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I am hunting family land only in 2017 unless the opportunity comes up to go out West with a friend. Both properties I will be hunting are very small acreages. Both properties are merely travel lanes between bedding areas and feed fields. The #1 property I will be hunting is 40 acres, 2 acres of it brome, 35 acres of creek bottom farm land, and 3 acres of hard wood timber along a small creek.

The #2 property is 40 acres, 30 of it is upland farm ground, 10 of it is prairie hay with a wooded slough running thru it. I have had trail cameras up for over a year now on property #1 and have scouted it regularly all summer. My scouting efforts have shown me little to get excited about this season. I have not scouted the #2 property at all this year.

It has again been a dry summer this year like the previous 4-5 years. Both properties had soybeans planted this year, both fields have been harvested. I have only had two mature bucks show up on my trail cameras since last fall. I have had easily 1/5th of the pictures that I normally get on them since last season. I have had a bunch of coyote pictures this year.

I decided to go at the last minute Thursday evening. I rushed to gather my gear, and didn't arrive at site until just about 5pm. You know what happens when you have to rush, things don't go well, they didn't. I saw deer as soon as I pulled in the drive. I went a different route to my desired stand, thru a part of the timber I rarely step foot in, hoping not to spook the deer away from my stand. Less than 1/8th of a mile from my truck, and 30 feet from stand #4, I walked up on $15k worth of stolen property that had been there since last June. The thief had dumped the Polaris Ranger 700 on our property then ran on foot to get away from the Police that were after him. Needless to say, once my truck, two Sheriff's patrol vehicles, a large landoll flatbed wrecker as well as the landowner's car had driven in and out of the there, my chances of seeing anything was slim to none so I went back home after the side by side was hauled off to the LEO impoundment lot.

Took a few pictures once arriving at and settling into what my daughter and I call stand #4. This stand site has a ladder stand, it is located towards the SW corner of the property. The wind made me decide to go to this site, was the only stand where the wind would be in my face.

At 4:30 the hoot owls started their wake up calls, I saw one owl fly down out of his roost tree not far from my stand. Minutes later I saw a flock of turkeys enter the main field North of me, they came out thru a crossing from a small piece of ground that is enclosed by trees. I have three stands set up around that enclosed field. The turkeys made their way my direction along the timber edge. Twenty minutes later, another flock entered the field on the Northside from a neighboring property. When they spotted each other they met halfway clucking and purring, a few sparred each other. I took a little video but it didn't turn out well, wind noise in the mic. The first flock of turkeys stayed out in the field browsing beans right up to dark, then flew up to their roost tree directly from where they were eating.

At 6pm I spotted six does coming out of the timber up by what we call stand #3. There are two bedding areas in that timber, one straight North of me, and one NNW of stand #3. The does browsed their way East along the hedgerow and crossed over onto a neighboring property towards the pond located there.

At 6:20pm I saw a deer working a licking branch 30-40 yards past where the does had crossed. I tried to get a picture of him but it didn't take as it getting darker out. All of the deer followed the hedgerow to the East. The turkeys flew up to their roost at 6:45. I was back at my truck at 7p, it was a very chilly 44f with strong West winds that made it feel much colder.

I told the deputies that came for it, to tell the owner I would buy it from their insurance company. I wanted the windshield, tires and wheels, and the bed hoist.

Didn't get out to the woods as early as I should have, the deer were really active this afternoon. Has been a year or two since we have had snow fall on Halloween. Last year I was cussing ticks, gnats and mosquitoes.

I arrived at 4pm, parked in a different location again because of the wind. The wind was out of the SSE, gusting up to 15 mph at times. I decided to hunt out of Stand #3 based off what I saw last night on my hunt. Right by where I parked, there were small trees all tore up by a small buck. On my walk along the hedgerow, I saw numerous lick branches but not a single scrape. I no more than got settled into my stand when I saw a doe coming from the East following the same route I had walked in on. She stopped about 30 yards East of me, crossed the fence to the North, going into the neighbor's woodlot.

At 4:35, I saw two doe fawns enter the enclosed field to my West. As soon as they entered the field, a small buck came out of the timber from the South grunting and trotting their way. The little buck chased one, then turned and started chasing the other one trying to corral both of them. This went on for some time. He would go work over some little trees every once in awhile, then tear out chasing after one of the little girls when they got too close to the field edge.

At 5pm, one of the little does came my direction, circled around behind me and headed NE. I last saw her in the timber lot headed East towards the neighbor's pond. The 2nd doe fawn headed NW back towards the bedding area behind another pond that is located West of where I sat tonight. The little buck was last seen in the SW side of the enclosed field.

