My Field Journal (VA & NC)
10-30-2007, 10:43 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
My Field Journal (VA & NC)
Just wanted somewhere to start logging some of my field journal notes, pics, etc. The regional threads never seem to scroll off as fast so it should be easy to keep up with, wish I had started beginning of bow season in NC (Sept. 8).
Links from some Sept. outings:
Rough Start
Hair Raising!! (little long)
Corn or Beans?? Help (PIC FIXED)
Oct. 6, 2007
Opening Saturday of Va Bow Season. Wind from the S to SSW most of the day. Dry and warm with highs in the 80's. Moon was about 35% full and directly overhead at
Morning Stand off of creek between recently cut corn and bedding (downeys). 0 sightings, I think they cleared the field early and I may have just missed them in the dark.
Steve hunted between cut corn and road saw 2 bucks 5 does arrowed his first deer ever at 1000.
Evening Stand: Hunted off edge of cut corn (new piece) and saw 12 does and two bucks(one nice). Never closer than 55 yards, good wind, never spooked.
Jimmy hunted around the corner in the next field pocket and saw 9 does and two bucks. This being one of them.
Starting to see more and more perimeter scrapes (field edges, paths, etc.) but still seeing bucks together. Light acorn drop this year but still huntable. At this point not using many calls, scents, or rattling.
Needed = rain and cold temps.
Links from some Sept. outings:
Rough Start
Hair Raising!! (little long)
Corn or Beans?? Help (PIC FIXED)
Oct. 6, 2007
Opening Saturday of Va Bow Season. Wind from the S to SSW most of the day. Dry and warm with highs in the 80's. Moon was about 35% full and directly overhead at
Morning Stand off of creek between recently cut corn and bedding (downeys). 0 sightings, I think they cleared the field early and I may have just missed them in the dark.
Steve hunted between cut corn and road saw 2 bucks 5 does arrowed his first deer ever at 1000.
Evening Stand: Hunted off edge of cut corn (new piece) and saw 12 does and two bucks(one nice). Never closer than 55 yards, good wind, never spooked.
Jimmy hunted around the corner in the next field pocket and saw 9 does and two bucks. This being one of them.
Starting to see more and more perimeter scrapes (field edges, paths, etc.) but still seeing bucks together. Light acorn drop this year but still huntable. At this point not using many calls, scents, or rattling.
Needed = rain and cold temps.
10-30-2007, 11:00 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
Saturday Oct. 13
Temps in the 70's,two days after the new moon. Saw two does in the morning (longs), got winded by the second doe(wind from the west). Wind shifted to the SSW after lunch and I hunted near the cut corn I saw all the deer in onopening day.
Around 1730 4 does came into the field and presented no shot. At 1745 this buck cam in to 8 yards and the ice was broken.
Still not seeing much real rut activity probably due to the dry weather and high temps. Still hunting quiet no calling to mention, just hunting near summer food sources still.
Dates to watch next season Oct. 14th - Oct 31. (pre rut/chasing?)
Also took two does with my rifle in Chesapeake(DMAP). Just hunting beans and water, temps still in the 70's & low 80's occasionally.
**Disclaimer**
This thread is really going to be used to have data for next season as far as weather, deer activity, food sources, rutting info, locations,etc. So if it seems like random babbling or like someone talking to themself that's because it is.
Temps in the 70's,two days after the new moon. Saw two does in the morning (longs), got winded by the second doe(wind from the west). Wind shifted to the SSW after lunch and I hunted near the cut corn I saw all the deer in onopening day.
Around 1730 4 does came into the field and presented no shot. At 1745 this buck cam in to 8 yards and the ice was broken.
Still not seeing much real rut activity probably due to the dry weather and high temps. Still hunting quiet no calling to mention, just hunting near summer food sources still.
Dates to watch next season Oct. 14th - Oct 31. (pre rut/chasing?)
Also took two does with my rifle in Chesapeake(DMAP). Just hunting beans and water, temps still in the 70's & low 80's occasionally.
**Disclaimer**
This thread is really going to be used to have data for next season as far as weather, deer activity, food sources, rutting info, locations,etc. So if it seems like random babbling or like someone talking to themself that's because it is.
10-30-2007, 05:38 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
Oct. 20 2007
Hunted Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. Weather was cooling off a little but still unseasonably warm (upper 60's low 70's).
Hunted this area blind using only aerial photos and map from VDGIF.
Saw 4 does, two came in at less than 20 yards and busted me as I was hunting from the ground and got caught snoozing. It was a fun hunt and nice area, plan on hunting it again next season, Remember to bring climber.
Oct. 23 2007
Hunted a military base near the house. I have hunted one other installment close by and have had good success . This area was crowded 8-10 hunters showed up that day andeveryone kind of hunted the same side. I got skunked but did see one doe while driving out. I'll probably stick to the other base the rest of the season.
Weather still warm, you have got to be kidding me. More scrape activity, and second full moon coming up in 3 days (Oct. 26).
