WNYBuckHunter's Outdoor Journal

[WNYBuckHunter]

For sure. Might head down for a bit this Sunday to take a look.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Oops, forgot the vid. I love the way the tiller just chews things up.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l160/jwolfe1976/5D0B869D-3128-4378-80A5-C898F5868571_zpslostrfig.mp4

[WNYBuckHunter]

Stopped to check the plots Sunday. They are starting to grow pretty good so far.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Stopped down to the farm to swap camera cards and check the plots. Plots are doing well, heres a few pics. First one is the Turnips, Winter Peas plot. Just a close up of the peas.

Next is the Evolved Habitats Great Lakes Mix. The seed is a few years old but is doing well. Its the same as their current 7 Card Stud mix minus the oats.

Last is the Rape and Hog Radish plot.

Got a few good bucks on one of the cams. One shooter and a couple of up an comers.

Did yard work today, but got my sprayer working (replaced lines and wiring). Should serve my purposes.

Then got some shooting in with the kiddos.

My daughters first shot at 20 was smokin! She backed it up with 10 more within the heart area.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Spent the day at the farm today. Checked the plots, they are doing pretty good. Few pics, first one is the Ground Hog Radish and Dwarf Essex Rape plot...

Next one is the Evolved Habitat Great Lakes mix...

Last is the other buck in a bag mix. It has peas, beans and some other stuff. Cant remember exactly. I also threw some ground hog radish in there....

I hung two new sets as well. Just need to move two more stands and trim lanes for two others and we will be done.

Found some good size yote tracks in a creek bed. I wear a size 11 shoe for comparison...

[Lawdwaz]

You wear a size 11?  Ok, I'm 6'3" and go 180lbs.

 

 

 

 

 

No way, size 9.5EE is a STRETCH..................

 

Anyway, those food plots look great!  Considering the rain they got in the first week of August- 5.5", what the entire monthly total was and what they got last week (2.5") you're lucky that stuff hasn't morphed into rice!

 

I went to Canadice early this morning and checked cams.  Lots of different bucks and only a few nice ones.  One cam had issues; no pics though I think and hope it was dead batts.  I replaced them and it powered right up.  We'll see on that one.  The other two cams had 600+ pics so things look good. 

 

Hung two stands in proven spots and I'm still searching for another place to hang a new stand.  After reviewing the pics I found that the camera in that new area revealed something I wasn't expecting, a north south travel route vs an east/west that I assumed was the deal.  I'll check the camera a couple times more to confirm then place a stand in a three or four weeks.  No hurry at all............

 

I shot the 300WSM, 243Win, 223AI and 17M2 quite a bit, twas a PERFECT day to be alive.

 

Sorry to hog up bandwidth on your blog...............................

 

 

 

 

[WNYBuckHunter]

Yeah, i have big feet for a shortish guy.

Sounds like you had a great day as well. I forgot my cards so didnt run the cams today. Gonna head down tomorrow and swap cards and move the cams quick. Yep, plots are doing good, we have great soil. Zero fertilizer on them this year BTW. We were thinking of doing some fertilizer but i dont think we are gonna bother. Maybe next year.

Next weekend i am going to finally break in and sight my 308. Everything will be ready to go after that.

[Lawdwaz]

Yeah, i have big feet for a shortish guy.

Next weekend i am going to finally break in and sight my 308. Everything will be ready to go after that.

 

Big feet mean what again?  Oh wait never mind.............

 

 

Cool on the .308.......will you shoot at the farm or do you have some other place?

[WNYBuckHunter]

If i have to, ill shoot at the farm.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Stopped down yesterday to do a final run through of stands, lanes, etc before the season starts. Didnt get a whole lot on cams the last 2 weeks. Scrapes are really starting to open up, and i freshened up a couple of them while i was there. Cams were moved to plots and scrape locations. I have one stand left to trim out, but its a gun stand so no biggie. The plots are doing great. I noticed they are hitting the brassicas a little already.Cant wait for season to start.

[WNYBuckHunter]

So I had to go do more work yesterday. Moved 2 stands that needed it, and checked the straps on all of the gun stands. We checked the plots, and they have been hitting the brassicas hard already. We discovered the Ground Hog Radishes are already 8 to 10 inches long, and the deer are yanking them and eating them. Turnips are developing nicely too. At this point we just have to place our Posted signs at the roads, and everything is done. Time to start getting my gear ready for my first bow hunt!

[WNYBuckHunter]

The first weekend of bow season was a bunch of fun. No deer hanging, but I got a whole weekend of seat time with my favorite hunting buddy. My daughter.

