Trad Gang

Hey all!
Just curious as to how my fellow MO hunters did this morning for our openers?
I missed a doe. No reason to miss. I just got worked up and didn't practice good shooting form, but still great to be in the woods!
Any stories?

Haven't been out yet.  Planning on hunting Thursday afternoon/evening.

Passed up shots at 2 different button bucks today and also a 5 pointer.  Couldn't get a shot at the one doe I saw. Pretty good day to be in the woods. Did kill a squirrel tonite

I hunted this morning with no deer to be found. A buddy took me to his spot and put me right ON TOP of deer in one of his ladder stands.  Right a 7pm I see a doe heading up the hill towards me.  Next I have a yearling spooked by something running up and right under my stand and stops a few yards behind me.  I wait on the doe which stops under some branches then takes that magic last step... A beautiful dark colored doe. She went from a deep brown then to an almost black stripe high down the center of her back.
Perfect slight quartering at about 5 big steps from the base of my ladder.  I have the exact hair picked to split with my Zwickey. I am perfectly focused and go into automatic mode.  As I draw I can hear my new ASAT Leafy suit making a "crinkle" sound... I was 1/2" from solid anchor when the doe turned inside out and jumped off three big bounds.  I let the bow down and stood rock still cussing myself for bringing this new camo. 20 seconds later here comes a nice spike buck and he stops 18 steps in perfect position. I make it to about 3/4 draw and he hears my ASAT and turned inside out getting away from that noise.  

Break in your new camo!!  I do have a old ASAT suit that is broken in and quiet.. Of course I grabbed the new one tonight thinking, hell it shouldn't spook a deer...  Tomorrow night I will have my old ASAT bottoms on and a nice quiet cotton ASAT shirt.. LOL

Good Luck to all in MO.. These kind of stories can't be made up... Something like this seems to happen to me at least once a season.  Fun times in the deer woods. It just makes it sweeter when you do it right the next time... LOL

John III

An 8 point came through at 7:35 am, head down on a mission. Hunted all day didn't see another deer until 5:30 pm 2 forked horns.

None yet. We got some seroiusly heavy rain yesterday evening that sorta blew my hunting to shreds. I will try again thursday but my wife says i can only go if i take her too. I know it's goin to be a blast. Hope everyone everywhere has an enjoyable and safe hunting trip. Congrats to everyone that's got one already and maybe i will get my first before too long!

Saw a 3x1 and had another buck behind me both of them came in with the wind and got a whiff of me before they were in the clear to shoot at.  :(

My uncle did kill a nice doe opening morning. She was so fat she waddled and was hard to skin. LOL
Good luck to all and keep us posted.

I work today but will get to the bow woods this evening. How I love bowseason!!

John III

Good stuff guys!
I saw nothing but a few turkeys this morning.
Put a stalk on them later on in the tall grass, but I had two other people with me as well. So we got busted just outside of bowrange. But all in all a great time.

Keep at it guys,
Ethan

:campfire:    :coffee:

Stay with em guys,I'll be back in a week or so to help ya!

Good luck all!!  :thumbsup:

Nothing here yet.  Had to work late yesterday.  Got off in time to do some serious sitting tonight.

Had two different deer come up behind me and start blowing when they got my wind.  A little later, a bunch of turkeys were yelping and clucking around, just behind me and off to my right.  Then, about 6 PM, a deer came in from that same direction, so close I could smell him.  That one left without any racket.  I suspect buck from his musky odor and behavior.

This is my first year hunting from an artificial blind.  I have mixed feelings about tonight's hunt.  I like the feeling of concealment, but since I don't want the critters to be able to see through, I never open more than the front and one side window.  Sooo...I can't see what comes up behind or on one side.

Give and take I suppose.  I probably would not have gotten shots on any of those beasts tonight, had I NOT been in the blind, given the wind direction and my location.

I ran home from work tonight and made it to the woods just before 6pm... Snuck in good and quiet and sat like a stone until dark 7:30.. No deer for me... LOL

I am going to hunt my DB blind for the first time in years tomorrow afternoon.  We will see.

Good luck to my "Show Me" brothers of the bow...

John III

I'm going out this weekend.  Taking a half-day on Friday to get an extra evening hunt in.  I need meat!!  First fat doe I see is going in the freezer.

Nothing yet for me just a bunch of chiggers.Partner seen bunch of does inthe acorns.Tried that ground hunting opening morning. Had a skunk sniffing my boots until a opossum ran him off. Thought I would end up with a year long cover scent. Do like the ease of getting setup on the ground. Dindn't like the limited viewing.

Good to see you here John!  :thumbsup:  

Ground hunting is a lot easier on public land, but you're right you can't see near as far.  I may get out Saturday, really early for me I want to get after it this year.

