Got a little late start this morning but we’re hunting. Sat in front of Pip for a l couple hours but not much moving. Seen a doe and her young en and then later a bobcat.
Need somebody to tell me what to do. The wind was right for checking these draws for some rattling. Nothing yet but I’m laid against the fence row here trying to see what to do. Spotted a big body deer. Put my glasses on him but before I could get a good look at him he bedded I think right beside the cedar tree.
Range finder says about 700 yards. In the last pic of you see the cedar towards the left at the top on hill. Go right if that and lower down you will see 2 cedars. He’s beside the top one.
We’re facing south here and the wind is west to northwest. 3 choices…ease back to get Pip and walk down to the draw between me and him and put him out. Get on the east of of Pip for when he comes out later.
Or go now and set up on this east fence line down and try to rattle now.
Or since I don’t even know if he’s a shooter or not just leave this area and go to another place for this evening.
I’m going to stay for at least another hour or 2 or 3.. I’m sure he’ll pop up to stretch his legs in a bit. That’s what I’m hoping anyways cause I want to know what he is. That is if I pick the choice to leave for another spot for this evening.
Somebody pic a choice. Oh yeah it’s 11:40 right now and I probably seen him about 20 something minutes ago. And before you ask I’m not sure if he’s got a doe with him cause that would change everything. If he’s got a doe then of course we wouldn’t do none of the above. Maybe then just set up on the draw down there and hope they come this way. Pretty warm out and there is a pond right below me.
I left out of there. I forgot I had all this meat in the cooler that was in the back of the truck. Didn’t want the sun shining on it so getting it in the shop.
Ended up wanting to go to a place on a creek bottom yesterday evening. The owner just had turned a lot of cows in there so decided to go back to the hills we were at. That place seems to have a lot less deer the last couple years…got on top of a hill right at sunset where I could really see and seen some but not like I should be seeing.
4:04….been laying here now for over an hour trying to decide which place to go. I think we’re headed to another hill place I hunted last year that seemed to have decent numbers.
Last year I had a good one within 50 yards 2 times in the same day…right around lunch and right before dark. Both times though the doe didn’t want her friend being shot.
Bringing Pip with me and going early enough to get him out…should be fun folks. I sure hope the coffee maker still works in this house.
Anyways the coffee maker worked and I’m feeling might good. Let’s go watch a sunrise in the hills…signal is spotty out there.
8:47….haven’t seen one deer and I can tell already things are different on this place. Now if y’all look back on my live hunt last year on this spot was where I was seeing the most deer. Nearly having 2 bucks get in a fight right on top of me and deer crossing in front all the time.
You see for the first time this place next door leased to an outfitter. Heard he was putting up feeders and in my opinion was going to let way too many people hunt. I think you can get the picture probably why I ain’t seeing much right now.
Oh not too mention my cameras I had on a small pond back earlier this year had been jacked with. Cards were erased and put back in with the camera being turned off and the cover being left opened on them.
I got to thinking somebody might have been hunting this small pond from next door since it’s been dry during Muzzleloader.I talked to the owner a couple days ago and sure enough he said the outfitter was trying to get a deer on camera that sure that was described was probably the one I seen last year. Supposedly they got a shot at it but missed. I’ll let y’all do some thinking on that and figure that out since I ain’t too smart.
If my fears are true this somebody is just a real Sugar Cookie. Might be retaliation for me taking a stance on getting rid of bait. Word gets around on things like this and if that’s the case….then bring it little sweet tart.
Me and Pip ain’t going to give up though. About to get up and try to be mobile with him. Since the wind ain’t blowing too bad going to try and get him next to something that might be close by and try some rattling. If we can get an old one to come out and get eyes on Pip we might just get lucky and bring one over.
Yesterday ended up being another good day cause like I said above…I was outdoors.
Pics wouldn’t send at that spot. It was absolutely beautiful as it broke day. I’m under a big cedar tree so it stays in the shade since I’m facing north. A little later as the sun was warming things up the frost was starting to melt on Pip and was twinkling in the sun.
A little after I posted I seen a decent buck move from north to south to my left. There is bedding over to my southwest. Later the wind was starting to go towards Pip. So eased around and ended getting him moved close 50 yards further across the small ravine. Found another tree on the north side of him. Really good spot with the south wind so I ended up sitting all day. Didn’t see no more until right before 3:00 another or possibly the same buck was headed north but this time the deer was over 450 yards away across on the neighbor.
