Evening Hunting Trip 9/16/2014

Headed back out hunting to Loch Raven last evening.  Been super busy early season so I haven't been able to get out as much as I would like, but last evening was a very nice evening in the woods. I got in the woods around 4 and jumped up a deer right around the base of the tree I was planning to hunt out of.  But figured it was early and I knew they bed in that area sometimes so not a big surprise.  Got up in my tree and it was peaceful and very comfortable evening, couldn't ask for better weather.  Around 5:30 I look up in this small clearing in front of me and I saw something moving in the tall grass about 40 yards away, soon I found it was a young fawn with spots.  The fawn wondered around the clearing for about 15 minutes and slowly worked her way out of the area headed toward where I believe the deer go to feed at night.  Around 6 I heard some sticks breaking like something walking toward me, soon here comes another fawn smaller than the last one, walked about 20 yards in front of me and spent the next 20 - 30 minutes wondering around between 20 - 60 yards away before finally following where the last one had gone.  Oddly, neither of these fawns appeared to have mothers with them..

Shortly after the last fawn had gone off in the other direction I looked over the other shoulder, and in a clearly about 75 yards away I see another fawn running toward me, then it took a sharp turn back off behind me and was gone.  Again, no mother, and seemed to be pushed from where.  That was the last thing I saw before dark, the last 45 minutes to hour were quite and all I saw was a few birds.

Again, a nice night in Loch Raven, but pretty uneventful in my opinion.  But that's early season I guess, you either see a lot or very little.  Be nice to see a buck on his feet, but we all know that is super tough this time of year and takes being in the right place at the right time.

Anyone else been out early this week?  Seen anything good?

2014 - 2015 Hunting Season Journal
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  1. Clay
    It sounds like you had a good afternoon in the woods. I took my 12 years old son out for his first hunting last Saturday morning. We jump a few deer walking to our ground blind a little after 6:00AM. About 30 to 45 minutes later we heard a deer snorting, but couldn't see the deer because we only opened one window. It would stop snorting; it lasted for about 2-3 minutes. I made a mistake the day before by spraying Off Insect Repellent on the ground within the blind. I have been taking with a friend last week who has Lyme disease from a deer tick. Around 8:00, I saw the front legs of a deer about 10 yards away, I told my son to get ready. The window in the blind is so small that we both had different views. The deer was very wary and took her sweet time. My son finally pulled the bow back, and held it, and held it, at this time I couldn’t see the deer, and I was whispering “shoot” “shoot” to my son. He didn’t shoot, and the deer left. Afterward, my son said the deer was looking at him as he was pulling back, and once he was ready to shoot, he only had a neck and butt shot, because the deer was behind some limbs. I was a disappointed he didn’t get the deer, but I was also proud the he displayed a level head, and demonstrated what he learned in hunting safety class last month about not taken a shot you are not comfortable with. We wanted to go out this Saturday but it may be too warm (80 for high, low 60’s) for us. p.s. got a nice trail camera pic from last Saturday, from another area when I hunt of a nice 8 pointer with no velvet.
    Reply
    September 18, 2014
    • admin
      Clay, Sounds like you and your son both a good day in the woods. I am also happy and proud that your son was able to show that level of maturity that he knew better than to take that shot. Tell him sometimes not getting a deer is a far better reward than wounding one and never recovering it. Again, glad you had a good day in the woods and happy to hear your sharing the outdoors with the next generation. Saturdays weather is if'y, it's to be highs around 80 and a chance of rain. Still not sure what I am going to do for Saturday, might take this weekend off from hunting and do something else. Glad to hear you got a nice deer one of the places you hunt, and yeah pretty sure all the deer are out of velvet at this point. Good luck Clay, hope you and your son get out again soon.
      Reply
      September 18, 2014

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