Between work and rain I haven't been able to get out much yet. When I did get out it was hot. I was just wanted to start this thread to keep in touch with other Indiana hunters. Saw some other threads with specific states mentioned and liked the idea. So... lets hear what you've got.
For that matter it doesn't have to be just about deer.
I have been out a few times. No luck. Got out this morning for about an hour till the monsoon drove me out of the stand. Waiting on a South wind to hunt my honey hole. Cold weather should get em moving.
I hunted just the Southern IN Bowhunt so far. Hot and little deer movement.
Wish I could get out this weekend but it's fall break so the kids and I are headed to a State Park for a visit. There is a WMA close by though :) Sunday morning should be just about perfect IMO.
I'm down with bronchitis but staring to feel better and will hopefully I'll get some time to get out this weekend.
Stiks
I can hunt Fri., Sat. and Sun. mornings this week. I'm pumped about this weather change. Have seen more deer each time out this past week.
Rob
I have been seeing deer feeding on red oaks quite a bit but most seem to be feeding at night. Had a lone doe pick me off on Sat. evening about 3 step from the shooting lane. Been seeing a lot of turkeys too. I have most of Nov. off. That's what I am waiting for.
Should start to get really good in the next few days with it getting cold. My brother is coming this weekend to hunt for a few days and then my dad (hackbow) will be out the 26-30th. im hopin we all put deer on the ground.
Hung two stands in new locations last night so im eager to try those out this weekend
Hey John, I'll be up at Pokagon this weekend with the kids. Staying at the lodge. You ever hunt that WMA up that way? Pigeon River I think it's called. I'd love to sneak out there this weekend. Probably not the responsible thing to do though :)
seen several small bucks passed on 6 so far,shot a doe sunday..weather permitting ill be out till wed.of next week...
This is my first year hunting with the longbow an dso far I am 0 for 4. I have learned not to hunt out of my sons two man ladder stand with the longbow unless the deer are straight in front of you. I have two misses due to banging my bottom limb on the handrails on the sides of that thing. The other two misses were caused by, well that doesn't matter but I know it wasn't me not picking a spot that caused them. :o
I hunted Monday night as the current weather system was moving in. I saw 2 does (actually they were bedded right behind where my stand was and I wasn't paying attention :banghead: ), and a third that was too far to take a shot at. Other than that my hunting was the Southern IN bowhunt and was too hot as well. Get better Kris, sorry to hear about the big "B" word. Thanks Bona for starting this thread for all us, "Hoosiers"...LOL!
I'll let you know what's going on in the Peru area once were done with the kids softball and football. Between the two and now scouts there is little time to hunt. None of those things are bad things to be occupying my time though. Well except maybe work :)
Put the first one in the freezer saturday night,deer head behind tree, vital area open and screaming shoot!, seven yard shot,double lunger,went 30 yards and collapsed while I watched :-)). Checked, hung and skinned by 9 pm.Butchered by sunday noon.
Right time, right wind and the right amount of luck.Lawrence county.
John,
I havnt hunted any public land but i wouldnt be opposed. My mom and brother will be here all weekend but i might be able to get out. just let me know.
there is also the marsh lake wildlife area which is part of pigeon river but much closer to the entrance of the park. not sure which one u were thinking about going to
I killed a doe on the 3rd and it's been pretty slow ever since. Hopefully tomorrow night should be a good.
I hunted last night in that mess. Wind was blowing 30mph and rainy, rainy! I was beginning to think I was crazy, but the deer were moving. I saw 4 with no shots. A friend of mine was hunting 200 yrds down from me was covered up with deer...I think he saw 15. Another guy was hunting the other side of the property saw 9 and killed a little button buck thinking it was a doe. Not too bad considering the weather was less than pleasant.
I'll be heading to Indiana on the 30th will be in the Nappanee area hunting with a good friend killed a real nice eight point last year,hope the weather cools some to move them bucks.
I've been out 3 times an only seen one small buck so far. I plan to sneak out Saturday morning to see what's moving.
