1023's 2013-2014 Hunting Log

It has been a strange summer for me so far. By this time the last 5 years, I have been watching a mature buck (or more) and have pictures rolling in by the thousands. This year I have barely had time to do anything with the cams. A kid sure cramped my style in that regard! I'm patiently awaiting response on several farms right now that would give me some new places to explore this fall. I have about 700 acres at my disposal right now, but could end up with 1,500 or more. My strategy this year is to stay on the move until I find the hot farm and then ride it out. With each passing day my thoughts begin to move towards deer more and more!

Came home tonight and found 86 pounds of custom blended seed from Merit Seed. I picked up fertilizer and my buddy got lime. Dad is on retainer tomorrow with 55hp of Kubota and 5' of box tiller. Off to pick up a new pull behind spreader and it'll be on like Donkey Kong tomorrow!

Got a full charge on the cam. It's been raining for a while and should continue until dad shows up at 10. We are about to move a stand and check all the cams. Setting them all where they'll stay for at least the next 2.5 months. This rain is the weather in the cap for the day! Fingers crossed we don't have any major hiccups.

Today could very well have been the perfect day! We managed to get all 3 plots done in between rains, about one acre total. We checked/moved 5 cams and moved a stand that might well be one of the better sets I've hung in a while. At this point, I am done with all my preseason work at the farm outside of running cams. I'll lave the cams along until I have time to do things right in terms of scent control. We'll hunt opening weekend a time or two, then we are staying out until Halloween. It took some convincing, but I talked dad out of brush-hogging the big bottom, so the cover on our farm is better than ever. Not to mention the addition of 2.5 acres of corn, 3/4 acre of peas/radish/oats/winter wheat, and 1/4 acre of radish/rape. Hippie Ridge still hasn't sold and is thicker than ever. All in all, things are shaping up to be killer this fall.

This is a look at the inside corner where we planted the "Corner Pocket" plot. There is a stand in the woodline close to the corner hung for a S-SW wind. Oaks line the edge of the woods. The corner provides cover and food above. There is about 2 acres set aside as sanctuary just S of this plot. This plot and my big plot are seeded in the blend I order from Merit Seed this week which is the pea/radish/oats/winter wheat mix. It is a little over a 1/4 acre.



This is from one of the main trails coming out of the corner looking back at the corn. Deer standing right here are giving me a 20 yard broadside chip shot...



This is the "Middle Plot". I have a luxurious two-man ladder stand over looking this plot which is in radish/rape with just a little bit of my custom blend mixed in. It is almost a 1/4 acre. This is a great observation stand and this plot is in a pinch point that sees a lot of evening traffic.



This is the "Big Plot". It is situated in our big creek bottom field and is now surrounded by chest/head high weeds. I have a stand hung at the W edge of the plot near my big 4 acre sanctuary. I plan to hunt over a decoy at some point from that stand. Access is down the creek which is line with 4' high weeds, making it very easy to slip in and out of it. (My buddy borrowed his brother's Can-AM and man, is that thing badass!)



Here is my mineral lick after a solid summer of use. It didn't have any good bucks using it, but the does destroyed it! So at the very least, the does and fawns are benefiting from it. It is easily the size of a car hood...

I've been shooting nearly every night since we left Woodbury to fine tune my grip, anchor, and bow configuration to my liking. I shot like hell up there and that's not me. There was a lot of work to be done to replace my Mathews in my mind, so I had to clear that mental hurdle or the Strother was in danger!. Tonight I made a major leap forward. This is my last 20 (left) and 30 (right) yard groups after finding my grove. I let the draw stops out tonight which gave me that Mathewsesque finish to the draw. That in turn made me more comfortable and my grip/wrist position found a home. My peep has finally settled in as well, not to mention my anchor is SOLID now. That was the biggest issue at Woodbury was my inconsistent anchor point. Very happy with how this bow is shooing now.

Milo said:

You need to get used to that grip. Its night and day different from that chunk of wood on your mathews...

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That's for sure. I had to leave how to bring the pressure from the meat/base of my palm, up to the base of my thumb. I think I have it now, but it definitely took some time.