5 pines farm 2013

[Whip]

That's a great start to the season!  You've got a lot of writing to do if you are going to keep up that pace.  

[Joeabowhunter]

Littlebigman....your first hunt didn't disappoint!!!  I'm looking forward to your next report.

[coaster500]

 .......... Great beginning Jim, great beginning !!!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Great First Morning in stand Jim!  

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Outing #2

So we had a wind out of the SSE all afternoon. Its been raining in SW MN and we have a 79 % chance tonight for some here as well. I have numerous spots to hunt a wind from this direction. But I woke late from my nap and had to choose to go to a closer spot than I had  intended.
 

I went to the AAA ( Apple Alley Aspen ). This stand sits midway on the west side of the food plot in Apple alley. The plot looks quite sad , but there is an apple tree loaded with apples right in the middle of the plot.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

the stand


its about a 20 yard shot to the near side of the apple tree.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

We call this old pasture apple alley because its lined with apple trees all the way up to the plot.
 
Just after 6 pm a single doe walked in to the food plot from my left. She fed on what little was green but after about 10 minutes the gusty wind sent her a nose full of Jim and off she went back in to dense underbrush on the East side of the food plot.

About 20 minutes later I heard a little leaf noise to my right and in walk a family of 4 coons. Fun to watch the last little guy trying to hustle and catch up with the rest of his crew.

At 7 pm A yearling doe appeared from my right and walked directly under the apple tree. A 2nd and what appeared to be a larger doe followed her in. They both were munching on the few apples on the ground and drifted to other side of the tree. I had decided to shoot this doe if given a shot. After about 15 minutes she rounded the tree and started feeding on the green in the middle of the field and was working her way up to me. She walked into my lane and I started to put some tension on the string. Her head went down and I took a double take. It wasn't a doe but a yearling buck. I could just make out the bumps ( more like tiny pyramids) on its fore head. I couldn't believe it. It had such a big head I was almost totally fooled.  Here it is after I let it walk and it turned around and went back to the apple tree.
 
the photo makes it look really far but it is really just 20 yards.
I'd been hearing another deer behind me coming down rattle snake ridge for a while . I didn't want to turn and look because I didn't know how close it was. AS I feared it winded me and started snorting. It was one of those does who have to tell everyone in the world " THERE IS TROUBLE NEAR BY!" She snorted 10 to 12 times before she went back up the ridge snorting on and off until she was over the darn top! The other two deer headed out the bottom of the field and I did not see another deer the rest of the night.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

 

You are doing Great  Jim!

[JLeMieux]

Awesome thread!!

[pitbull]

Awesome as usual Jim. These next 2 weeks waiting for the opener is gonna kill me.

[Lone Ranger]

great motivational thread! I am heading out in 15 minutes!

L.R.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Thought you all would like to see this . I was going thru the pictures from the trail camera last night from the plot where I just sat. I wonder how many deer would be here if we had had some rain and the rape was knee high like last year

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Outing #3

it finally rained last night. Started about midnight and was done when I got up at 5am. I decided to hunt closer to the yurt today and  chose Joel's stand.

A small part of the farm (23 acres) sits across the creek and county road. It basically is the Eastern face of a very steep bluff and is great bedding cover for the deer. Joel's stand rests at the bottom just above the mowed firebreak and on an inside corner where a hub of deer trails intersect.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I had just reached the bottom of the stand when it began to rain again. I don't hunt in the rain but since I wasn't sure how long this was going to last, I climbed up into the tree to wait it out. It didn't long take before I was wet to the gills and as soon as it was light enough  to descend with out the aid of a flash light I headed back to the yurt for coffee.
 
it slacked off a bit while on the road but is raining quite hard again now. I am thankful for it. hopefully it will breath some life back into the food plots. While the turnips won't develop bulbs this late it should put some green back in to the tops. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies this evening, so i'll be out and about then.

[kat]

Fantastic thread. Thanks for taking us along.

[steadman]

You can have some of our rain    nice Good luck buddy!

[Bernie B.]

I think this is our #1 hunting thread!  I really enjoy reading your daily hunts.  Good luck...we're all watching!      

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

[pdk25]

Great posts.  You have done a great job with the pics and description of your stands.

[4runr]

Great start to a great annual blog.
I'm sure Roman will feel honored you are using your Hill Country Bobcat as your weapon of choice this year.
Good luck on your season, Jim. I'll be checking in daily.

[Al Kidner]

Wow.... As Terry said, this is what Trad Gang is all about! Love how your so in tune with your hunting home... That is what life is all about. One day ill have my own block and do the same.

ak.