Thinking about antlers more than steel ...

Got the buck fever early.
My property usually does not hold bucks just does and youngins'.
Then around mid Oct I start getting nit pics of bucks and then week later they start showing up in daylight been that way for years but...got this pic early this morning did I oversleep a month???
B ready...WCW
 

 
 
 

Nice looking buck.  45 degrees.....
This temp. change has got my blood pumping. Been working too much JUST got my trail cam up.
I was very pleased to see there is a hard beaten path 20 feet from my ladder stand.
Leaves are falling and under brush is dying.
I hope i can post a similar buck....or better yet a bigger one.........
 

Strange, all three still in velvet............  must be the location?
 

Most likely location as I am in a different time zone.

I find my present location, between dazed and confused, to be relaxing. It's when I am somewhere between lost and found that disturbs me. I hate it when that happens!!

Hunt Safely.........ShiverMeTimber said that.

Saw my first rubbed one on Aug 29 and saw one today still in full velvet. Always figured about 80/85%  lose velvet between Sept 1 and 10.

Doc T.??........... WCW?????........

How was opening day? Any luck?

Only made it out a few hours before sunset myself. Did some still hunting, woods were really quite from the rain, nothing like hunting eye-to-eye. Did see one rub along a trail, hope this is a sign of good things to come. Moon is overhead before dark and will be full in a few days, perhaps this will kick off the pre-rut and get the boys moving, marking their areas.

Still have my electronic eyes out but, seeing only one buck now as compared to seeing them in groups. Another sign the guys are getting ready to put their nose to the wind.

Hope all is well.

Nice looking area...... got those field cams set up to see what's lurking when your not there?

I set two cams up looking in opposite directions under my stand. That way, should the deer be there when I'm not, I'll have pictures to eat. (lol)

Full moon with lunar eclipse the morning of the 8th should get the pre-rut into full swing.

Keep in touch....... Good luck... Bag a big one.

BTDT........... said that.

S-10
Looks like there are still a lot of ferns after 14 years of herd reduction.it's still that way in a area where I used to hunt on the game lands. Very few deer there now but still lots of ferns. Doubt that a soil PH of 4.6 has anything to do with it. LOL

Hee he.......... they had it wrong S-10, when they said 'PH'. (giggle.... giggle) They were thinking 'POS' but, now they can't, Gary has left the building. (chuckle..... snark).

these flats have looked like this since the 70s... basically mature cherry trees a few maples and FERNS.. that's it... you can see many down and leaning cherry trees in the photos that are just so old they have died..
 
 
pick #1 is looking due east... to the North about 75 yards away is a camp, my house, my 2 pastures, and neighbor's  farm fields...
 
picture #2 is looking South.. the flats go out then down a steep hill, across some more flat land (100 yards) then a stream with loads of pines and hemlocks on both sides of the water.. up a hill and across some more flats.. a big hollow ... that I no longer venture down into ... :)
 
 
#3 is West ...  where you see what looks like better woods starting is the start of  slow slopping grounds with lots of hemlocks and pines ... 
 
the deer travel across these flats going to and coming from the fields , they bed in the Hemlocks or go down into the hollow along the stream.
 
Rarely do they stop on the flats.  Where the blind is, is where they start to slow and check out the yard and pasture, and fields... and the apple trees in the nearby camp.
 
I have shot many deer on these flats, but I also stay on my property in a blind... not out on the flats ...
 
I can not tell you how many times I have seen guys post out on the flats and "****" because they see no deer on the flats.. REALLY .. like...  they can see you from 300 yards away in that bright orange outfit ...LOL>>>LOL
 
This "outhouse blind' is between three small Hemlocks, the only ones on the entire "flats"

Doc T.??........... WCW?????........

How was opening day? Any luck?
 
I worked but saw does eating in food plot 1.5 before sunset weather was breezy but good temps.
I am self employed saving my time  for last 3 weeks unless the cam tells me sumthing...
The big 8 has disappeared but now have a 7 pt walking by cam at nite regularly and 2 scrubby yungins' and handful of does.
Good Luck to all yal'...WCW
 

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15 yds. from my stand at 9:24 am 10-08-14..........................
 
Guess who  was someplace else...........  

Checked cams on Sunday-Big 8 showed up 5:30 am 5 min behind a doe.

 
The other buck-it is an 8 not a seven- also made an appearance.

 
Its been a lil while since I got a pic of them so I was encouraged.
I have my cams in nighttime areas next to road and houses my stands are behind them and bedding areas behind the stands.
I decided to start hunting tues afternoon saw lots of does and fawns(8-9 different deer),wed afternoon same thing but does were on alert but never saw buck.
This morning I strolled out checked 1 cam and sure enough 61 minutes after I got down from stand the big 8 came thru he walked right up to camera and posed.

