DE Bow Hunters Sound Off
 

It seems we've quieted down. Lets get a recap on how we've done and what we're planning on the rest of the way out.

Me, i've done squat. Not giving up though. Planning hunts on the farm I've sub leased and public land in the upcomming weeks. All depends on weather. We all know it gets alot tougher once the guns start going off. I'll hunt shotgun too, but my hearts in the Bow hunting.

I know 6pt has scored a buck, DEBob has scored a doe with a long bow if I remember right. Lemond, have you even been out? :)

Lets all keep the talk going. The seasons still young and the main Rut is just around the corner. Pre Rut is full swing from what I've read.

Good Luck to all!

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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NICE to c this..i am a BOW hunter only. i love hunting, but i have an 8yr old that is talented...."period". i have been spending time with him. i hunted 2 wks ago, but hunted the wrong CROP. hunted the corn...should have hit the acorns. i will hunt the coming week and i have found that my old spot is.."HOOOOOTTTTT" scouted it today and it is all torn up:) i will keep u posted and i will have pics...i promised u that and i will deliver...trust me:)

what r the deer doing in your areas?? they r hitting the persimmons here...POOP has seed galore in them and droppings all over the areas where the trees are.

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hunting in the morning..i will post when i return from the hunt in the evening..after homework:)

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i hunted the morning...8-12..didnt have any action going on, but they r there. i was excited at the sign around. i hunted from the T2. i will be at again next week. the blk max is getting jumpy:)

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It was a recurve but a doe none the less. Been out alot...just not near the computer when I get home<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Lots of deer movement. Seeing small bucks almost every time out lately. Went with a friend last night and he rattled in a 2.5 year old 8 pt. Made a bad hit that gave us a difficult tracking job. Found him though!! Got my blood pumping!! The deer are still very much in the oaks but beans are a close second. Scrapes are getting hit daily (well, maybe nightly!!!)

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If the rain ends tomorrow morning like they are saying, i'll be heading out to the leased farm tomorrow afternoon. It'll be interesting to see if there is any corn left that I threw out. Also, unless people have trespassed, it'll be the first time the deer have been hunted there this year. I'm cautiuosly optomitic.

Good luck to whomever heads out tomorrow!

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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thanks for the info...the acorns are still dropping..there is a tree where i live and there are acorn everywhere...there are no deer in my development:)

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This is only my second or third post. Still new to bow hunting (2nd yr). Dont have any private land too hunt so have been hitting public land. Mostly C&D canal DE city area, Have had several in range, but no clear shot opportunities, did get to draw on 1 but it busted me (big doe).Have hunted augustine a couple times few weeks ago, called in a doe but it knew something was wrong.Hit whiteclay, a couple afternoon hunts, nothing in range. Starting to get discouraged but i know it takes patients(sp?).Still dont know how you experienced guys stay all day.

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Hunted today from 2:30 to 6:30pm on the land I leased as planned. The woods is completely flooded. Worse than I've ever seen. AT 6pm I had 2 coming for the stand but about 70 yds out they just turned and walked back the way they came. They didnt wind me or see me. Just didnt want to cross the flooded woods I guess. One was definately a buck, but I couldnt make out how many pts. Thats the way the seasons been going for me. Still alot of time left though. Never give up!!

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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come on guys,,,,what's going on out there

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lemond33, do you hunt any public land in DE,if so where would you suggest a person go, I really need to figure this scouting stuff out, i know its a big part of being succesful.

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Heading out tomorrow for a quick afternoon hunt. Clearing skys and a cool afternoon. Maybe those big boys will be chasing some does. Lets hope.

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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i hunt both private and public..to be honest i like the public areas better...esp where u r at. augustine has a TON of deer:) i have hunted there for years. i am an archery hunter only. i was out this evening, but i didnt hang in there. didnt see the point. i will be able to hunt for a week straight in 2 weeks. the persimmons arent as plentiful as last year. the deer are really moving and hitting the food sources..i will tell u that. i will be hunting a field on public land next week. last year i saw bucks chasing does there in the evening...big bodied animals..see ya soon.

