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When's your bowcation?

nis1

Junior Member
203
52
So I've pretty much decided to take off 2 fridays and wanted to get yalls thoughts on which dates you'd take. 10/27 and 11/3 or 11/3 and 11/10?

What part of Ohio are you in? The more time I spend in the woods, the more I like later in the rut. Took my buck on the 13th last year and saw great action the 12th-14th. Also had big daylight cruisers on camera on November 21st and 22nd. Over the years I think I've seen the biggest bucks chasing the 12th-18th of November. I honestly think I'd take the 10th and the 17th. the first week of November tends to be dead for me here in NE Ohio.
 

Jake_C

Junior Member
Same problem I have very year. Summer seems to drag on forever, late September arrives and I'm fired up. I have a plan to slow me down this year. Wonder if it will work?

Not if you're anything like me Hortontoter. I'm the same way. so pumped by the time season gets here i hunt damn near every morning and every afternoon i can. I don't usually burn myself out, just all my spots!
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,246
145
Columbus
What part of Ohio are you in? The more time I spend in the woods, the more I like later in the rut. Took my buck on the 13th last year and saw great action the 12th-14th. Also had big daylight cruisers on camera on November 21st and 22nd. Over the years I think I've seen the biggest bucks chasing the 12th-18th of November. I honestly think I'd take the 10th and the 17th. the first week of November tends to be dead for me here in NE Ohio.

I'll be hunting SE, Jackson county. Thanks for the input, this will be the first year I've hunted this property or that part of the state that early in the year as I usually don't hunt SE til gun and that's always been on public. I'll have to weigh all my options and just pick the dates and stick with it and see what happens lol.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,893
260
SW Ohio
There are several reasons as to why choose hunting the earlier dates besides the lockdown. That initial light switch the week approaching Halloween can be extremely productive as bucks really start getting stupid as they expand their ranges and daytime activity.
Plus the bucks you're after have a better chance of still being alive or uninjured from another hunters less than perfect shot and their racks also have a lot less chance of being busted up from rut fights or over aggressive rubbing.

Certainly we all wish we can hunt for 2-3 straight months so we don't miss a thing....rotflmao

I have also noticed great movement of mature bucks during the 3rd and 4th week of Nov. but because of the reasons I mentioned above I'd have to lean towards hunting earlier.
 
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I've had my best luck from about Nov. 4-12 in Carroll County, but I seldom miss hunting the day of Halloween. I have nothing against youth season, but I do believe it has a negative effect on the bow hunter. I've always seen a dramatic drop in sightings after youth gun season.

Ric makes a good point, the longer you wait the more bucks that have already been killed.
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,246
145
Columbus
There are several reasons as to why choose hunting the earlier dates besides the lockdown. That initial light switch the week approaching Halloween can be extremely productive as bucks really start getting stupid as they expand their ranges and daytime activity.
Plus the bucks you're after have a better chance of still being alive or uninjured from another hunters less than perfect shot and their racks also have a lot less chance of being busted up from rut fights or over aggressive rubbing.

Certainly we all wish we can hunt for 2-3 straight months so we don't miss a thing....rotflmao

I have also noticed great movement of mature bucks during the 3rd and 4th week of Nov. but because of the reasons I mentioned above I'd have to lean towards hunting earlier.

Well that does it, I've made up my mind. I'm putting in for the 27th and the 3rd. Thanks everyone for your opinions and input on this. I don't have anything against the youth season either and will hopefully be hunting that weekend as well, with my orange on of course LOL. Doesn't hurt to be in a tree with the kiddos out running around maybe bumping something up. No matter how you slice it it's hands-down the best time of year to be in the woods. Best of luck to everyone regardless of when you're taking off!
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,079
223
Ohio
Since I'm not taking any bird hunting trips out west this year, I made a last minute decision to take next week off and bowhunt every day. I'm excited as hell and I'm loving this extended weather forecast! I have a feeling there will be a lot of nice bucks hitting the dirt next week. I won't be able to hunt in the evenings but it's okay. I'll be sitting in a nice hardwoods funnel from sunrise to about 2:00 or 3:00 pm every day, Saturday the 28th through Sunday the 5th. I like my chances!
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Since I'm not taking any bird hunting trips out west this year, I made a last minute decision to take next week off and bowhunt every day. I'm excited as hell and I'm loving this extended weather forecast! I have a feeling there will be a lot of nice bucks hitting the dirt next week. I won't be able to hunt in the evenings but it's okay. I'll be sitting in a nice hardwoods funnel from sunrise to about 2:00 or 3:00 pm every day, Saturday the 28th through Sunday the 5th. I like my chances!

Awesome Jimbo! Good luck buddy
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,246
145
Columbus
Every weekend between now and gun season lol. Couldn’t swing any extra day off. Might be a sick day or 2 in the near future though [emoji41]