1023's 2018-2019 Hunting Log

[bowhunter1023]

Time to get back out there! Sitting in line to pick up K from school, then we're heading out for our first hunt together this year. The wind is perfect for the ground blind that's behind our future house and I expect the oak flat will have enough acorns to draw in somethin, but we'll have fun either way.

Tomorrow AM, I'm going to dry run my new Lone Wolf climber setup. I have a spot that's best for an E wind, but it's high enough on the ridge and sits close enough to high wall, that the morning thermals and a WNW will still work. It's a bit risky, but I don't have a single stand that best with that wind direction, so it's always a gamble. The platform that I bought off Hicks will fix my strong W wind issue though!

I'm on a doe mission this weekend more than anything. A little warmup before game time would be nice!

 

[bowhunter1023]

Skunked.

Rethinking tomorrow's strategy now. Wishing I had a well defined "transition" area between "bedding" and "food". Whole damn farm is a transiting bedroom stuffed with food. LOL

 

[bowhunter1023]

Couple fun hunts this weekend. As Brock would say, all the fun and none of the mess! Looking forward to the next month and all that it may, or may not bring!
_______________________

2018 Stats

Antlerless Sightings: 5
Bucks Sightings: 1
Different Bucks: 1
Shooters Seen: 0
Total Sightings: 6

Deer Killed: 0

Morning Hunts: 2
Evening Hunts: 1
All Day Sits: 0
Skunked Hunts: 1
Total Hunts: 3

Hours on Stand: 7

Average Time Per Hunt: 2 hours 20 minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1

 

[Joel]

Good luck man. I’ve had about the same number of hours hunting as you so far but with zero deer sightings lol. So you’re off to a better start than me and there’s lots of deer season ahead!

 

[bowhunter1023]

I realized while I was on stand today, that I killed my first buck with a bow 15 years ago today. He was my first buck period, too. That had me hoping for some luck today, but it wasn't in the cards.

I settled in at 6:30 and endured the cold, a down pouring of oak leaves, and numerous false alarms (AKA tree rats) before I finally say a deer at 9:15. It was just a WV 11-point, but it was good to know I wouldn't be skunked! I bailed at 11 to get the blood flowing again and a change of scenery. I dropped off one ridge, paused in the creek to make a deposit, then hit the other ridge for the afternoon. I ate lunch at the bottom of my tree, dressed again, then climbed into my stand around 12:15. Then the blackbirds came. Son.

After those bastards left, it was a pleasant afternoon. All was still, other than squirrels of course, until 4:15 when I saw a mature doe with BB in tow at 100 yards. WTF? Might as well been September 11 the way they acted. At 4:40, I caught movement 200 yards out moving parallel to me and heading out of my life. I knew it was a good buck, so I hit the grunt call, but got no response. I was able to get enough glass time to decipher it was the buck I call Dozer II and the same buck I was there to kill. He's the only older age class buck known to any of us in a 500-acre block right now, so he's clearly everyone's #1.

So, it was a long day on the stand, but it was a beautiful one. I stayed pretty warm most of the day. I saw a beautiful sunrise and sunset. I caught a break from the hectic rat race I've been running the last few months and most importantly, I had fun and came home safely to my girls.

'Twas a good day Tater.
_______________________

2018 Stats

Antlerless Sightings: 11
Bucks Sightings: 3
Different Bucks: 3
Shooters Seen: 1
Total Sightings: 14

Deer Killed: 0

Morning Hunts: 3
Evening Hunts: 1
All Day Sits: 1
Skunked Hunts: 1
Total Hunts: 5

Hours on Stand: 20

Average Time Per Hunt: 4 hours
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1

 

[Gordo]

Stay after it buddy

 

[finelyshedded]

Good stuff Jesse!

 

[Redneckfucker]

S

I realized while I was on stand today, that I killed my first buck with a bow 15 years ago today. He was my first buck period, too. That had me hoping for some luck today, but it wasn't in the cards.

I settled in at 6:30 and endured the cold, a down pouring of oak leaves, and numerous false alarms (AKA tree rats) before I finally say a deer at 9:15. It was just a WV 11-point, but it was good to know I wouldn't be skunked! I bailed at 11 to get the blood flowing again and a change of scenery. I dropped off one ridge, paused in the creek to make a deposit, then hit the other ridge for the afternoon. I ate lunch at the bottom of my tree, dressed again, then climbed into my stand around 12:15. Then the blackbirds came. Son.

After those bastards left, it was a pleasant afternoon. All was still, other than squirrels of course, until 4:15 when I saw a mature doe with BB in tow at 100 yards. WTF? Might as well been September 11 the way they acted. At 4:40, I caught movement 200 yards out moving parallel to me and heading out of my life. I knew it was a good buck, so I hit the grunt call, but got no response. I was able to get enough glass time to decipher it was the buck I call Dozer II and the same buck I was there to kill. He's the only older age class buck known to any of us in a 500-acre block right now, so he's clearly everyone's #1.