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Went last night in the rain and was rewarded with a good 7 point! Thought the hit was perfect but waited 'til this morning to find him. He only went about 75 yards! Saw six bucks and at least that many does. The bucks were really chasing the does around! I rattled the one I got in. Shot at 4:30.

Cleaning up my gear and heading back out tomorrow am! Things are really gearing up! Hope the cool weather holds!!! Good luck everyone

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Congrats DEBob.
I'm stuck in work unitl Sat, but I think I'm already getting sick for next week, at least two days sick, probably Thursday and Friday.
Damn flu gets me every year this time. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
thruthevitals, all you can do is download some of the maps here and put in some legwork.
http://www.dnrec.state.de.us/fw/wildlifemaps.htm
Don't discount the smaller tracts, and there are a ton of tracts not listed, so try to speak with a CO for your area, some new ones open every year. Try to do the walking on Sunday or after the season, so as not to mess anybody up.




&quot;In heaven, even the fish have antlers&quot;

RE: DE Bow Hunters Sound Off
 

Thanks for the reply's, I did get the maps off the dnrec website, havent talked to a CO for this area though, but a good idea.I hunted augustine yesterday in the rain,sat as long as i could,from 1 to 4:45, got cold (not enough layers)so i decided to walk slowly back to my truck through the trails cut by the state. Well as luck would have it, six point must have been watching me round the bend, when i got to about 10yrds of him he jumped from the brush and headed in to the standing corn. Got to the last field before my truck, well after legal shooting time, and there were quite a few white flags up and heading the other way.Do you guys scout all year or just a couple weeks before the season starts ,plus in season scouting (sundays).Do you know of any books i could get that explain how to read sign in detail.

RE: DE Bow Hunters Sound Off
 

Some fairely informative books on scouting are published by Krause Publications. My favorites are written by Greg Miller, particularily Rub Line Secrets. I got mine at Borders.

Scouting is like any other pursuit...the more often you do it, the better you will get. I would strongly echo Sikas comments about limiting scouting to Sundays. If no trucks are around, a midday strole through an area can reveal alot! Just try not to screw someone else's day blundering around aimlessly. Don't discount desktop scouting either...check out Terra Server and read over some aerial photos...you can learn alot just reading the maps! Good Luck! Can't hardly go wrong just being out there for the next few weeks!!

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I hear ya about scouting on sundays, I dont want people wandering around when Im out there hunting either. Ill check terra server out.Ill be out as much i can till the end of the season,the more you go, the more you learn right? Ill check that book also.

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Had a big old buck take me to school today. Its a long story so i'm going to post a seperate thread. Check it out.

Congrats DEBob on another deer! Things are kicking up. I saw alot of trucks out tonight. No one dragging deer though, including me <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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Thanks for the Congrats guys.

Went this morning and saw only three little fawns. Thought I heard one grunting in the distance but it could have been wishful thinking. First time I haven't hunted the oaks in about a month....I'm going straight back to 'em!!!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Not near as much sign elsewhere!

Scouted midday and jumped a doe bedded with a good buck. He was clueless and followed her off grunting with every step! If this weather will just hold, we're in for a grand couple of weeks!!!!

My cousins getting married tomorrow so hunting's gonna have to wait 'til Monday. Good luck to those that get out!!!

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You guys are driving me crazy, I have a feeling I'll be in my stand set up waaayyyy too early tomorrow morning, I can't wait.
thruthevitals, right now you just have to get out there, no telling where a buck may be. If you know where the does are hitting the fields, have a look at an ariel, I like terafly.com, and find a way to get back in the woods behind it a few hundred yards with the wind in your favor. That's always a good starting point. It usually blows from the west this time of year, but lately all we've been getting is East or Northeast. Have to check before you go each time. Just set up near where you've been sseeng does and it's hard to go wrong, eventually a buck will chase one within range.

As for scouting, we were close to having a get together last year and hunt for sheds, but never did, I really hope we can this year, late winter is the best time to figure a property out, and it's that much more fun looking for sheds. We'll have to keep that in mind.




