woolys 2016 journal

[wooly]

I'm having a hard time having fun when I hunt anymore, so I thought maybe firing up a  journal might help. At the very least, I'll be posting plenty o' pics of what I see even if I don't kill anything, and I have fun doing that,lol.

The first few days of archery were pretty slow. Saw plenty of deer.., had a few doe, forkies, and 6'ers in range, but everything else kept it's distance. The pics from day #1-4 got lost while swapping out cards on the TC when I accidently formatted the wrong one.

 

Today I got my final stand in place in time for the evening sit.

I hung this one based on yesterdays sighting of 7 bucks still hanging together at the green fields(clover). I got hung and ready for action by 4pm.

About an hour later the first and only buck of the night stepped into the field about 60yds out. I can't get permission to hunt this property(the field), but I do have permission for the timbered property that butts up to it. The timber turns red hot once bucks start cruising during daylight, but I'll have to suffer through a few more uneventful sits until then.

Naturally my stand was hung with that in mind but it doesn't offer the best opportunity to see everything that's going on out there right now. This guy snuck in and started munching with 2 doe. I only managed to find him a few times through all the leaves still on the trees. Since I could see him I threw everything but the kitchen sink at him for calls. Grunted, rattled, bleated...... he didn't want anything to do with any of that and just kept on feeding along. He'd snap his head up and look my way when I called so I know he heard me, but he just wasn't in the mood to investigate.

 

I climbed down early since the woods got so dark so quick. First time descending this tree so I wanted to be able to see where I was stepping on my way down and also avoid bumping any deer that were on their way to the field yet. When I reached the ground I could still see him and the doe out there so I know I didn't spook them on my way out.

The 10pt is from the evening and the other from an hour AM sit at the corn field. Had  4 turkey pass by as well today. Squills were dropping nuts all around me. It sounded like it was raining at times! Man those little reds are full of energy and never slow down!

[Lawdwaz]

Yea, I'll subscribe to this one. 

[wooly]

I shot up to the same stand this morning to see if I could catch anything going to bed from the field. Nothing shakin' up there so I decided to head out around 11:30AM.

About half way home I spotted a deer crossing the trail in front of me 80-100yds out. I couldn't tell what it was so I went into sneaky mode and crept closer when it disappeared behind a knoll. I was on a deer trail that's worn down pretty good so it was nice and quiet. When I got to where I could see around it, I spotted a nice doe browsing around and surveying her surroundings.

 

Then she flopped down and bedded facing down hill. I was above her so I decided to slip in as close as I could to grab a few shots.

I made it to about 30yds and she was still facing away from me totally unaware I was even there.

I didn't get my ML tag yet so I wouldn't be tempted to use my either sex tag on a doe and piss away my buck chance. Maybe next year if deer #'s seem to be rising here, but not this year for me unless something aweful screws up my season that leaves me with a roll of unused tags near the end.

After a while I got tired of taking pictures of the back of her head so I started talking to myself out loud to get her to look my way. She finally did, but she still never budged. I waved my arms at her and still nothing.

Finally when I stood up, she did too and it was off to the races,lol

How come the big boys never screw up like that...?

[ApexerER]

Subscribed!!!!!

[stoneam2006]

As always...her for the stories

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Lawdwaz]

Matt.......I'd love to have a nice doe do that for me.  Musta' been the pine needles made for good sneakin'......

Oh crap, you weren't in the pines.

[grampy]

Sign me up too! I'm already hooked! 

[wooly]

Thanks guys, glad to have you all here and hope I can keep your attention!

Back at it this evening.

I decided I wanted to get a better look at what was happening in the field so I abandoned my stand for the night.

I cleared myself out a crop circle in the goldenrod on the edge of the field and got settled in. Saw 3 deer way across that I couldn't identify.

Right around 6:30 yesterdays buck showed up again. This time he emerged from the same goldenrod along the wooded property I'm set up in about 40yds out to my right.

This guy really threw me for a loop as he can't be any more than 12" wide,lol.

But a 10pt is a 10pt in my book and I kinda really dig that rack! He may be in trouble if we meet deeper on my turf!

I got a TC pic of him from summer I'll attach here as well.

 

Anyhow..., now I know who he is and his comings and goings. That info may come in handy this year or it may not.

It was a fun night hiding on the ground in the weeds and even better to accomplish what I intended for the night!

So far I'm having a pretty good time NOT shooting any deer! I hope I don't get anything this year,lol

[BizCT]

I'd take that 10pt in a Second


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[t_barb]

my new favorite thread...    Hoping you get the big boy on the last day of the season...   lol

[Fletch]

As always wonderful pics Wooly!! Thanks for sharing.

