Frank, I've heard those a time or two and most of the time it's an owl doing he screaming....
Frank's 2015 hunting journal
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Frank, I've heard those a time or two and most of the time it's an owl doing he screaming....
I've been out and about for 60 odd years and never heard a owl scream like that but it could be a 1st for me. But 4 other owls started hooting away in all directions.
11-2
I couldn't make it out today as I hunted yesterday in the morning and visited with my friend till 4:30 then did my R&D work till 8:30. Even though I'm setting down most of the time it just was too long of a day and too tired. Pain was too bad to even get out of bed this morning until late. Doing better now but won't push it tonight and hunt. Should be OK in the morning.
I did the Lima gunshow over the weekend and a good one.
11-9
Got in the tower at 6:10 AM. No loud screaming today. LOL
7:15 a nice 8-10 pt. buck is walking 90 yds. through the hay field away from me. I soft grunted 2-3 times and each time he would look and keep walking. He changed directions went into the brush on my side of the field and I was hoping he would circle and come into the food plot. But he was a no show.
7:30 differentr 8-10 pt. buck came out of the brush and walked across the hay field 100 yds. away. I grunted at him and he also would stop and look then walk on.
Given a shot I may have shot both bucks.
2 small 4-6 pt bucks walked through the hay field.
Seen no does.
Packed it up at 10:00
11-9
Got in the tower at 6:10 AM. No loud screaming today. LOL
7:15 a nice 8-10 pt. buck is walking 90 yds. through the hay field away from me. I soft grunted 2-3 times and each time he would look and keep walking. He changed directions went into the brush on my side of the field and I was hoping he would circle and come into the food plot. But he was a no show.
7:30 differentr 8-10 pt. buck came out of the brush and walked across the hay field 100 yds. away. I grunted at him and he also would stop and look then walk on.
Given a shot I may have shot both bucks.
2 small 4-6 pt bucks walked through the hay field.
Seen no does.
Packed it up at 10:00
11-10
Got into the tower at 6:00 AM
7:10 AM a nice big buck walked into the clover plot by my woods 100 yds away. I did a soft grunt as he was walking due North and would get no closer. He stopped and looked and seen nothing started walking to the woods. Soft grunt again and he just looked and he goes into the woods. I grunted again and did a doe bleat. But he was gone.
He was far the largest buck I've ever seen on the property in 24 yrs. No time for a picture as he was only in the field about 40 yds.
7:45 a slightly smaller buck was walking at a angle across the food plots from the NW about 90 yds away. He was headed for the woods. Soft grunts only made him look and move on. He went into the neighbors woods adjoining my plot at 80 yds. I grunted again after he got into the woods hoping he would check out the hay field but no luck there.
I did get a walking picture of him at 80 yds and I would say he was 50% smaller than the bigger buck I seen at 7:10.
Between 7:00 and 10:00 I seen 3 does and 3 small bucks but nothing closer than 60 yds. The one small buck walked through the east end of the hay field into my food plots headed towards 2 of the does feeding. They would have nothing to do with him and went into the woods.
Yesterday I seen 4 bucks and all were in the hay field.
Today I see 3 does and 4 bucks all in my food plot and only 1 buck came from the hay field. Go figure.
Got into the tower at 6:00 AM
7:10 AM a nice big buck walked into the clover plot by my woods 100 yds away. I did a soft grunt as he was walking due North and would get no closer. He stopped and looked and seen nothing started walking to the woods. Soft grunt again and he just looked and he goes into the woods. I grunted again and did a doe bleat. But he was gone.
He was far the largest buck I've ever seen on the property in 24 yrs. No time for a picture as he was only in the field about 40 yds.
7:45 a slightly smaller buck was walking at a angle across the food plots from the NW about 90 yds away. He was headed for the woods. Soft grunts only made him look and move on. He went into the neighbors woods adjoining my plot at 80 yds. I grunted again after he got into the woods hoping he would check out the hay field but no luck there.
I did get a walking picture of him at 80 yds and I would say he was 50% smaller than the bigger buck I seen at 7:10.
Between 7:00 and 10:00 I seen 3 does and 3 small bucks but nothing closer than 60 yds. The one small buck walked through the east end of the hay field into my food plots headed towards 2 of the does feeding. They would have nothing to do with him and went into the woods.
