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Team 3 Thread

deertrout said:
We eescued a new dog a few months ago. She has an amazing nose and natural hunting instints. I'm really tempted to see how she does at tracking deer.
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This tracker was telling my buddy that his dog isn't really tracking blood but rather the scent a wounded deer leaves from the glands on its feet. I'm not really sure how that's trained into a dog but it ran directly to my buddy's deer that was found at over 350yds from the point he shot it even though there was no visible blood trail.
 
Some little ones and pigs tonight for me. Had a button buck at 10 yards I drew back on but didn’t shoot. Rifle season opens up in Alabama tomorrow. May be more of a pig hunting weekend than deer tho.


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Another nice hunt this morning and afternoon. Stillhunted my way in with the rifle about a half hour after first light. Came up on two doe, wasn't expecting them there so I'm digging my rangefinder out to double check my range guesstimate and as I was doing that, someone else shot about a half mile to the west. Both doe looked up after the shot and caught my arms moving and bugged out.

Saw another doe running for the border, never saw anything come in behind her. Stillhunted up on a coyote, missed it (doh!), then had a spike come in. Woulda been an easy shot but let him walk. Bumped a button buck or doe fawn on the walk out double checking I missed the coyote.

Beautiful morning in the woods! Skipping the evening hunt, will be back at it in the morning. Looking to fill 3 tags, hoping to take 3 doe but would be happy with a 8pt or better MI buck to go with the 8 I got in Ohio a couple weeks ago.
 
Got out Friday morning before the Orange Army invaded the Wisconsin woods. About 8am a 20+ flock of turkeys massed to my NW and spent the next few hours messing around in the area. They covered for the doe that make in to NE with a 6 point right behind it. I thought they were going to move to my east and wind me, so I tried to move the bow over my bridge but doe must have spotted movement and headed off without raising a tail. I should have sat still because I think they might have come down in front of me to the West instead. Whoops.

About 11am felt a gust of wind to my back and some sort of deer make an unholy racket right on the other side of the oak I was sitting in, I think it came right in covered by the tree.

I packed it in about 1pm, my focus was gone. Was running on 2 hours sleep and hadn’t seen my wife for a couple days working afternoon/evening.

Still a lot of fun, but sorry I’m an anchor folks with no points in the board.
 
Sorry I haven't posted lately, I've been hunting hard but just haven't felt like taking the time to do a write-up... I'll do better about posting quick updates here for the rest of the season.

Back on October 21 I went in blind in the morning on a large WMA, heading toward an area where I had dropped a few pins on OnX years ago but never went and checked out. Found a cluster of fresh scrapes in the dark that reeked of a buck... I tucked up under a holly tree next to a huge oak and as soon as it was light enough to shoot I cleared a spot in the leaves attempting to sound like a buck making a scrape and let out a single grunt. Minutes later a 1.5 year old 6 point comes in, works a scrape at 10 yards and walks off without ever looking my direction... Awesome, just need a little bit bigger one to do that. I wasn't going to be super picky on this hunt as it was my last day to hunt before my "fall bow" tags expired, and the "permit bow" season started. Sure enough at about 8:30 another buck came to check the scrapes and never made it there.

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The next day I hunted in Delaware and to make a long story short, I snort wheezed at a buck in the last few minutes of legal shooting light and selfishly took a 30 yard shot in extremely low light. The hit looked high and forward and the arrow stayed in him. Tracked good blood for about 700 yards to a bed, and then nothing, not another drop. Grid searched for the better part of the next 2 days with no luck. Made another trip down the following weekend and caught a glimpse of a buck that could have been him, but couldn't confirm. Trail cameras are banned on DE state land, so I'll need to get a visual to know if he survived.

Fast forward to the other day, back home in NJ, I checked a bunch of my cameras in the state forest. There was a solid 8 point that showed up on one of the cameras mid-day on November 4th. The same buck was on another camera 1.75 miles away as the crow flies that afternoon. Those were the only pictures I had of him and that was a Saturday, the woods were packed with hunters that day so I'm thinking maybe he's already dead. I scouted my way into a doe bedding area where I've always seen great action around November 16th give or take a day or 2, and found several fresh rubs. Took a long time trying to pick a tree and finally got set up around 10 AM.

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I didn't see a deer until about 3:45 when I hear a stick break, look over my shoulder and see a buck at 20 yards walking right to the base of my tree. It's the 8 point. I'm able to slowly reach for my bow and get it off the hook as he gets directly underneath of me.

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He sees my climbing stick, looks up at me, freezes, and his eyes double in size. We have a stare down for about 5 seconds before he absolutely explodes over/through a 7 ft tall wall of briars, and I simultaneously draw the bow. He lands on the other side of the briars in an opening and stops to look back, I settle the pin on his heart and shoot.

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He ran about 40 yards, stopped and looked around for a few seconds and tipped over. Planning on heading to Delaware on black Friday to see if I can find a pocket of rut action post gun season, but I'm about ready for late season.

