The Bow stand Log thread.

[minnesotahusker]

Switched stand positions tonight and what a great choice it was. Finally got the job done around 5:15, 15 minutes later had a doe come in at 60 yards, but she walked off. 15 minutes after that had a little basket rack 7 pointer come busting in from me, down wind even, watching for something behind him. He stopped at 10 yards and then kept walking. Fun night for 2 1/2 hours out this evening.

[slopmaster]

hunting friday night, saturday night, sunday morning and night, and this morning. Alot of cold hours in the stand and only seen 1 deer. Was surprised to say the least figured they would be moving with the colder weather. Had a 8 point at 15 yards and when i went to draw he heard me and that was the end of my hunt. Hopefully next weekend will bring better luck.

[mudslinger64]

i have been hunting in my new stand location the last couple of days and have seen quite a few does.the strange thing is all of the does only have 1 fawn with them,i would think there should be some with a couple fawns but i haven't seen any yet maybe they are starting to pull away from each other.anyway i was hunting this morning and a little after 8:00am i had a doe and fawn coming at my stand and while they were heading my way i could hear more noise from the direction they came from,the leaves were frozen lots of frost.they hung around me for about 1/2 hour and i kept watching the way they came in.after a little while i saw him a big 10 point with 2 does were coming,they got to about 50 yards from me then bedded down on the opposite side of a fallen popple tree.they stayed there for a couple of hours then got up and headed out the way they came towards the other side of the road where all the thick brush is.i am only about 150 yards from the gravel road,i set up there hoping i could get a better chance of seeing deer when they left and came back to the bedding area,it seems to be working 3 does 1 fawn and 1 buck this morning and 8 does and fawns yesterday.i can't hunt this afternoon but i will be back out early in the morning hoping to get a crack at this buck,he is a very nice tall wide rack big bodied deer.

[Code-Man]

atleast your seeing things.

[archerystud]

I finally got to spend a night on my deer stand.

It was a beautiful calm, cool night and conditions seemed perfect. However, someone forgot to tell that to the deer.... I didn't see anything.

[USPENAMC]

havent been seeing anything I am just going to try some other public land.

[Barbelboy]

After harvesting a nice 120 doe at 13 yards last week I thought I'd get out again last night. Beautiful evening, at about 4:30 I grunted a couple times and almost instantly heard movement coming towards me. I'm sitting in a large oak over a small food plot (1/4 acre). A small 6 point comes out and starts feeding in the plot. Having never harvested a buck with a bow and arrow, I was naturally excited. I'm not too proud, baby steps right? Lets get the first buck with the bow under my belt before I start passing on 'em. Having been bow hunting for 5 years I've only taken 2 yearling does and the nice adult doe with the bow, 2 years ago I lost a nice doe that I though I hit solidly and was so worked up about it that I didn't hunt last year. So the buck works his way to about 22 yards broadside, I draw back, settle the sights and release.....little bugger jumps the string and I hit him very high. Still relatively confident that it was a killing shot that might have hit the far lung I sat for an hour before going to look. I found the arrow covered with muscle and a little fat, no blood at all & I mean no blood(I use white fletchings). After waiting for 2 more hours to give him more time if he needed it I spent 3 hours looking for ANY blood, fat, hair or any sign he was seriously hit. I didn't find a single drop of blood. I even enlisted a buddy with a blood light. Nothing. I felt there should have been at least a little blood. The only conclusion that I could come to was that I hit him very high and got him in the muscles near the spine, but did not hit him in any vital area. While I'm very bummed about it, I still feel he will survive and I may even get another shot at him.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

I'm very bummed about it, I still feel he will survive and I may even get another shot at him.

I agree. I'd still get out there in the daylight and spend a few hours looking for him though but judging by your description of what happened, I'd say you put an arrow right through the backstraps and that buck will survive. There usually won't be much blood with a high hit but that doesn't always mean non-fatal. If the animal is alert, aim for the heart. If he jumps, you get lungs. After a few high hits myself, I find this works amazingly well.

archerystud - Glad to see ya back on stand - the wait just makes it that much sweet doesn't it? It was beautiful night in the woods last night. I didn't see [PoorWordUsage] either.

[archerystud]

SnS,

Thanks, it felt great just to be out. I hope to hunt hard for the last two weeks before gun season.

I may lower my standards a bit as far shooting a buck goes since coaching a traveling youth hockey team is taking a serious cut into my hunting time this year, but at least my son appreciates it.

This thread will be interesting to watch over the next few weeks!!!

[walleyeking19]

I was gonna head out this morning but i woke up at 5:30 with a temperature and i was coughing like crazy. Hopefully i will be fine tomorrow so i can get out and try my new stand.

[sticknstring]

Take some cough drops and get out there! I remember once about 4-5 years ago I had bronchitis but very determined to make it out on a Sat night hunt in Itasca county. I was coughing so bad into my jacket, how the doe out in the foodplot didn't spook, I'll never know. I'm a little smarter these days but it still takes some prying to keep me out of the stand.

