5 pines farm 2013

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #76 yurt cedar.

Pressed for time today. I arrived home from a meeting 2 hours to the north at 3:25pm. With sunset at 4:29pm, I had to go somewhere close. The stand in this cedar is a mere 250 yards uphill from the yurt.

 

I had seen 6 deer up on the edge of the crp field just below this stand two nights ago just at dark.
So I hoped for a repeat tonight.

I hurried out the door of camp at 3:45. Here is where hunting in bluff land country late season is tough. I wasn't 75 yards up the hill when I glanced up the bluff above the stand only to see four grey bodies running up hill. The deer were either on their feet early or they were bedded on the lower reaches of the bluff. They were not going to stick around with me on my way up!

I stopped and tried to decide if I had any options other than to go home. The spooked foursome had run almost straight up the bluff. There is very heavy cover south of the stand. The wind was in my face. I hoped some deer might be bedded further south and may have not seen their buds high tailing it up the hill.

When I got to the stand it was just littered with track.
 

Looking south west with the wind in my face I thought I still might have a chance today .

 

But either I spooked more then i saw or there just the four I saw that I pushed. Either way, I have decided it was worth going out if only for reinforcing the idea that this spot needs more attention. I just need to get there earlier.

[ron w]

Why can't they play fair.......lol!

[T-Bowhunter]

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #77  the triple B

I woke to temps in the low teens and a light snow.I decided based on a coin flip to hunt this stand. It sits about 80 yards west of a heavy cedar covered point.  While it wasn't really storming out I thought the deer might be heading to bedding here.

 

I took my time going up the bluff trying to listens for any deer that I might have gotten out of their beds. The new snow made everything sparkle in my headlamps beam. There were relatively fresh prints on the  2 trails that goes past the Triple B. I spent the first two hours watching in all directions and finally out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement. A 2.5 year old 8 point was to my right at about 75 yards and heading in to the Cedars. I hoped that was the signal for more deer on the move. But by 10 am I was ready to head in and had not seen another deer. I on the other hand looked like frosty the snowman and as the snow was just sticky enough that I was coated from head to toe. I was happy to get back to camp for a hot cup of coffee.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #78 AA lone wolf.

This stand has to be one of the most huntable stands on the farm. One can easily sneak in to it with out risking blowing everything out an up the bluff. While most of the food in the forage beans is gone it is still pulling a few deer down hill to it.

 

The last time here I had a good buck making a rub behind me. This new rub welcomed me to the stand.

 

I had just pulled up my bow when I spotted a deer under one of the apple trees about 70 yards up hill. It turned out to be Maximus the buck fawn that spends most of his time here. At least that's what it seems like to me because I see him every time I hunt in Apple Alley. Eventually I had him at 25 yards. Then I spotted another deer coming down the mowed trail. It stopped to feed under the same apple where I first spotted Maximus  

 I'd had a perfect wind until now. Suddenly she starts stomping and snorts and runs up the bluff. I looked at the floss on my bow. Yup its floating in an uphill direction! I still had at least an hour to hunt and the wind would be good for 5 minutes then bad for 5 minutes and so on and on.

Finally it seemed the wind again was out of the north and steady. I glanced to my left and Maximus was back standing at 15 yards. He seemed anxious and I have no idea how long he'd been there. He was pacing back and forth. He knew I was close and apparently he is starting to learn. He looked up hill and I took that as a sign to do the same. Five or six dark bodies were coming down the trail from the food plot heading our way. He walked out towards them. I had precious minutes before the day was gone and I knew if the deer dallied at all no shot would be fired tonight. Finally I ran out of day with six deer within 40 yards of me. Then the wind betrayed me and they were gone. I hope I didn't teach them with the stand is!

Stayed in bed this am as the temps were  just 2 above zero. A trad friend is coming to hunt this afternoon. Perhaps we will have something more to post.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Still Loving every post Jim      

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #79 the sure thing.

Jamie arrived carrying his new Javaman longbow around noon. We caught on up with each other's news and prepared for a cold sit. I don't think it ever got above 7 degrees today.

Keeping Rattlesnake ridge between us, I sent him up into upper Apple Alley and I went to the sure thing.
 

The wind was light but steady and out of the NW .I made it the stand with out seeing any deer fleeing up the bluff and at the tree added two additional layers. I didn't expect to see deer until the very last minutes of the day and I hoped I cold stay warm enough until then.

At 4 pm I saw three deer enter the clover field below me about 100 yards distant. 15 minutes later and they were in the apple trees just past the edge of the woods. A doe and her two yearling fawns. They each went to various trees that still held frozen fruit and stood on their hind legs in an attempt to reach the treats.

I looked uphill and saw movement on the trail that comes down and goes right past the stand. 2 more  does were on their way down. The first veered off the trail at about 25 yards as a morsel under a big oak grabbed its attention. It then cut straight down the hill passing me at about 20 yards. Its sibling came slowly down the trail. I had made sure that I had picked up my bow early and positioned my feet early so that would be no movement from me other than the drawing of my widow. I was ready to take this deer. She was in the lane, stopped and looked away. It was so quiet that I tried to draw my bow ever so slowly . There was the slightest noise of carbon scraping the shelf and she bolted straight forward through the opening and stopped where I could not shoot her! She stood there looking around and then continued on down the hill to join the others on their way to the picked bean field!

You can't get much closer than that! Saved by senses fine tuned to the max.