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Wisconsin gun season opened last weekend. Sat with my son all day Saturday and Sunday morning before he had to head back to school. We saw a total of 18 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday morning. He had a chance at a 6ptr Saturday morning but couldn’t get settled for a shot before it bounded off. He took a swing at a big doe at last light Saturday evening but didn’t connect on a long shot.

I made a move on Sunday evening and sat on the ground in a fence row with a big oak to my back. Had 6 doe come out to feed at 4:30 100 yards in front of me. Picked out the biggest one and prepared for the shot by clicking the hammer back on my trusty lever action 30-30. At that exact moment they snapped their heads up and looked in my direction. I’m thinking to myself, how did they hear that… except, they didn’t. At that same moment I hear a couple stomps behind me and then the distinct sound of a heavy deer bounding away. I spin around to see a giant bounding off to my right. I bring the gun up as it stops broadside in the middle of the picked corn field just 50 yards away. I squeeze the trigger and it starts to bound off again. I’m thinking he did not act hit, how in the H did I miss. So I send another one at him at 100 yards. Again, did not act like I hit him. I send a third one at him as he is now in the marsh. I text my brother quick who is in a tree a couple hundred yards away that a big buck is coming his way and I head to where he entered the marsh to check for blood and push him to my brother as shooting hours close at 4:46. As I am scanning for blood, I hear my brother shoot and shortly after send a follow up shot. YES!! I look at my phone and it is now 4:45. I send him another text hoping he sealed the deal. He responds that it did a big mule kick on the first shot, ran 20 yards and stopped. So he sent a follow-up. All the doe I was watching had apparently run his direction at my shots and were now scattering everywhere in front of him at his shots so he wasn’t sure where the buck went in the brown chaos and waning light. We both backed out and met back at the trucks to give the buck some time.

Went back in 45 minutes later to search and did not find any blood at the shot site. Not 1 drop. He was shooting a 30-06 so there should have been blood. He climbs back in the tree to re-orient us. We start to fan out a little in the immediate area. Still no blood. Now we are starting to really question if the deer was hit even though he was 90% sure he connected on the first shot. We fan out another 30 yards and he stumbles on it dead just 50 yards from the shot site. We start the celebration with hooting, high fives and hugs. So, now we get curious, how was there no blood? At first look, there are no holes in this deer and there is no blood where it laid. I jokingly say we gave it a heart attack from all the shots. Upon closer inspection, we find an entry hole in the left hind quarter and what we believe to be the exit hole in the right front armpit. We field dress it and there is also a hole through the heart. The left front leg is also shattered high up but no hole in the hide. To be honest, I’m still not sure if the hole in the hind quarter was from one of my shots or his. I honestly am glad his tag is on it. It was such a fun family deer camp. Split brow and G2 for a 10 pointer.

We will be back at it this weekend. Hoping my son gets some more shooting. All I can think about was how awesome it would have been to be at full draw with the bow on this buck. Obviously, no points for the team but had to share the story anyway.
 

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It looks like we may have gained some ground with those bucks fellas! Congrats on some fine deer.


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ofor said:
Wisconsin gun season opened last weekend. Sat with my son all day Saturday and Sunday morning before he had to head back to school. We saw a total of 18 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday morning. He had a chance at a 6ptr Saturday morning but couldn’t get settled for a shot before it bounded off. He took a swing at a big doe at last light Saturday evening but didn’t connect on a long shot.

I made a move on Sunday evening and sat on the ground in a fence row with a big oak to my back. Had 6 doe come out to feed at 4:30 100 yards in front of me. Picked out the biggest one and prepared for the shot by clicking the hammer back on my trusty lever action 30-30. At that exact moment they snapped their heads up and looked in my direction. I’m thinking to myself, how did they hear that… except, they didn’t. At that same moment I hear a couple stomps behind me and then the distinct sound of a heavy deer bounding away. I spin around to see a giant bounding off to my right. I bring the gun up as it stops broadside in the middle of the picked corn field just 50 yards away. I squeeze the trigger and it starts to bound off again. I’m thinking he did not act hit, how in the H did I miss. So I send another one at him at 100 yards. Again, did not act like I hit him. I send a third one at him as he is now in the marsh. I text my brother quick who is in a tree a couple hundred yards away that a big buck is coming his way and I head to where he entered the marsh to check for blood and push him to my brother as shooting hours close at 4:46. As I am scanning for blood, I hear my brother shoot and shortly after send a follow up shot. YES!! I look at my phone and it is now 4:45. I send him another text hoping he sealed the deal. He responds that it did a big mule kick on the first shot, ran 20 yards and stopped. So he sent a follow-up. All the doe I was watching had apparently run his direction at my shots and were now scattering everywhere in front of him at his shots so he wasn’t sure where the buck went in the brown chaos and waning light. We both backed out and met back at the trucks to give the buck some time.

