• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Team 10 Thread

Weldabeast said:
I'll be in a wma I've never hunted before. I got a small scout trip in last week for just a couple hours. Mainly drive the perimeter looking and jumped off into the woods in 1 spot I picked based off aerial photos. I saw 2 shooter bucks and got outta there. Only problem is the same photos I'm looking at so is everybody else.... The plan as of right now it's to beat everybody there and get in to that spot early and let the other peeps bump them around. Sunday I'll probably be somewhere else....I just foresee everybody going to this area because it really is the only thing u see when looking at aerial photos.....gee, I wonder where everybody's going?

View attachment 53228
Click to expand...
Looks bucky for sure. This one a draw hunt, or a free-for-all?
 
Yeah hearing about those quota hunts always makes me realize I don't have it so bad in NJ. The public is packed, but there's a lot of it, so you can usually get away from most of the pressure with some effort/creativity. And I can bow hunt it any day I want from October-January state wide, and starting in September and going into February in some zones.
 
OspreyZB said:
Yeah hearing about those quota hunts always makes me realize I don't have it so bad in NJ. The public is packed, but there's a lot of it, so you can usually get away from most of the pressure with some effort/creativity. And I can bow hunt it any day I want from October-January state wide, and starting in September and going into February in some zones.
Click to expand...
Jealous... There is public land like that here but it's just a little outta reach distance wise for me... When the kids are older I will be able to start exploring those woods....big woods 200k+acres
 
It's raining sideways here right now. Scattered thunderstorms this evening then rain all night, ending early in the morning.

I've been hunting that big 8 pointer the last few days after work. On Monday I started by walking a stream not far from where I saw him Saturday night. Found a spot where there's 2 crossings right next to each other, both with weeks worth of tracks stacked on top of each other. One of the deer using the crossings has a 4 finger track. I popped up the bank and into a tree where I'd be able to shoot both crossings. It's wide open hardwoods dominated by oaks on one side of the stream, and a thick swampy section on the other. Just after I finished setting up I spotted a deer way out in the open oaks; a young 8 point with velvet still hanging off his blood red rack. While watching him through the binos another buck stepped into my field of view. This one a young 6 point with a couple kickers/splits. Then right behind him out stepped the big boy... a heavy, long tined chocolate racked 8 point. They were bedding in a patch of white oaks and would get up, vacuum up as many acorns as they could, lay down, chew their cud and let a bunch more acorns fall, then repeat. The next day the plan was to ditch work a little early, sneak in there and set up right on that patch of white oaks. Well instead of hunting my way in, I was focused on getting to the destination and I bumped a big buck a half mile down the stream from there. Didn't get a great look at him, just a fleeting glance through the binos, and while I'm hoping there's 2 big dark racked bucks in there I have a feeling it was the big 8. He ran somewhat towards where I was heading, and I don't think he saw me or smelled me, just heard me sloshing through the stream so I stuck with the plan. The 6 pointer with the kickers came in but he was by himself this time. Then yesterday I set up on the same creek crossings I sat Monday and saw the younger 8 point and a pair of spikes. Just gonna keep checking all the crossings and hunting the ones with the freshest biggest tracks until I run into him or his tracks stop showing up. I know I'm in his core area and he's moving around in there during daylight, his "patterns" are just erratic because there's food everywhere. Plenty of cover too, but if anything this deer has shown a preference to bedding in more open areas where he has better visibility. Water is the limiting factor, so I think that's my best shot right now. Plus I can walk down the stream and just pop up into a tree on the bank, leaving minimal scent in the area. Sorry if I'm rambling lol ... Just talking myself through this.
 
Last edited:
OspreyZB said:
It's raining sideways here right now. Scattered thunderstorms this evening then rain all night, ending early in the morning.

