RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Went out tonight to my NW food plot stand. Plot didn't disappoint, either. I saw 6 total, 3 nice sized doe that passed near the 30yd zone (love my new nikon 440, btw), but I passed. You can read my post in the main forum, but I'm not sure now I want to take a doe out of here. I know they're bedding near here (there's two different areas), and as long as they continue coming in, I figure at least ONE buck has to follow one of these nights, right?:D[8D]

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

man Matt, have you been out this year and not seen a deer?? you definently see a pile of deer!! only a matter of time for you to see some shooters im betting!!!




so i ended up going with the buddy to film....i took my bow...he told me he honestly didnt care if i shot a buck or a doe...i told him id stay doe only unless we had a slammer that he didnt have a shot but i did...but i didnt wanna sit in his stand and take one of the bucks on his farm he hunts...

we ended up combining our heads and didnt hunt his stands at all...went to a place noone hunted all season(couple of his friends hunt the farm too) it was a nice ridge...i threw and estrous drag down as we walked down the old ATV path...combined our heads and found a spot that we felt good about...he wanted to be closer towards the truck a couple times but i am a point hunter when i can be and kept inching towards the point...he insisted on hunting over a pretty good trail going up 50yds from the point...he wanted to be low but i insisted we went up 30 more yards so we could atleast SEE the point and flat of the ridge...

threw out some wicks and was calling off and on...by 330 we had 1 small deer BOLT infront of us up the point and onto the flat wind was strong in our face...it was running when he spotted it so i dont know what spooked it...hoped a buck was trailing...i grunted a couple times as soon as she was out of sight...3 or so minutes later there stands a doe 40-50yds away on the flat...dont know if it was the same one or what...it disappeared..an hour later he says dont move! there stood a doe 45yds away on the flat...it was REAL skittish too...didnt hang around long...about 6 he grunts a couple times and as soon as he did he seen deer running straight infront of us on the point...so i threw a couple grunts and bleats out and hear they come circled down below us and are running straight for us...we both got our bows up when they were behind brush and were standing there ready...wind in our face perfect....they turned around and hightailed outta there!! i cant figure out what in the world had all these deer so skittish....they werent near our trails or our down wind scent, we had good cover...werent moving when they got skittish...i dont know...

so after they bolt i grunt while he rattles and hes turned around hangin the horns up...its maybe just a hair later than 6...i spot a buck running right up the point...im wispering BUCK BUCK BUCK!! he grabbed his bow and the buck freezes on the flat and starts trotting to our left away from us...i threw a couple soft grunts and he starts trotting to our left on the flat than circles down wind...freezes..hes dead down wind of my drag i hung 20yds above me on the flat..not down wind of us...i think that got him to stop...i can hardly see him with brush and didnt follow him with my head, just my eyes...then i heard my buddies bow....

i couldnt believe he shot...buck was definently quartering to him somewhat...and farther than id shoot in the woods...he swears the range finder said 28...and he says he can shoot very well at 50 and 60 so i dont know...he said he felt great about the shot...i couldnt see the impact but it looked like he hunched up and kicked and ran hard with his tail tucked and low to the ground...from what i THINK i saw...alot of crashing....but could just been busting sticks...

we wait 15 minutes and he says lets sneak down, pack up while we have a little light left and head to the truck to get lights...light was fading fast so i said lets try to find the arrow or POI while we have a few minutes of light and can see the tree and land marks...he found a spot of kicked up leaves...and 3 or so yards infront of that i found 2 clumps of cut off hair about a foot apart...i told him thats where he hit the buck....and its a 40yd shot not 28...he shot through about a foot hole...the hair lines up perfect with the shot angle...i think he ranged a twig or something...but arrow is nowhere to be found....

we back out and come back and hour later with my coon hunting light...(it started sprinkling then light shower just as we headed to the truck...we figured it would be best to go in and atleast get a direction and start of a trail before its washed out..) we searched about 100yds in the direction we seen/heard it run....couldnt find anything more...i told him to go home and come back in the morning...no use of us trampling around in the dark...any light blood was washed out by that point as it was raining decint...

