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Frank's 2014 deer hunting Journal

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
10-12-14
Today was my 1st day of deer hunting. After a long list of comedy of errors I finally got it together.
1. Couldn't find my 2 smokeless powders from one year ago to make my pre-charge powder containers. After 1 hr. I get 5 charges measured and load my ML.
2. Forgot to bring my new office chair to my hunting tower. The old 22 yr. old office chair creaks every time you move. Had to use a camp folding chair.
3. For some reason my phone alarm tone was off and missed my 5:30AM alarm. The wife's alarm goes off at 6:15. I think I did a record and showered and was out the door at 6:30. The wife made my sandwiches and coffee.
4. Forget my range finder.
5. Get to the hut and can't read the damn letters on the combination lock. Got it finally.
6. I dressed lightly for the walk out and planned on using my new insulated bag with arms. Well that didn't work out either as I shot a doe right off but we'll get to that later.
7. Forgot my story book to pass the time but it turned out I didn't need it.
8. Then I realize I forgot to buy hunting license and deer tag. And here I set on the edge of my neighbors 3 ac. hay field surrounded on all 4 sides with brush. At least I can hunt on my food plot next to me as a landowner. So I'm good to go.

I forgot how nice the new tower is with 10 windows, padded carpeted floor and 8'X8' in size with a office chair. Oh that's right I can't set in the chair. At least I can use the chair for a table for my stuff so I spread it out in order.

7:00 I get to the tower and get settled in.
7:40 a small doe and yearling comes through my WT Inst. Forage Oats plot going South 50 yds. away and I decide to pass on them as it's early and they both are just too small. Perfect broadside shots. They cross over into the neighbor's hay field and walk broadside to me at 40 yds. Remember no legal tags.
7:50 There are 2 does and a yearly feeding in my clover plot about 150 yds. away beside the woods. They feed around and have no worries yet.
8:10 They head South to a well established trail leading into the neighbor's brush and off my property.
The largest doe is in the lead and gets about 25 ft. from my property line and I'm getting down on my knee for a braced shot using the window sill. I get severe legs cramps in both thighs and bump the side of the hut and make a noice. The big doe turns facing me and looks straight at me and looks alert. She doesn't like something but I freeze and then she turns broadside to leave and I dropped the hammer on her at 92 yds. She dropped in her tracks and only lifted her head once. It turned out I cut her spine just behind the front leg and also cut the main artery so she bled out inside and from the pink coming out of her mouth I caught the top of the lung because of the downward angle. Good part is I had no dragging or tracking to do.
The other 2 deer just stand there and keep looking at the downed doe. And they just stand there and move around still looking at the dead doe. Not wanting to educate the deer on me being in the tower I just waited and poured a hot coffee and eat a sandwich.
About 8:40 with the deer just standing around I look up and there are 3 deer standing there. I check the ground and yes my dead deer is laying there. I look back up and there now there are 4 deer standing there. 3 of the deer are within 10 ft. of the dead doe and the other one feed off 50 yds. A doe and yearly came off the neighbors property on that well established trail leading into my food plot.
Just decided to wait it out as I have my hot coffee and already ate a good sandwich.
9:10 I'm not really paying attention to the neighbors hay field and I turn and there is a doe and a yearly at 50 yds. looking alert staring at me as they probably caught me turning around. They keep watching me then trot off into the brush.
In the meantime the 4 deer fed off to the North back into the clover plot.
9:20 2 mature does enter the food plot on the trail and walk right beside the dead doe. They see the other 4 deer feeding in the clover about 100 yds. away and come to full alter and just stare. The 4 feeding deer are at full alter and the 2 bigger ones of the 4 run off to the North. The last 2 does go North into the clover plot but don't like the other 2 yearlings there and cross the fence into my woods.
9:30 there's a gun shot on the other side of my woods and I assume my neighbor shot at one of the does that entered the woods. I'll check with him later.
The 2 yearlings just feed around and finally at 10:10 cross the fence into my woods.

I get down and walk over to the dead doe and it's a nice big one. I gave it to my nephew and he's having it processed into sausage and jerky. Hell I'll probably get some too. I believe I'll get my next deer made into jerky and sausage to as we don't need any more regular meat.

I go to the house and my tractor with the hay fork on the back. I put a skid on it and I can raise the deer up to waist high to field dress and don't even have to stoop over.

Oh I forgot to mention I forgot my damn knife when I went out this morning to. So I picked up my 2 hunting knives and a sharping steel. Couple swipes on the steel and always have a sharp knife to work with.

I go back and field dress the doe out and there are 2 yearlings feeding 50 yds. from the dead doe. Probably the last 2 yearlings I seen so I won't counted them again.

What a morning I seen 11 does and yearlings in less than 3 hrs. All deer are in good health and looked good. I'm the 1st to admit that the 3.0 ac. food plot I put in 2013 sure is drawing the deer to my property. In 23 years I have never seen this many deer on the farm.

I seen no bucks in 3 hrs. but I still believe when it gets closer to the rut where the girls are the boys will show up.

