Frank's 2015 hunting journal
- Thread starter MK111
- Start date
10-23
Got to my tower 30 minutes before legal time. Started out real slow.
8:30 seen a 25 lb groundhog feeding in my turnips about 100 yds away. Damn he looked well fed.
8:45 5 turkey Toms came out of my woods, across the food plot, into the neighbor's hay field and just walked away to the West. If I see that piebald hen I plan on a full mount if I'm lucky.
9:30 5 does come out of my woods ago straight to the young turnips plot. Get within 35 yds but I had no plans on shooting one since it so hot
9:50 there is a young 7 pt buck 90 yds away on the other side of the neighbors hay field. Just walking along and nosing overhead limbs and pawling the ground. He entered the brush and was gone.
10:00 the same 7 pt buck came out by my woods and fed in the clover 115 yds away. Then he walked into the woods. Once he was out of sight I gave one soft grunt and I'll be darn if he didn't come out of the woods and walked straight to me and stopped at 30 yds. He stood there and looked around for awhile and turned and walked away. I did a soft grunt, he turned around and walked up to the mock scrape 25 yds away and just tore the sapling up, rubbing the overhead branchs, and pawling the ground. He went to the T-post side and rubbed the hell out of the steel T-post.
He got tired of that and keep looking around for the buck he heard grunting. He walked 5 ft from my tower and walked into the brush. He came out 75 yds to my West and walked across the hay field. I grunted at him and he would stop and look around. He got to the field edge and licked the overhead branchs, pawled the ground and walked into the brush.
A really interesting morning. Quit at 10:45 as I have some R&D work to do.
Got to my tower 30 minutes before legal time. Started out real slow.
8:30 seen a 25 lb groundhog feeding in my turnips about 100 yds away. Damn he looked well fed.
8:45 5 turkey Toms came out of my woods, across the food plot, into the neighbor's hay field and just walked away to the West. If I see that piebald hen I plan on a full mount if I'm lucky.
9:30 5 does come out of my woods ago straight to the young turnips plot. Get within 35 yds but I had no plans on shooting one since it so hot
9:50 there is a young 7 pt buck 90 yds away on the other side of the neighbors hay field. Just walking along and nosing overhead limbs and pawling the ground. He entered the brush and was gone.
10:00 the same 7 pt buck came out by my woods and fed in the clover 115 yds away. Then he walked into the woods. Once he was out of sight I gave one soft grunt and I'll be darn if he didn't come out of the woods and walked straight to me and stopped at 30 yds. He stood there and looked around for awhile and turned and walked away. I did a soft grunt, he turned around and walked up to the mock scrape 25 yds away and just tore the sapling up, rubbing the overhead branchs, and pawling the ground. He went to the T-post side and rubbed the hell out of the steel T-post.
He got tired of that and keep looking around for the buck he heard grunting. He walked 5 ft from my tower and walked into the brush. He came out 75 yds to my West and walked across the hay field. I grunted at him and he would stop and look around. He got to the field edge and licked the overhead branchs, pawled the ground and walked into the brush.
A really interesting morning. Quit at 10:45 as I have some R&D work to do.
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10-24
I did a all day set today in my tower. Forgot my phone so times are guesses. Couldn't find my watch either. Geez.
8:00 a doe and yearling walks through the food plot non stop from the North across the SW wind direction.
8:30 a small bodied 7 pt buck is feeding through the hay field at 65 yds. When he gets 85-90 yds I grunted at him. He stopped and looked and started feeding again. I grunted again and he looks and walks straight towards me. Comes through the brush and walks straight to the mock scrape at 25 yds and just smells it. He feeds through my food plot for over a hour and then goes back to the hay field and walks away the direction he was going.
He must not of weighed 80 lbs but he had at least 10" beams. he should be a nice one in could years. As small as he was I think he is this years fawn just growing nice antlers.
6:00 2 smaller fawns go through the food plot non stop. 10 minutes later a doe goes bounding after them.
6:15 the doe and 2 fawns are feeding across the hay field.
6:30 it goes from a slight sprinkle to a heavy down pour so I packed it up and quit. Didn't want to shoot a buck in heavy rain.
I did a all day set today in my tower. Forgot my phone so times are guesses. Couldn't find my watch either. Geez.
8:00 a doe and yearling walks through the food plot non stop from the North across the SW wind direction.
8:30 a small bodied 7 pt buck is feeding through the hay field at 65 yds. When he gets 85-90 yds I grunted at him. He stopped and looked and started feeding again. I grunted again and he looks and walks straight towards me. Comes through the brush and walks straight to the mock scrape at 25 yds and just smells it. He feeds through my food plot for over a hour and then goes back to the hay field and walks away the direction he was going.
He must not of weighed 80 lbs but he had at least 10" beams. he should be a nice one in could years. As small as he was I think he is this years fawn just growing nice antlers.
6:00 2 smaller fawns go through the food plot non stop. 10 minutes later a doe goes bounding after them.
6:15 the doe and 2 fawns are feeding across the hay field.
6:30 it goes from a slight sprinkle to a heavy down pour so I packed it up and quit. Didn't want to shoot a buck in heavy rain.
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Great hunting recaps Frank. Cool pics TOO! I like you have seen deer mid morning on their feet more. Keep on keepin and good luck!
10-26
I didn't hunt Sunday or Monday morning as I had work to do. I went down at 12:30 today and pulled the time lapse card. Love this time lapse camera as I can see part of what I would have missed by not hunting.
10-25
Nothing showed in the morning or all day. But I can only see 50% of the food plot and nothing of the adjoining hay field.
6:09 PM a nice buck showed up on the mock scrape but he only had a right beam. He rubbed the tree and went on to feeding in the plot.
6:19 PM a 4 pt. fork horn went to the mock scrape and rubbed and fed away.
6:25 Pm a small buck rubbed on the mock scrape and fed away.
7:00 PM a group of 5-6 deer came out of the woods and fed across the plot until too dark to see what they were.
Going out at 3:30 and set till dark. I have a cam about 50 yds. from the mock scrape and I'll move it in front of the scrape for night time activity.
Looks like the bucks are moving. With rain coming in the morning should make the deer move tonight to feed.
I didn't hunt Sunday or Monday morning as I had work to do. I went down at 12:30 today and pulled the time lapse card. Love this time lapse camera as I can see part of what I would have missed by not hunting.
10-25
Nothing showed in the morning or all day. But I can only see 50% of the food plot and nothing of the adjoining hay field.
6:09 PM a nice buck showed up on the mock scrape but he only had a right beam. He rubbed the tree and went on to feeding in the plot.
6:19 PM a 4 pt. fork horn went to the mock scrape and rubbed and fed away.
6:25 Pm a small buck rubbed on the mock scrape and fed away.
7:00 PM a group of 5-6 deer came out of the woods and fed across the plot until too dark to see what they were.
Going out at 3:30 and set till dark. I have a cam about 50 yds. from the mock scrape and I'll move it in front of the scrape for night time activity.
Looks like the bucks are moving. With rain coming in the morning should make the deer move tonight to feed.
10-26
Went down a little early and move the camera over to the mock scrape. Got in the tower at 3:30 PM
Not much happening until 6:00 when a hawk caught something in the clover plot about 100 yds. away.
6:25 I see 4 deer on the West end of the hay field feeding at 125 yds. nothing in my food plots.
Then about 15 minutes later I see a ear and nose pop up above my window sill to my right. A 5th doe snuck along the brush and was checking me out. I had a great broadside shot at 30 yds. but I passed on her. She would sniff the air and never did figure it out and walked away to the other ones feeding at 80 yds.
7:00 I see movement across the hay field where the tractor path comes in and there is a doe and 2 yearlings feeding.
I texted my wife and said I would be late and didn't want to bust the deer out too bad.
7:20 I can't see the 5 deer off to the West but the 3 in front of me are walking past at 15 yds. and they had no idea I was there. They cross through the brush into my radish patch and feed away.
7:30 I can't see them anymore and the moon was coming up of the tree line. I love these Steiner Predator 8X30 binco as they sure to gather the light when it's dark.
Went down a little early and move the camera over to the mock scrape. Got in the tower at 3:30 PM
Not much happening until 6:00 when a hawk caught something in the clover plot about 100 yds. away.
6:25 I see 4 deer on the West end of the hay field feeding at 125 yds. nothing in my food plots.
Then about 15 minutes later I see a ear and nose pop up above my window sill to my right. A 5th doe snuck along the brush and was checking me out. I had a great broadside shot at 30 yds. but I passed on her. She would sniff the air and never did figure it out and walked away to the other ones feeding at 80 yds.
7:00 I see movement across the hay field where the tractor path comes in and there is a doe and 2 yearlings feeding.
I texted my wife and said I would be late and didn't want to bust the deer out too bad.
7:20 I can't see the 5 deer off to the West but the 3 in front of me are walking past at 15 yds. and they had no idea I was there. They cross through the brush into my radish patch and feed away.
