Making memories at 5 Pines ( update 1/1/16)

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Hi Guys!

pouring rain here this am. There has not been much to post of late. I have been in the woods each and every day. Shots on mature does have been hard to come by .  The bucks seem to know I have NO buck tag though!  Twice I have had bigger bucks than the one I killed with in 15 yards. One this week while I was standing at the bottom of the tree my tree stand was in!

I have also been really busy trying to put deer in front of buddies. Not having much luck there either!

The bucks are just starting to chase. We have started hunting over decoys as well, The very first sit we successfully decoyed in a small 6 point. It was if he read the script.

I do have some good pictures to share with you, Enjoy these while I try like hell to get you a good story to read.

 

 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

[ron w]

Great pics over the scrape.......as always, well done!      

[ron w]

Any news from the farm.......  

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Hi Ron!

It's been an interesting year to say the least! Not a single tag has been punched here in 6 weeks!

As is my norm, I have hunted nearly every morning and evening with multiple chances at bucks! Three times I had larger bucks than the one I killed give me multiple shot opps!  NO TAG!

But to get a shot at an adult doe has so far been impossible. They either wind me, catch me reaching for my bow or have been saved by their 6th sense.

It was a wild rut this year. More bucks were seen chasing then ever before. This is our 6 season of 4 point APR in MN. Add that to our valley's land owners cooperating QDM policies and its really showing what a age balanced deer herd will look like.

The regular gun season just ended and now the 2 week MZ season has started. Some of my better bucks were still on their feet as of last week . My favorite has been incognito since this photo was taken. ( as soon as flicker gets back up I will post it for you.) I am hoping they make it thru and we have a great shed hunting season to look forward to.

Suffice to say it never ceases to amaze me how hard it can be to fill a deer tag when using traditional equipment. But that's how it should be. If it were easy everyone would be doing it.

[South MS Bowhunter]

You ain't kidding Jim, this Trad stuff is tough work!

Good luck on the remainder of your season.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

here is SOG ( spawn of Godzilla) the last time he walked by a camera.  I have not personally laid eyes on him since last July. Sure hope he is still on his feet.

[ron w]

Hey if this was easy........everybody would do it.

[KentuckyTJ]

Congrats Brother! Yep its the memories of the hunt that are way more important than the rack size. Great job.

[DanielB89]

Those are some dandy bucks!! I have heard that Louisiana is considering shortening our season and lowering our tag numbers, I think it would be very beneficial.  I would like to see more deer, etc.  With 6 tags and 4 months to hunt, there is very little management going on.  Some deer weigh a little more than a house dog that make it out of the woods.  

I would love to see some bucks like the pics you have posted.

[tracker1]

Sog is very impressive hopefully he makes it through the rest of the season

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Tonight was a very special night!

We got pounded yesterday and all of last night with rain. North and West of us Snow!

This year during late season I am trying a new tactic.  For the most part I am skipping the early AM hunts and trying to head out to a spot near food around mid day. Then hanging in there till dark.

Today the sky was so grey and so low it was if you could reach above your head and touch it. I hadn't hunted a big food plot on the top of the bluff for a while and decided to make the long walk up around 1 pm.

On the near side of the bluff top the food plot didn't do so well. On the far side its full of food but with no trees near it you have to try and guess where the deer will come up the bluff side to reach it. I have two choices here and with a wind out of the SW I chose the Justin stand.



when I have a buck tag this is where I do a lot of decoying at. below me is a great line of rubs .

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Around 2 30 pm it started to snow lightly. The light kept changing from light to dark to light again and I spotted my first deer in the food plot about 80 yards to my West. Shoot it looked like I chose the wrong stand and should have been on the opposite end of the field.

The snow picked up. I had glanced to the East for just a second or two and when I looked back to the west towards the doe, there he stood on the cusp of the bluff and entering into the food plot.

It was SOG. He is at about 65 yards in this photo with no magnification.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I got to spend the next 45 minutes watching him and taking his photo.






I felt so fortunate to have chosen this stand to sit tonight. This is only the 2nd time I have ever actually seen him other than on a trail camera.

Several does had now fed into the plot and one was working my way. SOG was following her in my direction and they disappeared from view due the peak of the bluff. I picked up my bow hoping he would push her over the bluff back to my side.

Several minutes had passed when suddenly I could make out the horizontal line of a deer's back in the tall grass.

SOG popped  up at 45 yards distant and stood looking in my direction. Despite have the wind in my favor, despite not moving nor making a sound, that old boy swung his head left and then right and then turned tail and trotted out of sight. Taking the does with him, I spent the next hour thinking about what I just got to watch.

If this isn't why we do this then I don't know what is.

[23feetupandhappy]

 
Man he's a nice buck, and to think that he's on your farm!!!!!!

Great Night and Great perspective  

[Whip]

How do they know?  Mature deer are amazing animals and make us feel downright foolish sometimes to even try.  Even though you didn't have a tag, his instincts made that fact irrelevant.
Cool encounter!!

[tracker1]

Very cool I hope he stays on your property for the rest of the season

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

its just been pointed out to me that the buck I saw last night is a different buck than SOG.  WOW they are right.  look close.  I sure hope SOG is out there still walking as well.!! I guy can dream I guess

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

going to call this new guy DG2 ( double G2 )

[wapiti792]

Awesome encounter man! They are just different critters, those old deer. What a pleasure to be in their company!