Blackbeard's 2013-2014 Hunting Journal

[Blackbeard]

11/02/13- AM. Hunted on the ground in some pines, saw a few does, nice morning.

11/02/13- PM. Saw two deer, a doe being chased by dogs and a borderline shooter 8-9 pt being chased by the same dogs, first apast me wide open at 35 yds then he circled and came back wide open right underneath my stand, needless to say a grunt nor yell wouldn't stop him, not good. I forsee a talk with the neighbors in the very near future.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/03/13- AM. Grunted in a small 8pt and didn't see anything else. Nice morning. Ready for a wind switch from the west to the east for a few days so I can hunt some different stand sites.

11/03/13- PM. Watched a mature doe and her fawn eat all evening. Scrapes starting to be made. Saw two new scrapes walking in. I hate squirrels and hickory nuts.....

11/04/13- AM. Saw a small half-rack 6, two does, and a spike. No chasing. Maybe some seeking. The path I cut to this stand which is down a drainage ditch has a rubline coming up it. Very few rubs for the third year in a row. A rubline around here has been hard to find.

 

[dante322]

Very few rubs for the third year in a row. A rubline around here has been hard to find.

Same here. i've been finding small rubs, but they just seem to be in random places with no line or pattern to them.

 

[Curran]

Always enjoy reading your updates BB. Seems like sign is starting to pop up now. Talked to my buddy who was down at the cabin and he said it really started to open up this past weekend. Hope things start to break loose around you & you arrow a big one!!

 

[finelyshedded]

I've been noticing the same thing here in the SW on the property I hunt as well. Very little buck sign. Just small rubs and one small scrape. Never before has this happened?!?

Sounds like you're seeing deer and having decent hunts BB. Things have to get better from here on out for you! Good luck!

 

[Blackbeard]

11/05/13- AM. Hunted my walnut tree at edge of hollow treestand this morning, never saw anything until 8:15 when a spike came under me and then bedded 25 yds from me for 45 minutes. My lord I thought he'd never leave. Took a quick ride around the mowed roads around my overgrown field on the back side of my property and there are scrapes everywhere. I don't hunt back there until later on just because its hard to get in and out of. But with sign like I saw today I'm gonna have to spend some time back there, it was tore up.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Good deal BB! Lay one low!!!

 

[Blackbeard]

11/05/13- PM. Hunted one of my thicket stands. Saw two does about 4:30 then nothing else. Did some rattling and grunting but nothing. Spooked one leaving in the dark, sounded big on the hoof. Back at it tomorrow morning.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/06/13- AM. Hunted a saddle/fenceline funnel between bedding and feeding. Saw 6 does all together that were acting real weird. Nothing behind them and upwind of me so not sure what was up. Did some rattling and grunting with no buck sightings. Took the long way out to check on buck sign since the wind was blowing hard and covering my noisy footsteps and found a good scrape line and a couple rubs. Scrapes being worked hard right now.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/07/13- AM. Hunted a ground spot overlooking a swamp crossing. Saw two does before 8 then had a spike come through at 8 and get 18 yds from me but he never new I was there. Love these up close sightings from the ground! No rut activity to report. Have not heard a grunt, saw a buck chase a doe, or saw anything other than scrapes appearing alot.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/08/13- AM. Hunted in some oaks in a corner next to an overgrown field. Saw six does and 1 spike. No rutting activity witnessed although 3 of the does may have been running because they were being harassed by a buck.

11/08/13- PM. Hunted in my overgrown field. Saw a 140" buck and a 130" buck. The 140" was chasing a doe and the 130" was trying to get in on the action. I didn't know the 130" was there until the 140" snort wheezed at him. They were within 25 yards, the doe actually within 10 yards, and I was on the ground and could not get a shot for briars, etc. Very frustrating. Two packs of coyotes entered the field at dark and did some chilling barks and howls. Got back to the house and my wife said she saw a nice buck in our yard walking beside our concrete patio. Things sure heated up today, deer everywhere.

11/09/13- AM. Hunted a ladder stand in the middle of my overgrown field. Saw two does. No rutting activity witnessed.

11/09/13-PM. Hunted the same ladder stand in the middle of my overgrown field. Jumped two going in and heard a couple eating honeysuckle before dark. No rutting activity witnessed.

 

[hickslawns]

Just a matter of putting as much time in the stand as you can now BB. Sounds like it anyway. Obviously need to put time in the right stands, but sounds like it is heating up for you. Good luck.

 

[finelyshedded]

Glad to hear things are picking up great for you BB! Now it's just a matter of picking the right treestand to which to hunt. Good luck!