I have 2 clover plots for a total of 1.0 ac. and at this time the deer are feeding in the clover 90% of the time.
I also have 1/2 ac. of forage oats and WT Inst. Winter Greens. That plot will start being hit hard after we have some hard frost and the Winter Greens turn sweet from the frost.
Then there's the 1.0 ac. of WT Inst. Forage Oats only. The deer mainly pass through it and fed only lightly.
The last 1/2 ac. is a failed planting of beets, radishes, and turnips. But the deer do fed on the brown seed pods of whatever grass it is.

When I went back down at 2:00PM to get my gear there was 15-20 turkey buzzards and a whitetail hawk on the gut pile. It appears the deer are well fed and even the varmints are well fed now.

Overall what a exciting morning. I will try and get my act together for the rest of the season in my search for a buck.


3 of the 4 deer just looking at my deer doe 30 minutes after shooting it.


One inch higher and I wouldn't be here typing this as I would be still hunting. Maybe not with all the deer I seen today.

 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
10-26
I sat in my woods for the 1st time this year. At 8:00AM I seen the tail end of a smaller deer walk into the brush. That's all I seen until 11:00AM. I broke off some brush to better see the N-S trail to the North.

10-29
I sat in the same stand. Seen nothing until 11:00.
I beginning to think I changed the deer trail habits by planting the food plot just West of my woods. This N-W trail is always well traveled and is the same stand I shot my 2013 buck from. I'll set on the N-W trail that's about 10 ft. inside the woods beside the food plot in the morning.

At 6:40PM I went to the overlook on the food plots. At 6:45 a mid size 8 pt. walks through the center of the food plots from the NE headed SW. Followed immediately by a nice 10 pt. that is a shooter. Seen both at 125 yds. with binocs.
The damn shame is both walked past the new ladder stand I hung on the North end of the plot. Then to add to the shame they both walked past the hunting tower in the SW corner.
Nothing else showed until 7:15.
I'll be setting in that new stand in the evening.
Headed out now.
 
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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Good luck Frank! I killed my 2012 buck after he retraced his steps from the night before and I was in the right tree based on what I saw. You should have a good hunt tonight!
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Sat in the new stand in the woods until 11:30.
At 10:10 I heard soft snorting and stamping foot behind me and down wind. I look behind me to my left and there stands a small buck softly snorting and stamping his foot. He kept looking around and never did figure out what I was or were I was and he was only 15 ft. away.
I believe it's the same buck I have on my cam as he had 3 small points on the right side and a wide spike on the left.
Only thing I seen.
And yes smoke cover scent works.
I'll be setting in the new stand on the North side of the food plot tonight.

I did a evening set in my new stand on the North end of the food plot. Nothing showed until dark. Be back at in the morning.
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-1
I sat in my old stand on the N-S trail in my woods. Damn it was cold and windy.
9:00 seen a nice buck running across the neighbors hay field about 500 yds. away. He was going South away from me.
9:05 I seen a small deer at about 75 yds. away in the woods running. No horns. I think it seen me moving when I was eating my breakfast.
Seen nothing until 12:30 went I went home for a hot bowl of soap.
I pulled my 2 cam cards. Got couple bucks on the cam that's in front of the stand I'm setting in. Also a doe bedded down right in front of the cam and laid there for 45 minutes. And 22 minutes after she left there's a picture of a buck smelling her bed. But he's so close the picture is blurred.
The other cam is on the other N-S trail and I was surprised as all there was pictures of does and not one buck picture. Don't understand that one.
I'll do a Product Review on 4 items I used today in 30 degree weather and 16 MPH wind. I was pleasantly satisfied with all 4 items.

Probably set in the new stand on the North end of the food plot tonight.
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-2
I did a all day set today. Sure was a lot better than yesterday. It was 19 degrees and 0-5 NNW wind.
At 7:30 I seen a coyote at 200 yds. running across the neighbors pick corn field.
At 8:00 I seen a small buck and doe in the corner of the corn field about 100 yds. away and when they got to the corner they turned away and fed on corn.
At 10:15 I had a small doe come in from behind me and walked past me at 20 yds.
About 5 minutes later a doe came up the hill into the woods on the N-S trail I set on. When she got to the edge of the brush she just stood there for the longest time then turned around and left. The I noticed a flock of 7 turkeys about 20 yds. away walking to where she was.
10:30 I seen 2 does in the corner of the corn field and walked into the brush and didn't enter the woods for me to see.
A little later there was 2 deer feeding in the hay field about 500 yds. away.
At 5:00 a buck was in the hay field about 225 yds. away and jumped the fence and walked across the power line. He was about 125 yds. South of my woods headed towards the neighbor's woods that butts up against mine. I grunted couple times but lost sight of him in the tree tops and don't know if he entered the woods or went South on the power line.

I have never seen so many damn squirrels in my life. At any given time you could turn your head and see 3-5 running around. Both gray and fox. I need to drop a buck and thin the squirrels down some.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-3
I did a 2 hr. evening set in my stand on the edge of the woods on the South end of the food plot. Seen 3 does of which 2 were in the food plot and one doe in the hay field just south of me.
This food plot will be a gun only area and hunt in the tower. I have no easy way to leave at dark.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-5
I did a evening set in the woods and seen nothing except 2 turkeys and squirrels.