 AS I walked back the full moon cleared the Eastern Bluff and illuminated the hillsides. There were deer everywhere. It was a wonderful afternoon.

[Jayrod]

keep at em!!!MAN I LOVE THIS THREAD greatjob with it littlebigman

[Robhood23]

Thanks again Jim! It was great catching up with you and seeing a few deer! I won't mention how many I saw! lol. I did see the deer known as maximus and he is the biggest button buck I have ever seen! I have to go back and find your blog about him now!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #80  Justin's stand.

This spot has been disappointing this year in that I think I have been skunked every time I sat here. But I know its potential and decided I was up for the long walk.

 

It was a lot warmer today . A whole 3 degrees! But with the wind from the south 11 degrees actually felt pretty nice. We got about 2 inches of new snow today as well

About 1/3 of the way up  the bluff's logging road I cut my first tracks that indicated I had bumped deer.

 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

When I topped out I stopped to catch my breath and take in the great view

 

I stopped about 50 yards from the ladder and using the crest of the hill to hide me I added my 3rd and 4th layers of wool. I wanted to be able to go right up the ladder as soon I got to it.

Despite the new snow it was evident the deer had been here in high numbers. Every where you looked there were hoof depressions beneath the new snow.

I stood the entire 2 hours on stand. Finally again at the final minutes of light a doe and her fawn came in to the field from the cedar point to my right.  I was able to get the widow off of its hook without any noise and I turned slightly so my right shoulder would be pointing towards the shot.

But as luck would have it the doe fed in circles. Each time she was headed towards me she turned and fed away from me at about 30 yards. It was like there was a glass wall. It wasn't that she was alarmed it just worked out that was how she fed.

I kept my eyes alert to the left as well. I saw a deer go under the Bwana stand and enter the field on that end. Finally I knew it was past legal shooting time and I replaced the arrow into the quiver. The deer continued to feed and finally my knee with all the original parts started doing jumping jacks. Funny how my titanium knee doesn't seem to ever get the shivers! So I made just enough noise to push the deer out of the field without really letting them know where the stand is.

Two nights in a row I have had the encounters I strive for. It's what keeps me going.

[Yellow Dog]

Jim, you sure have a little piece of heaven there in those hills. Thanks for taking us along  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Thats Great Reporting Jim..  Most people beg to see deer in the late season, others chicken out due to cold.  

You are obviously doing something right!

[ron w]

 I'm one of the cold chickens....lol!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

#81

Apple Alley Lone Wolf.

I spent an hour  this morning on the tractor plowing snow wishing I had gone to the tree stand instead. The temp this am  was 22 F! It climbed all the way to 29 F but as the temp went up so did the wind! We ended up with a NW at 22 mph making it impossible to sit anywhere up top. This spot was the only one that would give me some shelter from the wind. I saw deer today early. But the wind had them spooked and mostly I just watched deer running on the far hillside of the valley. one group consisted of 4 does.

Finally I spotted 3 deer coming off of Rattlesnake ridge. it looked like they would end up in my lap. But at 25 yards all three stopped, stared in my direction and  then turned around and walked away. Busted again by swirling winds.

Eventually they turned back around but looped well around and past me. I saw a total of 10 deer this afternoon not bad for just 120 minutes on stand! I feel like I am burning out this spot and will avoid for a while.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

#82 the yurt cedar

Still very warm and windy today. But the wind switched to the south and was blowing as hard as it was yesterday. Too windy to go up high so I headed  early to this cedar . Last Friday I had the same type of wind but got here late and bumped 4 deer going in.

The deer trails on each side of the tree had fresh track going in each direction. I had 2.5 hours till sunset and despite the high temp of 32 I dressed for the duration. When the sun  finally went behind the bluff around 4 pm I was glad for extra layer!

it was about 4 45. The sun had been down for about 20 minutes and I had about 10 minutes of legal shooting time left.

I was focusing my attention to the south as that is the direction of heavier cover and traditional bedding area. I just happened to look north and spotted a single doe browsing in some downed tree tops about 45 yards away.  I grabbed the bow off its hanger , but I knew she would wind me . Then after about 5 minutes of watching her eat, her body language suddenly showed he had picked up my scent. Off and away she went up the bluff.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #83 Sure thing.

With a light north wind I returned to the sure thing in hopes of a repeat performance of Sunday with the exception that today I could get the shot off.

But today the deer all appeared from the south and were well below me in the tall grass of the old pasture. They all looked for apples. One was as close as 30 yards and I was hopeful that she would end up in front of me but eventually the five of them all headed north towards the clover field . I am sure they walked right past the next stand to the north but if I had been there they would have all winded me long before I saw them.  

Better luck tomorrow.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #84   lefty

It was a black and white type of day.

 

Totally absent of all color. We had a little bit of sleet too. Everything has a coating of ice making the snow noisy and tree stands dangerous.  Lefty has a life line all the way from the ground up to where you clip in at the top. So I went aloft with just a small bit of concern. Once up top I tried to knock a little of the ice off the platform so any foot movement would not sound an alarm.

It was a very slow evening with just one doe being sighted. It came into the narrow clover strip above the food plot the stand is set by. I watched her kick snow and feed for about 30 minutes and then as quietly as possible climbed down and headed home for dinner. the countdown to the season end has begun. Not many days left now, hoping for some better luck tomorrow.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good luck tomorrow Jim!