 

Friday Night I got everything loaded up. Side by side on the trailer, all clothes and equipment cleaned, prepped and ready to go. I knew there was some rain n the forecast but hoped it would be light enough to not worry about.

 

Saturday morning, I got up at 4:30 and heard the rain. Looked outside and sure enough, to much rain to hunt in. Checked the radar and it was obvious I didnt want to head out in that. Told my daughter to go back to bed, we would hunt that afternoon instead. Fast forward to the afternoon, and we were out the door and in the stand around 1. We had a small fawn in the food plot within 15 mins, then nothing until around 4ish. 4 big doe and 3 fawns showed up from the other end of the plot. Unfortunately, before wandering into my first shooting lane, they veered off into another food plot. The fawns were running around like crazy, sometimes almost right under our stand. Really fun to watch. About 1/2 hour after they left, we got hit with some hail, and the deer left the other plot, but didnt come near my lanes, so all we could do was watch them leave. Before I could sit back down, I looked over and 20 yards away, just before one of my other shooting lanes, a big doe had popped out unnoticed by us. I reached for my bow and she locked right up, stood there for a few minutes and then turned and left the way she had came. That was about it for that day. A bit frustrating but funnone the less, and my daughter's first taste of bow hunting. Heres a couple pics from the afternoon...

 

 

 

Sunday morning we woke up at 4:30, got ready and headed into the frosty morning. Absolutely a gorgeous morning. Cold, crisp and the stars were bright, as there wasnt a cloud in the sky. We got to the farm and climbed up in a stand that sits in a transition area between bedding and a huge corn field. I hoped we could catch them coming off the field. At first light I noticed a small doe fawn about 20 yards away. She ended up hanging with us until almost 9:30, when she finally left. That was about the only action for the morning other than squirrels and birds, so we headed out and changed a trail cam card on the way out. We headed home and had some lunch before heading to the other farm for the afternoon. A few pics from the morning hunt and a couple of trail cam pics I grabbed from the videos...

 

 

 

 

 

[WNYBuckHunter]

 

 

 

[WNYBuckHunter]

Sunday afternoon, we headed down to the farm around 3, and got into a new stand that we had set on the other end of our plots. My thought was the deer had come from that end the day before, so if they did the same thing again, I should have a shot at them. On the way to the stand I noticed my containment cage is really starting to show the signs of how heavilly the plot has been browsed. Its tough to see in this pic, but the Brassicas in the cage are almost twice as tall as the surrounding plants.

 

 

We got into the stand, and right around 4:30, I was watching some movement at the other end, and my daughter started tapping my leg. I heard her say "dad, deer" and I slowly looked around. There, not 10 yards away was a huge doe staring right at us. In her excitement, my daughter had moved too much, and we were busted. The doe stared us down and started the old stomping routine, before turning and leaving, taking 2 other doe and a couple of fawns with her. Right about then, I turned to see another big doe and a fawn walk right by the stand we were in the day before. Ugh. So I sat down and explained to my daughter that I understand shes still learning, and thats a great thing, and to not be bummed because of what happened. She should take it as a learning experience, that she has to slow down and think before she acts, especially when deer are that close. We didnt have much action the rest of the day, just a couple of fawns in the plot.

 

Overall, it was a great weekend, and we both had fun and enjoyed the time together. Heres a few pics from the afternoon hunt...

 

 

 

 

 

Next weekend, Im on my own. Time to get down to business!

[moog5050]

Sounds like a great weekend with the kido.  Nice!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

WNY,

You have camo burlap around the stands? Might help

[WNYBuckHunter]

WNY,

You have camo burlap around the stands? Might help

 

Not the two we got spotted in, they are open front stands with no good way for adding the burlap for bow hunting. Trying to get her to learn to not fidget as much. The lessons may cost me deer in the freezer, but they are valuable for her to learn. She has 2 years before shes the one with the bow in her hand out there.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Havent had much of a chance to update this. So, just want to put a quick recap of the last two weekends in here.

 

Saturday the 11th I got out for the afternoon and hunted a new set that we hung on a food plot this year. From the stand I can see the edge of a super thick area of brush, about 160 yards away, in a large cow pasture. We know the deer hold up in that thicket, and have been devising ways to hunt it during gun season, once the farmer moves the cattle to his other farm. This stand is going to be a really good one for it. Its far enough away the deer shouldnt notice you, but close enough to be within range of a rifle or good muzzleloader. I watched 10 to 15 deer move in and out of the thicket along that edge, including one of the 3 year old bucks Ive been watching. I also watched a group of does come out, cross the pasture and circle along the middle of the ridge directly below my stand (which sits on a ridge top). I realize now I need to get some shooting lanes cut down into there for next year. About 1/2 hour before sunset, a doe and two fawns came into the plot, and I ended up taking a shot at the doe, which I misjudged, and shot below her belly.

