Frank's 2014 deer hunting Journal
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Hortontoter
Senior Member
Sounds like your having a lot of fun in that tower. The action seems to be quite consistent. Shooting the stand is a bummer and like you said it could be very dangerous. Hopefully this weeks cold weather will keep them on their feet.
11-14
Hunted daybreak till 12.00. Seen 9 does and 5 bucks. One buck was a shooter but only got within 55 yds. headon shot.
I went in 30 minutes early today and set up my doe decoy 20 yds. in front of my tower. I must say the other deer sure gave it a lot of attention. But no good attention. None of the deer except one would get within 35 yds. of the decoy and all were up wind from the decoy. One small buck did circle it and got within 10 yds. offering me a 30 yd. broadside shot.
The shooter buck walked up to it after he seen it broadside but stayed 35 yds. away. Then tired of it and just walked off.
I won't be using the decoy again.
Taking the afternoon of to move my cattle to their winter pasture.
Hit it again in the morning.
Hunted daybreak till 12.00. Seen 9 does and 5 bucks. One buck was a shooter but only got within 55 yds. headon shot.
I went in 30 minutes early today and set up my doe decoy 20 yds. in front of my tower. I must say the other deer sure gave it a lot of attention. But no good attention. None of the deer except one would get within 35 yds. of the decoy and all were up wind from the decoy. One small buck did circle it and got within 10 yds. offering me a 30 yd. broadside shot.
The shooter buck walked up to it after he seen it broadside but stayed 35 yds. away. Then tired of it and just walked off.
I won't be using the decoy again.
Taking the afternoon of to move my cattle to their winter pasture.
Hit it again in the morning.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Pretty much so. I had on my Cabelas extreme weather coveralls. I have my Buddy heater there but the damn thing won't stay burning. I brought my little Coleman up but it's no more than a hand warmer. For some reason the heaters don't want to burn off my 25 lb. take with a holes adaptor. I need to get some 1 lb. tanks and try them.
It was 16 degrees and I left the windows closed so that helped keep the SW wind off me since I face South.
Got the cattle move this afternoon so I can hit the hunting again. I think I'll hunt another week then wait till gun season.
I sorta believe the rut here has about run it's course. Before today I was seeing only fawns and a single doe. Today I seen a herd of 7 does and fawns together. A small 4 pt. buck was checking them but he just went away.
The bucks today where just walking through looking and feeding some.
It was 16 degrees and I left the windows closed so that helped keep the SW wind off me since I face South.
Got the cattle move this afternoon so I can hit the hunting again. I think I'll hunt another week then wait till gun season.
I sorta believe the rut here has about run it's course. Before today I was seeing only fawns and a single doe. Today I seen a herd of 7 does and fawns together. A small 4 pt. buck was checking them but he just went away.
The bucks today where just walking through looking and feeding some.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Could be to much pressure with the 25lb tank. I use a Buddy Heater, but I only use the 1lb tanks. Never had an issue with mine in over 5 years.
The does gathering up may or may not be a good thing. Makes it easy for the bucks to find them at least.
The does gathering up may or may not be a good thing. Makes it easy for the bucks to find them at least.
11-15
I never thought of too much pressure from a 25 lb. tank.
No hunting today. I over did it yesterday with hunting the morning and moving my cattle in the afternoon. I had to repair 6 months of deer damage to the fence, move the cattle, move the water, and move the electric. Everything went well but just a lot of on the feet and stooping.
I have MS related muscle spasms mainly in my legs and they went crazy on me last night. Still having problems this morning. I can't take a chance of leaving the house and have the spasms in my legs take over and I end up on the ground and unable to get back home. Hopefully a day of rest and heat on my legs will solve the problem. It is what it is and I just take what I get and hope for the best.
The only good thing is I only had a 50% bad attack and not a full blown attack with pulled or torn muscles.
I never thought of too much pressure from a 25 lb. tank.
No hunting today. I over did it yesterday with hunting the morning and moving my cattle in the afternoon. I had to repair 6 months of deer damage to the fence, move the cattle, move the water, and move the electric. Everything went well but just a lot of on the feet and stooping.
I have MS related muscle spasms mainly in my legs and they went crazy on me last night. Still having problems this morning. I can't take a chance of leaving the house and have the spasms in my legs take over and I end up on the ground and unable to get back home. Hopefully a day of rest and heat on my legs will solve the problem. It is what it is and I just take what I get and hope for the best.
