The Bow stand Log thread.

[archerystud]

My 2009 Buck.

Like I said he isn't huge but I may only have 4 days left to hunt this year so I got some venison for the freezer.

Check out the willow thickets. I love them for deer bedding areas but they are tough to drag a deer out of.

[BLACKJACK]

Good job Archerystud!!

Was out Fri. evening in the snow and saw nothing.

Was out Sat morning, had a deer 'blow' at me as I walked in, saw nothing from the stand. After a late breakfast with my Mom went back thru the area pheasant hunting and deer scouting, saw 7-8 ground scrapes. Got two roosters.

Sunday morning was a great morning on stand!!!! Just getting light and had a small 8 point come thru a little out of range, got to watch him tend a scrape, could hear his antlers on the branch above. Waited awhile and decided to do a rattling sequence with my rattling bag. Just got done, picked up my bow, when this deer comes flying in from behind me, ran under my stand, and stopped in the brush about 20 yards away. He was a forkhorn, looking around for the bucks fighting. He stood there for about 10 minutes, then started moving toward my stand, I'm looking for a shooting lane - then he laid down about 25 feet from my stand!!!! Problem was he was facing me, I had a good shot at the white throat patch but wasn't going to take that low percentage shot. I sat and watched him lick his hoof, groom his rear leg, saw him reach down into the leaves and eat a leaf, saw his tongue licking out his nose - he was close!!! He was panting like a dog, he must have laid down to rest. I had decided he was a shooter the way he had come running in and bedded down but now it was it waiting game for him to stand up. I kept hoping another deer would come along to see his reaction but no luck. Problem was my arms were getting tired holding my bow up and my fingers were getting cold so when he turned his head to groom himself I moved my bow about 12 inches to the left and rested my bow pulley on my stand seat. After about 20 minutes, he stood up and I raised my bow but in the process my arrow fletching scraped a branch and he heard it!!! So now he's looking at me, we had the five minute stare down, he’s bobbing his head, then he slowly backs up a couple of steps and wanders off thru the brush!!! So close and yet so far!!!!! I was already contemplating the fact that it was warm out, supposed to get to 50+ degrees, no butcher shops open, that I end up spending the day butchering him - then he gets away!!! Fun to watch though!!!

So then I'm kind of drained, replaying the events, when about 10 minutes later, another buck, a little wider rack, comes running down the field edge, I could see the sun glinting off his antlers!!! If he kept going he'd come right down my main trail about 20 yards away, but the next time I see him is on another trail where the first buck had went thru, I tried voice grunting to stop him but he kept on going.

To top the morning off I had a doe and fawn come by later on, right down my main trail but I passed on her.

Great morning on stand!!!!

Went out again Sunday evening, after my morning I was psyched, saw two does late, but they must have smelled me, they were nervous but it was a nice evening on stand, watched a nice sunset to the west and the moon come up to the east. Taking Wed, Thur., Fri off to hunt, can't wait!!! Looks like the rut is taking off!!!

[rbs]

went out sunday morning and last night. I saw nothing at all on the morning hunt but it was very nice out.

Last night I got in my stand at 3:30 and got settled in. I decided I was going to try rattling for the first time this year as well. I picked up my grunt tube and made 2 grunts and I heard something below me moving in the leaves. I made one more grunt and it moves again. I waited for about 10 mins and didn't see anything so I grunt and then start rattling very softly. Then he appears at 55yds. It is a 8point and he is rubbing a tree down below me next to a field. I grunted and he looked up towards me. He stood there for 15mins eating and I decided I would rattle again. I rattled softly and he picked his head up stood for about 10 seconds and then bolted out of there. I figure he was about 14" wide and was not going to shoot him anyways. Just interesting on how he acted tho.

