RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

heading out tomorrow afternoon to sit till dark in the area i found the rubs here at school like 6 weeks ago....for where i believe he is bedding, the west wind is perfect...its really going to work well most of the season because it will work well with anything but a South or East wind....i could actually probably make any wind work...but tomorrow i aughta beable to sit right over the trail i think and hope he is using...it was screaming good buck when i was in there....actually may even take a shot at a doe given the opprotunity...hard part might be getting the deer close enough...might take a couple observation sits...last year i was in there in bad weather and seen a small buck and another deer that looked like a good buck by body size and body language but i could never see the head...

keep with it....we will be on the board before long!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

All gorgeous photos bud, that's truly a beautiful place but man, talk about looking down on your neighbors! I'd hope I had hot, sexy ones especially some of those pools..LOL

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

well yall season is opening monday sorry i havent been around been coonhunting and football were 2nd in central mass 3 been good coon hunting seeing deer and what not have a nice 8pnt i hope to drop monday or a doe just to get the first bow kill out the way ill get pics if i nail one and will give updates of the hunts as they go hope we get some bone on the ground soon!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Came closer to sealing the deal on a doe tonight. Just ran out of shooting light. Setup on the edge of a pasture at a small bottleneck. I hung the climber back off the edge of the pasture expecting the deer to enter through the bottleneck, but didn't they come in from the bottom edge of the field up into the woods (kind of a reverse move for evening huh?). The lead doe made it to about 40yds with legal time left, but never came closer. Three total. Back at it tomorrow.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

And why are we not cutting her up?[8D]

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Lol, I know I know.

That's out of my comfort zone. I told myself 30 and under this year and I'm sticking to it. I'm not the quite the shot you are yet bud;) How did you guys fair? Gorgeous night again, huh?

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Ya, we had doe action late....real late. Wouldn't have mattered. I took Rob to a stand that I have deemed "buck only." It's new this year. The landowner is alittle unsteady about does/fawns. I am happy to tread lighty for a year or two and establish a good relationship. Its nice land. Rob should be uploading soon I expect. I am gonna hunt it again tomorrow. There is a buck in the area that I would like to get. I like a bit of a west wind for this stand and it looks like we may get that. My other spots don't fit with a west type, so this works out. I will have my alternate cameraman tomorrow. Rob is hunting his plot spot and then heading to Matt Miller's camp. We will likely continue the video hunts Monday....we will play it by ear. If kills don't come after that week, then we are probably gonna start hunting hard separate as to not cut stand time in half. Good luck bud.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

got in pretty early this afternoon....snuck in and took my time and was still settled in right around 3pm...

spotted a few new rubs just glassing...beautiful evening...slightly breezy, but i had my hopes high of atleast seeing a deer...just looks so promising....but nothing spotted...had an owl hooting way down the ridge..got closer and closer and closer and was eventually about 50yds away..couldnt see it, but it was neat to have it so close...


buddy texted me about 630...he gutshot a decint buck. talking him out of tracking it was dang near impossible...he doesnt understand that its going to take hours for it to die...his text said it trotted off and didnt look hurt then stopped...i knew right away it was likely gutshot because it kept walking...2 other buddies got there while he was waiting in the dark and found the arrow...covered in green gut or stomach matter...they immediately told him lets go home we'll find him in the morning...took us a while but we talked him out of it....he should find him tomorrow im sure..if not i'll be there after class...not a real big woodlot it shouldnt be far...

shot one in the hip last year(never found it..pushed it but i think it survived...i think he smacked the bone and didnt get any penetration)....this one was mayyyybe 10yds he said....he gets way too nervous...ive seen him kill with a rifle and the 2 i seen him kill were gut hits center of the body but he spined both of them...could be worse...he could be out there chasing it right now....atleast he listened this time!!


weather saturday looks WARM....i'll still hunt...probably hunt morning and evening on the honey hole hill...i wont get to again at home for like 2-3 weeks...will be halloween when i get to hunt again at home...got trainings the next 2 weekends...glad they are then not any later...gives me the last 3 weekends to hunt, which all 3 aughta be good

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

well, buddies buck was lost....im pretty surprised...but they didnt put the effort in where it needed to be put...

