5 pines farm 2016 updated 1/2017 page 29

[Cyclic-Rivers]

The good news Jim is you have that beautiful Meat locker if you have good fortune.

drink lots of water lol

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

hunts #45 and 46.

Yesterday the pm temps were still near 70F. But I was anxious to get out and sit a food plot. I headed up to one of my personal favorites. This stand has been hunted only once by a friend this year. It would be my first time in it and certainly not the last.

 

These upper plots got hunted hard last week by my company. Not much success was had. In fact very few deer were even seen. I was really scratching my head as to why a previously fantastic hunting spot had so few deer in it this season. plots lush with food and  void of deer!

I am not scratching my head any longer. It was the witching hour. I had two deer on the logging road below me . They were feeding on the clover in the road as they worked their way up. Suddenly they turned tail, flagged and ran back down the hill. I then heard an animal running my way thru the timber. I expected to see coyotes . Instead it was the dog I ran into three weeks ago. He was wearing his shock color for the invisible fence the neighbor installed. Little good that does if no one does the training to go with it .

I am very ery depressed over this situation. It's clear this problem isn't going to be solved easily . I am sure it's going to end badly for the dog. I texted the owner from the tree stand and called and left a voice message today. So far no reply............

This am I sat on the stand we revised last weekend on the log road above the yurt.
 
Today both deer I saw from the stand were above me on the ridge. the first one winded me and the other saw me try to get to a standing position. Other than that it was a darn quiet morning.

[Hopewell Tom]

I've never had the chance to do it, but my neighbour says it's "shoot, shovel and shut up" in those situations. There is no place in the woods for a dog running unattended.
I have a dog and do not let that happen, owners must be responsible.
I once called the Conservation Officer responsible for the area on one of our lots about a big Greman Shepard running deer. I was told that's who should look into the thing. He said "shoot the dog, I'll never find it." It's a very sad situation, but does call for desperate measures.
Good luck on resolving the issue.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Sorry to hear of the continued issues with the neighbor's dogs Jim.

I hope resolution will be found as peacefully as possible for all parties.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

hunts 47 and 48

A steady westerly wind and mid 60 temps helped me decide that I would head back up to the food plot where I hit the doe.
 
After turning off the logging road onto the 4 wheeler trail, the hog back was littered with fresh scrapes.

The community scrape in the plot under the big oak had been widened. These two gave me 89 photos mid day goofing around it.
 
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

So I was really encouraged until I scrolled thru the photos and dogs started to appear. Multiple dogs!

I decided to hunt and deal with it later.
this year I purchased a DSD deer decoy. I know, they are outrageously expensive. but spread the cost out over 10 years and I dont' feel so bad! At least that's what I keep telling my self.
 

 

the realism is really great. however , you won't be carrying it around at a minutes notice. It's very heavy

I set the decoy facing me. 20 yards from my stand. Wind is in my face. Scrape is over the buck's left shoulder. I also freshened up all the licking branches on all 4 sides of the plot.

But other than one little buck I spotted through the trees with the bino's north of me. I got skunked. The beauty of the evening and the spot helped lift the depressing dog situation.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

[Warden609]

Man the decoy looks great!!

 I am a firm believer in using decoys. You just can't put a price on that kind of fun    

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

This morning was the start of a 4 day early gun season we have here. Who in their infinite wisdom has a gun season now? Total Bs in my mind.

Anyway, I headed up to the top of Rattlesnake ridge extra early hoping that the neighbor's may push a deer to me.

it's changed a lot since I was last up here. Visibility has vastly improved and the colors still nice.
 
the bluff top is 40 yards wide max. The wind was out of the north and felt cold! I listened to the guns ring out for about 3 hours. Zero deer were spotted, so I decided to call it a day. I will not be hunting much over the 4 day gun season. No point in driving deer off my farm in the arms of some one dressed in orange.

[ron w]

Don't blame you for taking a break.......     With a weather change things will pick up.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Just think how sleeping in will feel.... Personally, I would wake up and wonder what it was like in the woods and try like heck to sleep a little longer. lol

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

hunt 49

heading home after a dinner with the Mrs. I noticed the neighbors all in their orange gear. Guns in one hand and beers in the other ( I am not kidding )

I thought that perhaps after a night of drinking and since bucks were not legal targets for them today they might sleep late, that I would venture forth.

