I love reading this stuff Brock. I usually save your's for when Im real tired in the middle of my all night shifts. Congrats to you guys on the Doe. When I read these stories of you guys, It just makes me so darn anxious for Greyson to be old enough. A few more years
Brock/Mason go huntin
- Thread starter brock ratcliff
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I hunted alone yesterday morning. I saw a small buck and doe, some squirrels, and got to watch a coyote barking like the neighborhood mut.
This morning, I went up to Fayette. Activity has been fairly slow around my sets, so I went up there to get a measure of the goings on in the deer world. I can see a long, long way from my stands, and if they are running wild, I'll see it up there even though they may be a long way off. I saw two nice bucks on the way up, a rare sight. Got to my stand and waited for sunrise. Shortly afterward, I saw a dink buck that followed the scent of Mason's doe's tarsal all the way to my stand. About 740 or so a 100" 8 point walked directly under my fencerow stand and onto the next little woodlot, where he was promptly greeted by a really nice 9 point. They both fed in the cut bean field for a time after the small buck gave the bigger one his props. To say I passed the 9 would be an overstatement, but I had him in the open at 50 yds, doable, but I never took my bow off the hook...he isn't what we are after this year, at least not yet. After they left, I saw the small 8 again and a coyote, which laid down in a field 100 yds downwind from me for a time. I need to start toting a rifle up there instead of a bow.
Below is the coyote, 9 point from today, and a slightly clearer pic of the 150 that Mason passed last weekend. The G2 is hard to see on his right side, but it's there. He's a clean 10.
This morning, I went up to Fayette. Activity has been fairly slow around my sets, so I went up there to get a measure of the goings on in the deer world. I can see a long, long way from my stands, and if they are running wild, I'll see it up there even though they may be a long way off. I saw two nice bucks on the way up, a rare sight. Got to my stand and waited for sunrise. Shortly afterward, I saw a dink buck that followed the scent of Mason's doe's tarsal all the way to my stand. About 740 or so a 100" 8 point walked directly under my fencerow stand and onto the next little woodlot, where he was promptly greeted by a really nice 9 point. They both fed in the cut bean field for a time after the small buck gave the bigger one his props. To say I passed the 9 would be an overstatement, but I had him in the open at 50 yds, doable, but I never took my bow off the hook...he isn't what we are after this year, at least not yet. After they left, I saw the small 8 again and a coyote, which laid down in a field 100 yds downwind from me for a time. I need to start toting a rifle up there instead of a bow.
Below is the coyote, 9 point from today, and a slightly clearer pic of the 150 that Mason passed last weekend. The G2 is hard to see on his right side, but it's there. He's a clean 10.
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What a great hunt! Keep on keepin buddy!!! I'll be waiting for that phone text/call! Good luck to the both of you!
Huckleberry Finn
Senior Member
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Haven't updated in a while, haven't had a heck of a lot of good to say. Pretty sure we got a look at our No.2 shooter on Saturday evening, but it was too dark to say 100%. There was another good buck with him as they chased a couple of does around in a cut bean field right at dark. Aside from that, I've spent a lot of time staring at leaves. I am so burned out at this point I just don't even want to go....but I will. I am missing it. I don't know where the deer are and therefore I'm not setting Mason up on them as I should. I'm viewing this early winter storm as a blessing, a big one. I'd like to just go over to Ross Co to cure the burn out with a big fat doe (I need to shoot something), but instead I plan to burn up some ground tomorrow in search of 'em. They are somewhere, but they sure as heck haven't been in my areas. There is a standing corn field about 3/4 of a mile NE of where we have been hunting. I'm going to find out if they are there. If they are, I'll set up a couple of stands for us. It's not on the farm I've been hunting, but I can get in there if I need to... and yeah, I mean I have permission. 
Mason and I did a little running at mid-day looking for tracks and found some, but we'll get a better idea on concentrations of movement tomorrow with a little "older" snow. Hanging stands in 15 degree weather won't be fun, but it will beat the heck out of hunting where I know the deer no longer are.
This is EXACTLY why I quit hunting a single deer several years ago... It turns into work instead of a good time. I have thought about, looked for, scouted, hunted and thought about these deer some more every stinking day since the middle of August. On a normal year, both of us would have been tagged out with really, really nice deer by now...probably shooting bunnies and talking about what a great bow season it was. Now look at us, or me at least, absolutely fried. To his credit, Mason is apparently not bothered by it all. Then again, he is still foolish enough to believe old dad will pull a rabbit out of this proverbial camouflaged hat.
Is it gun season yet?????:smiley_depressive:
Mason and I did a little running at mid-day looking for tracks and found some, but we'll get a better idea on concentrations of movement tomorrow with a little "older" snow. Hanging stands in 15 degree weather won't be fun, but it will beat the heck out of hunting where I know the deer no longer are. This is EXACTLY why I quit hunting a single deer several years ago... It turns into work instead of a good time. I have thought about, looked for, scouted, hunted and thought about these deer some more every stinking day since the middle of August. On a normal year, both of us would have been tagged out with really, really nice deer by now...probably shooting bunnies and talking about what a great bow season it was. Now look at us, or me at least, absolutely fried.