sooooo we'll see what he finds...i got a meeting so i wont get to help....

he has a pretttttty awesome farm to hunt...very nice land...and definently good deer and buck numbers...

i have no idea how big the buck is...he got binocs on it..i didnt...i didnt think it was too big...but he said it was out to his ears and 6-7 inch tines...i actually asked him if it was legal when we first seen it...no time for me to get the camera on it..or any of the deer we seen lol...hopefully he finds it tomorrow...


but, goes to show that wind or no wind, the deer were moving.....i think the wind had them skittish....but they were moving...cold front definently came about 4 oclock or so....noticably colder...BRRRRR

if that thing didnt bolt the first time, i would probably had to shoot it lol....woulda been a clean 20yd shot if he kept comin like he was...and my buddy would been behind me with no shot...i wouldnt felt bad being i played as much of a part in seeing those deer as he did...and he said he wanted me to shoot if i had shots and i wanted to....i dont know if i would have...it was just as exciting for me when i heard the bow as he was being the shooter...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Wow, Mauser, sounds like your buddy will wing an arrow without hesitation or even without having a real good shot. Hopefully he either finds it, or it was just a low graze since it turned out to be so far.

As for me I saw a 4 pt and a BB last night. The BB was at 12 yds broadside. Wished he was a doe. I’d be skinning her out tonight. The local “after work” farm I’ve been hunting is getting HAMMERED with guys. There were 4 of us last night, and one of the guys who is usually there wasn’t. Seems like we all have space though, as everyone has their areas. I’m the last guy there in the eves so I get what’s left, but honestly, sometimes that spot is my first choice when no one is there. I’ve already seen one shooter there.
Tonight will depend on weather, tomorrow is out, Thursday I may skip as well since I have a long 6 day stretch starting Friday.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Good to hear that some of you have some time off coming up soon! The cool weather is really making things nice. I feel like things are going to start happening real soon. Hope your buddy can recover that buck, Mauser.

Casi & I went out last night and we had a close call... I thought for sure Casi would get a shot. Watched a big buck appear in the milo about 250 yards away. We recognized the buck right away as a new one, I got 2 game cam pictures ofjust from last Wednesday & Thursday...just a cool looking rack. He eventually worked towards us but then started walking parellelby us at 60 yards. I grunted, tickled the tines, everything to get him to come in a little closer but no dice! He had a different agenda. He ended up making some scrapes & rubs and moved on.

I've never seen my wife shaking so much in her life! She's really enjoying being the one with the bow!

We saw several fresh scrapes made since Saturday, so things arejuststarting toheat up it seems.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

i have mixed thoughts on him Ryan...he seems like a good hunter and that....it was gloomy last night, and nearing sunset...wasnt dark, but wasnt bright and sunny...i can kinda see him not seeing the twigs(he did know it was a hole to shoot through) and maybe im wrong and it wasnt quartering to him nearly as hard as i think it might have been...i just know i watched it start hooking down behind us which put him almost broadside to me...be he was 2yds away from me just makes sense that it was quartering harder to him..maybe he didnt notice with the light conditions... and he did range the actual deer while it stopped there..he got 28 and shot for 28...i wish i could go back there today...heck, i may..he can only look till 1...we'll see how long my meeting takes...but id like to find this 28yds the range finder gave him...im willing to bet the 2 clumps of cut hair is the POI...and i KNOW its not 28 or 30...really could been as big as he thinks...it happened quick and i couldnt move anything but my eyes..he had me and my tree for cover so he got his binocs on it...

hopefully we'll find out today....i was thinking low hit by the hair...but where the heck is the arrow? and a low hit with a rage 3 blade should had blood all over the place...he coulda smoked it through the heart and arrow is in offside leg..i dont know...coulda hit a twig and sent the arrow flying somewhere off target...

too many what ifs...having that farm to hunt, i would personally passed the shot...heck another couple seconds we could probably had him under the tree...he definently stopped because he hit my estrous wick and was really interested...he was responding to the calls really well...he may came in on a string...i had no idea he even drew...when i heard the shot i was shocked lol...i wish i knew he drew so i could payed attention to the shot sound...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

How many of you PA guys are going to brave the weather, tonight?

