I've been out twice since the opener on Friday. I had deer in bow range both times but nothing I wanted to release an arrow on. This is a new hunting area for me and I'm hoping to get a crack at a good buck but I'm thinking this may be more of an area to catch them cruising during the rut and not so much of an early season feeding area. Anyway, I'm seeing doe's so hopefully the bucks will follow.

Going out again this evening. Maybe today is the day.

Nothing new to report yet fellas. Oct. 2nd was opening day here. My wedding anniversary was last weekend, so I didn't make it out. Now that I have that out of the way, I will be headed out very soon. Good luck all!

I'll be heading out in the morning also. I'm just jumping around on the new property until I come across a good spot.

nine days been shootin my bow like a mad man ended up robbin hooding my arrow and went to a 3D archery shoot ended up with 245 by the end of the course did pretty good so off the the archery shop to get new arrows and practice til opening day hope you guys have good luck and i will keep an update on my scouting

Ny,

Just checking in. Passed up 7 small bucks so far in Ohio. Waiting for the rut to hunt Pa.

I didn't go out this weekend. Mid 50's in the morning and highs in the 80's wasn't worth it for me. I'll wait til it gets a little cooler outside. I did get a new scent-lok jacket for early season hunting last night that I am anxious to try out.

I am finally getting out again this afternoon and with fresh batteries in the cam since last friday I will check that also.

Season starts tomorrow going out with one of my good buddies on my property been seeing some really good deer going through this creek bottom hopefully we can catch em crossing it by our stands wish us luck and its about time bow season got here i thought i was going to go insane but good luck guys

Ny,

I have passed on several small bucks waiting on something bigger. Hope I don't end up wishing I had taken one just to get some points on the board! The biggest of those that have come within range was a pretty wide 6...past his ears about an inch on each side. Had a couple good shooters that just would not get within range. Almost took a shot at a nice 9, but decided I didn't want to risk it...44 yards. I prefer to keep my shots within 25. Will shoot to 40 with the right conditions/circumstances, but this was a little farther and not good circumstances. Too much junk in the way too. Oh well...still time left.

Well, I've been out a few times in the last couple of weeks. Still working on exactly where to set up. The property I hunt is almost 600 acres of prime habitat, but it almost too good. About 50/50 woods and pasture. Bad thing is it is split up so bad. No more than 75 acres in one single patch of woods. Morning hunts are the worst. There is just no good way to get into any of the woods without crossing the feeding areas. I think I have one good spot to get to, but the other morning I came within 10 feet of the business end of a skunk. Luckily, he only waddled off. I knew they had a den fairly close, but didn't think it would be that far away from it. That is not my idea of a good way to start a day.

We are getting some more sign around the farm though. Found several good rub lines. Got a few decent pics over the last two weeks as well. Just not of my two "wish-list" deer. Probably go out one evening this week and hopefully on Saturday. Next Sunday I have to be out of town on business for a week, so that is going to suck. Well, I may get the chance to throw in a hog hunt while down in Arkansas. That is if I can get in touch with my buddy before I leave. We'll see.

Good luck all.

No luck yet. I've been hunting a few times on the new property that I acquired this season but it's tough for me to get out there with enough time to hunt after I get off work in the evenings. I've got a 5 year old boy and he loves going with me so the other day I went over to my dad's place. He's got 10 acres on a hilltop that is surrounded by a big chunck of public land that gets hunted really hard. Well, there used to be alot of deer around the property (thats where I started hunting when I was younger) so I figured that I'd set up a feeder and a camera to see if anything was using the property. I left out the camera for 3 days and nights then went back to check it. I got video of 5 different bucks feeding in front of the camera and while I was checking the cam I noticed 3 scrapes right near the spot where the camera is. I set up my ameristep ground blind and decided to start taking my son with me (since it's less than 100 yards from my dad's house). Really excited to see the deer are using this little piece of property again. Nothing big in the bunch but one is a decent 9 point that's probably a 2 1/2 year old. Here's a link to the video. http://s364.photobucket.com/albums/o...PICT0933-1.mp4

Well, I have patiently waited to get on a piece of private land that I am the only one allowed to hunt. I always prefer to wait until later in season to set foot on this property while surrounding areas get hunted. This is probably the best property I hunt for a big boy. One of the top two for sure...pretty excited about going in the morning!

