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Phil's 2013/2014 Hunting Journal

hickslawns

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Today: One dink at 60-80yds. Had a doe come thru and offer a 10yd shot but this is a "no doe" property. She was downwind, I was crinkling the wrapper from a granola bar and under 20yds. Must have been deaf, dumb, and blind or something. Later my buddy asked why I didn't shoot her? Huh? Those aren't my rules. Your name is on the deed. lol

Found some nice fresh rubs on the walk out. Not a sapling but not a 6-8" tree. Some of the rubs were up to 4-5' high. Not too shabby.





Didn't hunt tonight but road scouted. Saw a pretty nice buck. Probably 130's to 140" 8pt it appeared. The frame looked very familiar. I know these genetics. I liked seeing what I saw.

Time on stand: 5hrs
Deer seen: 2
Shot opps: 1

Season totals:
Sits: 20
Time on stand: 69.5hrs
Deer seen: 57
Shot opps: 24
 
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hickslawns

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Was a little busy yesterday. Didn't have time to update. Playing catchup at work today as well. Got into the stand a bit late. By the time I clipped on my release it was legal shooting light. Fortunately the stand I was hunting seems like deer show up an hour or two after legal light. Saw my first deer around 8-830. 2yr old 8pt buck who has been scrapping and turned himself into a 6pt. Shortly after a doe popped out of the corn. She worked her way towards me while keeping an eye on the buck. Finally got in front of me and dipped back into the corn. She mingled around and eventually offered herself for a shot. I had already verified she was not a button buck so I really just waited on the shot. Should have waited a bit longer. I believe my arrow clipped a tree limb I thought I would miss. Shot was a bit high on near side. It entered at the shoulder, went thru the paddle, and exited middle of chest on off side. She was at 31yds but this stand is in the nose bleed section. Would have liked to have shot her about 3-6" lower but dead is dead. She spray painted the corn stalks for 70yds and then all I could see was flashes of white kicking and flopping around. She dead.

Young buck never showed again. Not sure what happened to him. I could see 4 does on the other side of the corn in a food plot 4-500yds away though. They disappeared as well. Half an hour to an hour later they also popped out of the corn in the same area she had. Momma doe with 2 fawns made the journey thru the corn. Momma was on high alert and sniffed the blood trail all the way to the remnants of my broken arrow. She then followed the blood all the way back to the doe, although did so 15yds downwind of it. All three passed by at 10-15yds which allowed a nice cell phone picture I posted on FB. When they got to where she ran, Momma doe walked back to the blood and then walked up on the dead doe. At this point she jumped and her fawns jumped as well. Seemed like she was just starting to ease up until they saw Rhonda laying there dead. After this, momma decided it was time to move along. Something wasn't right. While I had planned on continuing to hunt and give my doe an hour, this confirmed she was dead and not getting up. This also confirmed I had buggered up the area. I drug her back to the stand and scooted home to get the quad after changing into some different clothes.

Hunt: 645-945am
Deer seen: 6
Deer killed: 1
Season totals:
Sits: 21
Time on stand: 72.5hrs
Deer seen: 63
Shot opps: 28
Shots taken: 2
Deer tagged: 1
 

Curran

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Congrats on the big ole doe Phil!!! Love those painted corn stalks. That's a favorite sight of mine, just something about it makes me feel warm & fuzzy!
 

hickslawns

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Congrats on the big ole doe Phil!!! Love those painted corn stalks. That's a favorite sight of mine, just something about it makes me feel warm & fuzzy!

I was initially not sure about my shot. Ask Milo. I texted him. I saw fletchings sticking out high. I watched her run off and drop/kick, but there was uncertainty. She must have flinched when I shot because it entered high but exited mid chest cavity. Must have snapped the arrow dropping or twisting upon impact, thus the fletchings sticking out high. The blood trail was simply impressive. Probably the best blood trail I have ever created. Had a good one last year, but not like this. She was still spraying until she dropped. Cause of death? Ran out of oil. Seized the pistons. Might have spun a main bearing or thrown a connecting rod even. lmao
 

oakswamper

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I went to the farm to get wood for the smoker yesterday and only saw 1 scrape on the lane. Went back today and there was 4 and 3 new rubs right where I cut the wood lol.
Things must be pickin up around our area
 

hickslawns

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Good deal Oakswamper!

