Well I wasn't going too start one, I just like reading everyone else's lol.... But I'm bored and figure what the hell....
I gained access too a farm I had previously hunted back in the 90's and quit hunting it for some reason I no longer remember lol... I think it was I found farms closer too my home and had decent amount of deer on it... 10 minutes vs 20 minutes.... I know a whole 10 minutes lol...
Well being retired now I have pretty much unlimited hunting time throughout the week so I talked too the owner and he said sure, he has one other guy who has permission and he only hunts weekends due too his schedule and only archery hunts as he's seen him the last three years during gun season in orange toting his compound.... Gotta give the guy credit....
I met him the evening of the opener and talked with him for about a half hour, seems like a good dude from first impression.... He even offered me his ladder stand too use during the week....
I told him I'd only hunt down here during the week and he's got it for the weekends, he appreciated the offer but said I could hunt while he's here anytime.... I'll give him his space for the weekends as I have another farm I've been hunting as well....
I've been scouting this place since August and it's got a lot of doe and some decent bucks with a couple of good shooters (by my standard) on it... They've been non existent since season came in but they're still there as the rubs and scrapes are abundant....
I've passed on a lot of doe so far waiting on some of the bucks too show up and have placed a ladder stand about 300 yards from where the other guy is hunting but in the same woodlot.... Lots of good trails and sign, he's setup on the field edge and I'm in he woodlot overlooking travel routes/oak ridge....
I've stayed away from a couple areas so far as they have been areas where the doe and fawns had been coming out and the winds haven't been good... Well last night the winds were good and I figured I'd go sit and see if one of the nanny does would present me with a shot....
Got set up by 4:00 as they're coming out around 6:30-7:00 and feeding in front of the hillside I was setup on, brushed in and hunting off the ground... They would be coming from my left and had good cover from that area and semi open in front of me and pretty wide open too my right....
My truck was parked on a tractor lane200 yards away) leading too the fields and there's a communication tower about 50 yards above it with a grass lane that runs along it that ties too the tractor lane....
I was keeping my eyes on the hill from where the does we're coming from the last 2 months and scanning over by where my truck was parked as well just too see if anything was moving around over there....
About 6:45 I see a doe walking down the hill over by my truck, followed by three more and I'm laughing inside as too think maybe I just should of setup in the bed of my truck instead lol....
Well they walked down too see my truck sitting there and it got their interest and they turned around and walked back up over the hill and down past my ladder stand.... Again I was second guessing my spot as one of the does was one of the bigger ones I've seen....
No sooner after they go out of sight I turn my head too where the does would be coming out too see her right in front of me not 15' away looking straight too my right.... Shit.... I can't move, bow is in my lap, and she's scanning the field for the better part of a minute.... I need her too take about 5 steps too get out of her line of sight.... She starts too walk and then stops, and starts too turn my way.... This isn't good.... She gets half way in the turn and stops and stares right at me..... Busted.... I'm froze, not even breathing and she just stares.... I'm thinking well maybe there's just a chance she won't.... And then she starts.... Head bob, foot stomp, stiff leg walking by me as she stares me down.... Gets too my left with all the cover and starts snorting.... Well the 4-5 that were behind her do the same.... And high tail it on top of the hillside 50 yards away....
Now I'm pissed... I got so caught up in deer 300 yards away and lost focus at the task at hand.... Rookie mistake, and I'm calling myself a dumbass for it.... I lay back and stare at the sky and think, okay what's my next move.... I look back over and they're gone off the hillside.... I get up gather my gear and skirt the hillside too make my escape without getting them anymore riled up....
Make it outta there and headed too my truck.... Still pissed at myself for a dumb move on my part.... Half way back too the truck I wonder where the other group were by now.... So I figure I'll do a slow walk and stalk on them if I can.... Got too the corner of the corn field and they were 150+'yards down the field edge eating nuts and grazing on alfalfa....
I skirt the edge of the corn and make it too my truck....
I'm still pissed at myself today and will stay away from there until probably after the Strouds gathering then regroup and start again.... In the meantime I'll satisfy my hunting itch on the farm closer too home and just bide my time lol....
