Hunt #9, Saturday 11-13, it is predicted the sun will rise at 7:03, it will be 28f with a WNW wind of 4mph. By sunset at 5:14pm the temperature will be 52f will a 11mph SSW wind.
I will be hunting from my South stand in the morning, and the NE stand or from the ground in the hedgerow in the afternoon most likely.
6:10- Settled into my South Stand, it was 26f at the truck, there was little to no wind. The beans still have not been cut following another rain. I can see much better from this stand now that most of the leaves have fallen off
6:30- Turkeys roosted close to me are stirring and are excited. Hoot owl started calling close to them, suspect it is the reason for the turkeys carrying on
7:32- Heard leaves crunching and brush being walked thru just West of me. I could hear the leaves being scratched at, sounded like a scrape being worked, then I spotted a hen turkey on the West bank along the creek scratching up her breakfast. She was not being the least bit stealthy about it.
When the turkeys flew down out of their roost, they went West and North away from me
8:04- Flock of about 15 turkeys running around chasing each other and sparring West of me across the creek in a mowed grassy area just took flight into the trees scared of something. Have not seen any deer movement on that side nor on my side of the creek.
10:25- Got down and headed to the house around 10:00. Saw nothing that resembled rut like behavior. When you see 9 does( 8 of which bedded down two hours earlier) without any bucks offering or looking for attention from them, it is painfully obvious that you aren't going to by that time at this place.
Turkeys making a lot of racket when the owl evidently flew close by or lit in their roosting tree and woke them up.
2:30- Back at it, was 54f at the truck, as predicted the wind switched to coming from the SSW @10mph+. I chose to hunt from the NE stand hoping the three does from this morning would bring along some bucks when they come back out this evening from the East and North where they went this morning. I didn’t have a spot cleared out to sit in the hedgerow, didn’t want to make a bunch of noise breaking limbs etc. The wind is not ideal for this stand either, it could potentially take my scent back towards the NW bedding area but my three other options are worse. We will see what happens
Option site #2, as I drove by it today I saw one of the bucks known to be there had been hit by a car, his carcass already half eaten by coyotes in the ditch right along the busy road. It is a pasture area with some timber, deer often migrate there during peak rut and during firearms seasons to get away from people. I may hunt there tomorrow afternoon if this afternoon goes anything like this morning’s hunt did
6:00- Back at the truck. The doe and young buck was followed by another doe, the lone fawn, then the tall 9pt that quickly took after the younger buck. Once the little buck run off, he took to tending the first doe. He would browse the beans as he approached her, then lunge forward at her trying to get her to run. She did not run, but would occasionally jump out of his path. The other doe and fawn circled around behind me thru the timber. The fawn paid me no mind, the doe smelled me. She stopped and stared at me for quite awhile. After 30 minutes, she circled back to the SW into the LF to eat. The 9pt and his target doe headed South thru the timber, never saw them again. The fawn came out into the main field East of me and began eating beans. She was out in the middle of the field when I walked out. Was a long afternoon, no action until they came out right at sunset
For some odd reason, my first post from the field on Sunday afternoon, showed up on this slot, so I deleted it and am adding this Sunday comment Sunday night at 7:25 pm
Hunt #10- It's 58f with a 10mph wind out of the WNW that is supposed to slow down to 5mph or less out of the West by sunset which is 5:14 this evening. The last several hunts when bucks were pursuing or stalking a doe have all taken the buck along the West or South side of the LF. I have a stand in the middle of that area, but have not inspected nor tested that stand for the last several seasons. The tree died many years ago, quit using the tree. I haven't taken the time to move it elsewhere. Considered going out mid morning and putting up my blind in that area, but didn't get that done either. I will either hunt from the ground close to the walnut scrape or sit in the NW stand this evening. They have not been crossing the slough to go by the NE stand, so I need to try other locations. I have no concerns about fooling a rutting buck that has one thing on his mind, it's the does that always seem to be able to spot me when on the ground no matter how still I remain. Once they spot me, it ruins my chances to even get a shot at him. Good luck to everyone else out today. I will not be able to go again until next Saturday, need things to fall in place today.
