5 pines farm 2012 semi live

[Fritz]

Pretty picture!  

[Easykeeper]

Lucky guy, you got some rain.  We got missed again up here.  Oh well, sounds like we all might get a good soaking this weekend.  

Really like that last picture of the valley in the rain.  Calendar stuff.

On a side note, I really like the limb veneers on your Widow, what are they?

[coaster500]

Beautiful Jim


 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

So the rain quit about 2:30 and the the forecast called for light winds out of the WNW.  I had noticed two days ago when I tweaked a stand by hanging a portable up above an existing ladder that the deer were really hammering the southern end of forage oats and turnip field. So i moved a camera to that end of the field. I count 8 of them here.

   

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

look at the size of the doe on the far left!

But where are the bucks?

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

ok so at 5 pm i see a deer walking to the turnips from the west side of the ridge ( opposite of me). It feeds for about 15 minutes then walks my way and feeds in the clover right in front of me. A button buck

the turnips are in the upper right corner

[Razorbak]

Man your living the dream..great thread and amazing pics...makes alot of us so envious    but in reality..we all wish to be in your shoes...keep it up and looking forward to the next installment

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

He is standing 20 yards from me right in my lane.

At 6:15 I can see deer legs walking in the clover thru the tree branches to my left. Then another and another and and finally a very large doe! What is it about the decision to kill a deer that sends some sort of brain waves to the prey? I was set, had the bow in my hand in front of me. I had the wind in my face. I had not moved a muscle. The tree behind me was larger than I am and gave me great cover. Yet that doe stopped right behind those yellow Aspens and looked up at me. I made the mistake of letting her make eye contact with me and instantly she knew I was there to kill her.
She whirled and fled back the way she had just come from and crashed on down thru the woods! I couldn't believe it! Beaten by the 6th sense again! It wasn't long till I was too cold to sit there any longer and got out of the tree while there was still 10 minutes of light left. I bumped into 4 more does in the north end of the same food plot. I have sort of boxed myself in up there. When I sit that stand there is no back door out.

[ron w]

Man O Man, just one encounter after another.......cool stuff........          

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

OK send the children from the room as I need to use a 4 letter word. It is the word we all hate to hear. It is the word MISS! How does one miss a 15 yard shot at a standing still target?

I am feeling like a fool today. Not for missing , that happens and I can deal with it. In fact a clean miss is the next best thing to a fatal hit. but the follow up today was purely comical.

I chose the "joel" stand because yesterday my neighbor as he drove down the lane on his way to
work had a BIG buck come out of the creek and run right in front of his truck when he was straight down below this stand. Stranger things have happened and I hoped for repeat performance by this big boy.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

this is the ultra view stand that sits at the intersection of a T crossing of a logging running north and south and the little entry way I cut in the edge of woods so it accessible with a 4 wheeler. The T runs downhill to east..

It had been a rather slow morning. Cold too just 22 degrees F! Wind was calm until about 8 30. when it picked up from the east and was blowing my scent perfectly up the hill behind me.

I had rattled lightly every 30 minutes starting a 7 am. All I had seen were two deer across the valley heading up the old pasture hillside to bed. That was around 7.45.

At 8:30 i sent a text to my office that i planned to hunt till 9 am and would be at my desk by 9:30.
it was 10 minutes later when I look to my left up the logging road to the north and I see a deer's body coming my way. I stand up grab the bow There is that big tree right in front of me I use to screen my draw, and she stopped right behind the tree. Her fawn was following about 30 yards behind. When she stepped forward she had turned to her left and stopped looking down the little T part of the access trail. The angle was sharper that I liked and I hoped she would turn to her right then continue on moving past me to the south.She turned just a hair and I decided I could shoot. The arrow whizzed just below her belly right between her legs! When she ran down onto the T she actually kicked it with her hind feet. The fawn spun and ran back to the north. Ok here is where I get stupid.  The doe has no idea what just happened. She stands about 15 yards from where she stood when I missed and she starts to come back up. But she cuts into the brush, then angles to my right and gets back on to the logging which turns into a well used deer trail and she continues on to the south. I watch her disappear in the woods at about 50 yards. I look to where she stood and draw my bow. I let down trying to figure out my error. I lean and look around the left of the tree and think next time I am shooting on the left side so the angle problem won't have a chance of happening again.
I turn to my left to watch for the fawn. Not that I intended to shoot it but I wanted to see it and perhaps another doe was in tow I hadn't seen. So I stand there for about 10 minutes ( now to my credit we did get enough rain yesterday to make the woods quiet) I look to my right and the doe is standing right in my shooting lane with neck out stretched sniffing my arrow!! How long had she been there and how blind, deaf and dumb am I that I hadn't heard her return? So now I pick a spot and as I begin my draw she gets a nose full of me off my arrow and bolts forward straight north on up the logging road!

