Hortontoters 2013/14 Journal..The Saga Continues
- Thread starter Hortontoter
- Start date
Thanks for being in my corner guys. I truely feel that this is the year for him and I to get up close and personal. If things don't pan out I will be a bit dejected.
After wrestling with myself over the warm temps all day Friday, I decided not to hunt the opening weekend. By noon Saturday I had to go. By 1:15 I was on the road.
I hunted my creek bottom funnel stand Saturday afternoon due to the wind direction. None of my resident herd came to visit though. They are supposed to jump the fence just to the right of my bridge that washed away a few years ago.
Then they are supposed to come about 45 yards to this point in front of my stand.
As usual they didn't read the script.
Sunday, I woke up feeling terrible. Passed on the morning hunt and felt a little better by noon. The wind wasn't perfect, but I been itching to set in my outhouse stand. I climbed in a 2:15 and sat til nearly dark. Again no deer, but I did have a nice grey fox come by just minutes after I sat down. I'm going to like this new setup, I feel very confident that I am in a great position.
I hunted my creek bottom funnel stand Saturday afternoon due to the wind direction. None of my resident herd came to visit though. They are supposed to jump the fence just to the right of my bridge that washed away a few years ago.
Then they are supposed to come about 45 yards to this point in front of my stand.
As usual they didn't read the script.
Sunday, I woke up feeling terrible. Passed on the morning hunt and felt a little better by noon. The wind wasn't perfect, but I been itching to set in my outhouse stand. I climbed in a 2:15 and sat til nearly dark. Again no deer, but I did have a nice grey fox come by just minutes after I sat down. I'm going to like this new setup, I feel very confident that I am in a great position.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Glad you got out Dick. Hopefully those deer aren't illiterate and that they can read the script next time around. Good luck buddy!
Blackbeard
Senior Member
Good luck with Splitter Dick, hope you get him. With your history with him it will be a sweet day.
Hunted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning at my Carroll county property. Looks like the barricade I made last April is working well. I could have killed four deer in the last three days, two button bucks, one yearling doe, and one giant adult doe. All four were broadside at less than 20 yards. Didn't see any bucks though. I saw no scrapes, rubs or buck sign over the last three days. A little early for my property to turn on though.
I had photos of my neighbor (Jim) to the north cutting through my creek bottom to cut firewood on my neighbors property to the south. I gave him permission to do this in the spring and summer months. But told him not to do it in the fall. I put up no entry signs Monday at about noon. He came down Monday afternoon and saw the signs and turned around. He is a good neighbor and just needed a reminder that it is hunting season. Hopefully this takes care of this issue, my camera will tell the story.
Oct. 7, 2013 PM
Temp 57* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Posted the keep out signs today. Checked camera and Jim had cut through the bottom the
last three days. Very little deer activity on any of the cameras.
Hunted the outhouse from 3:00 til dark. Had a large doe and a button buck come in at
6:25 from the north. Could have shot both. Jim was cutting wood at his woodpile.
Oct. 8, 2013 AM
Temp 45* Wind - Light E
Hunted the creek stand from daylight until 9:00. Nothing showed.
Oct. 8, 2013 PM
Temp 57* Wind - E
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted from the barricade from 2:15 til dark. Nothing showed. Jim was splitting wood at his
woodpile.
Oct. 9, 2013 AM
Temp 47* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from daylight til 9:30. Had a yearling doe and a button buck come in at 9:00
from the north. Could have shot both.
I had photos of my neighbor (Jim) to the north cutting through my creek bottom to cut firewood on my neighbors property to the south. I gave him permission to do this in the spring and summer months. But told him not to do it in the fall. I put up no entry signs Monday at about noon. He came down Monday afternoon and saw the signs and turned around. He is a good neighbor and just needed a reminder that it is hunting season. Hopefully this takes care of this issue, my camera will tell the story.
Oct. 7, 2013 PM
Temp 57* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Posted the keep out signs today. Checked camera and Jim had cut through the bottom the
last three days. Very little deer activity on any of the cameras.
Hunted the outhouse from 3:00 til dark. Had a large doe and a button buck come in at
6:25 from the north. Could have shot both. Jim was cutting wood at his woodpile.
Oct. 8, 2013 AM
Temp 45* Wind - Light E
Hunted the creek stand from daylight until 9:00. Nothing showed.
Oct. 8, 2013 PM
Temp 57* Wind - E
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted from the barricade from 2:15 til dark. Nothing showed. Jim was splitting wood at his
woodpile.
Oct. 9, 2013 AM
Temp 47* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from daylight til 9:30. Had a yearling doe and a button buck come in at 9:00
from the north. Could have shot both.
Dang Dick, Jim would be getting on my nerves at this point! Hope he doesn't Fugg you up this season! Good luck!
Like I said he is a good neighbor. What he does at his woodpile or on his property is somthing I can't control. He doesn't hunt so he really doesn't understand how much a little disturbance can effect my deer hunting. I don't expect him to change his daily routine when I'm hunting. My property is only 330' wide so disturbances from either side can up set my entire evening. When I am in my outhouse stand I'm only about 150 yards from his wood shed where he cuts a lot of firewood. As long as he stays out of my creek bottom I'm fine. If I catch him on my camera going through my bottom things will not be pleasant. He will not allow me to hunt on his property, but does allow me to retrieve a deer if one gets on his place after being hit. I abide by his wishes, so I'm pretty sure he will abide by mine.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Hopefully the reminders will keep him out for you. I had a similar problem last fall on our property. Only our neighbor down there liked to take his dog for a walk. I mentioned to him that was fine but to remember when it was deer season that he didn't do it. That November morning I'll not forget as I saw him skirting the mowed path along the edge of our sanctuary as he headed up to my food plot and couldn't understand why my buck decoy didn't run off as he approached. He got the hint and reminder as I whistled and motioned to him. He apologized again recently at my aunt's funeral the last time I saw him. He's a good guy and had helped my aunt and uncle out a lot over the years. I did tell him though that the sanctuary was made much larger and that I appreciated it if he abides by the signs.
