Hang in there man. I'm doing the same thing... second guessing my sets. The best time is coming soon, things will pick up. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. Lol
Hortontoters 2013/14 Journal..The Saga Continues
- Thread starter Hortontoter
- Start date
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Hang in there Dick and try your best to not get discouraged! By reading your hunts I can see where anyone would be frustrated though. High expectations not being met even halfway can and will try a persons drive or motivation, been down that road many times over the years.
Just keep doing what you're doing buddy! The tractor has no negative effect in your hunting set up IMO.
Good luck, it can happen any minute from here on out!
Just keep doing what you're doing buddy! The tractor has no negative effect in your hunting set up IMO.
Good luck, it can happen any minute from here on out!
I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but it is tough. Not seeing a buck yet along with the 115 mile round trip to hunt is wearing on me. Made a setup at the fence crossing. Stacked three cement blocks to use as a crossbow rest. Good
cover around me, but this will be a sit on the ground and hope stand. Visibility is sparse due to the roll of the land. I'll give the deer a few days to get used to the blocks and then hunt this stand a time or two.
Oct. 24, 2013 PM
Temp 44* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 2:15 til dark. Cloud/Sun mix with dropping temps.
No deer sighted. Woods seemed devoid of life today.
cover around me, but this will be a sit on the ground and hope stand. Visibility is sparse due to the roll of the land. I'll give the deer a few days to get used to the blocks and then hunt this stand a time or two.
Oct. 24, 2013 PM
Temp 44* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 2:15 til dark. Cloud/Sun mix with dropping temps.
No deer sighted. Woods seemed devoid of life today.
I know the feeling Dick as I was skunked 4 days in a row this year. I do attribute some of it to standing corn in my area but not sure if that's the case with you though. Just give it a few days to a week and hit it again. Stay strong and keep doing what you're doing. Good luck
Blackbeard
Senior Member
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Like the others Dick, keep that positive attitude and keep after them!! Remember what drives you all year long to this time of season and let that drive keep you on cruise control through the rest of the season. If it happens, so be it, if not then enjoy what opportunity you have to get out there after them!!
Spent some time at the property the last couple of days. The hunting wasn't great, but there were some positives at least.
Oct. 28, 2013 PM
Temp 54* Wind - W/SW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the fence crossing from 2:15 til dark. No deer sightings, but heard what sounded
like deer movement near dark. Pulled all three cards from my cameras. A good bit of deer
movement, especially in the creek bottom. Seems the bucks are using the fence crossing in
the morning and the creek bottom in the afternoons.
Oct. 29, 2013 AM
Temp 37* Wind - S Very Light
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom from daylight til 10:30. Winds were very calm. Had a doe and a
fawn appear from the north at first light. I checked the creek bottom and found three fresh
scrapes. The first buck sign of the year.
Oct. 29, 2013 PM
Temp 55* Wind - E/NE Very Light
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom from 3:00 til dark. Winds were very calm. No deer sighted.
Oct. 30, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - E/SE Very Light
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom south of the box stand from daylight til 10:15. Winds were very calm.
No deer sighted. I did a little scouting in Adams creek bottom trying to determine where the deer
are going after they cross the fence on top. Found where the fence is down near the creek bottom on Adams property.
Looked around between the two fence crossings on Jack’s property and found two huge fresh
scrapes about 75 yards south of my property line. Have yet to see an antlered deer, but pieces of
the puzzle are coming together.
Oct. 28, 2013 PM
Temp 54* Wind - W/SW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the fence crossing from 2:15 til dark. No deer sightings, but heard what sounded
like deer movement near dark. Pulled all three cards from my cameras. A good bit of deer
movement, especially in the creek bottom. Seems the bucks are using the fence crossing in
the morning and the creek bottom in the afternoons.
Oct. 29, 2013 AM
Temp 37* Wind - S Very Light
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom from daylight til 10:30. Winds were very calm. Had a doe and a
fawn appear from the north at first light. I checked the creek bottom and found three fresh
scrapes. The first buck sign of the year.
Oct. 29, 2013 PM
Temp 55* Wind - E/NE Very Light
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom from 3:00 til dark. Winds were very calm. No deer sighted.
Oct. 30, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - E/SE Very Light
WALKED IN
Hunted the creek bottom south of the box stand from daylight til 10:15. Winds were very calm.
No deer sighted. I did a little scouting in Adams creek bottom trying to determine where the deer
are going after they cross the fence on top. Found where the fence is down near the creek bottom on Adams property.
Looked around between the two fence crossings on Jack’s property and found two huge fresh
scrapes about 75 yards south of my property line. Have yet to see an antlered deer, but pieces of
the puzzle are coming together.
