Yup, it's another year and time to start thinking about Deer Hunting. My prep activities during the past several weeks have included bushhogging, herbicide spraying, subsoiling, disking, and finally planting this past week.
We also did some needed low limb tree trimming and fallen tree removal from some of the trails. This work will continue when Marty and I return from Colorado the end of the month.
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Our Archery Season opened yesterday and a Grandson took this yearling meat Doe fairly early.
The same Grandson took a tall 8 point this morning with his bow.
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hes going to shoot them all MM :D that 8 point is tall 8)
nice harvest,,,,,,,,,,, that young buck is a dandy!!
he has some mast, any idea on the age?
Young buck, my guess would be 2½ years old. This buck was taken on my leased property (300 acres) where the adjoining landowners have no particular age/size management program. Legal is all that matters.
I finally finished my bushhogging yesterday and a Grandson spent yesterday afternoon trimming overhanging limbs on most of the trails. I did not get any trail cameras out this year but the bucks are really scrapping.
Our gun season opens Saturday the 18th.
PatD opted to pass on this buck this evening. He was feeding at ~150 yards and we watched him for 15-20 minutes.
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He is an 8 point probably 14" inside spread. The G2's looked to be ~8". Just a good solid fairly heavy antlered probably 2½ years old. Today was his lucky day.
Yep, lucky is correct :), around here that is huge, and I assure you, within 15-20 minutes, at least 20 bullets would have been heading his way :D
I wish that he had not been in the shadows and the picture would have done him justice.
Here is a buck that a Grandson opted not to shoot:
https://youtu.be/qrO8Ie-shjs
Probably a 2½ year old.
No pictures but a Granddaughter just called. She and her husband took three does yesterday and today. They saw some bucks but opted for the does. smiley_thumbsup
they taste much better than a buck to ;D
We saw 7 deer this evening, all bucks. Two nice ones.
One buck came out this evening and then a coyote and that was that. :-\
I would have taken that coyote out! :rifle:
That's what I did first evening of rifle season last year. First coyote I've seen in the woods when I had a gun along. Was a young one weighed 23 lbs. I'v let bears, foxes and bobcats go but not as tolerant with a coyote.
I kept hoping for a shot but fleeting glimpses is all that I got.
was talking to different people this year that shot bears and they all said the bears came in to a fawn bleat
I saw 6 deer this morning, 3 bucks, and then guess what showed up?
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Today was not her lucky day.
The evening deer are moving soooo late. We finally saw 8 this evening with two bucks; the largest was a tall either 4 or 6 depending upon whether there were brow tines. Too late for us to tell.
It is hot and dry, but we are forecast for some weather the middle of the week. Maybe I can get some nitrate out and hoping for some rain.
Lynn,
Sounds like maybe hunter pressure or other factors are making them go nocturnal. Congrats on the coyote. Don;t know what you are doing/did with the hide. Up here I'd sell it to my hide buyer who also gets all my old deer hides and even a road killed mink last year (which did not thrill my wife).
I would say that it is more weather and moon related because there has been no deer scaring activity in the 400 acre Spring Hollow/Strawfield area. Where the does were shot last weekend by the Grands was in a separate 40 acre section of the property.
Deer travel patterns are really weird in this area this year!
I don't think the rut has really kicked in yet either, and tomorrow is the last day of the regular rifle season! :-\
Maybe it's a climate change thing, warm weather and no snow! ::)
Our deer season continues in one form or the other until the end of January. Rifles are allowed on Private property through the "Primitive Weapon" season.
Got a doe last Tuesday in our muzzle loader season. We can hunt with one weapon or another (bow gun muzzle loader) from middle of September to middle of January.
I picked up an archery tag yesterday since I was planning to take the bow out this morning. When I was getting things ready to go this morning I opened my bow case and the string had snapped :o ... The string previously looked fine but I had planned on replacing it soon anyway. In a way I'm glad it broke on its own and not at full draw while aimed at the giant 6 point I'm after. Guess I'll have to hunt a different day ;D
Wow, lucky you. A string breaking would seem to me like holding a rattlesnake with a head on each end. :o
about 10years ago went to the local bow guy and bought a new bow as we where setting it up he took the first few shots and BANG one of the limbs broke :o on a brand new bow needless to he was not a happy camper and I haven't bow hunted since I could not imagine what it would be like sitting in a tree stand at full draw and have a limb brake
Looks strange with no tension on it :D Apparently I wasn't home when it happened, I bet it made a racket when the string popped inside it's case!
