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Blackbeard's 2013-2014 Hunting Journal

Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
I feel almost embarrassed that I have not yet been in a treestand and it is October 3. This is foreign to me and I don't like it one bit. But we had the opportunity to spend a few weeks at the beach this year in September (cheap rate time) since my 1 and 4 year old boys are not in school yet, once in a lifetime thing, and life isn't all about hunting anymore (painful to say that) so I understand. Got three stands hung before leaving and still have 6 to go. Came back with a bad head cold and now out of town for a three day staff meeting. Stand hanging Saturday and Sunday and will probably get a hunt in also. Not too upset right now, just itchin to get up high and get that bow in my hand but I keep telling myself not to worry, its early. But that's hard for someone who is used to hunting just about every day in October and November. So the hunt reports will be coming soon, stay tuned.
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
Forgot a quick funny story. Sunday my boys and I went down to change the card in my camera and put out some corn. I was pumped because on August 30 we fed a wagon load of apples and this was the first time back since then. Poured out the corn, told the boys to stay in the wagon while I changed cards, opened the camera up expecting hundreds of pics and dead batteries and........batteries 99% and 1 photo of me setting the camera on August 30. I forgot to switch the camera on a month ago! I just laughed to myself and told my 4 year old and he laughed, no use to get mad about it. Oh well, at least they ate good for a month without having their picture taken!
 
finelyshedded

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
32,855
274
SW Ohio
I'm with ya man! I'm fit to be tied myself for not being able to get out and hunt yet! It's still pretty warm but I'm going to get out tomorrow for sure! Good luck to you on your first hunt!

I hate checking cams and finding zilch do to human error! It happens though.
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
Got one more stand up today, man it was hot. Humidity lasted until right before dark so I didn't miss much as far as hunting today. Glad to see it rained later this afternoon and washed some of my scent away because there was lots of it. Checked some red oaks today, acorn crop appears to be moderate with good size. Deer are hitting them pretty hard. Gonna put 2-3 more stands up tomorrow and with the rain coming in late Sunday night should work out pretty well for more of my leftover scent being washed away. Hate to be hanging tree stands this late but the rain is certainly welcome. Cold front is only lasting 2 days around here then back into the high 70's and low 80's the rest of the week so don't feel too bad about not hunting yet.
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
Got two stands up on Sunday, first one I walked my ass off before I finally found a place for it, grrrrrr, really sucks when there aren't suitable trees, any big trees for that matter. I like both sets though, both are new stand sites where I've never had a stand before. Glad to see the rain last night too.
 
Big_Holla

Big_Holla

Senior Member
27,180
247
S.E. MI to reside & S.E. OH to LIVE!
Good stuff Blackbeard! Sometimes we have to do stuff like that just to get ready for the fun season. All of ours have been set for a while now but even the last time down and final check had us trimming a few things. Man I cannot wait to get back down to actually hunt!! Good luck and snap a pic on your first set in them!!
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
Here's my first stand set on Sunday. This property has so few trees to get in but I really like this overgrown field that this tree overlooks. It sets up on a hill and overlooks the field which runs along a creek lined with oaks. I've killed some deer here before on the other side of the creek off the ground. I pushed my luck and put it in a small walnut and will be skylined but hopefully it has enough limbs to hide me. I also went about 23-24 ft and with the drop in elevation below it the deer should be between 25-30 feet below. We'll see how it goes, won't be sitting in it for several weeks because I'm keying on it being a rut stand.

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Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
10/11/13- Evening. First hunt of the year, sat on the ground on a brushy hill overlooking a field edge where deer usually cross right before dark. Walking in there were 5 does bedded in the middle of a pasture field in a clump of trees about 60 yards from where I was going to sit. They didn't spook too bad, just walked into the woods. So I was almost to my spot and here comes two more does. I hunkered in the brush and they went into the woods. About 40 minutes later a small 8 pt came into the field and ate for awhile where the does we're then bedded down right where they had been. He stayed for about 1/2 hour then went back into the woods. Later, before dark I saw one other deer far off, a 4-6 pt who wanted me to shoot him about 25 yards away, and another doe. Pretty exciting evening being that it was quite warm (77), wind was calm fo the most part, and the sun was out. I wasn't expecting nearly this much activity. Final tally 8 does, 2 bucks, and 1 unknown.
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
10/12/13- Morning. Hunted in a natural ground blind this morning that sits on the edge of a hollow in a brushy area of a pasture field. Saw four does early, then a buck I didn't get a good look at, then two more does. None were ever in rage. The two does spent more than an hour eating apples about 100 yards away. I didn't know what they were doing because they kept wandering around in the same spot, initially thought they were eating acorns, but when I left I found out. They were just going back and forth eating apples when they fell. Nice morning, cloudy, high 60s, but the mosquitoes were relentless. Got one more stand hung after lunch, and I really like the looks of it.
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
10/14/13- PM. Hunted on the ground along a brushy hollow where I recently found that two apple trees were being hit hard. Saw a small 4-6 pt eating apples and going back to bed at 5:05 on my way in. Didn't see anything for the rest of the hunt until 6:45 when the same buck came back for more apples. It was cool having him at 20 yards but him not knowing I was there because of brush between him and me and my Scentlok camo. Nice evening, overcast, not real warm, and few mosquitoes.
 
Blackbeard

Blackbeard

Senior Member
5,521
73
Oak Hill, OH
10/19/13- AM. Hadn't been out for 4 days and was getting restless waiting for this cold front to come in. Saw one deer walking in that was feeding in the moonlight in a field. Got on stand at 7:00 AM. Nice morning, chilly and overcast. The sun tried to peak out at 8:15 or so but the clouds kept it hidden. Light misty rain most of the morning. I tweaked my back a week ago and for some reason the evening before it started aching and shooting pains, not good. My back was killing me this morning and being in a treestand wasn't helping much. I hadn't saw anything at 9:10 and told myself I wasn't leaving until 10:00. Then, at 9:15 here comes 4 does acting all skittish from behind and downwind of me. They couldn't decide where they wanted to go and ended up coming down the fenceline toward me. About that time I saw what had them stirred up. A spike. He wasn't chasing probably just bothering them. The first big doe come to about 8 yards, went through a fence, and I let her have it. She was quartering away and only 8 yards, just about as easy as it gets. The arrow went in behind the diapraghm and came out through the opposite side lung down low. She ran off slowly with the others and I heard her crash about 50 yards away. Doe down. Pretty exciting morning for about 5 minutes! While I was waiting to get down I saw two more does also. First deer of the year and I'm taking a few days off to get my back straightened up.

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