The only good thing is I only had a 50% bad attack and not a full blown attack with pulled or torn muscles.
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Damn Frank, sorry too hear that.... Take a break they'll be there for you when your healed up.....
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Your eyes, ears and everything else probably need a break TOO. Were all pullin for you. Hope you get back to the tower soon.
You have more than earned a day off. You were busting butt working on the mancave before season (maybe even at the start of season) and have hunted hard lately. Got to take care of yourself. Sometimes a day off is just what the doctor ordered. Feels pretty good too.
Take that much needed break Frank, the deer will still be there when you're rested. The rut is just fine, just the first round of does get bred and there'll be more getting it throughout the next month or so before it tails off IMO. Good luck teammate!
11-16
I took it easy yesterday and was OK to get back to hunting today. Sore but no damage done.
7:45 a doe walks into my food plot 75 yds. away and didn't like the looks of another doe coming from the North. The 1st one just walked into the woods. The 2nd doe walks through the food plot and enters the hay field and walks past me at 20 yds.
Seen nothing until noon and called it quits.
I took it easy yesterday and was OK to get back to hunting today. Sore but no damage done.
7:45 a doe walks into my food plot 75 yds. away and didn't like the looks of another doe coming from the North. The 1st one just walked into the woods. The 2nd doe walks through the food plot and enters the hay field and walks past me at 20 yds.
Seen nothing until noon and called it quits.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
I'll give you this Frank, you have determination. Hopefully one of those bucks show up at 20 yards or so.
I pulled my 2 cam and Plotwatcher Pro cards today. I hunted my woods pinch point trail for about 7 days before the rut and only seen one 4" spike buck. Not like other years were I would see 3-7 bucks per day. I figured my planted food plot next to the woods changed the deer travel routes. Well my thoughts proved to be correct. On the cam pull there was only one daytime buck picture. I hunted the woods the last time on 11-9 and I'll be darn but on 11-10 a shooter buck walked by my stand at 20 yds. And that was the only buck in 10 days. Had several bucks after dark though.
The Plotwatcher Pro only covers about 50% of the 3 ac. food plot and showed 12-15 deer at daybreak on Monday the day of the snow. Then at 5:30 12-15 deer came out of my woods and neighbors brush from all 4 directions.
On Tuesday no morning deer feed the plot. At 5:00 or so there were numerous deer feeding. Couple does feeding within 20 yds. of my tower with a shooter buck feeding there also.
Wednesday numerous deer feeding in the plot after daybreak. Pulled the card at 2:30.
This Plotwatcher Pro is going to be a valuable cam to detail the deer movements on my food plots.
The grandson wants to hunt his 1st buck this weekend during Youth Season. So after reading the corn pile post I dumped 10 gl. of shelled corn 75 yds. from the tower where a main trail comes into my food plot out of the neighbors brush area and there's another good trail 10 yds. away. Be easy shots with my 44 Mag. Ruger auto rifle.
Hell grandpa will be setting there the whole week of gun season. I tried a different propane heater on my 25 lb. tank and it worked fine. Never could make the smaller heaters work properly off the tank.
The Plotwatcher Pro only covers about 50% of the 3 ac. food plot and showed 12-15 deer at daybreak on Monday the day of the snow. Then at 5:30 12-15 deer came out of my woods and neighbors brush from all 4 directions.
On Tuesday no morning deer feed the plot. At 5:00 or so there were numerous deer feeding. Couple does feeding within 20 yds. of my tower with a shooter buck feeding there also.
Wednesday numerous deer feeding in the plot after daybreak. Pulled the card at 2:30.
This Plotwatcher Pro is going to be a valuable cam to detail the deer movements on my food plots.
The grandson wants to hunt his 1st buck this weekend during Youth Season. So after reading the corn pile post I dumped 10 gl. of shelled corn 75 yds. from the tower where a main trail comes into my food plot out of the neighbors brush area and there's another good trail 10 yds. away. Be easy shots with my 44 Mag. Ruger auto rifle.
Hell grandpa will be setting there the whole week of gun season. I tried a different propane heater on my 25 lb. tank and it worked fine. Never could make the smaller heaters work properly off the tank.
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Sounds like you've found them! I'll look forward to seeing how this new information pays off for you.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Good luck this weekend Frank. Sounds as though your grandson won't be shivering this weekend. Pretty good weather for the youth hunt. Hope he puts one down.