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I probably will, unless its raining too hard. I'll play it by ear. I'm hunting from the ground & have little to lose at the farm I'm hunting so I figure why not. Maybe I'll get lucky.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I am off this week and got some chores done at home yesterday and didn't hunt at all. But I went back out this morning and hunted a stand for the first time. Spooked two deer going in. Wouldn't you know but the morning I am giving my favorite stand a rest 2 bucks walk right by that stand. One is a nice buck, too far away to tell how nice and I didn't have the binocs with me, but from 300 yds. you could tell he has a nice rack. 2nd time I've seen him from far away. I found 2 huge fresh scrapes while looking around and the biggest rub I've ever seen. 12" across on an old cedar tree. It pretty well tells me its a community rub, but my LW sticks and Assault will be in that general area in the morning if the wind is right as that was the direction the 2 bucks were headed.

Rob, you'll do well. I wish I had 2.5 weeks off. As it is after this week I'll have another 4 days off within the next 2 weeks.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

sounds good coug!! just gotta be in the right tree at the right time!!


matt, i opted to stay in and get some studying and school work done. if it wasnt windy, i would stayed up late after hunting and did the work after...but its really blowing out there. i couldnt imagine what its like up where i hunt...planning to try to sit there dark to dark thursday....front moves out wed night...low 40s and calm weather....they are starting to act up around here....so anything can happen. hopefully something does.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Well, Mauser, tonight I did not see a deer! Thanks for jinxing me[8D] Jk:D It was WINDY as all get out tonight (I actually got down a bit early because of two really dead pines that were next to my tree that looked like they wanted to snap during those gusts). I did manage to see my turkeys again...14 of them anyways.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

haha sorry Matt:D

weather here turned nastier...rain turned to sleet then snow....winds picked up and became pretty consistant 20mph breezes with probably upto 30mph gusts...i cant sit on stand in cold wind very long...i didnt bother venturing out...ive predator hunted in colder temps and i can deal with negative numbers....but im sitting a half hour tops...last evening the wind was just cutting directly through me and i was layered best i coulda been...rough weather....but i love the temps and snow in october!!!


***buddy and atleast 1 of his other friends searched for hours today for that buck...no sign of it or his arrow...they even raked the leaves in the area trying to find the arrow....i dont see it blowing into the forest ground completely buried anyway...but never know if the angle was deflected or something coulda happened i guess....i wish he found it...or the arrow...just a very wierd set of circumstances....and under the conditions, i still say i wouldnt have shot if i were in his tree...but he says everything was different compared to what i seen lol...but its all possible..he used the binocs and range finder..i didnt...we may never know what really happen....we all know anything can happen when you release an arrow...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I bailed last night. Was tired and figuredI have time coming up, I didn't need to brave the crappy elements.
I'll be back at it thursday and then I'm off for 6 straight days. I believe I may have mentioned that already ;)

Good luck team, things are going to be happening fast over the next couple weeks.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Yes you did. I hate you[8D] Jk, go put one down for us!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

im pretty pumped for tomorrow...i might even be more pumped than Rob after he shot his doe:D

weather moves out tonight...low of 27...high of 47...mostly sunny and calm winds...bucks are starting to move and respond to scents and calling....ive seen them cruising in the past in the SGLs i hunt from this week on....just seems big woods deer seem to start moving a little more, a little earlier...and its really not early to be seeing it...id say chances of catching them moving tomorrow are pretty good between the time of the year and the weather...im going to try to last all day...even if that means climbing down and taking a walk to warm up and get the blood flowing...