The next hour was pretty uneventful. At 5:55 the small doe came back thru the timber from the East, circled around North of me, then stopped and looked my way. I was afraid she had winded me, if she did she never flagged nor sounded the alarm, she just stood with her ears perked up staring my way. I saw more does entering the enclosed field, and heard a very distinct deeper grunt, it was not the dink buck. As I watched the enclosed field, I heard the leaves crunching underneath me. The small doe walked right below me, then entered the main field off to my left.

At 6pm, it was rush hour. The two does from the enclosed field crossed over into the main field. At 6:05 I got to see the buck I had heard grunting, a young up and coming 8pt. he was grunting and snorting at the three does. The little doe wanted no part of him, she turned around and followed the field edge right under me, crossed back into the enclosed field, and walked out of my sight to the West. I saw another deer crossing the main field from the SE, it went to the middle of the field and began browsing. The smaller buck eventually crossed over into the main field and headed East. I again heard grunting to my right, I saw the larger older 8pt(first picture at top of thread) that had a large doe corralled over under the stand my daughter likes to hunt out of. Something was chasing deer around behind me to the NW, could hear them crashing thru the brush. I never did see them but am betting it was the small doe being harassed.

I had to stay in the stand longer than I normally would have due to the deer being around me. Very fun afternoon, the rut is about to cut loose. I find it odd I have not found a scrape yet though.

Remember not to swerve if they run out in front of you on the roads- More people are hurt or killed swerving to miss animals in the road when they lose control of their vehicles.

I have shot deer like the 8pt in the past. I have shot much smaller bucks, I have shot much bigger ones too. I am at the point of my hunting career that I really don't have to fill a tag to have a successful hunt. I enjoy being out there taking photographs and watching them while getting away from everyday things and routine. Putting meat in the freezer is a bonus. Avoid making it a job, you'll enjoy the hunt much more.

A buddy of mine shot two deer this morning, a doe and a buck in the same sit. Sounds like they were moving good today. I couldn't go today due to family duties, I will be back at it tomorrow.

Shawn, don’t give up. I only have 1 buck with a bow and it’s SMALL. It’s the whole experience that makes it fun.

I have Friday off, then taking leave all of next week. Can’t wait to get back out there.

Deer have bedded down here it seems. Going to get down at 10, check cameras and #1 stand, then come back out this afternoon and hunt from it. Haven't been in it since spring, need to make sure nothing has changed with it over the summer.

At 3:15 I saw a deer cross the creekbed Northwest of me. I couldn't see what it was but suspect it was the does from earlier. The timber is full of migrating Robins, must be rut time as that happens here every year.

Eight hr shift at work in the morning, depending on how that goes, might hunt out here on the way home.

My job doesn't exist until the 30th, time to recharge my batteries.

Slow night. It was 5pm before a doe fawn stepped out of the timber into view. At 5:10 another doe fawn stepped out of the timber lot to my East. At 5:20, I saw two deer running thru the timber lot NE of me, they never did come out into the bean field.

That was the extent of my afternoon, I won't bother with pictures tonight as you have already seen the little girls if you are following this thread.

I had always heard "Oh the deer will really be moving with the weather change" or "a little rain or light mist, the deer will move earlier and all day!" BS! Either the deer here hadn't been taught those characteristics, or someone is full of it!

I didn't see a deer until 4:30pm this afternoon. She came out of the cedar grove along the Northside of it. She grazed around the main field just 5-10ft out of the cedars. She headed East about 4:50. At 5:10, the doe and her fawn showed up West of me in the enclosed field. I looked to my left and saw a doe coming into the field out of the timber lot at the same time. A short time later 4 more does came out of the timber to my left, the 6 does from this am. They all grazed on beans out in front of me. I heard the neighboring landowner's dog raising a ruckus SE of me at 5:25, the Saint Bernard male was barking very aggressively. At 5:30 I saw a large bodied deer running towards the does from the South, the dog shut about the same time. It was a nice buck, who started chasing Mama doe around. When they started East, I grunted at him. The buck turned and headed for the closest scrape that I reported seeing yesterday just East of me in Stand#3. He went into the timber lot, I'm guessing trying to see or wind me. I never saw him again, but I heard him blow loud and clear when I got down and started out to the field edge.

I only took one picture tonight, of the first doe, didn't want the camera getting wetter outside of the wet pants pocket it was kept in. After getting busted twice today, I'm going to stay home in the morning and wait to go out tomorrow afternoon

The farmer is working his field up West across the creek, I did not have any mud on my boots walking in, amazing how quick yesterday's rain soaked in.

