Drop Tines 2017 Blog
Wisconsin
Home for the afternoon overlooking the water.
Home for the afternoon overlooking the water.
Would have been a nice 18 yard shot as it gave me plenty of opportunities.
Would have been a nice 18 yard shot as it gave me plenty of opportunities.
Red dot is location of the blind and sits by a huge oak and the water.
Red dot is location of the blind and sits by a huge oak and the water.
While this blog won't be exciting as some. I'll keep it going on hunting small acreage and public land.
On the home front I own 20 acres of mix tree's and CRP type grasses and goldenrod. It hunts larger though with the surrounding properties.
Today was day one in the woods for deer. N.E. wind I opted for my ground blind by the waterhole. I got to the blind about 3:15 pm and settled in. About 3:45 pm the back neighbor decided to cut something up with a chainsaw for about 15 minutes. All the commotion aggravates me but doesn't seem to bother the deer.
5:00 pm I catch some movement through a narrow slot in the left side window. After a short while I see it's a doe making its way in. I put the bow back in the holder and grab my phone and take some video and even went live on Facebook for a while where I caught hell for not shooting it. LOL
It hung around for about 20 minutes browsing and drinking and then wondered off. Had several squirrels come and go and I was just thinking about gathering up my stuff and head back to the house when another doe came in from the south on the trail I walked in on. It took a quick drink and moved on so I then snuck out while the getting was good. I do have a doe tag for here but had no interest in filling it the first night out and booger up the area.
Do you leave the blind up all season or day of? I was thinking about using a blind similar to yours but hunt public land and worry the deer will spoke seeing it.
I put it out yesterday morning and it will be out for the season now. Trail camera pictures tell me that while they know it's there it's not bothersome to them. The second doe in tonight came within 10 yards of the blind up wind.
The more I use blinds the more I like them. They do restrict your 360* view. But set up correctly on food and water sources minimizes that effect.
Good luck DT. Make sure you keep the snow clear from the top later in the season. I've had two ruined by leaving them out and not being able to clear the snow.
Cut a 2x4 to length to support the roof. I have also used adjustable poles to support the roof during winter
Well, as a fella who uses blinds a lot, I could add some extra advice. Buy yourself 4 ten foot pieces of galvanized conduit. Take a conduit bender and bend them at an angle that conforms to your blind's roof. Paint them black. Now these poles can be driven at all the corners of your blind, and zip tied together above your blind. You can tie your roof off to these as well, plus the pole for support (which is a must). These poles act as a place to add branches and brush as cross members, really locking things in. Tie off the walls as well, and this thing goes nowhere. Use zip ties to add as much, or as little as you need. Deer seem to avoid these blinds when not brushed in. Not always, but often.
I buy extendable paint sticks that take a flat pad and use them as ground blind supports. Under $10 each from Menards and can be used for painting when the blinds are not up.
Thanks for the tips guys. Work the next 2 days will keep me out of the woods. 12 hr. Shifts but will have Fri - Sun off. Weather for the weekend isn't looking good though.
Sat tonight. Got lucky and all the rain stayed south of me. Got into the stand about 4:00pm. About 5:30 a short face came in and hung around. About ten minutes later four more came in.
It's now well after shooting time and the wife wanted to go for fish. With that said I'm pinned inside the blind so I text my wife to get the dogs outside barking. Which see did. The dogs barking and a police or ambulance siren going by didn't faze them a bit. So I started picking up gear making just enough noise to get them to ease out of the area and made my way back to the house. Wife got her fish. Saturday is looking like a bust with the rain.
5 doe seen total and 0 bucks.
Short face came in early in the wind. She hung around for a while but was very spooky.
Short face came in early in the wind. She hung around for a while but was very spooky.
About 5:00pm this one came in and was was reaching for the bow when another one I didn't see down wind of me and blew.
About 5:00pm this one came in and was was reaching for the bow when another one I didn't see down wind of me and blew.
Also bumped one on my way out to head back to the house.
3 Doe's and 0 bucks seen
Had 1 lone doe come in tonight about 5:15pm. Kept looking over her shoulder like something was following. But never seen it if it was.