Saw an 8 that I would have loved to have shot this morning...too bad he had no intentions of getting anywhere near me. Moseyed on about his business, never closer that 80 yards. At least I know he is there! I would estimate him to measure 120". Close to that at least. Not that tall, but heavy and wide.

I saw 5 slickheads this morning from the stand and pushed out 4 deer when I walked in. Also saw had a little 8 that broke one side off come trotting past me through the woods after I got down. Starting to get better. I'll probably be taking a couple extra days off in the next few weeks before shotgun season to try to seal the deal on some does and hopefully a buck.

Saw another decent 8 last night on a different property...not as good as the one I saw the other morning, but one I would have taken. Went out this morning and all I saw was a spike. Love being out no matter what, but I am ready to shoot something!

Can you guys send some of your deer up to me here in Wi so I can get a good look and see what they actually look like. It has been really slow for me ive never experienced any hunting season like this. 9 sits and all I have seen is one deer ass and it flicked its tail like it was giving me the finger. The next 2 days here in Wi are suppose to be some big time winds of historic proportions so I wont be out until hopefully Thursday. I will keep you all posted and sorry for being MIA. Good luck and be safe. Peak

going out tomorrow afternoon through sunday shot one button buck opening day nothing great buts its meat in the freezer also been seeing a monster eight crossing the road onto my property at night so hopfully when rut comes he will walk on by me and leave with an arrow in him good luck guys.

Ny,

Team member crenth has a nanny down and Congrats Bro! Thanks for the text, T

I nailed a nanny as well, this past Tuesday evening! She was a porker. Plan to be heading back out tomorrow and Saturday. Hopefully with the temps dropping, some of the bigger boys will start to move around a bit more!

Yeah my doe weighed 104.4 lbs. Good size. After I shot her I had another doe come in with a 6 pointer pushing her around with his nose to the ground. He was on a mission!! Hopefully this next week I'll be able to get a few days off in a row and go out and stay in the camper so I can hunt morning and night and save a little gas. It's almost an hour drive to our property. Supposed to be down below freezing this next weekend. I'm ready to start seeing some larger bucks. I'm gonna have my wife go along a couple times also.

Starting at 2 pm today I'll be hunting every day through next Saturday. Been pretty slow here in PA. I think the heat has kept the deer activity to a minimum, or atleast restricted it to after dark. We finally have some cool weather moving through (chance of snow flurries Friday night into Saturday), so maybe these Buck will get their rut on!

Good job on the slicks fellas! You can't beat the experience of putting meat in the freezer, while gaining confidence in yourself and your equipment for when that big buck comes through.

Good luck all, and I'll check back with any updates.

Don

Good luck, Don! Hope you nail a monster.

Should've killed last night. Yesterday afternoon I decided to head out and sit on an oak flat that I had some sightings on earlier this season. The wind was blowing hard gusts between 30 and 40 but I thought it would lay before dark. After getting in the stand I realized I might have a long sit ahead of me. This tree was swaying 2 feet or more in either direction and I felt a little motion sick! Well I stuck it out and about 5 minutes before I ran out of shooting light I see a deer to my West about 40 yards. I can tell he's a buck but I can't tell how big he is. He's on a mission and he's not stopping to give me a shot opportunity. He must have been bedded off of the flat or ridge that I was on. He skirted me at 40+ yards heading down the opposite side of the ridge behind me. The wind was still howling but I got out my Tru Talker and gave a few loud agressive grunts. I couldn't hear over the wind and I had lost sight of him by this point. Finally the wind calmed and I could hear him circling downwind of me off the ridge behind me. I then got really aggressive with the grunt and gave a couple of long deep grunts and several short tending grunts. Just after I stopped I could hear him coming straigh in. He RAN straight to the base of my tree just behind me! There was one limb that I didn't trim to give me some back cover and wouldn't you know it he stops right below it. I couldn't get low enough to get the shot off under the limb so there I stand with my bow drawn waiting for him to take 2 steps. He's 3 steps from my tree and I'm running out of enough light to see my pins through my peep! After what I would guess to be 2-3 minutes he turned and started back the way he came. I let down the bow and swung around the opposite side of the tree. I drew and once he cleared I stopped him with a bleat at 18 yards. I began to try to find him in the peep but it was just too dark. I struggled but to no avail. 3 minutes earlier and I could have seen my pin. As I stood there he walked back over the ridge and out of sight. So discusted but happy to have had the experience. I love when you call at em and they nearly break the door down coming in! While he was right under me I got a good look at his headgear. He's a real good 8 probably 125". Not wide but has good tine length. Anyway, I'm going back out this evening to give it another chance. He wasn't spooked and with the way he reacted to the grunt I may take the rattling horns and give them a try. Use your grunt call cause I think it'll bring em in on a string right now.