i got outta class and showed up about 4pm...had him walk me through it....10yd shot...wide open shooting..broadside....arrow was covered in what looked to me like intestine matter, not stomach...deer trotted 20yds or so and stopped...thats the only blood it left...and small small fist sized puddle...nasty lookin blood but i smelled it and it wasnt strong smelling...(shot almost 24hrs prior) 4 other different guys throughout the day helped the buddy...i asked where they searched...walked the corn field, and spent most of their efforts to the LEFT of the stand....the buck came from the left and was shot and went right...was last see going right....i about lost it on them...they looked a little bit to the right but didnt pick up blood so searched most of the time to the left...makes absolutely NO sense to me...i couldnt pick up blood(didnt really expect much from the shot anyway...and 5 guys trampled through all day) so i said were searching to the right...thats ALL we have to go by was he was heading that way and was shot and spooked left so hes unlikely to head back that direction...

right away i was finding areas that SHOULD been first things to search...THICK field edge that was pretty wet and some big puddles etc..NASTY...nothing...found a POND noone searched...i searched the whole edge..nothing...the only blood was in a small "ditch" it led right to an area 150yds away or so that was logged about 2 years ago...tree tops, jagurs and saplings thicker than thick. i told him that his buck was in there...we started walking towards the area and something jumped up and ran and did some major crashing...didnt sound like a healthy deer...healthy deer dont usually crash into logs the size this animal was busting...i dont know if it was his buck or not...but i still believe it is or was in there....22-23hrs after the shot...i dont know if it would been alive..or able to jump up and run...i was the only one that got into the "heart" of the stuff...im still bleeding lol...but the others took open paths and the edges....its like 100yds wide and i could only see a few feet most of the time...im still betting it is or was in there...i just didnt stumbled into it or a bed...i tried to find the "crashing" but no luck....

when i called the buddy at noon inbetween classes i told him when he is in the field keep an eye on the sky for vultures and crows...it was getting warm....it wasnt till we were DONE he said he did see a vulture circling the logged area....

i just kinda wanna sack punch/kick/drop kick the kid....[:@] :( [:'(] i put in more effort and in more likely areas in 2 hours than the other 5 did all day (started about 11)....im pretty disappointed...i did more than my part...buddy feels bad enough about it that he left his hunting gear at school and wont be hunting tomorrow so maybe he will learn a lesson...bad hits happen..but a hip and a gut shot 2 years running...he gotta start doing something different....hes just simply not making the shot....




im heading out to the honey hole hill in the morning...and evening. going to lock the climber to the tree and sneak out for lunch and a nap and i'll be back in stand for the evening....gunna be warm, but ive seen bucks in there when its been REAL warm....


good luck this weekend guys!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

That's too bad about the buck, Mauser. Unfortunately there's plenty of people who just don't have the drive and determination many of the people on here do. It's not always just about the determination before the shot as much as it is after the shot that truly sets hunters apart. Sounds like you did all you could, and hopefully he learns.

Had a GREAT morning today. I'm definitely in an area I want to be in pre-rut/rut. I had doe EVERYWHERE and all morning. About 10 total, and I passed on a basket rack 6 point. I let him get to about 10 yds in front of me broadside, and I drew back to see what he would do. He just jumped, and trotted 5-10yds and went back to feeding, lol. He never even looked back.

Anyways, it was great morning. I passed on the doe, too, because of the temps we are having this afternoon.

Last night was also great. I passed on several doe (saw 5 total), and had one come right underneath the tree, look up at me, and just walk away. ASAT is impressive. Also saw a grey gox come barrelling into the food plot last night ahead of the deer. Finally, I watched the same flock of turkeys from Tuesday night feed in the plot for almost an hour (about 30 some again). Lots of action here guys, but no shooter bucks yet.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

its hard for me to even TALK to other people about bow hunting lol...its usually not long till they say SOMETHING that just completely takes all their credibility...and when i hear them talking hunting stories and that, well, its always worse...i am just TOTALLY different from many(i talk to alot of "hunters" at school...) oh well...i know who i am and know i do everything 150% from shooting to scouting to hunting to tracking and recovering...i give it my all and then some more....



didnt see a deer all morning in the honey hole hill...one jumped up just off my trail in the dark when i was walking in....no way to beat it...i have a trimmed trail the whole way to the stand and once a year or so i jump a deer walking in...it IS the only way in...


going to hunt a tree ive never hunted this evening on the honey hole hill...going to be as high as possible...looked at the tree this morning and i aughta beable to see a good distance...might not get shooting, but i have a feeling the deer are skirting my current setup....even the BB i did see didnt do what all the other deer usually did in the past...and i THINK i am hearing deer and could sworn i caught movement of a deer a couple times now just out of view...so im gunna get high this evening...gunna be warm....