To his credit, Mason is apparently not bothered by it all. Then again, he is still foolish enough to believe old dad will pull a rabbit out of this proverbial camouflaged hat.Is it gun season yet?????:smiley_depressive:
Hunting particular deer has saved many real good deer and burned out many good hard hunting hunters over the years and I WAS one of them in the mid to late 1990's. Never again though!!!!! I never passed anything in the 140's and up but several 120-130's during a 7 year stretch that left me wondering if I will ever have another close encounter with a OBB qualifier again. Finally in 2002-03 season I rattled in a very young 130" 10 and without batting a eye I shot him......and dang it felt good!!!!!
I will still always set out to hunt and kill the nicest deer in the areas I hunt or slobs that I hear about or catch on camera but he/they better hurry up and come by my stand cuz ever since that 7 year drought from 1995-2002 my patience and memory both have gotten shorter!
So much can happen out of our control these days and many times these huge slobs we chase fall victim to guys from other states or had no prior knowledge of their existence!
I guess the bitterness that the 7 year drought left with me was the potential great memories I never got to experience because I set TOO high of goals for myself and placed too much emphasis on the amount of inches on a deers head and not enough about the hunt.
Good luck to you both Brock!!! Still a lot of season left!
I will still always set out to hunt and kill the nicest deer in the areas I hunt or slobs that I hear about or catch on camera but he/they better hurry up and come by my stand cuz ever since that 7 year drought from 1995-2002 my patience and memory both have gotten shorter!
So much can happen out of our control these days and many times these huge slobs we chase fall victim to guys from other states or had no prior knowledge of their existence!
I guess the bitterness that the 7 year drought left with me was the potential great memories I never got to experience because I set TOO high of goals for myself and placed too much emphasis on the amount of inches on a deers head and not enough about the hunt.
Good luck to you both Brock!!! Still a lot of season left!
lung buster
Senior Member
Your guys season sounds very similar to mine and Andrew's, Brock. Only difference is that my bummed attitude has rubbed off on Andrew so great job to Mason for staying positive! Something will give soon, it has too or at least that's what I keep telling myself! Best of luck to you guys heading into gun week!
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
Know exactly how you feel Brock.Have spent many seasons holding out for one certain buck and letting some really nice ones walk.Told myself this year going with the recurve I would shoot any nice buck that comes by and stuck to it. Hang in there it will happen for you guys but take a day and go shoot a doe to releive that burnout feeling.lol
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Thanks for the words, fellas. I know what this crap is all about, been there and done it before, and that is precisely why I don't do it anymore most years. This year has just been an exception to my rule(s). With Mason having had such a close encounter with that big sucker last year, it consumed him since that day. The way I see it, we don't have a choice in the matter. Knowing that deer is/was around, knowing that we didn't even know he existed until Dec. 7 of last year, we still have a good chance at him. Logically, I know that our best chance to kill him is still to come. Deer hunting is full of ebbs and flows, I KNOW this, but dang if it doesn't get frustrating at times! I'm fine as long as we are seeing deer, the last week or so has really slowed down for us. Not being one to hunt where they aint', I took this morning off from the tree, bundled up and covered 6 miles on the quad running woodlines and field edges on the farm we've been hunting and neighboring properties. Wouldn't you know it, from what I gathered we ARE in the right spots. I didn't see any concentration of activity in the snow any greater than right around our set ups...far less most places. Still, it isn't like the area is over-run with deer. It doesn't have to be, we only want two. I would guess they are still around as I saw some HUGE tracks, mostly around the tiny thicket I ran the big one out of last year. Mason and I already know how to play that if we are still looking for him when gun season rolls around!
Back to a tree tomorrow. Basketball practice at 4 tonight so I won't be out till morning.
I would guess they are still around as I saw some HUGE tracks, mostly around the tiny thicket I ran the big one out of last year. Mason and I already know how to play that if we are still looking for him when gun season rolls around!Back to a tree tomorrow. Basketball practice at 4 tonight so I won't be out till morning.
Still pulling for you guys. There is a saying we have around here that comes to mind right now and I share it with all due respect and love: "You did it to yourself." lmao
74 more days Brock up to and including Feb 1st! :smiley_cheerleader:
ickle::smiley_bike:
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Well my "burn out" is fixed. I'm dying to get back in the woods and can't! Figures. Haven't been in a stand since Monday night. Basketball practice again tonight, we have a huge pizza order that covers all three shifts at a local factory starting @ 230 am tonight and continuing throughout the day tomorrow, and then Friday is a busy, busy day for us. Saturday, however, we'll reign fire and brimstone on 'em if they show up! Basketball @ 1pm on Saturday. Hopefully we'll get out either side of that and knock one down. Honestly, I really, really hope Mason kills one this weekend as I'd love to be free to slip through these thickets with my 1100 during gun season. I feel pretty sure I could get a slug into the other one. I swear, thinking, planning and plotting is far more fun than sitting and waiting.