Well, I didn't do a very good job at updating my log this week. TOO lazy to fire up the computer and TOO difficult to type it all up on the phone. I'm back to work tonight, so figured this would be the perfect time to update the log.
10/24
After hunting that morning until the rain hit, I decided to move the stand on the Oak Flat 75 yards north up the ridge. I had hunted the stand half a dozen times, and each time, I had does feed in from the North, and hang up around 40 yards out. Upon scouting, I found the acorn supply to be better, so the stand move made sense. The flat is 40 yards wide from the fence row to the west, to where the hill drops off to the east. I hung the stand in a split Oak 25ft high at the crest of the hill. This is perfect for a West wind, and since the difference in elevation below me is 30-40', I feel very confident that I won't get winded.
After moving the stand, I also moved the camera into where the deer had been feeding to get a better idea of when they are feeding through. The camera check from the previous week revealed that the big eight I had pictures of in velvet had made another appearance, along with three new bucks. SWEET!
Once I finished up, I headed back to the house to grab a bite to eat and head out to move three other cameras and scout a little. After taking down the cams, I walked the field edges and started finding scrapes in the usual places. I set the BEC up over a ground scrape below a low hanging oak branch, figuring this would make for great entertainment since the pictures would be sent straight to the computer. Not 30 yards down the field edge from the BEC, I found a fresh rub on a tree the big bucks seem to hit every year. The tree is probably six inches in diameter, but there is a huge knot where they continuously hit it and it is closer to 10" wide at that point. Ended up finding a dozen scrapes along the field edge, and another half dozen up the creek bottom. Once I placed the other two cameras where I wanted them, I headed back to the house to get dry and regroup for an evening hunt.
I got a late start Monday evening, but decided I was going to go into where I expected Claw was coming from, a spot that I had been leaving alone until the time was right. After the rain, I knew I could slip in without being detected, and I figured this was my chance. I decided to pack light, taking only my range finder, pull rope, and the LW/Muddy combo out, hanging a stand on the flat above the creek bottom, with Oaks ahead of me and bedding behind me. Around 5:30, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye, and working up the creek bottom is none other than Claw. He had came from the thick nasty stuff to my 5 'o'clock and was working away from me. At this point, he was 50y out and headed the wrong direction, and without having any calls, all I could do is sit and watch as he disappeared. I was pumped; he looked damn good in person, and it felt good to finally be on the right track. I decided to leave the stand and head back in the morning to see if he would come back through.
10/25
Got up nice and early, and was on stand @ 0630. Sat until eleven, and didn't see a single deer. After taking the stand down, I decided to use the wet leaves to my advantage and do a little scouting. Approximately 200 yards down the flat, I find 200 lbs of apples and corn piled up 15 yards from the base of a tree with a stand it it. Great, I wasn't the only one hunting this area. I turned around, heading back to the top of the ridge to scout more. Looking for acorns, I stumbled on to another 100lbs of pears, and a stand not 20 yards away. What the hell? I had spent all spring/summer scouting this area, and someone else had come in and laid claim to it. At this point, I decided I had seen enough; filled with disappointment, I headed back for the house.
I had just pulled in the driveway when a guy from down the road, an out of town hunter, pulled in the drive. He was curious as to where I was hunting, as he had seen me come up out of the woods. He proceeded to tell me that he had stands down in there, and that he was leasing the property next to it, and it "stay out of there." I have never been one to hunt land I don't have permission, and I try to stay away from hunting property lines, as I feel it is the right thing to do. Something about the way he approached the conversation sort of set me off, and the nice guy in me instantly shut down, and I flat out quit talking. I think he finally caught my vibe, and headed on down the road.
At this point, any excitement from seeing Claw the day before had vanished. I knew that there was one other person hunting that area, but in my conversation with this guy, I found out that he also hunted it, along with two other guys that were "filming." I was beyond bummed. I'm not the type of person to go in and hunt someone else's setup, or hang anywhere close to where someone is hunting. I try to have the same respect for my fellow hunters as I would expect from them, even though I hardly ever see the favor returned.
I was in a "funk" the rest of the day, and ended up napping instead of hunting.
10/26
I woke up @ 5am to the sound of rain pounding down on the roof. After taking a look at the weather, it looked like there was going to be a steady rain until around 9, when it would slack off and quit. I threw on my hunting clothes and packed a bag full of extra layers and headed for the stand. I had already changed through two layers without a sighting, when the lightening came. It came out of nowhere and was on top of me before I could make a move. I swear, I've never climbed out of a tree so fast, as I'm pretty sure my feet only hit every third rung on the way down.
That evening, I had stuff to do in town, so I went in and grabbed some stuff at Dunham's, did what I needed to do, and met the wife for dinner.