Hunted Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. Weather was cooling off a little but still unseasonably warm (upper 60's low 70's).
Hunted this area blind using only aerial photos and map from VDGIF.
Saw 4 does, two came in at less than 20 yards and busted me as I was hunting from the ground and got caught snoozing. It was a fun hunt and nice area, plan on hunting it again next season, Remember to bring climber.
Oct. 23 2007
Hunted a military base near the house. I have hunted one other installment close by and have had good success . This area was crowded 8-10 hunters showed up that day andeveryone kind of hunted the same side. I got skunked but did see one doe while driving out. I'll probably stick to the other base the rest of the season.
Weather still warm, you have got to be kidding me. More scrape activity, and second full moon coming up in 3 days (Oct. 26).
10-30-2007, 05:51 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
Oct. 26-27 2007
Weather still sucking. Rain & wind hit hard the end of this week. We needed the rain and the wind is supposed to be bringing cooler fall temps by Sunday Oct. 28, finally. This week the bucks really picked up the pace. Heavy scraping and some bucks starting to bird dog groups of does in the fields, they also seem to be reponding well to short mildrattling sequences.
Srape line hunting, Code Blue Doe Estrous, Buck Bomb-Dominant Buck, short rattling and some calling (grunting & rattling together).
Link to above and belowweekend hunt details:
Raindrops Were Fallin' On My Head......
Oct. 27 2007 (taken at 0730)
Morning after 2nd full moon. Rain, Wind WSW 10-15 mph, Scrape line rattling. Mathews Q2, Goldtip 5575's, Grim Reaper 100gr Razor Cut.
Weather still sucking. Rain & wind hit hard the end of this week. We needed the rain and the wind is supposed to be bringing cooler fall temps by Sunday Oct. 28, finally. This week the bucks really picked up the pace. Heavy scraping and some bucks starting to bird dog groups of does in the fields, they also seem to be reponding well to short mildrattling sequences.
Srape line hunting, Code Blue Doe Estrous, Buck Bomb-Dominant Buck, short rattling and some calling (grunting & rattling together).
Link to above and belowweekend hunt details:
Raindrops Were Fallin' On My Head......
Oct. 27 2007 (taken at 0730)
Morning after 2nd full moon. Rain, Wind WSW 10-15 mph, Scrape line rattling. Mathews Q2, Goldtip 5575's, Grim Reaper 100gr Razor Cut.
11-01-2007, 01:32 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
Oct. 30 2007
Shotgun hunt in Chesapeake. Cool temps.(upper 50's), high moon(about 70% full, waning)near the afternoon, WNW light. Scrape line hunt off of powerline and property border(W side). No precipitation, 0 sightings. Deer are moving later and later it seems. Try again Thursday after work if I have time. Need to hunt in a.m[:@].
Shotgun hunt in Chesapeake. Cool temps.(upper 50's), high moon(about 70% full, waning)near the afternoon, WNW light. Scrape line hunt off of powerline and property border(W side). No precipitation, 0 sightings. Deer are moving later and later it seems. Try again Thursday after work if I have time. Need to hunt in a.m[:@].
11-02-2007, 03:20 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
Nov. 2 2007
Leaving tonight for a blackpowder hunt with my dad tomorrow, Va bp opener. Hurricane Noel is blowing some serious winds right now 20-30 mph but that is supposed to die off by 0800-1000 Saturday Nov. 3. So hopefully with the lows getting down near freezing and the wind blowing out the deer should be moving by tomorrow late morning. That's my theory anyway, post pics and update hunt (wind, moon, deer activity, etc.)Sunday, Nov. 4.
Winds supposed to be from NNE starting upwards of 20 mphdieing down to around 10mph by afternnon and clearing skies early.
Leaving tonight for a blackpowder hunt with my dad tomorrow, Va bp opener. Hurricane Noel is blowing some serious winds right now 20-30 mph but that is supposed to die off by 0800-1000 Saturday Nov. 3. So hopefully with the lows getting down near freezing and the wind blowing out the deer should be moving by tomorrow late morning. That's my theory anyway, post pics and update hunt (wind, moon, deer activity, etc.)Sunday, Nov. 4.
Winds supposed to be from NNE starting upwards of 20 mphdieing down to around 10mph by afternnon and clearing skies early.
11-03-2007, 07:11 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
Nov. 3 2007
Opening day Va bp season. Temps in the low 40's overnight to upper 50's low 60's mid day. Strong winds most of the day NNE to NE 18-20 mph in the morning to 10-12 mph afternoon/evening.
The moon looked like this,
and was overhead at midday.
Today was my first hunt this season at our farm and with my dad. He has been bowhunting every weekend since Oct 6 wit minimal sightings and no kills yet. I Hunted my lounger stand that overlooks a bottom that crosses a powerline right of way and our back field. At 0745 I had a nice buck come between me and our back field wind break (125 yards). Although that is about my max range he never gave me a good shot and was gone as quickly as he showed up. Hunted til lunch, did a tiny bit of "speed scouting" and found two different scrape/rub lines and some good sign.
