Home › Forums › Campfire Forum › Sloooow Start, but Great Evening
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Well, I’m four weeks into the season here and have only had two chances to get into the woods to hunt. One was prime-time from 9 a.m. til noon on a warm sunny day. Every sane creature was napping. The other was yesterday afternoon til dark. I had a front row seat to watch a nice 8 pointer chase a doe around the woods and finally got to watch my buddy miss the buck at about three yards due to his pant leg getting caught on the bottom of his self-bow. That part was unfortunate for sure. He usually has at least two deer in the freezer by this time of year.
I have to say though, it was one of the more memorable evenings in the woods and I didn’t have a thing near me. Even the squirrels stayed too far to shoot!
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The buck was just way too close, too steep and angle. He was bewildered by it, too. It’s just been that kind of season. dwc
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The first evening I went out here in WI I kicked up a nice 8-pt…got within ten yds and I didnt even know the bugger was there it was so thick with scrub oak. Been trying the stalking/still hunting avenue this season, (first season bowhunting) but to no avail yet.
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That’s terrific. I keep saying that once I get one in the freezer, I need to get on the ground and give it a shot. I’ve been really tight on time this year, but like so many things, if you don’t just do it full out, it won’t happen. Best of luck! dwc
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Nice to hear you can get out a little bit! I hope you get one in the freezer soon! I was out this week. It was tough! I didn’t see one deer for 3 days, even though I was covering some good ground, but it has been so windy all week! And suddenly this morning, a coyote approached right at sunrise. I tried to get closer to his intended path, but he saw me at 25 yards and took off! later I was surrounded by 4 does and 3 fawns, one doe was blind in one eye. I couldn’t move closer, too many eyes, 13 to be exact! 😀 As they passed by, they started to get a little of my scent, but didn’t spook, just kept looking my way. After a while they turned around and walked away. Great encounters this morning!
Good luck, David!
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Alex, 13 uh? Strange, I had 13 turkeys make me look plumb stupid the other day and then they had the gall to run to the next ridge and stand there rubbing it in. And scent ain’t got nuttin’ to do with it:D:D Little pea brains. :evil
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Alex,
That’s a great encounter. I had one in my pre-bow, flintlock days. I was sitting up against a big white pine watching the woods surrounding a little clearing about 15 yards wide. With no previous indication the edges flat out erupted in does bounding out into and out of that clearing. It was like a circus for two seconds then it was over. Wild. One little doe was curious enough to come back to see what the fuss was about. She went into the freezer. You remember those times. Good luck out there for you, too! best, dwc
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R2 wrote: Alex, 13 uh? Strange, I had 13 turkeys make me look plumb stupid the other day and then they had the gall to run to the next ridge and stand there rubbing it in. And scent ain’t got nuttin’ to do with it:D:D Little pea brains. :evil
yup, seven deer, one blind in one eye make a total of 13 eyes!! 😛
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I bumped a coyote off his nap yesterday going in. Beyond that, bushels of squirrels! Not much deer sign to get excited about around me. That said, I haven’t traumatized the squirrels in years, but you know what, the old .22 is getting a dusting off. Once the main gun season is over, I’m going to put one or two in a stir fry and see if I don’t get addicted:lol: Happy hunting all!
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Man, sounds like you guys are all having fun out there!
Was out again this afternoon/evening and it got COLD. Rode the bike a few miles down the road in my full camo (helped warm up coming back home!)…trying to make a quick clip to my ground blind without any of the neighbors seeing me riding my girlfriend’s classic pink Schwinn, but of course they did! All I could do was smile and wave with my bow as I was pedaling down the road, probably looking as dorky as ever 😮
Ah well. It was a beautiful blustery and crisp afternoon. Gonna try to make a whole day of if tomorrow – but if I get too cold I might just want to watch the bears get killed…go Packers!
Take care, all!
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I’m hunting a lot. Missed last weekend due to the Noe’easter, and Mom’s birthday (90 yo, says she feels like 20). Aside from that I’ve been out every sat & sun since the season started Oct 20.
Have permission to hunt 3 “farms” so have forsaken the WMAs. Actually they are weekend farmers, spend the week staring at ‘puter screens, like everyone else in Southern New England.