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Quote from: Magicman on December 02, 2017, 09:09:10 AM
I would say that it is more weather and moon related because there has been no deer scaring activity in the 400 acre Spring Hollow/Strawfield area. Where the does were shot last weekend by the Grands was in a separate 40 acre section of the property.
I'm a big believer in moon tides, not necessarily a full moon thing, when they seem to feed all night, but the moon directly overhead and underfoot, which causes tides as well as other related increased in ungulate activity. I see it a lot with my cattle and deer on the farm, when the deer are really moving, especially in the midddle of the day, I can usually look up and see the moon overhead. When the overhead or underfoot moon coincides with either morning or afternoon peak feeding, the odds of deer activity is very high. There was a very good book published in the phenomenon several year ago and it explained in detail the theory and observations.
Anyway, I shot this small one the other day.
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Quote from: YellowHammer on December 03, 2017, 01:22:31 PM
Quote from: Magicman on December 02, 2017, 09:09:10 AM
I would say that it is more weather and moon related because there has been no deer scaring activity in the 400 acre Spring Hollow/Strawfield area. Where the does were shot last weekend by the Grands was in a separate 40 acre section of the property.
I'm a big believer in moon tides, not necessarily a full moon thing, when they seem to feed all night, but the moon directly overhead and underfoot, which causes tides as well as other related increased in ungulate activity. I see it a lot with my cattle and deer on the farm, when the deer are really moving, especially in the midddle of the day, I can usually look up and see the moon overhead. When the overhead or underfoot moon coincides with either morning or afternoon peak feeding, the odds of deer activity is very high. There was a very good book published in the phenomenon several year ago and it explained in detail the theory and observations.
Anyway, I shot this small one the other day.
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Around here that'd be a nice buck, looks like a pretty good spread :)
Nice buck YH. 8)
YH, I saw one today that had a "rack" that resembled the G3 on your bucks left antler! :-\
That was the best I've seen in a while! ;D
Today was the last day of the Regular Rifle Season in our Northern Zone, Oh well, we still have Muzzle Loader season!
It's really been a funky, screwed up season here! ::)
YH, nice buck if that's small don't be afraid to share pictures of the big ones :D.
Is it just the way the light is showing or does that deer have a touch of piebald on the front of its left rear leg?
I think it's the way his leg is rotated, I don't remember seeing piebald on him, but I see what you are talking about. I've not seen any real piebalds around here.
Actually, it was the biggest that the butcher had seen this year so far, but for our area it's an average decent buck. Typically, I try get at least a 10 pointer every year, either with my bow or rifle, but I haven't seen one of those big ones this year yet so I took this one. Our bow and rifle season extends to February, so I have plenty of time to get a big one. I am a very avid deer hunter, and put a lot of effort into hunting and land management in my spare time.
I know this sounds a little over the top, but here's a photo I took last week using my IPhone, looking up one of our farm roads. If you look close, you can see about 10 different bucks, 8 of which have paired off and are fighting. So I had four pairs of bucks fighting in the photo (I also took a cool video) at the same time, in the same frame. They were all bucks up to 8 points (I had three 8 pointers in the frame, the two closest and one up on the right embankment) and I watched them for about 45 minutes until they faded off. The creek in the photo is about 60 yards from my ground blind, so it was easy to decide none were big enough, so I let them all walk. I kept having the feeling Big Boy was in the woods watching, but he never came out, if he was there. You can see my gun barrel in the foreground, and this is my ground blind made from cedar sawmill slabs.
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Wow, you have a lot of deer down there. :o :o Must be a lot of food there.
10 bucks at once. :o I might and I said might of seen that many does at one time,but not bucks. And that was at a place that had a you pick strawberries and peas. I see 3-4 deer at a time here at the most.
Winter time when I feed them is diffeant.
The deer were really moving this evening before the storm. I saw 38 total with 15 bucks. One 10 point about 16" inside with two sticker points. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
What is this?
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A lung shot?
Yup and a very small 9 point.
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He was in proportion just tiny.
Congratulations. That snow sure is handy when it comes time to track one doesn't it! Sometimes it even helps when you have to drag one a ways.