Been out 4 times and have seen 15 deer thus far...five yearlings, one spike and the rest mature does. Unfortunately, the only thing offering me any shots are the yearlings, which I've passed on. Been nothing but wind and rain for three days up here in the northeast part of the state, but tomorrow is supposed to clear up. Might try to get out in the morning and see what happens. Good luck all!
John Scifres,
Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area, about 13 miles SW of Pokagon (23 by road), maintains 11,605 acres of land, 529 acres of lakes and impoundments and 17 miles of river. It's one of my favorite places to bow hunt.
Opening day this year there were over 340 bow hunters, (and that's a lot for here) I only ran into one other hunter all day. I feel that it is lightly used during early bow season. Gun season is a different story.
One of those hot days in the southern part of the state I saw a nice mature doe and her two fawns. She was 30 yds with a dozen of so sapling in between. No shot.
Saw the fawns twice and tried to call one to me. It came in...down wind. They learn quickly. :rolleyes:
Here at home I have yet to see anything while on stand.
nlester, I've been debating with myself about going out tonight. You make me want to get out there anyway!
Thanks everybody. I hope we can keep this going.
Hope you feel better soon Kris!
Been down with bronchitis as well...had to cancel an elk hunt to MT. Only been out twice here in IN. Found two tresspassers on day 1 and day 2 I passed on a small 6 pt. Hoping to get out a few more times this weekend.
QuoteOriginally posted by Blackstick:
John Scifres,
Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area, about 13 miles SW of Pokagon (23 by road), maintains 11,605 acres of land, 529 acres of lakes and impoundments and 17 miles of river. It's one of my favorite places to bow hunt.
Opening day this year there were over 340 bow hunters, (and that's a lot for here) I only ran into one other hunter all day. I feel that it is lightly used during early bow season. Gun season is a different story.
Pigeon River FWA is a fantastic place and my absolute favorite Indiana public land hunting spot. Just wish I didn't live an hour and a half away from it.
I went out last night. Not this morning and should be right now. I saw no deer last night. The only entertainment I had was an assortment of song birds bathing in a small bit of water in the ditch.
This was a small corner of a corn field that we own that butts up against a nieghbor that has a 15 acre woodlot. The deer have to cross about 5 acres of a bean field and the fence is about knee high and there is a nice oak there which gives me a 12-20 yd shot. I've never been on stand back there and had a deer come through. But my husband was back there in his truck a few weeks ago and one come through and ate some of his corn for a while. So I was hopeful. It was a nice sit anyway.
Havent been since Indiana southern bow hunt. Thinking about going back down to brownstown to hunt Sat. Hope you get back to feelin good Sticks.
Missed a doe Fri., No shots Sat. Saw bout 20 those 2 days. Went duck hunting with my wife today to clear my head.
Rob
Got out a couple times this weekend and seen two does.
Still ain't feeling great but maybe I'll hunt the evenings thru the week.
Give me a holler sometime Rob.
Well, I had an interesting afternoon yesterday.
I've missed more hunting days this year than normal - between the hot weather early and the rain last week I think there were 5 days I didn't get out so far - which for me constitutes going into whitetail-withdrawal. I got pumped up late last week as there were some good rubs (4-5 inches) showing up in the grown over pasture part of the farm I hunt alot here near home. Seemed to me that there was a 3 1/2 yr old buck messing around there, which is my standard around here for a "shooter". This is the first real action I've found this year, except for some waterhole sits the first week of season. Anyhoo, yesterday afternoon I slipped into my "sure-fire-super-duper" early season stand. This is in the end of a finger of timber that sticks out into the grown up pasture, real heavy brush/honeysuckle and some pin oaks dropping acorns. Visibility is very limited, but a real "bucky" early season stand. Access is from the northwest up the draw the stand sits in the head of so I'm able to sneak into the bedding cover pretty well, and a southwest wind is perfect going back down the draw. About 6.30 I heard a deer walking and spotted a big bodied deer coming and got a couple of flashes of what looked like decent antler through the brush. "Oh boy!" says I, "Here's my 3 1/2 yr old!". I got lined up and ready and when he popped out of the brush at 15 yards I let him have it. He peeled out and went about 50 yards into open timber then stopped. As he was wobbling around I got my glasses on him...."Crap, thats not the buck I shot...he was WAY bigger than that!". Turned out I was right on about the body size - he dressed 185, so was around 215-220 live wt - but the horns were a size smaller than I thought. I figure he's either a real big bodied 2 1/2 yr old or, more likely, a late born "short yearling" that is 3. Certainly wasn't the deer I had convinced myself he was.