Several glimpses of deer in the distance, and spooked a couple in a hay field when I got up to leave. Too dark to see antlers. Went out at noon yesterday, watched a trail for a while, and was making my way to where I wanted my evening stand when I saw two hunters with tree stands crossing the cornfield to the place I wanted to watch. Grrrrrrr
I elected to use a stand I had used couple weeks ago. Rock the size of a car in a hay field with trees/brush around it. I cut a hole out of the center, and shooting lanes so I could sit there and wait for them to come out to feed. There were 2 LARGE scrapes 50 yards on my left and on my right, so I knew I was in the right place. Put out some doe scent, and was using a deer call. So the tension builds as the sun sloooooly sets. Thirty something degrees, but I’m bundled up in fleece and the camo jacket I made last winter. Nice feeling when it is cold out, and you are warm and comfy just sitting there. A Blue Jay landed about 3 feet from me and screamed, so I knew I was pretty well concealed. As the sun slooooly sinks, the light fades, and the temp goes down… About 30 minutes before sunset. Getting close to the time for things to start happening, and I hear something on my left. IT WAS A TRUCK DRIVING ACROSS THE CORN FIELD!!! 😈
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I also saw two more LARGE scrapes on the way out, so I know they are there, and have a site in mind for today.:D I’m betting on a horny old buck that is thinking with his hormones. One of the scrapes was 25 feet from a stand I had 3 weeks ago. I’m feeling close, realllly, realllly close… Going to church now to pray for no trucks. 😀
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Man, trucks could make a guy Grumpy. Good luck out there! d
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It got worse.
While we were at church 2 people asked me if I got a deer yet, and Mushroom Bill (remember Bill) sent me a text to say he saw a deer in the road on the way to the grocery store. I’m avoiding everyone that asks if I got a deer yet.
As I was going out, I ran into farmer Jim, he was hauling firewood in from his 500 acre managed woodlot. Remember those two big scrapes I saw last night? Well one was even bigger and full of hoof prints, smelled of urine, and had a pile of shit on the side. Well, Farmer Jim was hauling firewood about 5 feet away from it, and he ran right over the other one I saw.
Since farmer Jim was working near the NORTH, hay field, I went for the SOUTH hay field (cornfield is to the west, and if I went up there I would probably find a gut pile that would put me way beyond grumpy). Nothing exciting, except for several hours of craning a stiff neck, to see the squirrels, chipmunks, blue jays, and chickadees. Then a good half hour to get my cold, cramped legs to work.
I did see more scrapes. I’ve found that if you walk around the edge of the hay fields, every time there is a “overhanging branch” four or five feet off the ground, there is a scrape under it. Right now I’m concluding that all of this is nocturnal. I should see more when there is less moon at night.
Audrey said that when I finally do see a deer I’ll be so hyped up I’ll s**t my pants. That’s OK, already have a spare diaper in my hunting bag. Just not too sure how accurate I’ll be shooting with a load in my pants.
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Sitting here waiting for breakfast to settle in before my last morning in the woods for archery season. I can count the hours I’ve been able to get into the woods on my fingers, but it’s been fun so far. Had a spike come within 10-12 years last night. I really tried to get those spikes to either grow or shrink, but they didn’t budge. Nice to watch an animal up so close. I saw two larger bucks, too, but at a distance. Nice and chilly here this morning. All the best, dwc
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Had a nice afternoon in the falling snow myself. Finally dug out my cold weather gear – pretty cumbersome stuff, but I didn’t have to draw on anything anyway. Love the falling snow. Didn’t see anything other than the normal flock of bluejays all fluffed up like angrybirds. Came across a fresh set of tracks on my way out not more than 100 yds from my blind. Lucky WI has a nice long bow season, so I still have a while yet to get out and cross paths with the local cervids. Man, nothing melts away a long week like a quiet afternoon in the falling snow. There’s serenity something fierce in the way of winter. 8)
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Makwa,
Sounds like a nice time out. Yesterday morning I got out for the last few hours of my archery season. Just a few minutes on the stand I had two bald eagles fly sid-by-side right over me, squawking away at each other. Two doe, about 70 down the hill were moving quickly until they came to where I walked up the hill and hit the brakes. They went back the way the came and I was hoping they’d circle around and pay me a visit, but it wasn’t in the cards.