Nice one. smiley_thumbsup smiley_thumbsup
Congratulations. Looks like you had a great day!
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Both bucks and the midget one that I shot walking toward me.
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Just before I shot.
I got rid of a couple of these midget deer a couple of years ago but this proves that you can not manage a wild deer herd. Whatever genes are there will be passed on, but anyway this one won't do it anymore. I saw two does, one with a fawn this morning that I doubt would weigh 75 pounds. Healthy but tiny.
Shooting midgets. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Will you get two to have one? :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Well at least there was enough meat to make a large hamburger and two tacos. ::)
Most try to get the biggest one out there. You try to cull the odd ones.
How long have you been doing that?
I quit shooting the limit in 1997 and all of the Grands are very observant and will let them walk. I just hung up the phone with the Grandson that was with me at the Cabin since Thursday. I came home this afternoon and he stayed and opted not to shoot again this evening.
Here is a cellphone video of a 10 point buck that I did not shoot Thursday evening. He is about 150 yards away and we suspect that he is the same buck that a Grandson videoed in Reply #9. He is about 16" inside spread and is an 8 point with two side kickers. There are 8 other bucks (seven shown) in my video.
https://youtu.be/iINA1Y0INvI
Having a good buck to doe ratio makes for a more exciting rut. We have so few bucks here compared to does that we get a "silent rut". Around here, few hunters let a small buck walk. Sad. Gary
What I am seeing may be close to 50%. I saw 38 deer Thursday evening and 15 were identifiable bucks and I didn't look for nubbin heads.
What are you planting down there to bring them in?
And what's the limit you can get? :o
The Strawfield is a creek bottom with naturally regenerating Fescue. It was a draw for deer even before I started planting about an acre of Wheat/Oats. I do not put out any attractant such as pellets or corn.
The limit is 3 bucks and 5 does. I think that the antler size limit is 10" wide and 12" beam length, not point count.
8 Deer, WoW, A person could fill their freezers in no time and be good for the year with meat.
Here is a video that I made in the StrawHouse Friday morning while it was snowing. I need to correct one statement that I made in the video. I stated that the StrawHouse was built in 2010, when it actually was built in 2000. The StrawHouse has ~4'X6' floor and it has a 6' ceiling. It replaced a two man ladder stand that had been on that site for about 5 years. I did not keep any records of the deer harvest from the ladder stand.
https://youtu.be/lZzWcfDGakg
That was pretty, but I am glad you got it instead of me. After March 31 let it snow all it wants. No more DOT to worry about. Snow details are the worst. Banjo
We officially got a bit over 6", but it was very unusual. No frozen ground or sleet preceded the snow so the roads were never slick. The ground was about 40° so it snowed for an hour or so before we got any buildup. Then of course as soon as it stopped snowing, it immediately started to melt.
This was without a doubt the prettiest snow that I have ever seen and I was glad that I was at the Cabin/farm.
Nice, We have that pretty snow here for weeks and weeks. :D :D :D :D ;)
Thanks for the video Lynn, very nice!
And youaaaaaallll talk funny.
A crick, is that something in your neck??? Or do you mean a brook, something with water in it? :D :D
Nice to have Deer like sheep all over. I'm jealous. :D :D
:christmas:
I know that place well! 8) It never looked like that though! :D Now it looks like home!
Quote from: Peter Drouin on December 12, 2017, 06:41:57 PM
And youaaaaaallll talk funny.
A crick, is that something in your neck??? Or do you mean a brook, something with water in it? :D :D
Nice to have Deer like sheep all over. I'm jealous. :D :D
:christmas:
I thought it was the noise made by a Japanese camera! ;D
Boy Lynn what a great place you have there!
Regular season over here, muzzle loader runs thru early next week.
I dont hunt muzzle.
Never saw an antler this season, but shot 2 does and my SIL shot a 3rd for me.
Son and grandson shot 8 pts on opening day and 2 other spikes seen.
My place is 129 acres and I dont go off the property.
Deer were scarce here this year even my game hog neighbor complained.
no I did not complain :D :D we are seeing a lot more deer that it got cold my neighbor got a nice 8 point this morning and said he saw 3 other small bucks and a doe with it
Quote from: Woodcutter_Mo on December 03, 2017, 06:52:28 AM
I picked up an archery tag yesterday since I was planning to take the bow out this morning. When I was getting things ready to go this morning I opened my bow case and the string had snapped :o ... The string previously looked fine but I had planned on replacing it soon anyway. In a way I'm glad it broke on its own and not at full draw while aimed at the giant 6 point I'm after. Guess I'll have to hunt a different day ;D
This reminds me of one of the guys on the a Cobra forum that I spent a lot of time on.