a buddy just had a nice one come in at like 3pm yesterday....he said he was seeing movement ALL day...its that time of year...anything can happen at ANY time...right spot, right time, right buck and it will come together....hopefully, the nice ones dad and i used to see in the area got bigger since ARs and they are still doing the same as they used too...if thats the case, i got chances of seeing some bone...and possibly some big bone...noone would ever guessed we seen so many 90-130" bucks as we did on SGLs...im confident i'll hopefully see some deer...being a shooter and being in range...well, we'll see what unfolds...but im pumped up...i honestly might not beable to sleep well tonight...

and i know the deer went undisturbed since atleast saturday...probably last week was about the last time they were hunted at all....i hope im not just pumping myself up for a major let down....everything seems "right" to atleast see deer

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Hey team!! Ive been spending every free minute i have in the woods lately. Had a lot of action but just havent had a shot opportunity at a buck I want (120+).There really starting to chase hear and respond to calls. I have to work the next 2 nights and them im off for a week. If I dont put one down during that somethings wrong.

Rob, Im headed out to buy a buck decoy tomorrrow. Never used one before but Ive had 2 occasions this week where i believe I could have got my buck if i had one. One way or another im gonna find out if i was right.;)

good luck to everyone!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Well, I went out again tonight. Climbed two trees, almost fell out of the one (thank god I had my safety harness on), and decided this wasn't ideal for tonight. Climbed down and took the climber down to our farm road, dropped it off, and headed to my ladder stand on the food plot. The heavy NNW wind we were having made this stand a little less than ideal, but I was hoping most of the deer would enter from the west, but nope. Saw 5 tonight, and they all entered downwind (never busted, which is good). I kept HOPING a buck was in tow, and they often looked back, but nothing came. The yearlings were still with them as well, so it's not quite time yet. Not sure where I'm going tomorrow.

I also saw my turkeys again. Same 14 as last night. Hope they keep at this until Saturday.;)

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Also, the discussion Schultzy brought up in the main forum in regards to less buck sign on his property being attributed to an increasing buck:doe ratio got me thinking. According to my log, I have had 88 sightings from the stand this season (over 100 when including walks out). Two, count them, two have been bucks. Granted many of the sightings are the same groups, but still, I feel we have WAY too many doe on our property. I see very little in terms of sign year after year, and it never used to be that way. I've noticed a major decline in rub lines and scrapes, and I really don't even see many 1.5 yr olds like I used to. I KNOW I'm in spots where the does are feeding and bedding (my sightings are proof of that), but yet I've only seen two small bucks the whole season. Is my only option more doe kills? I'm only one guy with one doe tag, so I'm thinking next year of hosting a few HNI members to hunt. I would rather see some guys on here take something off my property than me anyways, so we'll see. I'm not sure what to expect as teh rut begins here soon, because if I truly have an abundance of doe, the bucks certainly aren't going to be chasing nearly as much.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

matt, the whole state used to be in your same situation....way too many doe..hardly any buck.

im willing to bet that you have a fair chunk of pretttttty unhunted land (except a few guys) and the guys that do hunt it, dont take many does. only option IS to take more does. i know it can be hard in PA in certain WMUs where tags are limited...but family, friends, HNI guys...whatever it takes...take a a few each year....first couple years you may need to take a few extras out...once you get it where you like it, you still gotta take couple each year....




ive officially sat on stand for a full day.....i cant believe it. longest i remember sitting was till 1pm rifle season one year....

got in LATE...shower and food run took more time than expected...but i walked in as daylight was breaking...settled in right at legal shooting time id guess....was surprised there was 1-4 inches of snow up there(depending on the terrain and foliage) and boy was it cold! cut a few sets of pretty dang fresh tracks that all looked to be buck tracks..all going in and out of my "block" and 1 set walked at my 20yd line....