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Got skunked for the first sit of the season. I was trying to go a whole week without getting skunked, but oh well:D Sure was a pretty sunset, and I did see 6 on my way out, but nothing from the stand. Hopefully others had better luck than me.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

well, the evening was beautiful...WARM...i didnt venture in the woods till 5 or so...didnt bother moving the stand....i was already sweating and didnt wanna stink the place up and make more noise than i needed too so i just climbed back up the same tree...

this is my first sighting...gunna be long :D captain mauser style :)

not much going on...turkeys like usual...jusssst getting dark...figured id lower the bow down and head out...still legal light, but i didnt THINK id beable to see and ID deer so i was sneaking out while nothing was there....bow hit the ground and iwas unscrewing my hanger when i caught movement...saw antler immediatly...grabbed the binocs and had 4pts on one side...he was in a little crab apple patch...hurried up and got the bow back up...he never even looked my direction! got an arrow nocked and cocked the QAD...he was right about 20yds but too thick for a shot..then i realized that 1 side i seen was his ONLY side...

a decent side...maybe a nub on the other side i couldnt tell...looked busted off but i couldnt be sure...

what to do what to do.....2.5yo buck...probably 14-15" wide if he had both sides...would been my first 2.5yo buck ever....buttt its early, hes a half rack.....errr what to do!?!? after 5 minutes of that i told myself IF he came into the wide open clearing on his own and i had light, id shoot him...if he didnt, i wasnt going to try to help him...and wasnt taking any other shot because of the low light and invisible limbs being possible...he cleared the crab apples but i wanted him closer where i KNEW it was wide open...

WHOA! another deer behind him! a bigger one?? legal buck with both sides!?!? VERY VERY dark coat...almost black...farmer buddy seen him in the spring or early summer said it was a buck with thats REAL dark..seen antlers but immediatly seen he was smaller...4,5,6, maybe 7...i couldnt tell his antlers were dark and i wasnt worried about it because he was 1.5 and smaller..smaller than last years so he got a pass for that....still watching the half rack....probably watched them both for 10 minutes..(maybe 5 but it seemed like 30 lol)

im getting nervous..the small buck is behind me...with the East wind he was DOWN wind...AND standing on my trail i walked in on TWICE today and was sweating this evening walking in...he NEVER busted...caught my movement and looked but he went back to feeding...the half rack hits my clearning...uht oh...guess he might get it......hes facing me, head down...errr what to do what to do...them i realized although i could see the buck and antlers and knew it was clear, i might not see through the peep or see the pin...we'll find out...its GO TIME! full draw...he turns broadside...errrr he did what he was supposed to for a shot...maybe i better take it!?!?!



well........i passed him! i could hardddddly make out my pin...even if it was a monster, i would still passed. i wont take a shot im not comfortable with. 12yds broadside i coulda spit in his eye...but its bowhunting...ANYTHING can happen when you lose an arrow...

im happy with my decision...if he had both sides, i would be tellin a different story and would took the 20yd shot...i had plenty of light then....

VERY awesome hunt...i feel...satisfied? ive never PASSED a legal deer i COULD have killed...and watched it for THAT long...had 2 bucks within 15yds of me at the same time...both down wind and crossed my trail and they never flinched...

the first thing i thought of was ROB BUCK! lol...that was my first instinct when i seen he only had a half rack...

i know i learned more and will learn more from WATCHING rather than shooting...its early....yes, i could drilled him...but im confident i'll see another, or him later in the season...got the last 3 weekends to hunt and can hunt that spot hard if i want....i didnt spook either of them and let them make it into the corn 100yds away before i snuck outta there...i just feel...good...im hopeful that i'll get a bigger one..with the bow this year....and hopeful that anyone else that sees him passes him as well so next year i have a 3.5yo biggun on my hill....

