The Games A Foot 2012

[growalot]

I've never done a journal so this should be interesting...for me...to see if I keep up with it

In 26 days I'll be in a stand or blind some where looking for either deer or bear...Watching the sun rise and hopefully feeling the cool morning air rushing away from the rising sun...Everyone should experience a sunrise on a cool fall morning ...at least once in their lives...Can't wait

[growalot]

Doing the Happy dance...This mornings practice I started out at 25 yrds....3 arrows 3 bullseyes 1/2 in apart and a shaved fletching...on first set...switched out arrow...2 round 3 bulls eyes ..still 25 yards 1 and 1 1/2 inches apart.... Not bad shooting instinctive with these aging eyes....Confidence high ...I came home...lol

[growalot]

Wonderful cool mornings....Went to my 30yrds practice...first round shots were great east to west but high...spine shots...dialed them in by third round then had a broad head insert pull out with retrieval...just enough sticking out to recover and glue...checked for arrow defects found non...release is slipping have to check that....and had a couple of bulls eyes...pulled out the tree stand 3-D target that will be next practice....

[growalot]

After this mornings crazed release search I went out to the stand for a practice session...to my happy surprise another corn field is being harvested...not far from where I shot last years buck...I set the decoy out and climbed up to shoot...great set ..so I ranged it at 27yrds....decided it's a go........ then moved to 7yrds which the range finder says is more like 5 yrds....It's good to get close range shooting in though I don't like shooting that close...but as with last years buck sometimes is the only option to a walk....first set not happy I'll admit..I was in the kill zone...had the deer been 1 1/2 ft taller so that meant climbing ...it took me 5 sets from that distance to have me feeling good enough to move the target...Then I moved and shot 5 more sets at 16 and 10 yrds....so by the time I was done yes sir ...I was feeling the burn....but also really confident about this season...though I'll be resting the knees...back and shoulder for a couple of days before I shoot again

Ok the ladder climb has me saying yep not 30...40..or even 50 any more....lol

[growalot]

Here it is opening day...I was up at 4a.m....gear all rounded up...English muffin and hot chocolate eaten, shower and off by 5:15

My walk down to..... Oh ya ...the swamp stand...was a tad longer than I thought...more like a mile..but nice...The trail proved easy to maneuver and I never used the new head lamp...Though fallen ash leaves crack like twigs even wet...I settled in and waited...no noise or movement coming in and setting up ...so I knew they weren't off the fields or the downed logging tops south of me...

This was a perfect morning all west wind and light...not to chilly and partial overcast... it Would have been more exciting had the loggers co-operated with me....I knew being undisturbed the deer would have migrated to the downed tops from last Thurs./Fri. logging...they had dropped well over a dozen mature blk Walnuts( at the landing)..

I waited for 8a.m. and heard machines start up GREAT!...then slowly approaching???they were moving the skidder down the road...hhmmm...some one else is logging their land in the area now...OK then the cutters will still be here...it's bigger than the property next to the house....Noooooo....

Well at 9:30 I heard a crash..and at first thought two bucks clashing...then nothing....perhaps a dead fall...The chickadees and bunting kept me alert hitting every stalk in the swamp..... then 10:30 a small crash and brush moving about 40yrds out...a few deer were moving in...and I know one was a little spiker for I saw his head...could not get a bead on the others moving around ...so after a bit I slowly got the cam out...too slow though... for the guy south of me (between logged woods and our land started pounding...some thing ...and they moved farther away headed for the swamp on the North side of me...a different neighbors land....at 11:30 I grew tired of the pounding and got home at 12pm...

THERE...opening morning of 2012 had fun

Edited October 1, 2012 by growalot

[growalot]

Went out yesterday afternoon...too late 3:30...bumped a big doe with another...not sure...no snorting but then no other deer showed up either ...left at 7pm...

Today...Way too warm...not much rain but know they'll be laying low with the winter coats on...seeing this front came through very early ...I'm sure they were up and feeding most of the night....turnips are getting hit hard right now

Farmer came and hit the corn field with a lot of lime...doubt they'll be in that for a while now

Hhhhmmm hunting or cleaning bathroom and vacuuming...laundry....hope it gets colder soon...