Good luck John with that deer. I just hope I get a chance to actually be in the woods this weekend, not just looking from distance.

Had just about as good of hunt this morning as I could without putting an arrow through a deer. I got to the stand right at legal light because I misjudged the sunrise this morning. I was there less than 10 minutes when a doe crosses the creek and is coming up the hill. She kept looking behind her so of course you know what I was thinking. Well, I was wrong. It was her yearling but this young doe was definatly wanting some action. Had her tail to the side the whole time. It was a neat experience to see. It almost looked like she was shaking her but for all too see. Reminded me of some of my better high school days.

They finally left after a 20 minute show and then I started a few calling sequences. After the second one I notice a deer across the field up in some prarie grass. Then it disappeared. Thought it was sneaking around the pond toward me but again I was wrong. 20 minutes later it stood back up. It was bedded down up there. After a few stretches it bedded back down. I tried every call I had including a very rough rattling sequence. The wind was just a bit to strong and the buck was just over 300 yrds away.

It was one our 8 pointers but he did not make the hit list this year so I didn't try to do much else. I could still see his rack if I really looked with the binos and after about an hour I decided to just try a little stalk to get a closer look. I made it to within 20 yards before stepping on a small limb under a tree and he bolted. I don't think he ever knew I was there. The grass up there is over waist high and I had a hard time even seeing the horns in the grass when he was bedded.

Even though I knew I wasn't going to send an arrow his way, I had the increased heart rate and that buck feeling once I got within 100 yards. It was pretty awesome.

Now, back out tomorrow morning to see if I can find big brother.

Enjoy all.

Well Saturday afternoon I went out to a spot that we haven't hunted all year. Since it is dry this year the woods are really thick there and the deer are loving it. I looked around, found a trail, found a tree and trimmed a couple limbs for a shooting lane. Climbed up a really crooked tree and tried to get situated. Sat down, got up adjusted my seat, sat down, got up adjusted my seat, did this about 4 times. Thought I had it good. Then a couple minutes later got back up to adjust it again and heard something behind me. BIG BUCK coming through a group of sapplings. maybe 30 yards away. I grabbed my bow and got turned around. He stopped and made a scrape and then pissed on it. Took a couple steps forward right into the only hole I could shoot through. I let my arrow fly and watched it go right through him right behind his shoulder maybe an inch or 2 low. Let him sit for almost 2 hours. Found very little blood and then kicked him up. Went back yesterday and could not find any more blood and never found the deer. He was a nice symmetrical 10 pointer. Probably 140-150". I can't believe my shot didn't kill him but we looked everywhere. I moved my camera down over a nice scrape so hopefully he shows back up on my camera.

Good luck finding the deer man...and don't give up. One year I found my deer 3 days later about 300 yards from where I lost the trail. It was a liver shot an apparantly I bumbed him too soon. I only found him because I entered by area from a different direction due to the wind and guestimated locations of the deer in our area.

Were you hunting from a stand or the ground? Was he broadside or quartering? A few more details and maybe we can help talk you through this man.

Another option is the free dog service thats available to hunters to blood trail and find their deer. There should be a dog available in your area. Most people just tip the guy if he finds their deer. Might be something to consider if you've already given it all you can.

I haven't seen a shooter yet myself. Will be hunting hard all week. Good luck all!