I tried again this evening and the deer won the day...  Setup on a blowdown with trails 12 steps away. Waited for a NE wind to sit on this blowdown and thats what we had until about 6pm. Wind started to swirl to E then NW then back to NE. I almost moved but thought with the fickle wind to just wait it out I was in there good and quiet,,so stay put.
At 6:40 just like I hoped a Doe with a yearling trailing behind starts down the bluff towards me. She gets 30 yards away and turns onto the trail to walk past me at 12 steps. I am appx 12' high in the blowdown. Here she comes, my bow is up and I am starting to pick a spot on her side. Of course the wind is cooling the back of my neck at this moment. She pauses (under a redbud tree covering her vitals) while I am thinking come on one more step; then her nose goes up... She freezes and does not move even to blink for ten minutes. She actually started to look for me! I was stone still and in full ASAT.  She kept smelling around without moving. Enough was enough and she jumped away a few bounds stopping at 40 yards and stood still again.
She never did blow.  Her and the fawn pranced away with her whitetail up and waving at me...

What a great evening for me.  Yeah I am after them again on different property in the morning. If this was easy none of us would be having so much fun.

John III

Went yesterday evening and sat on a pond bank overlooking an acre and a half clover patch. About an hour before dark two small 4 pointers and a spike came out into the patch and were feeding. The smaller 4 point was getting rowdy and decided that he was goin to try and whup the bigger 4 pointer but after about 5 seconds the bigger one had the smaller one on the ground. Then the smaller 4 pointer turned to the spike and went round after round that lasted well over 30 minutes before the spike finally put the 4 pointer on the ground. This all took place around 60yds from where i was sitting and of all things they were all down wind. The little 4 point ended up in the pond belly deep in the water playing around, but it was getting pretty dadgum dark and never had a good shot oportuninty. I'm still trying for my first trad kill but i this evening i'm going to put my wife on the pond bank so she can get her first deer ever. Hope everyone here has a chance like i did last night but with better sucess.

I'll be out there Sat morning. First chance to get out. Put up a few new ladder stands and tweaked a couple more. Brush hogged a few trails. After a couple years of hunting the place I'm hoping I have it figured out a little.

Got some good ones on the game cam the last couple years just gotta get 'em standing in front of me.  :)

(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/jkmolongbow/SUNP0079-1.jpg)

(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/jkmolongbow/SUNP0018-2.jpg)

That sounds pretty awesome longrange!
I went out last night. No deer spotted, but brother saw a 125" eight point. Gonna try that spot again next week. Might head out somewhere tommorrow morning.

Ethan you bet it was. My heart was in my throat the entire time. Can't wait too go back out this evening.John, those are some REALLY nice bucks. Hate to have one of them close to me. If i did i would probably mess my pants.

Nothing this morning, one blew at me on the way out, couldn't see the deer though. On my way back to the woods now. Good hunting guys!

I would like to see how long it takes for someone to take a deer in mo. Seen one yearling late evening yesterday. Changeing area this morning. Good luck guys!

I have had four deer into slam dunk longbow kill range the past few days and could not get it done... LOL (see my earlier posts) That is why bowhunting is so much fun.

I am out again after them this evening.

Surrounded by turkeys this morning, no shots,left where I was sitting and was looking at trees to hang a stand in for the turkeys when the sky went black with them flying back from the hay field they were in. Of course I am standing at the edge of a logging road. Turkeys in the trees all around me. I wait a little bit and start to back up to get in some brush when I see (out of the corner of my eye) a buck walking about 20 some yards from me. Now he has me sighted in but can't tell what I am. Runs across the road and to the ridgetop, wasn't really scared just knew something wasn't right. Well I finish backing up against a tree and the turkeys start falling out of the trees. One walks in and I start whistling to him and he starts towards me, about that time a couple in the trees pitchout to the ridgetop and he follows them. I finally ended up whistling one in and shot over the top of him. Pretty good morning overall.

That does sounds like a good hunt swp.
I went out lastnight again. A few turkeys came in, but no shots. I've been doing all my hunting on the ground again this year, so I think I'm starting to get the hang of it(I've taken two in the past this way), but it's always exciting nonetheless.

If you you guys would be up for it, maybe we could journal our hunts on this thread.
Might be fun, but it's up to you.

Either way. Go get em' guys!
Ethan

Got out this morning, it was beautiful weather!  Was in the stand about an hour when 3 does walked by at about 25 yards which is about the edge of my comfortable range.  They wandered off behind me and returned about 2 1/2 hours later on the same trail.  They passed right in front of a pair of dead hedge trees.  

Just for grins, before I left the stand I shot one of my Judos at some vegetation at the base of the hedge tree.  

I guess I should have taken the shot at the doe.
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/bctgrad/IMG00060-20090919-1131.jpg)

I got a little wet this morning. Saw the same little spike, he was running with the bigger 4 point that i had seen him with thursday evening. The smaller 4 point must have got his butt whupped to much because i didn't see hide nor hair of him. Didn't see any last night though. Looks like it's going to rain this evening but i'm still going to go.

I will try to keep ya'll updated whenever i get the chance.

Matt

Steady rain here since appx. 5:20pm... Nice evening in the woods but no deer seen.  

I will hunt again Monday.

John III

Just got back from CO so tonight was the first nite out for me.  Had a average 8pt at 15 yds, not quite a shooter.  Never rained here but was overcast all evening in Pike Co.  Hope to go to my farm in Gasconade Co mid week and take a skin head.  Good luck to all and take your thermacell.

