Biz's CT Journal 2013

[BizCT]

First opening day in CT for me. I could only hunt until 11am today.  Got into my spot at 5:30am. On and off rain showers all morning.  Legal shooting light was 6:04am (30 min. before sunrise) was still too dark to see anything, still pretty dark up until about 7:15am.  According to all my trail cam pics, deer use this valley I was watching to go to and from the corn fields.  I sit on a rock ledge about 15-20 feet above the creek bottom valley (see pic).  All my pics show the deer coming from the corn fields to my left in the morning and heading right to left to the corn fields in the afternoon/night.  So for the most part I was looking left waiting for deer to come from the fields as it got light. At about 6:50am, I glance over to my right and see a buck heading from right to my left about 50 yards away, he was walking & stopping, over and over again. Constantly had his head down. I put up the binocs but couldn't see much, still too dark. I could see better with my naked eye.  I thought I saw a giant fork and thought wow that the biggest the 4 or 6 (with brows) I have ever seen.  As the buck crossed in front of me I am blocked by the tree in front of me, but still see him moving. I'm hoping he walks right by my camera down the main trail of valley (BLUE LINE = MAIN TRAIL). Instead he stays off the main trail and walks along the rocks (RED TRAIL).  When he gets to the 30 yard bush, he turns his head back to chew his back and I see a beautiful white rack.  Huge G2's, solid 8 pointer, probably 100-120. He looks to be about 5 yards farther than the 30 yard bush, so I pick up my xbow, turn on the lighted crosshairs and aim how I would for a 35 yard shot before he is out of sight. He is standing there quartering away.  I take the shot at 652am and watch my red lighted lumenok stick into the ground, pefect pass through (so I thought).  The buck slowly walks away out of sight. I can see my lighted arrow stuck in the ground. I wait until 720am, and slowly walk down to my arrow, pull it out of the ground and see that it is perfectly clean. I'm shocked until I use my rangefinder to see the distance was actually 42 yards. Those extra 7 yards caused me to miss just under him. Sucks, I felt like throwing up.  First deer I ever missed in my life. Definitely would have been my biggest whitetail and my first Xbow buck. I go back to my spot and sit till 1030am and see nothing. I check my 2 trail cameras and found 0 pics of this buck.  I don't know if he is new, maybe pushed to me by another hunter somewhere or he just always stays off the main trail?  Weirdest part is that he was heading towards the corn fields instead of away from them early in the morning.

 

I'll be back Saturday, but again can only hunt the morning. 99% of the trail cam pics I get of deer are in the afternoon. Hopefully in October I can get there for an afternoon hunt.

 

In addition to the pic from where I was sitting, I attached a few trail cam pics from that spot, including one red fox.

[bkln]

I saw 3 deer but no shot opportunity..... well, there is always another day :-) Where were you? I was at Skiff... in Kent

Edited September 17, 2013 by bkln

[MACHINIST]

Very cool.Keep the stories coming for us guys that cant get out till the end of next week

[BizCT]

I saw 3 deer but no shot opportunity..... well, there is always another day :-) Where were you? I was at Skiff... in Kent

 

New Haven County (Private Land).

[crappyice]

Great opening day, regardless of the missed opportunity.

[WestchesterBowman]

I got my first turkey with the bow.  Saw a young doe in the morning and passed on her. Turkeys came in this evening and I dropped the biggest one.

[bkln]

Where @?

[BizCT]

I got my first turkey with the bow. Saw a young doe in the morning and passed on her. Turkeys came in this evening and I dropped the biggest one.

Nice. I didn't buy the turkey permit, but have lots of pics of them.

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[phade]

I told you all along biz you were missing something at that spot. Now you know what it was. Sucks missing...everyone does sooner or later. Best way about it to get back in the saddle.

[BizCT]

I told you all along biz you were missing something at that spot. Now you know what it was. Sucks missing...everyone does sooner or later. Best way about it to get back in the saddle.

Yup, hopefully he's a regular and I see him Saturday. He never saw me or anything. Wasn't skittish at all. After I shot, he looked confused not scared. Hopefully he comes back.

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[NFA-ADK]

Good luck next time!!!  I need to get a range finder!

[phade]

I'm sure you'll have another shot. Will you hold out for him?

[BizCT]

I'm sure you'll have another shot. Will you hold out for him?

CT is 2 buck tags, so I would still shoot a big 6 or a different nice 8 if I see one. I don't plan on shooting the 5 I have pics of or the smaller ones.

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[phade]

Mature bucks or ones with a few seasons under them do not typically use "main trails"...some may, but for the most part, those big cow paths are for does and young bucks.

 

Subtle paths are much more exciting.

 

Good luck with him.

[letinmfly]

Buddy of mine shot a nice 9 pointer yesterday in CT.

 

[BizCT]

Nice  9 = Awesome 9!

[BizCT]

Just to clarify it wasn't the first deer I ever missed.  In Texas, 13 years ago I missed a nice 130" 8 pointer 3 or 4 times when I was 16, then my Dad shot him. Turned out my scope was off, must have gotten jarred in truck. Couldn't hit paper at 50 yards.

[Uncle Nicky]

Bummer, but could have been worse....hitting one & not finding it is 10X more heartbreaking, IMHO.

 

Keep at it, and good luck!

[NYbuck50]

1st miss ever? you were long over due! Stay positive and dont let it get to you. A clean miss is WAY better than a bad hit.

 

Good luck

[BizCT]

Can a Moderator change this title to "CT - 2013 Season", this way I can just keep one thread going for each day hunting as opposed to a new topic for each day.

[BizCT]

Heading back tomorrow morning to hunt with my Dad. We will sit a couple hundred yards away from each other. Looks like it's supposed to be 55 degrees at sunrise with 96% humidity and low wind (5mph).

[shawnhu]

Good luck out there tomorrow!

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[BizCT]

Was in my spot this morning at 527am.

605am saw a deer behind me, it blew a few times n ran.Too dark to see if it was buck or doe.

615am heard pack of coyotes howling.

622am-637am,watched a 3 pointer between 20-35yds. Would have been an easy shot,but I let it go. It never knew I was there.

Both deer followed the plan I expected. They came from the fields. My dad sat a couple hundred yards away watching a different opening and saw nothing.

Going to Florida next weekend to play golf. Will be back at it Saturday, 10/5.

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[apoallo]

dude... golf or hunting......... hunting will win over any sport for me any day lol have fun. You'll probably be itching the whole time you are there

[BizCT]

Heading back tomorrow morning for day #3 in CT.

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