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FS 2013-2014 Hunting Journal

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Hung my first stand of the year yesterday

Like Jesse, I figured since I hung my first new set yesterday and been running some cams since a week or two before turkey season I better just go ahead and start my journal now. It really helps me stay motivated and the time line documentation really helps me connect some dots in the future.

The set I hung yesterday is 80 yards away from where I had hunted the last two years across the creek from the main part of the farm. It's basically a funnel but very hard to hunt due to the way the wind swirls among the large stand of timber but nothing ventured is nothing gained. It will be mostly ideal for a westerly or easterly wind due to the fact the deer will be traveling north or south. I'll probably hunt either just mornings due to the thermals or if I have a steady light favorable wind I might just hunt it from dark to dark some TOO.
Here are some pics

View to the west

View to the north

View to the east(there's a huge cornfield 34-40 yds away)

View to the south behind my tree


My platform is just over 20-22 feet from the ground

I'll post view pics as my stands get put up. Hopefully one or two on Friday!
 
Last edited:

hickslawns

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Ohio
Good deal Ric! TOO early for me to start a journal. I am going to leave mine solely for hunting I think. Season is closing in, but not quite there yet. These threads help build the anticipation though!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Thanks Phil, I need something to do to help me remember when I did this or saw that hence I I use the platforms Joe and Jesse provide for me to document my stuff. Lol
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Welp, I hung my 3rd set in the past week today with a severe thunder/lightening storm breathing down my back. I hate being rushed cuz it leads to accidents but I got-er-done nonetheless. It was the same stand I shot my buck last year from and it's in a sweet spot and that just makes me pumped for the season to start! Here are some pics:

View to the WSW


View to the ESE(killed my deer in this window)


View to the S in the drainage connecting the last two pics


View to the NNW(typically my most downwind direction here) Its a creek bottom and while wearing my smoked camos I haven't been busted yet.


Here's a pic of my stand from the south(its on the left side of the walnut tree center of pic about 3 feet higher than the lite colored limb coming off the right side.


She's locked in with a python cord and ready to rock!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Thanks Jesse!

I hung another set tonight and pruned out one limb afterwards in the set I put up last week where I killed my buck last year. The limb was prohibiting me a lot of shots to my downwind side(NNW). I'll post the finished product of my prune job after the views of the set I hung today.

This set is where I killed my buck "splits" two seasons ago. I debated on hanging here again since I didn't hunt it at all last year and found fresh boot tracks through the snow right to the base of my tree by another hunter trying to hunt my stand last year during muzzy season last year. That ticked me off! I'd never hunt someone else stand unless I was given permission first but that's just me. Anyway here are the pics of the set I hung today:

View to the WSW


View to the E overlooking the beanfield


View to the S where I shot Splits two years ago(it's sure grown up through there)


This is the pic I took after I cut down a limb at the set I killed my buck last year. This is off to the NNW looking down into the creek bed on my downwind side. It's best I hunt this set only in the mornings if I have a prevailing southerly wind due to the thermals keeping my scent stream up. I'll be smoking up anyway so it might be a spot where I park my butt here for an dark to dark sit TOO. Furthest shot is 30 yards tops.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Just have two more stands to hang then I'm done! I just need to take down a stand I left up and put it up in a tree I plan on hunting with my girls this season where I hung a stand last week. The other spot is already pruned and has steps in it so all I have to do is pull up a LW hangon and lock it in. Can't wait till that's done! I'm stoked....
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Thanks guys! I had both my daughters join me in helping me remove a stand and set it up in the tree next to their stand I hung last week. It was dang hot and we prolly stunk the place up boring around but I won't be going near these sets anymore unless its a distant walk by to swap a card or two till the bow opener. Here are a few pics from the stand(my video filming stand) The girls stand sits two feet lower and on the opposite side of tree.

This is one of two shooting lanes to the west:


Shooting lane down to trail in creek bottom to the east:
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Thanks Mike, its been a very hot,humid and sweating ordeal but I'm glad I'm almost done. I might hang one more stand though...lol
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Mike you are right though, I've complete soaked my tank top shirts the last 6 trips to do this treestand erecting stuff. Literally have sweat running off both elbows and my nose. It's nice to get it done but I know it's not the best thing to leave so much scent around though! Hoping things will settle themselves down in the next few months though...
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
While the girls relaxed this mid day afternoon preparing for their volleyball game this early evening I went back out to our tree stand double and adjusted the steps closer together for them and locked both stands up with python cords. I will be using 3 LW sticks up to our first step. We're all set and it feels great having it all ready to go. I took a pic from their stand showing the platform of my stand and the two shooting windows they have to the beanfield edge. You are looking into the west in the shooting window pic and to the SE in the platform pic.

Shooting window(west)


My platform(SE)


I also put a cam over the scrape station I had a cam over last season. Won't check it till close to bow season... If I can't wait that long. Lol