All I had to do was ask!

Hoyt_Viper · 10-20-2008, 08:53 PM

I just returned from Martinsville, VA for the NASCAR race. We took a 40 ft camper trailer and stayed from Friday until late today. As we were coming home we stopped for some diesel and I noticed a huge farm and hundreds of standing corn and other ag.

4 of us are hunters so we got on the subject and the guy next to us was a 70 yr old farmer filling his John Deer and heard us talking. He said we could come any time we wanted and hunt with archery, gun or whatever means. His sons are in the middle east and said that we had the place to ourself.

We are going next weekend to scout a bit for some trees to set up in. Its about 900 acres with 400 in ag and cattle. The rest is all hardwoods and a 30 acre cutover. It just looks like the place where the monsters are. He said the place was barely hunted last year and the hunt club dissolved.

This area is so rural that for about 60 miles of driving we never saw a posted sign on any of the good pieces we looked at. All of the area (40 some miles of 360 W) was just prime spots by rivers, ag and dairy farms.

I didnt get to hunt this weekend but with this weather I cant wait to start seing a ton of movement in my areas. Wish I was posting about a big one, but this week Im hunting for that bear. Bear archery closes next week and that is my goal before I hunt my buck.

Im glad to see the luck others are having. Keep it up. I have until Nov 3rd until Muzzleloader so Im hunting all week and hopefully I can get the bear and the buck Ive been watching!

OKbowhunter20 · 10-20-2008, 08:56 PM

That's sweet. Sure sounds like a nice guy. Now go kill a smaller in there.[8D]

Schultzy · 10-20-2008, 08:56 PM

You lucky dog Viper!!! It's crazy how things work out sometimes. Good luck with getting that bear, any sightings yet?

Hoyt_Viper · 10-20-2008, 09:03 PM

Shultzy,
I personnally saw the bear twice. He knocked thecamera off the tree when I put some bacon grease and a jar of peanut butter out for him a month ago. No good pictures but I found two pines he has ripped the bark off and was either going for the sap or rubbing on it. I found hairs stuck to it and paw tracks going 3 different directions, and 2 went to the water. Im concentrating on the areas between his markings and the creek. Ive never filled a bear tag, especially here where they are RARELY sighted, but what an accomplishment that will be.

The new area looks great though, and the owner says there are bear in there two. Its a good 2 hr drive so I wont be hunting it but a few weekends, maybe even into Muzzy season.

Schultzy · 10-20-2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

I found two pines he has ripped the bark off and was either going for the sap or rubbing on it.

Scratch post or maybe even a territorial thing.

Rory/MO · 10-20-2008, 09:55 PM

Good luck Jeff!

vichris · 10-20-2008, 10:35 PM

I found this great buck on some private land. The rancher whom I'd never met just said "ya keep the gates closed" when I asked him to hunt his land.