This last pic shows where I sat the rest of the day. I couldn’t hardly believe I didn’t see no more deer than that. Last year I would’ve probably seen around 8 to 15 deer this time of year. Again I guess that’s what feeders next door will do to a place.
Might go there or to a Walk-In place that has a little cover at the end that deer like to hang out. Since pheasant season opens tomorrow…dang wait a minute. Nevermind folks I’m a day behind. Old Yeller here just reminded me it’s Saturday. Yep I walked in here last night and sure enough there he sat. He’s feeling mighty fine folks and he’s already howling this morning…life is good.
I’ll be chasing quail this morning around home here in SEK.
6:43…. I’m at the bur oak place and y’all have been in this tree before.
8:49….little over an hour ago had a young cross in front of me but that’s been it. I way underdressed this morning for this wind and I thought about sissifying out of the tree about 30 minutes ago but I’m trying to stay in.
This morning I went to the same spot but only seen one small buck. Yesterday started feeling just a tad funky and last night was quite a bit of sneezing and drainage.
I’ve only been gone right at 2 weeks but for some reason I’m already nearly ready to go home. Missing Erica, Ella, and the boys. Not sure if it’s the lack of not seeing many deer not too mention any mature ones or what’s going on but I can tell mentally I’m going down hill a little. This morning I could tell a little of the excitement was missing.
Really thought about headed home but I think I’m going to maybe give it another day two.
10:22…just ate a late breakfast and about to do some mid day hunting. When you sit, sit, and sit some more without seeing much it’s time to get aggressive. Feeling better physically so going to try and sneak up on some spots and do some rattling. Going to leave this one spot quiet though cause that’s where I’m going to sit this evening…we should at least see some deer there.
Pulled the cards on 2 cameras the other day at the bur oak place. Listen to this…back in middle of October I had a lot of movement on the cameras of bucks moving. Had a pic of 2 bucks fighting and it didn’t look playful…you could tell by the blurriness and the angle of the bodies they were probably getting dirty. A third buck was trying to join in. Also during through that period of time does running back and forth a lot. November hit on those cameras and it just like somebody turned the faucet off. Again I’ll let y’all put 2 and 2 together on that.
Yesterday I was another place where years back on a day like that I would sometimes average around 8 to 12 deer….yesterday seen one 4 pt and he seemed like he didn’t have a care in the world.
6:03…gotta go get in the tree. Good luck to everybody. This might be my last morning.
8:20…got a little signal here. I know it’s super early but hadn’t seen no deer yet. In a ladder stand I hung for Utah for him to rifle hunt back in 2017 so I can see a ways. This definitely not setup for a bow but I couldn’t really find something on the ground earlier.
Lol yep I’m dragging. Instead of both feet coming off the ground when going to the tree I’m dragging one and shoelaces untied on the other.
Good luck to you Kyle as well.
Eased up to the ravine on the eastern side close to lunch time yesterday and hit the horns together but nothing. Years past I’ve seen some late morning deer movement but that was then.
Going to sit for a bit and then hit the horns right before I leave.
10:59….can’t sit here no longer. Going to ease over to a pond at the end of this ravine to see if has any water left and just see what I see around it.
Man I’m fixin to tear up a fat double meat cheeseburger and fries here in a bit…
Just so wish Kansas would put in restrictions based on each county or even each units would be better than what they got now. They need to realize the whole state ain’t like east and southeast Kansas.
It’s a good spot and of course that’s why I bought it. It’s got a east to west running draw and if you set up right you can sometimes hunt a north or south wind. The rest is pretty much all CRP that I reinstated last year. For points I drilled in a wheat field that’s 1.6 acres in size. So glad I did cause there was a lot of people that didn’t get reinstated cause they were lacking in points. Haven’t been over on this trip but called my neighbor and he said the wheat came up in spots but not real good yet.
The neighbor to the west usually has a good crop and this year it’s in Milo from what I seen earlier in the year.
Just to be on the level. There’s still a gravity feeder on the place but it’s been empty. I was selling the place cause I thought I had another place lined up to buy that was going to be a little more acreage that I thought was going to be just as good. Deal fell through on that place and the guy that was buying mine backed out cause it didn’t appraise enough. Anyways he wanted the gravity feeder to go with the place and I sure didn’t want it so I agreed to leave it there. That’s the only thing that saved that feeder’s life that day when Crested was in the area blowing $hit up.
