Jesse's 2017 Hunting Debacles
- Thread starter bowhunter1023
- Start date
- 25,122
- 261
Dude that was the first thing that came to mind when you posted lol... Ole koolaide crashing thru a corn wall lmao
Buckmaster
Senior Member
Been tough carving out time to sum this hunt up and I'm admit, I am still perplexed as to what happened...
Hunted the farm with Tracie Saturday AM. It was fairly windy heading in and as soon as we started our walk to the W, the wind swept our scent down in the bottom and we got nailed by a group of 7 does that had been standing 100 yards from the blind. The highlight of the morning from there on out was Tracie witnessing her first bobcat. I've seen her kittens twice, but this time I got to see mom. Very cool moment for both of us.
After breaking for lunch and hanging Christmas lights, we were back in the blind by 2:45. At 4:30, we had a yearling doe come in and mill around in the bottom giving her all kinds of looks. Knowing she didn't want to shoot it, I kept egging her on. "Sure is a tender little morsel." and "Look at that shot..." lmao
Right before the strike of 5, I here steady walking to our 3 o'clock and look over to see your textbook 2.5 year old basket rack 8. Maybe 110" on a good day. My first words were: "No shit" because I honestly didn't expect deer movement from that property. Immediately, I can tell he's limping due to a bad back left hip/leg injury. I grab the shooting sticks, then the muzzy and tell her "you're shooting this one". He hops the fence in bow range and if I'm honest, the probably dies in his tracks if I'm alone. She has no shot and it's not worth jockeying around for a shot because he's locked on the doe/corn in the bottom. He slowly works from our right to left at a 45 and eventually ends up in the bottom giving her the 100 yard broadside shot we were after. The muzzy barks and when the smoke clears, I find him 40 yards from the shot, up on a shelf and he's just standing there tail down looking back. For 5 minutes, I watched him flick his tail and mill around on that flat, then he slowly walked away going uphill. Once I lost him, I slipped out of the blind and down in the holler to watch/listen until dark. I heard a couple crashes that were deer/squirrel, both nothing really solid to go on. Before I started back to the blind, I walked to where I first saw him stop and immediately found blood. Because we hadn't seen him go down, and with past poor sabot performances, I immediately turned back to the truck and started tracking down help.
We returned at 10 and went straight to first blood knowing that if we found good blood a little ways away were he milled around, we'd be in the money. And if we didn't, then it could be a long night. The blood was bright red, no bubble and borderline muscle/liver in color. For 10', we had a textbook blood trail and then nothing. No pools. No drops. No specks. So we split up with my cousin PJ walking the shelf to the W, my buddy Jimmy walking the shelf to the NE and then the creek once they connected and I'd head NW up the hill and hit the oak flat where I thought he went. We spent 2 hours walking around looking for any indication of a hit and found nothing, so I called it off. It sucked to be out late knowing I had to be up at 5 to goose hunt the next morning (and had to come back to look for a body), but we stood in the creek bottom with lights off looking at the stars and talking about navigating that holler in the 1760's when that farm was settled. We drank a few beers, then hit the road.
After our goose hunt Sunday, I went back and spent 3 hours walking all the creeks, the pond and covered 60+ acres of our 76 to no avail. I'm not even certain that the blood we found was a direct result of that muzzeloader sabot. Could be his reaction to the shot, bounding off through the briars, opened up the wound that had him limping and it bled momentarily. I've also witnessed deer lick a wound until it stops bleeding, which he had time to do. I went back today and still didn't see a body or buzzards.
She went 13 straight without a miss. Gun, crossbow, compound, she was my assassin for a long time before she had to pay her dues! She's bummed out, but it happens and we still have time. Might result to cherry picking one of the big does behind the house, but we'll get it done!
Hunted the farm with Tracie Saturday AM. It was fairly windy heading in and as soon as we started our walk to the W, the wind swept our scent down in the bottom and we got nailed by a group of 7 does that had been standing 100 yards from the blind. The highlight of the morning from there on out was Tracie witnessing her first bobcat. I've seen her kittens twice, but this time I got to see mom. Very cool moment for both of us.
After breaking for lunch and hanging Christmas lights, we were back in the blind by 2:45. At 4:30, we had a yearling doe come in and mill around in the bottom giving her all kinds of looks. Knowing she didn't want to shoot it, I kept egging her on. "Sure is a tender little morsel." and "Look at that shot..." lmao
Right before the strike of 5, I here steady walking to our 3 o'clock and look over to see your textbook 2.5 year old basket rack 8. Maybe 110" on a good day. My first words were: "No shit" because I honestly didn't expect deer movement from that property. Immediately, I can tell he's limping due to a bad back left hip/leg injury. I grab the shooting sticks, then the muzzy and tell her "you're shooting this one". He hops the fence in bow range and if I'm honest, the probably dies in his tracks if I'm alone. She has no shot and it's not worth jockeying around for a shot because he's locked on the doe/corn in the bottom. He slowly works from our right to left at a 45 and eventually ends up in the bottom giving her the 100 yard broadside shot we were after. The muzzy barks and when the smoke clears, I find him 40 yards from the shot, up on a shelf and he's just standing there tail down looking back. For 5 minutes, I watched him flick his tail and mill around on that flat, then he slowly walked away going uphill. Once I lost him, I slipped out of the blind and down in the holler to watch/listen until dark. I heard a couple crashes that were deer/squirrel, both nothing really solid to go on. Before I started back to the blind, I walked to where I first saw him stop and immediately found blood. Because we hadn't seen him go down, and with past poor sabot performances, I immediately turned back to the truck and started tracking down help.