Oh well, I got him killed cleanly, and that's always a bonus, and he died in a spot easy to get him out of. He was the deer I wanted to shoot at that time and place - you pays your money and takes your chance - and in the end that is what matters. Boy, the fire control center was really lit up on that one, though! Moral of the story: check the horns twice before you drop the string!
I got an ace up my sleeve, though - two weeks off of work in November and a 500 acre farm to hunt in Northeastern Missouri - so the Fat Lady ain't sung yet!
Shot him with one of my old Jack Howard Gamemaster Jets - about 56 lbs at my draw - and a 600 grain carbon with a big Snuffer.
Best of luck to you all in IN...she's getting ready to roll next week.
Ryan
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/2011Indiana7pt.jpg)
Nice buck Ryan! Most of us would be tickled to death with that buck! Thanks for tell'n us about it.
I'd say that's a 3 year old.
I'm taking my wife's 16 year old cousin this weekend to Parke County. This is his first bow season so I hope we get him into something. The word from the landowner is positive:
QuoteSure have been a lot of deer and especially a lot of bucks out and about....
Assuming we get the promised west wind, I got a great ladder stand set up for the boy. And a nice spot on the ground for me and the leafy suit.
Ryan that is a big bodied deer Nice rack too. I wouldn't pass on him but that's me.
Good luck John.
I have been having a hard time getting into it between getting sick, coal mining and working around the homestead. Then again maybe I just need some cool weather and the right moon phase to get me rutting LOL
I've been getting out a lot in S. Indiana--Scott County to be exact. I have seen one really big Buck and he surprised me by jumping up out of a soybean field where I assume he was lying down---I was walking along its edge about 3:30 in the afternoon on my way to a woodslot at the end of the field.
Mostly it has been hot and dry although we've had a few cool days here and a little rain last week. Yesterday (Monday 24th) I saw a big group of does and 2 small bucks---also a few early scrapes---maybe by month's end things will begin to really move with the big boys who mostly stay out of sight here.
Best of luck to all you Hoosiers --- hope we all can post photos similar to Ryan's.
Joe
Way to go Ryan! Great looking deer! He will certainly provide you with some fine eating.
Nice going Ryan.
Seeing more and more activity as the month goes on. Had a 6 pt. trying to pick on a spike on Sunday morning. Friday will be my last day of work for a while. Hopefully one of the bucks I am getting trail cam pics of will walk into one of my arrows next week.
ttt
For those able to get out this weekend. Not me. My weekend on. My next chance will be 11/1/11, I think that's a Tues.
:campfire:
Woke up yesterday at 2:00 am with severe pain all over and spent the past 18 hours or so in bed with the flu. First time I've been sick in years. So I am stuck to living vicariously through you all.
I'm watching from the side lines to. Wanted to get out this weekend but I pulled a muscle in my shoulder at work and I can't pull a bow.
Kris and John,
Sorry to hear you guys are down and out. I believe the hunting is getting better. Went Thursday and Friday evening and seeing some movement. Sure would like to close the distance. With this selfbow, buttons, spikes, fawn with spots are all fair game. :)
Ive been struggling this year. The deer activity has been way down the last ten to twelve days. Havent seen a buck bigger than 120" inside of 500 yards. We have several trail cam photos of deer well over that bench mark just haven't laid eyes on one yet.
Sorry to hear that John and Kris. I will do my best to shoot one for you in the morning. I got talked into duck hunting this morning. Thats hard to do without meat in the freezer. :banghead:
Rob
Well I have been seeing quite a few deer but haven't been putting any in the freezer. My youngest son decided to show me how it was done this morning. He has been out shooting me all summer so I wasn't too suprised when he texted me this morning that he killed one.