Anyways the feeder is up the hill aways and it’s empty so did get all excited…just haven’t got it moved or blown up yet.
The other day I was erasing some cards and came across this one I had forgotten about I guess. It was a camera that stuck on the bottom area where they like going to the crop field. This was late in the year or earlier this year cause there is bucks all busted up. Had pics of this 8 the year before as well. I know he probably went into this year alive and he still is he better not pass by me this evening. He doesn’t have very big horns but he has some age on him and them G2s are pretty decent.
Good to see some turkeys in some of those pics.
I wished now I would have gotten Old Yeller when he was here back in September to put some cameras out on some trails there so I would at least have an idea what’s there now.
By the way Old Yeller told me when he hunted here some back in September he seen more deer in daylight then than he’s seeing now.
Started getting pics of him back in 18. Already a good main frame 10 on one side but the other side at the time I thought was just busted off halfway out the beam. Come next year that same side was messed up. Every year there for a few years that one good side kept getting bigger while that other side stayed funky. He lost his left eye 3 or so years ago I’m sure probably in a fight. At one time his one good side had 6 tall points. He’s been looking haggard and worn down the last couple years and I keep thinking he’s going to die but he just keeps keeping on.
I’ve had fun though. I’ve learned 2 things on this trip though that I might be getting older myself. One I still love big horns but it doesn’t seem the end of the world if I don’t get one. The other is a tad embarrassing to say. It happened once in Missouri and once here. Both times early in the morning after drinking quite a bit of coffee. Missouri it happened at the base of the tree and here it was when I got out of my truck to go to my spot. Went to take a piss and shot a little mess out the other hole…not a lot but just a tad but enough to get your attention. Can’t remember that ever happening to me before but I sure hope it don’t keep happening. Y’all be good.
Hope you hunt in the morning, everyday I miss or skip this time of year I regret, but you've been running hard! Safe travels when you head it South.
We don’t allow that in KS. Keep that in Texas will ya!
Well folks about me leaving in the morning to go south. Ummm that’s not going to happen and that little thing up above about me not being so excited about big horns…that could have possibly been a little lie.
Not sure how to put this but let me say that I’m going to hold true to what I stopped doing up here to try and make Kansas better. Old Yeller here though doesn’t want to give the upper hand to the outfitters next door so it’s been a little bit of a divided house. Let’s just say even though we can hunt the same spots we’ve had to hunt different spots. There was places I cleaned up and some places I left for him. Let me just add though he’s old enough to be my dad and the old fart knows how to hunt so I have much respect for him. He says he would definitely vote no but until Kansas says so he doesn’t want to give the outfitters all the deer.
Well today since he thought I was leaving he put a cell cam and something else at this one place I was hunting. He showed me something on his phone right before he went to bed what showed up after dark. I ain’t leaving in the morning…he’s even gotten bigger.
It’s going to be a long shot cause this place is over a 1000 acres of rough hills cause I’m going to have to find a spot far away enough from that area for me to feel comfortable. Maybe get lucky if he sees Pip but by this time he might be tired of fighting.
Done called Erica and pleaded for a couple more days which she graciously replied…I was expecting that. She’s a good woman.
11:46…here lately I was going to bed around 8:00 and look what time it is now. I ain’t a bit sleepy and you what time we’re waking up.
Had to tell him I called him out on here last night but he said he don’t care what people thinks. Said I was doing that ….sucker next door a favor by not putting any out and I said you’re probably right but I just can’t do it. It’s all sorts of messed up. He apologized later for calling the outfitter a bad name cause he didn’t know the feller but said no telling how many people he has over there.
Last year around this time that deer didn’t have any broken points and he had plenty of them. This year he has even more around the base it seems and he still looks like he’s not busted up any. Kinda afraid he might not be a fighter especially with all that small stuff at the base intact. He might shy away from a decoy…who knows. Hope I get a chance to find out.
It’s going to be a good day….good luck to everybody else.
Beautiful country but when you get back and look at everything seems like the best chance is to glass and then do a stalk but I got to spot one first.
Game plan for this evening is go back to the spot I was at this morning and then before daylight I want to be on this hill and just see what I see and plan from there.
