Bow stand log

[MattL]

I noticed a good amount of deer movement over the weekend. The flooding has really pushed the deer out of the low ground. I've had a few smaller bucks come through during low light hours. Many does coming through at all hours. Yesterday I had a doe hang out in the open alfalfa field until 11:00 am, which is especially odd for this particular stand location.

[MUSKY18]

Got out tonight for the first time this year. Took my 9 year old son out with me, so I threw up the ground blind along a little creek with a trail that they use to cross on their way out to the alfalfa field. Got skunked, but according to my son, he saw about 10 through the binos! Waited til dark and tore down and headed back to the truck. Not a deer in either of the alfalfa field or native grass/clover field. Had been seeing them out in the fields at night. On the way home, saw a group of 7 does/fawns out in a cut corn field browsing. Going to head back into the oak woods next and see if they are now on the acorns and try it there. Even though we didn't see a thing, the little guy was pumped and has already asked if we can go back out again tomorrow night after work. Think if he sees a deer or two, he will really be hooked on hunting!

[bottom-bouncer]

UGH! was going to hunt tonite but then decided to hang a new set instead. being out of ladder sticks I grabbed a pile of srew in steps and headed found the only decent tree in the area that afforded me a decent back drop screw in about a thousand tre steps hung the stand only to realise this tree is junk way to much brush in the way frustrated I lowered the stand back to the ground unscrewed my steps and went home. seen a number of does and fawns in the fields on the ride home.

[mabr]

Got skunked, but according to my son, he saw about 10 through the binos! Think if he sees a deer or two, he will really be hooked on hunting!

MUSKY treasure those moments they go fast!! Brought a smile to my face just reading it. A hats off to you my friend just taking him with you!

[alwaysonthemove]

Got home last night only to find the doe and fawn feeding in my yard. Quickly notched an arrow and let er fly. got er now I just have to wait for the wife to get off work. 3 hrs later I stepped outside to the sound of coyotes dang near on my doorstep. I proceeded any way, well sure enough blood trail went right on over to the yotes. Sure as heck there she lay half eaten already. Pretty bummed about all that b.s. Thinking I need to start a little herd control on yotes instead of deer.

[Archerysniper]

Got home late from work tonight jumped into the shower grabbed my gear and headed out to the back yard. At 7:10 had a young basket ten come out of the woods at ten yards and go into the corn where I watched him feed on the corn for 10 minutes before he left.

[DoubleLunger]

Hunted Sat, Sun and Mon nights. Saw two does on Sat, Two does and a fawn Sun. Said heck with the acorns and moved back to the beans on Mon. Saw 4 total with one being about a 140+ high racked 8 or 10 that came out 150 yds down the field.

[Lunker]

Haven't seen much moving the last couple days.

Have a pic on the camera of an 8 and 6 point sparring. Seems a little early doesn't it?

[Archerysniper]

Went out tonight over by surise at 6:45 had a doe and two yearlings step out of the corn field and feed in the scrub field till dark never got closer then 180 yards. Right before dark had a yote come out and do some hunting kinda funny watching them pounce on mice tryed lip squeeking it in but it was content with the mice. Also had a grouse fly up and roost in the tree next to me.

[Guest Kyle]

saw nothing but mosquitos eating me alive in the woods. I left a few mins before dark just to get out of there and ended up seeing 25+ deer in a alfalpha field 1/2 mile from where I was hunting. Im going to have to see if I can get permission to hunt!

[Lunker]

Yea the bugs have been awful for the evening hunts. Mornings are cold enough that it is not a problem, but the evenings are rough.

[rbs]

Was out last night and tried a new spot. I was about 10yds off a corn field. I didn't see any deer till I climbed down to the bottom of the stand packed up my stuff and my bow and took "one" step. Then all I heard was crashing and saw tails. Was just too dark to see anything from the stand. Oh well, my dad is gonna try it in there tonight. Do you suppose that the full moon has got them moving later in the evening right now?

[HooknHorns]

I normally dont hunt field edges that close but try moving your stand back fifty yards or so on a rub line right now. That would be a great staging area before they head into the fields. You should have deer in front of you before end of shooting light. You might know this already. I usually use this pattern til late Oct. when the primary scrapes start popping up then after that its off to the doe bedding areas.

[lungdeflator]

sat my food plot of clover and a turnip/brassica mix last night and saw 2 fawns. i need some frosts before they hammer the food plot though. Sat right on the edge of their bedroom this morning and saw 2 does. had a west wind last night and pretty much the same this morning

[Rippinlip]

Out tonight looking over a bean field and a funnel ridge line and seen nothing.

They started to combine the beans around the woods I hunt, so I am curios how this will change the pattern in the near future.

[mabr]

Wow what a night!!! Haven't hunted sense Sunday night due to wind direction.

Made it to my northern Isanti property tonight and boy did they move. First sighting at 6:20 NICE buck at 300 yards. I say nice because to see the rack at that distance with the naked eye its a good one. Then at 7:00 it was like a switch was turned on. You could here um coming from 100 yards away. first group 3 mom and the kids, second 2 mom and 1 kid, third and grunting like crazy was the lil 8 I seen last week. He had made a scrape sense the last time I was there last week and after pestering the does they leave and he goes and freshings up the scrape. Just gotta love the enthusiasm of the little guy, all excited and not knowing what to do yet.

Fun night to be in the woods.

[james_walleye]

Went to a favorite stand for the first time this season tonight. My friend saw 2 big bucks just across the road last night in the alfalfa. He was pretty sure they had come from the land i was on. I was sat up in a small ravine with a water hole. About sunset i heard a grunt and heard antlers tickling each other. Sounded like they got about 40 yards away and then disappeared. 10 minutes later i heard a deer coming from that direction and again i heard a grunt. Got the bow ready incase it was a dandy as i literally can't see what is coming down this trail until they hit the opening. As my heart was thumping, out steps a button buck. Obviously not one of the deer i had just heard. He came out and hit the water hole just like a picture Mr. Big doing at some point. First time i've gone out and not seen a bigger buck.

