5 Pines Farm Whitetails 2014

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing 103 jims stand.

Starting out of the yurt early today I had high hopes for some morning deer movement. Twice while stopping to catch my breath, I cast my head lamps beam down the steep buff side. Both times a Deer's eyes blinked back at me from a bed below.

As I headed up into the bluffs the light fog grew thicker and thicker and soon the wind increased as well.
 
By the time I got to the tree stand it felt like it was raining lightly. Oh what I would give for a return to the cold temps we had in November.

The tree pole was slick and the life line was reassuring to say the least. As it grew light I knew the weather was just going to get worse.

At around 9 am after struggling to see  barely 50 yards in the fog I had decided to give it up.

Just as I hooked my bow on the haul line I heard a deer coming down towards me. CRAP! In the fog I made out the head of a doe at about 40 yards above me. It caught the movement and flagged and ran. I got the bow back in my hands and  put an arrow on the string just as doe #2 appeared in the fog as well. But this one just literally disappeared into the gloom and I saw not where it went. I stuck it out another hour but the wind and mist/rain drove me in. The weather just deteriorated the rest of the day and I never made it back out this afternoon.

Its a good thing I filled the freezer earlier as shots are getting pretty hard to come by.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

A few more days Jim. Stay strong until the end.

[huntnmuleys]

still admiring your persistence.  never know, maybe ol santa will bring ya a buck

[Huntrdfk]

Been a great hunt Jim, I still look for this thread every day!

Thanks again for taking the time to share,

David

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Can't believe I am saying this but I got RAINED out today! Ughh....

Thanks everyone for your continual words of encouragement. I got a few days left, maybe Santa will be good to me............

[kennyb]

Jim-keep the faith my friend and you will be rewarded! I feel it some how. Your journal has been great and a lot of fun to follow! Thanks for sharing and you truly are the 'Iron Man' of the Tradgang! Lol. Good luck!

Kenny        

[Hopewell Tom]

You continue to inspire, Jim.
The weather IS a wonder, up here as well. +15C, rain and wind forecast for Christmas day. Makes you wonder where it's all headed.
Our last remaining season is for Snowshoe Hare. They are white and will be living in a world of not white. Hardly seems fair... But I bet it still won't be easy!
Best of luck in your final push. Have a Good Christmas.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing # 104 Upper Apple Alley.

It's white ( well sort of) again.

All morning we got a wet slushy snow. Then at noon it quit and the temps went up to 35 F. I was going to sit the lower stand but I have been busted there so many times and all I need is one deer to go buy not 10 I chose the upper spot.




I have had such good luck here in the past. But this year, this stand has just not been very productive.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I snuck up the draw between the steep bluffs and jumped one doe out of a bed ( star). Then looped over to the stand hoping nothing on the West bluff was alerted. My trail is the yellow line.

The woods sounded like a spring rain storm. Water was dripping every where. Around 4 pm I spotted deer on the far hillsides. They looked like ants. A little bit of snow goes a long way for spotting them. Just before dark I hear deer running down the opposite bluff. ( red line).
 
two does, one very light in color and the other very dark were running away from or to something.
when they hit the logging road they went up it till they came to the fence. Then they followed the fence towards me. I had the bow in my hands and I could barely make out the light colored doe as she stood upwind of me 25 yards away. She was on the trail that goes right by me now.

It looked like a perfect set up until the dark colored deer crossed the fence going away from me and the light colored one turned to follow it away. Shoot.

When I was walking back a pack of Coyotes lit it up from the bluff top the deer had run down .  

I also crossed fresh Coyote tracks on my walk back. They are thick this year!

[tracker1]

Going to have to thin a couple of those  yotes out. Good luck and be safe.  Thanks so much for doing your blog again this year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Burton

[Chuck Janssen]

At least you are still seeing deer Jim, A few more days left, Good luck and Merry Christmas!!

[pitbull]

Hunting the late season is difficult, glad to see you are still at it!    

[awbowman]

Outing 104!!!

You are the epitome of "it's not about killing, it's about the hunt".

[ron w]

   

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

We got back last night from visiting the kids and grand kids. The sun is shining , zero snow here despite the snow we drove through home.

Going out in a few hours to see what I can see. It's going to go down to the wire this year.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and isn't suffering from food hangovers!

[kadbow]

Good luck!

[Homey88]

This has been a great thread to follow! Good luck to you, and thanks for letting us follow along.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #105

lower AA.

The temp was 42 F when I left to hunt at 1 30pm! The wind was steady and out of the north at about 10 mph.

The trails coming down past the stand are starting to look like cow trails. Muddy and full of tracks . Today with the wind in my face I felt that this stand just might give me a 2nd deer this year.

In the past sits here this year , deer have tended to drop off of the bluff to my left. But today two bucks came walking down the mowed trail from the upper AA food plot. They stopped to browse just across from me ( stars).
 
A spike buck and a young 8 point. This 8 will be a really great buck if he can live a few more years. They were about 40 yards up wind from me and as they left they dropped down into the dry creek bed to my right.

With over an hour till sunset I felt confident more deer were on the way. The day ended thought with out any other deer being seen here.

As I walked down to the farm I bumped into 4 does headed for the beets. I could also two large groups up on the CRP hill above the house. The warm wet temps have got something to green up and the deer seem to be flocking to what ever it is.

So tomorrow morning I will sit in one of the two stands up above there and hope to catch one on its way to bed. The wind is to stay stead out of the NW which should work perfectly. We shall see.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Best of luck in the morning Jim! Anubis wants to work!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outings #106 and 107 Yurt hang on followed by Joel's stand.

Sometime between 2 am and the alarm we got some wet sticky snow. If Santa can't bring me a buck, snow will do as an alternative!

From on stand looking down towards the yurt...


looking East hoping to see a deer.


I was awfully glad this stand is only 8 feet of the ground. The snow had stuck and was frozen to the tree stick and the stand platform as well. I went up very cautiously and secured my tether well before first light.

I was on alert for deer coming down hill from the East. I hoped deer had been feeding on the CRP hillside like last night and then would come this way to bed for the day.

The North wind was ideal and it was carrying my scent up hill and away from me. But Murphy's law struck today. I had been sitting since I got on stand and at 7 30 I decided I'd better stand up so at not get caught in an unshootable position.

I scanned left and right but not up and right. After I stood and stuffed my hands on my pockets I looked to my right and up slope. I thought I made out the form of a deer in the icy cobwebs of branches. Then it's foot stomped! 50 yards on a trail that parallels the one I am on stood a single doe. She spun and snorted and ran back up hill and to the East. I knew any and all deer that may have been behind her were certainly gone  now. I stayed another 2.5 hours and never saw another thing.