Just decided to put one horn on him this morning. Thought if that Buck was a little timid maybe this would help. Too I had to carry him aways and it was easier to carry just one with my other rattling horns as well. Edit…well it won’t post the pics.
7:02…this probably goinna be the last day. Been on this point for a bit to see what I see. The neighbor up north has a good sized wheat field and was hoping to catch movement comeing down into these draws.
Nothing so far. Did scare what ended up being a doe right before I got here. Think she was already bedded just to my left in the draw.
Just hoping for a chance at a stalk today fellas.
8:41….well dang it. Just moved to a spot close to the neighbor fence on the opposite side of the place where I usually hunt and was about to rattle. Didn’t like the spot though cause I was to close to the fence and the spot just didn’t feel right if one came in. Backed away and just a few yards up ahead was a bigger cedar that had some shade behind it. When I eased up I thought oh yeah this is it. Literally was dropping to the ground to get ready and I spotted what I thought was a deers head and horns…looked pretty big.
Just as I was slowly bringing glasses to check out….yep it was a deer and off he runs. No worries fellas he was a young one too but had decent horns. Only a little over a 100 yards away. If it would have have been an old one I would be suck now. About to rattle here anyways here in a bit. Thought I would give y’all an update since I had to kill about 10 minutes.
Going to be super tough today without them moving but we’re going to give it all we got.
There’s got to be an old one around here somewhere. We’re going to resort to getting the wind right and going to a lot of these draws and do soft grunting…maybe some rattling on some of them if the grunts don’t work first.
I snuck up to the first one and grunted and also rattled just a little after a while. Scared a few cows coming into that set but not too bad. The cows are on our side. Going to the 2nd one well all those cows got inspiration from one cow that didn’t like my sneaking. Buffalo herd went crazy there for awhile busting out of there.
Anyways decide to go ahead and get set. About 30 yards from the fence I pull against a cedar and did some grunts. Just a minute or 2 later I peek over to the cows and a few of them has definitely got their attention down in the draw on the side. Sure enough just a little later I hear something against branches in there. Peek over there and the cows are definitely looking that way.
Long story short I think I got one interested and he stood up and moved a bit but didn’t come all the way in. Probably should have grunted more when I heard the noise I thought he would come on in.
This all happened about 20 something minutes ago and I’m still sitting with right leg going to sleep. We ain’t through with him though fellas. I don’t think he’s going no where.. We’re going to give him about 20 more minutes and then try to coax him over with a few more grunts and possibly try the horns as a last resort. I might would try a doe call before the horns in this situation but I tried on this grunt tube the other day and it sounded all sorts of jacked up.
I would wait till dark on him if I had more days to hunt but I hate to waste a day on just this one spot. The owner said a good one was seen right in this area about a week and half go. My gut feeling is that he’s a good one. If this pic goes through this is where we’re sitting….pretty good spot to get It done if we can get him across. Big cedar is a little over 20 yards.
I’m tempted to wait this area out though. In that first bottom just over I seen fresh doe tracks. With as many cows there are here now those had to be dang fresh to be over the cow tracks. Real fine edges as well. Lol what should I do what should I do.
We’ll back at the truck to drink some water and then about to go at it again. We have plenty of draws to hit before dark.
Old Yeller called and said he was planning on hunting the cedar stand we hung the other day on the west side. That’s the spot that got infected too. I was planning on going there on that side now to do some more what I’m doing now but I could tell in voice he didn’t want me boogieing anything out. Told him I would stay out of the southwest corner bedding then.
Going to go ahead and get something off my chest….I’m a little aggravated. I’m going to tell him so tonight. I know I shouldn’t feel that way but after I helped hang that cedar stand which I didn’t want hung anyway and branches trimmed cause it’s ideal on the ground tree. When we was leaving I did feel kinda odd and I said…man your stealing my honey hole.He said well you gave it up. I wanted to say well I got too now cause you done put something on the ground.
I haven’t felt this way in a long but yesterday evening I was secretly hoping he wouldn’t shoot that deer over that corn he put there. Told him good luck when we separated but it wasn’t heart felt.
I guess we need to have a talk tonight. It’s just rankling me for some reason. He’s a good man but dang. I’ll say it again that Kansas needs to hurry up and fix this….this ain’t right.
Come on deer….just one old one is all it takes.
