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Was a great morning (10/10)...weather was crisp and very little wind. Decided to hunt before heading into work and if i got lucky i could always take the day off or head in late. Got in stand quiet and immediatlely heard deer moving around in the thick stuff to the north. All the movement shut down as the sun came up and birds and squirels started to make noise, i figured deer had been feeding all night and were headed back to bedding area before light. Around 7:35 i see a small doe coming thru the woods to my south working her way to the bedding area north of me. She got to 20 yards and was hung up for 15 minutes. She was nervous and something was not right for her to continue...I knew she couldnt smell me as wind was perfect for the direction she came from. She finally turned and took a couple big bounds back from where she came from. I figured another deer was in the thick stuff but i couldnt see anything and thought my morning was done. 3 minutes later i see movement in front of me and right away i see the antlers and tell myself its one of the shooters we have seen. I watch as the buck comes directly towards me head down and smelling the ground. He gets to 25 years and stops behind trees puts his head back and is licking the air, again i know wind is perfect so i wait till he puts his head down and just flicks his tail, i go to full draw as he steps out from trees and slight quarter to me, put my pin on his shoulder and touch release....i see blood instantly as he takes off, i can see him stop and i lose sight of him 30 yards from the stand. I make all my calls to let people know im gonna be late (and i need to settle back down as the aderenline was pumping)...i get down and go to where i shot him find blood right away. Its amazing how you watch and replay the shot and deer running marking every tree and bush from the stand but as soon as your on the ground it all changes! I follow blood for about 20 yards and there he is lying right where i lost him, double lung and one of the easiest track jobs ever. This buck was in FULL rut, his tarsel glands are black as can be, big neck and he had the definite smell of a buck in rut...makes sense now why that doe would not commit to heading to the bedding area, she was not ready for this guy to be around her. Good luck everyone, don't overthink the "rut calendar" or moon phases and when the "best" time to be in the woods is! The best time to be in the woods is anytime you can!!

Hey we caught a deer! lol Brothers son in law shoots this 5 pt right under the stand. Spine shot arrow went right through heart!

Quick local hunt today, I got down at 9. Only saw this small lone doe. A member from NYC claimed my selfie didn’t count yesterday because my face want fully in it so here’s my redemption. Also a new category, the site picture. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Tried a vertical licking stick. Seems to have created a little travel patter. Oh and there's a bear.

With the temperatures set to drop opening weekend i decided to take Friday off from work last minute. Ended up tagging this guy at 9:40 Friday morning. My best bow buck to date.

Had a great sit tonight! Had 10 different deer in the field at one time, 6 bucks, 1 was a 6, another 7, and a nice 8 pointer. Also had a spike and two 4’s! The smaller deer were lightly sparring. One of the 4’s went up to the 7 and started to try it with him, but he just walked off. None came in within my 20 yard limit, but was quite a show for over an hour. Also watched the 7 Pointer tend a licking branch and freshen the scrape. The 8 pointer did come under my stand and offered nice shots, but it was almost 7pm, well after legal shooting time. Really pumped me up now!

10/11/19 #1 Kunox and I tracked a doe this morning that was shot last evening. The hunter was on the ground and said the deer was perfectly broadside. He felt that he had made a good shot, but had lost the blood after about 150 yards. It appears that coyotes were pushing this deer. The hunter states they were howling close last night, plus Kunox immediately started marking everything in sight for the first 300 yards or so. He needed quite a few restarts on this track, but showed us sporadic blood for over a mile. After 2.52 miles we called the track. #2 Luna and I went to a second track at noon. The hunter had shot a doe from a ground blind and felt good about the shot. He had recovered his arrow after the pass through and the sign on it looked good. He and a friend had grid searched about a hundred yards, but had been unable to find any blood. Luna started at the hit site, and 30 yards in showed me some blood. She made short work of this 193 yard track. The doe had been quartering toward the hunter and was hit in 1 lung, liver, and intestines.

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This 8 has been hanging around my stand for the past week hitting the acorns. I had decided to pass on him as he’s probably 3.5 and there are 2 of his older brothers in the area. I might have to rethink my decision, but he will be a stud if he goes another year. He did have a matching set of brows with hooks on the tips before he broke his right one off

I took a series of wrong turns this evening and driving down this pathway that had no business being called a road, I came up on a field with two deer in it. Check out the jpeg. Not sure what they are. Incidentally I came across a hunting store. Literally walking down the street looking for food. They did not sell 7m 08 ammo and looked confused when I asked. Lots of 308 and 30-06. I tried to impress the guy telling him I owned a benelli sbe3. He said that gun was not so popular. So much for that idea. I also asked for a copy of the seasons and regs.

