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Author Topic: Deer 1, Jack 0  (Read 2658 times)

Online Jack Denbow

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Deer 1, Jack 0
« on: October 06, 2007, 10:13:00 AM »
I have a stand about 60 yds from the basement door. I have been watching deer feeding on acorns under the stand for a couple of weeks now and have been feeling real good about opening day. I was sitting in the stand and about 7:00 I thought I would stand and watch behind the stand for awhile. While I was standing there I heard something and looked around to see 4 deer running away about 20 yards from the stand. They must have seen me move or something. They tried to circle around to see what had spooked them but finally got a whiff of me and left. Deer 1, Jack 0. Hopefully this evening will be better.
Jack
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Offline BigRonHuntAlot

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2007, 02:35:00 PM »
:bigsmyl:   Good Luck Jack. Go get em this evening.
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Offline Forester

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2007, 09:19:00 PM »
Keep at it Jack!  I was thinking about your yard bucks while on stand this morning and I wondered how you were doing on opening day.  I hope this evening was better.  Good luck - Shoot straight!
"A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke of his axe he is writing his signature on the face of his land." - Aldo Leopold -

Online Jack Denbow

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2007, 09:35:00 PM »
This evening I hunted a ground blind I built about 3 weeks ago. I set a trail camera there and got about 60 pix in 2 weeks. I had 3 show up as I getting to leave. It was so dark I could barely see them at 15 yards. They just walked on by so I could get into the house to watch the Virginia Tech game. Deer 2, Jack 0.
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Offline Forester

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2007, 04:09:00 PM »
I'm down by two as well Jack.  The wind spoiled the morning and a squirrel gunner interrupted the afternoon.  At least the Hokies pulled one out in the heat.....

Keep up the reports, I'm pullin' for ya.
"A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke of his axe he is writing his signature on the face of his land." - Aldo Leopold -

Offline BigRonHuntAlot

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2007, 07:01:00 PM »
Its just too Damn HOT. We saw some deer Saturday A.M. but nothing after 9:30 but squirrels. Give em another go Monday. Best of luck to you guys.
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Online paradocs

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2007, 12:42:00 PM »
Sheesh, I got a dose of chiggers just scoutin'; too hot for me.  Though I once snuck up on a little forkie in his bed at 2 in the afternoon on one of these steamy days...he never knew I was there; too busy panting...

Offline Forester

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2007, 03:16:00 PM »
OK Jack, I'm taking a page from your playbook.  I hung a treestand 55 yards from the house late this morning hoping to catch them under a white oak one evening.  We'll see, you'll either be my hero or my scapegoat   :)  

I'm waiting for your next update.  I hope today was a good day for you.

As for it being too hot, I went out at mid-day to move an edge stand into a honey hole.  I figured the mid day dry wind could help cover my activity among the oaks.  I didn't move the stand because there was a big doe eating acorns under it at 1:15, in the sun.  I let her be and came home to get my bow...
"A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke of his axe he is writing his signature on the face of his land." - Aldo Leopold -

Online Jack Denbow

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2007, 09:48:00 PM »
The ground blind I mentioned earlier is also only about 75 yds from the house in the opposite direction. I hunted it this morning and saw nothing, I think the wind was the reason. Tie game this morning. This evening I went to a farm over in Loudoun County. When I hung this stand 10 days ago I knew it would be a hot one. I passed a button buck at 7 yds., had another button and a 4-6 pt. coming but the wind betrayed me. Deer 3, Jack 0.
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Offline Forester

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2007, 08:59:00 PM »
Jack, you were almost my hero.  I sat in my "yard deer" stand yesterday evening.  I saw 7 fawns, 6 does and 5 bucks.  Many were within range but behind branches and such, including the big guy.  I didn't go out 'til 5:00 due to the heat but the deer were already out in the neighbors pasture.

I was out this evening in the honey hole that I mentioned yesterday and it almost worked.  I saw plenty, including 5 different bucks, but no shots materialized.  Deer 4, Duane 0.
"A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke of his axe he is writing his signature on the face of his land." - Aldo Leopold -

Online Jack Denbow

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2007, 06:17:00 AM »
Yesterday morning I was at the same spot as the night before and had 2 pass out of range. Hunted an old haunt last evening but there had been too much activity, surveyors and such, there. I am on the way to the wood pile stand, "yard stand", in a few min. One of these days I will even up the score. Deer 4, Jack 0.
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Online Jack Denbow

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2007, 09:47:00 AM »
Come on guys lets hear about some of your experiences I know Ron and Duane and I aren't the only one hunting. Since Dave wont' be able to hunt this year, he can "hunt" through our posts, so let's hear what's happing in your neck of the woods.
This morning there were so many nuts and cutting falling it sounded like rain but no deer showed up. Tie game.
Jack
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Offline Talondale

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2007, 05:30:00 PM »
Day 1 - Overslept Saturday because I set my alarm to PM instead of AM.  LOL.  Went and scout/hunted a different area in National Forest and found some great sign back deep.  Bumped 5 deer.   I'll get back to that place later.  Hunted behind my house Sat evening and had a small 6 come busting by me.  Someone must have bumped him from up the mountain from me as the wind was perfect.  He was hauling it.  I thought I had heard a sound of something like wood on metal from that general direction earlier. (trespasser?)  Maybe someone took a shot at him or was walking around on the property above me.  Soon after I had 8 turkey come across below me.  I saw one within range and should have known there were others.  When he went behind a big tree I turned to get ready for a shot and one closer to me I couldn't see flew off.  When the other gobbler came out from behind the tree he was further downhill and out of range. Couldn't get a shot.  He was looking for me but I was hunting on the ground with a ghillie suit on and good background cover.  Never saw me.  After that the rest of the group came out into a clearing 80 yards downhill and then off to roost.  My buddy saw the 6 and two other bucks.  None shooters.  My Dad saw one of the bucks and 3 does out of range.  My kids had four does in the yard with them.  All in all it was a good hunt, too warm, but fun.

