Fletch's Field Notes 2018

[Fletch]

We hunted quite a bit over the first week. My brother took a wolc special on a cold hungry morning. My BIL has been moving deer around but not caught up to any good shots. I’ve been seeing some deer. A couple too far out of the tower one day and one too thick in the brush outa the Hole stand.


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[Fletch]

Sunday morning I hunted the far stand out behind the house. Still 4 inches of snow or so and a bit warmer out. About 7:10 I see a lone deer headed towards me and grab the binos. I see some antler but only one and not too big. The deer looks good size though and I’ve convinced myself it’s a 2.5 yo and needs to be in my freezer lol. He closes the distance to about 40 yards and turns a little, I got the crosshairs of the TV Triumph set. I grunt and he stops perfect. Boom and the smoke clears and he is doing the broken shoulder death run about 60 yards and goes down. Left a 2-3 foot wide red spray paint trail the whole way. Weighed just a shade over 140 dressed on the scales.
I sat for a couple more hours and saw 4 more deer up off the property and the neighbors were doing quite a bit of shooting so I think they got three different shot oops I heard. The warmup had them moving a little.




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[Fletch]

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[Fletch]

12/1

Been a slow week. Have not seen a deer in 4 mornings this week. I had a good feeling about the tower tonight and went in early as the last couple times I had did this bumped deer on way in. It was pretty uneventful until 4 when I had a deer come out of the brush into the small field. Small deer and at 40 yards I could see bumps on his head without glass. I noticed a second deer in the brush still but could not tell what. I figured a small buck. After 10 minutes that one came out and it was another button. I did not see anything else and started checking my other windows and glanced back to the field and another deer had come out at 24 yards. I immediately knew bigger and no bumps. I quickly got the crosshairs set and let the TC Triumph bark. As the smoke cleared I saw her go into the thick stuff. I gave her 15 and got down. As soon as I hit the brush I saw a deer take off so I backed out for an hour. I was pretty sure it was a button and not her but why chance it. Went back in she was 35 yards in and had died 1 minute after I shot or less. Nice fat doe at 122 # dressed.
Tagged out at my home properties for now.


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[Fletch]

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[Fletch]

Well the season is a wrap. All the gear cleaned up and put away. Guns cleaned and freezer looking good. I had a good season overall. It would have been a great season if I did not have operator error issues!!

Hunted lees than usual in bow but harvested a nice doe and missed a dandy buck. Took a solid buck and doe in gun and missed a doe. First time I remember in over 3 decades that I had snow on the ground every day of gun season!

I was pleased with my stand I put up in a state spot as it gave me the opportunity at a great buck and a couple does. I saw deer 90% of my sits there. Overall my sightings for my area were good.

The boy took two does on our NC trip. He did not get out more than a half dozen times at home. He is 16 and has a lot of distractions. He hates the mornings and he hates the cold....I don't push him to go if he does not want to. The brother got one in NC and one here. Unfortunately my BIL did not get one. He started a new job and missed bow season entirely.

I really like that I had a lot of opportunities and took two off my land. The tower plot has given me a deer that last couple of years and I have plans to upgrade the tower more as I really enjoyed heat lol!

Anyhow, bittersweet as I will enjoy a break but miss the hunt already!!

 

Happy Holidays all!!