Yesterday I seen 4 bucks and all were in the hay field.
Today I see 3 does and 4 bucks all in my food plot and only 1 buck came from the hay field. Go figure.
It's exciting to see all my hard work and expense of the last 3 years putting the food plots is finally paying off. It was rather disappointing the first 2 years and not seeing any larger bucks traveling through my food plots. One day last year several smaller bucks did chase does through the plots.
I'm taking a doe 3-D decoy down in the morning and a Montana folding buck decoy. I'll leave the legs off the doe so it appears it's bedded and place the buck decoy 10 yds or so way looking at it. Last year I used a doe decoy one day during the rut and the does went crazy scared over it. I kept it in the brush after that.
Any thoughts on my idea?
I'm taking a doe 3-D decoy down in the morning and a Montana folding buck decoy. I'll leave the legs off the doe so it appears it's bedded and place the buck decoy 10 yds or so way looking at it. Last year I used a doe decoy one day during the rut and the does went crazy scared over it. I kept it in the brush after that.
Any thoughts on my idea?
11-11
What exciting morning as I seen 12 bucks, 2 of which where shooters and 11 does of which 9 was being chased by bucks.
6:15 AM got in the tower after setting up the bedded doe and buck decoy at 25 yds. It was so foggy that I couldn't see the decoys at 25 yds. Things started out very slow.
8:00 a big doe came into the north end of the food plot at 175 yds, seen the decoys and walked alert straight to until 20 yds which was 40 yds to me. She shoot there and softly stomped her foot then sounded a alarm and ran off 100 yds and kept sounding alarm. Then she ran back to within 50 yds of the decoys and sounded alarm again and ran off. The 3rd time she came back to 75 yds and then left and went into the woods. She was up wind all the time.
9:00 a small doe came out of the neighbors woods into the plot at 75 yds, seen the decoys and came 15 yds forward, sounded alarm and ran back into the woods. 10 minutes later either she or another small came back and left also.
9:10 a doe jumped into the plot right at the property line followed I believe by one of the big bucks from yesterday. They only went 50 ft before going into the neighbors woods, I was hoping they would go into the adjoining hay field but they didn't.
9:25 a small buck is walking past me in the hay field headed towards the ATV trail on the other side, when he got to the trail a small 4x4 buck stepped out and walked towards me 40 yds away. He entered the plot and seen the decoys and slowly trotted North towards the old creek cattle crossing.
9:30 2 small bucks come running across the creek cattle crossing followed by a nice tall shooter buck. I should have him on trail cam as I have a camera there at the crossing.
The 3 smaller bucks went into the brush behind me and the shooter buck came within 75 yds and looked at the decoys couple times and went back the way he came.
Had 4 bucks in the food plot at one time.
Between 9:30 and 10:00 there was 7 does running every where being chased by small bucks.
Then the activity just stopped.
11:00 I decided to quit and my coat zipped was stuck and spent 5 minutes on it and stood up and I'll be darn as there was a small buck and a 4x4 backet size buck 75 yds behind me along the plot fence. I quess they seen me move and jumped into the brush and was gone. I sat down for another 15 minutes and nothing else showed so I packed up, put the decoys away and went home.
I'm retiring the buck decoy until gun season as it seems to be a great attention getter and sure stops deer ion their tracks for gun distance shot. At least I didn't spook and decent bucks out with the decoys today.
I'm going in a bit and pull my cam cards and if there's decent movement in my woods I think I'll try that ladder stand tomorrow morning. If no movement there I'll try the stand along the woods as the bigger buck yesterday walked into the woods within 15 yds of it. Also I'm moving the cam off my mock scrape and putting it back on the trail the big bucks used yesterday. As bad luck would have it that's the cam location I had it on before moving it to the mock scrape.
What a great day to be alive in the deer woods. Something as got to walk past me at some time or other. If not it was fun any way.
What exciting morning as I seen 12 bucks, 2 of which where shooters and 11 does of which 9 was being chased by bucks.
6:15 AM got in the tower after setting up the bedded doe and buck decoy at 25 yds. It was so foggy that I couldn't see the decoys at 25 yds. Things started out very slow.
