have loved to put a VPA terminator through him with my recurve.
I hunted Beury Mountain WMA yesterday.....all day.....never saw anything but a few squirrels. I could see or hear any traffic on the main road from my stand sight at the edge of a power line and only saw one vehicle come through all day, an AEP pickup truck that drove by, then back through about a half hour later. Deer sigh is sparse, not much sign of rutting activity at all either. I've been through the area several times during my week off last week and haven't seen vehicles of hunters parked along the road like I used to up there. I also noticed a lot of off road activity and figured that's got the deer pushed pretty far back. Very few tracks in the mud/sand and it doesn't look like the prospects are as good as I'd hoped for there. Add to that all the warm weather we've been having and it has made for a pretty boring bow hunting season for me this year. It's hard to scout and hunt 9,300+ acres. One road I did hunt, I noticed guys "cruising", which is annoying. I guess I'll have to do some Google Earth scouting and find some overlooked spots,
Monday sat in stand all day. Six deer seventeen turkey. Heard one grunting at daylight.
Tuesday morning. Decent 8 pushed 2 does around then lost interest.
In stand now for evening. Very hot .....
It's going to be warm for a couple of days then a cool front with some rain is supposed to move in. I hope the temperature change will get them moving. I hope.
Its really weird because in the spring and late summer I saw more deer than I have in recent years. Its weird how they seem to disappear. I have heard of the Oct lull and am going to research it because I do believe it is real. I see it about every year.
It is real. There's abundant food and with deer in full winter coat they don't want to move during the heat. They will just feed and bed down packing on fat waiting for the rut to begin. Kinda like I do. LOL
Wednesday - no deer. 2 fox in evening.
Thursday morning - 1 deer could not see it well.
It's been too hot for bow hunting so I have been waiting until the last hour of daylight and been trying to call some coyotes in. Called in 2 skunks yesterday evening though! LOL
Saw my second rub of the year this evening. I have really been amazed at how the fawn in distress call will bring in other deer! Yesterday it brought in 5 deer and this evening I almost got ran over by 9 or 10 deer it was too confusing to count! I am talking like running and coming to a dead stop about 5 yards in front of me! I may try it later in the year during does season and see if it works as well!
I am hoping with cooler weather on Saturday that things may pick up - I will be out earlier Saturday morning - this heat is killing me!
In the Pacific Northwest and in BC and Alaska they use fawn bleats to call in Columbian blacktail and Sitka blacktail bucks.
Nothing Thursday evening.
Gobbler - I can remember when I first started hunting I bought one of the deer calls that basically consisted of two 3 inch long flat almost tongue depressor like sticks with a small rubber reed in between them and held together with a band on each end. It worked a few times for me - just gave out a little bleat - I don't recall being able to use it to grunt with.
I knew a fawn bleat worked but the past two days I was using the fawn distress call with my electronic game call - just for coyotes. Yesterday was crazy though - The group of deer came running in within like 30 seconds and they were stomping around looking for the fawn. Part of me thinks because of the big pack of coyotes running here now that maybe the deer are going on the offense whenever one is being attack! I know it sounds crazy but again - yesterday was absolutely incredible to watch. The one doe was just looking for a fight! Maybe my theory on this is wrong but it was fun to witness!
Also maybe someone can correct me on this if I am wrong - but I am fine using electronic call for coyotes but when doe season comes in I cannot use during then - I would have to use a hand-held - blow type call to do a fawn in distress call - correct?
IDK the answer to that. I'll try to find out.
That's why deer hunting is so fun, u never know what they are going to do. You can go your whole life thinking something then a deer will do something completely off the wall then you realize you have been wrong the whole time.
I've had times when night calling in the winter where deer came to every stand. Not just fawn distress, but rabit calls as well. Some nights, between the deer and the owls there not a dull moment.
It is illegal to use any electronic devise to attract or lure a deer, bear, or turkey in an attempt to call them in to you.
Hunted 1 hour this morn then wife called me and told me fence was down and one of the cows was out. No deer.
Saw a decent buck chasing does on my way to town. Seems the October lull has extended into November.
I read on bowsite about a month ago that the rut was forecasted to be a drawn out, less intense deal this year. So far, that seems to be the case. God Bless
Woodstock didn't make any mention of using an electrronic call. You can do a fawn distress without being electronic.
I did not see a deer today. First time in 11 years.,
Sat morn - 8 does/fawns .. 1 small 9 pt went after some of the does.
Saturday Nov. 7th, - hunted from daylight til 12:15 p.m. and then from 2:00 p.m. til sunset, did not see a single deer.
and Sunday Nov. 8th, - saw 4 small does/ yearlings right before dark....
