Hunt one. Saw about 8 in a three hour hunt. Including one shooter in range. No dice.
3hr hunt deer seen
7doe/1 buck
Hunt 2
Nothing.
3hr hunt deer seen
7doe/1 buck
Hunt 2
Nothing.
Phil 2024 2025
- Thread starter hickslawns
- Start date
Hunt 2 ended with me seeing 5 does in the distance. 2.5hr hunt.
Hunt 3 tonight. Had a parade of 5 does come thru. They mosied around, disappeared, and then came back thru. Locked me down. 5 within 20 yards mingling. One even bedded. This attracted 2 more. They eventually left. By this time it was under an hour of shooting light left.
Eventually saw more deer all over the field coming out one or two at a time. The field is probably 100-150acres and from my tree stand I can see the bulk of it. A few were within 100yds. Most were several hundred away. I did manage to see two small bucks. A third after dark while walking out. No clue deer totals. Couldn't tell if there were repeats of the same deer or new deer. I'd estimate 15 different deer seen. Crazy night.
Hunt 3 tonight. Had a parade of 5 does come thru. They mosied around, disappeared, and then came back thru. Locked me down. 5 within 20 yards mingling. One even bedded. This attracted 2 more. They eventually left. By this time it was under an hour of shooting light left.
Eventually saw more deer all over the field coming out one or two at a time. The field is probably 100-150acres and from my tree stand I can see the bulk of it. A few were within 100yds. Most were several hundred away. I did manage to see two small bucks. A third after dark while walking out. No clue deer totals. Couldn't tell if there were repeats of the same deer or new deer. I'd estimate 15 different deer seen. Crazy night.
Night before last. Southerly winds. Didn't work for where I wanted to be. Made a call to be sure I could still hunt a piece I hadn't hunted since the year before last. No cameras. No recon. Just prior history. That's all I needed. Kicked up two little ones maybe 100yds off thru the woods while walking in. Found a nice cluster of 3 trees together. Climbed up with the climber. Settled in. Eventually had 4 does moving around me. All four within 30yds. Something boogered them. They moved out and two came back a few minutes later. They stopped as they were heading towards me and kept looking behind me. I was maybe 15' to my feet off the ground. Even in the cluster of trees, not great cover in a climber. Couldn't move much. Just kept watching them. Eventually I see a buck emerge to my south roughly 100yds. The does moved thru. I thought he was going to continue away from me but curiosity got the better of him and he decided to check these young does out by me. On the fence about him. Probably 20" spread, really nice mass, not the tallest of times, but good sized body. I'm thinking he was mature but just missing the "it factory" to be 140-150-160" deer. Probably in the 130-135" range mainly due to long beams, mass and spread which accompanied his 6-8" tines. Just couldn't quite get a clear shot. Then he exited. Then he came back even closer. Probably should have killed him. I'm going to regret this one for awhile I think.
Pretty sure it was this deer. Picture sent to me by a friend in the area. Non-hunter. Enjoys taking pics. Zoomed in pretty far to capture this image. Nice enough to send it my way.
Pretty sure it was this deer. Picture sent to me by a friend in the area. Non-hunter. Enjoys taking pics. Zoomed in pretty far to capture this image. Nice enough to send it my way.
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Shoot the deer Phil! 
Admire your discipline in logging your hunts for sure, and being able to pass (I think). Keep at it bro
Admire your discipline in logging your hunts for sure, and being able to pass (I think). Keep at it bro
5th hunt of the year. Feels deery. Overcast. Damp. 5-6mph wind. Need one inside 20yds
Felt deery. It was deery. Had a nice show. All 200-500 yards away. One little lost doe was in bow range. I was watching 2 Young bucks pester does. Then a respectable buck ran them off and took his time walking from doe to doe checking them. Honestly lost track of deer. 10-12 does? Definitely 3 bucks.
Southerly winds again. Grabbed the climber. Found my clump of trees again. Felt deery again. Never saw a deer. Farmer has turned the fields over since my last hunt. Thinking the patterns may have changed slightly.
Goose egg.
Goose egg.
Hunt 7 I think. Sure is warm. Southerly winds again. Lightly bumped 3 about 100yds from my tree. Same as before. Hopefully that means they are on this end of the woods tonight. They didn't booger out too stupid. Just decided they didn't want to be there.
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Had one lonely 4 point stroll thru. Not in a hurry. No tongue hanging out. No friends with him. Just randomly wandering thru areas looking for the party. I don't think he found it. Neither did I.
Found a chance to get to the woods tonight. Had 4 in front of me. Meandered back the way they came from. Ended up seeing a pile of deer later but they were all hundreds of yards away across the field. One shooter. One probable shooter. One maybe next year shooter. Maybe 200-300yds away at the closest.
I think I did hunts 9/10 today. Wasn't going to hunt. Less than 2hrs sleep last night. Grabbed climber. Got in late. Almost certain it was the worst/loudest/ungraceful entry I've ever made. Walked 300yds in. Used the climber. Dropped something. Climb down to get it. Climb up. Banging. Stupid. Loud. Sweaty on a 17 degree morning. Ended up seeing 5 deer up by the truck and land owners barns. Later had a doe and little one come thru. Busted me moving. That's all she wrote for the morning.
Evening hunt was slow I told it wasn't slow. Then it was phenomenal if you enjoy watching deer hundreds of yards away. I like to shoot them but I enjoyed watching. I had 8 for move thru at roughly 120yds. Probable shooter buck stayed at 200. No clear shot in spite of open field. I won't shoot that far anyway. Later saw a second shooter. Magical night. Lost track around 25 deer counted.
Evening hunt was slow I told it wasn't slow. Then it was phenomenal if you enjoy watching deer hundreds of yards away. I like to shoot them but I enjoyed watching. I had 8 for move thru at roughly 120yds. Probable shooter buck stayed at 200. No clear shot in spite of open field. I won't shoot that far anyway. Later saw a second shooter. Magical night. Lost track around 25 deer counted.
Hunt 11
Evening hunt. Another phenomenal sit if you enjoy watching deer in the distance. Got them to 200yds today. 5 came inside 100yds. 3 of those 5 about 50-70yds. One yearling committed and hung out under my stand. The deer have clearly been pushed and are yarded up in the area. Standing in the wide open and all of them in high alert. Did manage to see 2 deer that were probably shooters but it was close to last light at 500ish yards away. Another crossed at 200yds early on, but I probably wouldn't have shot him even if he was in my range. Not quite big enough. I "may" have shot him if he got real close simply for the fact I believe he is an older deer. Some deer just aren't going to do much more than 120-130". I think he is one of them. Maybe even on his way down. Doesn't matter. I'm not shooting 200yds with a shotgun.
Evening hunt. Another phenomenal sit if you enjoy watching deer in the distance. Got them to 200yds today. 5 came inside 100yds. 3 of those 5 about 50-70yds. One yearling committed and hung out under my stand. The deer have clearly been pushed and are yarded up in the area. Standing in the wide open and all of them in high alert. Did manage to see 2 deer that were probably shooters but it was close to last light at 500ish yards away. Another crossed at 200yds early on, but I probably wouldn't have shot him even if he was in my range. Not quite big enough. I "may" have shot him if he got real close simply for the fact I believe he is an older deer. Some deer just aren't going to do much more than 120-130". I think he is one of them. Maybe even on his way down. Doesn't matter. I'm not shooting 200yds with a shotgun.
Put a Ravin sticker on it and send it.
I thought those were only good to 400yds? These were closer to 500yds.
okay fineI thought those were only good to 400yds? These were closer to 500yds.
12ga creedmore
