RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Smaller bucks have been chasing and pushing hot does for nearly two weeks now in western Steuben County. The majority of the does will be coming in this week...and even more next week. The cooler temps at the end of this week may help get some more deer moving during daylight hours.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I can't wait until tomorrow. I am not going hunting tomorrow but I am going out to my parents place to set up my ground blind and to do some scouting. I am going tolook around and see where they are really traveling and setit up and brush it in the best I can.

According to my father, who went scouting this weekend, the deer are starting to make scrapes like crazy. He said they were all over the place. I wish everyone the best of luck in the next few weeks, but I can't wait to get out there for shotgun opener.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

wrestling season started today, im excited but its gonna suck because 1. im a freshman and 2. less huntin time with practice 5 days a week (especially right now when the rut's kickin' in) but oh well, i still have this weekend but i also need to work at breaking the calves this weeekend

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Went out today and set up my ground blind over a food plot with milo. My dad and I walked away from it and could not believe how well we brushed it in. We set it up against a big cedar tree with the sun going down behind it. We put cedar branches all around it and it vanishes against that tree. I just hope the deer can't see it anymore than we can.

If the deer aren't rutting they soon will be. I saw more scrapes today than I have ever seen before in my life. I just hope whatever was making them sticks around until the 15th. :DOne thing was clear to me today, we need rain! The leaves were way too dry. You wouldn't be able to sneak up on anything with those on the ground. Hope everyone survives election day. LOL

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I'm heading out in the morning tomorrow...hopefully get a nice doe. If not, I'm going to take some pics for the fun of it.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Didn't see anything but leaves falling and squirrels chirping. I took some great pics of the sun coming up...but forgot I had the camera on it's black and white setting..so they're terrible..lol.

My buddy kicked up a deer walking to his stand, and saw some deer snorting at the farmer as he walked to his tractor. As we were leaving a combine was just getting started on our corn field we hunt over....and it looked like the the farmer who owns the corn field on the back side of our woods was getting his wagons ready to get that corn field out. I would be sitting in a stand at this very second if I didn't have father duties this afternoon. At least the wife gave me the "ok" to go out tomorrow.

Corn coming off the week before gun season...right during prime time! Wooot!!!




OH...forgot to mention. There are 3 newlarge rubs...all on large tree's....with 3 new scrapes surrounding them...right by one of my favorite spots. Thehoof prints in the scrapes areas wide as my fist. I'm done buck hunting...but I hope to get some pics of the deer that did that!

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I'm going out on Saturday right after this weather changes. Thought about heading out this morning but with it being warm and the front coming through tomorrow evening i decided to leave it alone and hit it hard this weekend. I think the real good rutting activity this year is going to happen right during the opening week of gun season based on how the moon is. Last year the first 2 weeks of November were good, but the full mon was around the 28th of October last year compared to the 13th of November this year.

I have been doing some shining almost on a nightly basis the last few weeks. Finally seen 2 bucks on Monday, one dink and one real nice one that ran right in front of me. I think the weather change and approaching full moon will set them off though.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Not going to be able to go out this weekend, got family responsibilities but leaving next thurs (13th) nite and hunting the next three days. Was out last weekend and saw the same spike twice, 3 8's (two of them got to within 2 yds of my tree) and 9 does. Supposed to get rain tomorrow and the temps are supposed to drop too, thats going to get things rolling now. And before you ask why I didnt shoot at the 8's close to my tree, there's a 13pt and a 15 pt roaming the area, so Im holding out. ;)

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Well the gun season opener will be upon us soon.....took my rifle out and sighted in with some new ammo for this season. Going to try out some Federal .44 mag 240 grain FMJ hollow points. Have it sighted dead nuts at 50yds and was getting about 2-3" drop at 100 yds. Did not have enough room to try any 150 yd shots however I doubt I would take a shot at that distance anyway.

Last Friday I went up and freshened up about 6-7 scrapes with some buck pee, just to stir those boys up a bit.....however this year I have not been able to spy which big boys are using our property, so it will be fun to see who comes my way in the next few weeks. Good luck to all of you in the last week with your bows before gun season.

