Many miles have come before us, and many more to go...but I think we can get him on a buck he'll "know" is the one...and if not it will have been a heckuva journey!
We're set and ready to shoot...he picked the stand he shot the coyote out of, near Argonia. Wind is good here, S with a bit of W in it which will take our scent out over the open field behind us. Temp was 60 when we left the truck...supposed to get into the mid 70's...but that won't stop'm.
We've picked up this guy several times on camera...never in person yet, but Mark thinks he may be the "one" ;?)
A buck just passed by S of us grunting an moving quickly. I grunted back but wasn't interested I reckon. Caught a glance of him and looked like a young 8pt
We've had a doe out With of us for 20min+)-...a spike came out and chased her a bit, then a heavy 8 came and rancher around but left to the S quickly.
I rattled at him but not interested
Thanks Mike, and congrats again...sorry we couldn't get together but maybe we will to hunt something else.
Action has dwindled a bit here...however we did just have a neatly groomed spike just come down the trail.
Yea the camera is an hour ahead...get over it
So as soon as I hit "submit" Mark says "buck coming"
This guy has some great potential...but not enough humps for us
We're out...gonna try another stand tonight, probably the Caldwell spot with little coverage.
On the way out there was a 320" pushing a doe across winter wheat just N of the truck...yea you read that right, prove me wrong ;?)
We split up but have both been on stand since 2:30+/-...I may take a doe tonight if given a perfect scenario, but I'd almost rather shoot a coyote or ten.
Quiet so far and HOT...but better than workin!
I'd say he was around 14 hands tall and bout 120 stones give'r take
Nothing moving here yet but a nice covey of Quail
Heard deep grunting from the S...he's on her trail...he breeds her...they go West
Big heavy and wide 8-9pt
I was duck hunting this morning, and this note was on my windshield when I got back to the truck ;?)
Hope y'all got stuffed yesterday and had lots of good talks about politics and religion!
Mark and I are set up on the "dog-leg" stand or some may remember it as the "poop deck" West of Argonia.. Got him in here 45min early which is ok but I think he's asleep.
Wind is virtually non-existent at this point but supposed to be S-SW which is perfect here. It was 46° at the truck and will be like Jamaica at noon.
I haven't checked this scrape cam since we were here last(17th), so hard to say what's around. This is the property with the buck that had a thorn in his face last year...big 8-9pt...he was also here in July but haven't seen him since? Maybe today's that day...
Ain't nothin goin on here.
Had a doe and two fawns pass a couple hundred yds N of us early...being harassed by a forky...and that's it. It's dead still and the wind was squirrelly early but it's mostly SW now.
Gonna give this spot another hour and then move if we don't see anything else.
A good looking 10 just passed S of us, but out of range and I couldn't get him on film. Grunted and he stopped and looked our way...but just kept roaming
Saw nothing after the 10, so we moved our operations S to the spot near Caldwell.
It's friggin HOT...almost 80° now and wind is still light and variable. This is the only farm I have in this area that seems to be holding several mature bucks...we just need one
Right at last light a fork with his left side broken off came in...he stayed within 10' of the decoy until we climbed down.
Can't eat a sunset...but I reckon this'n woulda been tastey
Taking another "noob" today...one of my buddies son's wants to be a bow hunter. I helped him get his first turkey a couple years ago, and he's been with us on our last 4 upland opening weekends. Now it's time for a deer!
Cameron and I are set up just N of Argonia..."finger tip" stand...wind is N but should get some E in it soon, temp was 44° at the truck. He's a couple years older than the pic above...hoping I can get something in front of him today.
Can someone explain to me why it's so GD hard to get wind predictions right? Or at least close? Supposed to be N-NE today but it's NW and mostly W? Yesterday it was supposed to be W-SW but blew from the E off and on all day...it's really messing me up
We've seen one little buck right at first light but 200yds S and cruising...just now two doe''s are headed to the wheat N and E of us
This is an older pic, but from this same property, what do you think was wrong with this beaver? "O-CWD?
Gonna hunt a different stand this afternoon...after a pizza ;?)
Set up in the 2-man stand where my buddy Justin shot his buck a couple weeks ago...just E of Attica.
Wind is finally as predicted at NE and it's around 60°. Cameron set a couple of sticks out at 20 & 30yds... something I used to do when I first started...let's do this!
Two doe''s just came out on the cover crop to our N...nothing else so far
I think Cameron still had a good day...and that's huntin... we'll get to go again
Had a couple pairs of Woodies swing by early, but he wasn't sure he wanted to take a poke at those speedsters...in time that will change I reckon
Hello again my old friends ;?) Mark and I are set up down on my Caldwell property...hunting different stands today. We didn't hunt deer during rifle, went after ducks a couple times instead.
We both have doe tags, and Marks got an "either sex" as well...got in real early as I think they'll move early.