i sat there till 10 or so...for some reason i thought i was in the wrong spot and thought i needed to be 150yds or so left...i was FROZE so i decided to sneak down, pack it up and see what else i could find in the snow....100yds left i found a heck of a trail...i couldnt count the different number of deer..probably about 10 used that trail sometime between 2 or so am and 7am..(it snowed up there last night i believe...think it was said to stop by 2am) all the tracks came and went a different direction....but ALL of them joined right at the top of the thicket...many looked like buck tracks...large and many had good dew claws showing...definently looks like they were cruising the thickets...

so i setup there for the rest of the day....noon or so i catch movement...grab the binocs...ERRRRR!! 11 thousand acres, thursday morning, and someone is FOLLOWING my tracks in the snow!!!!!! i really expected the game warden...i honestly did not believe there would be a hunter following my tracks...but it was. he got within 15yds of me...finally looked up, said sorry and walked off....he looked at me numerous times...i always take my orange vest and hat and display it just for that reason...but he acted like he had no idea....i watched him looking at my tracks in the snow as he followed them...what did he expect? bigfoot??? :eek: [:'(] [:@] [&:]

soooo i decided id sit it out...tracks where there...spot looked good...weather was right...time of the year is getting there....

5pm or so i turn to my left slowly scanning...practically all the snow melted to my left and it was a old logging cut thats 15-20ft saplings now...sure enough, i got 3 snorts outta something....wind was swirling bad....i dont know if it caught wind or if it caught movement...i never seen it...but it would been tough to see....

that was it................................

im frustrated with this "big woods" stuff...i LOVE hunting up there...its beautiful woods and you can litterally get lost up there...and its not far away...i love it. but man, the deer are whooping me up there big time....been this way since i came to college 4 years ago :( from 12-16 i hunted it with dad...that was PRE herd reduction, and all the logging cuts were 5 years younger....trees grow at an amazing rate when they are young....the woods have completely changed...and theres far less deer...its just killin me.

i should have taken the afternoon and just WALKED. i should have taken advantage of the snow. though, my spot looked GREAT in the snow....thats what made me stay in the tree...

i did impress myself...only dozed off twice briefly...and wasnt hungry or overly cold...better gloves and fask mask are needed for these cold days i know that...

back home to the honey hole saturday.......my fingers toes and eyes are crossed....that 4pt half rack better stay hidden...i just might kill me a Rob buck :D

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Hunting in the snow already! Lucky man. Yeah, I feel we're really at a point on our land where we just have way too many does. It's only 90 acres, but for the most part, I'm the only one hunting it. Tonight I packed the climber into a spot I haven't hunted yet. Got about 10 yds in the woodline, and another hunter is already walking in about 40yds from me. He doesn't see me, and I let it go as I was assuming it was a friend my uncle let hunt last year (although I was never told about him being on the property again this year). I backed out, and headed to a spot I've NEVER set foot on before. This is a chunk of land (about .5 acres) that sits seperated from the main property. It's across a small country backroad and it's a small flat at the top of a deep hollow. I went in there and got in a nice tree so I could see down in the hollow. Saw two piles of bear crap right by the stand, though[&:] Anyways, I managed to see 5 (possibly 7) heading up the hollow, when all of a sudden the spooked (I thought they may have picked me out although I was pretty far away and I knew it wasn't the wind), but they ran straight toward me. 5 of them came right under my stand including a real nice doe, but I passed again, because of the likelyhood of them running off the property if hit, and then having to get ahold of the neighbor, etc, etc. I was there mainly as an observer.