Have not seen nor heard any deer activity yet. There are a bunch of robins, woodpeckers and owls carrying on though.

At 5:05, and at 5:10, two more does entered the main field, eating their way out into the middle of the field where they stayed until dark. They were very nervous, kept looking to the SW and towards the neighbor's pond to the North. Everytime they looked, I looked the same way hoping to see a buck coming out to meet them.

At 5:12, I heard grunting to my right, I turned to see a dink buck come out to chase the fawn with the good nose back to the NW, they disappeared into the timber.

At 5:25 a third doe exited the timber lot to my left, she too headed out into the middle of the field with the other does. She was very worried about what she was seeing down by Stand #4. I never did see any movement down that way.

At 5:30, the 2nd fawn that had been chased off, suddenly appeared right below me, at the base of my tree, again without a sound. She exited the timber out into the main field, using the path that I made into my stand as her exit point. Guess I didn't stink that bad to her.

I stayed in the stand until 5:45, it was very dark by that point. I changed out the memory cards in two of my cameras hoping to see the deer that was reported to me around noon today.

I had planned on hunting out of #1 stand, the wind would have been ok for it, none of my stands are great for SSE winds. When I pulled up to park, I discovered that I had left my cellphone on the charger at home. The climb up into #1 is difficult, the stand itself is somewhat sketchy. I decided that without having my phone with me, I wouldn't risk taking a fall and not being able to call for help if I did. (Stand is being replaced when I finish this year!)

It was 7:25am before I saw any deer movement. A buck crossed the main field from the NE corner of the property, skirted around the cedar grove, and headed for the tree lined ditch that separates the main field from a small strip of farmland that is along the road. He started to cross the ditch halfway between me and the cedar grove. I suspect when he saw my truck parked on the access road out by the road, he detoured like he did to avoid it. I grunted at him loudly, he turned and came at a trot my direction. I stood up and gathered up the bow and got ready to draw if he actually kept coming my way. He did. As he got closer I could see that he was the young 8pt. I chose to let him walk to grow a year or two. He walked by out in front of me and continued to the NW thru the timber. I grunted a couple more times, but he didn't even look back once past me.

I got down at 9:15 am when the wind got stronger/blowing harder out of the South. I had not seen the return of the does, not one skinhead seen this am. I decided to go sit in either #3 or #2 stands and do some rattling. I changed the camera cards on my way to #3 even though I had changed two of them last evening before leaving.

At 9:25 while setting in #3 (between two bedding areas) I rattled aggressively with a set of horns I got off a young road killed 6pt back in 1997. That buck nearly took the hood and fenders off a small Ford Ranger when it hit him at highway speed. The hit was so hard I found the horns 35-40 yards beyond the point of impact in the road ditch with blood still dripping off them. I had a salvage tag for the deer, but the rest of him wasn't worth doing anything with, he was in pieces all over the truck and highway. Within a minute of rattling, I saw a buck headed my way from the NE, he was in a hurry to get there. I sat the horns down and grabbed up the bow. The buck entered the field East of me and followed the edge my way. It was the fork horn from my previous pictures. He came within 30 yards, then turned around and headed back the way he had come from.

At 9:45, I again rattled aggressively, I grunted each direction when I finished my sequence with the horns. When I looked West to grunt, there was a unicorn spike buck down below me just 10 yards from the base of my tree looking up at me. His left antler was gone. I stood still for a minute or two watching him to see how he would react. He stared straight at me, then sniffed the wind trying to figure me out. He turned North, crossed a fence, then turned back looking for me again. He started to head back towards the NW bedding area, so I grunted softly his direction. He spun around and started back my way with his ears down like he was po'd. He stopped again checking the air for scents. He turned North to leave, I shook the string to the antlers and let them "ting" against each other. He turned my way and came back about 10 yds and stopped. The last time he turned to walk away, he ignored my grunts and tickling of the antlers.

I stayed in until about 10:30 rattling and grunting occasionally. Once home, I only had 12-15 pictures from the 3 cameras, including this one taken this morning at the time I was directly above it and decided to let him walk.

At 7:06 8 deer came out into the main field thru the hedgerow along the Northside. At 7:10 the forky appeared out of the timber 40 yards North of me, he was on a mission or getting away from somebody, walked without hesitation out and around my location, continued SE across the big ditch, across the outer field and road continuing South thru another hedge row onto a neighboring property. When I stopped watching him and turned back around, the deer out in the main field were gone, have no idea where they went.