rybohunter

Guys I am school girl giddy after spotting tonight. Ihad the most incredible buck sighting I have ever witnessed. 7 shooter bucks in one group. I'm talking big shooters too. 1 might have been on the smallish side at 115", the rest were big(120-140). 2 had to push past 20" spreads, and this other 8 was just huge and massive. I've never seen anything like it. They were close to the road, but I some of them didn't stand still very long. At first I was so dumb founded I didn't even put the binocs up. The best part was that they were pretty darn close to the center of my core area. Not specifically on the property, but seeing deer in this field bodes real well for me. Good thing I don't have to go to work tomorrow, these guys are going to be walking thru my dreams all night.
The total for the night was into the low 100's for total deer, probably around 20-22 total bucks and 9-10 shooters.

SumHunter

Quick-
That will have to walk this year. We don't really shoot bucks unless it's 4 or more on one side and as wide or wider than it's ears. Then, for every buck you shoot, we try to take two does as well.

quiksilver

Ryan - that's pretty awesome. It sounds like you might be in store for another good season. Once they start running does (if not earlier), I'm sure you'll see some of those bucks again. If I strike out early, I might be calling ya. By the way, we spot just about every Sunday in G.Co., so if you ever want to meet us there, just give me a call, and see if we're going that week. This weekend is still up in the air. If I don't go whitewater rafting on Sunday afternoon, we'll be spotting for sure.

I went out to my honey hole last night and had a nice evening scouting and glassing. I saw four bucks, none legal, along with about 8 does/fawns. BUT, the only field that I can glass is on the far end of the farm, a soybean field. The rest (around 250 acres is nothing but corn - both sweet and field corn). I hunt the opposite end, behind the cornfields, and I took my first walk back there last night.

WOW - the deer (andraccoons)are absolutely demolishing this guy's cornfields. There's a thick, vinybedding area down over a ledge, and the cornfield directly above that area is devastated. Half the stalks are already ripped down (raccoons), the other half are eaten right off the cornstalk (deer). There are deer and coon droppings everywhere. There's a big grassy lane (knee deep)cut right across the center of the field, and the deer have it stomped down pretty good. I plan on hanging a stand set right above the bedding area, right over the area that is getting hit really hard. If that farmer doesn't get his corn cut ASAP, he won't have anything left. I've never seen that kind of crop damage, and there's no way to glass the area to see what kind of deer are behind the damage.

buttonbuckmaster

Rybo, good luck on those bucks. Over 100 deer? I usually only see about 15-20 a night. I wish we could spotlight in IL, I'm sure that number would double. There is a ton on corn planted sround the areas I hunt, so its mostly checking waterways for me right now. I went last night and saw 8, only 2 were bucks, nothing huge, but nice 2 1/2 year olds.

rybohunter

Fran,
Yea I am hoping for a good year. There were several real nice bucks I saw last year scouting and thru the season, but never heard of anyone getting any nice ones. I think these are the ones from last year and man they are nice. I still see the racks bobbing above the brush, it was like watching TV. Yea if you want to come up this way for a change of scenery no problem, as you see there are no shortage of deer. I'll check my sunday nights coming up, I think a lot of them are kind of busy. If you can sneak out a week night I could try to get down there when i'm on day shift.

BBM
Yea 100 deer for this area is too many. Its only a 6.25 mile loop around the perimeter of where I spot. There are probably many more deer as there are still tons of cornfields that you can't see at all into. I like spotting to check and see what's in the areas, but to be honest, I'd like to see them can it in PA. I think a lot ofbucks get jacklighted.

IL Rancher

I haven't seen to many deer on my drive arounds YET... Looking at the bean fields and water ways mostly as the 75% of the land in 7 foot tall corn doesn't led to too many spottings unless one jobs out in front of your car.. I see most of them this time of year walking in the ditches to get water... With the good rain we have had of late though most are hitting the small ponds that filled in the woods.

buttonbuckmaster

Well gang, the teams are picked. They are jockeying for second place. Poor saps.

quiksilver

Whatsup gang - Spotted again last night - it's getting dark a shade earlier now - 9:00 - giving us a full 2 hours of time. We saw around 250 (some deer probably counted twice), maybe 80 bucks, with one HOG that wasunder 1/4 mile from one of my favorite stand sets. Huge mainframe 5x5 in the 20-22" range, running with another 5x5 in the 17-19" range. The more I scout, the more I confuse myself about where I want to spend my opening morning. [>:] Rybo - this looks to be shaping up to be a banner year in SW PA. By the way, did you hear anything back on your doe tag yet?

IL - are you guys permitted to spotlight deer at night? That's when I get most of my scouting done, since I work every day, and it seems like my weekends are jammed through September.

Hey, has anyone heard from Troy lately. I fear that he may have been abducted by aliens or pitched out by the old lady.[]

Button - I think we might need to ramp up our trashtalking efforts, since our reign as Bowhunting Kings of HNI is being threatened.

IL Rancher

Troy is probably in major preason mode with his season apart to start and the school year fast approaching... I think he said soemthing about being away for a while a while back.. Would have to go check.

Spotting is 100% illegal in Illinois. Not saying it is not done but I don't do it.. The only spotting I do is when I am actually looking for something and I catch a random deer in the spot.. Doesn't happen much and usually only during calving season.

I need t time my trip closer to dusk so I actually get dusk. It is almost pointless now with the amount of corn in around here, every year there are fewer and fewer beans being planted.. Maybe I should start farming so I can plant some areas to make my hunting/scouting more productive lol... Nah, than I would be harvesting all hunting seaosn.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Actually, that is funny but.....you guys have a big shoe to fill and it'll be left by TEAM 36!!!!!!!!!!!!!!