[crappyice]

I bet you let him walk just to find the sheds in February!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wooly]

Wet and windy this morning, so I pulled the covers back over my head and caught up on some much needed beauty sleep.

 

Around noon things finally dried up and I got motivated to go pull my blind across the road and set it up for my evening hunt.

A mile hike one way... a mile hike back home.... then another mile to my spot behind the house. I'm glad I decided to catch those extra zzzzz's this morning.

Anyhow, I was out the door by 3PM on my way to tonight's hiding spot and was brushed in and ready to hunt by 4PM.

I ain't gonna lie.

My intentions for tonight were to kill that little 10pt, but he never made an appearance.

Instead, about an hour into my sit, I heard hooves galloping towards my set up. I peeked out the window to see a spiker blow by about 20yds out where he slowed to a trot and sunk into the brush at the edge of the field. I could never get another good look at him but I could still see him moving around in the cover. Then I realized there was another buck in there with him and I just needed to find a hole and wait for him to walk into it for a visual of his headgear. He eventually gave me a quick glimpse of his basket 7pt rack from 30yds away and they both made their way out into the open green pastures behind me.

There wasn't much time left on the clock to hunt anymore so I debated leaving early once again. The farmer made my decision a little easier when he rolled through the field on his quad like he does every night clearing all the deer. It actually works out really well for me to make my escape then. It's good to see more deer are coming off their beds on the property I'm on now before dark.

 

I'm gonna save this set up for another evening hunt tomorrow, but in the morning I'm gonna give my corn field stand across the road another shot. Haven't been seeing much over there lately, but that's the way it usually goes right up until it turns on..., and if I don't keep tabs on it, I'll never know.

To be continued.............................................................................................................................................................................

 

 

[dalo143]

You must be saving all those "Little" buck for me Wooly!!! LOL.  Good luck out there have fun and be safe!!  I'll be seeing you next weekend for our ritual turkey hunt.... hoping the gobbler are out cuz I am ready for em!!! LOL.

[wooly]

Got off to a slow cold windy start this morning at the corn field.

Only lasted a couple of hours after I got chilled.

Bucks still haven't completely broke into pre-rut mode yet it seems so I don't see any sense hanging around any longer than I have to. Only one buck seen after I climbed down and started heading out along the corn edge. Small 8pt that has been a regular in the area all summer met me at the corner.

My evening sit was a little more enjoyable safe from the wind in my blind. Just about sundown I spotted deer on the move through the timber.  All total 3 bucks.

One spiker, a sixer, and my little buddy Tiny-10 AGAIN!

I'm really getting tired of seeing this guy,lol

All of them made their way to the field behind me in a single file line. 2 doe closed out the day

 

 

[wooly]

Close encounters have tapered off the past few hunts and slipping toward the dark side so not much for pics lately, but I'm still seeing deer each hunt.

I had to switch things up and hunt some place far away from that little 10pt so I didn't do something I might regret. I was getting too tempted to kill him and I know I don't want to.

Been seeing quite a few doe lately, so I decided that maybe it was time to get the muzzleloader stamp and maybe get a crack at one of them with the bow or X-bow next month.

 

I got out for a couple hours this morning and had my first opportunity to fill antlerless tag.

 

As I headed up one ridge, 3 antlerless ran DOWN the opposite ridge. I got my bow up and sat tight for 1/2 hour. Out of nowhere 3 more antlerless came running down the exact same trail and cut the gulley 10 yds out from me.

Old habits die hard I guess, because without even thinking about it, I laid down my bow and started taking pictures without thinking,lol

By the time it dawned on me that I had a tag, and she was a shooter, she heard my shutter click and made tracks back the same way they came in.

 

When I finally got moving again I caught another glimpse of her heading up the ridge into a big hemlock stand but she was pushing 50+ yds out this time.

Happy to see some good doe action now. Hopefully that'll get some of the bucks on their feet during daylight soon.

My bow is mad at me and doesn't even want to go hunting with me and my camera anymore.

I 'm MAKING her go out with us this evening to make things right!

[BizCT]

how much to let me come kill that 10pt? lol

[wooly]

I haven't been feeling 100% lately, so I haven't been out as much as I would have liked to be. Things sure do seem to have picked up quite a bit since my last few sits though.

As soon as we dried up from the downpours earlier this week, scrapes started opening up everywhere. My cam was getting some good daylight action but again, not much size to any of them. I STILL haven't seen what I would even consider a 2.5 year old this season, but hopefully that'll be changing soon.

 

My last few close encounters weren't anything special, but I always enjoy the close stuff where I can snap a few pics in good light.

Spotted this fawn bedded yesterday evening. Made it to within 20yds before she stood up where I could snap a shot.

This morning I snuck out for a little while and had another fawn come in as I was still getting set up in my stand. My camera was still in my pack that I just pulled up the tree so no shots of that one.