7:30 I can't see them anymore and the moon was coming up of the tree line. I love these Steiner Predator 8X30 binco as they sure to gather the light when it's dark.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
- 25,141
- 261
I'm just catching up over the last couple days here, Frank. It sounds like you have had some great sits! It won't be long until something real interesting comes along and rubs that tree!
Thanks guys it's becoming fun again.
10-27
Got to my tower at 7:00 AM in light sprinkle and had a trespasser already in the tower. A scared mouse running around looking for a place to hide. Taking a mouse trap next trip.
Nothing showed except 4 hen turkey and 4 half grown chicks I see almost everyday. They fed for over 2 hours. Had several shots at 5-15 yds and passed. Plus 4 Jakes walked through.
I poured 16 oz. of scent on the mock scrape.
Packed it up at 10:00.
My phone has been giving me battery problems. 100% charged when I got up and 30 minutes later the battery is down to 15%, then to zero. Need to run into to town and look for a new battery.
The does and fawns are still together so rut hasn't started to happen here yet but it should be any day now should start seeing fawns by themselves. In 2014 I took a picture of a doe breeding on this date and the fawns were running around lost by themselves.
10-27
Got to my tower at 7:00 AM in light sprinkle and had a trespasser already in the tower. A scared mouse running around looking for a place to hide. Taking a mouse trap next trip.
Nothing showed except 4 hen turkey and 4 half grown chicks I see almost everyday. They fed for over 2 hours. Had several shots at 5-15 yds and passed. Plus 4 Jakes walked through.
I poured 16 oz. of scent on the mock scrape.
Packed it up at 10:00.
My phone has been giving me battery problems. 100% charged when I got up and 30 minutes later the battery is down to 15%, then to zero. Need to run into to town and look for a new battery.
The does and fawns are still together so rut hasn't started to happen here yet but it should be any day now should start seeing fawns by themselves. In 2014 I took a picture of a doe breeding on this date and the fawns were running around lost by themselves.
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10-29
Got to the tower at 7:00 AM.
8:00 I posting my 1st post on 'live from the stand' and look up and 3 coyotes are slowly trotting through the hay field at 50 yds.
9:55 I see 2 fawns feeding at 90 yds across the hay field. The a small 6 pt comes out and chases them off. He messes around for a few minutes and goes into the brush. Gotta leave as I have some R&D work to get done.
4:30 PM I'm back in the tower for a evening hunt. Not much going on except 9 long beards turkeys feed through at 90 yds.
6:20 there's a lone small yearly feeding in the north end of my food plot 125 yds away.
Look back into the hay field and there's 2 yearling feeding in the hay field. That one antlered 4 pt comes out of the brush and chases them across the field. He chases another deer into the brush and is gone.
6:40 a doe and yearling come out of the brush to my right in the hay field and start feeding. Couple minutes later a yearling comes into view along the brush line. They feed until 7:15 and enter the brush on the other side of the hay field.
I waited long past hunting time as I didn't want to bump them out.
7:15 I'm all ready to go and look at the north end of the food plot and now there are 3 deer feeding and feeding through the small radish plot my way. So I wait and watch them not wanting to bump them.
7:30 the 3 deer feed across the radishes and into the clover patch by the woods and there's a 4'th deer there feeding. Then either they enter the woods or I just can't see them anymore so I wait a few minutes and leave.
Interesting evening with 11 deer seen but only one small buck. I will say there is a good population of deer in my area. Mostly due to the adjoining 110 acs of horse hay for the last 10 yrs. I will take a small credit of having a food plot the last 2 winters for winter and early spring food. With all this good quality food nearby I need a food plot drawing card to bring them to my hunting property and it does seem to be working quite well.
Got to the tower at 7:00 AM.
8:00 I posting my 1st post on 'live from the stand' and look up and 3 coyotes are slowly trotting through the hay field at 50 yds.
9:55 I see 2 fawns feeding at 90 yds across the hay field. The a small 6 pt comes out and chases them off. He messes around for a few minutes and goes into the brush. Gotta leave as I have some R&D work to get done.
4:30 PM I'm back in the tower for a evening hunt. Not much going on except 9 long beards turkeys feed through at 90 yds.
6:20 there's a lone small yearly feeding in the north end of my food plot 125 yds away.
Look back into the hay field and there's 2 yearling feeding in the hay field. That one antlered 4 pt comes out of the brush and chases them across the field. He chases another deer into the brush and is gone.
6:40 a doe and yearling come out of the brush to my right in the hay field and start feeding. Couple minutes later a yearling comes into view along the brush line. They feed until 7:15 and enter the brush on the other side of the hay field.
I waited long past hunting time as I didn't want to bump them out.
7:15 I'm all ready to go and look at the north end of the food plot and now there are 3 deer feeding and feeding through the small radish plot my way. So I wait and watch them not wanting to bump them.
7:30 the 3 deer feed across the radishes and into the clover patch by the woods and there's a 4'th deer there feeding. Then either they enter the woods or I just can't see them anymore so I wait a few minutes and leave.
Interesting evening with 11 deer seen but only one small buck. I will say there is a good population of deer in my area. Mostly due to the adjoining 110 acs of horse hay for the last 10 yrs. I will take a small credit of having a food plot the last 2 winters for winter and early spring food. With all this good quality food nearby I need a food plot drawing card to bring them to my hunting property and it does seem to be working quite well.
10-30
After being laid up for a day I went back out this morning.
6:50PM back in the tower. Caught my invader mouse in the set trap.
8:00 or so I see 2 does on the north end of my food plot in the small WT Inst. Tall Tines. These Tall Tines radishes are sure drawing the deer in. Since I lost my Forage Oats crop this year I'm quite please with the result.
Since loosing my 2nd freeze 3 weeks ago I don't have room for any more meat right now. My brother said he would take one for jerky. So I texted him and asked, in the 4 minutes of not looking when I looked up there are 4 deer 75 yds away sorta looking my way. The extra 2 deer had to just pop up out of the ground, really. But they really didn't know anything serious was up so they just fed slowly to the woods and were gone.
Nothing showed up until 10:00 so I packed up and left. I went back and brought down a new office chair as the chair I had there developed a squeak when I moved. I tried a camp chair but since I hunt 2 different directions I have to swivel.
Got a picture of a owl setting on a T-post 50 yds away just watching for something.
After being laid up for a day I went back out this morning.
6:50PM back in the tower. Caught my invader mouse in the set trap.
8:00 or so I see 2 does on the north end of my food plot in the small WT Inst. Tall Tines. These Tall Tines radishes are sure drawing the deer in. Since I lost my Forage Oats crop this year I'm quite please with the result.
Since loosing my 2nd freeze 3 weeks ago I don't have room for any more meat right now. My brother said he would take one for jerky. So I texted him and asked, in the 4 minutes of not looking when I looked up there are 4 deer 75 yds away sorta looking my way. The extra 2 deer had to just pop up out of the ground, really. But they really didn't know anything serious was up so they just fed slowly to the woods and were gone.
Nothing showed up until 10:00 so I packed up and left. I went back and brought down a new office chair as the chair I had there developed a squeak when I moved. I tried a camp chair but since I hunt 2 different directions I have to swivel.
Got a picture of a owl setting on a T-post 50 yds away just watching for something.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
My favorite binocs is a pair of Redfield 7x30 non-focus that are 25 yrs. old. I used them in Alaska in rain 16 out of 21 days and they are still going strong. Much lighter than the Steiner's. I used the Redfield's this morning and probably retire the Steiner. My son liked the Redfield so well he got a pair off Ebay and has the 7 and 10 power. I also have the same Redfield non-focus design in 10x50 but they are heavy as hell and are used for spotting only.
I got 2 pair of older Nicon 7x30 but they are so-so knock around binocs and keep a pair on the golfcart.
It is but need to have a cat in there to keep the mice down but don't like cats. I viewed my time lapse card today and only missed a nice doe at 25 yds when I wasn't there yesterday. But I did get to watch a flock of turkeys chase a yellow cat around the field. I've seen this yellow and a black cat for over a year now and if I get the chance it will be gone. The deer vacate the field when the damn things come out.
11-1
5:45 I got up a little early today so went down early. I just hate this time change thing.
I just sat down and I heard a single scream to the West of me. There was a slight fog so I'm sure sound carries but it must have been 400-500 yds. I listened for the longest time and heard nothing again. It was so loud that it caused 4 different owls to start hooting. No follow up sirens all morning. I just hope it wasn't someone falling.
9:15 nothing showed all morning so I called it quits. A friend called late last night from Ft. Wayne, IN and said he was coming this way. Plus I got a batch of 223 brass to rim to keep up on.
5:45 I got up a little early today so went down early. I just hate this time change thing.
I just sat down and I heard a single scream to the West of me. There was a slight fog so I'm sure sound carries but it must have been 400-500 yds. I listened for the longest time and heard nothing again. It was so loud that it caused 4 different owls to start hooting. No follow up sirens all morning. I just hope it wasn't someone falling.
9:15 nothing showed all morning so I called it quits. A friend called late last night from Ft. Wayne, IN and said he was coming this way. Plus I got a batch of 223 brass to rim to keep up on.