I sat on stand till 9:00 am and then sneeking. 5 doe 4 turkey no shots. My sons in law's first year trad, so three of the deer I sliped around to push over him. They didn't go buy him, this was at 12:00 pm. The next two were at 1:00pm. Broad side at 25yds sliped back to son in law and he was on hands and knees trying to get a shot. Good hunt and very wet. I be back in the woods in a few. Good hunting guys

Got soaked last night and didn't see a thing, but i found 2 rubs. Went out this morning and the fog was thick as pea soup and the wind was swirling pretty bad. I did see a little doe driving back home. That's all that i've seen so far. Going to head back out around 2:00 this after noon. My wife is going too. I hope she gets her first.

Good luck to everyone and hope ya'll get to bring home some vension!

Nada for me this AM, foggy but not as bad as longrange's. May go back out this evening and try to cut them off as they go to the corn.

Went out Thursday afternoon and busted two does coming down the trail at 7:40.
Friday morning i saw a few does in the food plots we put in this year but still waaayy to dark to shoot. Friday afternoon i saw a 8 point that i would've shot at had he been 40-50 yards closer. Then two more does passed by with no light to shoot.
Saturday morning I zipped. Then saw two does at about 60 yards again.
Sunday = nadda
Just got to get my climber/stool in the right spot and I'm sure I'll be sharing photos by October

:D     :D    :D    :D    

Saturday evening, first hunt of the year for me shot a doe 20 minutes after I sat down.

Pics are not downloaded yet but I'm working on it.

My 51# Firefly, launching a Tusker tipped Surewood shaft.  Fifty yard dash and down.   :thumbsup:  

I've never taken a deer this early, I usually don't even hunt this early.

Great stuff, Tim! Well-done! Happy for ya!

Wow! Congrats Slowbow!
Thats really cool

What a nice night!  Bumped a couple deer while moving in to the area I wanted to hunt.  They were real close to where I was headed.  That'll teach me to wait until 4:30 to walk in.

I can now confirm that visualization and wishful thinking does not always work to produce deer.    :smileystooges:    I kept expecting to see one stepping out of the brush any time, but no dice tonight.

Oh well, I was entertained by a young grey squirrel who spent a good portion of the evening trying to figure a way to get on top of my blind.    :banghead:

Congrats Tim,I guess your pretty satisfied with those Tusker heads?I'm still working on all of the bug bites from my first hunt this year,maybe on Tuesday I'll take another venture to the woods. Hot and dry here in KC.Supposed to cool off this weekand strt to feel like deer season.

Thanks John, yes I'm liking the Tuskers.  I can shoot any head I want but I like them so much I shoot them as much or more than anything else.  Here's my early season doe, taken with a Tusker Delta.

In the field:

 (http://images.imagelinky.com/1253498622.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1253498622.jpg)

Later, the happy hunter:

 (http://images.imagelinky.com/1253498991.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1253498991.jpg)

I hope you all have a great season.

Way to go man!!

Congrats, Tim! Hope to get my Firefly initiated soon.

Nice deer, Tim!

Great shootin slowbowin!

Was headed to stand yesterday evening around 4:00, i was running a little late. Got to the stand not twenty minutes later and while climbing up it i saw three does about 150-200yds away. Figured i could circle around in front of them because they were headed away from me at the time. Closed the distance to about 65yds and jumped a covey of quail. Talk about something that will make your heart skip a beat or two! The does nevere made it any closer and i had no cover to complete the stalk. I will try again tomorrow.

It will be saturday before I am back in the woods, so I thought I would bring this thread back to the top. This is my only way to see how things are going in Missouri.

Here's my son with his 1st Trad kill.  I just got him shootin' Trad about 2 months ago.  He missed one on opening day, but stuck with it and got this one on the next evening.  He was mighty proud.  Got it with my Black Swan Hybrid.  (http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/joekeithspics/HPIM3012.jpg)

Hey Joekeith, Sweet! Congrats to your Boy!  :bigsmyl:  Good shootin, Steve

Congrats!
The smile says it all.

Congrats on the deer guys   :thumbsup:

Congrats on your first kill!

Went out last night and didn't see any deer. If i had know that, i would have took out a few squirrels that were tearing through the acorns on the ground. Don't know when i can go again. My wife and daughter are sick and i'm having to stay late at work with the possibility of having to start working on saturdays. If all else fails i still have sundays.

Good luck to all and safe hunting!

Matt

Very well-done! Many happy returns of the day to you!

Just thought I'd bring this back on top.
I've been flooded and haven't had a chance to hit the woods this week, but I think I'll try to make it out tommorrow morning.

I have been out once, no luck. I did get to try out my Guido's Web tree stand for the first time in a hunting situation. I sit for 4 hours and it was very comfortable. I also got to use the E-Z Kut hand drill and step-bolts. I can say this is the lightest and easiest system I have ever used and I'm sold on it.

I have gotten so "close" to getting deer killed this year.  Actually I never have had this many encounters so early in season...

Today I made it home around 11:30 am and thought "the wind is gusting a bit and we have had almost a 1/2" of rain, the woods are perfect for some stillhunting/scout combo".  I geared up in blue jean shorts long sleeve camo t shirt and did "cork" my face.  Everthing could not have worked out any better other than actually killing one of these deer. I was creeping down an old logging road stopping to look listen every few steps.  After just making it past a blowdown in the road I stop and just caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I freeze and see not one but two deer maybe 50 steps away uphill on a hogback.  I stand rock still for 20 minutes and the deer feed back and fourth getting about 30 steps close.  A perfect shot broadside with her head down in the leaves digging out white oak acorns.
I started to draw my longbow but just didn't want to shoot so far.  I set the bottom limb tip on my boot and watched the show for another 15 minutes.  BIG FUN!!  Eventually the wind swirled and they blew out...