[mudslinger64]

got out early and didn't see anything on stand,the wind was out of the south east which is bad for where i have this stand.about 8:30 i had one down wind of me snort 3 different times but never saw it.i had to leave at 10:00 for a couple hours and when i was back at my truck getting things loaded up i noticed 2 deer coming towards me down the trail i am parked on,so i put my release back on nocked an arrow and hid alongside the truck it was an 8 point basket rack and a doe.they got about 30 yards from me and stopped,the doe walked into the trees on my side of the trail and the buck stood in the trail broadside to me.i inched my way to the back of my truck and was just going to swing around the backend to take a shot when he took a couple jumps to the opposite side of the trail that the doe did and was gone.i really don't think they knew i was there i think the truck made them go in the woods.later on i ended up going back to my stand and saw nothing with the wind the way it was so i figured i would go check out the gravel road close to my stand and see if i could see any deer crossing it.my bro in law was with me and i told him where to go stand along side the road,well he went to a better spot he thought and when i got back out to the road there was a big deer standing in the road right where i told him to go.i stood there watching figuring he was waiting for the deer to get in the right spot for a shot but nothing the deer then walked in the trees.i found i nice place to watch the road from thinking he was down farther and i saw 3 more does in a little field about 100 yards from me and was watching them for a little while when i caught movement on the road again,right where i thought the bro in law was standing again.this time it was 2 nice does that came out,they hung out on the road for a little bit and walked in right where he should have been.a few minutes later i saw 2 deer on the road in the opposite direction past where i walk into my stand.so after all this i am going to hunt in my stand in the morning for a few hours then i am going to look for a spot to hang another stand where the bro in law should have been just off the road.when he came out i asked what happened and he wondered off the road down a little trail he said looked like a good spot and he even heard one snort at him back there,so i told him if he would have went where i said he probably would have had several shots he could have taken at deer that i saw there in just the little time that i was on the road,who knows how many more came out before i was out.

i just got done talking to a friend that was in the same area bird hunting this evening and knows where my stand is,told me when he was driving out he got about 1/4 mile from where my stand is and a big buck come out from my side and crossed the road in front of him.he said it was a huge buck,this guy has shot a lot of deer so i beleive him,i wonder if it is the 10 pointer i had by me yesterday.that is 2 bucks in 2 days with does,hope this means the rut isn't to far off...

[96trigger]

Went out tonight. Lots of deer, lots of chasing and grunting. Grunted in a basket 5 pointer twice. Something grunted, jumped, and blew at me as I was leaving, I am hoping it was the 5 pointer. Great night to be out. MUST be that October quiet before the storm. I can't see any buck allowing that youngin to be doing all that chasing. I thought for sure that a nice one would walk in. Looks like they are completely out of their summer pattern and won't show themselves during daylight hours until the rut. I guess its just a waiting game now, but it won't be long.

[USPENAMC]

Ill be headed out this morning but want you guys to help me decide where to go

there is a spot in 601 PUBLIC-nothing lately

another 601 area vermillion highlands -supposedly alot of deer havent seen anything in 2 weeks alot of turkeys only

i might head out to 235 carlos avery- its lotto this year but its a nice place havent been out there this year

might head out to near st peter area lotto also but see deer from the road all the time just never hunted the area before

157 might even venture to mille lacs wma or the state forest below it.

[96trigger]

Deer on public land might be moving a little bit more if there is any pressure. Find the travel corridors right now. The big guys are hanging tight.

[Barbelboy]

Sweet vindication!

I sat again last night. Different stand 60 yards away from Tuesdays stand because of the wind. Guess who I saw. Yup, the little guy I hit on Tuesday. He was walking around just fine, as a matter of fact he had found two does to chase around and I even saw him stand on his hind legs and scent mark a tree! He now sports a distinctive "mark" on his top right side. No doubt he used the scar to impress the ladies he was with. I also saw 2 other bucks, both little guys that I never got a shot at. Great night, saw 3 bucks and 2 does. Lots of movement before the storm.

[rbs]

Went out last night and had a doe and 2 fawns come in at about 30yds. She was acting nervous and turned around and walked off with the fawns in tow. She came back a hour later and did the same thing. No bucks but I almost had a fox squirrel climb across my lap. I thought I was gonna have to take him in self defense...lol

[walleyeking19]

Take some cough drops and get out there! I remember once about 4-5 years ago I had bronchitis but very determined to make it out on a Sat night hunt in Itasca county. I was coughing so bad into my jacket, how the doe out in the foodplot didn't spook, I'll never know. I'm a little smarter these days but it still takes some prying to keep me out of the stand.

Don't worry, i bought some cough drops and i will be out there tonight. i can miss one time but i won't miss 2 nights in a row. Hopefully I'll see something in my new stand. I'll let you guys know

[sticknstring]

Quote:

Guess who I saw. Yup, the little guy I hit on Tuesday. He was walking around just fine

That's a great feeling isn't it? Hopefully you learned something from that experience and will drill the next one.

[mudslinger64]

got in my stand at noon today sat until dark did not see one deer anywhere,first time that has happened in this area....

