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FS 2013-2014 Hunting Journal

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Thanks BB! I do TOO!

Well, I finally got to get out for my first hunt this morning. Granted it was a struggle for me with just 1.5 hours of shut eye. Anyway, I got up at 6:10 and got my shower and talked to my wife and girls as they were getting ready for work and school. Then headed out to the garage to load up my truck and head to the farm. I arrived at my stand about 7 and took my time setting up as to not make any noise as I'm just off a beanfield about 35 yards.

After I settled in I took a pic of my bow hanging as the suns glow was beginning its arrival off to the east. At about 7:34 I saw a doe and a young one slip into the small hollow off to my west at a distance of 25 yards. They milled around and eventually walked right down in front of me at 13-15 yards on the opposite bank giving me numerous shots.



Then the doe and little one met up with her other little one and the young ones began to play, running around the creek bottom. Then they worked their way down below me directly DW to the NNE and browsed awhile and not once did they smell me or see me. They eventually walked out of my sight.
Then while checking out TOO and texting back and forth with JohnR and Chris(Woody333) two of my teammates who were also hunting I looked down to my DW side to the N and saw a small 4 pt. crossing the hollow and making his way up the same path the doe walked down earlier but going the opposite direction. I took a few pics of him as well and he gave me numerous shots at distances between 13-23 yards. Here are a few of his pics:



Shortly afterwards I had a nice fox squirrel shimmy down a maple tree right in front of me at just 4 feet with a nut in his mouth. As slowly as I could I took a few pics but he kept moving causing my pics to be a touch blurry but here they are. He was a boar btw...lol



Then what really made my day was my oldest daughter Karissa went hunting with me for our very first hunt together. We didn't see any deer but had a great time together. I covered the basics of treestand safety and yardages with her. Also how and where to aim if a shooter was to stroll by. We bailed out a tad early just so we both can see the steps on our descent and not get trapped up in the tree with late arrivals. Here are a few pics:




These are our two best shooting lanes off the the west:


It was very hot this evening but well worth the experience together. After we got back to the truck and filled up on fluids and loaded up our gear I turned to her and asked what she thought about her first hunt. She smiled and said, I loved it! I'm officially a "deer hunter!"

I smiled and gave her a tater and we headed home. I'm one proud dad!

Hours hunted - 5
Deer seen - 4
Bucks seen - 1
Does seen - 1
bb/ yearlings seen - 2
Yotes seen - 0
Turkeys seen - 0
Shot ops - 3
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Nice pics Ric.Very nice you made it out with your daughter and yes it was hot out this evening but still nice to get some tree time in.Good luck to you guys and am rooting for your daughter to get one and you TOO!!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
My last sit was for 3 hours on Saturday morning. Saw one lone doe feeding in front of me halfway to my stand which was a 1/2 mile from my truck. It was very dengy(7:10ish) but I could see the deer had no rack as she was only about 18 yards away on the corner edge of a beanfield.
Saw nada from the stand from 7:30 to 10:30 that morning but a ton of squirrels.

Hours hunted - 8
Deer seen - 5
Bucks seen - 1
Does seen - 2
bb/ yearlings seen - 2
Yotes seen - 0
Turkeys seen - 0
Shot ops - 3
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
No hunting for me this morning but this afternoon at 12:30 I slipped in and quietly hung a stand in a set I've hunted the past two years. It's also the same set I took the hair off Boneheads back a few years ago. I just took two pics and snuck out of there. I did see a lot of nice acorns laying on this flat out in front of me. These two pics are towards the NW to the NE. It's is extremely important that I only hunt this stand when winds come from anywhere in that direction because I am right at eye level to this oak flat. The great thing I like about hunting this stand is that I can see the deer approach long before they reach my shooting lanes so I have plenty of time to prepare for the shot.


In this pic, the sunny spot is where Bonehead was walking through when I shaved him....dang! I still think about it...:smiley_baby:
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Glad to hear your daughter joined the ranks with the rest of us. You have got to be elated.

Yes I am Dick, can't wait till we hunt together again!

Thanks Chuck, it is a killer set but this being the first time I set foot and even hunted here since my flub up I am really disappointed about the lack of deer sign. No rubs or tracks with acorns laying everywhere! WTH?

It's a better evening stand though but having a camera hanging for a week with not one single pic taken but me testing it before I left and me coming back to swap the card is disheartening to say the least!

I ain't giving up on it and the season is still early!

Hours hunted - 11
Deer seen - 5
Bucks seen - 1
Does seen - 2
bb/ yearlings seen - 2
Yotes seen - 1
Turkeys seen - 0
Shot ops - 3
 
Last edited:

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Not much to report. I hunted last night for 2 hours from 5:15 to 7:15 and saw nothing but squirrels on a loaded oak flat. Didn't jump a deer on my way in or out.

Hours hunted - 13
Deer seen - 5
Bucks seen - 1
Does seen - 2
bb/ yearlings seen - 2
Yotes seen - 1
Turkeys seen - 0
Shot ops - 3
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Hope things start happening for you, Bro!
Don't forget that you have great places back home to fall back on. I miss my hunting partner! Lol.

I miss it TOO bro! We had some great hunts over the years! We'll definitely tag team a tree this fall sometime even if its during deer gun!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Thanks for the well wishes guys! I plan on moving a stand tomorrow afternoon to a block I have a tree all pruned out from last year that already has steps in it. I have yet to hunt it the past 2 years because its so hard to get in there without bumping something. It lays in between a bedding area behind some houses and a 20 acre standing cornfield and CRP field. I'm going to try and go in early on Friday morning and catch something heading back to bed. First I need to hang this stand and put up a camera. We shall see! The bucks have to be around there somewhere....lol
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
I relocated a stand that was over some great acorn droppings due to not much activity the past 3 weeks. I moved the stand for northerly winds and still have one close by that I can hunt with SSW winds.

This stand that I pulled went about 250 yards off to the east at the end of the beanfield in a 5-8 acre block of timber with CRP to the N,standing corn(20 acres) to the east and bedding areas to the S of it. I plan on climbing up in it tonight no later than 2-3 this afternoon. I am anxious to hunt this set as I haven't ever hunted it before. I just want to see a shooter! If I am fortunate to get a shot it will have to be perfect so it doesn't run TOO far onto neighboring props. There are some antihunting neighbors in the vicinity. Can't wait!

Good luck to others hunting tonight and this weekend!