Went back in 45 minutes later to search and did not find any blood at the shot site. Not 1 drop. He was shooting a 30-06 so there should have been blood. He climbs back in the tree to re-orient us. We start to fan out a little in the immediate area. Still no blood. Now we are starting to really question if the deer was hit even though he was 90% sure he connected on the first shot. We fan out another 30 yards and he stumbles on it dead just 50 yards from the shot site. We start the celebration with hooting, high fives and hugs. So, now we get curious, how was there no blood? At first look, there are no holes in this deer and there is no blood where it laid. I jokingly say we gave it a heart attack from all the shots. Upon closer inspection, we find an entry hole in the left hind quarter and what we believe to be the exit hole in the right front armpit. We field dress it and there is also a hole through the heart. The left front leg is also shattered high up but no hole in the hide. To be honest, I’m still not sure if the hole in the hind quarter was from one of my shots or his. I honestly am glad his tag is on it. It was such a fun family deer camp. Split brow and G2 for a 10 pointer.

We will be back at it this weekend. Hoping my son gets some more shooting. All I can think about was how awesome it would have been to be at full draw with the bow on this buck. Obviously, no points for the team but had to share the story anyway.
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I always wonder what’s going on when I hear an absolute firefight break out in the distance during rifle season. This kind of explains it.
 
TheBlindCat said:
I always wonder what’s going on when I hear an absolute firefight break out in the distance during rifle season. This kind of explains it.
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I always think it’s a kid with a lever action 30-30. When I was a kid if there was a bullet in the chamber and the deer was still on its feet I was slinging lead, lol.


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ofor said:
Wisconsin gun season opened last weekend. Sat with my son all day Saturday and Sunday morning before he had to head back to school. We saw a total of 18 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday morning. He had a chance at a 6ptr Saturday morning but couldn’t get settled for a shot before it bounded off. He took a swing at a big doe at last light Saturday evening but didn’t connect on a long shot.

I made a move on Sunday evening and sat on the ground in a fence row with a big oak to my back. Had 6 doe come out to feed at 4:30 100 yards in front of me. Picked out the biggest one and prepared for the shot by clicking the hammer back on my trusty lever action 30-30. At that exact moment they snapped their heads up and looked in my direction. I’m thinking to myself, how did they hear that… except, they didn’t. At that same moment I hear a couple stomps behind me and then the distinct sound of a heavy deer bounding away. I spin around to see a giant bounding off to my right. I bring the gun up as it stops broadside in the middle of the picked corn field just 50 yards away. I squeeze the trigger and it starts to bound off again. I’m thinking he did not act hit, how in the H did I miss. So I send another one at him at 100 yards. Again, did not act like I hit him. I send a third one at him as he is now in the marsh. I text my brother quick who is in a tree a couple hundred yards away that a big buck is coming his way and I head to where he entered the marsh to check for blood and push him to my brother as shooting hours close at 4:46. As I am scanning for blood, I hear my brother shoot and shortly after send a follow up shot. YES!! I look at my phone and it is now 4:45. I send him another text hoping he sealed the deal. He responds that it did a big mule kick on the first shot, ran 20 yards and stopped. So he sent a follow-up. All the doe I was watching had apparently run his direction at my shots and were now scattering everywhere in front of him at his shots so he wasn’t sure where the buck went in the brown chaos and waning light. We both backed out and met back at the trucks to give the buck some time.

Went back in 45 minutes later to search and did not find any blood at the shot site. Not 1 drop. He was shooting a 30-06 so there should have been blood. He climbs back in the tree to re-orient us. We start to fan out a little in the immediate area. Still no blood. Now we are starting to really question if the deer was hit even though he was 90% sure he connected on the first shot. We fan out another 30 yards and he stumbles on it dead just 50 yards from the shot site. We start the celebration with hooting, high fives and hugs. So, now we get curious, how was there no blood? At first look, there are no holes in this deer and there is no blood where it laid. I jokingly say we gave it a heart attack from all the shots. Upon closer inspection, we find an entry hole in the left hind quarter and what we believe to be the exit hole in the right front armpit. We field dress it and there is also a hole through the heart. The left front leg is also shattered high up but no hole in the hide. To be honest, I’m still not sure if the hole in the hind quarter was from one of my shots or his. I honestly am glad his tag is on it. It was such a fun family deer camp. Split brow and G2 for a 10 pointer.

We will be back at it this weekend. Hoping my son gets some more shooting. All I can think about was how awesome it would have been to be at full draw with the bow on this buck. Obviously, no points for the team but had to share the story anyway.
Click to expand...

What a story! Congrats!
 
You all have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. Heading out for the morning hunt with my daughter tomorrow. Its been a Thanksgiving Day tradition for us since she was old enough to hunt. We've actually managed to be successful a couple of times too . . . fingers crossed for tomorrow.
 
I’ll be out Friday morning, had a really good hunt this past Sunday watching 3 bucks sparring on our greenfield with a bunch of youngins and turkeys around. Was tempted on one of them but just couldn’t get myself to pull the trigger. Pretty interesting sitting around waiting for the rut while the rest of yall are probably winding down this time of year. Gonna wack the first thing that comes in range to keep building the confidence in the bow, hopefully one of the nicer bucks shows up.


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