2nd pic is where right when I was sitting down about to range some yardage spots before I called I spooked that one decent buck. I like calling at spots where deer have to dip down in a low spot but when they top that their pretty much in shooting range. This was one of them spots.
Third pic is where I had eased forward on the same draw and ended up calling the young squirt in with the grunt. Maybe I’ll get late poster to download the video. Would like for y’all to see it cause the way this deer comes in it shows how smart they become at an early age.
Last pic is where I was thinking it might all come together. Perfect spot as well. Here I might not see as far but in the thick brush which was 30 yards away I could most likely hear them and be ready. Took the time right before I called about 45 minutes later to bend a few limbs down for a shooting lane on each side of that little cedar in front.
For the people that haven’t watched a Kansas sunset through the limbs of a cottonwood as it paints the sky with purple, orange, yellows, and bunch of other hues…they’re missing out on a good feeling. Not to mention that cut milo field in the background.
To top it off a coyote voiced out…grabbed my phone cause I could tell by the first one there was more to come. Got a cool video as the coyote kept yipping, yapping, and howling as I slowly videoed nearly a 360 of the Kansas landscape. All the while birds around me were letting me know they were happy and content.
For the people that want to know why I’m perfectly fine with going back south with an empty truck bed. It times and moments like this…moments that fill your heart up emotionally. Okay since I have to tell everything some tears were flowing pretty good…I can get emotional especially when I’m happy which was one of those times. Well part of it too the coyote made me think of Ella.
Oh yeah about forgot…right after this I caught movement through some branches to my left way out in the field. A deers body moving and another darker body moving a little quicker behind. Could this possibly get any better…had to wipe my eyes to dry them up for a shot. Never seen them again so they must have went into the creek on the edge of the field.
Just a few minutes later seen about 3 or so doe in the field and just after that a decent buck come out pushing a few around.
Now my plate is full and I thought this was going to be my last sit. Let me tell you the last sit Kansas sure didn’t disappoint cause she put on a grand show.
But there was something about that big dark body through the branches. Erica texted me today and she said she already misses me. I texted back I’ll probably be home tomorrow night. Now I got to thinking. I can get a few hours of hunting in the morning and still be home before midnight. Way I see it if somehow that dark body turns out to be an old one and if I get lucky enough to put an arrow through him then….well a little cream on top of that plate ain’t going to hurt nothing.
I seen it too just earlier cause I was checking the hourly thing for the wind direction in the morning. Kept scrolling down and seen 30’s tomorrow night and highs I thought for Friday only to be 50’s.
For some reason I thought the front was still aways off and I knew I couldn’t stay much longer. But the wheels were already turning in my head…just one more day.
6:32….back in the same tree I was in yesterday evening. You know some people have just enough money to be lucky enough to be in a tree. Then there’s Crested…turning his stand into a nice comfy recliner.
Chocolate candy on a pillow my …:?)
My pic wouldn’t send but I’ll post later.
With bucks chasing does, grunting and crashing through the leaves in the oak timber, it’s an experience that’s difficult to top!
Scared the crap out of me…I was about to the truck when all this madness went down.
So I was about 100 something yards from reaching my truck beside the road when I spotted the top of a young buck. Got down and ended up being 2 young ones and they seemed to be worried about truck cause that was the direction they were looking.
Well they ended up going back the other way. Waited a decent amount of time cause I was at the edge of a creek and wanted make sure no other deer was coming. Got up and started walking and just a few yards up ahead leaps out another bigger 10pt at the edge of the creek and cattails runs across the open and jumps the fence. Got over to edge of a wind break and stood there and kept looking back for a little until blowing some and left.
When he first jumped I kind of stopped and knelt down. At the wind break when he didn’t leave at first I back crawled to a deadfall and stayed there for awhile as well.
When I got up later to keep walking to my truck I was close to the cattails to my left which the south wind was across directly into them. All of a sudden right to my left in the cattails a big commotion erupted…sounded huge but it was so dang thick I couldn’t see it but immediately I thought big buck. Sounded like it just went a few yards and stopped though. I was thinking alright he’s got a doe in there.
When about another 60 yards and right by my truck there was a truck path through the cattails. Thought what the heck…got downwind of the cattails and got about 30 yards up another commotion and could tell it was another animal so I thought we’ll maybe that’s the doe. Back crawled back about 2O yards away from the cattails and just stayed there for about 40 minutes but I was right out in the open.
