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LIVE from the Saddle 2024

Quite at surprise after the legal shooting ended. First 3 hours were pretty uneventful. Not even peanut the squirrel showed.

At 4, I heard something hauling it threw the laurels but I couldn't see a thing. Not even a glimmer of something moving. Stayed tight until after the buzzer. Starting packing my stuff and grabbed my headlamp in my bag. The second I turned the headlamp on a deer blew to my right about 70 yards. I can't say for sure how big it was so dark but I saw a big white shadow on its head as he ran off.
 
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I saw a single doe, 100 yards off 15 min before last light. Instead of hugging the forest edge she walked right across a clearing so never came over to me. Planning to be back out tomorrow AM
 
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Live from the tent up here I Missouri. Made a big loop this evening and eliminated some ground. Looks like the morning may be a rain out but will be back after em when it stops.


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Live from the hotel room. Traveled(voluntarily no less)for work across PA. Working 10/10 Saturday and Sunday. Did the same thing last weekend. No buck tag so I’m only missing the show, plenty of time for another doe or two. Keep these posts coming guys! I’m living through you all.
 
BTaylor said:
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Live from the tent up here I Missouri. Made a big loop this evening and eliminated some ground. Looks like the morning may be a rain out but will be back after em when it stops.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Is “eliminating ground” what u call it when u don’t setup? If so, I eliminate a lot of ground hahaha
 
I went back to the spot where I killed the 7 pointer one year ago today, hoping for an ironic repeat. The sign looks good back there and the white oaks were hammering acorns. I saw two squirrels and a water moccasin swimming laps. It was overcast and a chilly 75 today, lol. Supposed to cool off after Sunday. I got my walk in and a climb if nothing else.
 

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Last hunt of November. Then full throttle holiday activities with family until maybe after Christmas. Parked exactly the same time as another hunter. We chat a little bit and made plans to not get in each other way. Then headed into woods. I think l made of converted someone to saddle. We chat for a few sentences, nice guy but l can tell he think that my saddle setup was 'cute' but he's not about that 'hunting industry newest toy'. About 400 yards up the trail. He was struggling with his Summit SD Viper. Looked envious at the one stick l had in my hand. I wasn't even out of breath yet. Walked right passed him as he took time to catch his breath.

Dude knew what saddle hunting was but he been hunting the same way for decades. Had a good looking Mathews Switchback. I think he realized he's not getting ant younger. Hope we push the deer to each other.
 
Was set up in a tree well before first light, and then about 5 min after first light I heard some crunching leaves, and then a stick break in the distance. I waited patiently trying to not move, and then I saw movement... turned out to be that I had 3 people walk/talk loudly past and under my stand on the way to go fishing at the lake/reservoir I'm hunting near. Oh well, public land, was hoping the deer around here are used to humans, saw one doe in the distance but nothing close yet.
 
thedutchtouch said:
Was set up in a tree well before first light, and then about 5 min after first light I heard some crunching leaves, and then a stick break in the distance. I waited patiently trying to not move, and then I saw movement... turned out to be that I had 3 people walk/talk loudly past and under my stand on the way to go fishing at the lake/reservoir I'm hunting near. Oh well, public land, was hoping the deer around here are used to humans, saw one doe in the distance but nothing close yet.
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Don’t lose heart, they know the difference and shouldn’t be buggered up too bad.
 
Been saving this spot…. Didn’t start like I planned it’s a few hundred yards behind my house but feels like farther bc it’s in a river bottom off a 100ft bluff. There’s a draw that comes out of the bottom & up to the top & gets pretty tight. I’m at the bottom on the downwind side of the x. So here’s where it gets fun. I get all clipped in & got to text my wife & no phone. Normal circumstances not ideal but we’ll manage…..but I’ve had a brisket on the smoker all night & we have to coordinate a little to get it to temp as I’m coming out of the woods. My bright idea was I’m gonna leave everything in the tree but a grunt call. Haul to the top hope for the best & then jog (controlled fall, slide back down) I did that hitting the grunt call as I stopped a few times on the bail down. Ummmmm well that calling sequence worked bc I was on my 3rd stick a 6pt & fork came pastIMG_1181.jpegIMG_1183.jpeg
 
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I left this corner entirely unmolested this year. Last year on Nov 8 I saw 11 bucks here in 8 hrs. Had a giant 10 I couldn't get a shot at. Nearly the same conditions as last year. Same weather same wind.

Id say I'm hoping for a repeat but something or someone put a jinx on me the way this season is going like Madam Zeroni in the movie holes lol
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Neither of us saw anything last night. My buddy did get a yote pic early this morning. Back at it today. Was thinking of a morning hunt, but the woods is so noisy and all the deer seem to be right on the edges of where I need to be before light. Going to check a couple of cameras and make a plan from there.
 
thedutchtouch said:
Was set up in a tree well before first light, and then about 5 min after first light I heard some crunching leaves, and then a stick break in the distance. I waited patiently trying to not move, and then I saw movement... turned out to be that I had 3 people walk/talk loudly past and under my stand on the way to go fishing at the lake/reservoir I'm hunting near. Oh well, public land, was hoping the deer around here are used to humans, saw one doe in the distance but nothing close yet.
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I bet it doesn't faze the deer one bit. They know who a threat is and who isn't in their little area.
 
Struggled again today. Been saving this spot and staying out, came to tree I wanted to set up in and a tree had toppled on it. Stumbled around in the dark until I found another nearby with decent cover but not too much junk in the way since I brought the stand instead of platform again. Had a buck hit the camera right at end of shooting light yesterday, near impossible to access bedding, so I’m set up along travel route to water. See what happens. Terrible service, anybody care to point me to the saddle/mobile hunting with a crossbow blows thread?
 

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Bowtie747 said:
Is “eliminating ground” what u call it when u don’t setup? If so, I eliminate a lot of ground hahaha
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Yep did a 5 mile loop most of which had very little sign. Did find one active ditch crossing I may hang if I don’t find something better today. Rain is about over so getting ready to roll out.


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Dope on a Rope said:
Struggled again today. Been saving this spot and staying out, came to tree I wanted to set up in and a tree had toppled on it. Stumbled around in the dark until I found another nearby with decent cover but not too much junk in the way since I brought the stand instead of platform again. Had a buck hit the camera right at end of shooting light yesterday, near impossible to access bedding, so I’m set up along travel route to water. See what happens. Terrible service, anybody care to point me to the saddle/mobile hunting with a crossbow blows thread?
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You won't find such a thread because it's awesome 1000029696.jpg
 
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