i wanna see the stud that busted his rack!!!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Congrat, Mauser! Sounds like you had a great hunt. I remember when i first started passing on bucks. Its very exciting and I think you begin to learn alot more thru observing them. Im sure you'll be rewarded later this season ;)

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

thanx drhntr....for some reason, i feel just as good about passing him as i would if i drilled him....it would been a bitter sweet kill...ya i filled my buck tag...on a 2.5yo buck...but id look at that half rack skull on the wall and always say "man it was the first week of the season" "man he would been a whopped next year.." "man...maybe the stud that busted his rack would came by later while you were in bed not hunting..."

i KNOW i will learn more by HUNTING than shooting...thats how i learned to be the turkey hunter that i am...by hunting..not filling tags...not a EXPERT turkey hunter, but i can usually fill my tag with a long beard every season...so i know my deer hunting will be the same way....and i tell myself i will still go out and sit in the stand even if i fill my tag....but reality is, its hard to get outta bed when its 20 degrees and you got 4hrs sleep the night before and cant kill one even if you do see one lol.....

that was the best 10 minutes or so of my season....it could be the highlight of my season and i eat my buck tag...and i'll be happy....theres atleast a couple MUCH bigger bucks in the neighborhood...and i wont get to hunt that spot till halloween weekend....i am happy with my odds...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Sounds like excitememt there mauser. Shooting or passing in your situation there was no wrong choice.

I finally seen a deer & then killed it:D
Nice doe. Perfect shot, no blood trail. She went a SOLID 150 yds on a double lung.Wefollowed kicked up leaves & bustedtwigs to find her.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

thanx rybo...i thought i would wake up kicking myself this morning...but i still feel good....im not gunna lie...if i dont see much between now and the next time i hunt that spot(likely halloween weekend) and he comes by and offers me a good shot sometime after that weekend, i just may take it...id rather kill a buck with my bow than rifle....and i'll be smiling ear to ear to drag a 2.5yo out of the woods...half rack or not.

we'll see...ive never passed a legal buck...if thats the only legal buck i have in range all season, so be it...VERY awesome expirience...and kinda rewarding all in its own....and i got to LEARN from that hunt....i was able to pull my bow up from the ground, nock an arrow etc etc with 2 bucks within 30yds at the time....i learned my scent control practices are definently working....theres no way to tell me they arent working NOW...breeze in my face and they both walked behind me and crossed the trail i walked on 3x lol...

im pumped now....all i can think about is gettin back out there!!!


Congrats on the doe!!! kill her with the compound or stick bow?? what broadhead?? weird there was no trail...good job finding her!! wheres the pics!?!? ;)

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

well guys it starts tomorrow morning so ill be in the tree for 530 ill post as i go on how the day unfolds hopfuly ill put on in the freezer quick and then just buck hunt !!!


matt

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

good luck, matt! Im heading to the farm now. Ill be hunting the next two days. Its really warm now but a front is moving in on tuesday so hopefully the deer will start moving.

Im also putting out another trailcam at a mineral site i have. Cant wait to check the others also and see if the big 8 is appearing in daylight yet.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Had a great weekend up at Matt's (Rick James) place. Met up with Matt / PA, Rick James, and Jawshooter (Dan) and we had a successful weekend. I saw plenty of turkeys and had shooting at 2 fawns (BB and doe) and I was picking up my bow for a doe at 45 yards but she didn't offer the shot. Matt (RJ) took a real nice 85" (+/-) buck and Matt (PA) took a real nice doe.

Overall it was a fantastic weekend. I have the video up of my bear encounter from Friday night and shortly I'll have up video from the weekend.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Good luck guys who are headed out.

Rob, that sounds like a great trip you all had, can't wait to see more pix & write ups from the others too.

Mauser here's my doe pic. I took her with the Ally, if it would have been the longbow there would be a big post about it[8D]Head was a thunderhead that's killed probably 90% of my bow deer. Just a freak thing. Inside she had completely filled her chest cavity with blood. With that exit coming out her shoulder, I think for some reason other tissue covered the whole and kept the blood from coming out. Usually it sprays out from the holes???

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

sounds like an awesome time Rob!!