It was very cold today with a hard freeze. I headed just across the county road to the hill side called the 23. ( stands for 23 acres).

Shortly after dawn I watched a nice doe on the contour trail below me. From the way she walked I would have thought it was Mid November.

20 minutes later along came this 3 year old.
  https://www.flickr.com/photos/51550276@N08/30437159896/in/dateposted-public/  
I had no intentions of shooting him, but I wanted a better look. He was 40 yards or so down hill from me and headed away after that doe. I grunted at him twice loud. He stopped and changed directions. As he angled up the hill behind me, he would stop every few steps and scan the hill side. When he was directly behind me he gave out two loud grunts!  Then he circled above me and got on the old logging road. There is a big scrape up there, which he went to and reworked both the ground and the licking branch. When he was finished with the scrape , he turned back to his original direction and headed over to the property next door.

A few minutes later I was looking at the video trying see how clear it was, when I heard foot steps behind me , close. Shoot a doe had snuck in and had come from the direction the buck had just gone. I was caught flat footed. I tried turning to get the bow and got busted immediately.

Shame on me for not being focused on hunting!.

I am done hunting now until late Sunday if not Monday am. I expect there will be lots of gun hunters out this weekend with the nice forecast.

[Whip]

I sure feel for you on the dog situation.  I had that problem on a piece of mine 20 years ago and it was very frustrating.  The dogs are just doing what dogs will do when left to their own devices.  The owner is ultimately responsible.  Sounds like they are at least trying by installing the electric fence,  but for some dogs,  especially those that already know the allure of roaming,  that isn't likely going to do it.  

I'll be very curious think we how that decoy works out for you.  I wonder if those antlers will intimidate lesser bucks?  He looks darn close to a shooter!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

hunts 50 and 51.

After not being in the woods for a few days, I felt like throwing a dart at a picture of the farm and hunting where ever the dart landed.

But I ended up choosing a ladder on the edge of the timber up above the hay bale blind. I have only sat this stand once all year. But the last time one of my guests hunted it, he got to watch two nice bucks sparring in the moonlight just below it.
 
It was cool but not cold with a light breeze out of the NW. Just after dawn I spotted two does across the valley . They were walking along the fire break on the edge of the tall grass prairie.

My neighbor was on his 4 wheeler early, checking his coyote traps. The good news is that he has been able to take 6 coyotes off of his property in the last 7 days. I had hoped as he drove down the county road that he might push a deer up my way from the creek or my food plots. No such luck. I ended the morning hunt early since it was obvious there were no deer moving my way.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

This afternoon I headed up early to the retention pond on the top of the ridge.
   
I enlarged this photo quite a bit.  The hill up from the pond is very steep. Just after sunset deer started being sky lined up above me. Five deer in total walked along the edge of the food plot. 3 bucks and 2 does. One of the bucks was a nice 8 or 10 point buck. He started down toward the pond. I had grunted at him a number of times. Not sure if he was coming to the call or just coming down to drink.

But 1/2 way down he started to snort. I didn't think he would wind me. But looking at this diagram , I can see now how he did.

 Once the buck went back up the hill I saw no more deer on top either.
But it was a really nice night and it was great to see deer on the side of the farm that the dogs were running on. It has been almost a week and I am hoping the no dog trend continues.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Was unable to hunt yesterday. professional life got in the way and today it rained all day. I knew a camera needed batteries bad, so I just snuck up and remedied that.

The bucks are starting to expand their ranges. Here is a buck I have not seen before. Anxious to get out over a decoy in the am .

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/51550276@N08/30499592571/in/dateposted-public/

[ron w]

He looks interesting........  

[Whip]

I like the look of him!  
The rain hit us last night and most of today.  But I was able to get out this afternoon as it let up to drizzle and the deer were definitely moving.

Tomorrow morning should be prime!  I'm thinking this is going to be the start of a fun few weeks!

[huntsfairchase]

Great stuff Jim! Finally getting caught up on your season. Looks like some good stuff starting to happen. I'll be checking in regularity and anxiously awaiting a hero shot of you and a big ol Minnesota whiskey pig!

Nate

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good Stuff Jim.... I will be landing in WI in one week from today.  I will be at the farm, so Hopefully you have good rutting action soon, because that will mean I am in for a treat lol.

Nice looking buckaroo you have there on camera.