Sorry for the long winded post.... But I told you I was bored lol....
I gained access too a farm I had previously hunted back in the 90's and quit hunting it for some reason I no longer remember lol... I think it was I found farms closer too my home and had decent amount of deer on it... 10 minutes vs 20 minutes.... I know a whole 10 minutes lol...
Well being retired now I have pretty much unlimited hunting time throughout the week so I talked too the owner and he said sure, he has one other guy who has permission and he only hunts weekends due too his schedule and only archery hunts as he's seen him the last three years during gun season in orange toting his compound.... Gotta give the guy credit....
I met him the evening of the opener and talked with him for about a half hour, seems like a good dude from first impression.... He even offered me his ladder stand too use during the week....
I told him I'd only hunt down here during the week and he's got it for the weekends, he appreciated the offer but said I could hunt while he's here anytime.... I'll give him his space for the weekends as I have another farm I've been hunting as well....
I've been scouting this place since August and it's got a lot of doe and some decent bucks with a couple of good shooters (by my standard) on it... They've been non existent since season came in but they're still there as the rubs and scrapes are abundant....
I've passed on a lot of doe so far waiting on some of the bucks too show up and have placed a ladder stand about 300 yards from where the other guy is hunting but in the same woodlot.... Lots of good trails and sign, he's setup on the field edge and I'm in he woodlot overlooking travel routes/oak ridge....
I've stayed away from a couple areas so far as they have been areas where the doe and fawns had been coming out and the winds haven't been good... Well last night the winds were good and I figured I'd go sit and see if one of the nanny does would present me with a shot....
Got set up by 4:00 as they're coming out around 6:30-7:00 and feeding in front of the hillside I was setup on, brushed in and hunting off the ground... They would be coming from my left and had good cover from that area and semi open in front of me and pretty wide open too my right....
My truck was parked on a tractor lane200 yards away) leading too the fields and there's a communication tower about 50 yards above it with a grass lane that runs along it that ties too the tractor lane....
I was keeping my eyes on the hill from where the does we're coming from the last 2 months and scanning over by where my truck was parked as well just too see if anything was moving around over there....
About 6:45 I see a doe walking down the hill over by my truck, followed by three more and I'm laughing inside as too think maybe I just should of setup in the bed of my truck instead lol....
Well they walked down too see my truck sitting there and it got their interest and they turned around and walked back up over the hill and down past my ladder stand.... Again I was second guessing my spot as one of the does was one of the bigger ones I've seen....
No sooner after they go out of sight I turn my head too where the does would be coming out too see her right in front of me not 15' away looking straight too my right.... Shit.... I can't move, bow is in my lap, and she's scanning the field for the better part of a minute.... I need her too take about 5 steps too get out of her line of sight.... She starts too walk and then stops, and starts too turn my way.... This isn't good.... She gets half way in the turn and stops and stares right at me..... Busted.... I'm froze, not even breathing and she just stares.... I'm thinking well maybe there's just a chance she won't.... And then she starts.... Head bob, foot stomp, stiff leg walking by me as she stares me down.... Gets too my left with all the cover and starts snorting.... Well the 4-5 that were behind her do the same.... And high tail it on top of the hillside 50 yards away....
Now I'm pissed... I got so caught up in deer 300 yards away and lost focus at the task at hand.... Rookie mistake, and I'm calling myself a dumbass for it.... I lay back and stare at the sky and think, okay what's my next move.... I look back over and they're gone off the hillside.... I get up gather my gear and skirt the hillside too make my escape without getting them anymore riled up....
Make it outta there and headed too my truck.... Still pissed at myself for a dumb move on my part.... Half way back too the truck I wonder where the other group were by now.... So I figure I'll do a slow walk and stalk on them if I can.... Got too the corner of the corn field and they were 150+'yards down the field edge eating nuts and grazing on alfalfa....
I skirt the edge of the corn and make it too my truck....
I'm still pissed at myself today and will stay away from there until probably after the Strouds gathering then regroup and start again.... In the meantime I'll satisfy my hunting itch on the farm closer too home and just bide my time lol....
Sorry for the long winded post.... But I told you I was bored lol....