On a ironic note...that hunter I bumped into ended up taking a doe tonight...probably in the same spot I was headed[&:] Oh well, we need the doe thinned out.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

lol....you know your thick in deer when you can setup in places youve never stepped foot on and have shot ops. lol!!!

ive never gotten to bowhunt in the snow(only my 3rd season...and for PA i dont think its happend in a long while for most of the state...) it was awesome. you dont know how bad i wanted red snow.....i love a blood trail through the snow...very nice day to be in the woods...i dont know where the deer were...definently looked like a bunch of them used that spot prior to 7am though...so i wont give up on it...its about all i got at this point....(here at school atleast)


heading home tomorrow after class....honey hole both sits ,or all day..saturday....atleast thats what im thinking. havent been there in forever it seems!!! buddies still want me to small game and turkey hunt saturday afternoon...they are gunna be without me unless i get a buck down in the morning. hopefully i get my first shot at a turkey with my bow....couple times this year in the honey hole ive had 7 or 8 or so come through...i cant get them patterned 100%..they always seem to come through...but sometimes i can only hear them, not see them..others they are in spitting distance....lets hope saturday morning they are in spitting distance! id love to have a buck and a turkey down by the time my buddies wanna meet up!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

To add to Joeys score, come on Joey, get him scored bro, let's see where we place.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

AWESOME ROB!!!!!! i gotta go read the story now!! congrats!!! thats an AWESOME buck!!!! and i see he broke your 100" mark!!!! (i could sworn i read a post of yours before saying you want to/havent broke 100" buck yet...)



heading out in the morning...im pumped...they are starting to move....and i havent been to the honey hole in ages! between the rut and small game and turkey hunters, i might have a chance of seeing a deer....and, got 2 snypers for when the turkeys waddle by....

hopefully i can add to the score tomorrow!!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Rob, is that the infamous "bathroom buck"??? or possibly?? or have you thought about that yet??


that buck is just SWEET! awesome character!! i love it!!! congrats again!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

No he's not, I wasn't anywhere near where the Bathroom buck lives.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Rob, you keep this up, and you're going to need to add an addition to the house for all of these mounts!:D Like I said in the main thread, congrats. You certainly can put them down.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Congrats again Rob. Good deal all around.

I have been having no luck or action at all. But I will keep going out.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

captains log 11/1/08....gunna be long..to sum it up...interesting day...no shooter bucks...pulled a ROB on a turkey....


got settled in a little later than i wanted...dont know why i was up at 0515..but it was 0700 when i settled in...shortly after, its breaking light and im starting to look around when i hear twigs snapping behind me.."uht oh! here he comes outta the corn going to bed for the morning!!" i slowwwwly ease my head around and there stands 2 turkey hunters...they walk closer(they were at like 25yds!) and get right behind me and i flag them down...the one points up..they looked up, pointed up the other side of the saddle and walked RIGHT under me and kept going....they walked RIGHT where all my deer always come from :( [:'(] [:@] i wanted to cry...but i sucked it up and said "anything can happen today" funny, as they walked infront of me, i could hear my hen and poults to the right..right where they always are...they hunters went up the saddle and i never seen or heard them again.

i cant remember what happened first...but, somewhere around 0900 i hear shuffling of the leaves..figured it was another danged squirrel, but looked up anyway...here comes a deer running right at me, mouth hangin open! "YES! its gunna be a doe with a buck hot on her trail!!!" wrong....turned out to be a tiny spike or 3 or 4pt...i dont know what he was running from...no doe came by me but he was acting like he was trailing...wouldnt stop for nothing...6-8yds, and he wouldnt stop...i could sworn i seen blood around his mouth, but could been slober or i was seeing things...so i then thought he just got tore up by a bigger buck and is running for his life...so after he passed i let out some grunts hoping the other buck would come...nothing came.

before, or after, here comes my turkeys up behind me...3 or 4 were within view directly behind me and left...1 was getting spooky and i was caught flat footed..i didnt think i would ever get all 7 or 8 to pass at 5yds and go unnoticed...and i cant shoot sitting down in my Viper(can to the left i THINK..but havent tried yet) so when the 3 or 4 werent looking i stood up and drew in one quick motion...they were all tiny so im looking for mom and only mom. i didnt wanna drill a pheasant on steriods, though i would have if that was the only shot...but i found mom standing on my trail i walk in on waiting for the poults to catch up and get outta there...im already at full draw, looked and felt like 26-27yds so i put my top(20yd) pin on her back and my 30 was just below the butt of her wing...shes in an opening standing broadside...poults scattering about...anchored, floated, pulled through, followed through and watched my arrow fly perfect.....perfect for where my 20yd pin was....yep, i blew a few feathers off her back and that was that. paced it off to 22-23yds...i WILL own a range finder by next season!!! just no way to practice and get better at it without one....oh well, better than wounding her...another 2-5 inches lower woulda had her flopping...