Rybo nice doe! hard to believe there wasnt a trail the whole way...like you said, one of them freak things...good job!! i watched dad do the whole "trail by kicked up leaves" deal a while back in rifle...not a drop of blood...100yds away or so he found his deer...i couldnt believe it..

i didnt have a trail on my buck last year...pass through with 3 blade muzzys...but he only made it 15yds and collapsed...he didnt have time to bleed...holes were there...exit could have been lower, but it was a good shot...like yours, he was full of blood...another step or 2 and it woulda been spraying for sure..funny he laid down on the exit and i could hear him suck through the entrance his last few breaths(he was THAT close) so he was nice and clean for pics...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

well today was the opener went with my buddy to my honey hole we got in about 6am take alil jumped 2 walking in the dark he set up 60yrds from me facing the opposite way i set up in my stand and we seen 8 total good for around here not alot of deer no doe tags for this zone so we didnt shoot any i had 6 oppertunities on diffrent deer all does or fawns jumped a 8 pnt leaving that sucked but well be back tonight see if i cant waist one


matt

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Congrats on the doe Rybo

I'll catch up a little more tomorrow... but just a quick post to say I made it back from Canada. I had a blast hunting with Dan & Jill. Unfortunately the deer movement was minimal and we didn't get a chance at a buck. But it was quiet the experience hunting the terrain we did and the way we did it... 100% different than KS for sure.

We have a few encounters for timberwolves, and fortunately I was able to get one with the Smokepole. A mature female.

Now i'm starting archery season here in KS!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

AWESOME wolf Joey! That thing has a beautiful coat. Tanning the pelt? Or mounting the whole thing? Or a rug?
Wow, that had to be so awesome. When Dan had those shots at em on the DVD, that was nuts.
Good luck back in your home state.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

awesome joey!!! thats a beautiful wolf! look at the paws on that thing!!! i knew they had some size to them...but never realized they were THAT much bigger than a yote!


im curious as well..what are you doing with it?? my buddy goes to canada regular i could sworn you couldnt bring them or their parts over the border...could be wrong or thinkin of something else...very awesome pic! i love it!! congrats!!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Thanks Guys. They are quite a bit bigger than I thought they'd be as well. Mine was a mature female at 75-80lbs. Supposevily the big males will get up into the 130lb range, which would be huge. The legs were much longer with a lot bigger paws in comparison to the body structure of a coyote.

Speaking of paws... here's a picture of a track, with my wife's hand for comparison.



I'm going to skin it out as a lifesize mount and get it tanned. I'll probably just leave it as a pelt, but would have the option to lifesize mount it in the future if I decide to later.

It took a descent amount of effort to get it legally across the border. I needed a a Wolf tag and small game license. Then I had to go into the Ontario Ministries office to get a Cities Export Permit. Then I had the Canada Customs at the border sign off and verify & then the US side to the Customs for the same. And lastly the US Fish &Wildlifeverified as well& throughly inspected out vehicle. But there wasn't any problems, thanks to my buddy Dan, who's done it before and steered me in the right direction.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

thats awesome Joey!! i cant get over the paw size...and that track..holy cow!!!

lots of options with it....pelts alone look nice hanging...could rug it and have the head mounted with the rug...full body mount...

sounds like a bit of work to get it home...but nice to hear it is possible. something it would be worth to me...i love pelts!! got 2 coon pelts and a red fox pelt done last year...they look awesome just hanging off a shelf in my room....i need a gray fox and yote...got a deer hide tanned last year too and got it on my tv stand for now under the TV...soon i'll be getting hides tanned to MAKE things out of....i want a possibles bag made from a deer hide i kill with the flintlock or bow...didnt wanna use my first flintlock deer hide for that though...



might head out hunting tomorrow evening....got nothin else to do that i can think of, so i'll likely head out...trying to doe hunt with my buddy....we can pull off a double if things pan out how they did the evening he gutshot that buck....well...we COULD....i certainly will be picky about shots and try to make sure mine would go a different direction than his after hit...i dont need 2 blood trails criss crossing...exspecially if something goes astray...with his 0-2 batting average, i might not double if he were to shoot first...we'll see..if he dont wanna hunt there i'll head to the game lands myself..

