Hedgelj 2019-20
- Thread starter Hedgelj
- Start date
This one would be a game time decision. He's really close to my personal ideas of a buck to punch a tag for but not sure if he meets it all.
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This guy has a nice spread but not the height of the others.
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Just had an encounter with this guy. He came through a field behind me. I knew was him working the scrape on the field edge behind me, heard him break some of the branch with his mouth.
Very awkward angle. I was pulled up (crossbow) and studied him. Then got a puff of breeze (he was almost perfectly downwind) and he winded me.
He ran about 50 yards away, snorted but it wasn't as obnoxious a snort as I've heard before more like a hard blow of the nose. Entered the woods and walked downhill away from me.
He's wide, and tall but not a lot of mass. He got a pass today (first sit) but may not get another.
I'm okay if i get him or even if i don't.
Do you think this stand set up is burned ? I have had deer around me upwind all day. One other doe winded me earlier from the field. I currently have a button buck futzing around at 20 yards so i think I'm okay. Thoughts?
Correction the button buck just laid down at 17 yards from me almost exactly 180° from where the big boy winded me.
About 9 hours in the stand today.
I'm moving around the farm picking my location based upon the prevailing wind. Using my knowledge of the woods to pick my general location.
Finding an appropriate tree for a climber isn't hard but it's not as easy as I had assumed. Today I learned that smaller leads to more swaying with the breeze and my movements.
Saw 4
2 does - they busted me at 20 yards slightly (not directly) downwind of me. They may also have spotted my movement. They snorted and trotted off.
Decent potential little 8 he was a few minutes behind the does, paid me absolutely no mind, even though he went directly downwind of me at one point.
Little 6pt, he goofed off in front of me at 15-30 yards for 10 minutes around sunset.
I guess I'm doing a decent job of scent minimization.
I'm moving around the farm picking my location based upon the prevailing wind. Using my knowledge of the woods to pick my general location.
Finding an appropriate tree for a climber isn't hard but it's not as easy as I had assumed. Today I learned that smaller leads to more swaying with the breeze and my movements.
Saw 4
2 does - they busted me at 20 yards slightly (not directly) downwind of me. They may also have spotted my movement. They snorted and trotted off.
Decent potential little 8 he was a few minutes behind the does, paid me absolutely no mind, even though he went directly downwind of me at one point.
Little 6pt, he goofed off in front of me at 15-30 yards for 10 minutes around sunset.
I guess I'm doing a decent job of scent minimization.
Did you ever climb a tree in AK? That’ll make you understand sway
. It’s also where I learned my love of ground hunting. The last moose I shot was from 6 yards as I was looking up at him.
. It’s also where I learned my love of ground hunting. The last moose I shot was from 6 yards as I was looking up at him.
Pulled the cards the other day, I'll have another post about my bowhunting experiences so far.
We've got a lot of coyotes but also keeping a few foxes around.
We've got a lot of coyotes but also keeping a few foxes around.
Bowhunting thoughts:
I really enjoy it, its quiet, relaxed and I can tell there are aspects I need to learn (or unlearn gun hunting aspects). I need to learn how the patterns of movement change.
I loved my first days (mid to late october) the deer were active, saw some scrapes worked from my stands, etc.
Then I was busy and couldn't get out until lockdown and after. Completely different movement patterns as well as many fewer sightings. It also got unseasonably cold but it was nice.
Looking forward to more of it.
I really enjoy it, its quiet, relaxed and I can tell there are aspects I need to learn (or unlearn gun hunting aspects). I need to learn how the patterns of movement change.
I loved my first days (mid to late october) the deer were active, saw some scrapes worked from my stands, etc.
Then I was busy and couldn't get out until lockdown and after. Completely different movement patterns as well as many fewer sightings. It also got unseasonably cold but it was nice.
Looking forward to more of it.
Gun season 2019.
I had some issues with my 44 mag last year. Went to sight it in and am pretty sure the scope is broke so I"ll be shooting it a bit more, confirming and then sending it in to Leuopold to get looked at. Its not consistently tracking as I move the turrents. Also not sure if its holding zero or what.
My 444marlin didn't have a rear sling attachment and since I was treestand hunting primarily that's a problem. Need to get that fixed for next year.
Anyhow, IthoughtI had the 44 mag sighted in. My BILmissed a long shot at one early in the week. Then I took multiple long (>120 yard) shots with it and missed but figured it was me.
Sunday of gun season the wind was right to hunt the one part of the farm that no one had been on all year. I took my son and we fought through 50 yards of briars taller than my head to get where I wanted to sit at. It wasn't fun and we were both bleeding before we got into position. Anyhow, he was mainly behind the ghost blind and I was next to it. We were looking different directions watching a hillside and a valley. Around 745 he whispered "deer". I turned and here was a nice doe working around the hillside towards us. She was under 20 yards and turned to make her way up hill. I told him that as soon as she moved into position I was shooting. Then he goes "BUCK"!!! There was a really nice 8/10 pt following right behind her. I stopped to look at him and decided to move back to her but all that movement with 4 eyes that close was too much and they bounded away with no good shot opportunities. Then my son got cold and decided to put his head under the blanket. He'd been like that for a few minutes and around 820 a doe came by on a similar path to the first one. I pulled up and let him know I'd be shooting and he jerked, she saw the movement and took off. I snap shot at her and missed. This is when I began to doubt my gun. On the way out I stopped and put up a target and hit it at 20 yards so maybe it was the jerk on the trigger.