all the while theres turkey hunters and small game hunters just having a field day ALL around me...even had a beagle loose a rabbit in my setup lol...pretty funny to watch the rabbit run and the dog came and plain out lost the track infront of me. there were guys EVERYWHERE though...sounded like the old opening day of rifle season!

kept saying "sooner or later someone is sending SOMETHING my way..." and "the deer are being chased around...the bucks gotta be moving to find does" noon i got down and locked the climber up and headed for lunch...back in the tree about 230ish...

buddy says they are going to be turkey and small game hunting the big hill that isnt overly far away...so i felt confident they would send me deer...that hill holds alot of deer...330ish here comes 2 deer FLYING...same exact path they took the last time my buddies small game hunted that hill and i hit that one buck high, 2 season ago....sure enough, just like last time, here he comes!! but hes not running...he wasnt big...basket rack i couldnt tell how many points if any...but he was scraping dirt like a bull and litterally RUNNING through saplings. ive never seen anything like it...he stayed in the brush and went right and started to disappear...gave him a couple grunts but he never showed...tipped the can and nothing to that either...he acted very frustrated like he was chasing the does...maybe the buddies didnt kick them out..i dont know....5-10 mins later i spot another deer in the brush behind me...it never showed me more than legs and bottom of the body...looked like a bigger deer..could been the same basket rack...i dont know...gave it 5 mins or so and gave it a couple grunts..nothing.


6ish i hear the boss hen trying to locate her poults..shes 150yds or so left...then i hear and spot them 50yds infront of me keekeeing..."yes! im gunna get a redemtion shot!" they all kinda stayed put while mom beat her feet right up to them...when she was like 50yds away she gave them a series and a couple of the jakes fired off some half gobbles...that got me fired up!! too far and brushy for a shot...figured they may come back to get to their roost..but no luck....

very beautiful day....cant complain. a little warm....a LOT busy with other hunters everywhere...and inconsiderate [:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@] "hunters" walking right through my setup....i was the bigger man and didnt say a word...i wanted to just loose it...if they would have stopped i would have GLADLY told them exactly where the birds roost...i would have been happy to help a fellow HUNTER...but, typical slobs...oh well....i got my shot...hopefully next time they are on the same pattern and i get another....i hate boss hens...id love to take her out ;) im sure she was one of the troublesome ones this spring stealin away my longbeards!!!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

LOL captn, close...keep at it.

You too Ryan, good luck bud.

When's Joey scoring is buck, I'd like to move up the ladder. ;)

Keep at Matt, you close too and I understand from Ben's text you got yourself a turkey. Nice shootin.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Mauser,

You and I both had similar experiences yesterday (turkeys and disturbances). I had a four wheeler and dirtbike come flying through the area yesterday afternoon. That made me so mad, I felt like climbing down and chasing after them, lol! Keep at it, though, you will get one down.

Rob,

Thanks, I did put a turkey down, but with a twist. It seems my text to you guys was a bit premature. You can read about the whole fiasco, in the bowhunting forum, here http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=3141801

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

looks like CM dropped one! thats number 3!!! never know what the other guys may already put down and just havent checked in yet...i know most of them have pretty busy schedules...so never know...

hopefully the ole captain will get a shot....got till the 15th...going to watch the weather closely...im giving my spot at school 1 or 2 more chances and then im going to be coming home and hunting tues and thursdays...if its warm like its supposed to be, i might just spend those warm days at school...we'll see...i got 2 spots at home i want to hunt besides the honey hole hill...1 is a good rut stand, but looks like it was being hunted saturday...deer travel pretty far to pass through that spot in my expirience...the other, i know theres a couple BIG bucks in the "area" that may or may not pass through....i only hunted it that one day i busted deer out when i left...