11:58am had a doe come in and then 12:17pm a doe and yearling came through for a drink and left. 12:28 a smallish 8 point came through on their trail but thankfully never offered a decent shot opportunity. Then nothing till 4:30pm when a lone doe came crashing through from over by the neighbors.
3 Doe 1 Buck seen.
Went out at 2:00 this afternoon. About 4:15pm had a doe come through. Later in the sit about 5:30pm had 2 yearlings move through. No bucks with any of them.
3 doe. 0 Bucks
Sat from 1:00pm till shooting time. 1 doe and yearling seen at the end of shooting time. Sure getting colder out there. Might be time to dig out the late season gear. Definitely a change of boots!
love this thread and the photos
Thanks Aushegun.
Got out late today at about 2:45pm. At 4:00ish the doe and yearling that I seen yesterday came in and milled around a bit before leaving. 4:30pm had a 6 point catch me off guard and I didn't know weather to grab my phone camera or the bow. He came in did a U turn and angled out about 5' in front of me. In and gone didn't get a shot with the camera or bow. LOL
2 Doe and 1 - 6 point seen.
Drop tine how big is that tree on the right side of the photos? Burr oak?
It's huge. Couldn't get my arms around it if I tried. Never really paid attention but now that you ask I do believe it's a Burr Oak.
Got to my stand at 1:45pm. At about 4:00pm out past the end of a shooting lane I caught movement and not in time to see what it was. Tried a few grunts with no reponce. About 4;30pm I had a Fork horn come through that same shooting lane at 28 yards. Let him walk, maybe the grandson will get him. First time on stand this year that I didn't see a doe. Bucks must be harassing them good. Got video of a decent 8 from last night. This is a still from it.
1 Buck, 1 unknown n
Sat from 1:00pm till dark. Nothing but squirrels. Neighbors started shooting about 3:30. After that I really didn't expect to see anything but always hopeful.
That week or two leading up to gun really sucks in some areas where guys are sighting in and having fun with their rifles.
It's a great time for them but it really screws up bow hunting.
It sure does. Happens to me every year.
Saturday the 18th sat with my grandson. Nothing moved early and about 10:00am he asked what time we going in. So I took it as he was ready to head to the house so we did. From my trail camera 3 doe showed up at 10:35am with no one home.
We went back out about 1:00 till dark with nothing seen for the day.
Sunday the 19th back at itbwith the grandson. This time he sat till noon when he had to go home. He learned you can’t kill them at the house. Sadly nothing showed up that morning for him.
Sunday afternoon out of the blue my wife said she wanted to hunt. So we bought her a license and I got some orange out and off we went. We had one smaller doe come in and she passed on it. Only deer seen.
Just snapped this when the 3rd showed up and then a little bit later the old hag showed up.
Just snapped this when the 3rd showed up and then a little bit later the old hag showed up.
Monday had some stuff to do so didn’t hunt.
Tuesday I think I created a monster. She’s already doing things at work like skipping lunch and other things to get out in the woods.
We were out and hunting by 3:00pm. Great sit tonight. Had the doe and yearling show up and Barb gave them a pass then a older grey doe came in from the west and we were trying to get on that one waiting for it to turn some to offer a better shot. That’s when the old hag showed up blowing and stomping. She was about 60 yards out and no way she bagged us with the wind so I don’t know what she making the commotion about. But she’s the same one that did bag me 3-4 times this fall. She’s old and smart and I could have taken her but didn’t want to take the rifle from Barb to do so. But I will get her!
Sat tonight for the last 2.5 hrs. It was slow till the last 10 minutes and well after time.
Had the doe and yearling come in that’s been there all fall. Nice to see they made it through gun season. I was watching them when I thought I herd a grunt then I herd it again and leaves rustling heavily.
That’s when 3 doe came crashing in and a buck harassing them relentlessly. I could have shot a couple of the doe that have shot opportunities. But with the buck tag not punched I wanted him.
He flew through my shooting lanes several times but never stopping to give a shot. Once shooting time closed I just put the rifle down and watched the show till I couldn’t see. It was well after dark before things quieted down and I exited the area.
Best sit of the year.
5 doe and 1 buck seen.