About 9am I spotted a young 6pt working his way directly towards my stand. He was gobbling up hickory nuts all the way in to where he finally got closest 3yds out from the base of my tree. Somehow he never winded me and he never looked up. Just maintained a steady pace through the timber and made his way off unalarmed.

 

 

It never matters to me how big or how small they are when they do that. That's always exciting to me!

 

 

[wooly]

I climbed into my stand for the last 2 hours of light yesterday and got settled in by 4:30.

I spotted a lone doe working her way through the timber about an hour later and she was headed my way on a string. The first thing I noticed was a nice long nose so I new she was a shooter doe for me, so I got ready for a shot to unfold.

She nibbled around the backside of one of the big hickories at 25yds so I got drawn on her and settled my 20yd pin a tad high. I have a hard time tracking my arrow in flight so I couldn't tell where it hit her, but it sure sounded good..... THWAAACK!

 

I wanted to give her at least an hour before I got down to look for my arrow. By that time the sun had gone down and my headlamp was useless. I decided to take my chances and let her lay in yote country over night, so I pulled out and took up the trail in the morning.

 

I figured I'd sit my stand until 9AM to see if any buck showed up and give the sun a chance to peek out. At that time I got down to look for my arrow but couldn't find it. I started to follow the bloodtrail  while constantly scanning the woods ahead of me. 20 yds into my tracking job I spotted her white belly 50 yds from my stand.

After the shot last night I watched her wobble off and I thought she was going to go down in site, but she calmly walked away. I caught her right behind the shoulder and when I found her my arrow was sticking out her opposite side just in front of her hind leg.

Pretty crazy to see that much penetration the length of her body and she never even acted like she knew she was hit. I must have walked right past her last night on my way out but never saw her.

 

Gonna give sis a quick lesson in home processing tonight and probably just turn her into a mountain of burger,lol

 

Although I'm EXTREMELY happy with the shot and quickness of the kill..... killing doe does NOTHING to get me excited about.

Unless we become overrun with them, this will likely be the last doe I ever kill with any weapon. I actually feel pretty bad that I feel that way. Almost wishing I let her walk. I'm telling you guys, I don't know what it is, but my lust for the kill is really becoming a thing of the past.

 

[BizCT]

I hear ya. My last doe was 16 years ago, when I was 16 years old.

[fasteddie]

Congrats Wooly . Any deer killed with a bow is exciting .

[grampy]

Just follow your heart wooly. It will always lead you down the right path.

[shawnhu]

I climbed into my stand for the last 2 hours of light yesterday and got settled in by 4:30.
I spotted a lone doe working her way through the timber about an hour later and she was headed my way on a string. The first thing I noticed was a nice long nose so I new she was a shooter doe for me, so I got ready for a shot to unfold.
She nibbled around the backside of one of the big hickories at 25yds so I got drawn on her and settled my 20yd pin a tad high. I have a hard time tracking my arrow in flight so I couldn't tell where it hit her, but it sure sounded good..... THWAAACK!
 
I wanted to give her at least an hour before I got down to look for my arrow. By that time the sun had gone down and my headlamp was useless. I decided to take my chances and let her lay in yote country over night, so I pulled out and took up the trail in the morning.
 
I figured I'd sit my stand until 9AM to see if any buck showed up and give the sun a chance to peek out. At that time I got down to look for my arrow but couldn't find it. I started to follow the bloodtrail  while constantly scanning the woods ahead of me. 20 yds into my tracking job I spotted her white belly 50 yds from my stand.
After the shot last night I watched her wobble off and I thought she was going to go down in site, but she calmly walked away. I caught her right behind the shoulder and when I found her my arrow was sticking out her opposite side just in front of her hind leg.
Pretty crazy to see that much penetration the length of her body and she never even acted like she knew she was hit. I must have walked right past her last night on my way out but never saw her.

 
Gonna give sis a quick lesson in home processing tonight and probably just turn her into a mountain of burger,lol
 
Although I'm EXTREMELY happy with the shot and quickness of the kill..... killing doe does NOTHING to get me excited about.
Unless we become overrun with them, this will likely be the last doe I ever kill with any weapon. I actually feel pretty bad that I feel that way. Almost wishing I let her walk. I'm telling you guys, I don't know what it is, but my lust for the kill is really becoming a thing of the past.


 

Wooly, we all eventually evolve as hunters. Don't feel bad about it, just embrace it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ATbuckhunter]

Congrats on the doe! Don't feel bad, its not like the meat will be going to waste. At least now you know that harvesting does is no longer for you. Like shawnhu said, we all evolve as hunters. Just do what makes you happy. 

[stoneam2006]

Congrats on the doe I hope I never lose the thrill...pics great as always

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk