I SEEN ONE..... I DID..... I SEEN ONE!

A whitetail...... and that's all I seen..... the tail. Walkin' back to the house thru the hay field and the rascal was just on the other side of the windrow in the bean field. Seen me before I eyeballed it..... so it did.

Did do some still hunting today aaaaand I saw a bunch of scrapes. Both along the field edges and in the woods. Some of the branches had two scrapes; one much smaller than the other and the scrapes appeared to have been recently created. None had any droppings and the 'licking branches' looked really green where they were chewed off. I counted six scrapes in a 100 yd. stretch.

Leaves were wet and quiet from the rain this morning but the dead branches littering the ground from the recent winds made moving, noisier than a box of Rice Krispies. Every step was ' snap, crackle or, pop'.

Can't wait to do again tomorrow and with a cold front bringing the possibility of snow tomorrow night thru Saturday.....OH BOY!!!!

Brother hit one running up his scent trail. He's looking for it in morning

Watch out for the ghouls and gobblins.........

I'm dressing up like a PA archery hunter and going trick or treating in the woods.......... mah ha ha haaaa!!!


...................Now that's enough to give anyone nightmares..........

What a day; nothing for the freezer yet but, I have both rubs and scrapes where they weren't last night. Hit the woods to do some still hunting just before noon. Went snooping around the bean fields looking to see what I could see and found no sign except, hoof prints in the mud. Started into the woods sneaking from tree to tree watching for any sign of the rut. I was moving East with the wind out of the South. Stopped behind a cluster of oak trees when to my suprise there appeared the head of whitetail deer. About 50 yards to my North East was a patch of Greenbriar and the deer was feeding on the tops. Wasn't long another set of ears came thru the thickets into the briars and than the horns appeared. Looked like it could be a shooter but, just couldn't tell. By this time it's raining; not hard but, enough to make some noise so, I moved a few feet closer and set-up for a possible shot should they come my way. WOW..... out from the thicket came a buck that made my heart pound. He wasn't pushing and he made no attempt to chase or challenge the other buck. He just kept his distance and faded in and out of the thicket and underbrush. It quit raining and the wind stopped blowing and I stood there motionless for what seemed like 'forever'. Without a warning, heads popped up out of the Greenbriar like parascopes and, three sets of eyes were starring in my direction. I'm sure they can't see me so my first thought was of, another hunter approaching or, another deer coming from behind me. Slowly turning my head around as if I were posessed, I saw nothing until, I look at the wind feather on my bow. End of story; the wind dropped to a very light breeze and is now coming out of the West. The deer didn't spook but, once thier heads quit bobbing and swaying trying to see, they moved away from me. The big guy, still keeping his distance, just followed along. I moved into the area hoping the deer might circle back when I jumped one laying down. By the time I regained my composure the deer was gone, leaving me guessing what it was. Leaned againt a cluster of maples for about half an hour when a young deer came walking out of the same thickets and presented a shot about 15 yds out. Man there is just nothing like being eye-to-eye when archery hunting. Not sure if it was a doe or buck but, maybe next year it will be my wallhanger. Unnocked the arrow and returned it to my quiver.

Headed home as it was 3:15 p, hungry and, time for my baloney and cheese sandwiches. There's just something about them sandwhiches when I'm hunting or fishing. Pickles too!! :-P

Not an archery hunter, so all this rut stuff is pretty foreign to me, but I find the discussion interesting.

Was checking out the progress on the house last evening and ended up sitting on the lanai having a coco. At about 6, two deer come out of the woods at the corner of our property and the neighbor's. They fed out into the neighbor's field. A short time later another deer appeared in the same spot. Lighting wasn't too good because it was getting late and it was overcast, so I could not tell antlers at the 250 yards, but the body shape was square like a buck.

That deer followed the others as they fed across the field, but never really closed the gap or showed any signs if being interested.

About 10 minutes later, three deer approached us from behind. They stopped about 40 yards away to give us a look before disappearing into some standing corn. It was a doe and two young of the year. It wasn't long until here comes a decent buck, too dark to see points, but as wide as his body and the rack didn't start to curve until well above the ears. He was prancing all stiff legged in the front and putting on a show for the ladies.

