Arcade's 2019 hunting journal

[Arcade Hunter]

Hunted some state land in 8g... Got in there about 4 30 pm.  I walked in on well groomed hiking trails and found a heavy run crossing the trail into the thickest brush.  Walked in there for 80 or so yards untill I found a clearing where I could shoot from... Just as I approached the clearing I bumped what sounded like one deer.  I never got a look at it.  I went in another 20 or 30 yards to a second clearing and found apples trees with most of thier bounty laying on the ground and this is where I set up.  I got myself ready and hit the grunt tube.  Immediately I grab my phone on start posting on the live from the woods thread as I am excited to share my first sit of the 2019 season!  About 2 minutes later, I raised my eyes up from the phone and there a big doe locking eyes with me at 15 yards head on.  I clipped the release on and the doe high tails outta there.  Damn!

So here's my lessons learned tonight.

1.  Keep off the phone especially when ground hunting.  I never heard the doe come in to the grunt.

2.  Expect a deer to come in to every grunt every time.

3.  Go into the thickest cover via deer runs and set up somewhere where you can take a shot.  There are deer bedding down in there.

4.  Don't beat yourself up over a mistake especially if you learned something from it.

In summary, I am thrilled to get out there in the woods with the bow and that I was able to have an encounter with a big doe!  The rainstorm ended my hunt early but Friday and Saturday are looking great due to a cold front moving in and a possible frost overnight into Saturday morning.  I'm pumped!

[Arcade Hunter]

Got out for the afternoon yesterday... Light drizzle light winds.  Stayed till dark and the deer stayed bedded till just after sunset.... Saw 9 does on the way out. 

Family emergency is keeping me in this morning but I'll be out in 9h for the evening sit

[Arcade Hunter]

I did make it out for Friday afternoon sit in 9H... I did not see anything until after legal shooting light...   Next sit here I am going to try getting closer to the crops..

[Arcade Hunter]

10-7  Evening hunt in 8g.  I like this place a lot.  Swirling winds were my enemy tonight... I was set up on a heavy run with about 30 minutes of light left and two walked up from behind me.  They definitely winded me, snorting and stomping.  That ended my hunt!

It was impossible to use the wind tonight... only luck would have helped me out.

On a good note, I stocked up on milkweed fluff

Edited October 7, 2019 by Arcade Hunter

[Arcade Hunter]

A few pics from the last sit

[Arcade Hunter]

10-7  evening sit

I watched a doe for a while out maybe 60 yds and it wandered off.  45 minutes later it walks out broadside at 20 yds and i misssed... happened so fast did not put the right pin on her.  Bummer!  Try try again.  Seeing deer every sit so far and the season is young.

[Arcade Hunter]

10-8 evening sit

Another good spot.  Set up at heavy runs again, near where I sat on Sunday but deeper in.  30 minutes of light left, a doe pops out of the thick stuff but it was 50 yds off.  Still, good hunt and I keep seeing them.  I have another spot picked out for Friday evening... found a feeding area tonight!

A side note:  My first sit here I found bear tracks and this sit, I found bear shit.  Both tracks and crap pile looked not fresh and the bear was not that big judging from the prints.  Possible kicked out male wandering around?

 

[BizCT]

10-8 evening sit
Another good spot.  Set up at heavy runs again, near where I sat on Sunday but deeper in.  30 minutes of light left, a doe pops out of the thick stuff but it was 50 yds off.  Still, good hunt and I keep seeing them.  I have another spot picked out for Friday evening... found a feeding area tonight!
A side note:  My first sit here I found bear tracks and this sit, I found bear shit.  Both tracks and crap pile looked not fresh and the bear was not that big judging from the prints.  Possible kicked out male wandering around?
 

A bear with bow in NY would be awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Arcade Hunter]

15 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

 

A bear with bow in NY would be awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You are right about that, Biz.  I am most confident that this bear was just roaming around... they get kicked out in the spring and we have a few sightings out our way during the summer but I think they make their way back to the southern tier by this time of the year.

[Arcade Hunter]

A very uneventful sit in 9H last evening (10-10)

I did not see anything except for squirrels and chipmunks but it was nice to be there.  First sit this season where I did not see any deer, even on the ride home.

[Arcade Hunter]

19-Oct, 

Its been a messed up last few weeks with family stuff going on but I finally got back in the woods this past Saturday and Sunday.

My son in law and his family have a place in West Clarksville, just outside of Cuba and I was able to get down there for the afternoon sit on Saturday and morning sit on Sunday.  Good times!

Saturday, In the stand by 3:30  PM, bumping two deer on the way in.  Amazing how many squirrels and chipmunks there are running around up there.  The action started about 5:15 PM.  I had two does, Big ones, zip past me... about 15 minutes later, another group of 2 came down from behind me and were in the acorns milling around.  Minutes later they slowly started to move off to another section of acorns and low and behold, theres a buck with them that I did not see earlier.   They all moved out of sight, disappearing for good.

Enter stage right... a spike buck.  He hung around for a while and meandered off.

At about 6:00pm, I hear one running towards me from behind... it a BIG 6.  He make a right turn on the logging rd in front of me and walks just past me... he is about 25 yards broadside and looking me in the eyes... I drew on him and he bolted just that fast.  No shot.

20-Oct

Back in the stand before sunrise.  Heard plenty of owls and just as the sunrise came, I could hear turkeys off in the distance.  About 9:15 am, I have one doe run through snorting  and blowing all the way up the mountain and over the top.  It didnt have my wind and I don't know why it was so freaked out.  

A quick stop at Cuba cheese on my way out too!

 

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Arcade Hunter

[Arcade Hunter]

10-25, 10-26

Back down to the cabin this past weekend.  I arrived Friday afternoon with about an hour left to hunt .  Not enough time to make it to my stand so I posted in a blowdown near bedding.  Saw nothing.  Dinner at Spragues Maple farm later on.

Saturday was pretty much an all day sit... About 8:15 an 4 pt come out from behind me  and was milling around for 20 minutes or so until it presented a shot, 25 yrds broadside.  I am proud of myself... I let it walk.  That was the only deer I saw all weekend.  My son in law on the other side of the mountain passes on a spike and saw numerous does throughout the day.  Nice day to be out for sure.

Until Tuesday..... Planning on an afternoon sit on state land if life doesn't get in the way.  Its time to put one in the freezer

Edited October 28, 2019 by Arcade Hunter

[Arcade Hunter]

10-29

Out in 8G for the evening.  Set up on heavy deer runs again.  No deer seen.  Better luck next time

[Arcade Hunter]

11-03

Out in 8G again... sick as a dog the past few days but forced myself to get out.   Saw nothing in a new area I checked out but I am starting to see some rubs here and there.  

[Arcade Hunter]

11-5

I tried a different area tonight... a ton of rubs and I watched a nice buck cruise, nose to the ground.  Its starting up around here.  This weekend is gonna pop!

One note... the wind was totally wrong getting in this place so I had to do a lot of walking to get to my spot.

[Arcade Hunter]

Been slacking off on the journal, so ill try to catch up.

Was up at the cabin again for the last bow weekend.  As usual there were deer seen by both of us but nothing to come in range.  I will be moving stands a little bit as I am now getting familiar with travel patterns and routs here.

Regular season opener.  At the cabin again.  Out of four of us, only one deer's ass was seen the entire weekend.  There was shooting untill 9:15 but all that was on the next hill.  Toughest opening weekend I have ever seen.  Better luck next time.

Finish off this work week then I am off for a week.