5 pines farm 2013

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing # 9 The Ivy Stand.

cold today, low 40's wind still out of the NW. I chose to hunt the Ivy stand. Andy shot a great doe out of this ladder last year.
 
Everyone knows where the yurt is by now. So the red line is my travel path up to the stand. Basically the same as last night except when you reach the hogback you turn left and work your way up to the middle ridge. The yellow line is the deer trail I am hunting. Then deer typically travel this contour on their was to heavy cover to bed which is the white area. The bedding area is a pointed bluff with very steep drop offs on three sides. It is covered in red cedars. It actually sits just across my East property line. My land is the only good access to it . So deer rarely get pushed out of it. Just after first light two does slipped by but they were in a sub trail deeper in the cover. Then  a bit later 2 more slipped by behind me. The next two hours pasted pleasently but no more deer were seen.

this is the ladder named for Andy.
its is in the oak on the right side of the frame
 

[maineac]

Tremendous buck!  Life has been too busy to get on until this afternoon.  Keep it coming!

[Hopewell Tom]

I see you crossed the deer trail you're hunting. Any special precautions for that? I do it too, but fret about it. I don't bother with descenting sprays.

[RickE]

Great buck Jim!  Thanks for sharing all your hunts.  Good luck on the does!!  Rick.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #10  AA lone wolf

The wind stayed out of the NW all day but not as strong as yesterday. I had been up top two sits in a row and it was time to hunt somewhere lower. I chose Apple Alleys Lone wolf.
 
its an easy walk up the driveway, past the Buddha , along the forage bean field and then in thru  some Sumac to the stand.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

this stand is in a new tree this year. I have had in at least 4 different trees by now and I think I finally have it narrowed down pretty well.
   
Last year when this stand was further up hill, I continually watched deer drop off the ridge and cut thru a slot next to three apple trees. The stand now hangs in that slot.
   
 The food plot is at the top which is the northern end of the alley. Apple trees litter the center and line the edges of this old pasture. The large forage bean field is below. In the early season I will hunt this stand as long as there are apples on the trees, Then I won;t hunt it till late season when the deer come off the ridges and head down to the bottom field.

Tonight At 5 pm a deer dropped off the ridge to my left but was on a trail that eventually comes thru the brush behind me. I could hear its foot falls and was waiting for the snort.  It got closer than I thought it would  before it hit my scent stream. Two loud shorts and it reversed its direction of travel.

here is a view from the stand
 

Tonight's wind was opposite of last night's noisy wind. Tonight as the wind dropped off,it got quieter and quieter. you could hear a mouse fart at 50 yards. I heard a deer cough some where below me. I heard another munching apples above me. Later it sounded like a deer was gagging or chocking on something below me. Above me way up on inspiration point another deer was snorting at something. They were all around me yet I never laid my eyes on one! I  got down just at last light and stole my way home.

Unfortunately I have to leave town for two days tomorrow, so no hunting till at least this Tuesday.  i'd say its been a pretty good first week!

[Silvertip Marc]

This is awesome!!

[BrownA5]

I would have to agree that it has been a pretty good first week... season for that matter!

Will keep the fire burning........    

[Huntrdfk]

Love it Jim.......looking forward to your return so the hunt may continue!


David

[Guru]

Just getting caught up on this one Jim, apparently I missed a bunch...what a great buck bud...congrats!!!!!!

[coaster500]

"i'd say its been a pretty good first week!"


You bet!!!!


 

[Shinken]

 

This adventure belongs on page 1....

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing # 11  

The stand I chose to today doesn't have a catchy name yet so I call it what it is, Aspen over Clover
 

Up on my most northern border, a stones throw from the neighbor's barn I have a little clover field that is about the size of a softball diamond's infield.  The deer love to hit this field last thing before bed in the am or first thing in the afternoon. The  stand sits over a logging road on the upper end of the food plot and there are numerous trails that drop off the ridges onto it.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

it was chilly this am with a very bright moon. No need again for any artificial light and I was in the tree well before pink light. The wind was in my face out of the S and light and variable. I was comfortably standing when I heard the first deer approach. Unfortunately It came down the neighbor's ridge and ended up behind and directly downwind of me. So much for a product called "dead downwind". Three snorts later it was bounding back up the ridge.

in this photo you can just make out the trunk of the Aspen the stand is hung in.
 

here is a closer view, Due to the slope of the hill the stand is not very far over a deer's head should a  deer come down the logging on the stands imediate left ( when in the stand and facing forward that is)
 
sorry for the blur in the center of most of my pictures, its evident I have some how scratched the lens.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

At 8 am I was lost in thought. My head was not in the game. You see a friend of mine died in his sleep Saturday evening. he was young (  just 51)with no symptoms of any problems and we are all in a state of shock. I was thinking about him, his wife and the kids.

Looking to my left I suddenly made out a small deer in the edges of the brush. It was softly stamping its left front leg. Apparently it had picked up something I had done. But being a fawn( it turns out) it was unsure what it had seen. A doe was suddenly directly below me on the logging road. it seemed aware of my presence, but did not look up and it slowly turned 90 degrees left and walked over the fawn. It was hers, they greeted each other by touching noses. Then the doe walked out in front me of me with the fawn trailing. The little one had its flag straight up and the adult was on alert. The wind was perfect, I did not move a muscle and they walked over the apple tree on my right and began picking up  some of the fallen fruit. The doe ate several and then she suddenly walked back in my direction and stood directly in the middle of the my shooting lane below.
 
But she was at a slight quartering to me angle and her head gave me indication she was looking directly under my tree. Any movement on my part would surely send her flying. So I watched her and the fawn for awhile and then they went off to bed. I thought of how Tom will never get to see this again. He was a good man, and the world has lost something good with his passing.

Later walking up the road , I decided that I will try to kill the next doe I get a good chance at and dedicate her to his memory.

[Tim]

Great stuff Jim! Thanks for taking the time to walk us through your season.  That sure is beautiful country.

I lost my best friend and hunting buddy 3 years ago.  I miss him dearly.....every day.

[Burnsie]

Sorry to hear about your friend Jim,  a tree stand is definitely a good place to sit back and reflect on those type of things.  I get a lot of my best thinking done while up in a tree.  During hunting season my wife will often ask "where you going?'
A common response is "need a little tree time"
Thanks for continuing to take us along and share your beautiful property.

[Green]

Sorry for the loss of your friend Jim.  I think "Aspen over Clover" might need a new memor....and a new name.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Sorry about your freind Jim. Maybe you could dedicate that stand "Tom's"  in his memory?

Good luck on a doe!

[steadman]

Sorry to hear about your friend. I bet we see pics of a doe shot in memory. Good luck bud!!