Tuesday, November 16, 2010
My most Frustrating deer hunting season yet (part 1)
Spot two was a tree I sat in about five years ago. There were three or four heavily used trails that ran very close to this tree. I had also kicked up a spike buck with in shooting range of the tree on my scouting trip a little over a month earlier. This also happened to be the tree I sat in when I saw the biggest deer I had ever seen in my life.
Spot three the one I choose was an area my brother and I had sat in off and on over the last three years. Out in the swamp with deer trails all around and tons of rubs. I had shot at a buck out here the first time I sat in the area and the next year my brother shot a doe and a fawn very close to the same area.
Every year my brother and I get out extra early on opening morning, so we can avoid the worst possible scenario of being pushed out of your tree by another hunter. I walked out to the tree I was going to sit in a new way this year a way that would ensure I was much quieter and would have a better chance of not spooking any deer.
I had everything all set up and was just strapping myself to the tree when I see a light coming in my direction. I kept thinking to myself please don’t cross through the water and spook all of the deer. Sure enough I heard them cross the swamp and the light kept getting closer and closer to my stand. Then it stopped about 30 yards from me. (NOOOOOOOOOOO I shouted in my head) If it isn’t bad enough that they walked through the water in the swamp now I’m going to have to talk to them b/c this guy is planning on sitting 30 yards from me.
Dreading doing so I broke the silence and said hello. He responded with hey. I asked are you really going to sit this close to me. He mumbled something about a stand and a tree. I said alright whatever. He mumbled back and finally left. Well there goes the morning hunt I thought to myself.
At about 9:15 or so I saw two does running full speed about 300 yards in front of me right to left. I gave a couple of blows through the doe button on my call and they did a 90 degree turn right through the open water in the swamp. They both bounded past my stand about 120 yards away on my left and out of site. I blew on my call again and I heard them stop and then start walking slowly in the water, but they never came back toward my stand.
At around 11am I took my stand down and headed back to the parking lot to get some lunch. No one had shot anything how frustrating.
Ben G.
related links on Ben G. Outdoors
Not so productive Deer hunting Season (Part 1)
How to get to your deer stand with out getting noticed (in the dark)
related links from others
Gun Deer Season- Closing Day
Countdown to Shotgun Season
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| photo credit to Wonderlane |
As every year goes this year of deer shot gun opener started out with a ton of optimism, excitement, and my typical one new piece of gear(Muck boots). The night before the season started I still wasn’t 100% sure where I was going to sit. I had it narrowed down to three spots which in my opinion were all very good.
Spot one was near where I sat last year. There was a ton of deer sign, but it seemed to only be from does and fawns.
Spot two was a tree I sat in about five years ago. There were three or four heavily used trails that ran very close to this tree. I had also kicked up a spike buck with in shooting range of the tree on my scouting trip a little over a month earlier. This also happened to be the tree I sat in when I saw the biggest deer I had ever seen in my life.
Spot three the one I choose was an area my brother and I had sat in off and on over the last three years. Out in the swamp with deer trails all around and tons of rubs. I had shot at a buck out here the first time I sat in the area and the next year my brother shot a doe and a fawn very close to the same area.
Every year my brother and I get out extra early on opening morning, so we can avoid the worst possible scenario of being pushed out of your tree by another hunter. I walked out to the tree I was going to sit in a new way this year a way that would ensure I was much quieter and would have a better chance of not spooking any deer.
I had everything all set up and was just strapping myself to the tree when I see a light coming in my direction. I kept thinking to myself please don’t cross through the water and spook all of the deer. Sure enough I heard them cross the swamp and the light kept getting closer and closer to my stand. Then it stopped about 30 yards from me. (NOOOOOOOOOOO I shouted in my head) If it isn’t bad enough that they walked through the water in the swamp now I’m going to have to talk to them b/c this guy is planning on sitting 30 yards from me.
Dreading doing so I broke the silence and said hello. He responded with hey. I asked are you really going to sit this close to me. He mumbled something about a stand and a tree. I said alright whatever. He mumbled back and finally left. Well there goes the morning hunt I thought to myself.
At about 9:15 or so I saw two does running full speed about 300 yards in front of me right to left. I gave a couple of blows through the doe button on my call and they did a 90 degree turn right through the open water in the swamp. They both bounded past my stand about 120 yards away on my left and out of site. I blew on my call again and I heard them stop and then start walking slowly in the water, but they never came back toward my stand.
At around 11am I took my stand down and headed back to the parking lot to get some lunch. No one had shot anything how frustrating.
Ben G.
related links on Ben G. Outdoors
Not so productive Deer hunting Season (Part 1)
How to get to your deer stand with out getting noticed (in the dark)
related links from others
Gun Deer Season- Closing Day
Countdown to Shotgun Season
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7 comments:
Hoping part 2 you had better luck!
Ben, I can honestly say I have been there and done that and I pretty much felt the same way you did.
I sure hope you have better luck next time.
Whitetail Woods Blog / Deer Hunting and Blackpowder Shooting at it’s best.
I've been on the other side of that scenario. A few years ago I decided to do an afternoon bow hunt on some public land that I had hunted a few times in the past. I was happy to see that there were no cars parked around the area I planned to hunt and proceeded to a stand spot that I though had some great potential. I strapped my climber stand to preselected tree and climbed all the way to the top. As I got to the top I was greeted by a hello 50 yards away from a thick pine tree. I felt bad messing up this guys hunt but was upset that he let me climb all the way up before identifying himself. It's a no win situation for any hunter. I climbed down apologized a left the area.
Jody - I guess you will have to wait and see. I'm not spilling the beans.
Rick- It's so frustrating but what can you do its public land
Jon- You know I kind of felt bad making him leave b/c he had his stand set up the night b4. On the other hand it's illegal to set your stand up the night b4.
I feel your pain. 2 months in. Goose, duck, deer- all nothing for me yet. Starting to feel insanely discouraged but keepin the faith that something good will come of all the effort. Good luck!
I just got a pair of Muck boots...just in time for shot gun season. I love 'em so far!
I hunt on private land and on my opening day this past Friday...we had a poacher come in on us, he wanted to sit on a bucket and hunt from it...What!? So we ran him off. Then my cousin killed a buck an hour later and while tracking it, we ran into ANOTHER poacher walking around our woods with NO orange on...its amazing this dude did not get shot by accident froma stray bullet or something! Craziness...
Hunt like your hungry- That’s a rough start to any season. Just keep at it and one or more little critter/s will bless you with dinner.
LB-The Muck Boots are great I can't complain in the least.
That’s just crazy that you had two ppl on your hunting land without any permission. Do you have the land posted? Good to hear your cousin got a buck.
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