I've been hunting that big 8 pointer the last few days after work. On Monday I started by walking a stream not far from where I saw him Saturday night. Found a spot where there's 2 crossings right next to each other, both with weeks worth of tracks stacked on top of each other. One of the deer using the crossings has a 4 finger track. I popped up the bank and into a tree where I'd be able to shoot both crossings. It's wide open hardwoods dominated by oaks on one side of the stream, and a thick swampy section on the other. Just after I finished setting up I spotted a deer way out in the open oaks; a young 8 point with velvet still hanging off his blood red rack. While watching him through the binos another buck stepped into my field of view. This one a young 6 point with a couple kickers/splits. Then right behind him out stepped the big boy... a heavy, long tined chocolate racked 8 point. They were bedding in a patch of white oaks and would get up, vacuum up as many acorns as they could, lay down, chew their cud and let a bunch more acorns fall, then repeat. The next day the plan was to ditch work a little early, sneak in there and set up right on that patch of white oaks. Well instead of hunting my way in, I was focused on getting to the destination and I bumped a big buck a half mile down the stream from there. Didn't get a great look at him, just a fleeting glance through the binos, and while I'm hoping there's 2 big dark racked bucks in there I have a feeling it was the big 8. He ran somewhat towards where I was heading, and I don't think he saw me or smelled me, just heard me sloshing through the stream so I stuck with the plan. The 6 pointer with the kickers came in but he was by himself this time. Then yesterday I set up on the same creek crossings I sat Monday and saw the younger 8 point and a pair of spikes. Just gonna keep checking all the crossings and hunting the ones with the freshest biggest tracks until I run into him or his tracks stop showing up. I know I'm in his core area and he's moving around in there during daylight, his "patterns" are just erratic because there's food everywhere. Plenty of cover too, but if anything this deer has shown a preference to bedding in more open areas where he has better visibility. Water is the limiting factor, so I think that's my best shot right now. Plus I can walk down the stream and just pop up into a tree on the bank, leaving minimal scent in the area. Sorry if I'm rambling lol ... Just talking myself through this.
Click to expand...
Good luck man! Sounds like you're getting him dialed in. Hopefully its only a matter of time.
 
OspreyZB said:
It's raining sideways here right now. Scattered thunderstorms this evening then rain all night, ending early in the morning.

I've been hunting that big 8 pointer the last few days after work. On Monday I started by walking a stream not far from where I saw him Saturday night. Found a spot where there's 2 crossings right next to each other, both with weeks worth of tracks stacked on top of each other. One of the deer using the crossings has a 4 finger track. I popped up the bank and into a tree where I'd be able to shoot both crossings. It's wide open hardwoods dominated by oaks on one side of the stream, and a thick swampy section on the other. Just after I finished setting up I spotted a deer way out in the open oaks; a young 8 point with velvet still hanging off his blood red rack. While watching him through the binos another buck stepped into my field of view. This one a young 6 point with a couple kickers/splits. Then right behind him out stepped the big boy... a heavy, long tined chocolate racked 8 point. They were bedding in a patch of white oaks and would get up, vacuum up as many acorns as they could, lay down, chew their cud and let a bunch more acorns fall, then repeat. The next day the plan was to ditch work a little early, sneak in there and set up right on that patch of white oaks. Well instead of hunting my way in, I was focused on getting to the destination and I bumped a big buck a half mile down the stream from there. Didn't get a great look at him, just a fleeting glance through the binos, and while I'm hoping there's 2 big dark racked bucks in there I have a feeling it was the big 8. He ran somewhat towards where I was heading, and I don't think he saw me or smelled me, just heard me sloshing through the stream so I stuck with the plan. The 6 pointer with the kickers came in but he was by himself this time. Then yesterday I set up on the same creek crossings I sat Monday and saw the younger 8 point and a pair of spikes. Just gonna keep checking all the crossings and hunting the ones with the freshest biggest tracks until I run into him or his tracks stop showing up. I know I'm in his core area and he's moving around in there during daylight, his "patterns" are just erratic because there's food everywhere. Plenty of cover too, but if anything this deer has shown a preference to bedding in more open areas where he has better visibility. Water is the limiting factor, so I think that's my best shot right now. Plus I can walk down the stream and just pop up into a tree on the bank, leaving minimal scent in the area. Sorry if I'm rambling lol ... Just talking myself through this.
Click to expand...
Way to go man! Sounds like you’re on em! I mean you’re the only one on the team that’s drawn blood so far!
 
philsanchez76 said:
Way to go man! Sounds like you’re on em! I mean you’re the only one on the team that’s drawn blood so far!
Click to expand...
Yeah but most of you guys' seasons haven't started yet! Lol. September is my favorite month of the season. I can always find a big one that's killable the first week or 2 of the season. I feel bad for the states that have to wait til October. They're a different animal by then.
 
OspreyZB said:
It's raining sideways here right now. Scattered thunderstorms this evening then rain all night, ending early in the morning.

