RedAllison
Well-Known Member
Yesterday morning was one of the best mornings I have had in a long time, yet I didn't even fire the first shot. I had hung a stand in a location that I hadn't hunted in over a decade and even then I primarily hunted it only during early bowseason because of how the area really "pinched em down" and caused them to travel close enough for a bowshot.
It is a classic funnel about 150yds wide between two large woodlots. On the northside of the funnel is a 5 acre clover field of mine. On the southside is a much larger field that has several foodplots of various types planted on it. The terrain is basically sloping downward into a drainage ditch and several hollows dump into and converge into the ditch at this point. Like I said, the narrow area connects two large woodlots and even had a logging road running through the middle of it many years ago, but the woods have now basically reclaimed that old road of many years ago.
I have been seeing many fine bucks in and around that clover plot all fall (this is the same plot I killed that cull in last weekend) and the other field with several plots was also home to many buck sightings by a buddy of mine who hunts over there on that side. Anyway I hung the stand Monday afternoon, cut down a few trees for clearer viewing and shooting and then vacated the area until yesterday morning. My own step-brother who hunts on the otherside of the property (2500acres) had reminded me of how awesome that area looked too him and I have just been "meaning to get in there and put a stand up". It even has some edge created in it by 3 different types of woods all converging together into that area as well. 1 is a dense evergreen (pine but mostly big cedars) 2 is hardwoods and 3 is a mixture of predominantly hardwood select cut mixed with pine cutover (all done over 20 years ago). Edge is as important too deerhunting as it is too fishing! I had hunted near that area likewise Wednesday afternoon and saw a nearly 140inch 8ptr that fed into and up that clover plot before entering the area I hung the new stand in.
As I eased into the back of the foodplot, nearing the woodlot I immedietly saw 3 new scrapes that were NOT there Monday afternoon when I hung the stand, :shock: I s l o w l y eased into the woods (about 35yds) and got too my stand without busting any deer out that I could hear. The wind was whipping pretty good out of the south so that covered my sound pretty well, otherwise the leaves are as dry as popcorn in our drought and I will have to now sweep a path clear too the stand with a rake before I go back into that area.
I got in the stand which I hung 25' high because I knew alot of the action would be up close and tight, especially with most of the foilage gone now. I had just secured all my gear and was about to sit down when I heard a deer coming over the ridge behind me. It was barely 6 oclock by now. I could see a deer about 40 yds away but it was to dark to see what it was with my eyes. When I put him in my Steiner binocs I could see a lil ol year and a half forkhorn. He proceeded to walk by only 10yds away and stopped below me about 35 yds away. I then heard another deer coming from the same general direction. I turned to look again through my binocs as it was still to dark to tell with my eyes. A 2 yr old 9ptr stood there. I was smiling and thinking, "This is already turning out to be an interesting spot" when as I was looking through the binocs at the 9ptr I saw another deer about 100yds behind this buck. It was a 130+ inch 8ptr. WOW I thought, this place is getting sweeter by the minute and I hadn't even been in the stand 20 minutes. The big buck walked down into a hollow and that was the last I saw of him, I think I had let him go during muzzleloading season he will be a jawdropper in 2 more years. I peg him at 3 yrs old.
As I turned back too see the first buck which was still standing 35 yds away from me I could then see another deer coming up the hollow too us. By now the light was getting "grayer" and I could tell this one had a BIIIIG body on him so I got excited. When he stepped through the trees about 50yds away I could tell it was the nearly 140" 8ptr I had seen while hunting near this area Wed afternoon. He really has it all, incredible beam length, great tines, awesome mass and he is probably only 3 years old MAYBE 4 tops, and as he got closer I could see a 2" sticker off his right G2 so he actually is a 9. He hung around for several minutes. With all the commotion going on I made it a point to keep watching the foodplot behind me, lol through it I saw a spike cross the plot about 75 yds away.
I then heard another deer coming down the hill across the narrow from me. I could see it was a 2 year old 8ptr (about 15") and he came straight over too the first little buck I had seen that was STILL in the same spot. However by now that little buck had actually laid down and even had his head on the ground and appeared asleep. The little buck snapped his head up as the 8ptr neared him and took flight about 20yds when the 8ptr laid his ears back and fluffed his hair up at him (a sign of aggression). I thought too myself, "Hey teenager, go over and try that with that 140incher standing over there" lol.
Soon two more small bucks came in from various directions (both 1 yr olds) and all of what I just told you happened within 20 minutes, it wasn't even 6:30 yet!!! We hunt with private 2way radios to communicate between all of us and the guys were telling me I could kiss their $*# as I kept saying, here comes XYZ buck oh wait here comes another and another and... By the time I climbed down at 10 oclock I had seen 2 other bucks and several does. I also noticed several more scrapes on that hillside that weren't there when I had hung the stand a day in there Monday.
I hunted that stand again yesterday afternoon and saw a couple of the smaller bucks I had seen that morning, but neither of the two good deer I had seen. It may sound crazy to let those deer go but we are really starting to see results on our place finally after 10+ years of hammering the does, passing up the good bucks and otherwise only killing culls and in NO WAY letting anyone make the mistake of shooting button heads. Between 5 hunters we have typically taken 50 or so does each season from this place. This year we are going for an even 100! The place has the genes and history for great things. The #4 state typical (184inch 10pt) was taken from it before we bought it and my brother has killed one over 160inches (mainframe 8 with several nontyp pnts) and one 173inches (mainframe 10 with 7other scorable points) with quite a few over 150 seen over the last couple of years. Mornings like mine yesterday are REALLY encouraging and you don't feel like the work has been all for naught!
