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Team 15 discussion thread

Well you got the hard part figured out it sounds. If your learning something every time your winning.


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That is sure the truth
 
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Alright boys, boarding a plane here in an hour on my way to Ohio to hunt the bow opener this weekend. I’m hunting a family friend’s farm/deer camp with my brother. We’ve got about 350 acres to ourselves.

I won’t be in a saddle this weekend as they’d prefer we hunt their permanent stands and blinds so unfortunately no points for the contest. That said, this would be my first deer as an adult onset hunter. My grandfather hunted and trapped the creek that runs through the property back to the 30’s.

Good luck to all hunting this weekend! I’ve got 2 buck and 3 doe tags in MA so I’ll have plenty of saddle opportunities this season!
 
Alright boys, boarding a plane here in an hour on my way to Ohio to hunt the bow opener this weekend. I’m hunting a family friend’s farm/deer camp with my brother. We’ve got about 350 acres to ourselves.

I won’t be in a saddle this weekend as they’d prefer we hunt their permanent stands and blinds so unfortunately no points for the contest. That said, this would be my first deer as an adult onset hunter. My grandfather hunted and trapped the creek that runs through the property back to the 30’s.

Good luck to all hunting this weekend! I’ve got 2 buck and 3 doe tags in MA so I’ll have plenty of saddle opportunities this season!

Good luck!


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Had two does directly underneath me at 7:30 and another one walked past just now. Too difficult to get here to drag a doe out though. Had a little rain but the maple tree kept me mostly dry.
 
Just got my saddle setup Thursday evening. Been practicing a lot in the yard. At 45 the learning curve is a little more than I realized but I feel confident to go out Tuesday morning (opening day) with my hand climber.


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Got out for an afternoon sit tonight. 60 degrees with a wind out of the east and light drizzle. Went in slow and quiet to get inside of 120 yards of known bedding scouting for fresh sign on the way. 4 fresh rubs right where I had planned to set up so up a tree I went to about 18 feet. At 5:45, I caught movement in the timber to the east about 90 yards In the direction of the beds and shortly after I confirmed antlers. Now my heart starts thumping. It starts working towards me feeding on acorns along the way. By now, I’ve gone through yoga cleansing breaths to calm down. He is a nice 8 and he’s coming in just like I drew up in my head. I’m at full draw as he hits a trail broadside at 25 yards for a 12 o’clock position saddle shot. Just as I’m about to release my muzzy tipped carbon express he takes a right turn and heads straight at me, still with with no idea I am about to sting him. At 4 yards and now a 2 o’clock saddle position, I hit the trigger and put it (I think) right behind the shoulder blades. Not the best shot selection but the milkweed was telling me a few more yards down that trail and he would have my wind. As he ran away, I could see I only got half an arrow of penetration. Given the shot angle, I’m thinking lung and liver but not Sure. He tears off back in the direction he came from and I lose sight and don’t hear him crash. I pack up, climb down and look for blood but with the high hit and no passthrough I am not optimistic. I search for blood in the direction he ran for an hour and then loose light so with no blood, no passthrough, questionable shot and a couple phone a friend consultations, I decide to back out and go back in tomorrow morning for a grid search. Unfortunately, with the warm temps, the meat will be bad if I find him. Playing the woulda shoulda scenarios over in my head...
 
Got out for an afternoon sit tonight. 60 degrees with a wind out of the east and light drizzle. Went in slow and quiet to get inside of 120 yards of known bedding scouting for fresh sign on the way. 4 fresh rubs right where I had planned to set up so up a tree I went to about 18 feet. At 5:45, I caught movement in the timber to the east about 90 yards In the direction of the beds and shortly after I confirmed antlers. Now my heart starts thumping. It starts working towards me feeding on acorns along the way. By now, I’ve gone through yoga cleansing breaths to calm down. He is a nice 8 and he’s coming in just like I drew up in my head. I’m at full draw as he hits a trail broadside at 25 yards for a 12 o’clock position saddle shot. Just as I’m about to release my muzzy tipped carbon express he takes a right turn and heads straight at me, still with with no idea I am about to sting him. At 4 yards and now a 2 o’clock saddle position, I hit the trigger and put it (I think) right behind the shoulder blades. Not the best shot selection but the milkweed was telling me a few more yards down that trail and he would have my wind. As he ran away, I could see I only got half an arrow of penetration. Given the shot angle, I’m thinking lung and liver but not Sure. He tears off back in the direction he came from and I lose sight and don’t hear him crash. I pack up, climb down and look for blood but with the high hit and no passthrough I am not optimistic. I search for blood in the direction he ran for an hour and then loose light so with no blood, no passthrough, questionable shot and a couple phone a friend consultations, I decide to back out and go back in tomorrow morning for a grid search. Unfortunately, with the warm temps, the meat will be bad if I find him. Playing the woulda shoulda scenarios over in my head...

Get a dog!!!!


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Get a dog!!!!


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Talked to one last night. On his recommendation going to grid search some this morning in daylight and then calling him in mid morning. Need to get some private landowner permission for adjoining property before he comes out just in case.
 
Good luck hope you find him. It was around 80 here and humid. I went to a tree I had prepped with bolts and still managed to get sweaty on my short walk and climb up. I was along a pipe line clearing on a brushy little corner they cut through to cross a road between some bedding and oaks. Pretty sure I was a little late for the oaks. Didn’t see anything in range but saw 5 does around 150 yards up the hill. May head in that direction next weekend.
 
I didn’t find him today. Did not find a drop of blood or the arrow. Grid searched the piece all morning, walked all the main trails, looked for fresh tracks, broken branches and checked each of his bedding areas and was denied access to the neighboring property. Based on my description of the shot and the results of the grid search, the dog handler said the odds of the dog finding it today would be very low. Was 80 here today and gotta work the rest of the week so plan to head back out on Wednesday evening to smell search for the carcass.
 
I didn’t find him today. Did not find a drop of blood or the arrow. Grid searched the piece all morning, walked all the main trails, looked for fresh tracks, broken branches and checked each of his bedding areas and was denied access to the neighboring property. Based on my description of the shot and the results of the grid search, the dog handler said the odds of the dog finding it today would be very low. Was 80 here today and gotta work the rest of the week so plan to head back out on Wednesday evening to smell search for the carcass.

I always thought it’s better to do as little walking around and disturbing scent as possible if you plan to bring a dog in. I thought a grid search with several people was about the worst thing you could do for the dog. I could be wrong, but in any case I hope you find him!


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Well things are starting out a little slow here in Indiana yesterday was the opener but it was 88 degrees and nothing was up and moving till late and today it was 63 and cloudy but no dice until just after shooting light I had three does at 10 yards when I was standing on my third stick.
 
We’re braking heat records here too. I hunted first 2 morning but by 9am it was miserable.


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I jumped one in the dark on the way in this morning. Could not see what it was. Scouted my way out and cut a fresh buck track. Hoping the track is from the one I hit last weekend. Forgot the key for my camera cable lock was in my other backpack so wasn’t able to check the card for visual evidence.
 
I got in another sit this afternoon but the deer were the winners again. Had one bust out while I was climbing the tree and heard a couple others come out of the marsh but never got eyes on them.
 
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