Eh, I'm holding out for the shirts. I got the same refund email and plan on wearing the shirt on 11/2 with a big 10 pointer in my hands. I know what it's like to be slammed with work and life, not being able to get to things promptly. Burmjohn provides a great site at no cost to us. I've been a member since not too long after inception of the site. That's a lot of use for no cost. I have no reason to doubt John's word, I'm sure he'll get them out. Heck if he sends shirts and refunds the money, I'll turn it around and donate the dollars right back into the supporter thing.

10/10 Morning sit I saw 8 doe finally! My brothers son in law shoots this 5 point. Spine shot right under the stand. Arrow went through spine and heart. Early season young bucks have small necks I could put my hands around it!

He was a gift, and an offering. I had him patterned on our backyard acorns around mid-day, and knew he'd come out an hour or two after the furnace maintenance fella drove off. A few weeks earlier, the wife mentioned that she liked the way his antlers looked, a first for her... When I saw him, I grabbed the bow from the basement, and headed outside, heart pounding. The wind was favorable. I stalked him in plainclothes and moccasins to within 20 yards, and peered up over my cover. I watched him for a few minutes, munching on acorns, and lazily popping his head up every few seconds to check his surroundings. I couldn't decide on whether to let him walk, or to kill him. I would need to get closer, or for him to walk towards me so I could shoot. Then he saw me, and we locked eyes for what felt like minutes, but must have only been a few dozen seconds. He started head-bobbing, and as he dropped his head, I dropped to a knee and drew the bow. I figured his curiosity was going to pull him around the corner, and present me with an opportunity. It did, but he quartered-to at 10 yards. I'll let him walk. I didn't want to punch a hole in his front left shoulder and ruin that meat. Seconds went by, and while on my knee, full-drawn in jeans and a grey fleece, waiting for him to bust out, he stayed curious, and that quartered-to shot slowly became a perfect broad-side at 10 yards. I let the arrow fly. I honored him with a quick, and clean kill through both lungs. He honors my family with his gifts and his offering. SIDE NOTES: I might pack moccasins now; they were silent on the somewhat wet leaves and twigs. Also - note that the shot was a little high, because I didn't correctly account for how close he was. The high lung shot killed him within 100 yards of arrow impact, but there was no blood after the initial 30 yards, and he died prior to any exhalation of blood. It takes a while for the lungs to fill. I tracked him on my instinct after re-starting the blood trail, and came up on him laying in a depression.

Headed out around 9 with a buddy. Goin to be in the bennington area, hope we get a crack at one.

Look what the Bobcat caught.

Yesterday’s selfie .

Currently watching bunch of turkeys scratching in leaves at 40 yards. I can see 2 with longest beards I’ve ever seen.

Not a good time to be asking in my opinion. I try to do face to face but if some one has a long drive way i call and speak with them. Bring a kid if you have one, a well dressed kid with manners does a lot in your favor.

Smallest spike ever ...

What a satisfying day. Got up at 3:45 , quick scent free shower. Arrive at Gman’s at 6 am. Day before we discussed which stand I should sit in so I went to bed dreaming on that one. But with highish south winds he advises me of another. I climb up into a large permanent wooden stand with roof and settle in. Stand overlooks a small clover plot and pretty close to a ridge high atop a long way down. Just getting light I hear blowing and foot stomping into the woods along said ridge probably 50 yards from me. I think great , there goes the woods for awhile. At about 7:45 2 good sized doe and a fawn come into the clover. I had lasered trees, plot edge earlier to know the distances. Big doe at 24 yards quartering hard , I draw in anticipation of her shifting a bit , holding for what seemed forever and proceed to let off as other nice doe now in field grazing and broadside. I know she’s 30 years on the button. I quickly calm my nerves , draw, noting anchor point , loose grip with bow hand and gently hit the release. She was quartering just a little away. I see the nocturnal hit and know I hit a little high and back of intended. Arrow blows through and sticks in ground. She takes off down a lane and think I hear her crash. Then emotions take over , I question the hit , will I find her. Replay everything over and over in my mind. I’ve killed a decent amount of deer with gun and used to watching them pile up right there so this running away stuff panicking me. I climb down to look at arrow and have good blood. I text Gman I shot one and sent pic of arrow but pic not going through as poor reception, same scenario with academy group and treeguy in the mix. Andrew calls and says she’s dead within 50 yards after I described hit and reaction of doe . Gman finally acknowledges text and says hang tight ill be there shortly. As he approaches stand low and behold the other 2 doe are coming down the trail to right below me again. I hand signal to Greg and wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans these doe keep coming in not caring about him nor I just shot there friend an hour earlier. They feed into the small plot exactly where their friend took the arrow. At 24 yards the big one offering me a perfect shot but unsure of status of shot one I can’t shoot this one too. They eventually meander off into the woods the way they came in I climb down and we start to track. Good blood , more good blood every 6” or so. Found where she tried to get up a little hill but couldn’t and turned around now heading towards the ravine. No not the ravine I think. She went about 50 yards to here and we peer into ravine and see white belly fur. Thankfully she only went down about 15-20 yards into ravine. Shot indeed was a smidge too far back but got lung(s) as had good bubbles along the short track. Think she stepped a step forward as she was feeding. I’m overcome with emotion as I did it I did it I think. Last year the first time at the academy I couldn’t even draw this bow. 2 years of academy shooting , few 3d shoots with some academy guys , bow tech old glory The Real Tc gave me , arrows Moog sent to me , 2nd year hunting Gman’s land After my brother sold his land I hunted I had nowhere to hunt and Gman hearing this quickly invited me down. Thank you all to have helped me along the way. I’ve drawn on goiter buck and let off , drew on big nanny doe moments later to get busted by her , let 12 small bucks walk inside 20 yards last year , numerous fawns and a spike this year. I’ve also never had the joy of deer Uber and have previously dragged them all out a mile to mile and half. Today I got to enjoy something very familiar to me , a golf cart The hour n half ride home I had to avoid wooly bear caterpillars one after another ( like hundreds ) on the road and fluttering monarch butterflies What a day !