4:25- Small 8pt just came from the NW along the field edge, browsed some beans then went West right under me lip curling and grunting. Was obvious he caught wind of some perfume he liked. Could have shot him at four different locations
6:00- Back at the truck. Seems the little buck was the only deer that came out into the field tonight. He had better get much smarter or he’ll never survive long enough to become a real buck. Pictures later tonight or tomorrow, I changed the memory cards on the trail cams before walking out. A couple of them needed batteries, but didn’t bring them along this trip.
Recent trail cam pictures show most of the buck activity has been at night. I sure should have been in the stand(s) on the 7th and 8th, several bucks were pursuing a doe mid morning those days. Several of the smaller bucks have missing or damaged antlers. My target buck has broken tines already
Randy….both of those cameras take fantastic daytime and nighttime photos. That buck from “profile shot” is pure muscle from head to tail. Some nice bucks visiting your place!
He is a 3 or 4 year old Michael, same deer as the one on the next to last photo. He has real tall tines, but not much width, decent mass. I hope he survives a couple more years but doubt he will. I had a real tall young buck there last year, could be him, but not sure. There were 7 in the firearms season last year sitting over failure piles close to this place, think only one of them didn’t shoot a buck, know at least a couple of them shot multiple does as well. They killed the buck I was hunting all season. Only the dinks were showing up on the cameras before the season
I wish you had a better place to grow em. You hunted hard last year and spent a lot of time there. Personally I don’t see how you keep hunting there with all that pressure around you. I know you hunt for the love of it but with you used to seeing all them big ones in the past and now what you got left with...it’s got to be tough to handle.
I enjoy the hunt, the challenge, and spending time out watching wildlife in their house. I do not need to fill a tag, hang one on the wall, nor have enough antler to enter my name in a book, to have a successful hunt. I got to enjoy the good old days, watching the deer reintroduction become a reality, seeing deer where earlier in my life they were non-existent, seeing multiple huge bucks every season, seeing 200#+ Roman nosed alpha does, experienced a time when permission to gain access to new properties to hunt only required a knock on the door, hunted when there were only two seasons, you never had to wear orange to bow hunt nor dodge bullets until firearm season started. I enjoy hunting, but not enough to pay someone to be able to hunt. I had better habitat that I hunted back in the 80-90’s, until some folks willing to pay for their permission to hunt on those properties came along. Several other properties were bought by NR investors willing to pay 5-10x the value that local farmers could afford and were willing to pay. I have acquired more access when outfitters failed to follow thru with their promised pot of gold, or took more hunters than they told the landowners they were going to take. One landowner called me offering access to his land following two years of not getting paid at all by an outfitter, lease nor promised trophy fees, having his crops destroyed when the hunters drove thru the fields to dump more corn in the feeders or when retrieving the deer that were shot.
I will continue to hunt where I can, as long as I can. When I can no longer draw my bow back, I will hunt with my cameras, not a boom stick or a powder less gun. Tough? No, I knew what commercialism would do to Kansas.
Was told the beans were cut last night and this morning, the deer should come out earlier and stick around a little longer now feeding on dropped beans.
Been a long week at work while others were out on the stand. Seeing success pictures on here and on other sites, has not helped ease the withdraws. Have been some real impressive bucks dropped this year, CJ's deer- OMG what a beast!
Back at in the morning, it is predicted to be 38f with a South wind at 8mph. I plan on hunting Stand #1 ( same stand I was in last Sunday evening ) with the South wind in the morning, sunrise at 7:12, then I will hunt from the NE stand if necessary in the afternoon when the wind is predicted to come more out of the ESE by sundown at 5:08pm.
Was 34f at the truck when I got here a little after 6, I didn’t rush to get here before first light because the full moon was very bright at 5am when I got up. I could see a deer in the LF as I walked in so it took even longer getting to the tree and up in it to try and not scare or alert her to me being there. It was very still and quiet out, and a man my size isn’t exactly easy to hide nor able to walk very quietly thru dry leaves and brush but I managed to get settled in without her sounding the alarm. The deer turned out to be the lone doe fawn, she fed on beans by the brush pile, along the edge of the slough, briefly crossed over into the main field. Right at sunrise, she browsed her way across the LF to the trail that leads back into the NW bedding area. She is now bedded down less than 20yds into the timber.