We returned at 10 and went straight to first blood knowing that if we found good blood a little ways away were he milled around, we'd be in the money. And if we didn't, then it could be a long night. The blood was bright red, no bubble and borderline muscle/liver in color. For 10', we had a textbook blood trail and then nothing. No pools. No drops. No specks. So we split up with my cousin PJ walking the shelf to the W, my buddy Jimmy walking the shelf to the NE and then the creek once they connected and I'd head NW up the hill and hit the oak flat where I thought he went. We spent 2 hours walking around looking for any indication of a hit and found nothing, so I called it off. It sucked to be out late knowing I had to be up at 5 to goose hunt the next morning (and had to come back to look for a body), but we stood in the creek bottom with lights off looking at the stars and talking about navigating that holler in the 1760's when that farm was settled. We drank a few beers, then hit the road.
After our goose hunt Sunday, I went back and spent 3 hours walking all the creeks, the pond and covered 60+ acres of our 76 to no avail. I'm not even certain that the blood we found was a direct result of that muzzeloader sabot. Could be his reaction to the shot, bounding off through the briars, opened up the wound that had him limping and it bled momentarily. I've also witnessed deer lick a wound until it stops bleeding, which he had time to do. I went back today and still didn't see a body or buzzards.
She went 13 straight without a miss. Gun, crossbow, compound, she was my assassin for a long time before she had to pay her dues! She's bummed out, but it happens and we still have time. Might result to cherry picking one of the big does behind the house, but we'll get it done!
cspot
Member
That sucks Jesse. Sounds like maybe just a muscle hit? If so then he will likely be fine and hopefully maybe gets another crack at him. Is he a buck you get on your trail camera's regularly? If so maybe you will get some proof that he is still kicking.
I feel confident it wasn't a lethal hit and will probably be able to confirm next cam check. He is a deer I've had on cam before and it easily recognizable to me since his genetics are the same as the buck I lost last year. Definitely brothers IMO.
Agreed. She's killed a few at that distance and beyond, plus that gun is good to 2 bills, so we both felt comfortable taking the shot. That said, I could hear what sounded like the stock slipping a couple times on the sticks. I wonder how solid she really was on the rest. Never know for sure, so hopefully the cams tell us some good news.
- 25,122
- 261
I haven't given up just yet, but it's been nothing short of "close, but no cigar" again and again with my backyard deer efforts. With Tracie missing a deer for the first time in 13 tries during the bonus weekend, I think the "Lucky 13" curse wore off on me. Again. I've been seeing a couple nice bucks here at the house and the one below is one I said I'd shoot back in the summer when I first saw. I figured if I still had a tag in my pocket come late season, he'd be a good one for it. My first night in the blind I set up out back of our house was this evening this pic was taken. He'd been in there at 5:08 on Christmas day, so I was expecting similar movement with identical conditions. By 5:15, I couldn't see my pins well enough for my liking, so I scanned the surroundings and nothing was visible/audible, so I headed for the house. With plenty of legal light left, he made an appearance while I watched helplessly from the kitchen window. The next two hunts only produced small bucks. The first night I took off, he came back. Last night, he was there with another buck I'd shoot, both well before last light. There's still time and I WILL fill my buck tag this year even if I shoot a scrub buck. Meat is meat at this point, especially here at the house.
_______________________
2017 Stats
Antlerless Sightings: 50
Bucks Sightings: 20
Different Bucks: 15
Shooters Seen: 4
Total Sightings: 70
Deer Killed: 0
Morning Hunts: 9
Evening Hunts: 11
All Day Sits: 5
Skunked Hunts: 5
Total Hunts: 25
Hours on Stand: 120
Average Time Per Hunt: 4 Hours 48 Minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1
_______________________
2017 Stats
Antlerless Sightings: 50
Bucks Sightings: 20
Different Bucks: 15
Shooters Seen: 4
Total Sightings: 70
Deer Killed: 0
Morning Hunts: 9
Evening Hunts: 11
All Day Sits: 5
Skunked Hunts: 5
Total Hunts: 25
Hours on Stand: 120
Average Time Per Hunt: 4 Hours 48 Minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1
To keep pace with the rest of my season, I hunted muzzleloader perhaps as hard as I've ever hunted. I was out all 4 days, walked 10+ miles, saw 39 deer and had a season's worth of chances to shoot deer. However I was after antlers and those just didn't show. Very thankful for the monster doe Tracie killed, so that was a win for the season.
I revamped my blind behind the house in hopes I can fill at least one, maybe 2 tags back there. This will be my last season here in this house, so I might as well get my monies worth! With the front coming through on Friday night, I expect some opportunities Sat-Tues next week.
_______________________
2017 Stats
Antlerless Sightings: 88
Bucks Sightings: 21
Different Bucks: 15
Shooters Seen: 4
Total Sightings: 109
Deer Killed: 0
Morning Hunts: 12
Evening Hunts: 15
All Day Sits: 5
Skunked Hunts: 6
Total Hunts: 32
Hours on Stand: 138
Average Time Per Hunt: 4 Hours 18 Minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1
I revamped my blind behind the house in hopes I can fill at least one, maybe 2 tags back there. This will be my last season here in this house, so I might as well get my monies worth! With the front coming through on Friday night, I expect some opportunities Sat-Tues next week.
_______________________
2017 Stats
Antlerless Sightings: 88
Bucks Sightings: 21
Different Bucks: 15
Shooters Seen: 4
Total Sightings: 109
Deer Killed: 0
Morning Hunts: 12
Evening Hunts: 15
All Day Sits: 5
Skunked Hunts: 6
Total Hunts: 32
Hours on Stand: 138
Average Time Per Hunt: 4 Hours 18 Minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1
- 25,122
- 261
Good luck! That backyard has been pretty good to you over the last several years. Hopefully that will continue this season.