I sat in this stand opening morning until 1015 am then had to go to work look whos should up and hung around 10 yards from my stand.

Went out with Nash for a couple hours yesterday. The young flusher put up four birds. I only had a shot on one due to the trees holding leafs. Missed on that opportunity. Saturday my daughter Libbie will get to see the rewards of her summers hard work as she walks behind the pup she trained during the youth hunt weekend. Watching Bailey’s healing progress but looking like she may not flush a bird this season... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m leaving early from stand next time and shooting one

You’ve spent a lot of time in a treestand when you hear the barred owl who who who, who who are youuuuuu in the morning and again just now.

Or a hot girlfriend with a low cut top. Just sayin'..

Full moon. Hunt at noon.

Still beats being at work

Saw 2 pockets of Doe on the way in along the parkway. Also saw a bruiser.. looked like a tall 8.. probably 12 g2's.. then nearly ran over a fawn.. all before I parked. Busted 2 groups on my mile walk in. Settled into stand by 630. At 7 I had a group of 3 Doe feeding on acorns to my right at 75 yds. Then the neighbor started his tractor and I watched 4 or 5 pockets of deer all along the field edge go on alert and run for cover. Maybe 15 deer total. Great morning to be out.

That little hook on brow is cool, I love big 8’s

10/10/19 I took a track for a high back hit 4 pointer this evening. The buck went down immediately at the shot, but jumped up and ran away. The hunter tracked for 150 yards , then backed out and called me. The blood was extremely light, a drop here and there, then completely dried up. Luna took us to the hunters last blood, then a couple hundred yards beyond. At this point she began wandering so I took her back for a restart. She took us by the ribbons we had hung, then took for a long walk around the woods. I believe this to be a non lethal shot.

Put him on the next eastbound train Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A few more showing the progress. The first is the Tuber plot. The second is the Vision plot and the last one is the No Plow plot. If you look carefully you can see my stand. The cherry tree in the middle is the 40 yd. mark.

Popped some venison sausage on grill from g/f's family member and its darn good!not sure where they had it made/ they did it but i think it may be costanza's(will find out).i neeeeeed more in my freezer,cmon tomorrow morning!smashed taters n pea's to go with it

Scallops Sautéed in pressed garlic , lemon juice , brown sugar and butter Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They must have an adult right with them to gun hunt the youth season and can't be in a stand at 14-15 BUT you can bow hunt at 12 and can be in the stand all by themselves for that. Typical NY senselessness.