Scott

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Seen a guy hit a decent 7 pointer tonight with his truck. Not sure how he did not see it. I seen it step out of an unpicked corn field and manage to slow and stop, as the deer got in the other lane the truck hit it almost full speed. I'm just lucky it did not fly back over at me and that he hit it straight on and did not swerve in my lane. Me and my brother were on our way home from shining the fields at our property so we used our light and found the buck dead in the field. We helped the guy load it so he could get a road kill tag from the sherrifs dept. He would have been a nice buck in another year or 2. Hated to see that.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Yesterday morning there were 2 dead bucks along I69 north of Ft. Wayne. One was smaller...probably a 6. The other one was bigger...but was gone a few hours later when I drove home.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

went out this morning, didn't see anything but squirrels and spitting rain. i think it may be about time to move that stand. has anyone sat fencelines with buckets? i just want to try some places out before i hang a stand

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Was out this morning and it was windy as heck. Did not figure i would see much. About 7:30 i look up and here comes a buck. Half racked 2 pointer lol. He looked like he was lost. I don't know if the rut had him messed up or if he was just skiddish with the high wind. Seen nothing for about the next hour and was thinking about getting down. Looked back and seen 2 doe just casually walking along. 5 minutes later i see a buck, and he is hot after one of the does. He ended up pushing her out of sight and they were gone. 20 minutes later, the does were back, and here he came, same spot i shot my 8 last year. Gave me a perfect 10 yard shot but i passed. He was a nice 8 point with a big body, but not quite as big as my buck from last year so i decided to pass him up. He ended up busting me too. He will be real good next year, but if my bro wants to shoot him next weekend that would be ok too. I'd like to see him get a deer more then myself this year.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Does anyone hunt around Daleville, Muncie, Anderson? that area?

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I live in center Ohio and looking for a place to hunt close to the Ohio border (near I-70) any info would be great! Thanks.

Matt

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Went out this morning, was supposed to be about 5mph winds. They were at least 15 mph.

3 tiny does, thats it.

Would be nice if i could get a day to hunt where it's not either 75 degrees or windy as heck.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

This weekend is going to be cold and windy, 22 mph winds on Saturday is being predicted already. That should be fun bowhunting. (yes I know its opening day of gun).

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I know a front is moving into our area soon....but in terms of wind speeds they're harder to predict than temperatures. Usually 'next day' forcasts are close on temps...but winds vary SO much based on the land around you...that even 'next day' wind forcasts are junk.


When it's actually windy, I don't mind it if I can sit on the opposite side of the woods that the winds are coming from. I can handle cold temps fairly easy....but add in a high wind and I'm likea little girl wanting to go home.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Last i checked it was around 14mph for saturday, but im sure that will change by then. I actually had decent movement saturday morning in the wind, but i think the sudden drop in temps after a week of 70's had a lot to do with that. Need to get out this week and shoot my gun, going to try the Lightfield Hybrid sabots this season for the first time. Found them on sale for about 6 dollars off a box.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I need help on which spot to pick because I always second guess myself.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I found two spots in a big bottom that is a few hundred yards from picked ag fields on both sides. One spot is very thick with many fresh rubs on 8" plus cedar trees so fresh the bark is rubbed off on top of the newly fallen leaves. This spot overlooks a thick and high grassy area in the bottom with trails coming in from every direction and the only way to see into it is from a tree. The other spot is about two hundred yards away down the bottom and is wide open big oaks where my son and I saw a six pointer chasing a doe tonight on our way out from scouting. The thick area is great with all the sign and cover once everyone starts shooting, but the does my feed into the oaks on their way from the fields and bring in mister big. Any suggestions.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I would try to set up inbetween both areas and position yourself so you can see to both areas too. I would favor the thicker area though with the sign, just dont go in ontop of it though.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Try posting an aerial pic of the area...that way we could be more help.


I went out this morning with my brother in-law. He had a really tall 7pt walk in front of him...but he just couldn't shoot it. The entire way home he wished he had....but oh well. I've seen the deer too...he's a very massive basket rack. One of his brow tines is broken off...or else he would be an 8pt. Probably a 120" or so.


I had a wounded spike run up to my tree around 715am. Just as he did my BIL started hitting his rattle bag a couple hundred yards in front of me. The spike freaked and trotted off.

