Otto 2020 Deer Season

[Otto]

Sat in creek stand from 6:40 to 9:30am.  Saw a doe at 75 yards staring my way at around 7:30.  She did not come closer and hightailed it out of there. I tried a bleat can, but no response.  She look nice and fat, and all alone too.  

Had a deer come tearing up through the woods and slam to a stop 20 yards from my stand,  It was a small button buck. I was hoping a larger deer was chasing it, so I slowly reached for my bow and then he took off again.  Made a big circle around me into the pasture and then back into the woods.  A minute later, he comes tearing up the trail again! Same deal, stops, but then takes off running.  And again a third time!  Looks like he was having fun.   After a few minutes, I hit the grunt tube just to see if something else was around, but no responses. 

Around 8:30 I saw a buck with a fork on one side and a spike on the other about 100 yards behind me in the pasture.  He too was running fast and hard, stopped, stood for a half a minute, and then took off again.   

The wind changed around 9:00 and was wrong for this stand, so came down and called it.  

Good day, multiple deer, one within shooting range and deer are moving.  

[Otto]

Hunted in new double stand location.  A few branches need to be trimmed to give a better view of the field behind it.  And a clean path the the stand too!  Bumped a deer on the way in at 4pm,. Saw nothing during the whole sit.  Decided to change out a trail cam chip on my way back and bumped two deer right next to another stand I had considered for tonight.  Coulda, woulda shoulda!!!!!,  I hate educating these deer that I am around, may let the woods sit quiet until the weekend. 

[Otto]

Afternoon sit in the creek stand, very light wind, not 8 or 9 mph as predicted.  Saw three does behind Glens house 200 plus yards away.  Saw A doe in front of 19 pt stand on way home, she ignored me.  

 

Nice sunset on the driveway trees.

 

[Otto]

Hunted in pond blind this morning for the first time, because I had a SW wind and I don’t have a stand that is good for that wind.   It is set up pretty close to where I shot my first archery buck three years ago.  Great spot, but you need to hold your bow and be ready, as there is very limited sight distance.  I have a food plot there to try to slow them down, but there has only been activity in the dark.  I had a small young deer within 25 yards at around 8:15 but it did not stick around.  

I have a trail cam over looking this spot and I pulled the card on my way in.  Apparently at 7:39am there was also a nice size doe right in front of me. NEVER SAW IT!   Poor hunting! Will post picture later.
In the meantime,  I am going to rethink this blind location.

[Otto]

Sat in creek stand this morning. South wind sucks here, I need to have a better option.
Had a young doe come to me at 7am, took her time working towards me. This time I was ready, but she was just very small, so I let her pass. She did come right up to my ladder and smell the first rung on it. After yesterday's debacle with not seeing deer right in front of me, I had the phone deeply stashed.
I took a short scouting walk and found a small rub with a scrape right near it.


Also went to dig out a very old fence post wrapped in rusty barbed wire. May make an antler stand out of it instead of having all my euros mounted on plaques on the wall.

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[Otto]

Sat this evening for the last two hours, in what is now called Justin’s stand, as he shot a 6 point buck out of it 2 weeks ago.  This stand needs work or a slight move, the tree it is in is a little too small and part of the stand rubs up against the arms and squeaks like crazy, especially in the wind like to night.  

Anyways, nothing seen. 

[Otto]

Here is the doe that walked right by me unseen last Saturday. She looks delicious, dammit!

 

Some other pics,

 

 

I had a great video of the 9 pointer, he was right up to the camera looking at it and showing all his sides. Like an idiot I formatted the card before I saved it!

 

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[Otto]

2 more pics of the big guy

[Robhuntandfish]

Nice buck for sure. Helps get you out there when you know that might walk by.  Always wonder on yote pics like that.  Did they take that deer down or was it hit nearby?  If he walks by might want to thin those out too. I have pics of them chasing off deer and have seen them chasing deer while hunting.

Nice pics.  Hope that big un comes in range

[Otto]

Rob, I am hoping that leg was from a road kill.  But, yes, a yote is getting an arrow flung anytime within range.  

Edited October 20, 2020 by Otto

[Otto]

Hunted the creek stand this evening from 3:30 to 6:15pm.  Not a single deer seen at all.  The scrape near this stand is a bit larger than a few days ago, I need to get a camera on it. 

