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Jesse's 2011-2012 Season Journal...

moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
Hang in there Jesse, good things will come your way. with how much time and effort you put into it, your bound to get something in return. Hang tough and keep at it!
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
They are on the move. I'm seeing bucks now that I've never seen. you know how slow my cam production was this year. All of a sudden it's picked up. Moe is probably strolling around a little more than usual, but he'll be back. Keep the faith bro.

You didn't expect this to be easy or for Moe to just give you a meat fastball to drive did ya? He threw you a curveball... just sit back, wait, and then drive it!
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
The deer always come in when you're least expecting it. You are at your most prepared to take care of business, and I know you'll connect soon!
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
Like I told ya buddy, keep your head up and keep at it. You have the skills to get it done, now you just need to put in the time! Good luck!
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Well I already made one adjustment to my vacation and might do it yet again. I'm scheduled to be off Friday through Tuesday, work during the rain Wednesday, then off again Thursday through Sunday. With the weather looking like shitty rut weather, I may save my vacation days on Monday and Tuesday of next week and use them the following Monday and Tuesday the 14th and 15th. I guess it will all depend on what the weather forecast says Sunday night and how I feel after 3 all day sits. I plan on sitting all day Friday in my best combo observation/killing set. It sits in a saddle where three ravines converge and five logging roads dump together. It has been slow there recently, but I know it will produce when things get kicking. If that ever happens... :smiley_depressive:
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
Are you seeing any new rubs- scrapes? Dad checked the place we hunt out by you and saw some new stuff pop up. You not worried about the moon the next weekend?
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
We have had rubs and scrape showing up for two weeks now. I did not really see anything on my scouting trip Monday that excited me any more than the stuff I had already seen. As for the moon, I don't pay much attention to it. I know some people swear by it, but I hunt when I have time to hunt. So the moon will be what it will be...
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
I am that way about temp. I shot a buck down there one November. He was chasing a doe in the afternoon and it was 82 out.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Well I am supposed to be off through Tuesday, work Wednesday, then be off through Sunday. However, I will let the next three days determine that and it looks like I might work Mon-Thurs and take Friday through Wednesday off. The weather is looking better for that stretch and right now, I honestly think we are still a week away from prime time. That being said, I like the outlook on the wind for the weekend. It will let me make a great rotation of stands. I'll start tomorrow on a narrow hogs back over looking a scrape line. Thanks to the logging, I can cover a ton of ground visually here and any deer traveling the hogs back is in bow range. This is the same spot swantucky missed the 150 two years ago. I'll pull that set at lunch, hang a stick and bracket at my newest killing set, then pack in to Hippie Ridge and hang for that night and the next morning. I'll have a perfect N-NE wind to hunt the downwind side of the sanctuary at the skinny part of the ridge. Once the wind starts to switch at lunch Saturday, I'll pull that stand and go back to the new set for that night and the next morning. Sunday night, I'll get down in the creek bottom with the decoy and rattling antlers.

The new set sits at the eastern end of Hippie Ridge and allows me to cover a fence crossing in a saddle. I can also see the shelf and creek bottom below from my perch on the point. It's one hell of an observation set and from what I saw of Moe last year, its right where he likes to stage before coming down in the bottom. I'll snap some pics from the stand, it's a great view!

All in all, I'm trying to stay realistic about the weekend. No high expectations. It's Moe/150+ or bust this weekend!!!
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
Well I am supposed to be off through Tuesday, work Wednesday, then be off through Sunday. However, I will let the next three days determine that and it looks like I might work Mon-Thurs and take Friday through Wednesday off. The weather is looking better for that stretch and right now, I honestly think we are still a week away from prime time. That being said, I like the outlook on the wind for the weekend. It will let me make a great rotation of stands. I'll start tomorrow on a narrow hogs back over looking a scrape line. Thanks to the logging, I can cover a ton of ground visually here and any deer traveling the hogs back is in bow range. This is the same spot swantucky missed the 150 two years ago. I'll pull that set at lunch, hang a stick and bracket at my newest killing set, then pack in to Hippie Ridge and hang for that night and the next morning. I'll have a perfect N-NE wind to hunt the downwind side of the sanctuary at the skinny part of the ridge. Once the wind starts to switch at lunch Saturday, I'll pull that stand and go back to the new set for that night and the next morning. Sunday night, I'll get down in the creek bottom with the decoy and rattling antlers.

The new set sits at the eastern end of Hippie Ridge and allows me to cover a fence crossing in a saddle. I can also see the shelf and creek bottom below from my perch on the point. It's one hell of an observation set and from what I saw of Moe last year, its right where he likes to stage before coming down in the bottom. I'll snap some pics from the stand, it's a great view!

All in all, I'm trying to stay realistic about the weekend. No high expectations. It's Moe/150+ or bust this weekend!!!

Atta girl!!!! Stay positive...... Good luck.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Got up at 5:30, showered, and headed to the farm. I arrived to 20+ mph winds and 51 degrees. Thankfully, my vacation is very flexible because I'm back at the house getting ready to head to work. The wind is supposed to break tonight with cold, calm, clear skies in the morning. With vacation at a premium, I'm going to dodge the suspect weather and hit it hard when things are right. I rarely see deer moving in high winds, so it makes sense to save a vacation day for better conditions. I might even work half a day, then head out to check cams and get my stand ready for tomorrow. Maybe hunt down in the bottom with the decoy tonight...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Well, not good news with the dirt bike activity and the cams were dead, no Moe to boot. That being said, I'm using past observations for my stand selection tomorrow. I love the hogsback I'll be on and the access is perfect. Gonna hunt until the wind hits the S, then yank the set and move to the new set. What does we have, are using that ridge with frequency right now. Time to hunt does and sit where I can see a lot of ground. Tomorrow is all about observation...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Jesse's Season Stats

Does Seen: 23
Bucks Seen: 7
Different Bucks: 5
Total Sightings: 30

Deer Killed: 0
Arrow'd Squirrels: 2

Morning Hunts: 4
Evening Hunts: 12
All Day Sits: 0
Total Hunts: 16

Hours on Stand: 38

Average Time Per Hunt: 2 hours 23 minutes.
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: .79

Stands Hunted: 6
Properties Hunted: 3

Bah humbug...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Jesse's Season Stats

Does Seen: 27
Bucks Seen: 8
Different Bucks: 5
Total Sightings: 35

Deer Killed: 0
Arrow'd Squirrels: 2

Morning Hunts: 4
Evening Hunts: 14
All Day Sits: 0
Total Hunts: 18

Hours on Stand: 44

Average Time Per Hunt: 2 hours 27 minutes.
Deer Seen Per Hour on Stand: .795

Stands Hunted: 7
Properties Hunted: 3

I'm vaguely optimist heading in to the weekend. I'm hunting tomorrow morning before I hit the road for work, then I'm off from Thursday through Monday. Gonna plan to sit all day all 5 days, or nearly all day. I'll mix it up and hunt a couple different properties in the process...
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Keep at it Jesse! I remember reading a Roger Rothaar article years ago and a couple of things stuck with me:1.) during the rut if it ain't happening where he origionally goes to first on a given day he'd go to another after some grunting and rattling. It's happening somewhere so you just have to hunt different areas till you find them. Slipping in without bumping them is the trick but just stalk hunt to the next stand. 2.) he also started heading to his stand AFTER first light so's if he jumped anything he'd know what he jumped and if he saw deer out ahead of him on his way to his stand he'd change his route or try a stalk if it was a shooter. I did both this morning. I think both are good ideas during the full moon when the rut is on. Just throwing it out there for ya. Goodluck with Moe!