10:04- Back at the truck, it has warmed up to 52f already, the wind has picked up and has already shifted to coming out ESE.
I didn’t expect much action this morning. I came by the field last night on the way home, glassed the field and saw nothing out at prime time. Everywhere I saw deer on my way there, and on my drive home, I saw several does being tended by multiple bucks. The deer I saw were out away from cover in the middle of fields, the does were being herded by the bucks. When I left the field on my way home, I saw this scenario playing out 3/4 of a mile West of my stands. There were at least 8 does being chased by two bucks.
Nothing crossed the main field this morning, their normal routine is to come from the South along the timber edge, or from the SE corner of the property. The two does that busted me this am, came from the West, I suspect they were returning from what I saw last night.
I will return later this afternoon to try again. If this wind continues, I may sit in the NW stand, aka #2 stand. Is nice not having to deal with that pesky pop up ad at the bottom of the page!
Lone Fawn browsing on the bean stubble when I first got into the stand
Lone Fawn browsing on the bean stubble when I first got into the stand
Fawn just before she crossed into the timber to bed
Fawn just before she crossed into the timber to bed
Bunch of these blue birds in the timber today, heard robins, bluejays, woodpeckers, finch, crows and chickadees as well today. Even saw a couple squirrels this morning, one had me looking for a deer
Bunch of these blue birds in the timber today, heard robins, bluejays, woodpeckers, finch, crows and chickadees as well today. Even saw a couple squirrels this morning, one had me looking for a deer
3:00- Settled into #2 stand after bumping the fawn out of her bed right behind it. Sometime during the time when I left earlier until I came back a bit ago, she had moved over here and bedded down not ten foot West of this tree. Wondering if she was pressured, or just came over after getting a drink from the pond just North of me. She didn’t blow, just got up and trotted off to the NW.
4:25- Nothing moving but a couple of squirrels that got me amped up thinking something was headed my way. The wind has laid down. Has been cloudy, overcast all afternoon, has not felt like 60f that it was this afternoon when I came in.
The bluebirds and robins are headed your way Aaron, not here this afternoon.
5:20- Both does crossed the slough and browsed the bean pods and loose grain across the LF, eventually crossing thru the timber by stand #1 and going West across the creek crossing.
6:00- Back at the truck, changed memory cards and reset the clocks to this stupid time, had forgot to do so last time. I will hunt in the morning if I wake up without the alarm.
Is pretty obvious the prime time is over here, going to drop that age old excuse that it is lockdown here. In other words the bucks are elsewhere with the estrus bothered does for those that haven’t figured that out yet.
Tomorrow am is supposed to be around 40f early with a 9-15mph NNW wind thru the day. High temp at 58f. Sunrise is at 7:13am, Sunset will be at 5:08pm.
Will likely be my last go this month unless I get up and go the morning of the holiday. Have to travel next weekend to keep the peace with the wife to go see her family out West. I have to work Friday or we would have been there on the holiday. Nothing like driving 652 miles across the state and back for a day and half visit when gas is this high. (and it's deer season :) )
7:25- Young six point just came from the NW along the creek channel, ran down the trail right below me, stopped when he got 40yds South and looked my way. I believe he smelled me but kept going SW
7:40- The little 6pt just came running from the West, followed the creek channel around to the North running like his butt was on fire. I’m either going to see a larger buck or some coyotes, something has the deer nervous and on the run this am
8:45- The big flurry in the first hour or so ended with the little buck running North. Has been a lot of shooting North of me, sounds like water fowl hunters as the shots are coming from the same place each time. Never saw a coyote or larger buck but I bet there will be some on the trail cameras next time I check them. Noticed this morning that a beaver has been tearing up trees over here. I thought they were rubs at first
The little 6pt when he stopped just South of my stand after running right under me.
The little 6pt when he stopped just South of my stand after running right under me.
Doe at first light
Doe at first light
10:15- Am down and back at the house. Drove the bottom roads on the way home, saw nothing moving nor out and about. This afternoon's hunt will depend on how much I get done here and how the game is going.
