I was considering doing a post like this but Al beat me to it. My 2015 season did not go as planned...not even close. It was a painfully educational fall, pun intended. It will forever change the way I hunt.
We had some really good surviving bucks from 2014 that gave us a lot of hope for this season. Spider and CC10 both made it. Spider a 6 year old and CC going to be 5. Junior CC, a 3 year old 130s 10 point with a huge upside also showed up after season. DTP (Double Throat Patch) our 2 year old project buck, with lots of potential and Barry, our resident Bully underachieving 8 point avoided death. So the off season was spent in study for food plots, habitat improvement and stand set ups. We kept some of the proven stand sites and added 4 others that I was really excited to hunt during the rut. Our bottom food plot was left in clover/grass leaving the edge to grow weeds along the road for some cover. The bigger plot on top was planted in Oats on both ends. But the center was some sort of clover we had not planted. In early August it looked great so instead of planting something there we left it...big mistake, by mid-September it had died off, leaving a 60 yard by 40 yard barren wasteland. The smaller plot on top was planted in Chicory Plus and looked great with the exception of some sort of Nettle that tried to take over. One end was planted in Oats also.
As usual, we had no shooters on cam all summer except for DTP. I was going to let him walk but I may have been the only one. After 4 seasons of making changes to the property trying to make it more attractive for the deer things were looking up. Our clearcut and selective logging areas were starting to thicken up. In September and October the deer were all over the oats and chicory. As November approached the chicory was gone leaving only the clover in that plot and the deer quit feeding on the oats for the most part. I was still excited for the rut though knowing what bucks were around. I finished up work on October 29th and only had to work 4 days until December 4th. I had spent October sitting evenings only and hunting WV. It was now time to get after it.
Then the evening of November 2nd hit and everything changed. I was hunting the edge of the big food plot and saw 2 does. As darkness approached I started to climb down. I had only gone down 2 rungs on the ladder sticks when the top strap broke allowing the stick to lean away from the tree. Then the next stick down broke. I remember very little after this until I walked into a convenience store 6 miles away to get help. The next 3 days were spent in the hospital with a broken scapula, bruised lungs and back and a very sore neck. After 3 months of healing and therapy my shoulder is stronger than it was, my back is basically healed but my neck still has very little range but the pain is minimal. I was very fortunate to land in the only position that wouldn't kill or cripple me. It should have been a much worse outcome. I have already purchased many lifelines and will have one on every stand I use. I have ALWAYS used a safety harness (belt back in the day) but will be tied off from the ground up now.
Being stubborn and stupid, I was back out hunting using my daughter's crossbow a week later. I just could not miss the rut. After a few days the pain in my back was too much and I couldn't get out for another week. My cams proved that was the week to hunt our place. The mature bucks were all over us, including Spider, CC10 (now sporting a 7" kicker off a G2), Junior CC (with split brows and 25" more antler...earning him the new name Splitty), a big framed 10 point, a big 8, DTP and Barry. When I was able to get back out I had an encounter with Spider. He was 25 yards behind me but I had no shot. I saw the Big 8 and 3 other bucks following a doe and had Barry go by just out of range. Gun season came and I hunted every day when I could after therapy except Tuesday the day it rained. Spider walked down the cabin driveway at midday...figures. That appears to be the last pic I will get of him. No one has him on cam since. After 5 seasons of pictures and sightings I hope if someone got him they appreciate his majesty.
I have been out from time to time trying to kill Barry. The colder weather has been affecting my neck and back but that is slowly getting better. We have pics of CC10, Splitty and many two year olds. The neighbors have pics of the big 10 and another almost identical to him. So once again things look great for next fall. One of the neighbors is still baiting hard and may get one of the mature bucks yet.
Once again I will rack my brain trying to figure out the best food plot scheme for 2016. I don't think I will make too many other changes though and let mother nature do her job. The stand sites will stay the same since I didn't get to try them out this season.
Even though 2015 appears to be another season of tag soup I consider it a success because:
1) The bucks were there.
2) The habitat is better than the season before and way better than 2011 when we bought the property.
3) My kids were able to kill mature bucks even though they were on other properties.