Later towards dark I had a doe and 2 fawns come out and feed in the picked corn at about 75 yds. A truck drove by so they retreated into the crp again and then came out 5 mins later at about 30yds. Another vehicle drove past and they bounded right at me to 10yds and stood there. They then walked just to the east of my stand and down the hill and out of sight.

just at dark I had another doe and 2 fawns come out at 30yds as well. She was very big but I let them pass. Heck of a change from my morning hunt that is for sure. I think they go to their beds early when it is a moonlit night at least that is what I am guessing anyways.

[ARROW 1]

Congrats archerystud. I think im getting a cramp in my leg just thinking about pulling a deer thru that thicket.

[sticknstring]

Archerystud - Congratulations on a nice buck. He'll fill the freezer nicely. Now that have your tag punched, you know what will happen next time you're out right? Big papi will show up.

[DonBo]

Congrats on that first deer reelguy! What a rush huh?

Good luck finding your deer rather...

Archerystud, no reason to be ashamed of that buck! I'd be happy with one like that now.

I hunted this morning, only the third time here at home on morning stand this year (been too busy turkey hunting ). Have yet to see one in the morning...till today. Saw 6 or 7 before sunrise. One yearling doe got a ride home in my truck! My first kill with the new Mathews DXT! Good to break the ice with the new bow. Hope it adds 'em up as fast as the old one did.

[sticknstring]

Way to go on the doe Don! After SD, it's good to hear that DXT can kill something.

I hit the stand for a quick hour before work today and smashed the antlers together... nada. Some dink bucks on camera but nothing good cruising through yet.

[Wanderer]

Congrats Donbo! Always good to rub the new off the bow.

Blackjack's Saturday sounded fun.

[TDH]

Well today must have been my day because everything went according to plan for a change. Decided to go out in the morning for the first time this year, and also to a stand that I had not hunted since last year. Got all set up a little later than I had planned I only had to sit for about 15 minutes until legal shooting light. I had a grouse walk by at about 6:30, i love eating grouse so I decide to take a shot but just got feathers.

So I settled back in and about 20 minutes later I hear some noise coming from behind me. I look back and at about 15 yards this buck is walking to a scrape below my tree. I reach up for my bow, as soon as I grab it off my ez hanger it start working the licking branch and is looking right up at me forcing me to freeze with my arm still stretched up with bow in hand. He eventually continues down the trail and I draw back, he starts to trot off I got him to stop at about 20 yards and I let him have it. The shot was less than ideal I'm not sure if I hit a branch or I just pulled it, but the arrow hit him way back in the hind leg. The arrow did angle up into the chest cavity but didn't make it to the lungs or heart. None the less the 2 blade Rage did its job and he only went about 40 yards. This is my first buck ever and to get it with the bow, and also off of public land makes it so much sweeter.

[sticknstring]

Way to go TDH. 1st buck with the bow - he'll be one you remember. Almost a grouse too - congratulations are in order!

[DonBo]

Great first buck TDH! Way to go.

[archerystud]

That's a beauty TDH!! Congrats on a great first buck bow kill!!

SnS,

Yeah, I'm a little scared to go do some doe hunting right now!!! I did have to pass up a real nice shooter buck last year in a management hunt (does only) so I guess I have experienced letting a big boy walk and I can do it.

I'll be out with the fire pole this weekend hunting with my dad. Like I told him if you hear me shooting you'd better be ready because it will be something that I will want on the wall.

[Meat-Run]

beauty, congrats on your first!!!

mr

[DonBo]

Another skunk tonight after a good morning. I never did like hunting the full moon.

[Guppy]

I sat last night and saw nothing. Three of us sat this morning and saw nothing. Two of us sat tonight and saw nothing. A guy at the archery shop said that with the full moon mid day is the time to be out there. I can't take sitting all day, so do you think it would be good to sit from around 10 to 2?

[Stratosman]

That can be a great time to sit....

Sat tonight in the hurricane and saw 5 or 6, one was a small buck pushing the does all over the field.

[CrowRiverRat83]

I also sat in the wind this evening for about 3 hours. Didnt see jack. Rattled a few times and nothing showed up either. I might make it out again on Friday before the crop of tree pumpkins hit the woods.

