Kentucky Bowhunters?
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shreveport, LA.
Posts: 200
Kentucky Bowhunters?
I will be bowhunting in Kentucky this September and was wondering what to expect. I have never hunted deer so early in the season, I have no idea what the deer will be doing. Example, Will the bucks be together, will they react to scent lures, calls, ratteling? Will they move more in the morning/evening? Give me your past early season bowhunting experiences. Thanks.
LAHUNTER
LAHUNTER
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Western Kentucky
Posts: 97
RE: Kentucky Bowhunters?
LAHUNTER, the bow season in KY use to open on Oct. 1st, this was ' 97 and prior, they changed it to the 3rd Sat. in Sept. in ' 98 and it had stayed that way until this year when it will open on the 1st Sat. in Sept..
The only thing I think that will be different from the last few years is it may be hotter weather wise. The deer seem to do pretty much what they have been doing all summer. You generally do see some rubbing by the middle of Sept. and I have had yearling bucks come to rattling in Sept. I would say hunt like you always do prior to mid or late Oct.
They did change the definition of an antlered buck to read: a deer with visible, polished or velvet-covered bone showing above the hairline. They added the velvet-covered part.
What county are you hunting?
Good luck and welcome to Kentucky
The only thing I think that will be different from the last few years is it may be hotter weather wise. The deer seem to do pretty much what they have been doing all summer. You generally do see some rubbing by the middle of Sept. and I have had yearling bucks come to rattling in Sept. I would say hunt like you always do prior to mid or late Oct.
They did change the definition of an antlered buck to read: a deer with visible, polished or velvet-covered bone showing above the hairline. They added the velvet-covered part.
What county are you hunting?
Good luck and welcome to Kentucky
#3
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: western N.Y.
Posts: 196
RE: Kentucky Bowhunters?
I' m also going to be bowhunting k.y. for the first time this season, and have been
told to pay attention to the preferd food source at that time, which will probably
be acorn, and if your hunting agriculture soybean and corn, i personaly will be
consentrating on soybeans, and trails leading to and from,, but from what i have been told, it will be a timing thing, on when it' s harvested, and have to remain
flexable,, thats when i think the climbing stand is going to be key,
told to pay attention to the preferd food source at that time, which will probably
be acorn, and if your hunting agriculture soybean and corn, i personaly will be
consentrating on soybeans, and trails leading to and from,, but from what i have been told, it will be a timing thing, on when it' s harvested, and have to remain
flexable,, thats when i think the climbing stand is going to be key,
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shreveport, LA.
Posts: 200
RE: Kentucky Bowhunters?
Thanks for ya' lls replies.
JKT, I have not moved to Kentucky. My brother in law lives there and I visit and hunt with him. Kentucky is amazing. This is the first year for me bowhunting in Kentucky and also first time hunting so early in the season. I am excited. I will be hunting in Hickman county.
norsemen,
I will be hunting around a lot of soybean fields. I will concentrate on trails leading from the woods (not much woods) to the fields. I will bring my climber and use it mostly. The other stands that are out there are mainly setup for gun hunting.
Good luck and thanks
LAHUNTER
JKT, I have not moved to Kentucky. My brother in law lives there and I visit and hunt with him. Kentucky is amazing. This is the first year for me bowhunting in Kentucky and also first time hunting so early in the season. I am excited. I will be hunting in Hickman county.
norsemen,
I will be hunting around a lot of soybean fields. I will concentrate on trails leading from the woods (not much woods) to the fields. I will bring my climber and use it mostly. The other stands that are out there are mainly setup for gun hunting.
Good luck and thanks
LAHUNTER
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lexington Ky USA
Posts: 8
RE: Kentucky Bowhunters?
I have bow hunted Central Kentucky for several years and experienced varying degrees of success in September. I am usually reluctant to hunt/kill so early in September due to the potential of high heat resulting in meat spoilage. As for deer behavior, right now I am videoing lots of bucks in bachelor groups. Just two evenings ago I had 5 boys together ranging from 6-9 pointers but none were true takers. All were in velvet. Last year I had a 10 and a 4 come right under me the first day of the season (afternoon/evening). September was not good to me in the a.m.. Much better luck came in the evening.
I hope you enjoy KY. It is a hidden gem with regard to big deer. The bucks I have seen (not always arrowed) hold their own against any other big buck state....period.
" ...I went to Keeneland the other day and saw the most beautiful thoroughbreds I' ve ever seen. By the way, the horses were pretty nice too."
I hope you enjoy KY. It is a hidden gem with regard to big deer. The bucks I have seen (not always arrowed) hold their own against any other big buck state....period.
" ...I went to Keeneland the other day and saw the most beautiful thoroughbreds I' ve ever seen. By the way, the horses were pretty nice too."
#6
RE: Kentucky Bowhunters?
Lahunter
Don' t be afraid to hunt during the middle of the day.I have found that a lot of deer like to come to the soybean fields and feed from 12-3.00 pm.I know it sounds crazy and goes against the grain,but I have found it to be a good time to hunt.I know it' s hot but I saw 3 shooters at 2.00 pm feeding.This isn' t the only time either.I have also seen deer in the woods feeding at the same time of day in the past years.
JKT
Thanks for the update.They must not want people getting the big ones before they had the velvet rubbed off and tagging them as antlerless.
Also we need to MAKE SURE the doe we think we are shooting isn' t a button because it looks like they have to be tagged antlered from now on.
Don' t be afraid to hunt during the middle of the day.I have found that a lot of deer like to come to the soybean fields and feed from 12-3.00 pm.I know it sounds crazy and goes against the grain,but I have found it to be a good time to hunt.I know it' s hot but I saw 3 shooters at 2.00 pm feeding.This isn' t the only time either.I have also seen deer in the woods feeding at the same time of day in the past years.
JKT
Thanks for the update.They must not want people getting the big ones before they had the velvet rubbed off and tagging them as antlerless.
Also we need to MAKE SURE the doe we think we are shooting isn' t a button because it looks like they have to be tagged antlered from now on.
#7
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: western N.Y.
Posts: 196
RE: Kentucky Bowhunters?
you kentucky boy' s, i coulden' t agree with you more, your state is on the threshold
of greatness, and it would not suprise me one bit, to see the next world record
typical, come from k.y., i do alot of research on hot spot' s for high number' s of mature animal' s, excelent habitat, and a ton of preferd agriculture, and changes
in game management laws, has given your state the hole package, but with all
that said, for someone like myself, to come in, scout, and nail a P&Y quality buck
is going to be a tall order, but i personaly think that chance' s are good, thanks
for having us out of staters, and promise to treat these beautiful animals, with the respect they diserve.
of greatness, and it would not suprise me one bit, to see the next world record
typical, come from k.y., i do alot of research on hot spot' s for high number' s of mature animal' s, excelent habitat, and a ton of preferd agriculture, and changes
in game management laws, has given your state the hole package, but with all
that said, for someone like myself, to come in, scout, and nail a P&Y quality buck
is going to be a tall order, but i personaly think that chance' s are good, thanks
for having us out of staters, and promise to treat these beautiful animals, with the respect they diserve.