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Nothing but crickets in here fellas. We all talked out? Anybody hunting? Rob’s been keeping us posted on his activities in the regular section, Joey is probably still settling down from Canada. Matt, I know you are hunting too. Mauser? Skip class and hit the woods son! ;)

I’ve got 4 days in a row planned to hunt. A short after work hunt today, out of work @ 11 am tomorrow, all day Saturday and at least the morning sit on Sunday, maybe the evening too depending on what I find during a mid-day scouting trip.

Bluetick, pines, the rest of you guys, any action?

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I've been out every evening of the season. I passed on a small 6 on Sat morning, and passed on several doe Friday night and Saturday morning due to the temps and the lack of motivation to field dress in those temps[8D] Last night I sat in my food plot stand hoping to whack a doe, and I had 5 of them coming in to me, but then a flock of turkeys came in, and ran the doe off[&:] It was a fun night though. I have those turkeys patterned though. They've been in that field every evening I've hunted it. They come in at the same time at the same spot, walk the same direction, and fly to roost in the same trees. Come on turkey season:D

I was pretty confident this year would be the year I would get the buck monkey off my back, but I'm starting to slowly lose confidence. I'm seeing a ton of deer, just not much buck sign, or bucks, and for some reason I'm getting that bad gut feeling I've had the last 5 or 6 seasons[:o]

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Matt, hang in there, the best hunting is yet to come. Your on deer so it's just a matter of time.

I'm headed to lower PA with Ben to hunt with twildasin and Matt/ PA. I'm anticipating a doe but Tim has seen a really big buck from "my" stand so one never knows.

I'm also off next Thur, Fri and then the 30th and 31st plus the next two weeks, the second of course will be in IL. I'll still be hunting every eve.

Fanstastic wolf ks. That's very cool.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

rybo, no skipping class for me....especially THESE classes...some of our REAL training started last afternoon/evening with a physical fitness test...i need to shave some time off my run, but other than that i did well...today, and the next 3 days i got training...and next week wed, friday sat and sunday i got more....could be worse....could been later in the season...i would really cried!!!!


got out tuesday...buddy said we would goto his spot where he gut shot the buck and try to take a doe...he was 100yds away in a different stand...i was in his spot...seen 4+ in the field on the way out just 150yds down the field edge from us.....last night he went back out and seen a somewhat nice buck(different from the one he gutshot) and an illegal buck...said they both had to walk right under the tree i climbed...then went past his stand just outta range....i wouldnt shoot a buck from his spot anyways...


will likely get out monday afternoon tues morn and or afternoon and thurs morning and/or afternoon....

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Rob, part of me really thinks I'm seeing the results of better hunting this year (more work on the plots, more attention to scent, stand rotation, etc) as I'm seeing deer more every year, but who knows. Maybe I'm too much of a pesimist:D Good luck to you guys this weekend. I have a feeling you guys will have a great time no matter what happens. I'm looking forward to seeing some good footage as well.

Tonight, with the NNW wind we were having, I don't have many good sets for this, so I tried something new. I hiked my climber into a small hollow below my driveway where there are a few decently producing apple trees as well as a small spring. All of this is surrounded by thick briars and autumn olive. I was hoping to catch a buck back here (as my dad shot a nice 9 point in 1999 with the smokepole), but I ended up seeing the SAME flock of dang turkeys again, lol. I now think I know their entire patterned route across our property in the evening. I was a good 400 yards from the plot I've been seeing them in, but they were making their way over in that direction. Around 6:00 I had a doe and two yearlings come up behind me. Could have had either of the yearlings, but I can't shoot them (just can't bring myself to). Mom held back behind me because she caught a glimpse of something she didn't like (me). She never blew or spooked, she just stomped a bit, and went around to the east of me. The yearlings followed. Good night on the stand, though.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Matt, i think your work will pay off...you are putting alot of stand time in....your on deer....hang in there!! every day will get better and better...its early, but the big ole moon is gunna start shrinking and shrinking...i have a feeling Halloween weekend and the following week is gunna be HOT in terms of deer activity...new moon is Halloween or the day after....i cant wait! just hope the weather keeps cool.....

talked to my buddy this evening and he said he might goto camp next week for a day hunt....that is where i killed my buck last season.....the buddy i was with last year, is heading up this weekend to hunt(they are cousins its their family camp...im practically family...i can go up ANYtime i want...) so i might head up with my buddy next week, depending on whats going on...

