Hicks hunting log
- Thread starter hickslawns
- Start date
Put in 3.25hrs. Skunked up until dark. I finally saw a young buck probably 2-300yds away. I waited for him to move across the field and slid out of there. I was hoping the rain moving in would have them on their feet early. Maybe it did, but not where I was sitting. Good news, I checked a camera on the way out. I was in the right place. They just didn't move through there tonight. Several bucks have been hitting it mornings and right at dark or just after dark. I think I need to figure a better access for the west winds. East wind access I used today is fine. It is not going to work on a west wind though. I will be blowing way too much scent into the woods. I learned a decent bit about recent activity in the area. This is the main piece of important information I needed.
All settled in and cooling off after half mile walk. Waiting to nock an arrow. Life is good today!
badger
*Supporting Member*
Good luck Phil! If you need help dragging out a booner just let me know!! I would gladly take a break from work!! :smiley_crocodile:
No booners here but several p&y for sure. Thanks for the offer and for the good luck everyone. So far skunk city. Thought I would at least see one in the distance. Not today. I will sit it out until 10 and then have to work late. Oh well. Well worth it! I am blessed to be out here!
And that wraps up my first outing of the season with no deer seen. Good part about this hunt is I bumped zero deer in or out. Still a bit frustrating but that is part of hunting. I did enjoy watching a squirrel play about 7 or 8 feet over my head. Now I am seeing a mist. Maybe it will help wash some of my scent away. Not sure we were supposed to get any rain though.
Climbing back in the saddle this morning. Sure missed it over the weekend. Sounds like we had another trespasser in there this weekend from what the guys hunting to my east say. Not sure the guys to my east hunted, but they also put miles on their vehicles scouting for deer/trespassers. One of them told me he saw a vehicle parked where it should not have been parked. Now I get to choose my stand based on the expectation that this idiot has the deer a bit off their regular course.
(Disclaimer: This guy might not be an idiot by definition. It is quite possible his IQ hovers in just over the 50pt mark. It is also quite possible he is nothing more than an uneducated deer hunter that doesn't hunt the wind and can't read "No Trespassing" on a sign.)
(Disclaimer: This guy might not be an idiot by definition. It is quite possible his IQ hovers in just over the 50pt mark. It is also quite possible he is nothing more than an uneducated deer hunter that doesn't hunt the wind and can't read "No Trespassing" on a sign.)
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Hahaha! Thanks Rick. I appreciate that! Then again, I seem to remember myself working a show all weekend. Lmao
Update:
Hunted this morning. Bumped 4 does less than 30yds behind the barn on this property. I was frustrated, but what can you do? When they bed essentially in the yard under some pine trees it is tough not to bump them. Walked a hundred yards and bumped a basket 8pt. Yep. I was close enough to tell what he was with my light on my hat. Got within 10' of him. Really frustrated at this point. Still a half mile walk to the stand from the truck, so bumping in the first 100yds isn't terrible I guess. I didn't bump anymore the rest of the way in. I climbed my stand and got settled in. Never saw the first deer but could hear critters moving around in the dark. At 730am I saw a doe walking along the edge of the corn alone. I thought this was weird so I verified she did not have buttons. Nope. She milled around browsing a bit. Not a care in the world. She walked towards me and the closer she got the more I felt like loosing an arrow. When she was broadside she stopped at less than 10yds. I wanted to know if I could draw this closely without getting busted, so I did. She sat there sniffing where I walked in. 5-10more yards and she would have been downwind. She was curious and not at all spooked. She was quite relaxed actually. At full draw I knew I couldn't hold back. She was a body length or so from me losing the shot opportunity so I let an arrow fly.
I truly thought I hit her forward because I could still see the fletchings sticking out. I couldn't believe it. This is the first non-pass-thru shot I have had on a deer. Still not sure why to be honest but it did poke holes in both sides. She went on a bulldozer run into the corn 50yds. At this point she made a 90 degree left turn and went another 50yds to the other edge of the field. I didn't hear corn stalks anymore so I thought she had expired here. Later I found she made it out of the corn and walked another 50yds along a mowed tractor path. Unbelievable! Approximately 150yds with the bottom of her heart knocked off and at least one lung deflated! Here are some pictures of the carnage. First picture is the one where I put a drain plug in her. Next one is how I found her. Last two are entry (drivers side mid chest) and exit hole (under armpit).
Hunted this morning. Bumped 4 does less than 30yds behind the barn on this property. I was frustrated, but what can you do? When they bed essentially in the yard under some pine trees it is tough not to bump them. Walked a hundred yards and bumped a basket 8pt. Yep. I was close enough to tell what he was with my light on my hat. Got within 10' of him. Really frustrated at this point. Still a half mile walk to the stand from the truck, so bumping in the first 100yds isn't terrible I guess. I didn't bump anymore the rest of the way in. I climbed my stand and got settled in. Never saw the first deer but could hear critters moving around in the dark. At 730am I saw a doe walking along the edge of the corn alone. I thought this was weird so I verified she did not have buttons. Nope. She milled around browsing a bit. Not a care in the world. She walked towards me and the closer she got the more I felt like loosing an arrow. When she was broadside she stopped at less than 10yds. I wanted to know if I could draw this closely without getting busted, so I did. She sat there sniffing where I walked in. 5-10more yards and she would have been downwind. She was curious and not at all spooked. She was quite relaxed actually. At full draw I knew I couldn't hold back. She was a body length or so from me losing the shot opportunity so I let an arrow fly.
I truly thought I hit her forward because I could still see the fletchings sticking out. I couldn't believe it. This is the first non-pass-thru shot I have had on a deer. Still not sure why to be honest but it did poke holes in both sides. She went on a bulldozer run into the corn 50yds. At this point she made a 90 degree left turn and went another 50yds to the other edge of the field. I didn't hear corn stalks anymore so I thought she had expired here. Later I found she made it out of the corn and walked another 50yds along a mowed tractor path. Unbelievable! Approximately 150yds with the bottom of her heart knocked off and at least one lung deflated! Here are some pictures of the carnage. First picture is the one where I put a drain plug in her. Next one is how I found her. Last two are entry (drivers side mid chest) and exit hole (under armpit).
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Great job Phil! Great shot TOO! Thanks for sharing your hunt, it was a great read. It's amazing how far them buggars can go on a death run. Congrats buddy!
Phil, that's one hell of a whole brother lol..... Makes the tracking fairly easy..... Congrats on the great shot and recovery..... Been a good day so far lets hope some of the other guy's carry it on too the evening hunt!!!!!
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1hornwilly
*Supporting Member III*
Amen to that J!
In regards to the hole and death run, wow is all I can say. Couldn't believe it. Literally looked like you blew a freeze plug out of both sides of your engine block and drained out all the antifreeze until the engine seized up. If it was warmer I would have passed today. With the cooler temps I am glad I can let her hang. She is on ice now. Cooler night temps will allow me to skin her out and butcher her tomorrow morning. With all the adrenaline she had pumping I would say this is going to be a necessity.