Until I am really hungry, getting close is good enough.  One of these days things will work out perfectly.

Good luck to all.

John III

My wife and daughter are feeling much better and my boss said that they didn't need me to go in tomorrow, guess i lucked out so far. It was a busy week this week. My daughter was 2 months old monday, me and my moms birthday was tuesday and my wife and her brothers birthday was yesterday. Talk about doing alot of running around!

Ethan I know what it's like to have a flooded hunting area. The pond where I watched those three small bucks turned into a small lake and I
ain't going to be able to sit there till the water drops about five feet.

JDS3, I hope you get the chance that you've been waiting for and get to bring home some meat.

Good luck to all and safe hunting!

O.k. It's Saturday waiting on for sun rise, and wanted this back at the top. To borrow JDS3's phrase good hunting show me brothers.

Got to hunt Thursday night and Friday.  Its been hot but man the deer where movig good.  Had 2 small does come by at 20 yards Thursday and seen a 4 point.  Friday morning I walked out of the house and had a deer blow at me in the YARD.  Seen 4 or 5 deer on the way to my stand with my headlight.  Seen nothing while in stand that morning, but my buddy Dave shot a 7 point less then 1000yds from me in another one of my stands.  Friday evening another yearling,  I dont know where mom was cause this was a baby.  Less then 10 yards but a little to small.

The acorns are really starting to fall and they are not going in the clover,wheat, and bean fields nearly as much.  Wont get out again till Tuesday morning but its supposed to be very cool.  Bring it on.

My buddy Keith and I just got back from a week huntin Mo. public land , huntin was tough as all the crops were still in the fields, I shot low on a decent 10 pt at 20 yds on our first day and had a doe bust me out at 10 yds a day or so later, so I had my chances,  but we never saw a really nice deer and numbers were WAY down as they were living in the dang corn. I bet I saw 8 spikes during the week.. more than I have ever seen there.. but Keith did kill (not harvest) a decent 8 pt. with a whopping 5 yd shot..(the hole in the pic is the exit wound)  
     (http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj94/stykbow1/100_31991.jpg)

Well-done to Keith!

Good shooting Keith!

Saw a doe and a little one last night that were too far to shoot. Good news is that i got to thump a squirrel in the head but broke an arrow in the process. I think that the loss of the arrow was worth it.

Hope the rest of ya'll have good luck!

Matt

Now that's a nice lookin' deer, congrats.  :clapper:    :clapper:

BTW...my son wanted to thank all at TradGang that made it possible.  I bought the bow on here from fellow Ganger jflint, and Frank made the string for it.  Thanks all...   :archer:

Beautiful buck, Congrats...

Keith, Congrats to your son as well.

If the weather man is correct and the wind is blowing 20 to 30 mph on Monday... I am going to stillhunt late afternoon.  Too much fun.!


John III

Went saturday evening to a friends 75acres near Pattonsburg.  Busted a doe and fawn walking in.  They were feeding on acorns along a small ridge that runs the length of the property.  Set up in my treesuit and getting comfortable when I feel eyes upon me.  I turned to look behind me and the doe and fawn were back.  She was looking everywhere for me, but couldn't pinpoint me against the tree.  I had her at 15yrds, but didn't feel like messing with a deer at the time.

Had eight others come in throughout the evening from 10yrds to 30yrds.  Even pulled back on a couple to get used to the treesuit.  Had one bust me moving from behind.  I looked back there before moving, but didn't see her because she was under some heavily leafed cover.  She would have probably walked right under me.

It was my second time out and was a good hunt.  I mainly wanted to try out the new stand.  I think I'm gonna like that style of hunting.  Also found a leather treesaddle for half price.

Dave, wish I knew where you guys are hunting up here, but thats ok.  I found a place thats smoking, but a drive.  We are probably gonna  hit it real soon.

Thats a nice buck!!

Wanted to bring this back to the top.

Any luck guys?

I still have not had a chance to get out there again. Maybe this weekend...
I'll be in AZ hunting Wapiti next week, but I'll sure be ready to put some venison on the ground when I get back.

Oh, and congrats to all who have scored so far!
Thanks for posting pics.

Keep at it guys,
Ethan

Ethan, like last year, I kinda need to keep it to ourselves, but we have taken nice deer about every year, alot comes from learning the area over the past few years..  hope ya understand. ..  good luck  Dave

I've been into deer almost everyday I hunt and just came from the woods with a close call. Had a deer at about 18 yards, slightly quatering towards me and I didn't know what it was, so I held off.
Only a matter of time before I can upload a picture of my own hopefully

Again I got close to getting deer killed tonight. I was setup on the ground with a perfect NW wind.  I see the deer coming straight uphill towards me.  I am ready with my bow up,, it is only a matter of time... Then the mosquitos like to eat me alive. After a few minutes of them biting me on my face I just had to swipe them off. Head on with me being higher uphill than the deer moving my right hand a few inches wiping off these damn bugs... Yeah, the 2nd deer sees me move and freezes.  They don't know what I am, just that something moved.  They stomp, head bob and finally start to blow their heads off at me..  This will not happen to me again.  I will remember to take my bug dope or buy a Thermacell tomorrow.

