rybohunter

Still not able to get out. Finally this afternoon I started feeling better & stirring some but not enough to venture out into the woods.
Oh well.

early in

What, guys that use tree stands aren't "real" hunters? Hunt from the ground in my woods and you aren't killing a deer! How's that grab you?

bluebird2

That just tells me you aren't a real hunter if you can't harvest a deer unless you are in a tree. Even my wife has harvested a buck with a bow while on the ground along with a doe in the late ML season.

livbucks

Went out at noon, stillhunted quite a bit of territory because it was still wet in the leaves and walking was silent. No hunters at all so I figured it my only chance. Jumped two deer real close to me..couldn't put horns on either...they looked like fawns to me. Pretty thick cover I only caught a glimpse. They were silent and if I hadn't looked there at that second I wouldn't have even known they were there. Ihunted till dark. The only thing I brought home was a shed from an 8 point. Was an old shed because it was bleached badly and the beam was chewed nearly in half. There was a ton of fresh sign but being so warm the deer were just dug in too deep for a lone hunter to have much chance. Still in all a nice day alone in the woods. I'm the only flinter in my family so it's a solo effort for me this time of year. Occasionally they will take a bow out this time of year but rarely.

early in

"Even your wife"? You speak of her as if she's a lesser person. I've killed 13 of my deer from the ground! Just not lately. It's simply that I've gotten smarter as I've gotten older. Have you?

sproulman

ice cleats are big seller here in clinton county today.

i agree with you, if you dont have someone to push the woods ,its hard to even get look at deer.

they are only moving a short distance here do to heavy ice on ground.

i went out on friday and was only hunter in my area.

in those 6 miles to my spot from my home, i saw total of 3 tracks along road.

i dont think i will be doing muchhunting, i too only hunt bucks and woods is just down right NASTY here in clinton county and roads are disaster with ice.

i can take nice fluffy snow to hunt but when you see 6 inchs of frozen snow,it is not being FUN out there.

i may put muzz away for year, dont know yet.

i know one thing, you are not going to get a deer by going out and just sitting.

the deer that are left are moving after dark.

the deer in my yard are showing up on my camera at 1 am,they used to come at 6 pm and leave at 5 am,now, 1 am and leaving at 3 am.

BTBowhunter

It's pretty easy to kill a button buck from the ground with a rifle. Even 5 or 6 of em. I've seen situations where a BB could have been killed by a kid with a rockfrom the ground. Deer today often look up as often as they look around. Guys who can't wait for mature deer often don't understand why it's often necessary to hunt from a tree.

Some situations are more challenging than others. I'd say that the toughest method would be to sneak up on a bedded mature deer (buck or doe)and shoot it with a traditional bow. That's a once or twice in a lifetime accomplishment. It doesn't mean that any another leagl method makes someone less of a hunter.

Who cares whether a hunter choose to hunt from the ground or a tree? So long as the method is legal and fair chase. A person who would make a statement claiming someone using a legal, fair chase, method is merely attempting to divide hunters over something trivial.

sproulman

after deer get hunted hard, its not easy to stalk a deer.

when you get a deep fluffy snow, i used to do it and i had open sights and got close enough to see horns missing on bucks heads.

then you have windy days.

i think thats one of best times to stalk if you have wind that is somewhat predictable, like blowing in one direction, if not, its going to be a long day, for sure.

Buck Hunter 1

I hunted and ended playing w/ them in a swamp . They were in no modd to move out of that cover Friday or Saturday, Then Satureday it went to 60 degrees and I slept in my post for a couple hours. Best sleep i had in a long time. No deer but lot's of other game. Still time.

DougE

I headed out saturday afternoon and arrowed a mature doe at 2:30.I hunted for about an hour and had three bucks chasing 5 does past me at 8 yards.About a minute later,a doe came in at about 25 yards and stood behind a tree.Another buck was grunting on the ridge above her and just outof my sight.She got nervous and started moving,then stopped at 19 yards where I put my final arrow of the seaon through her.As I was getting ready to climb down,the other buck crossed above me at about 40 yards.Must of been a hot doe in that group because the bucks were really dogging those does.Another one of my buddies was hunting probably 250 yards away and he had the same activity and alsokilled a doe.

It was cool to be in the woods again and it felt like mid october with the temperature at about 60 degrees.