5 Pines Farm Whitetails 2014

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Sorry for the belated post. Playing host and trying to put deer in front of two more hunters is time consuming!

outing 31 Triple B ( Big Bad Basswood )

The entire day today revolved around the Buddha food plot. There are three stands that focus on this area. The Jim (12) The Pususta ( 13) and the Triple B (14)
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I placed my Friend in( the Jim ) stand. While I got in the Triple B .(14) The food plot sits on the flat of the bluff while each stand is slightly downhill in opposite directions. We can each see just to the edge of the food plot.

Deer will move out of the neighbor's corn field and into my woods.  Deer  also come uphill from my food plot and they all seem to head for a cedar thicket ( star) on my other neighbor's land to the East. Sometimes they grab a bite in the Buddha plot  or graze acorns on the way to bed.

Triple B is a 20 foot ladder in a big ol basswood tree.
 

here is the view from the perch .
 

This ridge has been heavily worked on. The green wall of buckthorn is where my work stopped for the hunting season.

What a difference a few hundred yards can make. Dallas in my stand saw 7 deer. 6 does and one 6 point buck. The buck bedded down 30 yards from the stand. I on the other had got SKUNKED.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #32 The Pususta stand.

With Dallas seeing all those deer this am, I decided to try and sneak into the Buddha plot and see if any came past this evening.

The wind was still out of the N. so it was a 50/50 chance of not getting winded as they come into the plot. It all depends upon which trail they come in on.

Here is the stand.
 


There is a good luck charm in the middle of the food plot. Legend has it if you rub his head good things happen.
 

Not long after I was settled in this guy showed up.
 
and then this guy
 
they couldn't make up their minds if they wanted to eat or push each other around.

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/51550276@N08/15314039740/

They entertained me for an entire hour! What a fantastic evening!

[pitbull]

Awesome video Jim, thanks.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Cool Video Jim.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #32 The Diversion Stand.

It was a long day, Details after I take a shower

 

[Cavscout9753]

Congrats sir! I haven't written yet, but I have followed your season and enjoyed your beautiful land, your Yurt (that right?), stands, stories and observations. I'll say the following, your land and hunting arrangement is all that is north american white tail hunting. The scenery, the terrain, the stand locations (such variety!) your camp, all of it is so ideal for deer. Congrats on another fine animal taken. Your passion and love of what you have there almost makes me believe the animals are honored to be one of the ones taken (thats whimsy of course, I know no animal WANTS to be shot). Not sure how many tags you get up there but I hope to see more from 5 Pines this year.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

A few weeks ago you will recall we removed the "do over" and reset up the stand down the hill by about 150 yards. We are calling it the " Diversion " stand since we set up some barriers to block off one of the deer trails where it would be impossible for me to shoot.

The pink double arrow shows how the deer move on the major trails thru the lower part of the bluff.
 

here is the stand set up
 

the photo gives the impression that this is a flat bit of ground . Let me assure you it is not. I took this photo from the main deer trail 15 yards up hill from the stand.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

It was 32 degrees and there was zero wind.

At 8 am I was honored with the visit of my favorite woodland spirit. A Bard owl flew in and landed in the very next tree. It was slightly above me and eyed me over suspiciously. It called "Whooooooooo"

A flock of Robins was following the Owl. They landed all about in the tree tops above the Owl and scolded it. "Whoooooooooo". Then it flew off. A few seconds later its mate flew in and the Robins went crazy. This one didn't talk or stay . It followed the path of it's mate and the flock of Robins gave chase.

At 9 am a parade of does and fawns totaling 6 went by 40 yards below me. They were on a flatter part of the bench I am sitting. They were moving pretty quick and exited my property at the fence  crossing into the neighbor's alfalfa field.

 I had a hunter in the Joel stand and was hoping perhaps he'd had some action. As they had come from his direction.

[steadman]

Congrats bud!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

At  9:55 the wind had switched and was now sending my scent uphill. It would be foolish to stay as all the bedded deer above me will now start to wind me. I sent a quick text to the other hunters to tell them I was heading in to the yurt and to join me for coffee.

I lowered my bow and dropped my rattling antlers to the ground. Then I shouldered my pack and climbed down the ladder. I unhooked my bow from the rope and leaned it against the tree. Took off my tab and rested it on the limb tip.  I always clean a patch of ground to stand on so I am quiet at the base of my tree.  I removed my jacket, vest and face mask and placed them in my pack. Just as I dropped my woolen bibs to my ankles a deer snorts!