He was shooting his compound bow in the backyard, getting ready for hunting season.
While it was at full draw the upper limb snapped and the string pulled the tip/pulley section into his head.
The resulting head injury put him in a coma and he soon passed away.
I mention this only because I had never imagined such a thing before this and it was shocking to me.
hasn't stopped me from shooting my bow, but it does make me check it out carefully for any signs of stress fractures.
I had two Grandsons at the Cabin this weekend. Many bucks were seen which included the sticker 10 point which they are continuing to let walk. I plan to go a few days this week. The breeding should not have started yet but the bucks are in a frenzy.
I'm seeing the same, the bachelor groups have broken up and the bucks are actively chasing does. The does are still running away, though. ;D
Our rut is winding down. Saw 5 does and 3 small bucks in the pasture across the road yesterday. The bucks weren't interested in any of the does at all. Last week the bucks were after the young does so it's just about over. Gary
Big cold front is coming next week, that will get it going.
I got me a couple with horns this year. The one with my dog sniffing is a bow kill. He's the first buck taken on my 30 acre property after owning it for 3 years. He's far from a monster, but he's been the biggest on my land since I've owned it and I've run into him both previous years in the stand. Too impatient to wait another year....
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This one was Thanksgiving day late in the afternoon on the big family farm. I had been hunting all week for a buck that is no doubt in the 150's, but in the end this guy gave me a great shot, and knowing it was my last day off work, he ended up in the freezer.....
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Nice couple of bucks.
I had 4 bucks in front of me yesterday evening, one nice 8 point, but no shooter. This morning an 8 point came by sniffing and freshened his scrap. I'm still sitting and watching for Mr. Him. :)
Magicman, as far south as you are, is the rut still in its peak down there? We just are probably getting out of the post/secondary rut about now where I'm at but the main rut here peaks in mid November.
Breeding should be just beginning. I saw 9 bucks today, couple of 8 points but all small and going crazy. Grandson got a nice 9 point this evening.
The only deer that I saw this morning were two 8 pointers. One a cute little 1½ year old that I hope makes it and grows up. The other was a shooter but there was a Sweetgum limb in the way. I hates Sweetgum!!
My Pee-Willie-Wick (scent dispenser) froze this morning. 28° Yikes!!!
I had to wait for the propane man so PatD went to the StrawHouse. She saw the same 8 point that we have seen many times, a 4, 3 spikes, and several does.
Note: The 8 point is pictured on the right in Reply 44.
Nice looking 8pt
Yes he is good but not a "wow" buck. We will keep watching.
I saw nothing this morning, but the weather front is just getting here. I expect that this evening will be busy.
Quote from: Magicman on December 01, 2017, 12:28:44 PM
I saw 6 deers dis morning, 3 smoked suckers, and then guess what showed up?
This evening was good for sitting and watching. We saw an 8, a 7, a 4, and a couple of does. Cold rain coming tonight and tomorrow. It is forecast to get into the teens for a couple of nights.
smoked sucker and smoked suckers come out da same. yoozguys have ta be careful about what yoozguys say,at times,eh.
Youuzeguys gona hunt or saw in dez wather? Banjomonie
you guys in the frozen north had me all screwed up thinking I'm posting in one only to look and I was in another :D :D
A Grandson's Friend got a nice buck yesterday that he had seen several times.
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No brow tines making him a 7 Point.
Very pretty dear deer. Congratulations. We need to get more young women involved in hunting IMHO.
I saw 13 this evening and a 5 point (no brow times) was the largest buck. The fun thing was 30 turkeys with two strutting toms.
I saw 2 bucks this morning. I would have had to make a decision on one of them if the wind had not betrayed me.....but it did. :-\
I saw several does, a spike, forkie, and then a nice "shooter" 8 point came out. I was enjoying watching him when a "smack daddy" strolled out. A heavy wide 8 point. Nope, I didn't shoot him either. It's exciting to see bucks like that some of which should make it to next year.
My camera is at home. I tried phone pictures but they didn't work that late in the evening.