[96trigger]

Went out last night, honestly lost track of the number of deer I saw. The farmer just chopped the cornfields for silage. I saw my first deer about 6:15, about 6:30, 4 more come out, one 6 point buck, about 6:35, 4 more from my other side. By 6:45, there are deer literally everywhere. I would say 20-30 deer within eyesight. Couple of small bucks started sparring around 7:00. Another decent 8 pointer was chasing some of the does and was grunting. At 6:50 I heard deer below me, they were going to come right by, it walked around for about 30 minutes but never showed, I thought for sure it was a nice buck just waiting to come out last. At 7:20, with the last remaining light, I finally hear something walking and its coming right to me. Out pops a doe and her fawn. Thought for sure it was going to be a buck. I have not gotten a nice buck on camera, nor did I see one doing field work this summer. It might just take the rut for one to move in. With that many does, there has to be one around. Great night to be out. The deer were really hammering the alfalfa and cut corn fields. Walking out was tough, there was just deer everywhere. I will try and get back out this weekend and take a doe. I had a couple of nice shots last night, but Weekends are better for me as I'll have more time to find it and process it.

Side note, with the dryer weather, they never had any idea I was there, and there were multiple deer that crossed my path. Also, saw the first combine picking corn last night. Many farmers are chopping corn silage, but they were actually picking corn for the dryer. I'm assuming they will fill the dryer bins with corn, then pick beans, then more corn. Gonna be a great fall.

[james_walleye]

Trigger was that out by where i am at? Between you and me, i saw a dandy sunday night out there in the beans. Some big tracks on the tractor path as well.

[96trigger]

Yep it's the place, I have seen absolutely no sign of anything big over there. Doesn't help that 4 good bucks that I know of were taken out of that valley last year. There has to be a big guy over there somewhere, but he has not shown his face on camera, or in the fields. With that many deer around, there has to be a decent buck somewhere.

[james_walleye]

Im going to put a camera out where i've been seeing the big tracks and near where i saw the nice buck and see what happens. That area has to have mulitple big deer. Too good an area.

[Rippinlip]

Out last night and I could not get to my stand, the creek is still too deep, so i hunted a near by fenceline and my wife was able to get to her stand, the water there had receeded enough. Only deer seen was a big Doe that my wife was unable to close the deal on, ther was just too much junk inthe way still. At dark the doe had apparently made it almost to my location because when I was getting out I watched her run across the bean field from about 50 yards away.

Looks like they maybe moving back as the water retreats. My hope anyways.

[james_walleye]

Made a makeshift groundblind tonight basically so i could overlook a field that i have never hunted over. Didnt see a thing but i did find a nice rubline on the ridge just above my stand in the valley. Same area i've been seeing the big tracks. You could see where his tines were rubbing the trees about 10" above the top of the rub. A camera is going up there tomorrow. I really thought with the cool weather the deer would be moving. Maybe tomorrow morning might be better.

[alwaysonthemove]

up at 4 this morning can't sleep, Pester the wife and pretty much get kicked out of bed. So I decide to cook me up a little breakfast. Coffee, Eggs, Bacon, fried tomatoes, and peppers. I am gonna fart good later. Off to the duck blind.

[NWBuck]

Also, saw the first combine picking corn last night. Many farmers are chopping corn silage, but they were actually picking corn for the dryer. I'm assuming they will fill the dryer bins with corn, then pick beans, then more corn. Gonna be a great fall.

Doubt there will be much drying work to be done this fall other than by mother nature. Samples in our area are coming in around 15% for early numbers. Nice enough weather that if it's not that dry most guys will leave it out there for awhile. Corn should get knocked out much faster this fall than last!!

[james_walleye]

Was able to sit a short stint on stand this morning til 8:15. Zero deer today but fresh scrapes have appeared along the edge of the woods above my stand. Big tracks, nice rubs, and now scrapes. Camera is now hanging near the biggest scrape. Hopefully i'll catch him on camera sometime this week.

On a related note, do bucks rake their antlers through these scrapes? In the middle of the big scrape are 5 "gashes" in the dirt all perfectly parallel to each other and they look like the tines made them? Anything i can take away from these 5 gashes?

[Rippinlip]

Just got back home from my morning sit, looks like I have to give it some time, thumped a pretty good size Doe about 8:15 or so, looks like the shot is too far back, the arrow had alot of junk on it, I was able to see her walk off the bean field. That seem to take forever. The hole in the side of her looked pretty good from 80 yards away, hope the Rage did its thing, just a little upset at myself with the shot, I practice alot and really try to zone in on a spot when its time and I messed up. Heart was pounding good, shook something terrible after I shot...This Deer Hunting is a heckeva passion!

[mabr]

On a related note, do bucks rake their antlers through these scrapes? In the middle of the big scrape are 5 "gashes" in the dirt all perfectly parallel to each other and they look like the tines made them? Anything i can take away from these 5 gashes?

Those are from them pawing the ground working the scrape. Not horns or at least Ive never heard of it.

[mabr]

Last night got busted hunting a marginal wind direction. I should have known better than to risk it.

This am, 7:45 1 lone 7 pt at 5 yards. Man what I wouldnt gove to a big one to do that.

Need to let this area alone for about a week. Does didnt show this morning. I think there on to me.

[goblueM]

went out for opener (southwest VA) yesterday. didn't make it out til the afternoon, it was 72 and sunny. ugh. felt like i was turkey hunting in late May

didn't see or hear a deer, but on the plus side i killed about a dozen flies