&quot;In heaven, even the fish have antlers&quot;

RE: DE Bow Hunters Sound Off
 

vacation starting next wednesday..what do u think?? should i hunt the food sources or in the woods around the swamps?? holla at me

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Thanks for the info, Back on nights for a few days (shift work). Will be scouting 11/3 for areas i plan to hunt 11/4 thru 11/6 and again on 11/9 (public land).I have a couple more questions, of all the stuff ive read through-out the summer an up till now, peak breeding is suppose to be going on now.If this is the case and the buck to doe ratio is skewed more heavily toward the does, as it is supposed to be on the east coast, since most bucks dont live past 1 1/2 yrs old because of hunting pressure(info from books by Alshiemer,lerue,laroche).The question is, with these supposed circumstances, should i be stayin on stand all day if the bucks are staying with the does for up to 72hrs and only moving when the does that are being tended move or is that the point, your tryin to intercept them as they follow the does to the feeding areas. Im not a rack hunter at this point,but it would be an added bonus,its hard enough with out choosing the sex of the animal.One other question,if you could only buy one stand would it be a climber or a hang on. I fell for the treelounge marketing and its just not a realistic stand choice for the areas i have to hunt and i dont have that many days i can hunt all day any way,let alone having that perfect tree that is definitely needed.Thanks for any input

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go to the lone wolf site..i have the best set up for hunting public land. i purchased it there. contact me at and i will give u my number. i will tell u all about it....the alpha hang on

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thruthevitals, Forget the hype regarding breeding dates, population balance, etc! Hunt all day if you can...your odds increase proportional to the time you spend in the woods!!! Pick a spot around or between bedding areas and wait them out!! Bucks will be cruising all day and does will be out feeding up for the up-coming winter!

As for treestand choices, if you can only choose one, I'd go with an ultra-lite climber. My favorite is an old beat up Loggy Bayou. Personally, I have a dozen hang-ons, three climbers, and a system similar to the Lone Wolf. None fill the bill for all purposes. Climbers can be loud to set up, so can the Lone Wolf systems, this makes them impossible to set up near where the deer are currently! Hang-ons are perfect for bedding area set-ups but will ultimately get stolen on public land! Tough choices but will end up being personal decisions! Hunt with what you feel confident with! Try out as many as possible!

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scouted today and found alot of sign...scapes are all over my one area....deer were on the move by 430ish. tree rats were on the move and i figured the deer werent far behind. vaca starts wed and i am hoping for the best.

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Took my son out for the youth hunt saturday. We didnt even see a deer. All season I have seen deer in the places we hunted and I felt for sure he would get a shot. I dont know where they went. I found one good scrape deeper in the woods and that was it. I dont know if there have been alot of people tracing through the woods or what. Yes it is public land.
This up coming weekend Im not sure if I will hunt or fish. The Big Blues and puppy drum are on the beaches right now, and the rut is on. Hope you all have good luck.


AllenC

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Had today off but could only hunt midday. I went back in a patch of white oaks...got there at 8:30. Rattled at 9 and had a small three point come charging in. He got down wind and blew on out. Rattled again at 10 and had a yearling 6 pt sneak around me. Didn't see any others. Stayed 'til about 3. Scrapes are everywhere!!! The swamp white oaks are really dropping acorn lately. Sign looks great. One problem is four wheelers have invaded our property<img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle> Losers! I have a real problem with them things!!! It's not that everyone who owns one is a jerk but every jerk I meet owns one!!!

Taking my son with me tomorrow! Have been saving a farm he found some giant sheds on just for this occaision!!! Can't wait!!! Good luck everyone!

Coolerpup, Which beachs are the big blues hitting (DE or Assateague?)

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Headed out tonight to the leased farm where I had all the deer action last Thursday. My father joined me and I placed him in a good spot downwind of where the majority of the deer have been passing. I got in my stand along the edge of the woods. If the deer came the way the have the last 2 trips, one of us would get a shot. We were set up by 3:30pm. Well, nothing came. All was quiet. Makes me wonder what was going on around the farm on Saturday. Stupid youth day... Kidding!!!

Planning on making a day of it Saturday. Last chance before shotgun. Keep the posts coming.

