Debated, as I do each year, whether to do this again...decided it's just too boring around here, maybe I can "liven" it up?
Lets get this shitO show started!
Im set up on the creek at my spot near Attica.. Only my second time out so far, but did go chase Pronghorn for a few days out West last month. Very few animals out there on the ranch I hunt, and surrounding areas. I got to 55yds on a good buck, but no shots fired. Had a little excitement though, will explain later.
I've seen one doe, two raccoons, and a large flock of Sandhills so far this morning. It's nice out, 58°...wind is light out of the SE. I won't be able to hunt as much this year, work has been on fire, but I'll post when I can and if you don't like it change the damn channel
If you recognize this image you've been to a cool historic spot somewhere in the West
Thanks Dale, good luck to you too. Three doe's and a fawn 100yds SW of me now. They're all "on alert " and looking S but I can't tell what's bugging them. Thought I heard some grunting but seems odd this early?
Glad to see you decided to take us along again. Always look forward to you adventures. Good luck this year, just don’t tag out to early. It gets to boring without you.
Sure hope there are more deer around than what I'm picking up on my cameras. Pulled 8 cards today and only five bucks, just one that's mature.
It's kinda scary to me...take into effect only one buck on the "meat pole" and I've only seen one or two on the Archery Talk thread as well. What's going on?
Dave, this pic's for you...he was within' a fraction of an inch of gettin popped!
I sometimes get aggravated when I have to text someone while sitting in the tree so I don’t think I could do what you do here. Like all the guys said here...I really appreciate you doing this again. Good luck and have fun.
The tall 8pt, from the video above, just exited the field I'm set up on heading N, followed by a young 4-6pt. The older buck from video wasn't with them.
Been waiting for this thread! Thanks for taking us along SitO. I'll be back out in NE KS the second week of November. Good luck, shoot straight, and be safe!
I’ve been popping over here every few days hoping that your season-long journal would show up. I am glad that you have decided to share your adventures with us. Side trips of fishing, upland birds and waterfowl are encouraged as well. Best of luck for a safe and fruitful season!
My early season Pronghorn hunt was cut short. Very few animals on the main ranch I hunt, or on any of the others I've hunted in the past.
I got there on Wed of the opening "early season" segment. Ran into three rattlers in the first 150yds of my first stalk, but kept on and got to 55yds on this guy.
No comfortable shot. Made two more stalks on him over the next two days, but never got closer...and then the "excitement"
Is that a snake bite?? I'm deathly afraid of snakes, one reason I can't ever hunt out there. Course I hunt the Flint Hills and there are some rattlers there and copperheads but I'm always on the watch and wear my snake boots all the time even when it's below zero....."just in case". ahahahh
Dam Sito you’re always setting out traps. I looked at it close even and that faint arch above the punctures looked just like the shape of a snakes’s mouth where it bruised you after his fangs went in. So I’m thinking it had to be....but it always seems that’s where I mess up is when I start trying to think.
Glad you're out after em, Kyle. I'm waiting to make my first sit on Saturday afternoon. Family is having a celebration of life for my good buddy (Tom Chadwick) in North Pole, Alaska, Saturday afternoon. Event starts at 2:00 their time, so 5:00 for me. Plan to sit his go-to stand no matter which way the wind blows! Not sure what I'll do if a buck come by?
Nothing moving here yet, but it's good to be out. Got a covey of quail sounding off, wood ducks buzzing me, and some roosters reporting way SW of me.
My brother's on the ground up around Herndon trying to find a Muley. He's mainly scouting and looking for a few pheasant spots...hope he can pin some down.
This is the stand my buddy's son took his first deer/buck out of last year. It was a great first, and earned! We've got a couple others youngsters looking for their "firsts" this season as well.
Still dead here, gonna take off in a bit...will try another spot this afternoon.
Checked a few more spots this afternoon, hung/moved a couple cameras too.
Going to hunt my spot near Caldwell here this evening. Taking the "Boss" for his first hunt of the year too. There's a certain buck that lived here last winter I'd sure like to see again
A few more doe's joined, and then a second 8pt. Both looked to be two yr olds.