Got in late this morning. Windy as heck. Warmer than usual. Finally saw a huge doe with a couple larger fawns around 100yds off. They moved in behind me (down wind) and closed the gap to 50yds. Came up on the path I walked in. Bolted. Not sure what to think. I had just washed all my gear. Had Evercalm on my boots and had smoked everything really well. Only thing I could figure was the blood I forgot to wash off after dragging the doe out on Sunday. Was ready to call it quits around 10. Had a lot on my mind lately. When stress and work is bothering you so much it interrupts your mind during early November deer hunting. . . .maybe time to rethink some things. Suddenly had a white german shepherd come trotting in along a fence row. Stuck around another half hour. Saw nothing.

Momma doe with fawns in tow. No bucks to be seen but did see some new rubs. Not sure it is quit up to temperature around my parts just yet.

Time on stand: 7-1030
Deer seen: 3

Season totals:
Sits: 22
Time on stand: 76hrs
Deer seen: 66
Shot opps: 28
Shots taken: 2
Deer tagged: 1
 

hickslawns

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Moon overhead at 430pm today. At 428pm I see my first deer. A doe with her two fawns from this spring. They were feeding in a food plot. Made their way towards me but just wouldn't quite commit. In bow range, but Momma was unsure what she was seeing. We had a staredown for a long long time. She finally decided she just didn't like something and turned around to leave. Took her youngsters back across the food plot and then started blowing. Weird. One would think she would have done this while under the stand. She ended up coming back thru a couple more times with similar reaction. Later saw a lone deer in behind me at roughly 50yds. She fed in the bean field all summer on a regular basis by herself. Beautiful evening. Just not what I was hoping for.

Time in stand: 245-6pm
Deer seen: 4

Season totals:
Sits: 23
Time on stand: 79.25hrs
Deer seen: 70
Shot opps: 29
Shots taken: 2
Deer tagged: 1
 

MK111

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Congrats on the doe. Phil you write up some good reads. I'm missing all the fun as I shot my buck too early. I think I will squirrel hunt this weekend an maybe see some activity.
 

hickslawns

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Thanks Frank. I have some more coming your way.

Dark to dark today for me. Been awhile since I have done one of these. Got really sluggish in the middle. Got down froze to death just about noonish. Took a leak in the creek. Decided I wasn't so cold after all by the time I got the climber down out of the tree with all my gear. Had watched two small bucks cruising a field edge from my tree in the morning but would not have a shot. Decided since I was warm again, I would just move to another tree closer to the field edge. So I moved about 15yds and climbed up a different tree to hunt until dark. Bet the squirrels thought I was crazy. Well. . . I know it is debatable but I am not. It proved to be a good move. Had a hot doe come in late. She had a buck in tow! WooHooo!

The buck was Muley.
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He put on some more tine length on the g2 and g3's since these pictures. Narrow rack, but decently tall. I was guessing 6-8" g2/3s in hard antler. Respectable mass. Unfortunately, I had way to much time to look at him. Angel on my shoulder said to pass. Devil on the other shoulder was chanting "KILL HIM!" Angel won. I think he will end up 120" as a typical 8pt with the split g2 on the left side making him a 9pt. Looks like he might be starting a split on his right side for next year and had nubs forming where he will probably be a 10pt main frame next year. In the end, I am just not so sure he is even a 3yr old deer. I bounced back and forth while he and the doe he was following did 2 complete 360's around me at 15-25yds. Truthfully I think they were looking for a place to bed down but the doe was unsure of me.

Amazing hunt! The switch has flipped in this area! I am psyched!

Working on the youtube upload of video I took of Muley from the stand tonight. Hopefully it works.
[video=youtube_share;jCfsuZCQWSA]http://youtu.be/jCfsuZCQWSA[/video]

Hours on stand: 11
Deer seen: 14
Coyotes seen: 1
Deer in range: 2

Season totals:
Sits: 24
Time on stand: 90.25hrs
Deer seen: 84
Shot opps: 31
Shots taken: 2
Deer tagged: 1
 
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