This rub is right under my stand, fairly fresh too...hoping I get to see the "maker" tonight. May stick Mark back here tomorrow, or my buddy Brian, who's hunting all next week, from Ft Collins.
I'm gonna guarantee a doe gets kilt tonight...who's wants to bet?
Nothing from my stand yet but this "dillo"...Mark had a young buck pushing five does around about an hour ago but must not have gone into range
I think they'd rub about anything when they're in the mood Dave...I kinda get that ;?)
We have a little action here, a spike out on the neighbors wheat by me, and Mark has two doe's about 75ydsin front of him on wheat.
I was bettin on the alfalfa...still am
I'll let Mark tell the story later, work to do...
Great sit yesterday. About 4 it seemed like someone opened the flood gates. I stopped counting does at 19 and they kept pouring into wheat.
Saw a couple small bucks and one shooter. Tall heavy 9 or 10. Just feeding, not chasing does.
I txt Kyle and told him I shot one. Shot was good but a litter higher than I wanted. At dark he came over and found the arrow right away. Great blood.
Now it got interesting. He asked if I was sure it was high because the arrow has white hair. I was positive, but started to 2nd guess myself.
We never found a single drop of blood. Ever. I can’t explain the white hair either. The shot was a couple inches high. Luckily she was right where I had last saw her.
Can’t thank Kyle enough for all he’s done for me this year. It’s been such an incredible season.
Regarding the white hair, where was the exit wound? Were you shooting down at a steep angle?
Exit was only about an inch or two below entrance. The only thing I can figure is that this doe was older, very grey in color, and the "under hair" was very light in color as well. I have never seen a double lung animal bleed less than this, makes me wonder how many might give up early on shots they know are good? It was a Grim Reaper broadhead, and I use them on turkey...but fixed blade on everything else. She had a couple of clot's half the size of a football inside, no blood in mouth...and only a couple of small spots where she fell.
I scrambled back from NW Nebraska this morning for an evening doe hunt . My buddy Brian from CO has been hunting a couple of my spots the last three days with very little movement. He was already here on the Caldwell place so I snuck in on the other side of the creek...hunting from the ground.
Saw 20+ deer and 15+ turkeys out on wheat the mile before I pulled in...we just need a couple ;?)
He's gonna hate me...just had a real nice 8 pop out at 30yds. He actually winded Brian across the creek and then took off E in a hurry.
I'll post a pic later
I think, like anything else, there are anomalies with all broadheads...it's not like a foam target. Every one I've ever shot has been a different scenario.
I shot a doe once right through the heart, but after the arrow hit she ran between to trees that were very close. The arrow snapped off on both sides and a 6-8" section was left in her heart. She ran over 100yds and that section of arrow blocked the blood from escaping the heart/cavity. I've got it on video somewhere, piled under 100's of others.
I'm gonna kill a doe tonight.
On my spot near Attica, set up on a trail from the bedding area to the cover crop. Must be 75-100 little rubs in here, nothing over 2-3" in diameter.
Brian had a chance yesterday morning on a doe, in a group of 9, but she needed to come 3' further. I sent him home with a mix of game meats, fish, and Blue & Gold sausage... he'll survive I reckon.
I can tell you this, the drought was hell on these Locust's...out of 500+ trees only a handful survived.
Doe#1 is headed this way...slooooowly
She had bedded at 75yds and I was pinned down. Just got up and three more followed her 50yds E of me
Right time...wrong trail
I climbed into the stand I shot my buck out of at 2 today...alfalfa...near Caldwell. Both of the last two times I came down here there were 8-10 doe's feeding and/or bedded within 10-35yds. Last Sunday I counted over 40 out on wheat and this stuff in less than a half mile...and that was at 3:30p
Mark had a dog at the vet and couldn't get out, and my buddies son could only hunt this morning so I sent them to the Attica spot. Cameron had 3 doe''s at 25yds but real early and he just didn't feel comfortable with the shot...good thinker
It's not too cold tonight, truck said 38° but fairly windy out if the SW...hoping to stick one early and get her boned out tonight
Ain't over yet boys and girls
Not a durn thing...when I say 3:30 I mean it...they need to be here on time, I only puncture punctual deer
I quit
Just had three doe''s pass a couple hundred yds S of me, and one 500yds W...just barely out of range
Had a juvenile Bobcat come by at about 10yds a little before last light...had me pegged, no pics
And that was that
Talked Mark into taking one more stab at filling his buck tag... neither of us were very motivated considering the temps and movement of late...but we're out here
Hunting from the ground on a spot I haven't been to at all this year. It gets a lot of pressure, but not late season. We had two doe's pass 100yds S of us five min after we sat down...sign of things to come?
12 doe's so far...but we ain't after a doe tonight
Just the girls tonight, stopped counting at 30
A good way to go out and we know where to come and fill a doe tag or two now
Here's to a new year better than the last!