[huntnfish]

Went out tonight and saw four. There were 2 does and 2 fawns and they came by at about 70 yards. the fawns were playing around with each other and it made me laugh out loud a couple times. The smaller one would play a game with the other where it would taunt the bigger one until it started chasing until it gave up. Then it would shake its hind end at it until it gave chase again. It reminded me of my childhood except without the bruises.

[USPENAMC]

decided to head out to Swan wma past St Peter the entrance to the wma is horrible and it was blocked off by some orange construction tape. I had talked to the DNR they said they didnt want anyone driving down because its really bad I parked and left room for another vehicle. Only two can fit on the entrance. I got to try my new hang on stand and I loved it. Its not an expensive one by any means but liked the portability of it. I went to help my brother set up his ground blind and when I took it out it opened a bit on its own and two does jumped up and trotted away...not very alarmed or scared. I didnt have my bow with me i might have gotten a chance at one of them. went back sat on my stand and nothing. at 3 pm we came home my brother had to baby sit and I had to come in to work. We saw two does like I said which is good. I was also scouting for turkeys since next week is 442b hunt but didnt get any responses to my calls and didnt see any either.

[fish]

After 5 seasons I finally was able to harvest a turkey. My kids 4 and 2 were able to help me carry it to the truck. I hunt mostly public land in sherburne county but do have a farm that lets me hunt. I decided to try my luck at a fall bird. I shot a hen at 30 yards in the morning. She walked right next to the stick I put out there to help with yardage. I would have liked a tom but of the 20 turkeys I see on the farm there is only one tom. I'll have to try for him in the spring. Later that evening I had 7 does in front of me. Bucks came out but too dark to shoot. Light sparring. Sat for an extra 45 minutes watching the show. I love fall. My daughter (4) said, "Dad I can't wait to hunt with you. I'll shoot them and you clean them. That's Gross!" I'd be honored too.

[tracker x-2]

I went out last night and on my way home from Mankato I saw deer all through cleavland and Lecenter out in the fields feeding and this was at 3:00 so I thought it was going to be on heck of a night. Ended up only seeing one doe at 30yards.

[Jim Panfish Uran]

I went out last night, it was so peaceful sitting on the stand last night, overcast ZERO wind, and no rain. 6:30 a doe and two fawns came out, 10 minutes later two yearlings came by, but nothing after that. It was just nice to be out there on such a perfect night.

[huntnfish]

I went out last night and did a little long distance scouting to try and figure out where the deer went to. I saw a couple but it looks like the mid october "lull" is in full swing. I plan to do some more sitting once this monsoon passes.

[96trigger]

Had a doe at 10 yards tonight. No idea I was there. It was fun, wish something would have been following her.

[mudslinger64]

2nd day in a row that i haven't seen a deer,don't know what is going on must be the rain and snow we got.it is supposed to start getting nice so maybe they will start moving again.

[ARROW 1]

I went out to one of my best stands and wasn't let down.The wind was right and things just felt right. I had a doe and a fawn come thru at 5:30 at 30 yards . Then at 6:40 I was looking at the trail where the doe and fawn came from when something caught my eye off to my left its a 8 point buck. I only got a quick look before he went behind two trees and stopped. Then after about 45 sec he starts coming right at me still not sure how big he is. Then he gets in close enough to see a nice long G2. I decided right then Im taking him. By the time I get drawn he is thru my 1st shooting lane. I stay on him thru the tree branches now at 7 yards. He clears the branches now at the field edge and down wind I stop him and let er rip at 12yards . He lets out a load roar type noise and gives the big leg kick and runs back in the woods. He clears the ridge and I get down and look for my arrow nothing and no blood or hair. I didn't see the arrow sticking out the other side when he ran off. I know its still sticking in him. I go to the truck right away and call a buddy to help track.

Now its 7:30 and we find blood at the woods edge where he ran back in. Blood was good and my buddy slaps my shoulder and says you got him he's dead. I wish I felt the same at that time. My stomach was making noises and I felt a little sick. My worst fear is to not find a deer. It was a quartering away shot one vital only but, I thought it was the last shot I was going to get. We keep tracking good blood and all the sudden it stops! We looked for 30 min making big circle around last blood until we found him. I was so happy I gave the deer and my buddy a hug and thanked the big guy above. He still had the arrow which hit the opp shoulder. He went 150 yards and was in full rigor when we found him. Its not as big as I thought he was but im happy to be done. The nice G2 thru me off and the G3 and 4 go into a smaller crab claw. But once you draw the bow back there is no more looking at the rack. Now I can go fishing for some fall eyes I will post pics soon.

Things to keep in the back of your head. With short range shot with no exit wound the deer will probably only pump blood when running. When the speed slows to a walk the blood might be gone. This is what I think happened to my deer. Keep looking. Last my three blade rage was still in one piece and caused enough damage to put him down! This is my second deer with the rage Im hooked. Its a confidence thing for me.

Good luck to everyone and make it home safe!

[archerystud]

Congrats on the buck!