5 pines farm 2013

[Joeabowhunter]

 I'm really enjoying this thread.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #49 cedar by yurt
 

 This stand sits in a cedar just above the yurt. It's at the bottom of my ridge and just above the neighbors cow pasture . A heavy deer trail crosses the logging road and heads in to bedding cover on both sides of the property fence lines. It was very cold but still today. The moon and stars gave me enough light to make it the stand with out the aid of my head lamp except for the very last 40 yards or so. I only had a short time to hunt this am and did not see any deer until my walk down. I spotted this doe and fawn coming down thru the apples and took this photo with the zoom on my point and shoot camera.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #50  SVR

The winds turned to the SW and got very gusty today. More company arrived as well. Its really hard to place people on stands where they might see a deer let alone get a shot at one in these windy conditions.

I put up a new stand at 2 pm based upon heavy new buck sign and foot traffic just above the county road.
 
Once again I am trying to key in on deer coming down out of the 23 and heading to the picked bean field. But the gusty wind kept the deer in the timber and #50 ended without seeing a single deer, any where.

Here is the stands view.
 

[DEATHMASTER]

The high winds are hard to hunt. Standing corn sometimes is a place I like to try on blustery days. Sneak in row by row slow.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #51 lower coffee cup

The temp was a balmy 46 this am. 25 degree warmer than the day previous!

I hiked up to my stand and dropped off one of my hunters.  I then doubled all the way back to LCC. By the time I reached my stand, I had been hiking a full hour and five minutes!
 
I had not hunted this spot once this year and in fact had not been down to the stand since I hung the new ladder last June.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

The stand sits at the top of a bowl. It is very thick with cedar, blackberry, buck thorn and lots of nice oaks and hickory and apple trees as well. I never hunt below this spot as I try to keep this area as a secure zone for the deer to flee to . In normal years there is a retention pond down there as well. But this year it is dry.
There are great vistas from this stand.
 

and a super deer trail as well

 

Last year I pulled an all day sit here during the chase phase and saw 26 deer.

Today I had just gotten in the ladder ( it was pink light out) and hung up the bow .I was putting on my hat when I heard a deer come trotting down the hill and stop just above me in some cedars. It stood still and I knew it had already scented me. Then it made a 90 degree turn and crossed the deer trail I am hunting on and headed down into the heavy cover. It was a dandy buck. I could only make out the left side of its antlers, but I counted 5 long tines . It had long and heavy looking main beams. What a way to start a sit. But as the morning wore on ,not another deer was to be seen. The wind came up and above me the trees higher up on bluff swayed back and forth. By 11 am, I was ready for coffee and stories so I headed in for both.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #52 Back to the Dallas stand.

Back up on top! The wind was supposed to lay down right at 6 and indeed it did. I sat there thinking the deer would go crazy tonight since they have basically been hunkered down out of the wind for two solid days. But it didn't happen and in fact I got skunked!  So I am hoping for a good day tomorrow.

[Gen273]

Jim,

Thanks again for taking us with you! I know that it takes a lot of work to bring us this thread.

Charlie

[Big Ed]

I enjoy reading this daily, thank you so much for sharing!!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #53 ladder by clover

25 degrees and still!! What temperature swings we are having!

With only a short time to hunt this am I chose this spot since it is easy to get to and if its going to happen , it will right at first light.

I had hunted here last week and left with a good feeling about the stand. Today, right at first light I was standing and watching the direction that they came from last time.

A dark figure was trotting down the mowed trail to my right and from above. I removed the bow from its hanger and it made a slight noise. The deer stopped dead and stood there. Finally it began to move forward and then turned onto the trail that crosses right in front of me.
 
When it was in the exact spot I wanted, it stopped and looked the other direction! Perfect. I started to put tension on the string. But I was thinking that it was not a very big doe.  It stepped forward and the shot opportunity was gone. She walked up in to the clover and fed for about 15 minutes.

 

I kept an eye on her and one also on the trail she had come down. I kept thinking more would be following. The doe in the clover had turned and was standing on the trail that she had crossed  over on. She was coming back! I took this as a sign to shoot her. But when she was once again directly in front of me I determined it was just a huge fawn! So once again I let it pass unharmed.

About 15 minutes later a small 4 point was walking on the woods edge up hill from me. It disappeared  then reappeared shortly as it walked into the clover from my upper left. Tail up and slowly walking , I decided I should grab the camera and try to get him on film. I made another very small noise as I turned back standing in the clover now was a new doe and very small fawn. The doe had me dead to rights. She quickly left the clover plot followed by her fawn and young suitor. Rats! That new camera is really screwing things up! Ha!  

The time to go arrived and home ward bound I went.

[pitbull]

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

out #54 Sapling stand.

With company gone yesterday at midday, I once again have the run of the place. There had been lots of deer activity up and around Apple Alley all weekend and I wanted to b be close to the rape food plot. Yet I did not want to sit a stand that had been hunted over the weekend. So I chose the Sapling stand.
 
This stand guards an entry /exit on the rape field.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

The temps were really mild and I was able to sit  in just a wool shirt and vest tonight. A slight South wind was directly in my face. I can now see out into the food plot since the smaller trees have dropped the majority of there leaves. I can also see up the bluffs and back behind me into the next property's cow pasture.
 
At about 5 :30 I could see two deer out in the food plot feeding.  At one point they were both standing on the entry point of the trail that comes out and goes past my stand. I thought they were heading my way but it there is an apple tree there and they were picking up fallen apples. Later they faded back down the plot and into the woods . Nothing else was spotted or heard. But it was a pleasant time well spent reflecting on the weekends events.

[DEATHMASTER]

I love those cool but not freezing days on stand. Makes for a very pleasant sit.

[Hopewell Tom]

I like the look of the Sapling Stand spot. We have a lot of white Birch on our land and that could be a place here.
You made it sound like a pleasant time.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #55 Apple Alley Lone wolf

I thought all day that today would be the day. I wish I could say my gut was spot on but no arrows were flung today!

The wind was out of the North and the temp 42 degrees when I left the house at 3 30 pm. I cautiously crept in to the stand, trying to be as quiet as possible. I am at the opposite end of AA as I was last night. Standing the entire time I felt a deer would be there at any moment. Finally just at dark I heard foot steps behind me. A deer had dropped off the point above me and was now on a trail where it would certainly scent  me. You guessed it . A snort and off it went. Once again as I entered the yard I could see dark shapes out in the picked beans. These does are just kicking my butt!

[Robhood23]

Today is the day buddy! I've got that good feeling!!

[NO SIGHTS]

Does are tough Jim. The only way i seem to ever get on does is when I am only interested in shooting at headgear. It's like not having a buck tag and all you see is bucks.
Have you ever tried ground hunting "THE VERY EDGE" of your plots.
Or really the one apple tree in the center of apple alley would be where i would guillie suit up.
Right or wrong it would make for a fun hunt.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #56 Lefty

I have tried ground hunting but have never felt comfortable on the ground. But perhaps I should reconsider.

I had not sat here for three weeks. We had an Easterly wind today with a forecast of rain tonight.On the way up I bumped fours does out of their beds along the logging road.  this food plot and the clover behind it don't seem to be seeing any deer activity!
 
 
I am really scratching my head as to what is going on . Last year these plots were filled with deer almost every night!  once again I got skunked. The only visitor I had was this Pileated woodpecker!
 
Coming home I jumped a deer right behind the yurt! If I had been sitting in the practice tree stand I think I might have gotten a shot!

[ISP 5353]

Try ground hunting in a ghillie!  It is a blast!  Thanks again for taking us along on each of your hunts!