Leaving for hunting ground tomorrow
11-17-2005, 12:47 PM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
Leaving for hunting ground tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll leave work early about 2 PM, drive home, remove the rear seat from the SUV, pack gear, load several rifles, pick-up my son from school about 3:30 PM, and head on up to the deer hunting ground in Oklahoma. 6 AM the next morning, Saturday,will find my son and I planted in our separate ground blinds anticipating the coming of hunting light and reflecting on what the hunt will provide. I'll be using a .30-06 that my father sportsterized from a US Springfield rifle (probably bought a stock blank which he inletted, shaped, and finished) bearing a good scope. My son will be using a .30-30 with open sights (he will not listen to any suggestions to putting a scope on this rifle -- maybe these are good instincts).
I have most of the gear packed and laid out now, but there are some loose ends to tie up. I have been insanely busy at work for the last month so my mind is not yet into this hunt. I'm sure, though, that the cares of work will fall away and I will feelthe thrill and joy of being on the road bound for my hunting spot about 3:45 PM tomorrow!!!
We do not see large deer where we hunt. My three deer taken here have all field dressed at or under 100 LBS, two does and one small buck. That is OK by me. The deer are very good eating and the hunt is fun. My hunting host prefers that we not install tree stands so we hunt from ground blinds and impromptu "ambushes" that we deem are likely places to waylay a deer. The hunting ground is 160 acres with a lot of woods punctured by a couple of ponds, a couple of small creeks (maybe the same creek but winds off the property on one corner and comes back onto the property 1/4 mile away). There are also open fields, some large. The ground is hilly. Quite a variety of ground within the 160 acres, thus providing a number of deer ambush scenarios. Lots of persimmons. A fair amount of acorns in usual years -- don't know about this year.
I took my son hunting here for the first time last year at the age of 14. He insisted that he get a buck permit and no doe permit (he didn't understand thata combination permit allows him to take BOTH a doe and a buck, the kind of permit I get every year). He didn't see any bucks but three does walked past him so close he could almost touch them in one ground blind. Now, I wondered why deer would come so close without spooking from smelling him, but he says they did not spook and he is not given to lieing for no reason. Anyway, the point is he would have had an easy shot on a doe had he taken a combination license. This year he is getting a combination license.
The weather is expected to be mild -- low to mid 30s in the mornings to mid 50s low 60s during the day. Comfortable for huinting -- less than ideal for cooling meat. Rain only possible on one day, according to the weather forecast.
I was on the hunting ground about a month ago and placed some flourescent tape along a trail through the trees to a special ambush location where I want to place my son. It overlooks a funnel I stumbled upon last year and where I took my doe last year. I say "stumbled" because until I saw two separate does -- one of which fell to my .243 -- pass in opposite directions over the trailI was watchingwithin 40 minutes of each otherI didn't realize it was a funnel. The trail at this point is bounded by a fence and a steep drop off to a road just across the fence. Also parallel to the fence is a steep hill with moderately thick brush. The deer feel safe along this trail but are discouraged from going up into the hill and don't jump over the fence and then down steeply to the road -- thus a funnel. The best approach to this spot is through the thick brush over the hill, which is not on any particular trail and thus difficult to find exactly in the dark, which is why I marked this path with flourescent tape. I wonder if the tape is still up or if wind removed/tore-up the tape?
My rifles are sighted in (Monday afternoon). My knives are sharpened and my freezer paper is packed. Let the hunt begin!!!
I have most of the gear packed and laid out now, but there are some loose ends to tie up. I have been insanely busy at work for the last month so my mind is not yet into this hunt. I'm sure, though, that the cares of work will fall away and I will feelthe thrill and joy of being on the road bound for my hunting spot about 3:45 PM tomorrow!!!
We do not see large deer where we hunt. My three deer taken here have all field dressed at or under 100 LBS, two does and one small buck. That is OK by me. The deer are very good eating and the hunt is fun. My hunting host prefers that we not install tree stands so we hunt from ground blinds and impromptu "ambushes" that we deem are likely places to waylay a deer. The hunting ground is 160 acres with a lot of woods punctured by a couple of ponds, a couple of small creeks (maybe the same creek but winds off the property on one corner and comes back onto the property 1/4 mile away). There are also open fields, some large. The ground is hilly. Quite a variety of ground within the 160 acres, thus providing a number of deer ambush scenarios. Lots of persimmons. A fair amount of acorns in usual years -- don't know about this year.
I took my son hunting here for the first time last year at the age of 14. He insisted that he get a buck permit and no doe permit (he didn't understand thata combination permit allows him to take BOTH a doe and a buck, the kind of permit I get every year). He didn't see any bucks but three does walked past him so close he could almost touch them in one ground blind. Now, I wondered why deer would come so close without spooking from smelling him, but he says they did not spook and he is not given to lieing for no reason. Anyway, the point is he would have had an easy shot on a doe had he taken a combination license. This year he is getting a combination license.
The weather is expected to be mild -- low to mid 30s in the mornings to mid 50s low 60s during the day. Comfortable for huinting -- less than ideal for cooling meat. Rain only possible on one day, according to the weather forecast.
I was on the hunting ground about a month ago and placed some flourescent tape along a trail through the trees to a special ambush location where I want to place my son. It overlooks a funnel I stumbled upon last year and where I took my doe last year. I say "stumbled" because until I saw two separate does -- one of which fell to my .243 -- pass in opposite directions over the trailI was watchingwithin 40 minutes of each otherI didn't realize it was a funnel. The trail at this point is bounded by a fence and a steep drop off to a road just across the fence. Also parallel to the fence is a steep hill with moderately thick brush. The deer feel safe along this trail but are discouraged from going up into the hill and don't jump over the fence and then down steeply to the road -- thus a funnel. The best approach to this spot is through the thick brush over the hill, which is not on any particular trail and thus difficult to find exactly in the dark, which is why I marked this path with flourescent tape. I wonder if the tape is still up or if wind removed/tore-up the tape?
My rifles are sighted in (Monday afternoon). My knives are sharpened and my freezer paper is packed. Let the hunt begin!!!
11-17-2005, 03:28 PM
#2
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 55
RE: Leaving for hunting ground tomorrow
I will be leaving Saterday for 2 weeks of hunting ,i know the feeling i cant wait,me and my father in law are hunting buddies,i too am gathering my stuff to take with me...Good Luck and i hope you and your son have a great time...
11-18-2005, 09:48 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: collin county, TX
Posts: 2,320
RE: Leaving for hunting ground tomorrow
Alsatian,
Hope you and your son have a great hunt
and safe trip!
That goes for you too redhawk13.
Y'all enjoy the great outdoors, and kill a good
one (they're all good) while you're at it.
God bless & good hunting.
PK
Hope you and your son have a great hunt
and safe trip!
That goes for you too redhawk13.
Y'all enjoy the great outdoors, and kill a good
one (they're all good) while you're at it.
God bless & good hunting.
PK