8:00 a big doe came into the north end of the food plot at 175 yds, seen the decoys and walked alert straight to until 20 yds which was 40 yds to me. She shoot there and softly stomped her foot then sounded a alarm and ran off 100 yds and kept sounding alarm. Then she ran back to within 50 yds of the decoys and sounded alarm again and ran off. The 3rd time she came back to 75 yds and then left and went into the woods. She was up wind all the time.
9:00 a small doe came out of the neighbors woods into the plot at 75 yds, seen the decoys and came 15 yds forward, sounded alarm and ran back into the woods. 10 minutes later either she or another small came back and left also.
9:10 a doe jumped into the plot right at the property line followed I believe by one of the big bucks from yesterday. They only went 50 ft before going into the neighbors woods, I was hoping they would go into the adjoining hay field but they didn't.
9:25 a small buck is walking past me in the hay field headed towards the ATV trail on the other side, when he got to the trail a small 4x4 buck stepped out and walked towards me 40 yds away. He entered the plot and seen the decoys and slowly trotted North towards the old creek cattle crossing.
9:30 2 small bucks come running across the creek cattle crossing followed by a nice tall shooter buck. I should have him on trail cam as I have a camera there at the crossing.
The 3 smaller bucks went into the brush behind me and the shooter buck came within 75 yds and looked at the decoys couple times and went back the way he came.
Had 4 bucks in the food plot at one time.
Between 9:30 and 10:00 there was 7 does running every where being chased by small bucks.
Then the activity just stopped.
11:00 I decided to quit and my coat zipped was stuck and spent 5 minutes on it and stood up and I'll be darn as there was a small buck and a 4x4 backet size buck 75 yds behind me along the plot fence. I quess they seen me move and jumped into the brush and was gone. I sat down for another 15 minutes and nothing else showed so I packed up, put the decoys away and went home.
I'm retiring the buck decoy until gun season as it seems to be a great attention getter and sure stops deer ion their tracks for gun distance shot. At least I didn't spook and decent bucks out with the decoys today.
I'm going in a bit and pull my cam cards and if there's decent movement in my woods I think I'll try that ladder stand tomorrow morning. If no movement there I'll try the stand along the woods as the bigger buck yesterday walked into the woods within 15 yds of it. Also I'm moving the cam off my mock scrape and putting it back on the trail the big bucks used yesterday. As bad luck would have it that's the cam location I had it on before moving it to the mock scrape.
What a great day to be alive in the deer woods. Something as got to walk past me at some time or other. If not it was fun any way.
11-13
I was going to try a set in the ladder stand on the edge of the woods close to the trail the bucks are using from the neighbors woods.
But the wind is blowing 14 MPH and gusting to 30. That stand is exposed and would be a rough set in my condition.
What a difference 2 days make as Wednesday I seen 12 bucks and 11 does. Today I seen a 3" and a 5" buck. The does must be on lock down and the bucks just standing around and waiting for it to happen.
Did watch 4 different flocks of turkeys fly down at 7:10. For a total of 43. Rather proud to report they all ended up in my food plot to feed.
I was going to try a set in the ladder stand on the edge of the woods close to the trail the bucks are using from the neighbors woods.
But the wind is blowing 14 MPH and gusting to 30. That stand is exposed and would be a rough set in my condition.
What a difference 2 days make as Wednesday I seen 12 bucks and 11 does. Today I seen a 3" and a 5" buck. The does must be on lock down and the bucks just standing around and waiting for it to happen.
Did watch 4 different flocks of turkeys fly down at 7:10. For a total of 43. Rather proud to report they all ended up in my food plot to feed.
11-15
MIA for 2 days. I roughed in my electric Friday afternoon and finished it Saturday. Alarm went off at 5:00 AM and too sore to walk 15 ft to the bathroom. Too much crawling around I guess but better now.
MIA for 2 days. I roughed in my electric Friday afternoon and finished it Saturday. Alarm went off at 5:00 AM and too sore to walk 15 ft to the bathroom. Too much crawling around I guess but better now.
