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Joel's 2014-2015 deer season journal

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
I figured this would be a good way to pass the time while I hang out in the blind or stand waiting for my buck to stroll by and will be nice for me to look back after I fill my tag or the season ends.

I can't say how many hours I've hunted so far this year but I have not been slacking.

I started off this year with a few goals. Fill all my tags without using a firearm, take a buck that would look good on my wall, and finish before gun season. I almost did all that by last week until I was not able to find the buck I shot last Thursday.

On the second day of the season, in the evening from my blind, I shot a nice doe at less than 20 yards with the crossbow. She went about 40 yards and piled up in some brush- first bow kill.

After struggling with my Barnett crossbow I decided to bite the bullet and buy a TenPoint. I was planning on holding out for a nice buck before shooting any more deer but then a nice doe tempted me at 20 yards so I shot her and recovered her maybe 50 yards in the corn.

For almost a week no deer sightings. I was switching back and forth between morning and evening hunts at 2 different properties and just was not seeing deer. That's I started to see I was getting too wrapped up in it and it was killing the fun.

A few days later I finally saw a deer, a nice doe came to the corn pile and stayed for 5 minutes or so and then calmly walked off. Kept an eye on her but kept scanning the woods for a buck but he never came.

The next evening the big buck came strolling by at about 3:00, less than 10 minutes after I settled in. Took a shot at about 35 yards and felt good about it but never found the arrow, a blood trail or the deer. While I was searching for blood a nice tall ten point walked to within 20 yards of me on the other side of a brush pile headed towards my blind but got spooked and took off. So far those are the only 2 bucks I have seen this year hunting and neither were ever on my camera that I remember for sure.

November 17th, in the blind now for an evening hunt since about 3:45. 4" of fresh snow, snow falling and about a 12mph SW wind. Somewhere around 20 degrees but feels colder! About an hour and a half left of legal shooting light and so far no sightings.
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
Thanks guys. I ended up getting skunked tonight but for the first time this season I honestly don't care. Had to step back and adjust my attitude but I'm back to having fun.
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
What a great read. I actually really needed that. I was at that point of frustration after hunting all afternoon Saturday and not seeing any deer at all. I have precious little time to hunt and am limited to public hunting areas. I devote as much time to it as I reasonably can so when the results aren't there it can get very discouraging very quick, especially having to drive 35-40 mins just to be able to hunt. So far my season has consisted of missing a doe at 25 yds right at last light and seeing a grand total of 4 other deer so the discouragement was really setting in lol. Reading this gave me some much needed perspective.
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
What a great read. I actually really needed that. I was at that point of frustration after hunting all afternoon Saturday and not seeing any deer at all. I have precious little time to hunt and am limited to public hunting areas. I devote as much time to it as I reasonably can so when the results aren't there it can get very discouraging very quick, especially having to drive 35-40 mins just to be able to hunt. So far my season has consisted of missing a doe at 25 yds right at last light and seeing a grand total of 4 other deer so the discouragement was really setting in lol. Reading this gave me some much needed perspective.

Keep your head up man. I had to remind myself this is supposed to be fun! lol
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
Hunted today from 4:00-dark. Saw nothing. On the way out I pulled the memory card over the corn pile in front of my blind. I haven't really gotten too many day time photos since the season started but this last 7 days is nothing but night time pictures. Went from lots of different single bucks, a few pretty big, to mainly groups of 2-4 does. Couple small bucks.

Now I'm sort of thinking about what to do next. Thought about hanging the stand a little further into this wood lot but it's not very big, about 3 acres. I thought for sure once the corn was cut down I would be seeing more deer but that's not the case right now. Of course the moon has been bright too but I don't know- kind of puzzled honestly.

I have a stand at another property down the road that I hunted a few times and saw nothing. Thinking about possibly moving that stand closer to the bedding area and maybe try to catch them in the early morning coming back. Really not sure at this point and will have to put some thought into it and might go out tomorrow and walk around just to see where the tracks are going/coming from and then maybe move a camera.

This weather and lack of deer sightings is bringing back memories of last season!:smiley_blackeye:
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
WGI_0246.jpgMay just shoot this poor old girl if I get a chance and be done for the year. I like the idea of people killing coyotes but seeing this sucks:
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
Sad too see. There's really no way she'll get that snare off either, at least I can't think of one. You'd be doing her a favor by shooting her. Hopefully it has a deer stop on it and it won't get any tighter.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Dang that's sad to see but it happens. I try to think about all the yotes killed via snares to help counteract the negativity they cause at times. Hopefully you can get a shot at her, good luck Joel!

Hey, don't give up on your buck, you had some great hunts late last season if my memory serves me correctly.
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
Oh, not giving up on the buck just kind of confused as to why they aren't stopping by at least here and there during daylight. If I get into another late season venture oh well, I'll just dress warm lol.

The thing with the doe sucks. She is on the camera 3-4 days in a row with that snare so hopefully it doesn't choke her and I can get a shot because I don't see it coming off either.
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
Keep ur head up, I pulled a card from over my corn pile last night and have day and night pics of 2 shooters, one of which I haven't seen before. This cold snap has them looking for an easy meal so you never know when one might cruise in. I'm hoping it's tonight!
(It's also only about a 3 acre woodlot, the only place I can hunt other than public)
 
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Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
Went out again this morning for a couple hours and saw nothing. Will be back out at the same spot in the morning then might hang a new stand at the other property mid day tomorrow and hunt somewhere tomorrow evening. Taking a few days off after that and then back at it as much as possible from thanksgiving until the Monday after.

Not sure about gun week yet and the goal is still to seal the deal before that but we shall see. Still having fun with it and not letting it get me down. Lots of deer around, decent ground to hunt and lots of time until the season closes.

I did find a great spot for late muzzy season if Im still carrying a tag at that point and what I think is a pretty solid plan to go with it.
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
View attachment 26261May just shoot this poor old girl if I get a chance and be done for the year. I like the idea of people killing coyotes but seeing this sucks:
A deer.stop won't do anything in that situation. The deer stop is for legs. That snare will strangle her before the deer stop is within 8 inches of being effective
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
I don't know anything about snares but it looks bad. That thing has gotta be uncomfortable and probably smacking her legs like a whip when she runs. Maybe one of the local kids will get her this weekend.

Overslept this morning and didn't make it to the blind here until about 7:15. Almost said screw it and stayed inside but with youth weekend and the warmer weather who knows. Beautiful morning out here with or without deer.
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
Couple short hunts in since the last post but still no deer sightings. I hung a new stand today that I think will be great for gun season. Time will be limited due to work but feel pretty hidden and can see a good ways out where the deer have been traveling. If gun season comes and goes and I still have a buck tag, I'm dumping a couple hundred pounds of corn 25 yards in front of the stand and waiting for cold weather to hunt it.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to the other property to sit in the stand back in the pines for a couple hours in the morning. If I get skunked there again in the morning I'm going to move the stand closer to the bedding area on top of a hill that should also make a good stand for gun season if I get a chance to make it over there. May hunt out of the new stand or the newly moved one tomorrow if nothing happens in the morning. Still time... getting slightly annoyed/frustrated here and there but still giving it hell.

Ground blind was blown away the other day in that wind and I haven't put it back yet. I've gone back and forth on if I want to put it back but I think I will just in case I want to sit in it during a blizzard or something in the coming weeks.