It's a freakin drug that I am hopelessly addicted too! :twisted:
RA
It is a classic funnel about 150yds wide between two large woodlots. On the northside of the funnel is a 5 acre clover field of mine. On the southside is a much larger field that has several foodplots of various types planted on it. The terrain is basically sloping downward into a drainage ditch and several hollows dump into and converge into the ditch at this point. Like I said, the narrow area connects two large woodlots and even had a logging road running through the middle of it many years ago, but the woods have now basically reclaimed that old road of many years ago.
I have been seeing many fine bucks in and around that clover plot all fall (this is the same plot I killed that cull in last weekend) and the other field with several plots was also home to many buck sightings by a buddy of mine who hunts over there on that side. Anyway I hung the stand Monday afternoon, cut down a few trees for clearer viewing and shooting and then vacated the area until yesterday morning. My own step-brother who hunts on the otherside of the property (2500acres) had reminded me of how awesome that area looked too him and I have just been "meaning to get in there and put a stand up". It even has some edge created in it by 3 different types of woods all converging together into that area as well. 1 is a dense evergreen (pine but mostly big cedars) 2 is hardwoods and 3 is a mixture of predominantly hardwood select cut mixed with pine cutover (all done over 20 years ago). Edge is as important too deerhunting as it is too fishing! I had hunted near that area likewise Wednesday afternoon and saw a nearly 140inch 8ptr that fed into and up that clover plot before entering the area I hung the new stand in.
As I eased into the back of the foodplot, nearing the woodlot I immedietly saw 3 new scrapes that were NOT there Monday afternoon when I hung the stand, :shock: I s l o w l y eased into the woods (about 35yds) and got too my stand without busting any deer out that I could hear. The wind was whipping pretty good out of the south so that covered my sound pretty well, otherwise the leaves are as dry as popcorn in our drought and I will have to now sweep a path clear too the stand with a rake before I go back into that area.
I got in the stand which I hung 25' high because I knew alot of the action would be up close and tight, especially with most of the foilage gone now. I had just secured all my gear and was about to sit down when I heard a deer coming over the ridge behind me. It was barely 6 oclock by now. I could see a deer about 40 yds away but it was to dark to see what it was with my eyes. When I put him in my Steiner binocs I could see a lil ol year and a half forkhorn. He proceeded to walk by only 10yds away and stopped below me about 35 yds away. I then heard another deer coming from the same general direction. I turned to look again through my binocs as it was still to dark to tell with my eyes. A 2 yr old 9ptr stood there. I was smiling and thinking, "This is already turning out to be an interesting spot" when as I was looking through the binocs at the 9ptr I saw another deer about 100yds behind this buck. It was a 130+ inch 8ptr. WOW I thought, this place is getting sweeter by the minute and I hadn't even been in the stand 20 minutes. The big buck walked down into a hollow and that was the last I saw of him, I think I had let him go during muzzleloading season he will be a jawdropper in 2 more years. I peg him at 3 yrs old.
As I turned back too see the first buck which was still standing 35 yds away from me I could then see another deer coming up the hollow too us. By now the light was getting "grayer" and I could tell this one had a BIIIIG body on him so I got excited. When he stepped through the trees about 50yds away I could tell it was the nearly 140" 8ptr I had seen while hunting near this area Wed afternoon. He really has it all, incredible beam length, great tines, awesome mass and he is probably only 3 years old MAYBE 4 tops, and as he got closer I could see a 2" sticker off his right G2 so he actually is a 9. He hung around for several minutes. With all the commotion going on I made it a point to keep watching the foodplot behind me, lol through it I saw a spike cross the plot about 75 yds away.
I then heard another deer coming down the hill across the narrow from me. I could see it was a 2 year old 8ptr (about 15") and he came straight over too the first little buck I had seen that was STILL in the same spot. However by now that little buck had actually laid down and even had his head on the ground and appeared asleep. The little buck snapped his head up as the 8ptr neared him and took flight about 20yds when the 8ptr laid his ears back and fluffed his hair up at him (a sign of aggression). I thought too myself, "Hey teenager, go over and try that with that 140incher standing over there" lol.
Soon two more small bucks came in from various directions (both 1 yr olds) and all of what I just told you happened within 20 minutes, it wasn't even 6:30 yet!!! We hunt with private 2way radios to communicate between all of us and the guys were telling me I could kiss their $*# as I kept saying, here comes XYZ buck oh wait here comes another and another and... By the time I climbed down at 10 oclock I had seen 2 other bucks and several does. I also noticed several more scrapes on that hillside that weren't there when I had hung the stand a day in there Monday.
I hunted that stand again yesterday afternoon and saw a couple of the smaller bucks I had seen that morning, but neither of the two good deer I had seen. It may sound crazy to let those deer go but we are really starting to see results on our place finally after 10+ years of hammering the does, passing up the good bucks and otherwise only killing culls and in NO WAY letting anyone make the mistake of shooting button heads. Between 5 hunters we have typically taken 50 or so does each season from this place. This year we are going for an even 100! The place has the genes and history for great things. The #4 state typical (184inch 10pt) was taken from it before we bought it and my brother has killed one over 160inches (mainframe 8 with several nontyp pnts) and one 173inches (mainframe 10 with 7other scorable points) with quite a few over 150 seen over the last couple of years. Mornings like mine yesterday are REALLY encouraging and you don't feel like the work has been all for naught!
It's a freakin drug that I am hopelessly addicted too! :twisted:
RA