Two weeks of the regular season and then the late season after Christmas to look forward to.
All the best, dwc
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dwc,
You guys have much snow over there yet? We’ve got a good 6″ or so down now – came up fast! I was procrastinating on re-seeding and feeding the lawn and BAM, too late. Always good to see eagles! Bummer about the does. Will you be gun-hunting?
Well, if all else fails, I’m happy we’re getting such cold weather so early – certainly looking forward to ice fishing season!
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Makwa,
Just a dusting here, but it was nice. It was enough to add some white to the ground to make things more visible. Seed the lawn? I didn’t even mow for the last time yet! I got behind on cutting firewood, so the grass was on its own. I might go out with the rifle in the second week, as I did the last two years when the freezer was still empty, but I’m very tempted to stick with the bow. I should have some good spots to hunt with a bow that I wouldn’t hunt with a rifle anyway. The deer might be in there more as the woods gets more populated in the orange season. With some luck I’ll get more time to get out in the woods than I have earlier.
I always enjoy the late season, too. That was my intro to trad hunting when I built a flinter and started hunting the winter season. It’s a great time of year.
Keep us posted on your progress. best, dwc
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Hey I just learned in my master gardener class that it’s best NOT to mow at the end of the season – so there’s a plus for you! I know what you mean with the firewood – I’m dwindling here too and it got REAL cold REAL early.
Yeah, I’m still undecided on whether or not I’m going to go out for gun season. It was my goal to get a deer with my longbow this year, so I might be stubborn and just stick it out and save the $50 for the looming holiday season.
But man, I need to seriously upgrade my cold weather gear! All of my bowhunting gear is uninsulated warm weather stuff. I wore my big poofy cold weather gun gear last weekend, and looked like the dang camo’d Michelin man – not a lot of room for an unobstructed (or quiet) draw at all. My bow gear is fine when I’m moving around still-hunting, but if I try to sit over a spot for hours on end, I’m frozen pretty quick. Just makes the warm house more cozy to walk back to, I guess. Take care and good luck out there!
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That’s a relief that I won’t have to put my woolies on to mow!
When I started bowhunting several years ago I bought Columbia Gallatin Range Wool pants and coat. I thought about getting the bibs and probably should have, but this outfit works great and didn’t break the bank. Merino wool undies and an old llbean rag sweater and a wool scarf keeps me pretty toastie. The Gallatin range coat is heavy, but I can shoot in it easily. I took a two inch strip off the pant cuffs, sewed on some velcro and wear that around my left upper arm to make sure the sleeve doesn’t get in the way. Works great. Have fun and stay warm! best, dwc
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Well today you can add another layer of merino wool and maybe some wind blocking clothes, David! Brrr… cold out there! the Gallatin range is good. I had that outfit years ago. I bought it in XXL and washed&dried it to tighten the fiber. It was perfect M-L and bombproof! Good luck, man!
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“Colder than a well digger’s ass” say’s Waits. We have til Monday after Thanksgiving, so it’ll probably warm up by then. thanks! Congrats again on your buck. Very nice. dwc
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I ended the early season with no shot but thanks to a generous friend and somebody’s crumpled bumper i was able to try my hand at making sausage this afternoon. Easy and quick and turned out very tasty. A basic recipe of marjerum, salt, pepper and garlic. Grilled a small pappy right as it came out of the grinder and it was delicious. Hope to make more from a hinted deer this winter. Best. Dwc
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Ahh, it’s payback time again. All you “eastern” guys (and just about everything except CA is east from here) have to put up with us westerners carrying on happily about our September hunting adventures … and now here we cowboys sit (except those who can afford to travel to hunt), reduced to hunting via your daily stories, as our seasons are mostly done. And no complaints, as I don’t function well as an archer in deep cold. David, in the early years here, we regularly supplemented my unreliable hunted and fished meat with road-killed elk and deer. I learned all the tricks to make it as good as it can be, and my dogs, not the least picky about a bit of blood and guts in their meat, always grew fat and sassy. I hate waste in general and wasted life specifically. So never apologize for that. I know one friend who lived for years on roadkill while learning the basic of rifle hunting … and another lifelong rifle hunter (his family owned Marlin until a few years ago) who grew tired of killing so became a trophy-class roadkill hunter and his family of four never goes without fresh wild meat, esp. in winter. “Meat’s meat,” said the mountain men. Well, yes and no, depending on how long we’ve been without. Best luck to all you cold-toed heroes.
