5 Pines Farm Whitetails 2014

[tracker1]

Keep after them Bucks Jim, Good Luck and try to stay warm.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outings 81 and 82  Apple Alley and Lefty

I started the day in up apple alley.  There have been so many deer in the beet field out back that I felt the middle stand on the inside edge of the woods might be a good place to catch a cruising buck. I had left the yurt early enough to get to the tree just as it began to grow less dark.

After getting fully dressed I started up the tree stick. About 6 feet up, my left foot slipped completely off the peg. I caught myself with out any issue. But this is one of the few trees that doesn't have a life line all the way up. I went up to 10 feet and stopped. The pegs were very icy and I still had 6 or 7 feet to go. Thinking better of it I backed on down. Grabbed the pack I had leaned up against the tree and hustled up hill to the ladder stand on the upper end of the food plot. I spent the morning pleasantly watching a family of 4 eagles circling back and forth between my bluffs. I saw no deer but the eagles alone were enough.

After a quick trip to town with the Mrs. to buy this year's tree. I headed up the logging road to lefty.

I set the decoy up facing away from me and removed the antlers. The wind was out of the SE And was blowing from the deek to me.

I'll admit . I have not decoyed much using a doe decoy. But with the 2nd rut to kick in soon I thought I would give this tactic a try.

At 3 pm I looked up and a big doe was marching in to the food plot. Ohhh she was so tempting. But I kept thinking, what if the next deer in is him? I decided that if she would give me a point blank broadside shot that I would shoot her.

She was almost directly in front of me and I was picking my spot when the decoy's head moved with the wind. This threw the doe off and she spun and dodged to her right. She then circled the decoy but went around the top side. As she was coming down again to pass in front of me, I got ready again. But she spun again and dodged to her left. Perhaps some of my scent was on the decoy and she got a whiff. I am not sure  but at this point, she trotted off to the north .

An hour later I spotted 2 deer in the far clover field to the south. I could tell one was a buck for certain. Both deer were heading my way but they were taking their sweet time about it. 15 minutes later a beautiful 2 year old 10 point came in to check out the new girl on the block.

 I was so very temped to kill this deer. But he got a pass. I mean he REALLY got a pass!  He stood directly in front mf me broadside looking away from me!! UGH!!!

As the day ended 3 more does and one fawn came in to the plot. But it was very late, to late to shoot so I just enjoyed the show as they tried figure out what the deal was the deer that would not say hello.

It was a great day. But it may end even better, The neighbor next door  just called. He shot a big one , I have to go help track.

[ron w]

Your are much stronger man than me.....I could not of passed.

[coaster500]

"I was so very temped to kill this deer. But he got a pass. I mean he REALLY got a pass! He stood directly in front mf me broadside looking away from me!! UGH!!!"

Way to hang in there Jim.....  Great dedication....

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing 83 and 84. the Joel stand followed by Lefty

I started my day at Joel's stand. It was very mild this am . Right around 30. The snow was soft and I was able to quietly move down the gravel road without the aid of a flash light.

After last night's retrieval of the neighbor's buck I was pumped just to be back out there. Hoping for a chance of my own at a big one too.

Before I knew it, a doe was running up the hill towards me. I was standing on the rug I carry to dampen foot noise on cold metal , but some how she heard me adjust my feet to get ready to shoot. She stopped short about 25 yards below and stared up in my general direction. She then turned to her left and trotted off to the south and to safety.

Then I saw six does zigzagging down the opposite hillside. They all dropped down into the food plot by the hay bale. Crossed the little stream and stopped at the edge of the road below me.

I was ready. Bow in hand and feet already in position. I had made up my mind to take another doe. We knew someone who would appreciate the meat.

But the lead doe starred up in my direction. Spun and trotted right back up the hill they had all just come down. WTH?  I don't know what she saw, but that old doe saved everybody's bacon!

Early in the afternoon I hiked back up to lefty, hoping for a repeat of yesterday only with different characters.

I moved the decoy slightly closer but kept her facing away. There ended up being gun hunters on the farm south of me, and after several shots were fired, I knew there would be no deer coming from that direction.  Any deer on the ridge were most likely long gone before I even got up there.

Finally just after sunset, A single mature doe was making her way to the food plot. She walked to the upper right corner and stood starring at the deek. Unlike a buck she walked directly towards the head of the deek.  She lay her ears back and bristled her hair. I was hoping she would rear up and kick the deek .

But when she got head to head , she reached out and touched the deek's neck with her muzzle. She whirled as she got a scent of me off the decoy. But she didn't run off. She stood about 20 yards away and just stood there stomping.  Finally she had had enough and bounded off in the direction she has originally come from.

Tonight while walking back down through the woods, I counted 17 gun shots 15 minutes or more after legal shooting ended , the last 5 were 45 minutes after legal shooting ended. you couldn't see 30 yards by then  What a bunch of SOBs !

[coaster500]

Shooting them with a gun isn't advantage enough I guess....  "SOBs" you're to kind

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #85 Roundabout.

I sat yesterday day out as it was the final day of the 2nd shot gun season. just couldn't listen to it any more.

Today this am it was 4 above. BRRRR. I stayed in

But this after noon I ventured out in the cold . It was 12 above at 2 pm.. We had some thawing and refreezing over the course of the weekend. You all know what that does. It makes it impossible to sneak into any where. No way, no how.