 

[Big_Holla]

Keep at it Kurtis!! If anyone can stick one I know you can!!

 

[Blackbeard]

11/10- PM. Hunted a strip of timber at the back of a pasture field. Saw one doe walking through the pasture field about 5:00 and one deer after dark (unknown).
11/11- AM. Hunted a thicket where does bed and a stand that always produces one good buck sighting. The place is loaded with honeysuckle so should be smokin with the lack of acorns. Saw one doe which appeared to have been bumped under my stand. The presumed bumper buck never showed.
11/12-PM. Hunted my feed site. Got busted by a deer after climbing up. Saw and heard a small buck grunting and searching my overgrown field. Cold evening.
11/13-AM. Hunted in the middle of my overgrown field. Deer were everywhere on my way to stand before daylight. Even spooked a deer in the woods beside the house when I closed my basement door. Saw one doe in the field around 8. It was so cold the estrous scent dripping off my scent wick formed into an icicle.

 

[Hortontoter]

You have had some good action Kurtis. Sooner or later a good one has to show.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/14- AM. Hunted the thicket stand again which has all the honeysuckle. Saw two does eating honeysuckle at 80 yds after daylight, then a doe with a pegleg (no hoof on her back right leg) eating honeysuckle at 25 yds a little later, then a small 8pt came cruising under me and checked all the doe paths in the thicket a little later, then around 8:30 I heard a buck grunt a few times in the thicket below me. Second buck never showed his face. I would have shot the doe but she was healthy, moving ok, and there aren't any coyotes in this area so maybe she'll make it awhile.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/14- PM. Hunted my walnut tree stand which sits at the edge of a grassy/brushy hollow surrounded by pines. Heard a deer walking around up the hollow at 5:20, then finally got an eye on what it was, a decent buck who was eating some honeysuckle maybe making some rubs. He was about 120 yards away and after I figured he wasn't coming down the hollow toward me I grunted to him. No response. He actually walked farther away. I waited a while then grunted some more, more aggressively. After a few minutes he started heading my way. On his walk toward me I identified him as a 9pt which I saw get chased by a dog earlier this month. I decided I'd shoot him if I got the chance. Ear width but tall, medium mass. Needs another year but I'm getting desperate. He walked into the hollow, made a scrape, thrashed some saplings, and passed by at 50 yards. He then turned up the hollow, made another rub, and started back my way. He stopped at 40 yards, and I had a shot, but I was sure he was going to take a few more steps and be closer to 30. But he didn't. He went back to where he came....not good. I then snort wheezed 2-3 times and he came back to within 50 yards, thrashed some saplings, then a doe came out on the other side of the hollow and he chased her a little. Not heavy chasing just lunged at her. By this time it was dark and they were 50-60 yards away and I was stuck. They then came closer, within 20 yards (wouldn't you know), and he lunged at her some more. I stayed until 6:50 before I got down. They both spooked but I had to get home. Probably didn't know what I was but the moon was shining bright so who knows. Should have took the 40 yard shot but I had a small window and don't like shooting that far. Opportunity missed....again.

 

[Blackbeard]

11/15- AM. Hunted a ladderstand in the middle of my overgrown field. At 8:10 a buck came toward me upwind through the field, starting at about 100 yards, smelling trees until he was about 30 yards. He then stepped out into the mowed path and locked up behind a limb in front of me at 20 yards and I drew, and then he turned and walked toward me. So I held, held, held, then had to let down oh so gently and he stopped because I believe he got a whiff of estrous scent, then turned around and began walking the other way again (quartering away). At 25 yards I grunted to stop him and then let him have it. He did the death run and I saw a little bit of arrow sticking out but not much. I had double lunged him and hit the opposite side shoulder. He ran about 60 yards and crashed. So I went and got the boys to recover him. The experience with my boys is better than size of the buck's rack that's for sure. He wasn't the one I was after but after missing a couple chances lately and wanting to have my boys (especially William the 4 year old) experience blood trailing and finding a buck I went ahead and shot this buck.

The stand.


The boys on the ride in.


The arrow laying about 5 yards from where the buck was standing.


William got pretty excited at this point, blood trailing a buck for the first time.


William led the blood trailing and me and Walker followed behind. William found some blood but liked to go a little faster than I like (without finding blood)! Not too far from the buck William found this blood splattered on some weeds all by himself.


Then William took a few steps and said "There's the buck". He ran down and got his hands on the rack immediately.


And this is how we drag deer out of the woods!


The kill photo back at the house. Great experience.

 

[Big_Holla]

Great journal entry for your year right there Kurtis!! Congrats again!! Heck, I could see a collage of pics under the skull of that buck on your wall!!