Trebarkers 2017 Hunt 2
Kansas
Contributors to this thread:
Starting a Part 2 as it takes too long on my phone to load too.
Been in Stand #3 for about 30 minutes now. Its 62f with a strong NNW wind. Was woke up out of the 2pm coma on my walk in when I busted a large covey of quail 40 yards into my walk in. As I sit here typing this, I can literally smell the estrous scent drifting in to me in the wind, it's strong! I have scanned to my NW looking for a bedded doe but I see nothing. She's either bedded close by or I'm not seeing the scrape close to my tree!
A doe and doe fawn just got up out of their beds SW of me along the crossing, walked along the field edge out in front of me and went towards the pond on the neighbor's property.
4:35, there is a deer standing outside the cedar grove and one out about where the forky came out this morning. Glad the wind has laid down some.
Randy: are you saying you can smell hot does??? You need to go back to the house.
Dave, if you have never smelled it before, you must not have butchered many deer in November, been by an active scrape, or never purchased any doe in heat products.
At 4:45 four does came out into the enclosed field from the NW bedding area. They were followed shortly later by the forky and unicorn spike. They chased the largest doe around the field until she headed out into the middle of the main field. Dumb and dumber crossed over the crossing, Uni headed to the pond, the forky chased the doe towards the cedar grove. I shot some video of it.
Not seeing the normal number of Rocky's this year, they must have been diseased this year or the hawk/owl population is up.
Not seeing the normal number of Rocky's this year, they must have been diseased this year or the hawk/owl population is up.
Fawn of the doe/fawn pair that were bedded down close to me and first to come out
Fawn of the doe/fawn pair that were bedded down close to me and first to come out
Does coming out into the main field
Does coming out into the main field
Largest doe watching for the two idiots to follow
Largest doe watching for the two idiots to follow
Unicorn headed to the pond. He does have a second tine on his one horn
Unicorn headed to the pond. He does have a second tine on his one horn
He was further out than the previous picture showed
He was further out than the previous picture showed
Hadn't noticed the extra tine on his one horn before reviewing his pictures tonight
Hadn't noticed the extra tine on his one horn before reviewing his pictures tonight
Doe out by cedar grove
Doe out by cedar grove
Forky, also seen this morning
Forky, also seen this morning
Trebarker's Link
The chase scene I wrote about
Questions? Based on what I have described, shown in pictures and videos;
When is it going to be the peak of rut activity on this property?
Which deer is the one you would be concentrating on if you were hunting this property and why?
The 17th is the day with the most deer/car collisions according to KDOT so...
I'd still be on the lookout for that buck you had pics of at night...you know the one, but hey...I like Unicorns too ;?)
Guess you are the only opinion going to be offered Kyle. I'd like to see him in my sights too but considering that was the only proof that he has ever been here before, I doubt I will see him.
With all the vast experience and worldly knowledge offered by some on here, I was curious if anyone else has recognized what I have about this place this year and during many seasons previous.
The lunar table shows this weekend being the best time to hunt. Didn't look at it real hard as far as peak times though. Have found it to be fairly accurate as far as good days vs. poor days in the past.
I personally do not feel the moon phase has anything to do with deer rut activity. I've hunted with and without the moon, the rut happens with or without it. I firmly believe it is the length of the day, amount of time the sun is up that determines their cycle. I also do not agree that it takes colder temps for the rut activity to take place.
I am not seeing much rut activity due to the age of the resident deer that call this property home. The oldest deer I have seen regularly is the 8pt that I have allowed to walk several times already this year. I have seen an older 8pt but only when he is traveling thru either early in the morning or late in the hunt right at dark, he doesn't live here. The forky is the next oldest at 2 yrs of age. The doe with the fawn was born late last summer, that is why she still has the fawn with her. I know this because I have pictures of her from the last year. The other does are all orphaned fawns. The doe and fawn that came out first last night are not regular residents, I think they are staying here off of the properties North of us while bucks are working olders does over there.
The deer I am going to watch close is the doe with the fawn. If you look at her picture from last night, you will see her tarsals are getting darker, she is getting frisky with the dinks. When she shows aggression against the fawn, I will be watching closer for her male callers. The other doe fawns will not come in until late this year, or well into 2018. Like I stated in my very first post, I am not expecting much this year
We have had five hanging around all summer, three does and two young'uns. This past five days it's just one button, so suppose you could say it's on big time.
11-16-17- Sat in Stand#3 from 1pm-2:15pm, it was 60f when I arrived with a 15-20mph SSE wind blowing. I got down out of the stand due to the wind, it was ridiculous. I went over to my ground set up from the other day hoping the timber would block some of the wind. The deer did not move until right at dark, when two bucks began chasing a doe around the enclosed field. It was past legal shooting time anyhow, I couldn't see who they were, just know two were grunting and one was trying to outrun them. One of the deer spotted me when I shifted my postion on the tree and blew the alarm. They all stopped briefly, then the chase was on again. They went North, I went South to the truck.