Was 59f at the truck with 10-15mph NNW wind. I have been back in stand #1 since around 3:30 but am afraid I am wasting my time. A neighbor to the East, about 3/4 mile away but in sight, has been shooting skeet with his grandson since I have been here. They are obviously shooting this direction as each shot echos down here in the timber. I don’t expect to see the deer move until dark, likely not at all. Challenge #999 this season.
5:19- The two adult does led the three fawns NW by stand #2. They are not the resident does I have been seeing here all summer and season, the fawns especially.
5:55- Back at the truck. Heard a deer blow straight West of me across the creek, it sounded like it was several football fields West of me. On my walk out, saw a flag waving at me as it went thru the hedgerow headed North about halfway to the road from the timber.
Left Syracuse Kansas this morning, only saw 3 live deer the entire trip, all mule deer. Got home with enough time to get one more sit in before firearms circus starts Wednesday.
It was 55f at the truck with little to no wind. I am in stand #1 hoping I didn’t make too much noise getting here. Only about 40 minutes to hunt, but I had to try. Sunset is 5:05
5:52- Back at the truck, nothing else moved. Didn’t expect it to be the night, but sure would have been nice to see a nice buck come walking down the trail after the weekend I had. Changed memory cards on my walk out, will see what happened in the last week with me not there.
Matte; the three mulies I saw were; one huge buck East of GC, and two does by Kendall. Good luck with your hunt.
I will take all the info I can get. Spent three Days at CNG with zero sightings. Planned on heading out this afternoon to scout but found out they are doing a Banquet for State Football team. Kinda have to be there as I think Kody will get named Allstate.
Above came back a few hours later headed back the way he had came
Above came back a few hours later headed back the way he had came
Four hours after sunset coming out of the NE bedding area
Four hours after sunset coming out of the NE bedding area
He had on his black socks
He had on his black socks
It appeared from the trail camera pictures, that the larger bucks were most active on the 21st and 26th. I had pictures from about every day, but the majority were of does and dinks only. Had some pictures of the dinks fighting in the LF, had noticed/seen the tracks in the dirt that showed where they had been fighting.
I’ll bet it was nice to at least get back to a bit of “ you time” after the holiday trip to the family. I’m sure you enjoyed some quiet time, I know I do.
Yes Brian it was, even if it was less than an hour. I know where at least one week of vacation will be used next fall. This season has been the least number of hours in the woods for me since I first started deer hunting, not liking the change at all.
Great bucks men, congrats. I would also love to hear the story of sneaking into a great spot with a canoe and killing a beast with a self made bow! That’s the stuff of legends! Congrats again.
My apology for my above post ending up on your thread. When I read the story on the Meat Pole thread, I had to log in to respond on my phone. I wrongly assumed the Meat thread was still the top one.
Again, my apology.
If you elect not to shoot a deer for meat, I will be glad to share some with you, sincerely.
Thinking about digging out the pumpkin suit this afternoon to give it a try. Have been seeing a few more deer on my drives to work and back the last week. I drove out by my spot last night, on the way there we saw two very nice bucks along a field edge walking with their heads low to the ground. I thought they were scent trailing at first, but as I got closer to them, it became obvious they were trying to be stealthy keeping their heads down and moving fast to avoid being seen. They were walking along a creek channel lined with timber, just on the other side of the creek were two parked trucks and an elevated blind about 150 yds off the road. When the bucks heard me slowing down to watch them, they spun around and ran back the direction they had come from, again with their heads held just high enough that their chins didn't drag the ground. The bucks were trying to evade and avoid the hunters on the other side of the creek. I couldn't help but hope that they made it out there without getting shot at.
I looked for other trucks and orange tree beacons in the area around my spot but did not see anything or anyone within a mile of it last evening. That doesn't mean they won't be out there today. The neighbors told me there had been a lot of shooting on Thursday and Friday, hopefully the hunters on adjoining properties are done and won't be out there this evening.
The weather is going to be more October like than December 5th, 67F with a 13-16mph WSW-W wind. Sunset is predicted to be 5:05 pm, I am going to sit in my NE stand due the wind, that and being able to see road hunters better.
Have been in the NE stand for about 5 minutes after checking the cameras on my way in. It was 68f at the truck when I pulled in to park. I drove around the area before getting here to see who all was hunting around me, saw no one, no orange, no trucks in driveways, nada. I called a couple of the neighbors earlier, both said they weren’t hunting today. Never have cared to hunt during firearms season, too many idiots out there running and gunning at anything moving.
