10/13/2012 Hunting Trip

Headed back out into the woods on Saturday, what a beautiful day to be in the woods.  Our first freeze/frost depending on where you live made for a nice crisp morning and yesterday afternoon was the perfect temperature for sitting in a tree.  I got to enjoy both a morning and afternoon hunt, and I must say the bugs are slowing going away, the leaves are starting to fall, and we are quickly approaching the exciting time of rut.  I spent the morning in one of my favorite trees in Loch Raven that I normally go to in hopes of harvesting a doe. I had a good friend that hunts with me close by as we were both out looking for meat.  Even with the pretty morning I only heard deer I didn't see any. I heard some deer splash across the little creek that is close to where I was hunting.  My friend neither saw nor heard a thing all morning,  so the deer I heard must have gone up the other hill going away from us.  Still was a very pretty morning in the woods!

Saturday afternoon I headed back out with a different friend once again hunting a different section of Loch Raven,  I must say it was a picture perfect night, but I once again got skunked.  I did not see or heard a single deer all night.  I am not sure what happen, a whole day in the woods and didn't see a single deer, at two places I normally always see deer.  It just goes to show how unpredictable Loch Raven and hunting public land can be.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time in the woods and as always enjoyed spending time in the woods with good friends.

 

Since I didn't see anything on Saturday, as a side note, I did a little scouting this morning (Sunday) there are signs that rut is coming as there were a few small scraps appearing and a few small rubs, nothing to write home about just yet, but with the cooler weather and the full moon coming in just a couple short weeks I imagine that sign will start showing up more and more over the next week or two.
Did any of you make it out on the picture perfect weather Saturday?  How did you do?  If you were one of the lucky ones to harvest a deer, leave a commit with the picture!  Have you seen signs of rut coming? Love to hear what you have seen or heard!

Good luck to everyone this week!

 

2012 - 2013 Hunting Season Journal
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  1. Henry
    Saturday was awesome! I was hunting on my private land and got in my climber and went way up early in the morning. Well about an hour after being up there I began to wish I didn't drink so much coffee! I couldn't take it any longer and decided I had to relieve myself from the stand. As I was doing this a nice 8 pointer walked underneath my stand and I actually hit him (not with an arrow). I began laughing. I couldn't believe that he never even noticed me and that I really just peed on a deer. Crazy!!! I wouldn't have had a shot anyway because he was moving too fast and never stood broadside. But what a crazy experience. I got myself all zipped up and then a nice herd of does came in. I popped the biggest one and the bolt entered her chest but exited her gut. Ahh, I couldn't believe it, a gut shot! Well I got down from my climber left a mark where she headed into the woods and backed out for a few hours so not to push her. I came back later and found her about 30 yards. Pretty gross field dressing her, but got it done and she is now at the butcher. Pretty big girl over 105 lbs dressed weight. Heading out now. Hopefully will get that buck.
    Reply
    October 15, 2012
    • admin
      Henry, Sounds like you had a good morning. We have all been in a spot where we drank more than we should before heading out into the woods, and you only have a few choices. It does stink that the 8 pointer came through at that very time, but that means he is still out there! Congrats on getting the doe, glad she didn't run very far, gut shots even if they are on the exit can allow deer to run further than any of us want. Once again congrats on your harvest and hopefully you got that 8 pointer this morning!
      Reply
      October 15, 2012
  2. Clayborn
    I went out Saturday morning and didn't see anything. Around 11:00 I got down from the treestand and walked around to see if I could find any scraps. Shortly afterward I gave up. I returned around 1:30 for an afternoon hunt. The weather seem right for hunting and I was able to see better since some leafs had fallen. Around 3:30 I see antlers, a four or five points buck, he was being extra careful, then he look back and there was another buck a 8 points. They both had winded me since they were approching from the South, and downwind from me. For what ever reason, I was just trying to sit still. The 8 pts approached but back away. The 4/5 pointer came in a little closer but circle to the west,(wind blowing from ENE) I was waiting for the right moment. He winded me and just froze behind a tree. After about 5 minute he dash out so fast running back for cover. I never pulled me bow back. I was thinking it's still early in the year and didn't want to give away my position away unless I had a good shot. But, after I got home I started to second guess myself, wishing I would have at least pull the bow back. Oh, well, as my family would stay, there's aways an excuse!
    Reply
    October 16, 2012
    • admin
      Clayborn, Glad you saw some deer and even for that matter a pair of bucks. It is still very early in the year so don't beat yourself up too much! It's better you didn't pull your bow back, for one as you said you don't want to give up your location as the deer start to become weary of an area they get spooked a lot. The other side to that is, if you had pulled your bow back you would have been more tempted to take a shot when you didn't have an ideal shot which could of lead to a non-fatal shot. So you know what I say, there is always next time! Maybe next time it will be that 8 pointer standing broadside :-) Good luck to you when you get back out, sounds like you have a good spot and are hunting wisely!
      Reply
      October 16, 2012
  3. Juan
    Went out Saturday as well and at 750 am had a nice doe 10 yards and was going to take her. I didn't shoot since I waited to see if a buck would show up. A buck didn't show up but a baby fawn did so I let the doe eat and walk on by with the little one. I hunt for meat for the food banks but I will not leave a little one alone.
    Reply
    October 17, 2012
    • admin
      Juan, That is very reasonable of you and I have the same opinion as do many of the people I hunt with. Better to take a doe that is alone that take a mother away from a fawn that is still learning. I feel more strongly about that this season because I have seen a lot of late (very small) fawns this season and even got trail cam pictures within the same week of the little ones still nursing off their mothers. Very late for that since rut will be here in another couple weeks and the does will be getting chased. Thanks for the comment, great to hear from you!
      Reply
      October 17, 2012

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