2004 field notes

A couple of years ago I started noting the deer movement after every time I went out hunting. These field notes help me keep track of deer movement and give me idea on stand placement among other things. I thought for fun I could chronicle my 2004 deer archery bow hunt which will follow into my 2004 rifle deer hunt. Will my season be successful? You will have to keep checking in to find out.

10-10-04

Second weekend of archery deer season, this will be my first time out this year.

5:30am

I head out to my grandfather farm to have the annual breakfast; my dad tries to have one or two of these during bow and one on opening day of rifle season. It includes stick to your rib pancakes and eggs and a cup of java.

6:25am

I head out to my stand; it’s about a ¼ mile walk. The morning is brisk, about 34deg. There is frost covering the ground, with absolutely no wind. Looking up there is not a cloud in the sky, every star that can shine is visible, with the moon giving just a sliver, enough to look like its smiling. To make it even more perfect a shooting star zooms across the sky.

6:35am

I’m in my stand; an owl hoots in the distance, then some crows, in the distance a rooster is crowing. I think if someone goes to the woods to get peace and quiet they will be disappointed because between all the other birds it’s somewhat loud out here.

7:00am

A doe and her fawn come in from the west; I can here some shots from geese hunter in the distance. The doe is very spooky, looking up often as she comes into my plot and chews some of the apples I threw out the other day.

7:20am

Despite pondering strongly about arrowing the doe I let her go, she and her fawn leave to the south behind me.

7:50am

Two button bucks come from the west, but a little behind me. They do not come out into my plot. Instead they stay in the woods, rutting around for about 10minutes, one comes as close as 10yrds to my stand, they then head south behind me.

8:30am

Across the field 3 does come to another plot that was planted last year about 150yrds away. They too were spooky. The stayed across the field for about 5 minutes then leave.

9.30am

I go back to the house to warm up and get another cup of java, not bad for a morning, 7 deer seen, but no bucks. The rut is definitely not in right now, but will start soon.

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10-17-04

After a busy weekend, with less than favorable weather I finally gave in and went out Sunday night. It was windy and rainy most of the day and I was back & forth if to go or not.

4:30pm

 I drive out to the stand, its sprinkling and the wind is gusty at about 15mph.

4:35pm

 I get set up in my stand.

5:45pm

Across the field I am overlooking a deer shows up in the wildlife plot. I can not tell if it is a buck or doe, it’s a good 150-200 yards away. It stays for about 15 minutes and leaves.

6:30pm

Three does come out of the woods directly north of me, they come my way. The largest of the 3 does comes into my wildlife plot that I am hunting over. The other 2 stay out in the field, something to the west spooks one of them, they start heading back north were they come from, continuing to look to the west.

7:00pm

Three does come from the west, nibble a round in my plot for 5-10 minutes and continue to the east.

7:30pm

With it getting to dark to shoot I head home. Again 7 deer show up, but I question the first sighting may be part of the first 3 that showed up. From my view it’s easy for the other 2 to be hidden. There is another stand that I am considering to moving to next weekend, have the rest of the week to decide. I did hear a lot of movement behind me, possible a buck, there’s a good chance that the bucks are holding up in the woods. The rut is on the verge to begin, another week could make a difference.

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Sunday 10/24/04

I decided to move from my deer stand and go across the field and hunt out of a rifle blind that faces east. This blind has a wildlife plot planted in front of it that has been planted last year. I’ve seen deer on the plot the last two weeks. Some good news from deer camp this week, my brother got an 8 point buck on Tuesday, He hunts northeast of were I’m sitting, about a ¼ mile.

4:30pm

I get to the rifle blind. Its fairly warm but cloudy, a little excitement runs through me. On the drive out, about a ¼ mile from the blind I saw 12 turkeys, one a nice sized tom. The property that I seen them on I have permission to hunt turkeys (spring). Unfortunately my section does not allow fall hunts for the past 2 years. I sit and wait, and wait and wait….