Two of the scrapes along the field edges have been opened up since I walked by them last. Hope they move here before too dark.
5:20- Four does and a fork horn came out the NE bedding area into the Main Field just to the East of me. Had sat with nothing to see up until then. Heard 12 distant rifle shots this afternoon.
5:55- Back at the truck. The 3 heavy does, doe fawn, and forky hung out above the first terrace until two vehicles stopped out on the road South of us. Deer ran to the NE thru the hedgerow, I leaned to my right to put more trees between me and the cars. They drove off after the deer left the field. Will add some pictures later tonight or in the morning. May very well be my last bow hunt this season unless we get some of this warm weather after the guns go back into the safe or scabbards.
Seems it always gets rougher for most around the Christmas season. Probably worse for you this year with the new business. Hope you can slip out after Christmas once or twice.
Got off work earlier, had other things needing tended to, but 63f on December 31st, and with time to get to the stand, that’s where I am.
I am sitting in stand #1, a stand I have shot the most deer from on this property, the stand where my youngest shot her first deer, the stand where I had and missed two shots at the biggest buck I have ever hunted.
The wind is 5-8mph out of the WSW, not even noticeable here in the timber. Sunset is 5:14 today, so will be nocked up until 5:44 unless something happens sooner. The two creek crossing on the South end have been heavily traveled since I was here last. Will change camera cards on the way out.
5:44- Back at the truck, it’s now 40f with a wet feeling cold North wind. I am done for the year, am not going to shoot what few does we have in this area. I have not heard back from the farmer who asked earlier for me to come shoot does off his place. He was supposed to call me when the two corn pile shooters were done for the year but never did. I suspect he might have been exaggerating how many deer he had on his field, because I drive by that area daily and have not seen squat around there all summer.
It is amazing. 34 different bucks on my cameras last year after the close of hunting season. The numbers are usually right around the same each year. I have seen 5 good ones already from my cell cameras. Can’t wait to check the rest of my cameras in March.
There were many more lesser bucks on the cameras, but only 3-5 does in the last month. Without the does, I don’t expect to see much next season either.
Seems like there is still deer in your area, just being pulled to the neighbors due to their feeders during the season. Sadly probably only way to potentially change it would be to use your own feeders or plant specific “ specialty “ food plots to hold them on your property. To me that’s the problem with feeders, is they can and do concentrate deer, even in farm country. If you hunt where this is going on, you either suffer the consequences, or you play the game.
Seems like there is still deer in your area, just being pulled to the neighbors due to their feeders during the season. Sadly probably only way to potentially change it would be to use your own feeders or plant specific “ specialty “ food plots to hold them on your property. To me that’s the problem with feeders, is they can and do concentrate deer, even in farm country. If you hunt where this is going on, you either suffer the consequences, or you play the game.
Pretty cool love those late season pictures. Counted today so far I have 21 bucks that have survived the hunting seasons, cars etc. This is just from 3 cell cameras. Have 16 more to check in late March.
Frank…I would have figured that a tiny 1acre food plot with just “normal” deer activity would have it eaten down to the nub and stomped into a mud hole by now?
Around our house is just grassland, no feed crops close and no feeders close by. In our back yard are several flowering crabs, will not produce anything to pick. When the snow is on ALL the wildilfe gather under these trees dropping these useless little dried up crab apples. The deer will stand up on their hind legs and eat these things 7-8 ft. up. They will adapt to what is out there that's why they are called wildlife, not fed animals.
Brian, food plots and feeders will not happen on my place, I prefer to hunt, not shoot livestock at the trough. They have plenty of natural browse and food sources there already. The crops planted there are rotated between beans, wheat and occasionally corn (not so much corn since it got so expensive to plant and maintain) typically attract a lot of deer. That is the closest I will ever come to "planting" to attract deer. I never have been a fan of intentionally feeding wildlife or bird feeders. Makes them welfare like, lazy and dependent on handouts.
Kile, yes, getting a lot of cool videos. Did you see the one I posted on FB of the doe sniffing the camera?