5 Pines Farm Whitetails 2014

[wapiti792]

I am taking notes: "Dear children, if you want your weddings paid for, do not marry in the months of November and April. Signed, Dad."...
Got it      

Keep after man! I get my first sit tomorrow afternoon on my own farm. Can't wait!

[rraming]

You won't miss much this weekend - windy tomorrow as well. Next week will be good and cool.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

1st here is a pond update.

 We had 1.5 inches of rain over night. So at mid-day , I went for a hike.

The pond is about 1/6 full!
 

 There is also decent germination on the grasses on the dam . the spillway and the pond approach.

 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #22  Hay Bale blind.

I couldn't stay in doors. So I dressed like it was late November and walked down to the Bale Blind.
 
 

Cozy in my little fort, a thermas of good coffee, a new book and three hours till dark, I settled in .
 

I kept a careful watch in between pages and cups of coffee, ha!  After about an hour I noticed that I had a little friend out to the left of the window. It was a buck fawn was filling his belly.

Every once and a while he would look over his shoulder or up the hill. I expected more deer at any minute. Then there was a loud stick crack behind me in the little creek bottom. The fawn marched over towards the blind and disappeared into the Golden Rod right along side me! I listened to his footsteps as he walked by .

Apparently he was going to investigate the noise for me. But I never saw him again nor any other deer.

I'll be away till Sunday afternoon. If you are hunting this weekend, best of luck to ya!

[JJB]

The farm is looking really scenic, I'm enjoying getting caught up on your outings. Congratulations on your doe!
-Jay

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Jim, Have a good time at the wedding. I will still be checking in just in case you manage to find some time to slip away wink wink.

Looking forward to catching up with you in a few weeks.

[Oldlodgeskins]

Hey Jim, I finally have time to check out your blog and was not surprised to see you followed through with your plan to do the retention pond up top.  Where you got all those billboard signs is a story I'll hear face to face.  You crack me up.

looks like lay off time will be around nov 1 but not sure.

Pond looks good man.  That's a ton of work but I imagine you loved it.

Been shooting a few times a week and the bow and I are both pretty accurate.  
chat soon.

Jay

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #23   the Dallas stand.

 Hey old lodgeskin's the November calendar is wide open.


I left Eau Claire in time to get a few chores done around the yurt, shoot a few arrows and then I headed up the logging road at 3 pm.

There was a gusty wind straight out of the West.  The Temp a cool 49 F!

This stand sits on the East side of the South end of the old upper hay field, which now is in food plots and native grasses.
 

No one has hunted out of it yet this year. As I approached this tree
 
 on the corner of the field, I spotted a young doe feeding in the middle of this green food plot.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

 

Jim, Keep it Up!

This is not a threat its a plead!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Here is the food plot, she was about mid field. ( star)
 

The 2nd star on the left is the entrance to the stand.

I stayed behind the big crab apple tree. I took my pack off and while she was busy feeding , I finished dressing and put the pack back on. I then back tracked until I was out of her line of sight and looped down to the edge of the timber and then snuck in to the stand.
 
I had no intentions of hunting the little doe but I did not want her running back down any of the ridges alerting  other deer. I was able to make it in with out alerting her.

The wind remained gusty all afternoon. At 5 15 pm I saw movement on the other side of the fence that runs along the top of the food plot. This fence separates the plot from a rocky weedy field that I mow once a year. Usually I mow it in early May. The grass now is quite high and a young 10 point buck seemed to be just floating along. He rounded the back of that yellow crab apple and stopped short. Besides dropping my pack there I also had taken a pee. The buck sniffed around  and was now on alert. He stood under the tree for a quite awhile and then slowly came my way for about 15 yards. He was just on the very upper edge of the food plot, when he decided he had some where else to be. He reversed course and marched back the way he had just come from. He will be a good buck if he can live a couple more years.