I look over my right shoulder and see the butt end of a whitetail at 25 yards! I slip on my tab, pick up the bow, nock and arrow and turn slightly towards the doe. The wind for once is working for me and is suddenly picking up blowing form her to me.

The deer turns back towards me and head bobs two times. The tree trunk behind me is wider than I am and she doesn't seem to see me in front of it. She takes a few steps towards then has to go around a big fallen rotten tree trunk. As she was moving I slowly turning with her. When her head went behind a tree I sunk down low to clear a branch over my head and drew my bow. She stopped and I was at full draw.  

My arrow streamed towards her and as it passed over the fallen tree trunk she actually dropped into the path of the arrow. As she came out of the drop she did the classic mule kick of a heart shot deer. Off she dashed and in 40 yards was over the fence and on to the neighbor's woods.

I can now say with pride that I can shoot my bow with my pants down around my ankles!

[Homey88]

Nice doe congrats!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I counted of the steps to the log.  18. one yard past the log is my blood soaked arrow. It is sticking in the dirt.

This blood trail is the kind you dream for.
 
I am assuming a heart shot due to her kick st impact and the amount and color of blood in the leaves.

Curiously there is a single kernel of corn in the first blood puddle.

I went to the yurt and returned one hour later with my guests . At 40 yards she had crossed the fence. The blood trail is amazing. 50 yards later I look up and see the doe slowly walking in front of us about 25 yards away. WTF?

We powwow on the trail and since we have crossed the property line I decide I better go have a chat with the owner. By the time I get back 45 minutes have gone by. It is now almost 2 hours since I shot the doe. We go another 40 yards. There is still a reasonably good blood trail but not the amazing one we had before. I see the doe get out of a bed 30 yards ahead and slowly walk off. We back off and go back to camp.

 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I send the boys off hunting and Jayne and I return at 3 pm. It is now 5 hours since I allegedly heart shot a deer!

The woods next door is a buck thorn hell. No invasive work has ever been done and there is not much beside buckthorn growing there.

 After 40 yards of following the now meager blood trail Jayne whispers " look there she is".

The doe was standing looking over her back trail at us from 25 yards. She then lay down at the base of the tree next to her. I thought she was finally done. But after standing there watching her for 20 minutes, she was just as alert as ever, I decided I had to try and get another arrow in her.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

There was no way to get an arrow to her much less draw my bow in the buckthorn jungle. I inched forward. She had her eyes on me the entire time. Finally I am above her and there is an opening to her. I can either shoot her in the butt or the head and that is it. She made the decision for me as she hoisted her body up and turned to run. My shot was high and the arrow went over her back  and she crashed off into even thicker buckthorn.

I slumped to a sitting position and tried to decide what was to be done. We decided to stay on her trail as she was bleeding every time she moved but when bedded the bleeding seemed to stop.

We jumped her 3 more times. Each time she was completely hidden by the buckthorn and let us get to with in 15 yards before she would jump up in front of us. Finally I told Jayne that we were going to lose her if we continued this and we dejectedly walked home.

Dallas and I returned 4 hours later and found her where she had last bedded. She hadn't been dead for very long.

My shot was as low as it can be and still get into the chest cavity. I missed the heart but the 200 grain VPA 3 blade went thru just one lungs most bottom lobe. The exit angle put the arrow thru the stomach as well and that explained the corn kernel . She was a very big gal. This is #2 for me and #5 for the farm this year.
   

[Longbowlogan]

Look at the head on that doe! Congrat and nice job tracking!

[Jayrod]

Yeah man Jim CONGRATS That's a big mama there looks to me like the sow of the herd ....good job and way to stick with it to get her!!

[pitbull]

Awesome Jim, it would be nice if all our shots and recoveries were perfect. In the end it all worked out, congrats on a great doe.    

[Whip]

Nice follow up Jim and beautiful old banana nose doe!  Shots are often not what they seem. Some poor trails lead to quick recovery while great trails leave you wondering how much blood a deer can possibly leak and still keep going.  Glad that this one had a successful ending!

[Huntrdfk]

Great doe Jim, and way to stick with it!

David