Phil's 2022-2023 season

["J"]

Damn was hoping you’d of found him. Sorry too hear this buddy. I know you did your due diligence.

 

[hickslawns]

Just made one more round of searching. Three different ventures to look. More or less a grid search of standing pasture grass this time. Nothing. I am going with "non fatal hit."

 

[Redhunter1012]

You did your due diligence Phil. We've all been there buddy. You'll get on another soon enough

 

[Isaacorps]

Just made one more round of searching. Three different ventures to look. More or less a grid search of standing pasture grass this time. Nothing. I am going with "non fatal hit."

I’d have to agree. The girlfriend of a guy I work with hit one very similarly early in the season and they never found it. 3 weeks later she killed it and they recovered it. Upon opening it up they discovered it was a high hit and the arrow was still in it, broadhead protruding from the off side. Here’s hoping you get another crack at him!

 

[Sgt Fury]

Deer are tough! When I went to the butcher in Logan, he had a shitload of broadheads w/ broken arrow shafts in a huge container on display. Also had a bunch of bullets and slugs that he recovered from them. I’ve seen shoulder blades that grew around the broadhead that was imbedded in it. Hopefully he comes around again soon and gives you another shot.

 

[hickslawns]

Started with a four point cruising thru at first light. He would end up all over the property getting his steps all morning. Saw 2 does 200-300yds away. He harassed them beiefly. Later saw my antelope spike that might have 4 points off his two main beams.

I'm stupid. Was wrapping up my gear to climb down when the woods went nuts. At least 2 small does and 2 small bucks chasing like mad. At one point the 4pt was chasing her up and down the creek. Not along the edge. Right down the middle of the creek. I watched them come and go for about 30-45min. Decided there weren't going to be any big bucks join. Climbed down to go eat and get some work done. I know better. Oh well. If the big boys show up I guess they will be safe.

Hunts: 9
Evening: 7
Morning: 2
Hours: 3.5
Deer seen: 6
Does: 4
Bucks: 2
In bow range: 1
Season totals:
Deer seen: 41
Bucks: 21
Does: 20
In bow range: 8

Season hours: 26

 

[hickslawns]

Good hunt. Busted nothing coming in. Had the resident 4pt walk 5yds from tree downwind just before legal light. He sniffed a bit, smelled smoke, and kept moving. Later saw a spike or maybe forkhorn. Couldn't tell. Not a lot of bone. One random little doe gain. Late I saw a 7pt that is cool. Decent body. One side just a big crab claw. Other side a 4pt side with a couple acorns on top of two of the tines. I may hit him given the chance. Mainly because he is cool looking, we need the burger, and he needs to go. I don't really believe you can cull deer I this area and make a difference. But. . . As far down as our numbers have been since EHD, I think it "might" a tiny bit make a difference for future genetics. If not? I don't care. Had my shot. Botched it. If this dude presents a shot, I'll be thankful for the meat.

Also cleared out a tree for a climber. I'm thinking gun season mobility.

Saw the resident mink and owl again too.



Hunts: 10
Evening: 7
Morning: 3
Hours: 3.75
Deer seen: 4

Does: 1
Bucks: 3
In bow range: 1
Season totals:
Deer seen: 45
Bucks: 24
Does: 21
In bow range: 9

Season hours: 29.75

 

[hickslawns]

Well son of a biscuit. I'm back in the game. Farmer picking the last standing corn on the block about 1/4-1/2 mile to my west and right along the creek. Suppose I'll sit longer. Made it home. Grabbed crackers, pop tarts, a water, and half a swig of coffee. I've found some more motivation. Yeehaw cowboy, let's do this!

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

Good luck Philbert

 

[hickslawns]

I text the farmer sitting with the hopper and told him he ruined my half a work day. . Wasn't a big field. Maybe 10-15 acres. He text when they were done and said they never saw a deer. So I did a rattling sequence at 1230. I'll wait a bit and slide back out. Squirrels are active. Leaves are dry now and they are keeping me alert.

 

[hickslawns]

Easy write up. Saw nothing. Rattled after farmer left. Still saw nothing. Off to get work done.

Hunts: 11
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 7
Morning: 3
Hours: 2
Deer seen: 0
Does:
Bucks:
In bow range:
Season totals:
Deer seen: 45
Bucks: 24
Does: 21
In bow range: 9

Season hours: 31.75

 

[hickslawns]

Did my recon/observation sit. I see nothing has changed. It is a hot or miss stand and it was a miss. I did rattle twice. Once early and once around 920. The second rattle sequence brought in a forkhorn 10min later. Got out. Swapped a couple cards. Going to check them to see if the buck I hit is still alive. Hoping he is on camera. Didn't bust anything coming in or out.

Hunts: 12
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 7
Morning: 4
Hours: 3.75
Deer seen: 1
Does:
Bucks: 1
In bow range:
Season totals:
Deer seen: 46
Bucks: 25
Does: 21
In bow range: 9

Season hours: 35.5

 

[hickslawns]

Busted butt to get some working and get in the stand out to sit and have no action. Rain moved out so it was a quiet entrance. Pretty calm in the last 45min the winds really picked up. Kind of bizarre. It was out of nowhere and I don't know that it was forecasted. Like a switch for a massive fan turned on. Saw three tiny does in the last fifteen minutes. Slid out without busing anything out.