Awesome Dick! Dat what I'm talkin bout buddy! Seems to be starting to kick it up a few notches in your area! Keep at it!
The wife and I made a quick run to the cabin yesterday. She grabbed a book and I grabbed the crossbow. Nice evening sit. Would have been better if the rain had held off. I jumped a doe within 100 yards of where I parked my tractor. That put me a little more at ease when driving it to the rock.
Nov. 2, 2013 PM
Temp 44* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 3:15 til dark. Cloudy and slightly breezy. Woods were wet, but it
rained steadily the last hour and a half of the day. Jumped a doe on the way in near the fence
crossing, only deer I saw.
Nov. 2, 2013 PM
Temp 44* Wind - W/NW
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse from 3:15 til dark. Cloudy and slightly breezy. Woods were wet, but it
rained steadily the last hour and a half of the day. Jumped a doe on the way in near the fence
crossing, only deer I saw.
Hunted Tuesday and Wednesday. South southwest winds were a big problem for me. Should of stayed home, but just couldn't. Two things, one good and one bad were discovered though. First the good. Since my hunt last Saturday my woods has became littered with buck sign. Rubs and scrape popped up all around my main stand, but most is behind it. This really concerned me because my barricade I made in March was not funneling the deer in front of my stand as hoped for. I did a little investigating and found the bad. About forty yards to the right of my stand the land rolls downhill to my east west property line. I walked over there yesterday to set up on the ground facing south due to the wind direction. What I saw over the knoll made by heart sink. We had a major storm in early July which took out a good number of trees in my creek bottom. Well I saw yesterday that two trees had fallen just over the knoll near my property line that are causing the deer to detour mostly behind my stand. I surveyed the situation and planned a course of action. I've got to get some of the tops of both trees removed so the deer can once again come up the hill in line with my man made funnel. Using loppers and my pruning saw its going to be a day long job, but I refuse to run a chainsaw. I'm hoping to tackle this job tomorrow or Saturday at the latest.
Nov. 5, 2013 PM
Temp 51* Wind - S
WALKED IN
Hunted the fence crossing from 1:15 til dark. Pleasant afternoon, but the south wind made
it tough. Sat on the ground west of the fence crossing with my tripod as a rest. Nothing
showed.
Nov. 6, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - Calm
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse til 10:00. Nothing showed. Buck sign has sprung up big time.
Discovered fallen trees north of my funnel that are blocking deer movement in front of the
outhouse stand.
Nov. 6, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - S/SW
TRACTOR TO BRIARS
Sat on the ground north of the outhouse stand from 1:30 til dark. Nothing showed.
Nov. 5, 2013 PM
Temp 51* Wind - S
WALKED IN
Hunted the fence crossing from 1:15 til dark. Pleasant afternoon, but the south wind made
it tough. Sat on the ground west of the fence crossing with my tripod as a rest. Nothing
showed.
Nov. 6, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - Calm
TRACTOR TO BIG ROCK
Hunted the outhouse til 10:00. Nothing showed. Buck sign has sprung up big time.
Discovered fallen trees north of my funnel that are blocking deer movement in front of the
outhouse stand.
Nov. 6, 2013 AM
Temp 42* Wind - S/SW
TRACTOR TO BRIARS
Sat on the ground north of the outhouse stand from 1:30 til dark. Nothing showed.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Frustrating to find that blockade like that Hortontoter. Someone's sure testing you this year! All the buck sign sure sounds promising as you put that puzzle together. Great recaps and the best of good luck wishes to you!!
The price I pay for just going in and out as quickly as possible when hunting. I should have discovered this situation before Wednesday.
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I have one stand I am concerned something similar happened to the one main trail that comes in past it. Too bad it runs thru the one main bedding area so checking it out could really screw things up.
Yeah, going into the main bedding area may not be a good idea. My property is so narrow that I try to get in and out without disturbing things any more than I have to. After looking at trail cams today I am still getting some deer through my man made funnel. I may just wait until gun season to try to take care of the two treetops. I'm thinking I'll just leave things be for now and hope Lady Luck shines on me. In these photos my stand is only about 30 yards to the left. Traffic seems to be OK and a few bucks are cruising the area.
Attachments
-
PICT5297.jpg -
PICT5359.jpg -
PICT5415.jpg -
PICT5428.jpg -
PICT5430.jpg
I agree to leave things be Dick. It appears they are still coming through and any more disturbance would prolly just be a huge negative for you. That last buck looks to be a good one TOO. Got to love the daytime activity and the explosion of buck sign lately. Keep on keeping Dick and good luck!