There was another opening in the cattails in between where I heard the 2 deer. Was hoping the buck would get up across that small opening but all was quiet after that. Got to thinking though that there might have been another buck in there as well away from the buck and doe.
Never dreamed something would be in that thick of stuff.
Anybody would have done anything different than I did? Pretty sure they are still in there as well.
I really need to hit the road so this might work as a last ditch effort. Just asked Old Yeller if he will walk in front of me carrying him. I think we might just try it.
I might would try to wait him out this evening but I would nearly putting all my marbles on just that one spot and no telling where they’re going to be headed when they leave.
It’s so open around there.
Hell, you might be putting all your eggs into this one basket and then later tonight a really big ole fat dink fork horn and his dink buddy come walking out to pip squeak to bend him and you over the table?
KB thanks for the info. We went in there and tried it. Set him up and then got off to the side and did some grunting. A little later he got behind Pip in the CRP and did some aggressive rattling. As a last ditch effort we went right beside the cattails and Old Yeller got off in there some but nothing came out. Whatever was in there either got out the other side when I heard him or they got out after I left.
Had a little interesting moment though right after he sit Pip out and came back to me. We were together behind a cedar tree there and I gave him my rangefinder so could tell me the yardage.
I was about to start on the grunt tube and here comes a truck down the road. Told him let’s wait for this truck to go. Got to the T and turned and started going across. We both wondered if they were going to see Pip…yep they slowed down and then stopped. The one guy got out and Old Yeller whispered he’s got a gun….I was thinking surely they’re not about to shoot Pip.
Turned out they were bird hunters. A couple pheasant flew up by the road and a rooster came within shotgun range of us. One guy stayed on the road while the other backed up his truck out of sight. Couple seconds later shots were fired and then minutes here they come slowly back across. Is that even legal up here…if it is that’s a lazy way of hunting.
I'm guessing you didn't leave yet bud? Quite a run either way, thanks for sharing the adventures with us
Had lots of fun up there as usual and really enjoyed being with Old Yeller and giving him a hard time. As far as deer numbers seen this was even worst than last year…not complaining just stating some facts.
Like I said above though when you have sunrises like this it’s not all about just releasing the arrow. Y’all don’t give up the fight for the conservation of all wildlife up there though. Y’all have a beautiful and wonderful state up there but keeping all the wildlife there in it makes it even more pretty darn special.
I’m going to add something here and no I’m not trying to get all mushy here with y’all but I want y’all to know this. The last 7 years y’all have turned me into a better person and hunter. Even though I love deer meat and I would never waste any meat I used to be driven pretty much just to put big horns on the wall. I used to return home from my Texas and Missouri hunts and if I didn’t have a big deer I would be kind of down for awhile.
Hunting Kansas though and seeing how y’all hunt on here and the unselfishness y’all portray has really made me see the light. I really appreciate what I’ve seen in y’all….I really do.
Well one beautiful female is about to have to get up and clear the kitchen island and help me cut up some deer meat. That’s right the big Iowa deer I was graciously given has been kept cool in the cooler this whole time and it’s time to get to cuttin. Life is good folks…Let’s Go!!!!
When I woke up at 2:22 earlier and went to make coffee even Ella didn’t know what to do. She grabs a box of Mountain Dew and I couldn’t catch her. Ended up getting her but she wasn’t giving up so with her clenched down hard and breathing hard though her nose I took out the five remaining can drinks and just let her have the box which she loudly destroyed seconds later. Thought Erica was going to come out down the hallway for a second but after a few tense moments everything was fine.
Now I wasn’t planning on hunting this morning but a deer’s grunt got me fired up. Backtrack to day before yesterday when I had the excavator out behind the house doing some clearing I came to where we have an old tripod stand…wooden seat is pretty much nearly gone. Planning on clearing enough trees to put in about nearly an acre of wheat or something else that deer like. Well did a little bit of clearing but decided to back out of there and wait till deer season was over until I did anymore.
Yesterday evening before the company came I crawled the machine down the road at the end to the place I bought earlier this year. I went in the cow pasture and buried a few old piles of stumps and rocks. Got to the gate that led outside that goes up the big hill. Killed it and went to map out a trail I wanted to clear to the top. There’s a bottom before the hill starts and soon as I entered I see rubs everywhere and a ladder stand the previous landowner had left behind. A few rubs looked pretty big for Texas. Well hunting exceeded work just about then so I thought well maybe I shouldn’t clear here either at this time.
