TW Hunting Journal

Don't know if there's already something like this on TW but if not here goes...Going hunting is something more to me then of course just killing the deer as I'm sure it is to much of you as well...Like just getting away, relaxing, having time to yourself...Lets talk about what we see when we're out there...Example, two days ago I went and sat in my stand for about 4 hours just relaxing and of course the occasional dozing off. about 4:30 it started sprinkling a little bit and out came a family of racoons on the corn pile...They were awesome to watch and see how much the mother protects the young and won't eat until they get theirs...Also saw a bright red headed wood pecker and later right before dark a small doe!! Then it started raining hard and I froze my tale off...I'm going on a huntin trip this next week to the mountains and I can't wait!! Prime rutt in the next week or so and beautiful scenery...I'll be in the stand from sun up till sun down for 4 days straight!! Couldn't ask for anything more!! Anyone have any hunting stories recently? Or saw some cool stuff?

 

I'm a pretty successful bird hunter and not so successful coyote hunter. Even if I'm getting skunked for what I'm hunting, I have a great time just being out there, away from everything else. I see all kinds of wildlife and views and some of the most breathtaking sunrises you could imagine.
I love hunting...

 

Speaking of coyotes...1st day of black powder I was walking to my stand before daylight and heard coyotes barkin at me in the field...That afternoon, my buddy was with me at the farm and was in a ground blind...The coyotes literally surrounded him and started howling...Needless to say scared the crap out of him and called us to come get him...I killed 2 last year and we still have TONS more...

 

Most of the coyotes I see are in the city. I need to practice my calls...I don't ever give up though.

 

a buddy of mine called me up last minute yesterday afternoon to head to a piece of property i used to hunt, but havent in a while. we got there a lil late and hit the stangs. an hour later...right about dark......boom! 20 minutes later, my buddy comes and gets me from my stand..........gut shot a deer. so...walk back to the truck and drive to other side of property. after 45 minutes looking for the spot he sat his water bottle to mark the first drops of blood/insides.....we start trailing. after an hour.....we walk up and shine the lights in the thicket. there she is sitting. i take a shot at her and miss all to hell.....damn light from the flashlights screwed my vision all up. so...she ran. not bad tho....cause the blood/guts she left behind was rather easy to follow. we followed it thru a few thickets, then to the watering hole...then the blood stopped. walked around hoping it had circled the hole...sure enough, it was laying in the water on the other side. on closer look...it was a small button head. apparently...there were 2 deer where my buddy shot....cause he said when he shot...another ran, and he was shooting at a bigger deer at the time...........had he known it was a small button, he wouldnt have shot.. so, i gutted it on the edge of the bank, then a long drag to the truck. either way.....he's got more meat in the freezer.

lucky dude he is.......a few weeks back on some other property.....he killed a nice 8pt at 7am, then at 7:50 am.....he killed an even nicer 10 point, with a 21 inch inside spread.

 

Great thread topic as I just had the best unsuccessful hunt ever.

I was deer hunting because my elk season ended, so of course I saw a ton of elk. But it was great, I played cat and mouse with them for several hours. I saw several different groups of elk, including a lone 6x6 bull, as well as a much bigger bull who was with some cows and a fork-horn.

The best part was when I was walking downhill in a clear cut. The mountain curved in an increasingly steep fall line so I could not see what was in front of me past about 20 yards. All of a sudden I look up and see several elk about 15-20 yards around me. I could see their backs as they had their heads down and were grazing. I held still and just enjoyed their presence. I could hear them chew and pull on the bushes, I could hear their foot steps, it was an amazing experience. Finally the lead cow detected me and they all scattered out to about 100 yards and we all just stood their looking at each other not knowing what to do. I decided that they just wanted to have their lunch in peace, so I backed out and let them be.

It was just really enjoyable being around these elk without the anxiety and rush of trying to harvest one, kinda just allowed me to pause and reflect, observe, and watch them.

I did take a pic with my phone after they scattered...not sure it you will be able to seem them with my crappy phone pics, but if so, there were several others to the left down the draw...

 

nice.

 

Thats' Awesome!! Looks like I saw one of the elk on the bottom left of the pic...I'm excited about this coming up week...So I'll be going to private property in URE...The guy has about 1200 acres and doesn't let anyone hunt his land but I just lucked up!! He said he's been putting out corn, apples, and sweet potatos and cant keep the food on the ground...He said every morning around 8:30 AM there are two huge bucks that are in the back of one of his fields and at about 4-5 PM they are by his pond!! He said all he asks of me is to bring a big cooler so I can take all the meat back with me that he thinks we'll get!! I'm ready for some cube steak, jerky, and some sausage!!

