My bowhunting log

[TREESTANDMAN]

I've never been great in english so please forgive my lack of writing talent.

 

I took a spike with my bow January of '05 so January 2nd of '06 found me chomping at the bit. Throughout the year of 2005 I had spent most of my Saturdays going up to the pines, scouting for new areas and checking my 5 trail cameras. I've taken 3 bucks with a bow, the largest being a 65" buck so this year I have the goal to take a wall hanger. By wall hanger I mean a buck that will go around 90" or more. I had 4 bucks scouted out that would all go over 90" with the largest being about 108" in my estimation. The only problem is that all of my pictures of the 108" 5*5 were at night. I took off the 1st week of January and

 

Monday morning found me high in a ponderosa pine just before light. My stand is in a very secluded location overlooking the intersection of 4 major trails on a bench. I had made 2 mock scrapes in November and the following week 5 new scrapes appeared. Two bucks were hitting these scrapes both of which I think go over 90". I sat the treestand from sunup to about 4:30pm without seeing a deer. The weather was unseasonably warm so I wonder if that had anything to do w/ the lack of action. I set up camp and went to sleep.

 

Day two found me in my treestand where TAM and I have gotten pictures of a couple of bucks that will go around 100" and a double drop tine muley. I sat that for the first 4 hours of light without seeing a deer, and then moved to my treestand where the 108" buck resides. I sat that till dark without seeing a deer.

 

I was pretty discouraged. Sitting all day in a treestand really takes it out of you mentally and physically. Wednesday I spent the day at home with my wife and son.

 

Thursday was extremely windy. I decided to sit the stand where the 108" resided because I really wanted him on my wall. Around 3pm I watched a doe walking in straight ahead of me. I heard a deer grunt behind her and my heart beat started to quicken. I could see the figure of deer about 20 yds behind her buck could not see his head gear. Finally he put his head down and started trotting towards her w/ his head down. He was a little 1*3. I watch him chase her a little bit but she didn't want anything from him. He came up to one of the scrapes I was overlooking and licked the licking branch. He sniffed around for a bit and walked away. When he was about 40 yds away I grunted to get his reaction. He turned around to look and when he could not find a buck, he walked away. About 10 minutes later I heard an animal behind me. I resisted the temptation to turn my head. Finally a decent 3*3 walked under my treestand to the scrape with a 19 yard shot. What a RUSH!!! I have the 90"+ goal this year so I reluctantly passed, enjoying every minute of it. I like to think my grunt helped bring him in?

About an hour later 2 does walked by and darkness was coming up. I got down from my stand and went to camp. It was very windy throughout the day and I had seen a decent amount of action?? Kind of interesting.

 

On Friday I decided to sit the area with the 2 bucks that would go over 90" again. I sat it all day only seeing 1 doe come by.

 

I Spent Saturday and Sunday with the family.

 

Monday was my last day off work and I decided to sit my stand with the 108" buck. Sat it all day long not seeing a darn thing. Checked my trail camera just before dark and saw that the 108" WHOPPER had come in at 6:23 pm on thursday evening. I had left that spot right around 6pm thursday evening. That right there got me excited. I drove home decided to come back and hunt this 108" spot the following Saturday.

 

Day 6, or yesterday I put some boot scent pads on and poured some doe in heat urine on the pads and walked into my 108" spot stand. I also hung a scrape dripper that only drips during the day on the most active scrape. Right around 8am I saw some movement in the distance. A small 3*3 (two point w/ eyeguards) was coming in. About 40 yds behind him was a wide 3*3. Neither would make my goal so I watched as they came in sniffing around. They seemed a bit jumpy and didn't stay long before they trotted back the way they had come. I think they smelled where I had been walking. About 10 minutes later I heard a buck fight not 60 yds from my perch. It sounded like a pretty good fight. After it was over I grunted and instantly watch 2 does running towards me with that same wide 3*3 on their heels. The doe must have been hot because he was chasing her hard. They ran around my stand coming within 10 yds of me finally running away. About an hour later I watched a doe come walking out from my right. 5 minutes later that wide 2 pt emerges from my left and slowly walks after her. She turned back and walked the way she had come in. He followed her for a while and then came back trotting a ridge line bird dogging. I was wishing I had my video camera!!! About an hour later a new 2pt comes in sniffing around. So far I had seen 3 different bucks and it was only about 11 am!!! I was pretty excited. Around noon that little 1*3 I had seen a week earlier came in to two does who were at salt. When they saw him they took off with him on their tail with his nose to the ground. Around 3pm that same wide buck came back sniffing around. He would to where one of the does had urinated and sniffed for a minute or so. He then walked off. Around 4pm a large bodied buck walked in from my left. He stopped broadside at about 10 yds at the first scrape and sniffed around. Then walked to the 2nd scrape and sniffed at 19 yds. He seemed to be a lot less cautious and he was the biggest of the 5 bucks that day. He had great eyeguards, a fat body and decent mass. His main beams and points were just too weak. Bigger than all the bucks I've shot by quite a bit, but it was only January. Decided to pass. Waited there till about 6pm without anything else coming in. What an incredible day!!!! Good action all day long. I've gotten pictures of 6 different bucks from that spot in the last 6 months and the only one that didn't come in was the one I wanted to harvest.