11-17-17- In Stand #3 at 6am, 57f with 10-15 mph SSW winds and light mist. So sick of the wind!
7:08, doe running thru the middle of the main field, across the crossing into the enclosed field
7:08, doe running thru the middle of the main field, across the crossing into the enclosed field
At 7:11 a buck came thru the hedgerow to my East trotting my direction along the field edge. As he approached my stand I stood up and gathered the bow
At 7:11 a buck came thru the hedgerow to my East trotting my direction along the field edge. As he approached my stand I stood up and gathered the bow
I stopped him with a loud bleat in the area of the previous picture, had a nice broadside shot, I released
I stopped him with a loud bleat in the area of the previous picture, had a nice broadside shot, I released
The buck let out a loud gurgling belch, reared up his front legs and ran SW along the front of the timber edge. I stayed in the tree 10min, got down and found arrow and blood at shot site.
The buck let out a loud gurgling belch, reared up his front legs and ran SW along the front of the timber edge. I stayed in the tree 10min, got down and found arrow and blood at shot site.
The blood trail was easy to follow, it was coming out both sides. It was not a difficult tracking job
The blood trail was easy to follow, it was coming out both sides. It was not a difficult tracking job
Blood trail
Blood trail
50 yards South of stand
50 yards South of stand
He ran a straight line from the shot site, expired 65 yards from Stand #3 out in the main field.
He ran a straight line from the shot site, expired 65 yards from Stand #3 out in the main field.
Made a good double lung pass through shot, what we want to do
Made a good double lung pass through shot, what we want to do
He was the young 8pt I had passed on multiple times before, he made the same mistake one too many times.
He was the young 8pt I had passed on multiple times before, he made the same mistake one too many times.
Not what I had hoped to see under me, but with what little I have seen here all year long, I am glad to have the venison and am thankful to have the opportunity to be able to hunt.
Not what I had hoped to see under me, but with what little I have seen here all year long, I am glad to have the venison and am thankful to have the opportunity to be able to hunt.
Congrats Randy! You had a ton of cool encounters, excellent pics, and made a perfect shot...now you can be in charge of mashing the potatoes next week!
Nice hunt Randy. I'm glad we got to share the time watching your adventure. I will be hitting the trees hard from this Friday through next weekend.
Great hunts, thanks for taking us along
NO say it ain't so. Now who's hunt am I gonna follow. You guys gotta quit tagging out. Big giant congrats I loved following along and thank you for bringing us along on your season.
Excellent job! Started checking your story while I was on a cruise last week and have followed every day since.
Thanks for sharing the journey with us and congrats!
Somebody snuck by me at the crossing this morning unseen
Somebody snuck by me at the crossing this morning unseen
The only ethical bait that should be used IMO. Baby sis bringing my deer to me
The only ethical bait that should be used IMO. Baby sis bringing my deer to me
Check out that Poseidon fork on this guy, bet he has torn up some trees with that
Check out that Poseidon fork on this guy, bet he has torn up some trees with that
Thanks guys! Glad you enjoyed the ride. Wish more people would do them. I will be posting more trail camera pictures thru the rest of the season.
I enjoy being out there with the camera(s) as much or more than the hunt itself. I have 1000s of wildlife pictures I should do something with someday. I'm going to hate it when this current camera dies, it has been the best/easiest camera I have ever owned. The zoom trigger is about worn out, and they don't make the camera any longer. We bought a replacement two years ago, it is much larger and bulkier, won't fit in my coat or pants pocket like this one does.
Good job Randy, look out pheasants and turks.
Congrats Randy! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats. Thanks for taking us along. Enjoyed the read.
Really enjoyed following the hunt. I'm trying to pick up a couple trail cams to do something similar.
Make sure it has Zeiss lens if you find one.
Make sure it has Zeiss lens if you find one.
Justin, the Wildgame camera has been on sale at Wallys, comes with batteries and a 8mb memory card for $64. Tractor supply had same camera 2 for $99 a week later. By far, my Bushnell has been my favorite trail camera, excellent settings choices and control, long battery life, best picture quality at 14mp.
My point and shoot camera is a Sony DSC-H20 Cybershot 10mp w/10x Zeiss Zoom lens that I bought several years ago, best electronic purchase I have ever made. The little camera will fit in your pocket, but takes SLR quality pictures and video for 1/3rd the money that the larger cameras cost. I wish I had bought 3-4 of them when they were available new, awesome little camera.
I've found some Apeman brand ones online that look good for about 60. I hunt public so I'll have to be careful about five finger discounts. Looking to lock them up. I know there's big bucks and I need to get patterns straight but can't sit regularly to scout as it's 2 hours from home and I am about to have my 5th mini me running around. Anybody have the Apeman brand cameras?
Congrats Randy! Enjoyed your hunt.
Skinned, deboned, ground burger and packaged up the deer last evening. He had some very nice back straps, tender loins were pristine, and he produced over 60#s of burger for jerky as well.
My shot was a bit high and forward, was about 3" above the 10:00 position of the right front shoulder paddle bone. The 125gr Muzzy broadhead plowed thru a rib breaking it in two, made mush of the right lung, angled up and forward(rib deflection I assume) went thru the top of the left lung, and exited above the left paddle bone. I was surprised to see the exit wound higher considering I was shooting down at him.
Neighbor and his friends pushed two very nice bucks out of the timber behind my house this morning while quail hunting. One was a very tall/wide 10pt. The bucks were tending a doe.
Good job Randy. Like you I have some eight points around like yours. If I get a chance at one of them in the next week, I will probably loose an arrow. I have seen nothing better and none on my cameras.
Congrats Randy. Good job.
Enclosed field camera
Enclosed field camera
Not a bad deer, but notice the neck? Swelling is down already
Not a bad deer, but notice the neck? Swelling is down already
Toothpicks
Toothpicks
Older 8pt that would not have been allowed to walk like the one I shot
Older 8pt that would not have been allowed to walk like the one I shot
Checked the cameras this morning, a bit disappointed in what I found. My best camera had zero pictures on it, the one by the scrape and Stand #4. Nothing but dinks, broken up 3-4yr olds, and four does on the camera by Stand #1, and nothing special on the camera near the crossing. I put the carcass/remains behind my home with a camera set up on it to see what predators would come to dinner. There was only one picture on it of the remains, nothing else.
Another one that needs a year or three to grow
Another one that needs a year or three to grow
Doe fawns back to their normal 7:35 time frame schedule
Doe fawns back to their normal 7:35 time frame schedule
Congrats Randy, thanks for the ride.
Wile E is still around
Wile E is still around
Usual doe morning activity by Stand #4
Usual doe morning activity by Stand #4
Does at scrape
Does at scrape
Buck activity
Buck activity
Went out to check my camera set up on the buck remains this evening. I had been out of town since Wednesday, got home last evening. The remains were scattered all over the place, the rib cage picked clean, hair and hide everywhere, leg bones and rear hips 20 yards out into the grass. I was excited to get the card back to the house to see what pictures the camera had taken. After I loaded a new memory card, went to turn the camera back on, nothing, no power. Went back to the house to get another set of batteries (were new last week when I put the camera out), thought wow it must have taken a butt load of pictures! Put new batteries in, still nothing??? Wiggled the battery door around, light flickered some, would not come on. Back to the house again, put out a different camera and dumped out our Thanksgiving turkey remains amongst what was left of the deer. Hope to finally catch some predator pictures before it is all eaten up.
Came back to the house and discovered why my best camera didn't have anything on it back on the 21st. I had put that memory card into the Predator camera by mistake, doh! The predator camera set up never worked over the weekend at all.
Shooting my buck, walking around afterward, driving down to pick him up, none of it disturbed the deer activity in the following days according to the pictures off #1 camera.
Busted up buck
Busted up buck
Another busted up buck checking the scrape seconds later
Another busted up buck checking the scrape seconds later
3rd buck a few seconds later
3rd buck a few seconds later
Yet another busted buck the next morning
Yet another busted buck the next morning
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Scavengers just about have the remains of my deer picked clean
Scavengers just about have the remains of my deer picked clean
Got a better picture of the buck with the trident fork this last week, he has some character. Sure hope he will move closer and come back next season.
Got a better picture of the buck with the trident fork this last week, he has some character. Sure hope he will move closer and come back next season.
Liked this pose too
Liked this pose too
Youngster
Youngster
Only daylight buck picture
Only daylight buck picture
Ummm
Ummm
Shed already
Shed already
Checked cameras this morning on my way home from work. Most of the pictures I had were night time captures, still some rutting behavior going on around the scrape camera, and had pictures of a shed buck already.
For those that worry about field dressing or remains being left in the field.
For those that worry about field dressing or remains being left in the field.
Changed out the predator camera with a new one I got as a gift at Christmas, put the doe remains out in front of it. Nice rifle survivor captured on the old camera.
Changed out the predator camera with a new one I got as a gift at Christmas, put the doe remains out in front of it. Nice rifle survivor captured on the old camera.
Big Yote
Big Yote
Had a bit of bad luck today on my way home. 40 years of driving and 1st time not seeing the deer in time.
Was driving North at 55mph, doe came leaping out of the West ditch at full speed, hit her in the head and neck. She destroyed the left front end of my truck, then proceeded to pinball off the driver's side denting it from front to rear. $8600 of damage.
She looked pretty clean, got a salvage tag from the deputy, loaded her up and took her home hoping to salvage some meat. Back straps and one rear quarter was only thing not heavily bruised and damaged once the skin was peeled back.
She was still lactating, in January. Her tarsals were clear, not stained in the least bit, had not gone into estrous yet. A 3 year old at least, big heavy fat covered sheila that still had nursing fawns somewhere closeby.
Sorry to hear about the accident. That is the expensive way to get one.