 

 
He's no record breaker but the pics got me motivated to hunt for sure cameras can be a great tool.
I hunted tonite but just saw 1 doe 3 shots nearby shut down deer movement-that's hunting,I enjoyed the time out in the stand sure beats work.
Good luck everyone I see snow in the forecast end of next week should be interesting...WCW

Get the popcorn out this will be a LONG read...
I tagged a buck on SUNDAY!    LEGALLY!   In the state of PA!
 
This story started last archery season when this pretty lil 8 pt came thru multiple times I did not want to shot him but might have if I had a chance.
Saw him a half dozen times but he knew my stand and stayed just far enough away!
This year I worked harder on my food plot stayed out of certain parts of property as much as possible and put up a new tripod removed one stand b/c it was too far back and spooking deer I also stopped running trail cams behind my stands.
All were good moves but not easy.
 
This year I started getting pics of him early but at nite.
I had a gut feeling right away this was the one and it was going to happen one way or another.
 
I did not hunt early season at all just worked and got other things off the list.
Been hunting hard now for 2 weeks as much as possible working eating sleeping in between. Probably over 100 hours in stand.
 
Saw this guy come thru twice but he avoided my old stand I was in.
Had camera set up between new stand and food plot kept getting pics of him strolling by that stand close but never when I was in it.
Friday morning he came thru at 9 am but I was in wrong stand. 
Sat that afternoon  in windy cold snow showers for 4 hours it was brutal he never appeared.
Saturday morning I over slept woke up at daybreak told myself that's alright he's not coming thru til 9 showered and was in stand hour later.
Saw a 6 point and heard him right away but he did not come by stand.
Then about 9:08 he stepped out into field  made a scrape then strolled over to me.
I took a 20-25 yd shot on him but hit his leg then 1 lung and liver.
I did not know how I hit him so I backed out.
I came back hour later found my bolt it was covered in dark blood- liver shot I figured need to wait 4-6 hours then track him.
I was all wound up but waited til 12:30 and went out to slowly track it.
I found several puddles of BRIGHT blood where he stood for a while-lung shot I thought go after him.
I followed a blood trail for 150 yds kicking up multiple deer along the way thru thick swamp brush.
A 6 point ran up to me then turned around- then all kinds of grunting and splashing around me close.Then a BIG 10 pt came at me twice had to wave arms and say GET OUT OF HERE!
I lost the blood trail and circled around multiple times looking for ANYTHING but gave up at 3:15.
I simply was depressed and walked out the easy way to food plot I looked up and saw HIM bedded he got up and hobbled away I lost sight of him quickly tried circling around then heard birds sound off in the direction he was headed his bedding area behind my stands on neighbors property.
 I did not go after him- neighbor was hunting I talked to him 2 hours later explained things to him he said I could look for him in morning as requested.
I called PGC and gave them the story and my info as needed to pursue a deer on Sunday. 
7:30 AM I started after him again it took me a while but I found him right in the area I thought he was.
I pulled out my cell phone and called wife in house to let her know out of the corner of my eye I see him lift his head HE'STILL ALIVE OH NO!
Hung up backed out called the PGC again they said wait an hour he will be done if not they would come out and kill him.
My neighbor showed up to help and we went back he walked up to it and poked it with walking cane the deer sits up but cant get up completely I could not believe what I was seeing.
I backed out he stayed and I called PGC again from house he said he would be out to shoot it.
Meanwhile my neighbor comes back in said it was not moving.
PGC shows up all 3 of us go out after brief conversation.
We get there crawling thru thick stuff I am leading and I get to where he was laying HE'S GONE GUYS....looked to left he had crawled 20 feet oh there he is.
Warden walked up to him 3 feet away and shot him with 22 pistol the deer stands up and faces him head down pointed at him for 30 seconds.
Then collapsed and struggled for 3 minutes.
FINALLY I GOT TO TAG THIS DEER!!!
He was a tough critter hated to see him suffer but I made a decent shot he should have died long before 26 hours after my shot.
He's not my biggest but my most intense hunt ever 15 in inside spread he's PRITTY!
Here's some pics to go with the story recent trail cam pics already posted in rut reports thread- I can not make this stuff up....WCW
 

 

 

 

 

BTDT- Thanks it was just intense over all but got the happy ending!
I love the sled it moves over dry ground just fine will NEVER pull a deer out without one used it last 4-5 years.
It holds the deer nice head propped up no mud or dirt getting in deer.
Easier than drag normally by far and water or snow it drags its self.
There are a lot of models out there now I removed the rope handle used some fencing material from home depot rigged so when I hook it to wheeler and drag it and stop the stiff wire stops it from sliding into wheeler.
 
WCW