My dad getting a little practice:
Posted my dad up on the field I was bordering in the a.m. and I hunted near the windbreak I saw the buck on. No luck with the buck but pops had 4 does come out on him at about 60 yards and he missed one clean (doe fever)
. She let him reload while they stood there looking aroundbut just when he was about to aim for his second shot she decided she had seen enough and blew out of there, taking her friends with her.
Side note: Re-post property lines and talk to bordering hunt club president, someone has taken the stabilizer bars to two of our ladder stands and one stand has broke ladder at bottom(don't forget to repair).
I will catch them if they show up much more and they will get to meet Mr. Warden, no warnings.
Opening day Va bp season. Temps in the low 40's overnight to upper 50's low 60's mid day. Strong winds most of the day NNE to NE 18-20 mph in the morning to 10-12 mph afternoon/evening.
The moon looked like this,
and was overhead at midday.
Today was my first hunt this season at our farm and with my dad. He has been bowhunting every weekend since Oct 6 wit minimal sightings and no kills yet. I Hunted my lounger stand that overlooks a bottom that crosses a powerline right of way and our back field. At 0745 I had a nice buck come between me and our back field wind break (125 yards). Although that is about my max range he never gave me a good shot and was gone as quickly as he showed up. Hunted til lunch, did a tiny bit of "speed scouting" and found two different scrape/rub lines and some good sign.
My dad getting a little practice:
Posted my dad up on the field I was bordering in the a.m. and I hunted near the windbreak I saw the buck on. No luck with the buck but pops had 4 does come out on him at about 60 yards and he missed one clean (doe fever)
. She let him reload while they stood there looking aroundbut just when he was about to aim for his second shot she decided she had seen enough and blew out of there, taking her friends with her. Side note: Re-post property lines and talk to bordering hunt club president, someone has taken the stabilizer bars to two of our ladder stands and one stand has broke ladder at bottom(don't forget to repair).
I will catch them if they show up much more and they will get to meet Mr. Warden, no warnings.
11-05-2007, 07:11 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southeast, VA
Posts: 2,119
RE: My Field Notes
The buck I saw at our farm was a big wide 8, I am off Monday, Nov. 5 and Tuesday, Nov. 6 but I will be hunting on the Eastern Shore with my 6 year old from a ground blind. Where our farm is you have to be elevated in a 10 foot stand to bp hunt and right now we only have 1 two person stand up.. I will hunt the farm again this Saturday (Nov. 10) but for now and for convenience we will be heading over to the shore for a little "Ground Blind Big Buck Bonanza".
Leaving today after lunch, the weather on the shore is supposed to be decent with winds from the S to SSW so that will work out and the temps are staying pretty low at night so I am hoping the bucks are still doing their thing.
One thing I just thought of while I was packing. I like my digital camera as far as the ease of taking and loading pictures but I am going to have to invest in a nice 35mm camera with some good lenses.
I always take my camera on stand but the digital (mine anyway)isn't very good for that. There was a moment on Saturday when that buck crossed the corner of the field and the powerline. He was standing within 10 yards ofone of our otherladder stands. That would have been one sweet pic if I could have gotten them both in a pic with the buck standing broadside to an empty stand. Classic.
Realistically, I still would have missed the pic regardless of the camera because I was so busy watching him through the scope and whispering to him, you knowwhat I'm talking about: "Come on...just a little closer...keep coming...one more step.....turn a little.....no.....dont' turn like that.....no.....come on.....don't walk that way.....(andright about nowyou get desperate with the last second grunt attempts).....No!!.....come on .....what are you doing?.....Damn it!"
He's gone.
And nowit's time to getback to sittin' in the woods looking at trees, between nodding sessions of course, but I've heard that your sense of hearing increases like 10 fold during sleep.
Leaving today after lunch, the weather on the shore is supposed to be decent with winds from the S to SSW so that will work out and the temps are staying pretty low at night so I am hoping the bucks are still doing their thing.
One thing I just thought of while I was packing. I like my digital camera as far as the ease of taking and loading pictures but I am going to have to invest in a nice 35mm camera with some good lenses.
I always take my camera on stand but the digital (mine anyway)isn't very good for that. There was a moment on Saturday when that buck crossed the corner of the field and the powerline. He was standing within 10 yards ofone of our otherladder stands. That would have been one sweet pic if I could have gotten them both in a pic with the buck standing broadside to an empty stand. Classic.
Realistically, I still would have missed the pic regardless of the camera because I was so busy watching him through the scope and whispering to him, you knowwhat I'm talking about: "Come on...just a little closer...keep coming...one more step.....turn a little.....no.....dont' turn like that.....no.....come on.....don't walk that way.....(andright about nowyou get desperate with the last second grunt attempts).....No!!.....come on .....what are you doing?.....Damn it!"
He's gone.
And nowit's time to getback to sittin' in the woods looking at trees, between nodding sessions of course, but I've heard that your sense of hearing increases like 10 fold during sleep.