[Nomad]

No kidding I was planning on thur. afternoon, but its going to be in the mid '70's. Perhaps I'll go waterskiing instead.

[growalot]

No hunting yesterday...Too warm...good because the boys(dogs) .needed shots and George needed to be checked...noticeable weight gain...The boys are big anyways but he's tipped the scale at 134#...Dr about 10 over weight...Dennis is about right at 120#....So George has to have a thyroid test...hhhmmmm... $82.00

But no fleas...even though I have never had any of my dogs on flea meds...no heart worm...don't do those meds either...and no worms....never had to worm the dogs...The vet was surprised...and I think impressed...I have my secrets...lol

Today it's me to the Dr.'s then out to a stand set...still no bucks on cams

Checked the lower field...mowed...they are hitting every thing but the braccs...

Alfalfa...clovers...chicory...WR...F. oatsall about 4" high...still the QH soybeans...they're growing like mad...the hemp..still trying but 4-6" tall....

[Lawdwaz]

Good luck at the Dr's. Hopefully YOU don't have fleas, ticks or worms.

What's your secret?

<<<<grin>>>>>

[growalot]

Lol...Thanks...fleas? ..hhhmmm .....may be iffy...ticks?...Lord...pants always tucked in to socks..I'm in the woods too much...When I stopped dating and got married...I got rid of all the worms in my life....

If I told you I'd have too........

[growalot]

Hunting last few days have been great... and the weather has gotten perfect...in early due to raw stomach and a couple of hundred grackles arriving in the tree I was sitting in....noisy crapping nasty things...they no sooner left...a lrg flock of chickadees showed up......I like them...but not in flocks....thank heavens the tree still has a lot of leaves...lol

Great morning....I had the same 2 doe and 2 fawn come in at 7 am. that caught me on my stand ladder last night the bigger of two was 15 yrds out...but not what I'm looking for right now....still in info gathering mode with hopes of a stray buck coming in...they were checking out the wild apples..and brambles

So I've seen a couple of spikes..several doe with single fawns a 4pt...lots of greys...and all the birds flying south...Oh if I had a shot gun and bird shells I could have easily shot a couple of goose this morning...flying low to the cut corn

[growalot]

That raw stomach turned into a full blown feeling of being put through the rollers of an old ringer washer...aches...chills and fever figures best hunting weather so far...Our Son had this last week...

Loggers came in this a.m. and started cutting near the chicken coop...I was feeding so stopped to talk...let them know there is an issue on that line and waiting the surveyors to come finish up......just giving the heads up since there were no visible marks on any of the trees where they are cutting...good conversation nice guys...independent cutters for the logging company...said they'd give the line a wide berth...

So I know where the deer will bed while their regular spot is being disrupted....should bring their travels right past a permanent stand site...now if I can only get rid of this bug...wiped me out just to go feed the chickens...

Edited October 8, 2012 by growalot

[First-light]

Good luck Grow, feel better!

[growalot]

Thank First light...still a tad qeezy (sp)...and out of no where I'll get the fever back but hanging in...

Went out at 5:30 to a ground blind...the one I filmed the turkey calling out of this past spring...I t sits in the woods between to food plot areas...heard and saw nothing on the way in...get settled and as the sky brightens I see I'm really in the open along the front...something had torn down the front of the blind...I sat tight listening to crows...and I did a little very light grunting and some locator turkey call...got answers from far off...heard some steps behind me but may have been squirrel...about 9:30 I being a tad particular ...couldn't stand it any longer...I had to fix the blind...got it done and headed home staying clear of where the deer have been feeding...I get on the road and glass the area10a.m....why of course!! there they all are feeding away...walking into the VERY LIGHT S/W winds...

Thank you once again weather man for forecasting 17 mph winds...keeping me out of that stand and on the ground....winds have not gone over 4mph all morning ...So I suppose when I hit that stand this afternoon...then the winds will pick up...lol...I'll laugh for now and consider this first two weeks observation time with some possibilities...

[landtracdeerhunter]

Ok, so u must have been hunting since Oct 11th, LOL. Heading out to shoot a buck, hope.