It was over an hour before the next deer was sighted. The deer should be coming from the left but they will appear anywhere. I was starring thru the leaves in the branches in front and to my left when legs appeared. A spike/fork ( spork)
was walking and feeding my way. He came and stood in the little opening right in front of the stand eating the clover. Then he turned to the right and walked right in  and stood straight down in front of me.

The Two Aspens just to the left of the opening in front of the stand have been rub trees for a couple of seasons. He walked over to one of them and had to push hard to get his antlers around the trunk. He then rubbed the tree hard and grunted softly. Pulled his head free, looked out into the field and then rubbed the tree again. I am sure I had a giant smile on my face. He was no more than 8 yards from me without a clue I was near!

 After he finished rubbing he walked back out into the field to eat some more. 2 does were under the crab apple eating fallen fruit. Finally when it was quite dark, I made some loud grunt calls with my tube and drove them off so that I could head on home.

Experiences like tonight is what I think Hunting is all about!

[elkken]

Some great looking ground you have to hunt    

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #24 Back to Aspen over clover.

Since my neighbor and his dog are away on a week long duck hunting adventure and his wife leaves for work before light, I thought I would give this spot another shot.

But Skunked is a 7 letter word!

2nd day in a row where we had a hard frost. 31 F and very foggy. Not a thing showed and only when I was walking home along the road did I spot a deer. A small buck in the fire break above the big bluestem was working an overhead branch just along the woods edge. He was oblivious to my presence on the road!

Yurt is prepped for more company to arrive today to hunt with me for the next 2 days. Another arrow flinging device thrower holder. Hopefully I can put a deer in front of him.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #25 Bwana stand.
 

With a SW gusty wind I chose to hunt the Bwana Stand. I should have hunted the stand on the other end of the field. 2 does appeared in the food plot about mid way between me and the Justin stand just at dark. The almost full moon was keeping deer in their beds late. Then when I left I saw three white flags run out the end of the field . They had been right in front the Justin stand. I think the food plot is a lot better on that end of the field. So the next time I hunt up there it will be from that stand.

Meanwhile down at the farm Jayne watched the big tall 8 point I want to kill go to water at the spring right behind the house. Then he dilly dallied on the  CRP hillside before disappearing into the timber .

[Guru]

Congrats Jim!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good luck this morning Jim.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #26 The hole (FKA Jay's stand)
 

This stand sits at the bottom of the N/S bluff on an old retention pond that also requires some repair. I drew in the logging road that runs along the spine of the ridge. We came up from the bottom like always. Kim continued on up the ridge and I dropped down a side trail into the bottom.

This stand has been in several different trees. It's in a new one again this year and today was the first time its been hunted. I am still unhappy with the set up but it may be the best its going to be. There is just a lack of big trees
in the area I want to be.

 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

On one side of the trail is the water hole. there is no water in it, just a muddy bottom. We will fix that issue next year.

On the other side is a main trail that intersects with several lesser trails. this main trial intersects with the logging road that I keep cut by using a power weed wacker with a round steel blade.  There are always big scrapes down here.

Today at 7 am I just glanced up and a small buck was passing thru where all the trails intersect on the logging road. Then  he reappeared on the opposite side of the pond and lay down in the brush.

A few minutes later, a 2nd buck of similar size appeared on the same trail that the 1st buck had been on. He disappeared and then reappeared walking on the trail I had come in on. As he was walking into the hole, the 1st buck stood up and immediately began rubbing his antlers on a small tree. He stiff legged approached the other buck with his ears laid back.

The 1st buck was clearly being submissive and even went so far as to lick the 1st buck's forehead. But the 1st buck didn't want to be friends.
 

here is a little video too.

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/51550276@N08/15469602065/

[Bernie B.]

Great video Jim!  I really enjoy your daily hunts!      

Bernie

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

thanks Bernie

Eventually the 2nd buck got tired of the game and walked off. It was then the 1st buck picked up some warning signal of my presence. I think scent and started snorting. Both bucks then ran up hill and continued snorting for quite awhile.

I think its time to start carrying rattling antlers with me.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

All signs would indicate time for rattling.

Great Update Jim!