Fun night for me.  I am seeing and getting close to deer about everytime I set up.  One of these days it will work out.

JDSIII

Made the trip this morning, and what a beautiful morning it was!  Saw deer around 6:45 working through the beans to the east and then disappeared.  Twenty minutes later, here they come.  A young 8pt followed by a 6pt made their way in front of me.  Two does came after but stayed in the field.  The cooler temps felt great, can't wait to get back out on Friday.

Well, I blew a chance tonight.  First shot and first miss of the year.  Was hunting some really thick stuff, on the ground.  It was going to be close or nothing, and about 5:30 it got real close.

Had one about 15 yards away, a little spooky, but not quite in a full bore linear panic yet;  Little sister had come in to about 5 yards, head-on, before she saw me and started back-pedaling after some obligatory head-bobbing.  The doe I shot at was lagging behind and had wandered a little off to the left, when she noticed sis's antics.  She walked right across in front of me, into a little opening, and I was ready.

It was a picture-perfect shot, if ya like seeing feathers burn a deers backstraps...sheesh!  Lost my arrow too.  Pretty frustrating, but man, what a rush having them close like that!  The gyrations of my trembling broadhead probably gave me away to the first little gal...LOL!

That sounds like a few of my hunts in the past Curtis!
It's always exciting on the ground.

Another post to bring this TTT.  I am a bit excited to have a ESE wind today. I have waited for almost two weeks for this wind to hunt one of my few treestands I have hung this year.  My first hunt in this honeyhole...

I plan on being on stand before 5pm.  Will check in after dark.

Good luck to all.

JDS III

Hunting has been tough but should pick up tonight with this cold front comming in. Had a small doe in the other morning but no shot at five yards. Getting old sucks , I used to see those deer before they got five yards away.Ground hunting has been ok, not worying about where to put my standbut seems the deer pick me up no matter how well I conceal myself.I'll keep at it.

Heres a medium size doe I got on the 18th 15 yd shot 75 yd recovery I was shooting a bamboo backed osage bow that wasn't even finished. I may have found my lucky bow.
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n19/MJC_photo/09traddeer002.jpg)

Congrats mjc!!
I think I'm catching the selfbow bug myself here lately, so that's awesome to see.

Congrats, Matt!  Very nice.  Are you one of the guys who had the bows (vendor stall) at the Mtn. View Pioneer Days a couple years ago?

I have two down.  I will post pics later.

Scott

Curtis yeah that was us, My brother is still building glass bows. The last couple of years I have been making alot of bamboo backed and all wood bows.I hope your season is going good.
Matt

Hey guys...congrats   :thumbsup:

Hey mjc, good shootin!

Is your brother Marc? He's makin a bow for me right now. Got to shoot with him a while back. Great guy and the best bows that i've ever shot.

Can't wait to see the pics onestringer!

I'm not going to be able to go until saturday.
Good luck to you all and keep the freezer full!

Matt

Matt, Yeah Marc is my brother, he does build some nice bows. I think we are going hunting together saturday too, I hope the weather cooperates. Good luck to you.

I was on the sideline with a bad back last week but plan to spend some time in a tree tomorrow. Bringing it back to the top.

I fought the wind gusts (up to 30mph) this afternoon outside doing projects thinking either I needed to stay in tonight or maybe a bit of stillhunting.  Around 5pm the wind died. Grabbed my Shaggie and off I went.  Set up near an old logging road just off a small pond.  The deer (two does) came out of the thick stuff appx 80 yards up the bluff from me and fed off into the wind.  I will adjust next sit depending on the what the wind is doing.  Yeah, I am having fun. This was my 13th hunt since season opened on 9/15 and these two make eleven deer seen with seven being in slam dunk longbow kill range. A couple I let walk the others were saved by the wind, noisy camo, mosquitos and brush in the way.  Bowhunting is never dull !!!  I plan on saving enough in my "tank" to really hunt hard starting the week of Halloween thru gun season opener.. One of these days all will work out.

Did onestringer post the pics of his deer yet? I could not find them...



John III

I had at least 10 deer within 100 yards of me on Saturday afternoon. Had a doe and a yearling come behind me, took a shot at the doe but with the wind going right at her, she knew i was there and duck the arrow. Then had a 4 point come through and stop textbook perfect at 12 yards.....but I have a 4 point restriction in my area!!  :(

Well, I went out real quick lastnight. Had a few decent toms work their way to me, but I made a rookie mistake and moved at the wrong time. A couple yearlings came in at dark. It seems as though almost all deer activity around here is delegated to the night here lately because of the moon.

Went saturday evening and saw two yearlings and decided to pass them up. They were just outside my comfort range. Sunday morning i was playing peek-a-boo with a half dozen coyotes that were trying top harass the cattle. No luck on getting a shot off. I did get to take some frustration out on a squirrel that i chased up a tree. He made up the tree about 20ft and got knocked out of the tree with a judo point, it's just too bad that he ran off. Last night me and my cousin took a little a walk and boy did we get soaked! I finally got my shot and the old doe ducked my arrow. She is missing a patch of hair where the snuffer skipped off. Swing and a miss! Oh well.