I've been hunting that big 8 pointer the last few days after work. On Monday I started by walking a stream not far from where I saw him Saturday night. Found a spot where there's 2 crossings right next to each other, both with weeks worth of tracks stacked on top of each other. One of the deer using the crossings has a 4 finger track. I popped up the bank and into a tree where I'd be able to shoot both crossings. It's wide open hardwoods dominated by oaks on one side of the stream, and a thick swampy section on the other. Just after I finished setting up I spotted a deer way out in the open oaks; a young 8 point with velvet still hanging off his blood red rack. While watching him through the binos another buck stepped into my field of view. This one a young 6 point with a couple kickers/splits. Then right behind him out stepped the big boy... a heavy, long tined chocolate racked 8 point. They were bedding in a patch of white oaks and would get up, vacuum up as many acorns as they could, lay down, chew their cud and let a bunch more acorns fall, then repeat. The next day the plan was to ditch work a little early, sneak in there and set up right on that patch of white oaks. Well instead of hunting my way in, I was focused on getting to the destination and I bumped a big buck a half mile down the stream from there. Didn't get a great look at him, just a fleeting glance through the binos, and while I'm hoping there's 2 big dark racked bucks in there I have a feeling it was the big 8. He ran somewhat towards where I was heading, and I don't think he saw me or smelled me, just heard me sloshing through the stream so I stuck with the plan. The 6 pointer with the kickers came in but he was by himself this time. Then yesterday I set up on the same creek crossings I sat Monday and saw the younger 8 point and a pair of spikes. Just gonna keep checking all the crossings and hunting the ones with the freshest biggest tracks until I run into him or his tracks stop showing up. I know I'm in his core area and he's moving around in there during daylight, his "patterns" are just erratic because there's food everywhere. Plenty of cover too, but if anything this deer has shown a preference to bedding in more open areas where he has better visibility. Water is the limiting factor, so I think that's my best shot right now. Plus I can walk down the stream and just pop up into a tree on the bank, leaving minimal scent in the area. Sorry if I'm rambling lol ... Just talking myself through this.
Click to expand...
Have you thought about hanging a trail cam by those creek crossings? I’d be all over that! Good luck on that eight pointer!
 
killabuck said:
Have you thought about hanging a trail cam by those creek crossings? I’d be all over that! Good luck on that eight pointer!
Click to expand...
Thanks! I've been super tempted to! Just trying to decide if the risk is worth the reward. I do think I could get away with one or 2 on the crossings if I put them in the right spots. I really need to invest in a couple cell cams... I'm still living in the stone age of checking SD cards.
 
OspreyZB said:
Thanks! I've been super tempted to! Just trying to decide if the risk is worth the reward. I do think I could get away with one or 2 on the crossings if I put them in the right spots. I really need to invest in a couple cell cams... I'm still living in the stone age of checking SD cards.
Click to expand...
Cell cams are a serious addiction. Don’t buy one unless you are okay ending up with a bunch. Just hang em high of your on public
 
OspreyZB said:
Thanks! I've been super tempted to! Just trying to decide if the risk is worth the reward. I do think I could get away with one or 2 on the crossings if I put them in the right spots. I really need to invest in a couple cell cams... I'm still living in the stone age of checking SD cards.
Click to expand...
I'm with you, all my cams are still SD. I just use them to check perimeters and community scrapes, I only put them up near my setups if I'm hunting, placing it on the way in and checking it next time I go to that spot. They seem to spook deer sometimes.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
Tomorrow morning is Youth/Apprentice weekend, won't count for the team but gonna see if I can get my boy or his buddy to tag one. We can use rifles/ any legal weapon this weekend only. Bow opens up next Saturday

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
ARERHODES said:
I'm with you, all my cams are still SD. I just use them to check perimeters and community scrapes, I only put them up near my setups if I'm hunting, placing it on the way in and checking it next time I go to that spot. They seem to spook deer sometimes.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
The hunting lease I’m on is surrounded by thousands of acres Nat Forest public land. Typically let kids hunt the lease and I travel the forest for my hunts. I have two cameras out there (one on mock scrape and one on historical rub). Not planning on checking them until wind is right for a hunt in those locations. Have video of does hitting mock scrape though from a few months ago. We shall see in a month or so when I get out there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top