My wife is looking at me strangely today telling me the freezer is on empty!

[RM81]

Originally posted by LITTLEBIGMAN:
In fact a clean miss is the next best thing to a fatal hit.

So true.

[Longbowlogan]

Don't worry I missed a 10 yard shot at a button buck last night, I grunted to stop him and that broke all my focus and the arrow went right over his back lol

[jcar315]

Argh!!!!!

Sorry for the miss and follow up circumstances. Keeps things interesting for sure.

Hang tough and really appreciate your updates. The pics and story telling are great.

Go get 'em!!

[NO SIGHTS]

Sweet!
An arrow has been released! Cant get em all. Action is where it's at, and you have plenty of that going on.
Good luck

[coaster500]

"My wife is looking at me strangely today telling me the freezer is on empty!"


Great to have a encouragement Jim    


 

[goldflinger]

Don't feel so bad, I missed a doe by a mile shooting over her this morning. My only condolence is it seemed that I picked a good stand location to get such a good shot. Dazed and confused and ready to get home from the office to practice a little.

[tracker1]

Sorry about the miss.  I love this thread and picture updates.  Your place looks awesome with all the food plots.  Your hard work is going to pay off soon.  Shoot straight and good luck

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Jim better luck this afternoon.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

All I can say is What a night! Never drew the bow back but I was on the verge of drawing for 90 minutes straight. My hands ache from trying to be in position for so long!

Went up to the little food plot with the Buddha head in it. Walked in at 3:30 pm and scared a doe up that was bedded in it. The wind was out of the west, fairly stiff too. This puts the wind in my face and any deer in the plot are thus up wind.

At 5 pm a doe coming from the East winds me at 40 yards and runs off. Just like the little buck did 6 nights ago in this stand. I decided to stand up to watch down hill with my right shoulder leaning against the oak's trunk. I was watching the area where those three nice bucks went to bed three weeks ago tomorrow. I had been standing for less than 10 minutes when a deer suddenly materializes at about 60 yards. A buck, a nice buck! He slowly comes up the hill dragging a little 4 point along behind him. He is either a 9 point or an 11 point. Fair width and height but skinny main beams and tines. Either a big 2.5 year old or a 3.5 year old at best. Fortunately I don't have to make any shooting decisions as the path he takes will take him away from me eventually.  I see another deer walking from the other direction. It dodges the bigger buck and then walks over to 4 point and says hello with a nose touch. The bigger buck is leaving walking to the north. Most likely headed to the neighbor's corn fields. The little buck follows and the fawn walks into the food plot.  Seconds later another fawn walks into the food plot from the north followed by its mama. They walk around the plot munching on what little is green ( it really perked up overnight after the rain) and sucking up the hickory nuts laying in abundance all over. Suddenly the 4 point is back and walks in to the plot from the north. He checks out the fawns who dodge and weave out of his way then approaches  the doe.  I have never seen a doe do this but she actually head butted the little buck , then she ran around the food plot while he trotted after her. A six point enters the food plot from the NE. The 4 point leaves and heads south on the exit road. The 6 point is a lot more aggressive and is really harassing the doe. I am on the ready this entire time. I keep expecting him to chase her under me. But he eventually chases her right out of the plot to south. A few minutes later in she runs back to her fawns. They start feeding again, this time at about 25 yards from me. Come on get over here I keep saying to myself. The 6 point returns and this time really runs all three of them out. The two fawns stop right under me, the mom runs by about 20 yards to the south of me. The buck then leaves in the opposite direction! The bum! The fawns are now right behind me grooming each other! Daylight is fading fast. I hear a deer walking and I look out into the plot and a new doe has arrived. Its on the very edge of the plot nearest to me. She is broadside at about 20 yards, light is not the best , I hesitate and then the chance is gone. She turns and walks directly away form me. Waiting for the dark to completely hide me I count 8 deer in my head tonight anywhere from 10 yards to 60 yards! That's a pretty darn good night!