 

Sunday the 12th, I sat the morning in another new set at a different farm. Its a really great setup, but I just didnt see anything that morning until I was on my way out, when I saw 3 doe right in front of another one of my stands. Guess I chose the wrong one that morning. For the afternoon, I sat in a stand near a food plot where I had observed does coming out rather early each day. The wind was right, so I hopped in there and waited. Around 3pm I had one of my target bucks make a surprise appearance at about 10 yards to my right. I picked up my bow and got myself to full draw as he moved behind a bush thats right before my shooting lane. He hung up there, then calmly turned around and continued browsing, but back in the direction he had come from. I never had a clear shot without chancing making a ruckus and spooking him. I chose to let him walk, unalarmed to my presence. About an hour later, the does showed up, almost on cue, but from a slightly different spot, and they caught me moving a but and went back into the brush. About 20 mins later, out they came again, this time a big doe stepped right into my lane, slightly quartering to, and I let one fly. I hit her right in the near side shoulder, and when she ran I could see the arrow hanging out, caught by the fletchings, in the back of the rib cage. That told me I should have double lung or single with liver. I watched her head directly uphill, and thought I hear her crash, then silence. I got down and checked the shot area for blood. Nothing, but there was plenty of brown hair, and I knew she was hit, knew where she had gone, and the last spot I saw her. I figured Id give her a bit even though I heard a crash, so I collected my gear and walked up to the truck to grab the side by side. Once I got back, I started on the track, and found spotty blood in the last spot I had seen her. I looked around in the brush for my arrow, but couldnt find it anywhere. I followed the blood trail through the brush, and found she had run right through a thick bush, which was the crash sound I had heard, but she made it through that and into the cow pasture. After making sure the cattle (50 beef cows) were at the other end of the pasture and couldnt see me, I went under the fence and started tracking from there. No blood. I searched back and forth for 150 yards in either direction of the point she had crossed, with no luck. I then went over to the edge of the thicket and searched for blood in any of the "tunnels" that the deer and cattle use, again with no luck. Once it was dark, I headed out, as Im not going to mess with 50 ornery cows in the dark. They are nasty alot of the times if you are in the pasture. I figured Id come back the next morning before work and take another look. The next morning I went back and you could hear that the yotes were in the thicket, near the end where I figured she had gone in. The cattle were all riled up and after watching and listening I determined the yotes were already in there feasting away. Not the best way to conclude the situation, but not much I could do.

 

Saturday the 18th, I took my daughter out for the afternoon hunt. Not a ton of action, and we saw no deer at all, but we had a flock of turkey come in, and we came close to being able to take one home. Just couldnt get him to step into a clear lane. Still a fun day with my daughter.

 

Ill be back at it this coming weekend.

[First-light]

Love the picture with you and the kids! Good luck out there!

[WNYBuckHunter]

Thanks Burt, you too!

[WNYBuckHunter]

So a quick update from last weekend. I didnt get out Saturday morning, but headed down to the farm early afternoon and swapped out camera cards before heading to the stand. It was a good sit, passed on a yearling 4 point and saw a few doe out of range. My buddy Mark had 2 shooters just out of range and a couple of smaller bucks and does on the other end of the section of woods we were hunting.

 

Sunday morning I met up with Mark again and we headed to the same woods. I started out sitting on a field edge, but pretty quickly changed locations to a stand deeper in the woods, as the winds whipping across the fields was too much to stand. Mark had a big, mature 8 at 18 yards, but he just couldnt get a shot off as there were other deer there and he didnt have the chance to draw or move into position. I saw a couple of doe and a few fox. One fox was huge, almost small coyote sized. Ive never seen one that big before. Mid day Sunday Mark and I had some stuff to get done around one of the farms, then we headed out for the afternoon sit. I went down to the same end of the property as Mark had sat that morning, but in a different stand. Ended up with a button buck and a 1 1/2 year old coming by, right under my stand. Then a little whie after, I saw one of the shooters right over in the area of the stand Mark had sat that morning, Looks like thats a real hot spot right now. Mark saw a couple of small bucks and a doe that was out of his range.

 

It was another fun weekend, but Im getting anxious to put some meat in the freezer. Gonna be on a doe mission this weekend. Need to start filling our DMAPs.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Here's a few pics from last weekend. First one is a cool shot of the waterline left from some of the flooding this past summer. Looks cool when you are walking through the woods.

The next couple are the young buck from Sunday afternoon.

[moog5050]

Sounds like you are having great action.  It will happen.  Look forward to the photos.