Figure if your neighbor does a lot of that outside work while you aren't around those deer get pretty used to him. The running through the property likely caused a bit of a ruckus but I would say it won't have any lasting effects on them. Good luck to you Dick!!
Figure if your neighbor does a lot of that outside work while you aren't around those deer get pretty used to him. The running through the property likely caused a bit of a ruckus but I would say it won't have any lasting effects on them. Good luck to you Dick!!
Blackbeard
Senior Member
If he were truly a good neighbor, and he nor his family hunts his property, then he would let you hunt. Sounds like you've had a lot of opportunities nonetheless, good luck.
Rooting for you to get onto Splitter. Sorry to hear your neighbor has been a bit frustrating for you. There is a fine balance. My neighbor is a good guy too. Nice they keep an eye on things when I am not there. Wish he didn't ride his ATV thru my freshly sown clover though. Next spring I may have to be more outspoken. He will keep doing it if I don't say something. Sounds similar to your situation. Friendly reminder "should" be all that is needed if they truly are good neighbors.
A friend and I hunted late last week for a few days. First thing I did was pull the card from my creek bottom camera. No photos of the neighbor cutting through the creek bottom. I was confident that would be the case. Had a tough few days as far as sightings. I was hoping the cooler weather would help, but it didn't seem to help. Still no real buck sign on my property.
Oct. 17, 2013 PM
Temp 55* Wind - W/SW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 2:30 til dark. Rained steadily from the time I sat down until about
6:00. Saw two turkeys, no deer sightings.
Oct. 18, 2013 AM
Temp 46* Wind - W
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom stand from daylight til 9:30. No deer sightings. Jeff hunted the
outhouse stand and saw four deer approx. fifty yards past the barricade traveling south to
north.
Oct. 18, 2013 PM
Temp 52* Wind - Variable
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 2:30 til dark. No deer sightings. Jeff hunted the food plot stand
and saw two does, both headed east.
Oct. 19, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - W/NW
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom stand from daylight til 9:30. No deer sightings. Jeff hunted the food plot
stand til 10:00 and saw nothing.
Oct. 17, 2013 PM
Temp 55* Wind - W/SW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 2:30 til dark. Rained steadily from the time I sat down until about
6:00. Saw two turkeys, no deer sightings.
Oct. 18, 2013 AM
Temp 46* Wind - W
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom stand from daylight til 9:30. No deer sightings. Jeff hunted the
outhouse stand and saw four deer approx. fifty yards past the barricade traveling south to
north.
Oct. 18, 2013 PM
Temp 52* Wind - Variable
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 2:30 til dark. No deer sightings. Jeff hunted the food plot stand
and saw two does, both headed east.
Oct. 19, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - W/NW
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom stand from daylight til 9:30. No deer sightings. Jeff hunted the food plot
stand til 10:00 and saw nothing.
Hang in there HT. Things are just starting so hopefully Splitter finds your crossbow in the near future!
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Keep at it Hortontoter!! Sooner or later they'll show up for you! Any idea if there is a correlation between riding the tractor in and walking in to that outhouse blind?
I've yet to see any correlation, but it has always been a concern of mine. But, I really have no choice. With the brace I have to wear on my leg I can't walk all the way to my outhouse stand. So the tractor must be used to get part way to any stand on my property other than my creek bottom stand. The creek bottom stand is a very short, easy walk from my cabin door. The big rock I park at is not far from my outhouse, but is always downwind and over a small bluff from the stand. The deer will never see it, but the disturbance going in bothers me. I very seldom hunt the outhouse in the mornings due to needing the tractor, just to much disturbance. When using my tractor I always get to my stand much earlier in the afternoon than I would if I was walking in.
Anyway of having someone dropping you off and then Coming back in afterwards too pick you up? That way it's in and out and less disturbance? My way of thinking deer see machinery all the time and shouldn't be too spooked by them..... As long as they don't stop for too long lol....
Most of the time I am hunting alone, so dropping me off wouldn't be a possibility. I've taken a good number of deer after driving the tractor to my big rock. I run the tractor at pretty much an idle in the highest gear. It is actually fairly quiet this way. I use the same tractor to mow and do other chores with so I know the deer are used to hearing it fairly often. Also I have homes on both sides of my property. The owners mow weekly, run weedeaters and leaf blowers sometimes TOO. So I'm assuming my tractor is just another noise in the area that they are used to hearing. This is my mode of transportation.
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Another fruitless afternoon. I'm already getting frustrated, thinking all the preparations I did at my property for this season were in vain. Already Oct 22 and I haven't seen as much as an antler. I got in very early yesterday hoping somthing would happen.
Oct. 22, 2013 PM
Temp 53* Wind - W/SW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 12:15 til dark. Sunny with dropping temps. No deer sightings.
Oct. 22, 2013 PM
Temp 53* Wind - W/SW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 12:15 til dark. Sunny with dropping temps. No deer sightings.