I was out hunting gmans place this past saturday. We hung a ladder stand back in May in a nice thick area just above an apple orchard. All summer I kept saying that I wanted to hunt this stand opening weekend even though we built a huge sweet tower stand in my favorite spot and gman put in a food plot in front of the tower and there were deer on camera in front of the tower stand morning and evening. I still went with my plan to sit the ladder on the far end of the property. At 930 i look over my left shoulder and see a big bodied deer coming in through the thick stuff I see what appears to be a nice rack. I take my eyes off the deer grab my bow stand up and draw aiming at the opening where I seen him heading for as soon as he stepped that front shoulder out i released and my arrow and could see it was a perfect it he turned and ran the direction he came from. I could see a ton of blood on the ground from the initial impact and heard him crash but decided to relax and wait an hour. 5 minutes in to the wait is when the adrenaline set in and I started to shake for 5 minutes. I called greg and he said he would be there in about an hour. I called the wife and another buddy to tell them the news. I normally would wait to spread the word but it was a 4-5 yard shot and i seen where the arrow hit. Gman and Brandon arrived at 1030 and we had a short 75 yard track until we find my buck. I entered high lung and exited the heart. The buck died in front of the pop up blind and food plot. Gman has this buck on camera eating in the food plot 20 min before i shot it. The 4 wheeler was broke so i dragged her across the bridge of death lol. Thank you Greg for allowing me to hunt your place and set up and build stands on your property and thank you for all of the hard work that you do with the food plots and prep work that you do that allows us to see and and hunt such a variety of wildlife.

Hopefully a doe is worthy of posting here as that's exactly what I killed yesterday morning. I wasn't on stand very long before a very respectable buck went by me at about 30 yards, too thick and too far for my taste. I saw another deer shortly afterwards in the same area as the buck but couldn't identify it. Maybe 30 minutes later a commotion straight east of me turned into a small 5-6pt buck chasing a doe like it was November 1st. Man was he dogging her........ Then maybe 20 minutes later this doe came by me accompanied by a couple fawns and a bigger adult doe. I shot the first one and my guess is she was 1.5 years old......the shot was a touch back but caught the back of at least one lung. It was a pass through and went about 125 yards. I gave her 3 hours but imagine it was over fairly quick. The scale says 95 pounds........

You should sit in a stand by your truck

If I ran my business this way I’d have the name Bum in front of my real name also .

Start by asking people you know. Even if you think they dont own land. Sometimes you find out they do , or their parents or brother etc. And there is your in as you are already known. And agree with nyslowhand ask for bowhunting. Even if you have to bowhunt in gun season its still hunting you didnt have and can open into gun later.

As you noted, a little too late this year. A few other threads about this very topic, Search the forum. Next year: Make attempts to meet face-to-face, Letters or phone calls are too easily ignored & impersonal, During late spring &/or early summer months, Be polite & respectful, even if denied, Know when to take a NO or offer to return at a better time/day, Have written/verbal proof of your character, (locals you know, employment, military, spouse, etc) Clearly explain your hunting ethics, weapons &/or intent if approved, Strictly a bow hunter might get more consideration than a gun hunter, for obvious reasons, Offer sweat-equity, venison or even a stipend as offer of appreciation, If granted permission, cultivate the relationship with land-owner.

Going out again tomorrow. One of my kids likes to come as long as I get her McDonald’s on the way [emoji28] day off school and I convinced her go wake at 5:20 am!

Send it !

Nice 8 just showed. Let’s see if he exits by me. Good to see

My go to strategy that works every year is be in the woods as much as you can! I don't put much thought into moon phases or rut predictions. It seems the rut is always during the first 2 weeks of November, regardless of weather, temperature, moon. Interesting topic but I don't put faith in it. Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

10/7/19 I was called by a hunter I know and he was looking for some help finding a buck he shot this evening. He and his uncle had tracked about 50 yards before losing blood, and had only searched about 20 yards beyond last blood before calling me. They had also marked blood with ribbon, which is very beneficial to a tracking team. Long story short, they did everything right. Kunox and I arrived 2 hours after the shot and he made short work of this 140 yard track. 1 lung, liver, and intestines had been hit.

Photos of the deer. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Sat my first watch of the year this morning. I have been skunked a lot recently during bow season and with two kids we really go through the meat. I saw antler and a big body and it didn't take long to decide even though it's opening weekend to pull the bow back. My kids and I really cut out some good lanes this year and luckily this guy walked right through one at 38 yards. I saw him coming slowly, he stopped just before the lane and I thought maybe it wasn't gonna happen. He then took about 3 more steps. He was quartering away ever so slightly but stopped perfect in the lane. I put the pin on him and followed up my shot. I heard it hit really hard and at first thought it was to far forward, but it turns out it tucked just behind the closer shoulder/leg and buried into the opposite side. I watched him run and watched the arrow sticking out about half way and then the arrow disappeared. I heard him crash at least once then nothing. Gave it a good hour and went to the spot, not good blood which had me super nervous. About 20 yards away however I had great blood and a good tracks. Followed it for about 60 yards and saw a white stomach. I will be honest that one little tiny part of me thought wow no more hunting for 6 weeks but I got over it pretty quick. I can find some time to take the kids duck hunting now. I know I never post but I do read almost every post all day in the Live from the Woods thread. It's great to read all the stories and I am thankful I have meat in the freezer.