Hunts: 13
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 8
Morning: 4
Hours: 2
Deer seen: 3
Does: 3
Bucks:
In bow range:
Season totals:
Deer seen: 49
Bucks: 25
Does: 24
In bow range: 9

Season hours: 37.5

 

[hickslawns]

Well, not as much action as I had hoped with this cold front and snow arriving. 3 small does congregated shortly after sunrise. Watched a mink. Watched my owl friend. Did hear a tractor running briefly. I suspect they will be working the field and are staging equipment. That kicked a buck up and I saw him thru the trees trotting along. Just a glimpse here and there. Decent rack but couldn't tell if it was a shooter or not. Back to work i go because they are telling me it's going to snow.

Hunts: 14
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 8
Morning: 5
Hours: 2.5
Deer seen: 4
Does: 3
Bucks:1
In bow range:
Season totals:
Deer seen: 53
Bucks: 26
Does: 27
In bow range: 9

Season hours: 40

 

[hickslawns]

Slid in quietly. 15-20min in and I had a small buck come in and put on a show rubbing saplings. Other than glimpses of deer in the field thru the trees, he is all I saw. Camera showed lots of activity on the path I walked in on and it had cleared out before I exited the stand.


Hunts: 15
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 9
Morning: 5
Hours: 2.5
Deer seen: 1
Does: 0
Bucks:1
In bow range: 1
Season totals:
Deer seen: 54
Bucks: 27
Does: 27
In bow range: 10

Season hours: 42.5

 

[hickslawns]

Been swapping a card every hunt on my exit. Finally got pics of the buck I shot last Sunday. He is alive and seems to be doing well. I need passenger side pics to see how I looks. He wouldn't pose with the impact side towards the camera. Such a great relief to finally get him on camera. 820pm and again at 620am this morning. I am so thankful.

 

[hickslawns]

Nice hunt. Just none of the boys showed up. Had two little girls with faint spots hang out under me half an hour. 2 adult and 2 juvenile does passed thru at 40-50yds. No bucks followed. Later saw the fawns way out in the field at last light. I did see one suspected buck hundreds of yards away. He was so tiny I couldn't see antlers as the light was getting low. Walked like a buck. Scent checked like a buck. Went back to trotting to the next spot on his own. He was so far away I'm not even going to count him. Lol

Hunts: 16
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 10
Morning: 5
Hours: 3
Deer seen: 7
Does: 6
Bucks:1
In bow range: 2
Season totals:
Deer seen: 61
Bucks: 28
Does: 33
In bow range: 12

Season hours: 45.5

 

[hickslawns]

Cold and windy. Almost made it a ground hunt at one point. Tree got to swaying pretty good. Sat for 2hrs 20 minutes when I saw a deer 100-200yds away. 5 minutes later I saw another do the same thing except stop and head back a little bit and feed. Thinking the first was a buck and second was a doe. 5 minutes later we were out of legal shooting light. That is all.

Hunts: 17
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 11
Morning: 5
Hours: 2.5
Deer seen: 2
Does: 1
Bucks:1
In bow range:
Season totals:
Deer seen: 63
Bucks: 29
Does: 34
In bow range: 12

Season hours: 48

 

[hickslawns]

Windy and cold. 10 degree wind-chill factor. Saw two does come across field. Far away. Later had small bucks cross towards me from other side of the field. Got all the way over and boogied back across field. Probably 400+ yards. Weird. Heard one youth gun shot early. Very distant and faint. Did end up seeing the two does again later but not in range. Thought the cold would have them moving. Definitely did not.

Hunts: 18
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 11
Morning: 7
Hours: 4.25
Deer seen: 3
Does: 2
Bucks:1
In bow range:
Season totals:
Deer seen: 66
Bucks: 30
Does: 36
In bow range: 12

Season hours: 52.25

 

[hickslawns]

Where to start? Got settled in. Had a doe and fawn pop out. Watched them from a couple hundred yards away. 1.5hrs of light left. Feeling good about things. They worked within 30yds but does are off limits and she was all sorts of spooky with a little bucks running around pushing deer. Watched groups of two or three pop out from all over after that. Every one of them hundreds of yards away. Had a buck come thru but he was out of bow range. He watched from a distance. After they left bow range more deer popped out. I ended up counting 11 total. Had I known there were so many does in this area, I would have let her have it. The basket rack ran them all off and one deer just hung out all alone. I glassed and noticed it was a button buck. My wife keeps mentioning the freezer nearing empty. So this little guy finally eases his was a couple hundred yards and decides to walk 20yards in front of me. Bad idea. I shoot. He jumps and runs 50-60yards and slows to a walk. I'm glassing and see no blood. He acts like nothing happened. I lose sight and then a few seconds later see a deer walk away on an angle towards a thicket. Easily several hundred yards away. Walking like nothing happened. I'm baffled. My shooting has sucked and I had my son's crossbow. It was a grocery store mission. Zero nerves. No reason to miss. It was a crossbow at 20yds? How in the world did I miss?

I wait until last light to get down and look for the bolt. Had a buddy hunting the same property who walked over to help look. Still finding no arrow. Then he finds blood. I followed the blood back to the arrow and it is covered. We follow sparse blood to copious amounts and it zig zags a bit until we lose it. Steve is like "how did he stop bleeding? He was dumping good." I shine my light 10-20yds ahead and see him laying there. There is our answer. He ran out of blood.

Hunts: 19
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 12
Morning: 7
Hours: 2.5
Deer seen: 11
Does: 9
Bucks:2
In bow range: 4
Season totals:
Deer seen: 77
Bucks: 32
Does: 45
In bow range: 16

Season hours: 54.75