4) I am still alive and able to spend time with family and friends....and chase the elusive whitetail deer.
We had some really good surviving bucks from 2014 that gave us a lot of hope for this season. Spider and CC10 both made it. Spider a 6 year old and CC going to be 5. Junior CC, a 3 year old 130s 10 point with a huge upside also showed up after season. DTP (Double Throat Patch) our 2 year old project buck, with lots of potential and Barry, our resident Bully underachieving 8 point avoided death. So the off season was spent in study for food plots, habitat improvement and stand set ups. We kept some of the proven stand sites and added 4 others that I was really excited to hunt during the rut. Our bottom food plot was left in clover/grass leaving the edge to grow weeds along the road for some cover. The bigger plot on top was planted in Oats on both ends. But the center was some sort of clover we had not planted. In early August it looked great so instead of planting something there we left it...big mistake, by mid-September it had died off, leaving a 60 yard by 40 yard barren wasteland. The smaller plot on top was planted in Chicory Plus and looked great with the exception of some sort of Nettle that tried to take over. One end was planted in Oats also.
As usual, we had no shooters on cam all summer except for DTP. I was going to let him walk but I may have been the only one. After 4 seasons of making changes to the property trying to make it more attractive for the deer things were looking up. Our clearcut and selective logging areas were starting to thicken up. In September and October the deer were all over the oats and chicory. As November approached the chicory was gone leaving only the clover in that plot and the deer quit feeding on the oats for the most part. I was still excited for the rut though knowing what bucks were around. I finished up work on October 29th and only had to work 4 days until December 4th. I had spent October sitting evenings only and hunting WV. It was now time to get after it.
Then the evening of November 2nd hit and everything changed. I was hunting the edge of the big food plot and saw 2 does. As darkness approached I started to climb down. I had only gone down 2 rungs on the ladder sticks when the top strap broke allowing the stick to lean away from the tree. Then the next stick down broke. I remember very little after this until I walked into a convenience store 6 miles away to get help. The next 3 days were spent in the hospital with a broken scapula, bruised lungs and back and a very sore neck. After 3 months of healing and therapy my shoulder is stronger than it was, my back is basically healed but my neck still has very little range but the pain is minimal. I was very fortunate to land in the only position that wouldn't kill or cripple me. It should have been a much worse outcome. I have already purchased many lifelines and will have one on every stand I use. I have ALWAYS used a safety harness (belt back in the day) but will be tied off from the ground up now.
Being stubborn and stupid, I was back out hunting using my daughter's crossbow a week later. I just could not miss the rut. After a few days the pain in my back was too much and I couldn't get out for another week. My cams proved that was the week to hunt our place. The mature bucks were all over us, including Spider, CC10 (now sporting a 7" kicker off a G2), Junior CC (with split brows and 25" more antler...earning him the new name Splitty), a big framed 10 point, a big 8, DTP and Barry. When I was able to get back out I had an encounter with Spider. He was 25 yards behind me but I had no shot. I saw the Big 8 and 3 other bucks following a doe and had Barry go by just out of range. Gun season came and I hunted every day when I could after therapy except Tuesday the day it rained. Spider walked down the cabin driveway at midday...figures. That appears to be the last pic I will get of him. No one has him on cam since. After 5 seasons of pictures and sightings I hope if someone got him they appreciate his majesty.
I have been out from time to time trying to kill Barry. The colder weather has been affecting my neck and back but that is slowly getting better. We have pics of CC10, Splitty and many two year olds. The neighbors have pics of the big 10 and another almost identical to him. So once again things look great for next fall. One of the neighbors is still baiting hard and may get one of the mature bucks yet.
Once again I will rack my brain trying to figure out the best food plot scheme for 2016. I don't think I will make too many other changes though and let mother nature do her job. The stand sites will stay the same since I didn't get to try them out this season.
Even though 2015 appears to be another season of tag soup I consider it a success because:
1) The bucks were there.
2) The habitat is better than the season before and way better than 2011 when we bought the property.
3) My kids were able to kill mature bucks even though they were on other properties.
4) I am still alive and able to spend time with family and friends....and chase the elusive whitetail deer.
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