Don

The deer was pretty much broadside at about 22 yards or less. I was hunting from my climber. We tried bringing my dads untrained beagle in but he didn't do any good. The big deal is the undergrowth is so tall (waist high) so we are thinking he is laying in there somewhere we've just overlooked him. I'm going to go sit down in the area tonight and listen for coyotes possible howling or fighting each other which may indicate where my deer is.

Sorry to hear that you lost him Clayton. Maybe you'll hear those yotes or catch a smell of him in the next week or so. With a hit like that even a low hit it should be fatal. And by jumping him up it sounds like he was hurt pretty bad. How far away from where you originaly shot him did you jump him? Did you see him or just hear him run off? I'd be willing to bet that he's dead if he bedded in a close area to where you shot him. I lost a deer that I hit a little low about 5 years ago. I found decent blood for about 60-75 yards then it dried up. I looked for 5 straight days without any luck then later on in December when the leaves were off and the grass had stopped growing and had been kinda tamped down I found him in an overgrown dried up creek branch. If you keep looking I bet you find him. Good luck.

Sure hope you find him, man. Sounds like a monster! Was your shot too far back? Hard to hit them too low, unless you just graze through the brisket. I bet he is dead. Good luck on the continued search.

Re-read your post...he should be dead, man. An inch or two low is nothing. If it was right behind his shoulder, should have got some lung and probably the heart too.

I have a yorkshire terrier that has an amazing nose that I might try to take out there to see if he can come up with anything. I believe the shot was fatal. Just a matter of finding him.

One of those days
 

Good luck finding that deer. I have a Yorky you can have. Not to help trail the deer, but just to get out of my house. Just kidding, my wife would kill me.

Well, I went back out this morning and it was just one of those days. I knew it less than 100 yards from truck. Spooked one out of the creek I was walking along. Didn't have horns as far as I know. It was just about enough light to see, but not shoot. Well, 10 minutes after getting into the stand, I knock my coffee cup over and yes, I bring my thermas of coffee. 30 minutes later I get into a coughing fit and 2 doe bust out of the same creek about 100 yards from stand. I was thinking oh why do I even stay in the stand, but you never know. Things can change in a hurry. Well, it did, but not for the better. Around 20 til 8 I have the nature call ringing pretty loud. Not the easy one, but yes, the other. Well, I knew I couldn't make it back to the truck to get up to the farm house, so I get out of the stand and go to a spot that I hope won't spook deer in the days to come. Well, I get almost done and a snort wheeze comes out from the cedars. Not sure what it was, but knowing my luck, it the one in the pic below. But to make matters worse, I didn't have my TP in my backpack, so I had to lose a shirt today. At least it wasn't my favorite or an expensive hunting shirt. Just a old t-shirt.

Oh well right. There is always another day. Won't get back out til Thursday. Saturday is opening day rifle. Hopefully it rains enough later this week to wash away my evidence.

Anyway, here is my latest camera photo. We had not seen this deer on camera or in person yet. He was definatly roaming looking for doe. Maybe he will wander back through during daylight. I really like his split G1's. I don't think I have seen a split here on the farm before. Even of the dozen or so sheds we find every year.

Clayton hope you find that deer!

Sorry team with working 3rd shift, family and hunting hard not much time to sneak here except from work.:-) The county I live in out of about 18-20 sits not 1 deer by my stand and I'm stumped. I did changed it up last Friday and take a 2 hour drive to my grandma's property and I seen 5 deer on a all day sit but no good shot presentation. I will continue the grind until Nov 18th then I head off to my 9 day Wisconsin gun trip. Good luck to all and hope you get a wack at one.

T

not much luck been seeing the big ones running does at night but im going to a different property in the morning maybe my friend has been seeing deer like crazy so hopfully the big one he has been seeing gives me a opportunity to have a crack at him but i will keep you guys posted.....

Ny,

Slow as hell in my area of Wisconsin and I only about 3 sits left before the Wi gun
season starts.

