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Kbetts 2017/18 hunt log

kbetts

kbetts

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Messages
1,850
Location
Delaware
Since I spend a bunch of time in the woods and am fortunate enough to hunt some good properties, I thought I'd start a log of what I'm up to. Our season starts on September 1st. The farm I primarily hunt issues crop damage tags that allow us to shoot antlerless deer from August 15 to March something. As of now, we haven't received the tags so.........the big slicks are good for at least one more week.

Because of how I download pics and now using Taptalk, I'm not sure how all of the info and photos are going to play out. I'm sitting on a bunch that I want to share (no monsters yet, no need to get too excited...lol). I don't typically hunt the spots I'm trying to get pics......and I'm taking a lot less these days as I'm trying not to disturb the areas as much. They all help me formulate my decision on where to sit in a given situation. I am trying to take more pics of the setups and what I'm observing and why. Feel free to comment with thoughts, suggestions, or such. I am intimately familiar with these properties, but you can never stop learning.

I'm going to start now, however, it's going to take me a bit to catch up.
 
Cool idea . And the learning never ends, you're right about that. Interested in following along with you. Good luck!!
 
First things first. Here is the main property. Bordered by cutoff to the north and water on three sides. The place below with the ponds is a municipal wastewater facility. The farm I hunt is irrigated periodically through fixed heads inside the woods. This limits daytime bedding to the surrounding property and the ditch bottoms. Cedar road separates the property. I've got both sides. There is no irrigation on the west side. The woods north of the "5 acre field" to the right is only irrigated in the spring/summer.
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Ok....terminology. The "5 acre field" is the small, rectangular one almost in the center. The larger field to the south is hidden from the road. The little nook to the SE we call the "hog lot" cause well, it once was a hog lot. This is where I'm catching the bucks enter the beans. If you look at the direction indicator, you'll notice that the entire field/woods on that side takes a westerly wind right in the face......and thus the reason this place holds magnums....it is very hard to keep the wind right. We have a northeaster......no problem. High pressure with west winds, they're coming but tough to get behind. Also, I very rarely hunt here in the mornings as I do not have a back door access. This year I plan to follow the partial fence line on the northern border of the WW facility (south side of property) and try to get behind some early morning movement. I took the route during turkey season and it'll work, but needs some attention.
 
I'm realizing how behind I am. Nothing spurs the urge to get things done like trying to explain the method to your madness to others. I go on call every eight weeks for work. Of course this is my week as I'm seeing how much I have to do. Luckily, one of my stops takes me right by the property above. I have yet to step foot on the west side this year. It's where I've taken my biggest buck to date. Problem is, there is now a retired lazy xbow hunter there from time to time and the pressure has picked up on the adjoining property since the cutoff is years old at this point. I'm going to swing through later this morning and grab some pics and well, I have to admit I can't find my ratchet strap with my steps...lol. I'm pretty sure it isn't in a tree somewhere, but if it is, I hope it's where I look.

West side of Cedar, near the top left you can see a red chicken house. The white building above it is the old manure shed. The ditch that runs the property line forms an incredible funnel. The beans at the edge of the cutoff are destroyed.
 
Wow did it get warm quick. I'll share more later. I found my steps...Lol.

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This is why you always need to check up on your spots. In years past, the owner of the property would drive back to the manure shed to burn trash. Well, I haven't cut back the lane in a couple of years so he stopped driving back there. Check out the tracks inside the building. They're literally walking through it. We had bad storms last night.....I'm thinking the deer used it for cover.

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Field edge stand setup. Deer will use the far edge to see the field as they walk the wind. Some good trails enter/exit the field here as well as some nice parallel runs. From the tree you look back along an old road. A strip of hollies brings the deer right to your lap.

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Friendly reminder to spray down guys. I gave a quick spritz the other day, but I payed for it. Usually the creepy crawlies don't get bad for another week or so. They're out in force already.
 
Yea, I've been pulling tons of ticks off this year too. Probably pulled 20 off the day I walked through the high grass down a powerline!
 
I'm going to try to check cameras today. It's supposed to start cooling off and I want to get in and out. Today's pull will determine a lot about my setup next week.

The highs for the weekend aren't going to hit 80.....we'll see about that. Regardless, there are some early dropping acorns already. That one food change causes me more problems than any other. This time of year the staging areas around these trees gets dark quick. You almost have to choose between the hot food source and being able to hunt to legal quitting time. A big reason I went to a traditional bow was from all the deer I was having to pass because I couldn't get a pin on them.
 
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Today is one of those days. Moon just starting to creep back out, noticeably cooler in the shade, crickets chirping and deer on their feet. Saw three different doe groups in the bean fields and jumped a pair bedded near the field edge. Tonight would be a good one. Not a ton of pics but I found a target. I'll have to jump back on Taptalk to upload the photo. I've got a good bead on a couple of trees. Setup should be pretty straight forward as there are plenty of straight ones. I'm going to attempt to use the LW climber less so I can get the saddle kill.
 
Target rich environment at the very least. The freezer is feeling empty.

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This guy is traveling back into the timber. I've got pics of bucks entering the field before dark in the same spot, but none of him. He's probably skirting the edge. My first setup here will be an attempt at getting him as he does just that....Stage just off the open field.

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I wanted to add that I'm not setting up on that deer based on one set of pics. I have one or two others of him doing the same thing. I'm a firm believer on sitting on anything you see them do twice. He noticed the camera and I don't like that. He'll either start traveling behind it or change his path. Previously the pics weren't as good and he was off a little further. Have to see if it bothers him or not.

If you look at the map above, he is traveling easterly in the morning on a path across the field that can be made by drawing a line from the "c" in cedar to the "p" in peterkins. A lot of deer travel in front of that point into the edge of the hog lot. By looking at the map I can guess he is bedding in the dark patch of timber (hollies). I never put that together until I was trying to describe a reference for the rest of you. Makes sense. In the evening he's quartering a perfect wind.
 
Spent some time watching the fields tonight. The buck in the pic was in the field when I got there. There was another buck with him that I haven't gotten a pic of yet. He's a shooter as well. Real heavy but not many points. It appeared he walked the other buck off the field. They were gone by 7ish. Tomorrow I pull a set and prepare a new one.
 
Easy, peasy today. Nice and cool with a stiff breeze. Yanked some steps and reset. Found a cluster of trees just inside a field edge that will let me cover a main trail and a portion of the staging area. It's tight up to about 20' but then the trees seperate. Should work well.....man it felt good to twist some steps in. Cleared out another tree about 40 yards off the first in case the wind doesn't suit. I'm concerned about being winded by a doe group. I'm expecting them to end up downwind at some point. Hopefully one of the three I'm looking at show up first. One is definitely bigger than the others, but the big one isn't boss. I'll post a pic or two later.
 
This is the buck who seemed to be the most dominant. I think I have some pics of him two years ago....Need to look.

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