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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DeBob....all up and down the De. beaches. They hit them again yesterday up to 14lbs. With a few puppy drum and Stripers thrown in to the mix as well, I think I will be hitting the beach saturday.
Anyone have a good reason why I need to hunt instead?? :-)

Come on...change my mind :-)

AllenC

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well..i am out there in the morning. i will hunt all day for the next week..this is usually the time that i score..if that is meant to happen. i will keep everyone posted. i found a few more acorn trees and will set up on them to see what is going on. the deer are moving in my area and there doesnt seem to be much archery pressure if any. i order a new scent from cabelas..overnight...if it works i will turn everyone on to it..see ya soon

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Took my son with me on Tuesday. We rattled in one small spike that ended up right under the stand. Rain came earlier than expected so we left a little early. Weather looks a tad warm for Saturday but what the heck....beats dancing!!!! Good luck out there....let's get it done beffore the &quot;Pumpkin Army&quot; has at it!!!<img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Nothing like a warm up to kill a Pre Rut. I'll give it a shot Saturday morning while its still chilly. Once it warms up, i'll probably go duck hunting. Hoping to hit it 1 more time next week before Shotgun comes blasting in. Of course, i hope I'm one of the ones blasting! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Any day spent huntin, is better than any day spent workin,,

Duckmastor2

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u guys hunt the birds...i saw a huge buck...i mean huge this evening..i am on him friday..

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lemond, Go get 'em!!! How'd that new scent work? John Collins of James Valley Scents sent me a sample of his latest product...can't remeber the name right now...but it's working pretty well so far. Hasn't spooked any and have had great success with mock scrapes being taken over by the real deal!

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I was going to take off today, but 60 degrees has me in work. I'll use my days next week when it cools down.
I'll be out tomorrow though, but if it gets to 65 I'm with Duckmaster2, I'll be totin' the 12ga in the evening.
The morning should be just fine, though, probably a good idea to set up in a doe bedding area and hunt all through midday. Good luck guys.


&quot;In heaven, even the fish have antlers&quot;

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debob,,thanks for the info on JV..i have used that scent. i cannot tell how the new lure is working, but it must not be that bad...here is my story for today. i hunted from 2-520..i saw another buck that is bigger than the one i saw yesterday...they must be making mistakes right now. this deer was out at 4pm!!! he was checking the scrapes that i had doctored:) there was one problem. he was 85yds from me...i can only shoot to 60yd...yes 60. i explained that b4:) i will b at them sat evening, but this is getting good...real good.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

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how r u sj..i have never shot game at that distance but i practice from 60 and in...i would take a 50 yd shot if it was the right situation...and let me say this ...i have never lost a deer and last year was my first miss:) the deer hopped for some reason. anyway, dont worry i am not some crazy a55 archer shooting from 80+. my girlfriend went crazy when she saw the buck yesterday...wwe were in my T2 blind...she told me to shoot...I just looked at her and started laughing. i explained to her that i wasnt that good a FOOTBALL field away:) she had never seen a deer that big...i am on some really big animals..i dont know what to say..i have seen deer in my area, but jesus..i have seen 3 bucks that are HUGE. i will be out this evening...frm about 2 on..talk to u guys sunday night.

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Heat seemed to put a damper on the mid-day movement but dawn and dusk were phenomenal!!! I saw six differnt bucks this morning and three this afternoon! Rattled in three of them. Had one six point come in this morning about 9 and bed down beside me. Forgot he was there and rattled about 10...scared the crap out of both of us!!!! Of the 9 only two were older than yearlings...one was an 18 inch spike and the other a 2.5 year old 6 point. Lots of fawns all alone..assuming the does are with the bigger bucks! Gonna have at it again Monday!!!! Good luck all!

Lemond...if you shoot one at greater than 25 yards please do us all a favor and keep it to yourself!!! Most of us can shoot quite accurately at that yardage or farther but choose to keep this a close range sport!!! You validated our opinion with the discription of your miss last year...deer are live critters and quite unpredictable...too much can go wrong to risk it!!!! Good luck on the big boys....I'm anxious to see one over 3.5 years myself!!!!