Blackbeard
Senior Member
I Hope you make captain jack walk the plank! Nice read and photos, look forward to watching this one unfold.
The Hunt for Captain Jack
- Thread starter bowhunter1023
- Start date
Thanks all. This thread could run dry in a matter of days, but I like to remain optimistic. I realize the chances of me killing him are slim and it could be another disappointing season. However I have more recon on this deer than any other deer I have ever hunted and he showed us last year that is killable during the rut. From what I can tell thus far, he is still living where he was last fall and that makes him all the more killable. I won’t be passing on other shooters either; however it will take a deer in the 150” range for more to loose an arrow this fall if it’s not at Jack.
One of the most valuable pieces of information I have from him comes from the video below. This was taken about 20 minutes before Bryan has his encounter with him. The pictures of him from February of 2012 were taken at the end of the ridge right behind this scrape. Knowing he approached the scrape from that direction tells me he was likely bedded down on that point, which is also where he spent time with Moe in 2011. In order for him to get to Bryan, he made short work of covering 500 yards of E/W ridge using the N wind to scent check it. The means he traveled through a saddle downwind of Bryan’s stand and circled him to approach a couple of does from the E. Then following the shot, he dropped off the ridge towards the sanctuary before slipping back in to a bowl that is super thick. That same bowl is where he was seen the following weekend and again in gun season.
The only chink in my armor right now is that the main portion of his core area just sold to a mineral holdings group, which I actually found out while typing this us. So I might be FUGGED…
[video=youtube;W12IPCQgirk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W12IPCQgirk[/video]
One of the most valuable pieces of information I have from him comes from the video below. This was taken about 20 minutes before Bryan has his encounter with him. The pictures of him from February of 2012 were taken at the end of the ridge right behind this scrape. Knowing he approached the scrape from that direction tells me he was likely bedded down on that point, which is also where he spent time with Moe in 2011. In order for him to get to Bryan, he made short work of covering 500 yards of E/W ridge using the N wind to scent check it. The means he traveled through a saddle downwind of Bryan’s stand and circled him to approach a couple of does from the E. Then following the shot, he dropped off the ridge towards the sanctuary before slipping back in to a bowl that is super thick. That same bowl is where he was seen the following weekend and again in gun season.
The only chink in my armor right now is that the main portion of his core area just sold to a mineral holdings group, which I actually found out while typing this us. So I might be FUGGED…
[video=youtube;W12IPCQgirk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W12IPCQgirk[/video]
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Hortontoter
Senior Member
The mineral group probably want whats under the ground. Unless they put in a well, probably not much will change. Lets hope not anyways.
Brother, I hope you get a shot at him. More importantly, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable hunting season!
I hate seeing these threads (and you know this), but I understand the pull to hunting one deer (ok, that's a lie). In the end, as long as you did what everything you could (I say that tongue in check because momma and daughter come first), then you have won. Would it be great to see your mug holding his head, you bet! Do I want to see you go thru the same thing as Duece and Moe....nope. I will just never understand that disappointment I saw in your face that evening at the gas station.
Now, just because hippie ridge is gone (I act like I know what I'm talking about),......go hunt the darn corn that was planted this year. When the leaves are gone, this is where he'll be. If you would have invited a few of us down this summer, there could be a few acres of the golden kernel in the holler and even closer for him.....maybe next year :smiley_crocodile:
Just make sure you have plenty of safety meetings so you don't cloud your brain with your over-analyzation (is that even a word)? Enjoy ninja!!
I hate seeing these threads (and you know this), but I understand the pull to hunting one deer (ok, that's a lie). In the end, as long as you did what everything you could (I say that tongue in check because momma and daughter come first), then you have won. Would it be great to see your mug holding his head, you bet! Do I want to see you go thru the same thing as Duece and Moe....nope. I will just never understand that disappointment I saw in your face that evening at the gas station.
Now, just because hippie ridge is gone (I act like I know what I'm talking about),......go hunt the darn corn that was planted this year. When the leaves are gone, this is where he'll be. If you would have invited a few of us down this summer, there could be a few acres of the golden kernel in the holler and even closer for him.....maybe next year :smiley_crocodile:
Just make sure you have plenty of safety meetings so you don't cloud your brain with your over-analyzation (is that even a word)? Enjoy ninja!!
