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2012 Hickslawns Shed Thread

hickslawns

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Hit is today in a woods I do not have permission to hunt, but I do have permission to hunt next to. 100acre property with about half being woods. Pretty huge for around here. Especially big if you consider this is just the one owner and another owner has at least another 50 acres of woods connected. We walked an estimated 3miles (minimum) and came up with zero sheds. Found plenty of tracks. Kicked up no less than a dozen deer. Saw some yote tracks. Took Geoffrey along again. We did find 3 carcasses in various states of disassembly. All three were within 30 yards of each other. I am pretty sure this is where the yotes have been dragging them to. One was picked clean and I would guess it was from gun season yahoos that never recovered their deer. The other two? I don't know. We have called from here before but did not have any luck. My buddy did call one in and kill it there last year (on the property to the south).

Miles- 3+
Sheds- None
 
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Hit is today in a woods I do not have permission to hunt, but I do have permission to hunt next to. 100acre property with about half being woods. Pretty huge for around here. Especially big if you consider this is just the one owner and another owner has at least another 50 acres of woods connected. We walked an estimated 3miles (minimum) and came up with zero sheds. Found plenty of tracks. Kicked up no less than a dozen deer. Saw some yote tracks. Took Geoffrey along again. We did find 3 carcasses in various states of disassembly. All three were within 30 yards of each other. I am pretty sure this is where the yotes have been dragging them to. One was picked clean and I would guess it was from gun season yahoos that never recovered their deer. The other two? I don't know. We have called from here before but did not have any luck. My buddy did call one in and kill it there last year (on the property to the south).

Miles- 3+
Sheds- None

I know bad shots happen, but I've seen way to much of it this season, seen 15 shot does bucks and yearlings when I'm shed hunting, a shame!
 

hickslawns

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Walked my legs off today. Covered 2 properties. My legs were feeling it and I found the first one which was the biggest of the day. Not a monster, but might make 130's next year with a good growing season. Should be P&Y if other side matches. Sparked another burst of energy. Walking the same area, I found an oldie. Probably been sitting there one year at a minimum, possibly more. Last year this field was not cut. Hadn't been cut for several years actually. Upon walking some more, i ended up finding a dead head. Not cool! There were several decent little 8pt bucks running this property in the summer and that was about the only thing on camera during the season as well. Pretty weird for this property. Not sure where all the big boys got to on this farm last season. Even being a smaller 8pt, I hate to find them dead. I am leaning towards hit by a car. Antler was broken off at the skull. I can't think of anything else which might have done this. Would locking up with a big boy and getting an antler busted at the skull be a possibility? Seems a stretch, but that is the only other thing I can think of.
 

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finelyshedded

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Great job Phil! That's a great shed TOO! I hate hear about any dead unrecovered deer. That's a shame but it happens.
 

hickslawns

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Called the WO today. Left him a message. Walked in the house and my phone was ringing. He said he could meet me whenever I wanted to get a tag for the dead head. Asked if I had picked it up. I said Nope. Met him 15min later at the property. I am not giving out his name or Jesse will try to get him to cover Washington County. Hahaaha Pretty impressive response time in my opinion.

He aged the lower jaw and said the deer was between 1yr 5mo and 1yr 7mo. At this age, there is a molar which starts to move up into place and it was beginning to do so. Hmm. Took advantage of the fact he was on one of my properties. Showed him pictures of the truck which generally has our trespasser. Walked him to show him the route the trespasser takes into the woods. Informed him the land owners have told me he would NOT be allowed in there next year. This year the guy had permission to take his son on youth season. He used the permission slip to park and slide in the backside. Not next year.

Here is the broken antler/skull of the dead head. He agreed it was most likely hit by a car.
 

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hickslawns

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That's good news Phil! Gotta love it! Hope he keeps an eye on it.

Thanks Ric. I agree it is good news. Really hoping this property heats up again next year. We hunted the other farm pretty hard this year. Had a 140ish 8pt and a 150+" 8pt taken over there. Would sort of like to let a couple of the youngsters grow up and generally lay off it until the rut this year. That is our plan anyway.
 

hickslawns

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Rather disappointed. The weeds are greening up and growing quickly. I am seeing green inside the woods as well. Just getting tougher and tougher to find them. Even so, I took Geoffrey out on the quad to search as many miles of fence row and edges as we could cover this afternoon. Covered just under 10 miles of edges and found nothing. We did take the names of three trespassers and make them aware of the property lines though. Dang kids. Should have snapped pictures of them as well but didn't. That is okay. I am pretty sure I have pictures of one of them already on trail camera. I will be passing this info along to the property owners here shortly.
 

hickslawns

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Hit a new property this afternoon. I am familiar with the property, but just received permission to shed hunt it. We did hunt it last year, but it had a different owner then. To my surprise, my wife wanted to join us. I think she must be sick. haha

Right out of the gates, our nephew Geoffrey found his first shed! It is probably 1-2 years old, but a nice find no matter what the age. The fact it was an older one partially buried makes it a little tougher to find in my opinion. I was pumped for him! He was on a mission the rest of the hunt and never lost focus. The rest of us were skunked. Garrett found a toad and my wife found a raccoon skull though. My wife said she found it to be a fun family adventure much to her own surprise.
 

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Gern186

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Phil, that's great news for Geoffrey and to hear that your wife went along with you. Awesome!

Geoffrey is a nice looking young man. Keep him in the outdoors and he will turn out just fine.
 

Hoytmania

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That is some great news Phil, and I second the comment about Geofrey looking like a fine young man. Be sure to tell him I said congrats on finding the shed.