Around 8am, a doe walked in on me. I double lunged her @ 20 yards. She took off running up this big hill in a picked corn field...where she expired 50 yards from where she got hit. Right behind her was another really nice doe too. Anywho, dragging a deer DOWN a hill is SOOO much easier than acrossed flat land. It was a nice retrieve to say the least. She's small...a little over 100#. I donated her...b/c I got tons of meat from the buck I shot the other week. I may take another doe or two...b/c they're running wild up there.


BTW, I used the "Butt-Out" tool for the first time this morning on this doe. I've heard lots of negative reports on it, including from my father in-law. But I must say that was the easiest (by FAR!!!) way that I've ever gotten the anus out. Push in, twist, pull out. That simple.

Pics:

http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp270/studpat/doe08e.jpg

The dog, me, my son, and the deer:

http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp270/studpat/doe8a.jpg

My son gets the biggest kick out of seeing these deer up close. My wife was watching her best friend's 2 kids.....they wouldn't even get close to it.

http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp270/studpat/doe08b.jpg

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Congrats on the doe Pat. I was out all afternoon and this evening, seen nothin. Then when i got to my truck, there were 3 does out in the cut bean field. Might go one more time before gun opens up. Been slow so far for me. Not seeing as many deer and just 2 bucks. Still have found no rubs or scrapes either. Hope it gets better for firearms.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Thanks.

These past few years for me have been amazing. Some nice deer as well as a few great fish. Someone's look out after me......

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Just curious Pat you said you donated your doe you shot. Where do you donate a deer? My father andI hunt and I thought about donating a deer since I usually get my fair share of meat, but didnt know you could. I think it would be a great jester considering the time we are in. Where can you donate your deer? Thanks.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Hey jorswift I can't speak for Pat but I plan on donating some deer at a local butcher who participates in Farmers and Hunters Feed the Hungry. If you want to find a butcher near you here is the link the the website where you can see all the butchers who participate.http://www.fhfh.org/Home.aspI think this is a great program. With the economy the way it is right now people are going to need the help. My dad and I plan to thin our doe herd out a little this year and donate a couple of does.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Check the link that D Rock posted.


I know of 2 places close to where I hunt. I took this one to the place that has a raffle for an Omega muzzleloader for anyone who donates a deer. I don't want to tell you guys where it is b/c I want the gun. lol

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Thanks guys, hopefully i can help out this year

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I hope this works pat. This is close up square is tick spot and triangle is open oaks

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

ok. I guess not. Thanks anyway Pat. I tink I am going to sit in the thick spot with the god sign and hope everyone pushes the deer to me. It's the only real thick area around.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Talked with a coworker today and she told me that her daugther and son n law let a friend hunt their land in albion. Supposedly he shot a huge buck 2 days ago, I have asked her to get me the pics, so when I do I will post it. Again this is all second hand info but they said it is huge, sounded like it will be a non typical from the description. This is in Albion. I'll post more when I get a pic.

2 more sleeps til gun opener, just in case any of you forgot!

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Is Skinner Lake over by Albion? If so, my Father In-Law hunts over in that area too. He's in on a lease with a bunch of guys he works with at the GM plant. The farmer used to lease it out to a group of Lawyers from Indy..but they didn't re-up this year.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I guess another easy way would be to post the coordinates...or if possible the address of the place you hunt. Then just describe the property bounderies...that way I could find it from Google Maps...saving you the issues with posting a damn pic on this site. lol

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I believe it is, however I am not that familar with that area except for around chain o lakes. This property is to the east of chain o lakes, all private land. Supposedly it was a 20 point and field dressed at 220lbs. I am assuming its non typical by the number of points. Still dont have the pic but when I do I'll post it. Regardless it sounds like one heck of a deer!

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Yeah, I wish I had some land over there to hunt on. Large ag fields...hilly...and a decent amount of wooded land. Chain O Lakes is where those 2 large bucks got hooked up and drown last year.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Went out with my brother today and got our guns sighted in. Went and checked out a fake scrape i made on Monday night that had a dripper over it. Tracks all over it. Hopefully one of us gets something this weekend. Weather looks absolutely horrible. Par for the course this year.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

Well off to bed for me. I hate the night before opening morning. I can never get a good nights sleep. There are just too many big bucks running around my head to get a restful nights sleep. :DI hope everyone has a great first day. Weather is not supposed to be great but with this front going through they should be moving around. We will just find out in the morning.

RE: Indiana Hunters
 

I am up and ready to head out and get in my stand, opening day is always exciting for me.