 

BTW - if you had carpeted the platform, you probably could have made a move on that shooter.  Carpet goes well everywhere!

Edited October 28, 2014 by moog5050

[WNYBuckHunter]

I havent had much time to update this. The final weekend of bow season I had a great buck come in, but he would not get out of the heavy brush, and I passed several smaller bucks as well. I ended bow season empty handed this year. Gun season started, and I was able to get home from a business trip late the night before, and be in my stand at the time I wanted to be there. The morning started out a little slow, then I heard some rustling at the bottom of the ridge below me. I could see through the heavy brush, that there was a buck hitting a scrape. He was pawing the ground, breaking branches in a tree, and I was just waiting for him to step out into the clear for a shot. Just about that time, I saw some orange a couple hundred yards to my North, and a small 4 point busted out of the brush just across the property line from me and took off. The buck I was waiting on took notice, and left in a hurry as well. I was a little bummed, but what can you do? About 10 minutes later, I caught some movement off to my right, and saw a couple of nice doe heading through the thick cover North of the food plot, so I grabbed my rifle and got ready for them to head out across the cow pasture. Just then, I saw a third doe heading up the same trail, and she stopped in a small clearing. I put my crosshairs on the back of her rib cage (she was quartering away) and squeezed the trigger. The doe took a small lunge forward, but pretty much dropped in her tracks. After a few mins I got down just to check her out. I found her 10 feet from where she was when I shot her. Turned out to be a good liver/lungs hit, breaking the last rib on the enterance side and exiting just behind her off side shoulder. After gutting her, I was very impressed at the damage that the 150 grain Federal Fusion had done. Heres a couple of pics...

 

Sunrise...

 

 

View from the stand...

 

 

Doe Down...

 

 

 

One of my buddys knocked down a great buck that morning. It was one of the ones we had on our list for this year. Pretty sure he was a 3 or 4 year old, but we will check the jawbone once he gets around to getting it out. Heres a couple of trail cam pics from a month or so ago...

 

 

 

 

 

The afternoon hunt was good as well, I had some things to do that evening, so unless it was a great buck, I wasnt shooting. I ended up passing on 7 different doe from one of my stands in the swamp.

 

 

 

I ended up getting sick that night and the next morning, but made it out for the afternoon hunt on day 2. Saw two small bucks, no does.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Second weekend of gun season, I was in one of my food plot stands on Saturday morning. It was really nice with a good coating of snow. Saw 2 small does step out into the one plot before daylight, and had a young 7 point come through the thicket behind me and basically pose for me at 10 yards. Made for a great pic...

 

 

 

 

After about 10am, my feet were getting a little cold, and there hadnt been alot of action, so I decided to do a bit of still hunting. That resulted in seeing a couple of does but I had no shots at them.I called up my buddy to see what he was doing, and I decided to go do a bit more still hunting at the other farm. He was going to meet me down there in a bit, so I headed over. Within 10 minutes of entering the woods, I saw an opportunity at a young doe at about 60 to 70 yards, so I took her. My buddy met me with the wheeler, and we got her all set and back to the truck. We decided to do a little scouting before I had to head home for the day. Found some fresh rubs and a freshly opened scrape or two.

 

 

Sunday I got down to the farm, and didnt see much, so we decided we would try and get some guys together for some small drives of one of the farms. Nobody could make it, so my buddy and I ended up still hunting, and did a few 2 man drives of some scrub brush areas. He saw 3 does in total, but they were headed the wrong way for either of us to get a shot. While we were doing this, we talked about scouting an area of the farm that we had been wanting to set up on, but hadnt, because we had too much going on pre season. We walked over to the area and immediately saw a large rub on one of the cedar trees out in the pasture...

 

 

 

We scouted the area and found a big rub line and a few scrapes that were fresh. We looked the area over and I decided on a tree that would offer good bow coverage for next year, and great rifle coverage for this year. We went to the other end of the property and yanked a hang on and sticks that we had in a marginal spot and got it all setup in the tree I wanted to put it in. After I got the set hung, I sat up there and looked around. It sits on the edge of a thicket with a bunch of trails running through it. The thicket separates a big open pasture from a good section of Shagbark Oaks, with a large wooded ravine on one end, and a huge open hay field on the other. I can get rifle shots at the whole funnel, and two really good pinch points, as well as the thicket and a huge part of the open pasture. The open pasture is the same section that I killed a buck in the year before last with my muzzleloader. This stand should be very productive, if not this year, in future years. Cant wait to hunt it.

 

We sat at the other farm that evening, didnt see anything, and heard very few shots in the area. On to Thanksgiving, which is always my best week of the season!