Flash forward to Saturday of bonus weekend. Sitting in a stand by myself. Had a spike wander past just after shooting light. Then nothing for a few hours. At around 1120 I saw 2 does and a buck moving through. The buck got past over for "brown is down". She stopped at 50 yards and I shot, she acted hit and I shot again. She crossed into some thick stuff and crashed down. The buck had bounded up the hill to about 80 yards (ranged it) and stood there for 10 minutes before wandering off. I waited 30 minutes and climbed down. Walked over to her expecting a dead deer and she got up and ran away from me. Then she crossed into an overgrown field and stood broadside while I attempted to drop her at 150 yards. No dice. Called my brother and dad and they were coming out so I watched her bed down in some briars and had them come set up blocking positions. She got up and ran right to my brother who dropped her. Where the bullet holes were and considering it was an unrushed initial shot I wasn't happy. Retired the 44 until Ican figure it out. My brother tagged her and took the meat which I was fine with because he really wanted it and I was going to give it to him anyhow.
Sunday of bonus gun. I was sitting in the same tree but with my muzzleloader. Had a guy up above me in a different stand. I thought I saw a coyote early on but he never showed himself again. Other than that saw nothing but squirrels. I could only sit part of the day so the guy texted if I wanted him to go for a wander around 10. I said sure as I was getting out of the stand between 1130 and noon anyway. Well he bounced up a fork, 6 point and a doe past me. I missed my first shot at her head (year I know) but she stood around looking around long enough for me to reload and put one behind her shoulder.
Using blackhorn 209 and xtp mag 240 grains at 20 yards, entrance right behind the right shoulder and exit in front of the left shoulder, through both lungs and the heart. Entrance was almost big enough to put my fist through but the exit was a small hole.....there was a chunk of lung at the initial shot location and a massive blood trail for the 15 yards she ran till she died. Just weird wound pattern. I think hit a rib and broke off a chunk of the bullet causing the weird wound pattern but dunno.
Now onto muzzleloading season next weekend, gonna sit with the kids some more.
I had some issues with my 44 mag last year. Went to sight it in and am pretty sure the scope is broke so I"ll be shooting it a bit more, confirming and then sending it in to Leuopold to get looked at. Its not consistently tracking as I move the turrents. Also not sure if its holding zero or what.
My 444marlin didn't have a rear sling attachment and since I was treestand hunting primarily that's a problem. Need to get that fixed for next year.
Anyhow, IthoughtI had the 44 mag sighted in. My BILmissed a long shot at one early in the week. Then I took multiple long (>120 yard) shots with it and missed but figured it was me.
Sunday of gun season the wind was right to hunt the one part of the farm that no one had been on all year. I took my son and we fought through 50 yards of briars taller than my head to get where I wanted to sit at. It wasn't fun and we were both bleeding before we got into position. Anyhow, he was mainly behind the ghost blind and I was next to it. We were looking different directions watching a hillside and a valley. Around 745 he whispered "deer". I turned and here was a nice doe working around the hillside towards us. She was under 20 yards and turned to make her way up hill. I told him that as soon as she moved into position I was shooting. Then he goes "BUCK"!!! There was a really nice 8/10 pt following right behind her. I stopped to look at him and decided to move back to her but all that movement with 4 eyes that close was too much and they bounded away with no good shot opportunities. Then my son got cold and decided to put his head under the blanket. He'd been like that for a few minutes and around 820 a doe came by on a similar path to the first one. I pulled up and let him know I'd be shooting and he jerked, she saw the movement and took off. I snap shot at her and missed. This is when I began to doubt my gun. On the way out I stopped and put up a target and hit it at 20 yards so maybe it was the jerk on the trigger.
Flash forward to Saturday of bonus weekend. Sitting in a stand by myself. Had a spike wander past just after shooting light. Then nothing for a few hours. At around 1120 I saw 2 does and a buck moving through. The buck got past over for "brown is down". She stopped at 50 yards and I shot, she acted hit and I shot again. She crossed into some thick stuff and crashed down. The buck had bounded up the hill to about 80 yards (ranged it) and stood there for 10 minutes before wandering off. I waited 30 minutes and climbed down. Walked over to her expecting a dead deer and she got up and ran away from me. Then she crossed into an overgrown field and stood broadside while I attempted to drop her at 150 yards. No dice. Called my brother and dad and they were coming out so I watched her bed down in some briars and had them come set up blocking positions. She got up and ran right to my brother who dropped her. Where the bullet holes were and considering it was an unrushed initial shot I wasn't happy. Retired the 44 until Ican figure it out. My brother tagged her and took the meat which I was fine with because he really wanted it and I was going to give it to him anyhow.
Sunday of bonus gun. I was sitting in the same tree but with my muzzleloader. Had a guy up above me in a different stand. I thought I saw a coyote early on but he never showed himself again. Other than that saw nothing but squirrels. I could only sit part of the day so the guy texted if I wanted him to go for a wander around 10. I said sure as I was getting out of the stand between 1130 and noon anyway. Well he bounced up a fork, 6 point and a doe past me. I missed my first shot at her head (year I know) but she stood around looking around long enough for me to reload and put one behind her shoulder.
Using blackhorn 209 and xtp mag 240 grains at 20 yards, entrance right behind the right shoulder and exit in front of the left shoulder, through both lungs and the heart. Entrance was almost big enough to put my fist through but the exit was a small hole.....there was a chunk of lung at the initial shot location and a massive blood trail for the 15 yards she ran till she died. Just weird wound pattern. I think hit a rib and broke off a chunk of the bullet causing the weird wound pattern but dunno.
Now onto muzzleloading season next weekend, gonna sit with the kids some more.