im not digging the warmer temps this week...but dont look long lived...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Joey! Get yer buck score brother, word is in the bowhunting forum that Cougar Mag is on the board as well. That's 3 of us, comon team. we're close to the top if not the top.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

I think we're currently in 2nd. Joeys, mine and CM's bucks. Comon guys.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

yep, what Rob said....get that big buck scored Joey!:) I'll have mine officially entered tomorrow after I score it. I have to take a little nap because I go in tonight at work for a startup[:'(]. Besides that I am tired....lol. Its not nearly as good looking a buck as Joey's buck or Rob's buck, but it'll do. To everyone else on the team.........good luck and good huntin!

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Congrats Coug.
I'm hitting it hard, all day sits. Had a shooter coming in to about 50 yds and decided to cut off. Didn't pay any mind to my calls. Off to bed, 330 rolls around quick.
Good luck all who are out.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Looks like I'll be heading to IL a couple days early so good luck guys. Til then I'll do a little turkey hunting and camera work.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

awesome rybo...keep at it...thats gotta be frustrating....thats actually one thing that has yet to happen to me......knock on wood...this is only my 3rd season...only got 2 shots at bucks...im usually setup so if i see them and can ID them, they are almost always in range...

Rob, sounds like you got the rest of your vacation well occupied! good luck! looking forward to more pics and videos!!


i dont know if i'll get out tuesday or not...got a bit on my plate school wise...if i skip hunting i can study for weds test and knock a project out due friday...as well as wrap a few other things up...so i may bag tuesday and hit thursday all day again...next week looks clear thus far...if i skip tuesday i got all day Saturday, and the last saturday, and should hopefully have both tues and thurs next week...man, only 4 more days????!?! :( this season flew by.....

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Congrats Rob and Coug! Way to go guys!

Good to hear you're all having some close encounters... it's just a matter of time! It's been pretty warm here, but it's supposed to cool down on Thursday. I think the Rut should be rocking this weekend.

I'll get my buckscored asap.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Thanks Joey and I look forward to the footage. Please let us know when it's available.

We're contenders. Good luck guys.

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

well, captain gotta take all of tomorrow off...i studied A LOT of the wrong material for a quiz and have to retake it with most of the class wed. atleast i have a half valid excuse for failing it lol. average was 50..i got like a 55 lol...so that aint bad:D but its A LOT to study....and i need a B or better to go on with the program next semester...so im not gunna risk it...gotta stay in and study...

that gives me 5 days of hunting left....hopefully the temps drop....and hopefully theres no washout days that i need to be out there...saturday looks promising...looks like the temps drop and maybe some showers...i'll deal with showers...thursday looks real warm so i'll hunt here at school...if its cooler next week, i'll drive home and hunt tues and thurs(and will hunt at home both saturdays)

anything can happen in those 5 days i got left...ANYTHING.

i really havent had a shot at a legal buck all season....i guess when i first seen the half rack i MIGHT have had a chance at a shot...but i never did look at my pins when i first seen him...just know when he was under me and i hit full draw i couldnt see much of anything...kind of an odd year for "the honey hole" seems i got a bumped crop of younguns up there this year...usually it hold 1 or 2 shooters if not more...but theres a fair bit of shooters around...thats why i love that spot...im pretty much always seeing different deer. i dont know that ive ever seen the same deer more than once in there...just seems alot of deer filter through the area...i just gotta be there the right day and right time when a goodun comes through...

RE: Official Team Elowapi Thread (15)
 

Congrats guys!!!!

Well i will be out hunting tom. night and then the weekend. Waiting for the corn to come down. Have tried calling and rattling and have gotten a button buck to come in over 4 times now. Still waiting on the big 8 that i saw right at close a few weeks ago. Should be better once this warm front moves through.

Keep up the good work!!!!

Pines