Not such a great weekend !
I've finally found some buck sign. Several smallish rubs and 3 scrapes, all near one another. A few acorns too finally.
They are running like crazy. Today after passing up 50+ bucks since season started in Monroe and Mingo I finally picked up my bow . A good wide 10 ran across the field behind me and stopped at the edge of the woods at 25 yds. Broadside . Unfortunately, his whole body was covered by branches. He stood there for 2-3 minutes before he ran on down the holler. I passed on a good 8 and a small but heavy 9 and 2 smaller bucks before that happened. I saw another good buck cruising below me too, he was tall with a lot of points but not real wide. He was about 100 yds away and clipping along. Time to be in a stand. Bucks will be moving tomorrow but supposed to have 40 mph and higher winds. I don't know if I want to be up in a tree or even in the woods during that. I love hunting the rut but like living even more. LOL
I'd try to hunt open area edges. Maybe a ground blind in that field you mentioned Gobbler.
I went and put out a trail cam today after work. There were some tree cutters clearing the neighbors power line. I talked with them for a while. We were being loud talking. Not 5 mins passed and a buck walked by within 45 yards of us. They are starting to get crazy now.
My wife saw a buck in the middle of town also today. She said it looked confused...
I saw one walk across the street in downtown Moorefield last Thursday night on my way to the cabin. I am thinking about hanging a stand on a light pole down town. LOL.
The buck in town was either in the peak of the rut or on meth. LOL
Several of the bucks I've seen are wet and hair matted so they had been running hard.
I never thought about he meth. LOL
This year has to be the slowest rut I can remember. We have had 5 hunts where we did not even see a deer. We have yet to see a buck chasing. I really think it is just the warm weather. Hoping this weekend will get things moving.
The rut is raging in the southern part of the state.
Not seeing much rutting action here in Berkeley County either.
Only action I am seeing is neighbor's boy and his buddies partying about 200 yards away from my food plot the past 3 evenings from right after school lets out until about 5 PM. Needless to say not a happy camper right now!
Me thinks when next summer rolls around and they are doing there little weekend picnics down by the creek maybe I will be doing some target practicing to make some noise for them - either that or crank up the boom box! LOL
Might be time to do some target practice with the .416 Remington with a muzzle break . Creates a few decibels there. LOL
They have been coming down and partying - then from my treestand I watched them - group of 7 boys I think - they were looking for dead trees that they could shake as a group - they would get the tree (something about as big around as your thigh) and start making it sway back in forth big time until the top would break off and then go running away at the last moment - scream and cussing all the way! I say I think boys because some of them were screaming like little girls!
Turns your mood into a rather nasty attitude! LOL
Maybe natural selection will work eventually ?
After today I think a lot of the big ones are locked tight with does in some thicket.
I learned a lesson yesterday. When you hit that grunt tube, you better have your bow up and ready to shoot. I had a smallish 8 point come off the hill behind me to my right. By the time I saw him he'd already passed by me. There are a lot of pines there, and they're hard to see through. so he gets out in front of me just past another pine tree and I hit my grunt tube. (That's when I should have picked up my bow and got ready to shoot) He immediately turns and heads straight for me. Before I knew it he was facing right for me and looking for that other "buck". He had me pinned down and I couldn't move. So then, me moves back up the hill behind me towards where he came from and I had the opportunity to turn around and get ready to shoot, but by then he'd moved out of range and put too many obstacles between us. He eventually made his way back toward where he'd come from. By the way, he looked to have been "cruising" for does. It was 10:30 a.m.
He probably was, and yes that is a valuable lesson to learn . Just like gobbler hunting, anytime u make a call u have to be ready for anything.
Running ragged in Monroe county again today. It was almost comical .
Spent about 8 1/2 hours in a stand today. 5 does, a 4-pt and button buck. No chasing but the does were much more nervous than has been the case lately. I'm beginning to think I should take up turkey hunting. Saw 8 gobblers and 10-12 hens at different times today.
LOL, that's usually what happens . I see deer while turkey hunting and deer when turkey hunting.
Been on stand about 7 hours so far today. Had a good morning. Saw 9. Only buck was a 4-pt. he was making a half-hearted attempt to chase a few does. Decided he was hungry and abandoned his girlfriends. You'd think as long as I've been hunting these Wyoming County mountainsides I'd get these bucks figured out. Hasn't happened yet!
I have seen 19 does and no bucks since rifle started. You would think one of those does would have had a buck trailing her. I am talking to a bunch of guys still seeing chasing so it doesn't appear to be over.
Bowhunting...saw 3 new 6-pointers this morning. All 3 were small. See how tomorrow goes.