Then a covey of huge quail, I'd call'm jumbo's, started across the field towards me. Just then a pair of coyotes popped out, watched for a minute and came running after the birds. No dice, they just ran back into the cover.
The coyotes are part of a much larger pack that's sounding off 150yds W of me, right under one of my stands.
Action at first light...spooked a doe and two fawns putting on my jacket. They were around 100yds NE of me and she caught my movement. Took her youngsters S but didn't blow.
Then I hear faint grunting from the same area they'd come from. It's a tall 8-10 and he's head down on their trail. I grunted and he stopped, looking for the competition...and I have my HUD out...but he didn't see it.
He started my way and then saw the doe and took off chasing her back E. Couldn't get my video camera down quick enough to capture the action.
Now another buck, young 4pt, is coming down the same trail towards me.
There's virtually no wind this morning, around 50°
Had a coyote sneaking in from the E around 8am. Was going to skirt me so I called a bit, but it wasn't interested.
This little fawn is browsing around under me now.
This is an "early or nothing" kind of stand, pretty much the same at night(late or nothing)...unless they are really chasing, then it can be good all day.
I went out yesterday morning, and this morning. Guessing at age of 2-1/2 yr old bucks that have been traveling together are now traveling alone. Watched two young 8 pts do some light sparring for about twenty minutes last weekend. All about 60 miles east of Wichita.
Thanks fellas, sorry about the snake thing...kinda ;?)
James, he was a good looking buck, already swollen up a bit, but no...not something I'd shoot.
Set up this evening SE of Argonia, you've been here before. The wheat is up around 3-4" and looks great. I've got bedding to the E and W, and he's cutting the beans across the river tonight.
Not much for tracks in the field walking in, but did find one small scrape and hung a camera.
Wind is straight out of the S, gusting to 30mph, but I'm in a big ol'cedar...all good. It's around 70°, very few clouds.
One of the neighbors here picked up a "trespasser" on his camera recently...hope they don't get established, but there's plenty of failure piles to choose from along this river.
Looks like a good set up. I bet you float down the river in the morning to get to this tree without scaring em out of the field. Better shoot that pig....tomorrow you’ll have a lot more. Good luck.
Just had a huge doe pop up from the river, I could tell she was running from the sound of the combine. She looked around for a minute and ducked back down the bank into the timber.
I’m surprised that the pigs haven’t established themselves in my part of SEK. I hunt anywhere from 0-10 miles from the Oklahoma state line, yet I’ve never seen a wild hog in the flesh. A few miles south of me, at Hulah Lake in Oklahoma, they’re thick. The Okies can keep ‘em, as far as I’m concerned.
I had four coons come out of the same tree Saturday, 10 yards away. I did not get a furharvester this year and don’t know anyone who wants them. Have to think they have an impact on ground nesters and other wildlife? Just don’t want to kill just to kill.
When you consider that the latest studies show something around 3% of all turkey eggs laid mature into a 2 year old bird I think I will keep on thinning coons and possums and hope that some of the hawks fly into an electric pole.Habitat won't fix everything,it helps but when just on one trail to my bean field there will be 5 coons walking in one pic.
I hate killing to kill but coons, opossums, and armadillos will get a bullet just like a coyote. There's no thrill in it, just satisfaction knowing that I am helping the ground nesters.
This video is a little long, but you'll have time to look at dates/times. Nothing "Earth shattering", but interesting to me. I'm having trouble aging these two bucks, just for my own knowledge, but the interaction and "marking" is why I saved the series.
Kyle what kind of seat do you use on your ground sets? I have a really comfortable turkey type seat that I didn't figure I could draw my bow setting on but low and behold I tried it this evening in the yard and was shooting really accurately in that position even. Curious what you use
This is what I use Travis, and I like it but I do wish it had a back sometimes. I can't tell you the manufacturer, but when I get home I can see if there's a name on it.
That is about how high my "turkey lounger" is and I was concerned about drawing but it was actually fairly easy. This thing has a back and really comfy.