[Otto]

Got up at 5:30 to head out and heard the wind howling.  My wife asked me if I was really going out....that was all I needed, back to bed.  Worked inside projects all day till 3pm, then got ready and went out to hunt last couple of hours.  Hunted the creek stand again.  Nice evening, but only one deer seen and that was 15 minutes before sunset.  Something running hard towards me and then it disappeared in the thick stuff.   Nothing else, but tomorrow morning looks really good and I really need to get into a different stand. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by Otto

[Otto]

Sat in pond blind from 6:30am to 9am.  No deer seen.  Got out to change cards in 4 cameras.  Walked up to barn and covered firewood before this rainy week. Walking down my driveway I see a deer about 50 yards from me and I freeze.  Deer walks away and can no longer see me so I continue down driveway to get a view of the field he was in.  I’m looking through my binoculars and he has a bright red patch just above his right shoulder.  Never did see his left side.  I notice there is a second deer with him, this one with a big wide rack.   I’ve got pictures of him, but all nighttime, nice to see him up at 10am.   I watch them for a few more minutes and note where they went.   Went in the house and waited two hours and went out to try and track it.  Found blood in last place I saw them ,but only a couple of swipes high up a weed, no drops.  Searched around and found blood again pretty far away, but only a couple of drops.  Looked hard for more sign but gave it up after a couple of hours.  If it was my deer, I would still be out there or with Deer Search.  Surprised no one came to ask permission to track, it was a nice buck and looked like a pretty good hit.

Was hoping he was still around and walking it off, so I sat in Justin’s stand for two  and a half hours.  East wind but very light.  No deer, but several scrapes nearby and a little tree freshly torn up.   

 

 

 

[Otto]

Sat in creek stand tonight, 4pm to 6pm.  Nothing until last 5 minutes when a doe and her fawn came out into the far field and fed for a while.  Got down and walked back, saw no other deer.  Nice evening, light west wind, sun shined for about half the time.  So looking forward my next planned hunt on Friday!  

[BizCT]

Sat in pond blind from 6:30am to 9am.  No deer seen.  Got out to change cards in 4 cameras.  Walked up to barn and covered firewood before this rainy week. Walking down my driveway I see a deer about 50 yards from me and I freeze.  Deer walks away and can no longer see me so I continue down driveway to get a view of the field he was in.  I’m looking through my binoculars and he has a bright red patch just above his right shoulder.  Never did see his left side.  I notice there is a second deer with him, this one with a big wide rack.   I’ve got pictures of him, but all nighttime, nice to see him up at 10am.   I watch them for a few more minutes and note where they went.   Went in the house and waited two hours and went out to try and track it.  Found blood in last place I saw them ,but only a couple of swipes high up a weed, no drops.  Searched around and found blood again pretty far away, but only a couple of drops.  Looked hard for more sign but gave it up after a couple of hours.  If it was my deer, I would still be out there or with Deer Search.  Surprised no one came to ask permission to track, it was a nice buck and looked like a pretty good hit.
Was hoping he was still around and walking it off, so I sat in Justin’s stand for two  and a half hours.  East wind but very light.  No deer, but several scrapes nearby and a little tree freshly torn up.   
 

 

 

Interesting story. Hopefully he survives and is non typical next year


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[Otto]

1 hour ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

 

Interesting story. Hopefully he survives and is non typical next year


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Or I see him sooner than that and eliminate his pain! 

[Otto]

Hunted this morning in Jason’s Double.  Had planned to stay just until 9am and then go to work.  Had a pair of crazy deer again running circles and chasing each other, fun entertainment!  One of them eventually came to within 20 yards of my stand and laid down close by.  Small deer so I let it lay there. After 20 minutes or so Momma comes by and the little one follows her, then they both lay down about 75 yards from my stand in clear view.  She seemed to always be looking my way, but if I moved slow and easy, she didn’t seem to mind.  Ended up staying until 10:30am when I had to go.  I grunted a couple of times and that got her up, although she did not leave the area.  She did move off to some thick brush, so I lowered my bow and pack down and started to climb down.  All was good until the third step when the safety rail came down with a bang.  They both took off tails waving.  

Fun day with no other sightings, but I feel it is getting closer.  Going to try another stand in the morning. 

