Hunting Journal

I sat back in the North Bowl again this morning. Something just draws me to that place. It gives me a feeling inside that’s really hard to explain. I’m pretty sure it’s one of those place I could just go sit at any time throughout the year. My mind becomes quiet when I’m there and the world seems to slow down. I really don’t care if I see a deer when I’m sitting there.

The day started off quick. At first light I had a nice buck chase a doe right to me. As she was fidgeting around underneath me I couldn’t see well enough to determine if the buck was a shooter or not. I could tell that his body matched that of a mature buck, but I couldn’t see his rack well enough to decide if I wanted to shoot him. It couldn’t get light fast enough and the gray part of the morning won the battle. When he finally turned to go I saw that I had made a mistake. I should have taken him when the opportunity presented itself. I was really disappointed as I watched him continue chasing the doe around on the ridge in front of me. It’s amazing how five minutes can make a difference in how you see the animals. Since I didn’t take the shot I’m hoping it means something better is coming my way.

After the buck departed I had a small 8-pointer come down the bowl out of the cornfield and go right past me. When he was gone two more bucks came in and one made a scrape and rubbed a tree, which I was lucky enough to get video of. It was pretty awesome.

Tonight I saw a few bucks in the cornfield beyond the knob plot, more over toward the Toad Saddle (named because my buddy Kevin killed a buck he named “Toad” there in the saddle a few years back). One of the bucks was a small 8 and he was chasing a few does around the field. One big shooter went up the field directly away from me right at dark. He was a dandy but didn’t want to give the doe with him any space at all.

Dad saw a really big buck this morning cruising along the edge of the cornfield. I still feel like we’re close, but I also feel like we’re probably going to be hard pressed to get one within shooting range. Any way you look at it this trip has been an experience of a lifetime. It’s been simply awesome.

I sat in the tube area this morning. It was 28 degrees with a south wind. At first light a big shooter buck crossed the trail in front of me and up the hill. He was hot on a doe’s trail. A little later I had a nice 7-pointer chase five does past me. He came in to 10 yards. Too bad he wasn’t wearing a little more for headgear.

A short time after the 7-pointer left I tried rattling. After I stopped a nice little 8-pointer snuck in and wandered around under my stand for a few minutes. I also saw a big buck chasing a doe out in the field behind me.

Dad saw four bucks today and got a shot at one that was trolling along the edge of a cornfield shortly after it got light. He believes he hit a twig or two which deflected the arrow. Tonight I saw only one doe. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Dad saw two bucks chasing a doe at 2:30. With all of the chasing we’ve witnessed so far it seems like we should get lucky at some point in the near future, but you never know what will happen when you’re hunting. We’ll keep giving it everything we have until it’s time to go home.

Traditionally this has been one of my best hunting days in my hunting career. I’ve killed a lot of deer in the Adirondacks on this day and a few big ones, too. I’ve also killed a deer or two in Ohio on this day over the years. I’m not sure why but the 13th just lights a fire beneath me.

It was 19 degrees this morning and zapped the life right out of me which created a few problems with my blood sugar. I lost my head for the better part of an hour, so it took away from the morning’s hunt. After I came around I still got to experience a few cool encounters with deer. A nice little spikehorn came down out of the pasture above me and fed across the oak flat I was sitting on around 8 o’clock. It was pretty dead after that, so around 10 o’clock I figured I would do a little rattling. After smashing the antlers together I sat back and waited. Since I was in a small piece of timber in the middle of some big pastures I figured it would take a few minutes before anything showed up if anything was around.

Sure enough my guess was right. About five minutes after rattling I could hear the leaves rustling below me. When I glanced over my shoulder I could see the same 8-pointer I saw the night before headed right toward me. Within seconds he winded me and went on his merry way.

A few minutes later I could hear a deer walking through the leaves off to my right. I could see a really big bodied deer heading up the hill in my direction. After a quick look I latched my release onto the string and readied myself for a shot. From what I could tell this buck was a shooter. When he got a little closer I saw that he had a very nice rack on one side. However, the other side had only a 7 inch spike. While the buck was unique he wasn’t quite what I wanted. I watched him for a few minutes before he made his way across the flat and disappeared over the bank on my far left. When he was gone I kind of wished I had shot him. The rack was really unique, he was a mature deer and after I thought about it I realized I probably have another chance to shoot a deer like him.

This evening I sat in the Locust Draw stand and saw a spikehorn running a group of does all over the two fields next to me. There were a couple of button bucks in the group, too. I’ve seen plenty of button bucks during this vacation. That’s probably a good sign for the next few years.

Dad sat in Buck Alley this morning. He saw 2 bucks, one shooter. He also saw a few good bucks tonight when he sat down in the lowland near the creek……We’ll see what tomorrow brings. I feel like I’m getting close.

This was one of the best days I’ve ever had while hunting. It was pretty crisp this morning with the temperature holding steady in the mid 20s for most of the morning. I sat in the north bowl again. It’s one of my favorite places out here and has been since the first day I ever stepped foot on the property.

The action began shortly after daylight when a few deer made their way down the hill from the soybean field above me. Then I heard a ruckus off to my right in the thick brush that borders the cornfield on the lower side of me. Before long a few does sprinted out in front of me and kept looking behind them. Even a rookie would have been able to tell that a buck was chasing the does around. Within minutes I had six does in front of me. I could see the sun glistening off some nice white antlers in the bushes. At first glance I figured it was a shooter, so I latched my release onto the bowstring and patiently waited.

A few minutes later the doe next to him bolted and ran directly out in front of me. I knew he would be right behind her and he didn’t disappoint. He came in on a string. It didn’t take long to see he was a 7-pointer. I’m pretty sure he’s the big 7-pointer I passed last year, but it’s impossible to be 100% sure. I watched him for a while and took some pretty cool video. I could have shot him at 10 yards.

When he eventually left I had two small bucks come in and spar in front of me while a handful of does went through the bowl. I took quite a few pictures of the two bucks after they quit fighting.

When the excitement slowed down I heard something behind me. When I glanced over my shoulder I saw a coyote turn and trot up the hill behind me. I quickly got my camera out and took a little bit of video. The coyote started chasing a perfectly health fawn before he quickly disappeared into the soybean field above me.

My dad saw two shooter bucks this morning over near the Grunt Stand. Unfortunately he couldn’t get a shot. It got him pumped up and he feels pretty confident about his chances. This evening I went over near the Graveyard Flat and sat in a bottleneck of woods between some lots of pasture. It’s called the Graveyard Flat because a lot of old farm equipment is piled up in the back of the field. Some of it is pretty cool looking stuff.

At 2pm as I was looking for a tree to climb I saw a pretty good 8-pointer coming my way. I knelt in the brush and got some video of him, too. After he winded me he trotted away, but he came off the hill behind me again around 4:30pm.

Dad hunted the Big Timber this evening. He wanted to check it out to see how much sign was there. Although he saw three deer he was pretty disappointed by the lack of sign. He told me he didn’t think it would be worth it to waste any time there this year. I’ll take his word for it because he’s usually pretty accurate with his predictions about the chances of seeing a good deer in certain places. I’ll post a few pictures and videos of all of the things I saw today.