Some more movement caught our eyes and a ring neck rooster strutted out if the corn and into our soon to be yard. I guess he didn't like sharing the corn with the deer. He let out a cackle and all the deer bolted into our yard. Still couldn't get a point count and as it just got darker, the deer worked their way across the yard and into the woods. The buck was still showing off, but not being aggressive toward the does.

As it got pretty dark and we were getting ready to leave, we could hear voices. A light appeared in the neighbor's field and worked its way across and entered our property where the first deer had appeared. We could then see a second light coming down from the treehouse that was on the property when we bought it -- a former lot owner/contractor built it for date nights with his girlfriend. Clearly someone was using it as a deer stand.

Thank Al Gore....
 

Dardys thanks for sharing the story..........  When are we going to see pictures of the new place; you know it don't count if there's no pictures. Read your story about the trespassers the other day and I know the feeling.  I had to post a two acre beaver pond over my dog getting caught in a trap.  My tree stand is on a corner of that beaver pond; looking over a 12 acre field (not posted) bordered by trees and undergrowth.  While swinging and swaying in the wind, sitting in my stand, this past week I watched as Amish dudes made their way through the thickets within the posted areas of the beaver pond.  They must of seen me climbing down from my stand because they did some high stepping thru the brush, back in the direction they came.  Dose signs.....  dey moost be for......... der.... ud-er fella........  Yah??

Thanks for the reports guyz. Can't wait till Monday. FACEBOOK is lighting up with pictures of nice bucks being taken. Everyone got theirs by bleating and grunting them in. Wife said see saw a +12 point 1/4 mile from the house, just may have to explore that area. 

Yeah it's on here...
Slept in worked 5 hours then went out 3 pm it was windy with rain showers all day snow showers started around 3 and tapered off last hour.
I saw a 3 pt cruising made a scrape at 4:15 then a button buck munched around for a while at 5 then at 6:15 I hear a deer stomping through mud and saw a shooter he worked around me either in thick brush or 40 to 50 yds out he stopped in a shooting lane for 5-10 seconds slightly quarting away at 45 yds I got him in the scope and did NOT take a shot.
He roamed around went out into food plot 150 yds away strutting back and forth sniffing I grunted as loud as possible he came back thrashed some brush around but again stayed in thick brush no shot.
Close -exciting-the type of experience I hunt for-but no shot.
My buck fever is BAD now working tomorrow hunting Monday most of day see how the rest unfolds...WCW
 

BTDT-Keep that popcorn close pics are coming next week might not be from me but someone here will get it done the bucks are moving.
Now is the time folks get out there and get it done GOOD LUCK!...WCW

I have way too much invested in bird dogs to take up archery hunting.

Just bought a female pup to breed with my male, so I see Pointers for a long time to come.

Besides, the first thing a Native American did if he were lucky enough to kill a settler was to take his gun.

I can learn all I need from my new back porch.

Full moon a rising.............  On the sixth, that is...........  I don't know if a full moon has any true affect on the rut but, the full moon of Nov. is called 'The Beaver Moon'........  OK!....  OK it's aka; 'The Frost Moon' too.   From what I'm seeing during the day and the pictures I'm getting at night; we're in pre-rut at this time.  The only thing more exciting for me this time of year (deer hunting) is drawing back my compound and holding the pin in the vital area. (I also pray for a clean shot but, that's just me)
 
Sittin' in my kitchen looking out the window trying to collect my thoughts as I type on the 'puter' and I see lights across the beaver pond.  I sprang to my feet, dashed to the window, threw up the sash and what to my surprise did I hear but, a combine clearing a corn field.  Boy ole boy guess who will be all tucked in his bed with visions of antlers dancing in his head.  Not me cause, I'll be too excited thinking about getting in my stand hoping to get a shot at a disoriented deer.  Heck yeah!......  even at my age it's still, that exciting.
 
Dardy's  I hear you on those pointers......  I have a Weimaraner and a German Short-hair but; I don't breed, their just my buddies.  Wouldn't do the weimy thing again........  NO WAY!

Im going out tomorrow as well.. in the morning for two hours before work

Hitting the tree stand in the morning too. broke out the cold weather camo.
This guy was here on Saturday
276.JPG
YES The date is wrong---- camera died and forgot to reprogram
 
Getting frustrated---SEVERAL buddies have tagged some nice bucks,,,,,,

25° right now in irwin I can't wait til 5