I can't wait to go again and good luck to ya'll!

Matt

Saw 16 turkeys this morning, but never got close than about 30 yards.

Well, i saw 14 does last night. Had one at ten yards that i had sat my sights on. I stared a hole straight through her and blew it! I guess i got tunnel vision and missed a few briars that were between me and her, hit one of them and put the arrow in the dirt about three feet in front of her. I can't complain though, it's better than pulling off a bad shot. May be next time.

longrange at least you made it to the woods and saw deer. I have to work and of course had to watch the entire pregame and Monday Night Football.. LOL  

Favre was better than expectations!  My dedication to bowhunting failed a bit.. LOL  

I am after them tonight!

John III

Matt sounds like a great hunt, I have had a few arrows deflected by briars, makes you want to pitch a running fit,but I guess thats why we shoot these bows its not easy. I bet you get the next one.

You know Matt, I don't think that i could have a fit to have saved my life. It was just too dadgum exciting! It is looking like friday evening and saturday morning are going to be some good times to hunt when that front and rain moves through.

Who knows maybe next time i will get one.

Good luck John3 and hope you see as many or more than what i did!

Matt

Ok I finally have some time.  

Let me say I and the founder and member of a new organization called "I should not shoot this in September"  I have a disease.  If I have a tag in my pocket and said critter comes with in range, then I am going to shoot.  The sad thing is before I shot this little buck, I shot the doe 20 minutes prior.  I did not find her till the next morning though.


(http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/Web%20Pics/Deer1.jpg)


(http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/Web%20Pics/Deer2.jpg)

Oh yea and I scored on an AR bear.

(http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/Web%20Pics/ARBear.jpg)

Scott that is just super!  Already an great season for you...

What did the Dr. say about your eye?


John III

Well, I got my first shot with trad gear Sunday morning and BLEW IT!  Doe at 12 yards and she caught me as I came to full draw.  I forgot to aim small miss small   It was more like aim small miss over her back!!   :banghead:  Lesson learned.  I am glad it was a clean miss though.  The limb beyond her wasn't so lucky  

I've missed with wheels in the past but it wasn't this much fun.

Finally got some time to this afternoon. Found something that blew my mind, a rub on a cedar tree that was BIGGER than my leg!!! I will take my camera with me this weekend and try to get a few pics of it. Did get some turkeys on one of the game cameras. I think there were between 15-19 birds on it. Hopefully they will make it till spring.

Want2no don't feel too bad. I've missed two so far.

Well, no success stories tonight, but did have a good hunt.  Set up a blind about 1:30 PM in an area I know holds deer, and settled in to wait.  

It was kind of a long afternoon, but right at 6:00, a good sized doe and a yearling came in.  They were excruciatingly close to my range, but somewhat obscured by brush.  The brush made it easy to pass on a shot that would have been pushing it for me ...about 21 or 22 yards.  The girls wisely decided to walk around the large, unknown, blob of camo nylon on the downwind side, and waltzed right out of my life.

Fellas, I saw a buck that was one of, if not, the largest I've ever seen (on-the-hoof) chasing a doe right in the middle of Licking, MO along U.S. 63 a couple days ago.  I think the cool weather has them stirred up.  Won't be long now till the silly season is in full swing!

I think my neck is swelling!    :archer:

Haha Curtis.
Just got back from AZ(no pics to share lol).
Been hearing about all this cool weather. Can't wait to get after these whitetails!!

I have been out 4 or 5 times so far. Have seen lots of deer. Video tapped a bunch while eating acorns around me. Last week, I finally decided to shoot a doe and missed two shots within an hour. Can't remember when I've done that, but glad to get it out of my system before a big buck shows himself.
Went out yesterday, saw 10 does and finally had three bucks come in on me. Two smaller ones, a spike and a 5 point circled my tree a couple of times.  Meanwhile, an 8 or 9 pointer that was with them (couldn't believe they were all still hanging together this close to the rut) stayed out about 40 yards munching acorns.  The little guys finally got down wind and picked me up but still hung around on the alert for another 40 minutes or so.  After an hour, the big guy finally had enough and split, taking the otherw with him.

Brian Moeller hunted with me and he was in the deer too, except for yesterday, but has not had the right shot at the right deer yet.  We are having a blast in the woods.  Sounds like all you guys in Missouri are seeing lots of deer.

WoodsyDave

I had my bubble burst late saturday morning. I was on my way to that big rub when i came upon a truck that belonged to one of my relatives. I figured that they might be hunting so i cut staight through the timber toward the rub with camera in hand. The closer that i got to the rub the more i could hear voices. Got within 60yds of the rub and that's where they were at. They were freshening up the rub that THEY MADE!!! I stood there listening to themn talk and they were goinging on about how they were going to everyone into believing that there was a huge buck in a certain spot where there wasn't. Talk about a huge let down! Good thing is that i was able to get a few decent pics of them and my two second cousins should be getting them for an early christmas present. Wished that i could see their faces when they get them.