[Otto]

Did not hunt early, went out around 10am and sat in “archery stand”.  Saw nothing for over two hours, so I decided to switch stands and go to the back corner stand.  Bumped a doe on the walk in, she only ran for 20 yards or so and stopped, kept looking back towards me.  After a few minutes she slowly left.   Sat in stand until 4pm with no sightings.  This was my first time in this stand, there is a good vantage point to several areas.  I feel like it will be a good stand, the only problem is to access it you need to walk through pretty much my entire property, no easy in easy out.    Not sure if I should hunt it early morning, mid day or late afternoon.  

[Otto]

Recent trail cam pics - I should be out hunting! 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Otto

[Otto]

Fun hunt tonight!  Sat in the archery stand starting at 2:30.  Nothing at all until almost 4:45.  Saw a body walk across some thick brush on my left.  Got my bow up and waited,  A doe walked out and stopped with just her head showing.  Waited a couple of minutes and she didn’t like what she saw/heard/smelled.....she turned around and walked slowly away.    My heart was racing waiting  for the shot!   

Turned to opposite side and looked into field and saw a 8 point buck walking across about 100 yards away.  He stopped 10 yards in front of my tower blind, which I had not sat in yet, thinking it would be more of a gun spot.  I actually thought about sitting in there tonight with the wind, but I don’t have a chair in there yet.   Watched him feed for a bit and then he made his way towards me.  He walked to within 30 yards of me, but that is not a shot I am willing to take.  

He kept going and when he hit my scent cone stopped and stared my way for a what seemed like 10 minutes.  Finally he walked away going back where he came from and I watched him go across the field and out of view.  By now it is 5:15 so I lowered my bow and pack and very quietly got down on the ground.  I walked out to the field to head back and three more deer were in the field and blew out of there. STUPID move on my part, I should have gone on the back trail and around the pond, but I wanted to save steps on the walk back.  STUPID.      

Fun night, looking forward to letting one fly! 

[Otto]

Yesterday’s excitement and today’s warm weather put me in a stand again for a three hour afternoon sit.   Not a single deer seen, but too nice to rake leaves.  

Edited November 4, 2020 by Otto

[Otto]

Dam it! I have been hunting afternoons. I guess a morning hunt is in store!


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[Paula]

Great pictures..... Good luck! 

[Fletch]

I've been getting a ton of cam pics the last few days at 5-6am and seeing deer early. I don't think the weather is going to change that much. Good luck.

[Otto]

BUCK DOWN!   Went out for a morning sit, arrived at Jason's Double around 6:30am and get settled in quickly.  Around 6:50 I noticed the back end of a deer walking through some brush about 80 yards to my right.  I got my binos on it and saw a quick glimpse of horn.  I grunted three times and he just kept walking.  A couple of minutes later I see he is walking back on the same trail,  I grunt again, but no response.  Then he turned around and I could not see where he went. 

After 10 minutes of looking hard at the brushy area to my right I hear leaves crunching to my left!  I slowly turn to look that way and the deer had come upwind of me and was headed right for my tree!  Thankfully, I had already gotten my bow down and clipped my release on.  I stood up slowly as he was walking towards the field behind me.  I drew and when he was just a few steps from hitting the field and offering no shot I let out a quiet "meh".  I already had his body in my peep sight and as soon as he was still I let it fly. It was just under a 20 yard shot.   Had a nice thwack sound but the arrow did not pass through, only halfway through.  He turned and ran through a dead fall and got all tangled up and I saw the arrow drop out.  He runs 30 yards and comes to a dead stop and tips over. A few twitches of his legs and he was done.  

I look up into the field and there is another deer standing there. I get my binos out hoping it was a doe and I could double up like on of the HNY.COM Heros here!  But he is a spike.  He stands around for a few minutes and then walks over to my deer.  He is sniffing it and I think he even licked it a few times.  I grunted at him hoping it would scare him off, but he didn't care.  After a few more minutes I let my pack and bow down and climbed down.  This stand has a very creaky ladder so after two rungs down the spikey was gone.  Thank God, because I wanted to see my deer! 

After a few pictures and texts, I got him gutted and brought him out to our farm and into a walk-in cooler.  With help from my friend, we are planning to cut him up Monday evening.  This is my second bow deer and I am really happy to have added bow hunting to my list of hobbies!