Ric and Karissa's hunting journal for the 2016-2017 season
- Thread starter finelyshedded
- Start date
Thanks guys! You should she her sneaking through the woods like a ninja! I'm smiling the whole time!
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
Mao
Member
Gordo
Senior Member
Our journal is way overdue for an update. I've been hunting dark to dark on the only props I have permission and yet to see any heated up rut activity. Ron and I just haven't been in close enough proximity of a doe that close or already in heat yet. Neither has Karissa when we're out together. The rut is on although IMO, the majority starts after we lower ourselves and our gear from the tree and head back to our vehicles. We just have to continue doing what we've been doing and hope eventually that special doe is in the area we're hunting. Right now, we're not even in the same area code! rotflmao
I've been getting some real nice deer hitting scrapes but they're all at night so they must be traveling some distance as these are also the first time they've visited this property this year!
Anywho, we'll just keep hunting hard and hope for the best! We're still all having a great time enjoying the great outdoors!
I've been getting some real nice deer hitting scrapes but they're all at night so they must be traveling some distance as these are also the first time they've visited this property this year!
Anywho, we'll just keep hunting hard and hope for the best! We're still all having a great time enjoying the great outdoors!
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Just hang with it! From my world-view stand I saw bucks running all over the place around Halloween. I'm still seeing deer but they are not acting rutty. That can and will change immediately when a certain doe's clock says it's go time. Good luck brother!
Ron and I hunted our asses off last week on our farm and lease. Shit was happening but just not where we were when hunting both spots. I left and came back home to the SW part of the state to pretty much the same movement and observations I had in the SE properties.
However I did have a shooter 10 finally show up at 11:20am on Friday morning. He stopped with his nose to the ground about 10 yards from my large shooting window out in the 35-38 yard range. I was already a full draw by that point but he started walking away with his nose still on the ground. I let down and gave him a few soft grunts as he was out to about 60 yards by then. I stopped him but he just wasn't in the right state of mind or mood to be stupid. Kinda timid actually, I got him to come come back in to about 50 yards but when he didn't see any deer or bucks in my direction he turned and went back to walking away.
When Karissa got home from school later that afternoon she joined me and we hunted till dark with just a few small buck and doe sightings. The small doe we watched most of the 3 days after I returned home was no doubt waiting for its mom to return from her booty call.
Saturday we hunted from dark to 1:30 as the farmer started picking his beans and since he was going to be coming within close distance to us we used the noise as a way to slip out. I also wanted to get our permission slips signed by him as well. Our schedules are very different and he lives about and hour from his farm as well.
We got our slips signed and climbed back up for another slow night but we at least saw the same few small deer.
Sunday, I opted to let us both catch up on our rest and we got up at 8 and I made us a nice big ole breakfast to hold us over for the all day hunt that lay ahead. We arrived at our parking spot about 8:45 and as I was getting ready to throw on my backpack Karissa whispered, Hey daddy, there's a buck standing across the road in the high weeds watching us and I think he was getting ready to cross the road to us. I saw him whispered let's walk straight away from him to our stand ASAP. After the quick 150 yard walk in and along the creek we made it up into our stand in record time although I was somewhat winded! lmao
From that point on till noon we had deer movement pretty much all around us non stop and she passed several small bucks during that stretch. During this period I had the camera on videoing a young 2.5 old 8 encroaching upon a slightly older and bigger 8 that had a doe pinned down 75 yards to our west. We couldn't see them but knew they were there as other deer would walk by and stare at what I presume was them near a treetop of a tree that fell over this summer. As I was trying to get Karissa's take on what all we saw up to that point all hell breaks loose and Karissa got to witness her very first runtting action. The doe snorted, the bigger buck grunted and the chasing ensued. It was cool catching it all on tape with her. Here is the small video:
The action died off around noon and nothing showed back up till 4:45. It sure makes for a long day when they just lay around waiting for the sun to set for a long night of breeding activities! At 5:10 I looked out to the SE across a 20 acre freshly cut beanfield and see a shooter 10 pushing a doe our way about 175 yards out. Sadly as quickly as she brought him she took him away as they got no closer than 140-150 yards. The other small bucks just seem to appear out of nowhere standing around watching the 10 do his thing. As light started it's quick descent the 3.5 heavy 8 jumped in on the action so we slipped on out.
It sucks that things are beginning to heat up just as I have to go back to work but that is hunting. Hope they're still around come Friday, cuz I'll be there waiting!
ickle:
However I did have a shooter 10 finally show up at 11:20am on Friday morning. He stopped with his nose to the ground about 10 yards from my large shooting window out in the 35-38 yard range. I was already a full draw by that point but he started walking away with his nose still on the ground. I let down and gave him a few soft grunts as he was out to about 60 yards by then. I stopped him but he just wasn't in the right state of mind or mood to be stupid. Kinda timid actually, I got him to come come back in to about 50 yards but when he didn't see any deer or bucks in my direction he turned and went back to walking away.
When Karissa got home from school later that afternoon she joined me and we hunted till dark with just a few small buck and doe sightings. The small doe we watched most of the 3 days after I returned home was no doubt waiting for its mom to return from her booty call.
Saturday we hunted from dark to 1:30 as the farmer started picking his beans and since he was going to be coming within close distance to us we used the noise as a way to slip out. I also wanted to get our permission slips signed by him as well. Our schedules are very different and he lives about and hour from his farm as well.
We got our slips signed and climbed back up for another slow night but we at least saw the same few small deer.
Sunday, I opted to let us both catch up on our rest and we got up at 8 and I made us a nice big ole breakfast to hold us over for the all day hunt that lay ahead. We arrived at our parking spot about 8:45 and as I was getting ready to throw on my backpack Karissa whispered, Hey daddy, there's a buck standing across the road in the high weeds watching us and I think he was getting ready to cross the road to us. I saw him whispered let's walk straight away from him to our stand ASAP. After the quick 150 yard walk in and along the creek we made it up into our stand in record time although I was somewhat winded! lmao
From that point on till noon we had deer movement pretty much all around us non stop and she passed several small bucks during that stretch. During this period I had the camera on videoing a young 2.5 old 8 encroaching upon a slightly older and bigger 8 that had a doe pinned down 75 yards to our west. We couldn't see them but knew they were there as other deer would walk by and stare at what I presume was them near a treetop of a tree that fell over this summer. As I was trying to get Karissa's take on what all we saw up to that point all hell breaks loose and Karissa got to witness her very first runtting action. The doe snorted, the bigger buck grunted and the chasing ensued. It was cool catching it all on tape with her. Here is the small video:
The action died off around noon and nothing showed back up till 4:45. It sure makes for a long day when they just lay around waiting for the sun to set for a long night of breeding activities! At 5:10 I looked out to the SE across a 20 acre freshly cut beanfield and see a shooter 10 pushing a doe our way about 175 yards out. Sadly as quickly as she brought him she took him away as they got no closer than 140-150 yards. The other small bucks just seem to appear out of nowhere standing around watching the 10 do his thing. As light started it's quick descent the 3.5 heavy 8 jumped in on the action so we slipped on out.
It sucks that things are beginning to heat up just as I have to go back to work but that is hunting. Hope they're still around come Friday, cuz I'll be there waiting!
ickle:
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Great update! It sounds to me like you had a classic rut hunt; lots of seat time broken up by moments of fun! Honestly, I hate the rut for this very reason. You two hang with it, one will come by eventually.