October 23 Bow Hunt
Hunted Sunday afternoon. I had not hunted since the previous Sunday. I did go out Saturday, October 22 to retrieve my rattling bag that I had inadvertently left in the woods the Sunday before. When I was doing this I noticed a treestand in the woods. As I am the only one with permission to hunt this area, I was upset. Especially because I have reason to believe that a very large buck is using the area. It is impossible to control the pressure that deer feel when other hunters are trespassing. I took the time to take down this treestand and the steps, and I piled them on the ground under the tree. I then nailed a "No Tresspassing" sign to the tree along with a note telling the offender to get out, stay out, and be glad his gear was not gone. Hopefully he is smart enough to do just that. I also noticed much buck sign around this tree stand. About 6 large scrapes and several rubs. I believe he was set up right in a nice buck's core area. Hopefully the buck is still around. Trespassing is one of the worst offenses you can commit as a hunter.
But I also had a lead on a mature buck in a different spot. He was spotted in the woods by my father-in-law, the land owner. I have a stand near this area, so I hunted it. I got to the woods about 4PM, jumping a rooster pheasant on the way to the woods. I slowly crept to my stand. My stand is very near (about 100 yds) a section in the woods that often holds bedded deer. It was at this spot that my father-in-law saw the large buck. So I got into my stand as slowly and quietly as I could. I spotted a deer moving south of me right before I climbed into my stand. I couldn't tell if the deer was a buck or not, and I am fairly certain it did not see me.
At about 5:30 I spotted a deer directly west of me. I couldn't see horns, but somehow instinctively I knew it was a buck. It looked my direction and came right to me. I believe it saw me and came over to take a better look. I have had a lot of deer spot me recently. ( My ladder stands are only 15 feet off the ground. Another 5 feet up would be really beneficial. ) This buck walked right to me, and then I saw its 6 point rack. Typical two and a half year old. It stared at me, stomped its foot, then forgot about me. It turned broadside at twenty yards, and its head was behind a large tree. I drew my bow, but just for practice. I had no intent of shooting the deer. It stood in that spot for about 5 minutes. I could have shot it easily. He walked off.
About fifteen minutes later, I heard a commotion and saw a doe running to me from the south. She passed my on the east side at about 20 yards. She was being chased by another buck. I could see his rack at a distance. It was bigger than the previous buck's rack, but still a six point two and a half year old. But his rack was thicker and whiter making it easier to see. I tried to stop this buck by blatting with my mouth, but he was too distracted. He paid not attention to me at all. He followed the doe and I lost sight of them to the north.
A short time later I heard a noise to the north and saw a buck coming. I believe it was the same buck that was chasing the doe. He came by my stand on the west side at about six yards. He stopped in my shooting lane and looked up at me. His neck was swollen. I didn't move, and he soon dismissed me and kept travelling south. He too was lucky I was looking for a mature buck. Even an untalented archer like I has no trouble with a six yard shot.
It soon got dark, and strangely I never saw or heard any more deer. I expected some does at dark, but never saw any. So I climbed down, went through the woods, and crossed a cropped corn field to my truck. Spotted a couple of deer feeding in an adjacent field on my walk to the truck.
There is definitely some rutting action now.
One of the neighbors who hunts the adjoining woods is a talented bow hunter. If he spots that mature buck before I do, the buck is most likely in trouble. I hope the buck keeps a low profile. The neighbor is usually done hunting before gun season (tagged out), so if this buck can make it that long there is a good chance I will see him with a gun. At least that is how it has worked out in the past. But this area also serves as a deer yard when it snows. This draws lots of deer from all around, typically including some nice bucks that I haven't seen before. So worst case there will be some action with a muzzleloader in December, weather permitting.
But I also had a lead on a mature buck in a different spot. He was spotted in the woods by my father-in-law, the land owner. I have a stand near this area, so I hunted it. I got to the woods about 4PM, jumping a rooster pheasant on the way to the woods. I slowly crept to my stand. My stand is very near (about 100 yds) a section in the woods that often holds bedded deer. It was at this spot that my father-in-law saw the large buck. So I got into my stand as slowly and quietly as I could. I spotted a deer moving south of me right before I climbed into my stand. I couldn't tell if the deer was a buck or not, and I am fairly certain it did not see me.
At about 5:30 I spotted a deer directly west of me. I couldn't see horns, but somehow instinctively I knew it was a buck. It looked my direction and came right to me. I believe it saw me and came over to take a better look. I have had a lot of deer spot me recently. ( My ladder stands are only 15 feet off the ground. Another 5 feet up would be really beneficial. ) This buck walked right to me, and then I saw its 6 point rack. Typical two and a half year old. It stared at me, stomped its foot, then forgot about me. It turned broadside at twenty yards, and its head was behind a large tree. I drew my bow, but just for practice. I had no intent of shooting the deer. It stood in that spot for about 5 minutes. I could have shot it easily. He walked off.
About fifteen minutes later, I heard a commotion and saw a doe running to me from the south. She passed my on the east side at about 20 yards. She was being chased by another buck. I could see his rack at a distance. It was bigger than the previous buck's rack, but still a six point two and a half year old. But his rack was thicker and whiter making it easier to see. I tried to stop this buck by blatting with my mouth, but he was too distracted. He paid not attention to me at all. He followed the doe and I lost sight of them to the north.
A short time later I heard a noise to the north and saw a buck coming. I believe it was the same buck that was chasing the doe. He came by my stand on the west side at about six yards. He stopped in my shooting lane and looked up at me. His neck was swollen. I didn't move, and he soon dismissed me and kept travelling south. He too was lucky I was looking for a mature buck. Even an untalented archer like I has no trouble with a six yard shot.
It soon got dark, and strangely I never saw or heard any more deer. I expected some does at dark, but never saw any. So I climbed down, went through the woods, and crossed a cropped corn field to my truck. Spotted a couple of deer feeding in an adjacent field on my walk to the truck.
There is definitely some rutting action now.
One of the neighbors who hunts the adjoining woods is a talented bow hunter. If he spots that mature buck before I do, the buck is most likely in trouble. I hope the buck keeps a low profile. The neighbor is usually done hunting before gun season (tagged out), so if this buck can make it that long there is a good chance I will see him with a gun. At least that is how it has worked out in the past. But this area also serves as a deer yard when it snows. This draws lots of deer from all around, typically including some nice bucks that I haven't seen before. So worst case there will be some action with a muzzleloader in December, weather permitting.
posted by Zarathustra | 8:42 PM
1 Comments:
I usually hunt with a bow but just harvested my first hog with a new crossbow. Deer Hunting
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