Besides all of that, I didn't see much of anything. Pulled in the drive at work about an hour ago and there was a buck chasing does around. Maybe i Will get another chance this weekind.

Hope you guys are saving me a couple.  I'm heading out to northeast MO tomorrow for a long weekend to set up then I'll be back to hunt the first week of November.  Looking forward to hunting a new area!  I gained access to around 700 acres in Macon county this summer but I've only been able to get out there for one day in July so this is kind of going in cold turkey.  Will be interesting to see what I get into.

R

Ryan,

I could give you a hand with the scouting if you will send me directions to the place.  :)

Good bucks in Macon Co,and usually has the largest kill on deer AND turkey in this area. Go get em Ryan!

Had a little seven pointer at 6 yards this morning. My freezer is pretty full so he got to walk. Man the woods are alive with fall this morning!

I haven't been since I got back from AZ, and I got some new property to look into, but no time to do anything. Ah!

Anyways, good deal guys.
Oh and congrats on all those critters Onestringer!

WoodseyDave and I went to some pub. ground in northern Mo.  Dave saw a small 8 in the morning and at 4pm I had a small doe at 30yrds.  Started to rain and we had to break for it.  We were at the bottom of a mud hill and needed to make sure we could get out.  Otherwise, no telling what we could have seen.

Wished I could be out there with you guys. Me and my wife have our hands full right now. Our three month old daughter is starting to cut her teeth and we haven't been getting much sleep here lately. I just wished that she didn't have to grow soooooo fast! Good news is, she loves to watch hunting movies with me!!! My wife said that I may get to go on halloween, so I will keep my fingers crossed. Hopefully the next time I go I get one. Wish ya'll luck!

Matt

Had a good buck run a doe about 80 yds out of the brush into a crp field Sat nite. Rattled/grunted him back to 17 yds. Had I done my part,I'd have pics right now.....

Now I'm countin vacation days to see what I have left.....

Just found this thread, shot this buck in macon county on oct. 1st  (http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo16/browns501/00small24979657.jpg)

WOW! Good job RSB.
Congrats!

Nice buck RSB!

hey RSB me and two of my training wheel buddies will be up in macon county nov 9-13 trying to sneak in before the orange army invades, it's good to see that a trad guy can get it done on a big deer hopefully I can have the same luck as you did how far was the shot were you in a tree stand or off the ground?

I shot this buck out of tree stand about 5 or 6 yards.  The week before rifle season is always the best hunting.  Good luck!

Great job Ron!! Do you live in Macon?

Yes, I live in macon.

Well guys, Gonna need some crossed fingers from you all tonight/tomorrow.

Shot a buck tonight about 20 minutes before dark. Eight or nine yard shot, slightly quartering away but not much. Shot was perfect left and right but hit a bit high. I'd say that if you went straight up from the crease behind the elbow to a point maybe 5 inches down from the back, that's where I hit. Problem is, I'm pretty certain I hit the off side shoulder and did NOT get an exit wound. Looked like about 18 or 20 inches of shaft still sticking out as he ran off.

My arrows are 32 1/4" to BOP so penetration of about 12-14 inches plus say, 2 more inches for the head itself. Very possible I punched through the near side shoulder blade I guess. Arrows are Heritage 350's with 125gr. Magnus two blade (hair shaving sharp) and 100gr. brass inserts. Bow is 60# @30" and I pull 31+ inches.

Did a cursory walk around 30-40 minutes after the shot and found zero blood, no arrow. The arrow appeared to be firmly implanted as he ran off. Found dug in tracks and kicked up leaves in a couple spots but I only had a little led headlamp and a LED pen light that takes one AA battery.

The old "If in doubt back out" saying came to mind.

Unless there is some way I only one lunged him, (I don't think so but for sure high lung on the near side) I think I'll walk right to him in the morning. I hope so.... The timber is fairly open in the direction he ran. What bothers me is that I didn't find any blood. I can understand not finding any from the high hit but I'd expect that he'd blow some out his nose if lung hit. I think I'll find some tomorrow in the daylight.

Good thing is, the kids don't have school tomorrow and they can come along and help look in the morning.

So, wish me luck!

Oh yea, the buck.

He's nothing big for a rack but seemed to have quite a plump and tasty looking body. Something like 6,7 or 8 point, kinda spindly and maybe a 12 inch spread. With starting a new job only two months ago, no vacation coming and being stuck on 2nd shift with middle of the week off days, I didn't expect to have much time to hunt this year so the plan from the start was to take the first shot that came along.

--------------------
Dave

Keep us posted Dave. I hope you find him shortly.

I passed on two yearlings tonight.  Maybe come Jan if I don't have any deer meat this may have been a mistake. I just can't get myself to kill "this years deer".  

I am happy to be hunting and seeing deer.  The chase is what really matters.

Dave,

You will find him stone dead in the morning.  Let us know.

John III

Hope u get him Dave.

Post some pictures when u do.

Chris

Sounds like a dead deer to me Dave.

Sounds like a good shot Dave.
Good luck tracking tomorrow...
Paul

:banghead:    

Dave, and now we need to know ( the rest of the story )

With all the rain yesterday I'm sure it made for tough tracking.

Short version, no blood, no deer.  Forced to re-evaluate what I "thought" I saw in penetration.  