So, it was a long day on the stand, but it was a beautiful one. I stayed pretty warm most of the day. I saw a beautiful sunrise and sunset. I caught a break from the hectic rat race I've been running the last few months and most importantly, I had fun and came home safely to my girls.

'Twas a good day Tater.
_______________________

2018 Stats

Antlerless Sightings: 11
Bucks Sightings: 3
Different Bucks: 3
Shooters Seen: 1
Total Sightings: 14

Deer Killed: 0

Morning Hunts: 3
Evening Hunts: 1
All Day Sits: 1
Skunked Hunts: 1
Total Hunts: 5

Hours on Stand: 20

Average Time Per Hunt: 4 hours
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1

Smoked a little tree rat today for chewing on my camera

 

[bowhunter1023]

Cold couple hours on stand today, but I put in the effort for whatever it's worth.
_______________________

2018 Stats

Antlerless Sightings: 14
Bucks Sightings: 4
Different Bucks: 4
Shooters Seen: 1
Total Sightings: 18

Deer Killed: 0

Morning Hunts: 4
Evening Hunts: 1
All Day Sits: 1
Skunked Hunts: 1
Total Hunts: 6

Hours on Stand: 22

Average Time Per Hunt: 3 hours 40 minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: <1

 

[bowhunter1023]

Pretty solid day in the woods today. That's only the second time I've drawn my bow on a buck in 13 years of hunting there, so it was a moral victory at the very least. Seeing 10 antlerless is good too, but the lack of rutting activity was mind boggling with that many ladies running around. (I saw at least 5 different mature does.) Not sure if I'll get to hunt tomorrow with some stuff that's going on in the family, but at least I got to enjoy today.
_______________________

2018 Stats

Antlerless Sightings: 24
Bucks Sightings: 8
Different Bucks: 6
Shooters Seen: 2
Total Sightings: 32

Deer Killed: 0

Morning Hunts: 5
Evening Hunts: 2
All Day Sits: 1
Skunked Hunts: 1
Total Hunts: 8

Hours on Stand: 32

Average Time Per Hunt: 4 hours
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: 1

 

[bowhunter1023]

This is the buck I was drawn and couldn't get a clean shot on. Trail cam pic is from the 8th on our farm and he was killed tonight by a buddy of mine who owns 20 acres just to the E of ours. Shot him at last light while trailing a doe and grunting. One more off the list. At least this one stays local.

 

[Fletch]

Darn... Thought we got some points..

 

[giles]

Again...mother fuck man...sorry bro.

 

[Dustinb80]

Damn it man. At least you know

 

[hickslawns]

He was a dandy! Sucks but like Dustin said, at least you aren't chasing a ghost.

 

[Bigslam51]

You have some shit luck! Like you said though, at least he's staying local and not going to North Carolina.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Still grinding away. Saw two does tonight and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Yesterday, I moved a stand behind the house at midday. I hung it with the leaves on and was embarrassed to even see it hanging there after the leaves came down. The first pic is from the same angle where I was most vulnerable before the move. I dropped a few young maples that were competing with a nice young oak and fell them over the trail that was cutting around this brush pile. This will force deer to walk N of me, which is what I want since this is a N-NW set. Second pic was taken on a well-used trail that angles through the oak flat offering me several quartering shots from 13-33 yards. I'll be spending some evenings in this set from here on out. I have a nice bait site going 100 yards east of here that will pull deer through the flat, likely along the quad trail 25 yards away. Anything with antlers I see after muzzy is over is in trouble!

_______________________

2018 Stats

Antlerless Sightings: 35
Bucks Sightings: 10
Different Bucks: 6
Shooters Seen: 2
Total Sightings: 45

Deer Killed: 0

Morning Hunts: 7
Evening Hunts: 4
All Day Sits: 2
Skunked Hunts: 1
Total Hunts: 13

Hours on Stand: 45

Average Time Per Hunt: 3 hours 27 minutes
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: 1

 

[bowhunter1023]

When I scheduled to have today and tomorrow off, I dreamt of single digits and snow. Silly me. I stayed home today to get some stuff done and hang with my youngest. Tomorrow's weather is going to be terrible, which had me thinking I'd just go to work, but I'm going to enjoy another day off by making my last hunt of the season on the farm in the AM. Anything with antlers is in danger and if I fail to connect, that'll end season 14 on the farm and not a buck tag punched. The monkey gained weight this year unfortunately...

 

[cspot]

I will say that this has to be the worst weather as a whole for a hunting season that I have ever remembered. Lots of rain and warm. Not the best for deer hunting.

 

[giles]

I will say that this has to be the worst weather as a whole for a hunting season that I have ever remembered. Lots of rain and warm. Not the best for deer hunting.

Deer still gotta eat and breed!

Good luck tomorrow Jesse! I hope you get just what you need. I look forward to the text after it happens.