(http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp343/nyazel/IMG_2308.jpg)
Ver Nice Buck,congrats
Nice buck !!
Kris and John are sandbaggin' us... :p
Heal fast and get out soon guys!!
Was out for an afternoon sit today..
long about 5; ten(10)hen turkeys were marching around and sounded like a herd of bowhunters movin around!!
The ladies paraded by in front of me about 25 yards out. Not a beard among'm....
Bout 6:30 ish, two does at 65-70 yards north of me; wind from the WNW, on my feet and start north.... YEP!! forgot about the ladies :knothead:
Two steps into the clear and whoosh,flappity flap..the ladies moved and sqwauked and they did not use their "inside" voices either!!
Good day in my book. Ten hens are the first turkeys I have seen on this property. Deer are up and moving before dark and just after light.
Gotta hit the road so no hunt in the a.m. and wouldn't ya know; it's gonna be a SSE wind!!
That seems to be the best wind to hunt the middle of the property...
Good Luck and Get Wells to All!
Kris and John sorry to hear your both down.
That is a pretty buck!
The last time I was out was about a week ago. Tried a little rattling. I didn't see any deer but a redtail hawk landed in the tree about ten yards above my head. That was pretty cool.
John and Kris, I hope you aren't down long.
I hit it pretty hard this weekend. Stayed on stand until early afternoon Saturday and I just got in today. ZERO deer seen! Traditionally, the last weekend in October is when I start seeing the rut activity kick in.
Wandered over to the other side of the property when I climbed down and checked the funnels and field edges for sign and replaced my trailcam cards. No sign to speak of, although the way the leaves are falling if you want to see fresh sign it will probably be seeing the deer leaving it! A few fresh rubs and some secondary scrapes on the edges, but not what I am used to seeing.
In September I was averaging 75-100 photos between the 2 cameras with 75% of them being deer with several coons and turkeys. The 3rd week of Sept. one camera had 127 photos in a 5 day period!! Today's total photos between the 2 cameras for a 8 day period-17! 3 of does, 3 of coyotes, 7 of turkeys and 4 of what I guess of falling leaves.
Hopefully this week will get things kicked in high gear! I plan to get out at least a couple of afternoons thru the week and all day on Saturday.
Good hunting to all and Hunt Safe! Mike
Haven't seen squat all weekend long. It should get better soon. Maybe it's just the deep breath before the jump....
I'm finally feeling better and plan on hittin it hard til the firearms season. I think my neck is finally starting to swell LOL
Seen a couple nice bucks crossing the road in an area I hunt from time to time so I may do some sitting in that area after work in the mornings.
Dang, we must be one punny bunch of hunters. Every since the Trad hunt in IN I've been down as well. I went to the OH Trad hunt, but spent more time just sitting in camp than hunting. Flair up with my UC has me holding tight to home. Meds are starting to work so I'm hoping to be in the woods in the next few days. Rut is starting to kick off and I don't want to miss any days if I can help it.
Troy
Congrats to the guys with deer down. I am still trying.Last sunday I had three different bucks running does around me. The biggest of the three wouldn't come any closer than 40 yards but he did respond to grunting. I got a good show with his ears pinned back and postured up pawing the ground looking for the other guy in his territory. A little 6 point and a spike walked within shooting distance but I am gonna hold out for something a little bigger. I have next week off work and I plan to hit it hard, I usually have venison in the freezer by now but I am commited to doing it with my longbow this year so it has been a little more diffucult but it will be worth it when or if it happens. Good luck to all of you still trying like me.
Sat in my stand last night and seen a few does but didn't take any shots. Hard for me to drop the string that late in the evening on a work night knowing that I'll have to hurry up and get it dressed and out of the woods then hurry home and go to work.
It was nice to see some deer moving though.
Stiks
Been out about 3 or 4 times and haven't seen nothing. Gonna hunt hard the next 2 weekends and hope somthing good happen's. Good luck guy's and gal's!