or, i may head home monday afternoon to hunt at home Tuesday...or just hunt here at school...we'll see...i need spots closer to school, but in 3 years i failed to find anything close that i felt was worth my time...found a TON of deer last week spotting on a bunch of different farms(never spotted down this way) but that does me no good...wish i found them a year or 2 or 3 ago...my spot i hunt here is a half hour away...and a half hour hike....so its either setup all day or choose between morning and evening....

i gotta hunt a spot dad and i used to see numerous wall hangers cruising...every year in fall turkey we setup in an area and seen about 4 on average GOOD shooters every morning we hunted it every year(before i bowhunted) the last few years the canopy closed and its nothing but thick, high ferns....just didnt look like "deer" woods...but winter, i found a TON of tracks in there...the thicket matured some too, which turned me off as well...but its worth a shot...its directly below my oak ridge i hunt now...which i still say is gunna be a hot spot..right time, right tree...i know they use it hard...


good luck guys....keep at it....i got 3 more days of pretty physical training...i gotta hit the bed....i wish the general public could see the training LEOs go through...."those fat donut eaters" go through some serious training....i'll say that much...this is just the beginning of it, and i truly am enjoying it and really think im on the right track for myself...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Finally the weather was nice and cool this evening sit. I tried a new spot again tonight with the climber. It's perfect with the NNE wind we had. I had a yearling come out of a pine thicket at around 4:30 as I was climbing the tree. It's the earliest sighting of the season. It never saw me. Later in the evening a nice doe and yearling came out, but about 60 yds above me. No luck yet, but still seeing deer.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I did love the cool weather this evening. The forecasted (ideal) NNE wind was a WNW-NW which was eh, so-so. I saw a nice 2.5 yr old, probably about 105-110. Decent mass for a younger buck. Almost bleated in a doe. And speaking of, have any of you ever heard a deer screech? I'm not on drugs, I didn't fall out of my tree on my head. But I swear to you, this doe was walking around the woods screeching. Her 2 lost fawnsstarted screeching back and they eventually found each other.

Yes they screeched. It wasn't a bleat, it wasn't a grunt, it was half bleat half whining alleycat. Over 20 some years in the deer woods, I have NEVER heard this type of vocalization. [&:]NO idea?

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

uht oh.....rybo, you do know you can make millions now right??:D better patent that sound ASAP!! thats very interesting though....only time i remember hearing bleats was either lost fawns and does or just bawl/bleats from a pack of yotes....talk about hearing mother nature at work....the yotes were yippin and howlin and the deer were bleating and bawling...i'll never forget it...it was middle of summer i believe...most likely after fawns...


you guys are on deer pretty hard....i got faith in you all!!! good luck this weekend!!!


time to go get ready for day 3 of training......i was in bed by 10 and sleeping by 11 last night...today is gunna be the hardest day of the training i think...physical wise atleast...i just hope i dont gotta run anymore today! lol...we full out sprinted about 1000 yards yesterday in the matter of maybe a half hour...100yds or so, 30 second break and 100yds or so back...5 times...

this weather got me itchin BAD...cant think of any better weather for mid october....just gotta hope it continues to stay cool....

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

howd my team fair over the weekend?? havent seen or heard much except from Rob's post...friday? dont think they posted anything saturday evening?



i survived training....made it out with no injuries...


im ready to get in the stand tomorrow!! looks like a cold front moves in sometime tomorrow night...im planning to be in stand tomorrow evening and tuesday evening after the front breaks....couldnt ask for a much better time to be able to get in the stand!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I been out & seeing deer, just nothing of shooter status in range. No more "screechers"[8D] since friday.This morning I scooted over to OH, but didn't hunt, just scouted more. I fell better seeing some better sign and actual deer. Had a small 6 with does on his mind around 11 am, ignore me standing wide open on a big trail 30 yds away.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Captn,

Didn't see a deer Saturday morn or even. I now have 3 weeks to put down a PA buck, then 1 week in IL. I'm very optimistic. I did see a 6 pt out in front of my house while hunting Friday morn. I'll be in a tree most likely alone every day the next 3 weeks. (excluding Sundays), I'm off this Thur, Friday and then I'm off the following Thur through the second week of Nov. I have time. ;)