Joel’s 2019-20 season

[Joel]

A little late this year but I’ve been busy and haven’t seen much deer action yet.

I started off this year about the same as last, pretty unprepared but plenty excited as it got closer. My daughter went through a few months where she said hunting makes her feel bad and she doesn’t want to do it. She’s over that now and wants to hunt but because of that I wasn’t really prepping anything. I was just going to wing it and hope for the best.

Hunting the same properties as last year, only two tree stands in the same trees as last year and 2 ground blinds. One more ground blind I’m sure I’ll stick somewhere at some point and may even put a tree stand somewhere else.

I’ve really just been in my back yard a few times so far and I’ve seen a few, just not in shooting range or right as it was too dark to shoot. I checked a camera and this buck walked by my stand three days ago and twenty or so minutes after I climbed down and went inside. He’s not huge but I’d shoot him!

Should be a fun season.

 

[Joel]

Month is wrong on the date stamp, should be October. I fixed it for next time.

 

[Big_Holla]

Good luck this season!

 

[Joel]

Stuck a blind up next to a little clearing with a feeder and a small corn pile two days ago. Thought it would take quite awhile for the deer to warm up to it but I’m already getting day time photos. Should be a good spot for the kids!

 

[Joel]

Things were pretty boring there for awhile but it’s starting to pick up a little. I got skunked a few times in a row but I’ve seen deer on the last 4 sits in a row now.

The other day I had a button buck and a 1 year old buck walk less than 10’ from the base of me tree with plenty of shot opportunities. There was a big buck with them that I happily would’ve shot. He was within 30-40 yards for probably ten minutes but eventually trotted off without getting any closer. I need to trim more lanes from that stand. Could’ve shot him if I had more openings.

The following morning an even bigger buck came through almost the same area and did step through an opening but not for long. He was past and started heading away from me before I had a chance to do anything. I tried the grunt call on both of those bucks and neither reacted to it.

With work and daylight savings time I’ll be hunting as much as I can on the weekends and will try to get an evening hunt after work when possible. I’m in the blind behind the house with a south wind. Not expecting much here but you never know.

 

[hickslawns]

I have confidence you will connect Joel. Good luck.

 

[giles]

Fun fun!

 

[Joel]

Finally got the chance I’ve been waiting for and I shot, and missed. It was a cool encounter and didn’t end with a wounded deer so I’m happy for the clean miss.

I’m pretty careful about making sure my shit is sighted in. I thought I took a 35-40 yard shot this morning so I paced it off and came up with 38 yards. I took my crossbow back to the house and shot at the block with another hunting arrow and hit 6” low and a few inches left at 25 yards. Scope must’ve got bumped I guess. Kids knock it over? Wife? Me getting it in and out of the truck? Who knows..:

So with my crossbow sighted back in I shot a dozen or so hunting arrows from my second floor deck at 25 and 35 yards. Ready to go for next time I’ll just have to keep the crossbow somewhere safer and be more careful hoisting it in and out of trees and all that.

With that done I went back out to my stand with the limb saw and found three places where bucks were standing this season with no shot and I cleared a nice lane to each of those spots. 2-3 good bucks and a couple small ones have stood in these spots so now they’re wide open if it happens. Lots of little branches trimmed and mostly up off the ground a ways so I don’t think they’ll notice.

I moved a camera that wasn’t getting many pictures to where these bucks keep walking by my stand. If I can’t kill one of em maybe I can at least get some pictures lol.

The fun continues. I’m going to try to get out for a couple hours this evening and then it’s back to work tomorrow.

 

[Joel]

It’s getting cold. I think I’ll buy some corn and get a few piles to hunt by. I’ll do a couple more sits where I just stay there for hours waiting for something to wander by but then- corn pile time. I got more corn money than spare time this season...

 

[giles]

Gonna warm back up here and still plenty of acorns on the ground.

 

[Joel]

Gonna warm back up here and still plenty of acorns on the ground.

True, but then it will get cold again and the corn will be there waiting for them. They always come to the corn Dave.

 

[giles]

They sure do!

 

[Joel]

Tonight I had about a 2 hour sit behind my house. I went about 50 yards from my stand and sat on the ground at the top of a hill overlooking a creek where I see deer a lot. Too far to shoot there from my stand so this was a cool place to at least try.

With about an hour of daylight, sitting against a tree on the ground looking at the creek area below me I heard a deer behind me. I looked and 20 yards behind me, in the neighbors cut corn field there is a doe trotting. As I’m repositioning to look I see a real nice buck coming behind her. They trot around the corner and I think that’s probably the last I’ll see of them.

Then, the buck turns out of the field and starts going down this steep ass hill towards the creek. He gets to the bottom then realizes the doe is up top now by me so he starts trying to figure out how to get back there. He’s in the creek coming right towards where I’m positioned to shoot. I took my safety off and get ready to shoot, looking through the scope ready to shoot this deer as he passes a tree blocking my view.

But, the deer doesn’t come into view. Instead I hear a big commotion to my left, look over and he’s running up the damn hill again right towards me. I shifted over real quick and swung my crossbow around the tree. When I did he stopped broadside at about 12 FEET AWAY. Lol he looked right at me, leaped up over a fallen tree and was back in the field chasing the doe again. Definitely the biggest deer I’ve seen this year. He had split brow tines and lots of cool points, really tall pretty wide and super cool old looking buck.

The whole encounter lasted about 45 seconds to a minute. I had maybe one second to take that 12 foot shot before he saw me and left. The hunt continues, no shots fired. Still won’t forget that quick backyard hunt anytime soon.

 

[giles]

Awesome encounter!!!

 

[Joel]

I hunted dark to dark yesterday down the road from my house. The wind was E pretty much all day and I was hunting on the ground so I had to get creative on where to sit.

I had a group of does come by with a couple bucks following but no shot. Then something chased them back and all the does came flying by 5 yards from me with their tails in the air. Almost got a shot at a good buck but he smelled me right before he stepped into a lane 15 yards away. Lucky bastard.

The rest of the day was slow, moved to the other side and saw a big doe by herself at about 40 yards. Right before dark I caught a glimpse of an antler and a tail 60 yards or so out and then had two does walk by less than 20 yards away. Also saw a giant Tom turkey and a ton of squirrels. Would’ve been nice to shoot a deer but had a good time and think I know where I’m putting my stands next year.

Looks like my rut action is coming to an end for the year. I imagine next weekend there will be much less activity than this weekend. I will mostly be hunting over corn in the evenings for the rest of the season. The wife has been very patient and I’m having a blast but at some point I’ll have to spend my weekends on something other than deer hunting.

Still lots of time, blood will get spilled eventually.

 

[giles]

It’ll happen. You’ve seen plenty of shooters.

 

[Joel]

Yeah more shooters this year than ever before. Hope they like corn!

 

[Joel]

Well... I just sort of drug myself out to the backyard stand thinking the rut action is probably gone wasting my time blah blah blah. This guy walked by and got his picture taken at noon today. Maybe I’m not wasting my time out here...

 

[Joel]

He came back and I shot him... how quick a season can change.

 

[xbowguy]

He came back and I shot him... how quick a season can change.

One good minute can change your whole season! Just ask Dock (Mr. Horton Toter). Congratulations again Joel you earned that one buddy you was hitting it pretty good.