11-16
Back in the stand at 6:15 AM I sat for the 1st time in the ladderstand on the edge of the woods and clover plot. About 25-40 yds from where the 2 big busks traveled on 11-11.
8:30 seen small buck 200 yds over in the hay field and 2 small does jumped in the brush. The buck followed. A minute later a doe is running across the field and the buck following her. 5 minutes later the doe and buck are going back.
9:15 I seen a doe and small buck going across the hay field again.
Seen nothing on my side of the property line. My ladderstand is secure and comfy. I called it quits at 11:00 as I have to finish fence repairs to move cattle to winter pasture. Check 50% of the fence and found 10 post insulators on 7 T-posts broken by deer in the last 6 months. But at least we have plenty of deer.
On a side note I ordered a fiberglass tower stand for 2016. It'll be placed where I sat this morning. Preparing for the future years.
Back in the stand at 6:15 AM I sat for the 1st time in the ladderstand on the edge of the woods and clover plot. About 25-40 yds from where the 2 big busks traveled on 11-11.
8:30 seen small buck 200 yds over in the hay field and 2 small does jumped in the brush. The buck followed. A minute later a doe is running across the field and the buck following her. 5 minutes later the doe and buck are going back.
9:15 I seen a doe and small buck going across the hay field again.
Seen nothing on my side of the property line. My ladderstand is secure and comfy. I called it quits at 11:00 as I have to finish fence repairs to move cattle to winter pasture. Check 50% of the fence and found 10 post insulators on 7 T-posts broken by deer in the last 6 months. But at least we have plenty of deer.
On a side note I ordered a fiberglass tower stand for 2016. It'll be placed where I sat this morning. Preparing for the future years.
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Good to hear!! Not many of us think that way but it's nice having things set up like that to keep you out there longer. I remember when I built the 2 elevated shacks down on our place, my intention was for the family as they grew and eventually got old enough to hunt their own stands. Little did I know they quickly became very convenient for my dad to enjoy time in the stand the last several years.
Great catching up on your journal Frank! Sound like you're seeing lots of action and some very nice bucks! Good luck Frank and keep on keepin!
11-17
Got down in the ladderstand about 6:15.
First set this year that got skunked on seeing deer. Only seen 5 turkeys fly down. I'm thinking with all the chasing and buck cruising last week the does here are locked down and the bucks are just standing nearby waiting to bred.
Off to try and move cattle now to winter pasture if the damn things cooperate.
Got the cattle moved OK but got a damn short in the electric fence.
Got down in the ladderstand about 6:15.
First set this year that got skunked on seeing deer. Only seen 5 turkeys fly down. I'm thinking with all the chasing and buck cruising last week the does here are locked down and the bucks are just standing nearby waiting to bred.
Off to try and move cattle now to winter pasture if the damn things cooperate.
Got the cattle moved OK but got a damn short in the electric fence.
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11-18
Didn't make it out as planned this morning. The wind is howling out there but that's not the reason. I hunting yesterday in the morning. took a hour nap, then move my cattle to their winter pasture. Since the calves are older this year it went off like clock work. Then move the water tanks, and electric. Got that done and I have a short in the main fence.
I ran out energy and the golf cart battery went down so I had to quit at 6:00. All the walking up and down the hills while being tired got my leg spasms into a terrible shape. I set the 5:00 alarm and went to bed at 10:30 and still awake fighting the spasms so at 3:00 so I shut the alarm off.
Then the company showed up with 40K 223 cases for me to trim. Tough.
Didn't make it out as planned this morning. The wind is howling out there but that's not the reason. I hunting yesterday in the morning. took a hour nap, then move my cattle to their winter pasture. Since the calves are older this year it went off like clock work. Then move the water tanks, and electric. Got that done and I have a short in the main fence.
I ran out energy and the golf cart battery went down so I had to quit at 6:00. All the walking up and down the hills while being tired got my leg spasms into a terrible shape. I set the 5:00 alarm and went to bed at 10:30 and still awake fighting the spasms so at 3:00 so I shut the alarm off.
Then the company showed up with 40K 223 cases for me to trim. Tough.
It is what it is as I've been putting up with the spasms for 35 odd years. Just worst the last 2 years but they are better than 2 years ago. Just a whole lot better than being dead.