Jason
I'll be at it all day tomorrow, good Lord willin'. My wife's cousin can't make it so it'll just be me and the deer, and squirrels, and landowner cutting fire wood, hopefully not too close to me. The deer are used to him though :)
A couple years ago I was hunting near his private road and he walked his dogs past me and I thought it was over for the morning. 10 minutes later, a doe walks by. I'm pretty sure she was waiting for him to pass before crossing the road :)
I had a buck (I think) pass me at over a hundred yards on Tues night. It was getting pretty dark by the time he came by.
Its been pretty slow this week. I was hoping this waether change would get the deer moving a little better. It did I saw 8 does and 2 small bucks today. I had 6 of these within 20 yards. Killed one of the does just before dark. It may take a while for me to dry out though.
I hunted all day today. In the morning I sat a natural blind that I killed a deer at last gun season. The morning started pretty slow other than blowing one deer out on the way and getting winded a little later. Then about 9 I hear the telltale noise of a chase. Not 10 seconds later a very large 10 pointer shows up 40 yards away. The doe is coming up the trail I'm on but gets turned and the buck followed. He was really wide, maybe 18" inside. I gunkilled a 155" deer a couple years ago and he wasn't much smaller than that. Sure would have like to get him. I went back to the car for lunch and talked with the landowner a bit.
Then I went and hung a stand near where the chase happened. But, the wind was all wrong and I knew I'd have to get lucky. I didn't. It was a great day to spend in His creation adn I am glad I got to do it.
Had a good morning. Get the story on my "Longbow makes meat and bone" thread. (http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee391/rjwalton8/deer10-1-1.png)
Saw that thread first Rob. WOW! Congratulations!. How did your buddy do? I'm guessing not as good as you! What do you think he scores?
Bona
Nice buck!
Way to go Rob!!!
Troy
That's a dandy. Congrat's.
I don't know much about scoring. I'm a meat hunter. I do know he will make a bunch of jerky. My wife is making me get it mounted maybe the taxidermist will tell me what it scores.
Rob
Nice hawg of a buck. Great job!
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob W.:
Had a good morning. Get the story on my "Longbow makes meat and bone" thread. (http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee391/rjwalton8/deer10-1-1.png)
Congrats!!! That is a dandy buck. :thumbsup:
Nice buck!
Yep, the deer start to move better. Start to see more bucks. I'll take off thursday and friday to do some morning hunts and try to wrap one up before the orange army does.
I had a doe within twenty yards saturday, but it was already this dark in this patch of the woods I could not even see her silhouette against the forest floor. Sunday I saw two bucks, but out of range and the wind did not help either.
There's been another Indiana bow kill by nlester, with a selfbow that he made. It's all in another thread. Well done Nathan!
Denny Sturgis Jr. shot a wide 8 pt. here in Indiana!
Happy Birthday to me! No, wasn't gifted with a 15 yd broadside shot at a whitetail but I did get a morning on stand that was very enjoyable. I saw a doe at nearly 200 yds shortly after settling in and I was pleased with my 20 yd shot at the cottony top of an old goldenrod. I had a flock of cardinals come in my area and had a redtailed hawk sharing my hunting grounds.
In the 14 years that I've been hunting I don't recall ever getting to hunt on my birthday. I got a late start after taking my son to school and checking on my mom. I was out by 10:30. I did some rattling even though it is late in the season for that. I had several ideas come to me that I thought were pretty good.
I'm going to change my hunting strategy. I heard recently that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So I'm going to make some changes. Wish me luck!
Happy b-day Bona! :)
Thank you Rob! :)
ttt
Don't have a big deer to show. He came by about 60 yards away on Thursday morning. Couldn't talk him into coming any closer.
The weather was good on thurday and friday morning. I passed up a little spike at 9 yards and had several does at 15 yards, but they were very tense and ready to jump, so I did't try to get a shot off at one of them. The does approached me head on,too, which made it very hard to move since this area is pretty open.
I'll try some more this week...
Ya'll give up cause'o the "Orange Herd"...??
I joined 'em...back at the stick this weekend though.
I put the orange hat on but have still been carrying my bow. Passed on a button buck a couple days ago. Going to give it a go in the morning.