Well I never did find my deer......BUT, BUT, BUT, look what showed up the other night. I don't know if he'll stay near by or if he was just passing through but WOW. I counted 15 points. Split brows plus 4 ordinary points per side plus a kicker coming forward on both bases and a kicker off the G2 on the right side.



http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p...ent=mobile.mp4

well i can say that all of the big bucks i have been scouting have been killed the big ten turned out to be a big twelve and the big eight was killed two days ago so im just gunna hope one of those roamers walks by my stand tomorrow morning good luck guys

Ny,

I'll try and keep this short....which is hard for me.

Been hunting every day for the last 10 or so. Been holding out for a big 140"+ that I have seen several times. Thursday morning I had an opportunity when he was facing me at 40yds, and I'm locked on him at full draw. I decided to pass in hopes of him turning broadside. He was hot on a doe, so as soon as he moved to chase the doe he never stopped his fast aggressive chase. Before I knew it he was gone.

Friday was hot....in the 70's by mid-day. I saw 2 nice buck chasing a doe at 5pm, but they never came into range.

Saturday was last day in PA. I saw a large 6pt in the am, but its not legal in our area to shoot a buck with less than 4pts on one side. I left my spot and headed for my other on the other side of the property with my stand on my back. I made the 1/2 mile hike only to find some other dude up in my tree. Its my buddies land, so I didn't know who he gave permission to. Instead of messing his last evening hunt up too, I decided to head back to to my truck and drive back to my am spot. By the time I get there its nearly 4pm. I decide with the late arrival to leave my stand and hunt from the ground (shot my last 4 buck from the ground in this spot during the rut). At 4:30 I heard a lot of racket, to my left. It was the big buck and another 8pt chasing a hot doe. They settled into a thicket about 50yds from me. I grunted, and within a few short minutes the big boy chased the doe out over the hill and down into the far valley. He wanted to get her out of there all to himself. The woods are loud, and I could tell the deer was close to 150yds away now and light is fading fast. I put out a few grunts, and the 8pt comes straight at me.

Now all season I have been holding out for the big boy. But in the final hour of the last day, I told myself that if this buck comes into range I was going to take him. I grunted 3 times and watched the buck come straight at me. With his head behind a tree at 8yds I come to full draw. He walks past the tree and turns broadside in the process as he follows the trail. I grunt and he stop short with a 3" sapling right behind his shoulder. I'm at full draw, and steady as a rock. I lean right and theres no shot. I lean left...and see my shot. Using my 20yd pin I put an arrow around 1" left of the tree, and it smacks the deer high. It looked like I hit him just above and behind the shoulder. He runs below me and I hear him stop at 70yds or so. Then nothing for 15 minutes. I pack up my gear, and head over to retrieve my arrow. It was laying loose on a fallen tree just behind where the deer was standing, soaked with blood.

I look over the surrounding area throughly for the next hour, and cannot see any signs of blood. I make my way over to where I last heard the deer stop, and zig-zag up and down the hill across the trails looking for any sign. Nothing. At this point I feel its best to back out and try again in the am when its light.

I'm back in the woods Sunday at 6:30am. Theres a rain storm coming, and I have little time to find the blood trail. I spend 2 hours zig-zagging up and down the hill through my 150yd wide funnel looking for the deer. Nothing...and its starting to rain. I call my buddy, and he's there by 9am. We went through every yard of those woods where the deer could be....thicket, valley, backtrack though my entire hunting area...everywhere. By 12:30 I called off the search. The rain was coming down hard, and I was both physically and mentally exhausted. I have NEVER hit a deer before and not found it. I lost a Buck a few years back and found it a couple days later, which gives me hope. But we went through everything...places I hadn't thought of for that last buck. I plan to head back this weekend and look again to see if I can find him.

My buddies friend had the same thing happen to him on Saturday am. He made a similar shot as mine, and 4 guys searched for his all day Sat & Sun and couldn't find it either. I have heard so much about the "Dead Zone", and I'm certainly a believer now. Apparently there's a small area right above the lungs but below the spine that has nothing. And because of the high hit, it causes the deer to bleed internally instead of bleed out and leave a trail.

I wont take a shot that I'm not confident will quickly and ethically kill a deer. This is the last thing I wanted...I would rather watch a buck of a lifetime walk by and not shoot than to wound him. Wish me luck, but its not looking good. My guess is he's back to chasing does, but if he is wounded I pray he recovers quickly.

Don