I set up the decoy that is still stashed here as a doe since I was having such good results with that set up on the upper bluff.
   
About 10 days ago I burned the big brush pile that was here. I just thought the more visible the decoy, the better.
   

Remember last week when I sat in the lower AA ladder and saw all the deer over here? Well, darn it, tonight it was the reverse.

I saw a total of 7 deer by that stand and there were 2 two year olds sparring right in front of it for 20 minutes!
   
I was very happy to see a couple of up and comers still walking around. That upper one looks pretty good now! But I could tell they have some growing to do.

It was so darn quiet tonight. The cold just made sound travel so much farther. I heard a few deer move down into the beets but nothing came down my side. I will have to try to slip in to that lower AA stand soon. Hopefully tomorrow if the wind is right.

Despite the fact we have a state wide muzzle loader season now for two weeks, there was not a single gun shot tonight. Ah the sound of silence!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Hopefully things return to more normal.

Good Luck Jim, Your dedication amazes me.

[Jayrod]

Firstclass I will always say Jim....I am always tuned in!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Outing #86 The Dallas stand.

Thanks guys!

The excel spread sheet I keep in the yurt said that this stand had not been hunted by anyone since 10/19. ! What? I can't believe that.

 
The last 2 times I sat over the decoy at the Lefty (star) stand, I spotted deer in this field early in the afternoon. In fact, the last buck I decoyed in came from this exact spot. So with the wind out of the SW I did my best to slip up into this ladder.

 
But I don't think it worked. The snow was still noisy. Any animals bedded below would be able to see me as I enter the tiny bit of woods I need to penetrate to get to the ladder.  No deer fed into this food plot tonight despite the great amount of sign. Rats!

I did spot two does to the North that were sky lighted at sundown as they walked the hill crest down by the Bwana stand. They were in the depleted bean field when I left. Just after sundown I did have one small 4 point buck walking a lower contrail trail about 50 yards below me. He should have winded me but he never acted like he did. He was just on the trail slowly walking North to South.

So I would like to try this spot again, but will only do it if I can be sure that I can get in quietly. Temps are supposedly heading up to the thawing mark by this weekend. That might just do it!

[huntnmuleys]

ive been dealing with loud snow lately myself.  what a hassle!  keep at it, I look forward to your update every night when I get home from work.  I hit the woods again Friday morning.

[mark Willoughby]

Completely amazing

[mangonboat]

Jim, your dedication to the craft is inspiring! your last few posts reminded me of the evenings I have been in a stand or a ground blind when the sun is setting on one of those truly cold, clear days, the wind dies down a few minutes after the sun sets and you can hear every barking dog ,coughing hunter and laughing child in a 2 mile radius. Keep up the good fight, and we are all wishing for a monster buck to stroll into your shooting lane.

[Homey88]

Very enjoyable posts, I check in everyday to see how you are doing. Hopefully a big buck comes in range for you!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Up for the next adventure Jim  

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Was unable to hunt yesterday, work got in the way. But I'll be out later in the day. Lots of deer in the beet field this am!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

ok first for some sad news. Godzilla is dead. He died Monday afternoon just south of my south fence line. the cause of death, lead poisoning.

This is the buck in 2012 that I have photo's of in my food plots and which my wife Jayne found the sheds of. Last years sheds were found by the neighbor who succeeded in killing him.

Moderators I hope it ok just to show the antlers next to the last 2 years sets of sheds.

This picture shows how much antler can be added between a deer's 4th and 5th years. The bucks main beams went from 21 to 26.5!  10 full inches of new bone on just his main beams!! That's why I tend to let the young guys pass!

We gave our set of sheds ( bottom) to the neighbor so that he can mount them along side his set of sheds and the buck.

I can only hope he spread his genes greatly.

Moderators if you delete the photo I will understand.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #87 lower apple alley

I tried to make a not so good wind work and paid the price for it.

I hoped a buck might be traveling down below me and be cruising from south to north. I mean it could happen right?  I did have that doe do it when I sat here 2 times ago.

Tonight I got busted first by that little doe I had here last time and then later a deer up on the ridge caught my scent and started blowing. When she blew  for the third time I saw at least two deer further up the valley run back up the ridge.

I knew better and still did it. Stupid move, especially this late in the season. The deer will not tolerate any goof ups after they have been gun hunted.

I will have to hunt smarter than I did tonight if I want a crack at any deer much less a brute. If any are still walking that is.

[Hopewell Tom]

If they have your wind, well it's all over as we know.
But the blowing thingy is a sign of confusion, according to my son. They know something is there, but haven't figured it out yet.
Several times this season, I've "blown" back at them, just with my own vocal form of blowing. Each time the deer have perked up and come forward to investigate. Nothing came of it, but the tactic produced an unexpected result. Totally wired deer, though.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

outing #88 back to the basics logging road ladder.

Trying to get between a preferred food source and bedding cover, I chose this stand today.

Lately I have watched multiple deer leave the beet field in the early am and head up into the bluffs to bed.
 
So with warm temps of 30 degrees and softer and quieter snow, I made my way to this spot with out the aid of a head lamp. I felt my entry noise was very minimal and hoped I would see the same amount of deer activity on stand as I watched out the window  yesterday.

But I got skunked. Not sure if the deer were blown out of the field early by coyotes or by me moving on stand . I have been getting an awful lot of coyotes on camera lately.

Hoping for better luck this afternoon.