I did a google search yesterday of "whitetail deer anatomy" and one of the very first sites that came up had pictures of two deer hit pretty much identical to mine.  Arrows still in them and the deer alive.  If you do the same search, you'll see what I mean.  Looks like I probably hit the near shoulder blade root area.  Super thick bone.  I could have sworn I got more penetration than that but playing it back in my mind, I wonder if maybe I had some small case of seeing what I wanted to instead of what was really there.  That, or perhaps the arrow was at an angle and not perpendicular to the deers body and that would make it look shorter to me.  Not to mention the deer was running like heck to get out of there.  Lastly, if I'd gone through the shoulder blade or just barely missed it, I imagine the arrow would have been almost immediately snapped off when the deer ran due to movement of the shoulder blade and that didn't happen.  Hopefully, he's not still running around with the arrow in him.  If it IS a shoulder blade hit, I expect he'll recover soon.

Well I finally saw a doe for the first time this year, 4 of them as a matter of fact followed by a buck. They never got close enough to even think about shooting. I was beginning to think that all the does in Christian County had been shot.  :)

RSB what bow was that you killed your buck with

Well, after a couple of hard-knock seasons, I finally closed the deal on a little buck last night.  Unfortunately, the hit was too far forward.  Ended up hitting him just in front of the left shoulder.  I waited an hour before starting the track.  Had very good blood for over a quarter mile, but then we found where he'd bedded and clotted up.  We followed small drops, then specks after that for another 100 yards or so and lost the trail.  I went to bed with a sick feeling, but hoping to find him this morning.

Got back out early this AM, but didn't find any new blood where we lost it last night.  Knowing the property as well as I do, I thought I'd check some likely travel routes and hope for the best.  

I should probably mention at this point, that the deer I shot was a little buck I'd seen on a couple of occasions, the latest sighting being yesterday morning as I was moving the stand I eventually shot him from.  He had five points on a side, but the opposite horn was deformed into a slightly palmated spike.  Last blood was going away from it, but I had a pretty good idea where his favorite hide-out was, so after a couple hours of fruitless walking, I went to his brushy bedroom and started a grid search.

Found him fairly quickly after I started walking the bedding area.  Much to my dismay, the coyotes had their way with him last night.  There really wasn't anything salvagable as far as meat goes.  I'd heard the coyotes yipping last night in that direction, and my worst fears were realized.  After inspecting the arrow wound, I'm confident he would not have recovered, but it just wasn't a good enough hit to put him down quickly.

My first traditional bow kill will be a bitter-sweet memory to say the least.  It was an ignoble ending, except I suppose, from the yotes point of view...

This is about the only picture I have that's fit to show.

(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q171/Joshy_Tree/640x480.jpg)

On another note, the deer here are rutting HARD right now.  In fact, we just started seeing a lot of sign and movement on our farm in the last week.  Firearms season opens Saturday, and I fear the local numbers are going to be reduced dramatically.

Curtis,

Sorry to hear about the bitter sweet end but at least you found him.  I have always had luck hunting the gun season with my bow.  Keep after it and see what happens.

Good luck

Chris

Nice deer and GREAT persistence there Curtis.  I don't have it with me, but wait till you see the photo of the deer that got hit by a car in the middle of Springfield's city limits.

I don't know how to post pictures but I took a 9 pointer last Sun morning. Cedar arrow with 2 blade Magnus I and a 25 yard shot which is stretching it for me. He went about 180-200 yds.

Just wondering if you guys hunt during gun season. I just move over and let the orange army have it. I have past on alot of deer in the last two seasons. Friday last hunt till the 25th I shot under a very nice mature 8 point at 15 to 20 yards. I was in a ladder stand and position did not allow me to reach full draw. I hit my anchor and let it go, that is when I realized I was not at full draw. A hang on will be placed this weekend. Best deer I have ever seen during a hunt!

Guys, I "misplaced" my MO game law pamphlet - what is the deal on Thanksgiving weekend - as I recall the general gun season is over and there is some kind of antlerless season?  Can you still A. bowhunt then (with orange on?) and B. fill an either sex archery tag with a buck?

Thanks for the info - quicker than searching thru the MO website.

Ryan

BTW - killed a big doe the third weekend of Oct when over setting up on the farm in Macon county I have access to.  Hunted there the first week of November, did not see a chase until Nov 5 then a couple days of rut activity that shut down on the weekend when the temps went up.  Saw a BUNCH of 1 1/2 yr old spike/forks and several 2 1/2 yr old 8 pts, a nice 3 1/2 yr old 4X5 and a DANDY mature 8 pt - maybe 150 class.  Needless to say the older bucks did not give me a chance. Thinking of slipping down for a day or two over the Thanksgiving weekend, thus the question.

Thanks again

Ryan

Hey Ryan,
A-yes with orange

B- yes,you can take 2 bucks still if you haven't used either of your either sex tags.

Thanks Kenny

Ha! 2 bucks...you don't know me very well!  Actually starting out i figured I'd be tickled with one and I tagged the doe with one of my either sex tags.  If I kept the 2 buck tags I think I'd be tempting Karma to kick me in the head!    :smileystooges:

Maybe that is my prob,my head hurts!! LOL