[MattL]

I've been out all day the last two days and 10:00-10:30 and 2:00-2:30 have been dynamite. Since Friday I have seen at least 12 different bucks with the majority between the hours of 10:00 and 2:00. If you can't sit all day, this is probably one of the best times to be out now.

[WestCentralGuru]

Sat this morning, nothing. Sat tonight, nothing. Seen one at 2:00 pm goin out. Seen a real nice one Saturday and Sunday night, and a smaller one. I believe the moon is infuencing mostly midday movement right now.

[totally_addicted]

Went out tonight at a WMA and saw a doe, a fawn and a fox. I was happy with that since it was the first time I had hunted this particular piece of property.

[96trigger]

Strange thing tonight. Went out in the hurricane. Saw two deer in the field when I got out there. Very surprised as it was only 3:15. Around 5:30 I finally see deer feeding in the picked corn field. Its a doe and her twin fawns. Anyway, they feed by me at about 20 yards. The big doe is in the lead. One fawn is only 20 yards away. I figure that this is very good, if a buck is in the area, he'll come out. Sure enough, after about 10 minutes, here comes a nice buck, he trots right up to the doe. The two fawns take off and run back the way they came. I slowly slide to the front of the stand because he will not be coming from behind and I'd need to take a shot as he is coming from in front of me and I don't want to stand. He gets about 15 yards from the doe, turns around and trots back in the woods. What the @$%@* was that all about. That poor doe just sat there, looking rejected as all get out. I thought for sure that she was going to turn and head back with her fawns and that he would follow giving me a shot. What the heck happened? The wind wasn't blowing in his direction, and it was so windy that there is no way he heard me, I was also very well concealed as there was quite a bit of brush between the two of us. I was baffled.

[sticknstring]

I've been noticing a lot of activity from 11-12am on the cameras as well. Haven't been seeing squat in the hour I can hunt in the mornings before work. If any of you guys follow the moon at all, 12:25pm is the peak today, moving an hour later each day. It'll be between 4-5pm this weekend. Should make for a great opener for the orangemen.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Plan on moving and doing a quite a bit of rattling this weekend over in WI.

[DonBo]

Second deer in two days for me this morning! Was just standing up to get ready to leave and I see a buck up the hill from me. He was zig zagging around smelling for does. I grunted at him and he came down the hill fast. I grunted with my mouth to stop him at 12 yards. The shot was back a little farther than I wanted, but still solid in the rib cage. He didn't go far and I watched him go down.

Not the monster I had hoped for but with just 3 more days before the guns stsrt blazing I wasn't going to be real pickey. Thought I was shooting at a 7 pointer but he didn't have any brows.

I'm with Deitz now, gonna head to Wisconsin and try to fill that tag this weekend.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Good job DB!!!

[tracker x-2]

Good choice i probably would have done the same DB got any pics?

[DonBo]

Knew somebody had to ask...

I think he'll fit in my freezer nicely. Look at the big neck on that little guy.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Way to go DonBo! Like they say on ESPN, you are like butter, you are on a roll. Can I get some of that DonBo Mojo?

[vister]

grunted a bit last night just as the sun hit the horizon. a 6 came blasting in, all p-o'd, and went to a pine tree, and started making a scrape. as i was watching through the nockers, he whipped around, and bailed into the woods. nothing happened for about 10 minutes, so i grunted softly, and a small 8 tears out into the open, looking for a challenge. he worked to me, as i just watched, and went into the woods.

i could see from a distance my dad combining beans, so i pulled up the nockers, and watched about 9 or 10 fawns and yearlings dinking around in the harvested field. where are the does, and big bucks? that question has me scratching my head

[ARROW 1]

Before I shot my buck this year the does were coming in the field like clock work. Then two different nights a small buck chased them all off the field. The does didn't come back during daylight hours after that. I think with the full moon and the small bucks harassing the does they to go nocturnal. JMO