Day 2 - Should be cooler here by this weekend.   Got home from work last night and put on my ghillie and slipped up the hill behind my garage.  It's broomsage and cedar/pines but I have a food plot on the top of the hill.  I was trying to make meat using one of my damage stamps I have and thought I'd set an ambush for one of the does who keep coming down to my yard.  I got spotted by one doe while I was playing around trying to figure out the wind, it was almost an absolute dead calm, but they wanted down into my yard too badly to run off.  You see, the greedy boogers wanted my chestnuts that were falling like reality tv stars on my yard.  I can run them out of the yard and they'll be back 30 minutes later.  So they ran around in the food plot briefly then settled down.  I backed out and dropped down a little farther on the hill.  My purpose was two-fold: the cover was thicker below and I wanted to be in a different place then when that doe had seen me.  This new position gave me a shot if they walked across the top of the hill to go to one area in the fence they jump or down below if they decided to go along the back fence.  I spotted a small five point in the field.  He was looking in my general direction.  I doubted he could see me but I'm not sure if he was hearing me or listening to my kids play in the back yard.  The deer will come into the yard even if the kids are playing or I'm practicing shooting my bow so I wasn't concerned.  I liked my position and figured I'd stay here until dark rather than risk trying to get closer.  There was about 20 minutes of light left.  Suddenly the buck dashes off towards the woods to the east.  I hear something coming down the ravine below me.  It's my father.  He had been hunting a blind up in the woods and was hoping to get a shot at a buck he saw Saturday.  I knew he was up there but he had to come out early to load some gear in his truck.  He didn't know I was set up.  It was still fun.  When we got to the house the deer ran across the front yard and through my side pasture on into my neighbors fields and out of sight.  They had circled around my whole property.  FUN.

Day 3 - I'm having a blast.  I have 5 doe damage stamps and I'm trying to take them with the bow.  I had some more chances last night.  I had some small fawn does within 10 yards but I was waiting on their momma.  She got within 50 yards when the front the weatherman predicted started in earnest and switched the wind towards her.  She blew out of there.  Later I was crawling 35 yards, on my belly to peak over a ridge at a food plot.  Nothing was there.  I stood to leave and when I turned to go there was a doe 20 yards behind me, where I just crawled from.  Too much fun.

Online Jack Denbow

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2007, 08:57:00 PM »
Chuck it sounds like you are having plenty of fun. It should be just a matter of time, at least that is what I keep telling myself. This evening I saw a doe and fawn, they were headed my way and my palms got sweaty and my heart was racing, I love that feeling, then they veered off and passed out of range. I will be back there in the morning. Deer 5, Jack 0. This needs to change.
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Offline Forester

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #14 on: October 10, 2007, 09:38:00 PM »
Wow Chuck, you are having fun.  It sounds like you have a great place to play!  I want to see your ghillie suit one day, I liked the looks of the pictures and it sounds like it's working well for you.  I think I want to switch.

Keep at it Jack, I'm sure you will make it change before too long.

I could not stop thinking about my experience in the honey hole last evening.  I could not have cut it any closer with the wind and the group of bucks just stayed out of range by a little bit.  They are still running like clockwork as they stage in the oaks before hitting the fields at dusk.  I know this won't last but another few days so I snuck in mid-day and hung a stand in a "better" (hopefully) spot.  Only 50 yards from where I was Tuesday.  I wanted to sit there tonight but the wind is too variable.  I watched from 3/4 mile away and they came out of the woods right on time.  They are feeling their oats in the cooler weather though - they bumped a doe around the field and three of them knocked antlers with each other.  If I can get a favorable wind Friday evening I'm gonna go for it.  It'll be all work 'til then.

Keep up the fun guys.
"A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke of his axe he is writing his signature on the face of his land." - Aldo Leopold -

Offline Talondale

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #15 on: October 11, 2007, 11:28:00 AM »
Day 4 - Had 3 does in the back yard last night.  Had a hard time running them out of the yard.  Wind was all wrong.  The wind here is prevalently from the West.  The deer are prevalently coming from the East.  Bad mix.  I decided to hunt a southern portion of the hill and hope something came from higher or lower than me and missed my scent.  I sat in the pines and had a beautiful evening.  I heard the kids come home from grandparents and playing in the yard.  Didn't see any deer until I got back in my yard.  Big doe.  This morning three deer walked my car to the end of the driveway on the way to work.  They crossed the road to drink from the creek.  I'll post some pics later.

Offline Forester

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #16 on: October 11, 2007, 02:17:00 PM »
Mid-day movement looks good here on Day 5.  I just came up out of Cloverdale and have seen many deer crossing open fields and travelling.  I suspect Jack and Chuck have deer in their yards right now.....
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Offline Talondale

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #17 on: October 11, 2007, 04:14:00 PM »
Here's my area I'm hunting after work.
Southern view.
 
a zoom in of the Peak of Otter
 

Offline Talondale

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #18 on: October 11, 2007, 04:15:00 PM »
A zoom of the mountain range.
 
Westward view.  Chestnuts lower middle.
 

Offline Talondale

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Re: Deer 1, Jack 0
« Reply #19 on: October 11, 2007, 04:19:00 PM »
For some reason I just love broomsage and cedars.  I like the color tone and the look of a hill covered with sage and dotted with the dark contrasting cedars.  It's fun to hunt even if it isn't the most productive area to hunt.  I do that some times, hunt an area just because I like how it looks or feels regardless of what my head tells me in regards to success in seeing deer.  It's a view with an excuse I guess, not really hunting, but I enjoy the change every now and then.

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