 

I have tomarrow off as well so I will probably give that spot one last shot before the end of january. The weather is forcasting a pretty good drop in temperature so they should be moving really good.

 

I will email Amanda pictures of the 5 bucks I passed on. The wide 3*3 and the high eyeguard buck were pretty tempting. I will also email pics of the 108ish buck I have my sights set on taking.

 

One thing I forgot to mention. On my 1st day driving back to camp I spotted a decent 3*3 down by a creek. I drove past and parked about 50 yds away and walked up to where I had about a 40 yds shot. I studied him through my rangefinder and guessed him to be in the high 80's. First day of the season, decided to pass.

[DEERSLAM]

Sounds like a very exiciting hunt so far. You've done your home work and I commend you on sticking to your goal.

Seems like you have taken eastern whitetail tactics and put them to very good use. Can't wait to see the pics and I have my fingers crossed for you. Best if luck

[25-06]

Dude, What a great hunt your having. Sounds like you have a pretty good shot at gettin a true wall hanger... I hope you get him

[25-06]

One more thing I forgot to mention, Hurry up and get them pic's posted

[ScottAdams]

Wow! Neat story! There's just nothing quite like the thrill of the chase. I would be tempted to hold out for that 108 incher also. However it does appear that he's a bit more nocturnal than your average joe.

 

These coues deer are a little more like their Eastern cousins than I previously thought. You know that big buck that Mace took this year was almost totally nocturnal. I think Mace only saw him twice in the daylight over a 2 year period, and when he finally killed him it was only after kicking him out of his bed.

 

The big one I was after this year was tough to find. Once I spotted him in the velvet, in Sept. I spent 9 trips back in there looking for him in 3 months and only saw him one other time for sure and maybe once more but I'm not sure it was him. They are tough to hunt.

 

Your saving grace may be the rut. That may get that big rascal out and about in the daylight in spite of his misgivings over daylight movement. Good luck.

 

Scott

[TREESTANDMAN]

I forgot to mention. My 108" buck came in at 12:43 pm on thursday! I think this daytime only scrape dripper may help for tomarrow. Keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

[jamaro]

Great job.. Keep plugging away... If it is ment to be it will happen...

jason

[DEERSLAM]

I forgot to mention.  My 108" buck came in at 12:43 pm on thursday!  I think this daytime only scrape dripper may help for tomarrow.  Keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Now you have to hold out

[COUESAZ]

Good hunt so far Mike. I am glad to see you passing on those bucks. What I like the best about it is you are preparing it for your future hunts as well. I talked with your uncle Ken today and he said his oldest boy josh is getting to the age of hunting and is a great shot. We need to get them put in this year and help them score a buck.

[TREESTANDMAN]

Thats funny, I was just talking with Kenny and Josh tonight at our family get to gether. Ken is pretty axious to go big game hunting this year with Josh and for himself.

[TREESTANDMAN]

lets see if this works. This is the one I'm trying to put on my wall.

[az4life]

If you have the time, I think the odds are the big one will show up whe you are there sooner or later. thanks for the story!

 

Good luck!

[TREESTANDMAN]

What do you guys think he will score?

[TREESTANDMAN]

Here is the wide 2 pt that came in 3 different times. Could have stuck him several times.

[TREESTANDMAN]

Here is the tall eyeguard buck. He had a FAT body.