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LIVE from the Saddle 2024

I let my first one walk. One of the 8's I've posted pics of. Beautiful deer and I got to learn a little bit more about the movements. He initially walked behind my camera....not even walking through the heavy trail I get the pics on. Went all the way around me and posed. It was tempting.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
I won't tell you it was 23 and dead calm this morning when I walked out of camp . . . oh wait, I just did. :tearsofjoy:
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Generally, it only gets 23 here a week or so a year, and when it does, the roads are iced over and deadly, the power may or may not be on, and I am usually sticking around the house to make sure the pipes don't burst and flood everything.
 
Tonight was a different feeling. To watch that deer act like he did.....tracing the edges and holding up to listen for leaves crunching. I'm pretty sure me lowering my bow brought him back in after he walked off. Never ran, never blew....I just hit the ground and never stopped. Probably the biggest I've let walk. I'm good with it.
 
bigmike23 said:
That's all she wrote for me. Got family obligations at 1. Do a ton of cyber scouting tomorrow.

Trying my best to be hopeful and optimistic, but this is so far the worst deer season in 8 years.

About 17 days hunted now, 25ish or so trees climbed. About 85% of those resulted in no deer seen.
Only 3 bucks seen on stand. By comparison,

Last year I struggled to get on Mature bucks, but from Oct 28th to November 25th I saw a buck every single sit. Many in range and not.

I've yet to see a single buck cruising. I'm blame myself for not being in the right tree yet, but man I'm jumping all over 6000k acres and it feels like I'm hunting ghosts. So weird this year.

To further add to the strangeness my cousin whose also a Fanatic is having turd luck this year as well and going many deerless sits.
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I know the feeling. I feel like I’m riding the Struggle Bus and it keeps passing my stop.
 
1000005449.jpg
Had a fun afternoon yesterday but couldnt post. Walking in I found this shed- 1st on in like 10 years on this land despite a ton of hours witer/spring scouting.1000005445.jpg
Then I was nearly to the top of the end of a steep bench and simultaneously heard something, looked over to a bend in the steep face, heard a blow and saw a flash on brown and horns- believe he heard me moving and peaked around the bend to see if I was a doe.

Then I got to my spot, had to pull down previous sticks, move 70 yards down and set up new tree where Id seen 7 does last Sunday. I was only settled in about 30 minutes when a doe & skipper came across another 50 yards below me looking nervous. Stopped right below a couple minutes then turned quartering back and down away. Then I heard more noise from my left. Before I could look the doe/skipper ran off down the hill- and dragged the nice 8 pntr that was coming at a trot, right down with them. Tried bleating in vain to get him to just pause a sec but the doe in sight was much more attractive.
 
HuntfishskiVT said:
Well... I somehow messed up an easy shot on a doe. I was drawn for a while, the only thing I can think is I pulled the shot. Checked the arrow. 100% clean. Feeling stupid. Unfortunately can't hunt all day. Work and family obligations.
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A clean miss is the second best outcome, only behind a perfect hit.
 
He's hungry
 

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I was literally 1 bench under this camera. 150 yards. Two doe came down at last light last night. I left by 5:20. Cam angle is wrong but he's a wide 7. 1000029717.jpg
To quote Joaquin Phoenix's joker, I used to think hunting and not seeing bucks was a tragedy, now I realize it's a comedy.
 
bigmike23 said:
I was literally 1 bench under this camera. 150 yards. Two doe came down at last light last night. I left by 5:20. Cam angle is wrong but he's a wide 7. View attachment 110648
To quote Joaquin Phoenix's joker, I used to think hunting and not seeing bucks was a tragedy, now I realize it's a comedy.
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Uhg! I'm walking out and I see something. Freaking antlers. Grunted him to 30 yards with no clean shot. Grunted and bleated and he seemed frantic to find me. He started walking again, lost sight of him and last I see he's walking away. Crap!
 
HuntfishskiVT said:
Uhg! I'm walking out and I see something. Freaking antlers. Grunted him to 30 yards with no clean shot. Grunted and bleated and he seemed frantic to find me. He started walking again, lost sight of him and last I see he's walking away. Crap!
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Try moving downwind and set up one the ground for a little while and see if he slips through trying to get downwind of where you were.
 
First pistol kill. Mature doe about 2.5 years.
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