I'm learning how good it feels to let bucks walk.
I just talked with my Black Locust customer. Those 2" of rain this morning has us mucked out for tomorrow so I'll just have to go hunting again tomorrow. ;D
We picked up a nice buck yesterday that had been killed on the road. Sometimes letting them walk works out...sometimes not. I work for Mdot and we picked up 6 deer within about a mile of my place last year. Banjo
I saw a small 7 point (only one brow time) this morning. I have a camera to take with me this evening but no way to upload pictures. Laptop is at home.
I didn't get to use the camera because this guy was chasing a doe. She dashed out of the timber and he followed giving me a chance to take him as he crossed a small opening.
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He is a 6 point with only one brow tine. He was old looks like 5-6 years. A real trophy, and yesterday's "Smack Daddy" is still there. Pat saw this one last week and she could not get a shot because he was moving fast.
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And his tarsal gland was funky big time!! :o
In Reply #85 I mentioned seeing 30 turkeys.
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I couldn't get them all in this picture and only one was strutting but it was a beautiful sight. :)
smiley_beertoast smiley_thumbsup
Well it looks like you got 28 of them, Lynn! ;D
Nice picture! :)
Yup, that is what I counted too Chuck. The other two were to the right. ;D
I have a Grandson at the Cabin this evening and tomorrow hunting. I am glad that it is him and not me because this North wind is fierce plus hunting my property with a North wind is problematic at best. It's forecast to get down to 14° Tuesday night.
Hopefully I can saw a small job (~10 logs) for a repeat lady customer Monday.
The Grandson took a doe yesterday evening.
My plans are to be at the Cabin for about a week beginning later this week. There is no better way to close out the season which ends on the 31st.
Congrats to the grandson. Hope you guys have a great time at the cabin closing out the season.
Back to the turkeys I can't think of many things harder than trying to get an accurate count on a large bunch of turkeys. They are always in motion and moving back and forth. Every time they see a bug or likely looking seed or nut they rush over to it. I have watched them when the old hen would get separated from the younger birds by a field fence and it is comical watching them going frantic trying to get back with her. And all any would have to do is just hop up and fly over the 4' fence.
Quote from: Jeff on January 08, 2018, 08:01:59 PM
I'm learning how good it feels to let bucks walk.
Jeff made this comment back on the 8th. He got to exercise that feeling this week. ;D
Here is a picture of the "tally" sheet that I started many years ago of my bucks . Of course back in that day any buck with antlers over 4" were legal and quite frankly I was proud to get it. Today's management makes us realize that we were taking the future instead of allowing them to mature.
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I count 86. I will allow the season to end this year without adding any more to the tally.
Those really nice 2.5 yr. olds were hard to pass on until i started to hold out for mature bucks and actually had some luck. On the other hand tag soup never tastes all that great. :-\ Which is what i had this year...
Nice buck you got there.
Lynn whats your take on spike bucks? Back in the 70's when I was reading every hunting magazine I could afford, the thought was that a spike buck was an animal with inferior antler producing gene's that would never make a real trophy. If that is true, our state is saving the deer that need to be put in the freezer and letting them reproduce. To be honest I havent read the hunting regulations for this year as I have not taken the rifle out of the case, but in some of the past years you were not supposed to legally take a spike. I thought that with all the deer you have observed, maybe you have seen an identifiable spike that would prove or disprove that theory. Banjo
I see ~6 month bucks with spikes which to me is normal and OK. I doubt that 1½ old spikes will ever amount to anything. I saw 6" spikes this year, one even had a tiny fork right in the top of one antler. They were clearly 1½ year old bucks that should have had a 6-8 point rack.
I have taken out deer before that were clearly inferior.
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I watched these two bucks their first year and when they showed up the second year with again one deformed antler and not much on the other side, I took them out.
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Same with this character.
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I doubt that this 6½ year old buck had ever been anything other than what he was here.
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I also doubt that this year's 5½ year old buck had been or ever would have been an 8 point.
I agree with you, an inferior deer is just what he is and needs to be taken out.
Thanks for the reply and the informative pictures. Banjo
I wish someone could explain that to NY state
Years ago I shot a spike in the adirondacks.
The biologist that aged it for me said 2-1/2 yrs and commented that it was about the poorest specimen he had ever seen.
Of course the food there isnt the best nor the genes it seems in that particular area.