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The local roads have kept us in meat a few times now that I decided to consider free, healthy meat just that. Whether it comes from a bullet or arrow or unfortunate collision it’s a gift.
I love that John Wayne quote. A friend of mine used to say that now and then at convenient moments and I never knew it was from JW.
I love the early archery season, but I have to say it doesn’t seem quite like deer season until the mercury settles down. So many years of deer season meaning those two weeks after Thanksgiving, rifle in hand, capped and vested in orange. I still look forward to this time, but now I look at the woods and wonder, where will they go to hide from the orange herd? That’s where I want to hide and wait.
All the best for you. I hope you don’t have to spend too much time on the roof.
Best, dwc
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No more roof shoveling for this old fart. A few years ago we put on a steeper roof, with a loft bedroom as a bonus. 😀 Now I have to climb the much steeper roof to clean the stovepipe. But not that often, and not when it’s covered with snow.
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A few years ago I decided to stay off the roof. I’m not too old, but I’m too clumsy. The roof is too steep, so I hire a guy to clean the chimney. We’re scheduled for real snow tomorrow morning. Nothing like Buffalo, but maybe several inches of snow lasting on the ground for a few days. Should all be melted by the weekend back to brown woods in time for the regular season opener. This is a reminder to get the snowblower on before it’s too late! best, dwc
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With the regular season two days away I took a walk to a close stand to see what tracks were made in the recent snow. I ended up moving my stand about ten yards to another vantage. We’ll see if it works. Looking forward to more time in the woods with quiet contemplation on the stand. Best. Dwc
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They are mocking me.
Yesterday and today were the last 2 days in the bow only season, and also the first 2 days with snow.
Still hunting was a bust, due to the noisy snow. If it warmed up just a little (or a little wind), the snow would have been falling from the trees, thus making covering noise. Since I’ve pretty much accepted the fact that I’m not going to connect, I did more scouting than hunting. Not discouraged, remember I fly fish, when my time comes a dumb deer will show up, and I’ll say something like “Gee, that was easy.” 😀
More deer tracks then I expected. Some in the places I expected, and none in other places I expected.Good to know. I also saw scrapes..right through the snow, big ones, and I thought the primary rut was over (with lots of yellow snow). Still curious why I have seen tracks, scrapes, but no rubs, or beds?? I’m thinking I’ll get a orange hat and vest, so I can hunt the secondary rut middle of December. Don’t want to be out there for the first weekend. Was looking like the Michelin Man in camo, Pillsbury Dough Boy would have better. Like the idea of a painters coveralls. As I remember they are made out of Tyvek, waterproof and warm. 😀
Leg muscles, and joints are sore…walked a lot. I have plans, lots of plans. Want to try 2 bow designs, make a bag to hold all of the “stuff.” Need clothes that are warmer, with better freedom of movement. Thinking I’ll start looking for wool at the discount fabric store. There is a real conundrum here. If there is a enough room for layers, it is too big and baggy. Nylon stops the wind, but it makes soooooo much noise. 😕
Mocking me… First thing I saw when I went out Saturday was a deer track right in the center of my tracks from the day before. 👿
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Don’t you just love seeing deer tracks in your old tracks. Yep, I’m sure they have a sense of humor. They are also curious and sometimes that works in our favor.
I have some gallatin range wool, pants and coat by columbia. Great stuff for pretty reasonable price. They also make bibs, which I wish I would have gotten instead of the pants.
Good luck out there! dwc
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Tomorrow’s the last day in my PA unit. Took a slow stroll today to see if i cod find some fresh trails but came up empty. Been fairly cold for these parts and there’s been very little deer activity. Should be about five degrees here, so maybe I’ll get some good squirrel watching in. Might try a completely different spot just for the heck of it. Good luck to all you PA hunters and folks in other states that are still open. Best, dwc
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