Fullbore
Senior Member
Haha, safety meetings.lol
I do have a good feeling, that the final chapter will be told about Captain Jack this year. And Jesse will give us his play by play on his hunt! Word!
I do have a good feeling, that the final chapter will be told about Captain Jack this year. And Jesse will give us his play by play on his hunt! Word!
Archertl
Senior Member
Mao
Member
I hope it all pans out for you brother, I truly do! You've put in a lot of time and effort on that farm this year with the food plots, and the extra corn crop can't hurt your odds either! I also think you've got a honey hole in that dairy farm if you can figure out how to work around the other hunters!
Adam's statement above is why I'm not running trail cameras anymore this year, and why I'm going back to the basics. Since I started running cameras, I have passed on deer I probably would have shot, because I knew there were certain deer out there. This year, with the minimal amount of time I have to hunt, I don't want to know what is out there. I plan on shooting the first good deer that gives me a shot. I don't want the pressure of chasing ghosts, and the disappointment of not succeeding. I want to get back to the basics and just enjoy being out in the woods, and learn again how to hunt without the aid of a camera.
Adam's statement above is why I'm not running trail cameras anymore this year, and why I'm going back to the basics. Since I started running cameras, I have passed on deer I probably would have shot, because I knew there were certain deer out there. This year, with the minimal amount of time I have to hunt, I don't want to know what is out there. I plan on shooting the first good deer that gives me a shot. I don't want the pressure of chasing ghosts, and the disappointment of not succeeding. I want to get back to the basics and just enjoy being out in the woods, and learn again how to hunt without the aid of a camera.
And that is what it is all about! Best to luck to all on their trophy quests this year, but in the end, keep the principal in mind!
Big_Holla
Senior Member
I couldn't agree more!! I stopped worrying about the video camera years ago and focusing on any mature buck, not one in particular....buuuut then again.... :smiley_blackeye:
Time to update this thing now that I have some news to deliver.
Sunday will be the first hunt on the farm for the year, something I could not have imagined a few years ago. The plan this year was to provide food, keep pressure to a minimum and hope that the last 2 years of not killing does would pay off in the rut. On Monday night at 8:18PM, Jack showed up for the first time in well over a month. He definitely won't score, but I love that rack! The plan is to hunt the edges on Sunday morning, then go to the food sources where the does have been hanging out in the evening. If things are slow this weekend, we'll stay out until next weekend when I have 4-5 days to hunt all day. I won't say it is Jack or nothing this year, but I'm leaning that way!
Sunday will be the first hunt on the farm for the year, something I could not have imagined a few years ago. The plan this year was to provide food, keep pressure to a minimum and hope that the last 2 years of not killing does would pay off in the rut. On Monday night at 8:18PM, Jack showed up for the first time in well over a month. He definitely won't score, but I love that rack! The plan is to hunt the edges on Sunday morning, then go to the food sources where the does have been hanging out in the evening. If things are slow this weekend, we'll stay out until next weekend when I have 4-5 days to hunt all day. I won't say it is Jack or nothing this year, but I'm leaning that way!
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Jesse, I'm looking forward to you killing that old deer! I think waiting till the time is right is the smartest move you could make. You can't kill them when they aren't on their feet, they usually aren't on their feet until NOW! Good luck!
Thanks Brock. If he mirrors what he did last year, I'm confident we can at the very least see him again this year. I was just thinking about where I could hunt Sunday morning and a light bulb went off. There is a shelf above this camera where I have pics of him at both ends of it over the years, so I know he uses it. There are a few trees where my new climber would be perfect and a N wind would be right in my face. If enough leaves have fallen, I can glass the field below. Think I may just sit that in the morning...
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Sounds like as good a plan as any. Deer don't even know where they are going to wind up, best you can do is be where you know they have been before as they are likely to go there again. Great time of year! As Lathe said when Sean killed that 185"er.... "That deer has been laying down for the last 11 months". This is the month they get up!
Jesse teammate or not I'm rooting for you too arrow jack..... Can't wait for that "I know something" thread!!!!
Gordo
Senior Member
Yeah dude. Im going through the same thing. Went somewhat hard this week, but last bight verified the deer on that property our doing the same thing they have been. The right times gotta b coming.
I got same plan as u. Outskirts in the morning, slide in a bit closer in the evenings. Good luck buddy
I got same plan as u. Outskirts in the morning, slide in a bit closer in the evenings. Good luck buddy