 

we gotta have pics if you get any Daniel.

 

Oh for sure!! At our event this past weekend we had the meet and greet across from the Outpost...I didn't know it was opening day for black powder which the outpost is state weigh in for the national forest...Biggest deer as far as rack was a perfect, thick based, dark rack 10 point WITH A 160 LB BODY...WTF? that was crazy but hopefully I'll atleast get the 10 point part down this week!! Fingers crossed!!

 

im suppose to go on a hog hunt next weekend. If plans follow through Ill update

 

good luck with it man. while we were at the processors for my buddies deer saturday evening......dude came from Gastonia with a 165.5 lb 8 pointer....perfect rack and all. it was a beaut!!

 

So I'm bout to leave in the next 5 or 10 minutes for URE and already have some what of a dissapointment...the guy that I'll be hunting on his property called me today and wouldn't you know it this weekend was opening of rifle season and there were 2 10 pointers and 2 8 pointers killed on both sides of his property...so much for the 2 big bucks he's been seeing everyday in his corn field and by his pond...good thing is he said no one has shot since saturday and his back yard had 18 deer in it last night when him and his wife got hom for dinner...The high tomorrow is 61 and raining there so maybe with the weather change they will be moving!! Here goes!!!

 

Alright Fellas!! I as asked by Mr. Will I said I'd have pics up of my big kill from URE when I returned and didnt want to let you guys down...I am wore slap out and have to get to bed but I will get on tomorrow and update my hunting story/journal post from this past week!! It was a trip I'll NEVER forget!!

 

congrats Daniel!! thats a damn nice buck!!!

 

very close to putting some deer in the freezer about an hour and a half ago.....................gotta outta my stand cause my neck was hurting like crazy. sat on a log....and 5 minutes later......here come 3 does. long stary short....i got busted...and they turned and walked down other powerline. thats ok...........im that much closer. hopefully it will happen soon.

 

that's a good story, but next time, premedicate....so close....

 

Alright So I got there late Tuesday night and set up camp...Wednesday morning came way too fast...Sat up in the stand over looking a pond right next to the corn field where he said they'd be coming from...Started grunting at 6:30 AM and 6:47 AM exactly, the buck was standing at the edge of the field stomping...I though his head was enough behind a bush where he wouldn't see me put up my gun but he did and spooked off...later that afternoon killed a doe!!...Next morning again at 6:30 AM about 60 freakin degrees and raining, I started on the grunt call again which I am a firm believer in durring the rut! SAME exact time the buck came out again and AGAIN spooked him and he took off...I started grunting real quick, changed to the doe bleat, then back to the grunt a couple of times and you could here him crashin thru the woods to get back to me...He got to the edge of the field and ears layed back, droolin, and stomping again was pacing back and forth at the tree line...Had my gun ready and it was about 100 yard shot with my black powder!! Tracked him about 70 yards and found him...Dropped down on my knees right where I was before I ever touched the deer and thanked God for such and AWESOME experience and for him providing!! So later on in the after noon after I had packed up and we dressed him out, the landowner asked me if I'd set with him in a buddy stand and call...So we got in the stand about 4 and waited...right before dark, the most beautiful black foxes which I'd never seen before came out maybe 15 yards in front of us...one of em was completely black while the other had a bright red head and black body...It was awesome...So I had been grunting right before we saw the fox...Got right at dark where he couldn't see thru his scope no more and I grunted one last time...A buck ran across so fast in front of us but ALL you could see what RACK...man I wish we'd had about 10 more minutes of daylight...he ran about 20 yards from us but it was so fast he couldn't get his gun up in time...Just a great experience all around... I was fed every meal and we sat by a fire every night just hanging out and fellowshipping!! What a vacation It was for me and one I'll never forget!! Now I'm ready for my thanksgiving hunt!!

 

I went Thanksgiving Day and it was so foggy you couldn't see a thing till about 10 in the morning...In the afternoon, I saw 6 does across the field and about 10 turkey that got with in about 4 or 5 yards of me setting on the ground...I was so camoflauged and burried in the bushes that they couldn't see me...I coulda jumped on one with about a 10 in beard...AWESOME experience...One of my buddies did kill a 500 lb bear this past weekend though!!

 

How'd your hog hunt go?