There’s tall weeds and assortment of trees along this bottom so I continue walking along the edge and come to an even more deery looking spot…you know the kind if a buddy was with you would immediately start whispering.
Sure enough just seconds later 2 jump from their bed. Thought maybe hogs first but then noper the body of a deer was seen under the branches of a big cedar. The long deep grunt that followed really sealed the deal that the excavator was going to have to wait. Stayed there a few minutes surveying which tree would be good for a stand and spotted a big cedar that would be perfect for a south wind. This morning though with him being in there with the doe we’re just going to go in there and sit at the base of that cedar and see if we can get a good look at this buck or whatever else crosses in front of us.
Now I don’t get too excited about hunting around here but it’s amazing what the sound of a grunt will do to a feller. Now Utah is going to hunt the tripod so he asked me last night in front of our company if he should go hunting this morning or go to work.
Now I have tried to stress over the years how important hard work is to both of my boys and I know he’s going to make use of my answer to his advantage down the road. I couldn’t lie though so I said…I would go hunt. Gosh dang boy….IT’S NOVEMBER.
Anyways he ended up saying he was just going to go ahead and go to work but quit early around 2 and come back to shoot a few arrows before heading to the tripod for the evening hunt. Well suit yourself but myself I’m going to be working at the base of that cedar. Kid ain’t got a lick of sense:?)
The cedar on the left edge of this pic is where we’re going to be working here in a bit. The base sits back aways and if I remember right it’s open enough already in the front for some shooting lanes. Well it’s still early…I guess I’ll call Old Yeller and yak a bit.
Goin to try and sneak out of here though and get Utah back here later. His G2s are about 11 inches long and he’s mature enough. Would love for Utah to get him.
Later a 6 came out and started rubbing on a mesquite about 12 yards and little to my right. Got ready cause I thought for sure this would make him step back out. Nope but he did start making a racket like he was hitting his on some branches. Not too much longer a young doe comes across from my left to right at a trot. Put the release on the loop again and sure enough hear grunting and here he comes…tall G2s…looks like the same deer but he’s got short G3s. Still thought about pulling back but nope it’s early. I knew they were close and little later a different young 8 came out and huffed up at the 6 which shied away. About that time the older I seen his legs through the brush start heading towards the 8. Stopped and then turned and slowly walked back.
Little later was when I thought about trying to sneak out but about that time I heard something definitely over in the direction where the older buck and doe was at. Got ready cause at that time wasn’t for sure if there was 2 different older deer there or just one. Out comes the one with the short G3s and slowly walks and stops a few times directly in front of me at about 8 yards. Didn’t get a pic or nothing cause I was ready to shoot.
Little time goes by and I hear rustling in the weeds and at first thought bobcat but noper it was 2 hogs. Stayed in front of me for awhile rooting around and one ended up rubbing his ass end on the same little mesquite tree that the buck rubbed on. Little later one of them mounted the other one playfully.
While they were still there a doe and young one came across behind them and a young buck. I think it was the same doe and young that got behind and didn’t like my smell. She came back around front trying to find the degree smell and stood about 7 yards in front of me before she finally didn’t like the situation and went back where she came from.
Later I snuck out of there and went back where I came from and now just had some more turkey.
1st pic is the view where we were sitting.
Alright and of course these pics here is a few shots of the porkers. There for a little bit I thought they were going to crawl into my lap.
Later I videoed that one hog rubbing his ass on the same tree. That black spot is the hog in the 2nd pic. Bet you never seen that before back to back:?)
“Carry on brother but please take your time so you get everything just right.”
“Guess we’ll find out in about a couple weeks?”
There was talk about a woman seeing the 4 biggest bucks she’s ever seen at the end of the road probably didn’t amount to anything. Talk amongst the round table at the coffee store the other morning was there was a big buck got hit outside of town. I went to investigate…probably would score a tad over 100.
You get my drift…I can’t go off on the wild excursions thinking there’s big deer around here. Somewhere along the way I got to accept reality and just get in the truck and head it north.
Now I know occasionally you can find both, but you need to make up your mind. You looking for mature, or big antlers? ;););););)
Just funnin with ya;);););). Don’t give up, keep after em.
One day Brian…one day I might get there:?)