6:30pm

Finally from the south a deer shows up about 150yrds out in the field, looking close it has some hardware on top, the first buck sighting!! He walks out to the field heading north. A car turns the corner and he starts trotting, rounds the swamp in front of me and disappears. My dad is hunting southeast of me about 400yrds away. He said a 6-8 point buck came in to him, wouldn’t get close enough to shoot, then headed my way. So it was a buck for sure.

7:00pm

I peek to the south; I have a doe coming right towards to me. It gets 50yrds from me then shots out to the east and loops right in front of me coming 20yrds from the hut. She heads off to the south; I think she was trying to wind me. She comes within, must be, 10yrds to the hut and coughs, not knowing she is there I jump in my seat (scared the crap out of me!!). The doe then loops around me again and comes straight into me onto the plot. She gives me many opportunities to shot her, the blind gives me total concealment. She is weary, wondering if there is someone in the blind but any movement is undetected. I move slowing just to see if she could pick me up, nothing. I let her go, seeing the buck I decide to hold out to see what the rut brings.

7:30pm

With no daylight left I head home, spooking 2 does as I leave my blind.

With my brothers success two of his blinds are now open for myself or my dad. He as seen 3 other bucks out his stands, I am getting itchy trigger finger. With three weekends left before rifle deer season (November 15) every hunt will count if I am going to take a deer with a bow. I may take a doe and put my luck on rifle season for a buck

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11-7-04

The wife said that I’m going hunting, and like a good husband I do not want to disagree with here. The weekend before was busy and I never got out. This time I decided to go to a different stand that sits just 50yrds where I plan on rifle hunting. It’s about 200yrds south east of my other bow stand(off the map). I thought if anything I could get a feel where the deer are traveling before rifle season.

6:30am

I get my butt moving out to my stand, I settle in. There are only a few clouds in the sky and the wind is very little, blowing out of the west.

Day break

I look out in the field behind me, out 100yrds is a buck. He has a big body but I can not tell how big the horns. I use my grunt call and he comes with in 50yrd. He stops and looks around. After a few minutes he turns and slowly and heads to the east.

7:45am

A possum comes in and looks up at me. I thought for sure he was going to climb the tree I was in, but he doesn’t

8:00am

A small button buck comes to me from the south. He follows the trail right in front of me coming within 15yrds. He continues on and disappears.

9.30am

With no movement I decide to pack it in. Bow seasons over for me. I get down from my stand and head over to my rifle blind I check out how the shooting lanes look. I go back to the farm and my dad and I come back with the chain saw and I trim some branches, making sure I have a clear view of were that buck came from. Looking around he has scrapes everywhere. Just 8 more days and rifle season starts.  

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November 15

1:00am

I get up feeling like crap, stomach turning. I stay up until about 3:00 then finally go back to bed.

5:30am

Despite feeling rough I head out to the farm for another before hunt breakfast. I managed to eat one pancake.

6:15

I head out to the blind and get settled in, it about 30deg, with little wind. I was hoping for colder, perhaps snow. I decide to go with my 303 british on opening day.

7:30

I spot 3 doe moving to the north of me, no horns.

8:45am

I here my brother shoot, over the radio he said he shot a 6 point. Thirty five yards with his 7wsm and the buck dropped in its tracks. He was about 150yrds from me in the woods.

11:00am

 I head in, not seeing any horns. My nephew shot 4 times (missed all 4) at a buck so I go over to see if he hit anything. As I walk up the hill to were he said he shot at it and I here shoot! By the time I looked up there’s a 10 point running away from me about 100yrds out. I pull up the Enfield and take a crack. Missing I chamber another but I didn’t take another shot.

My nephew said that he saw another buck bead down across the field about 400yrds. We spot its horns stick out from the grass. We devise a loose game plan. I set up ready if the buck got up and ran west. My brother walked around to the east of the buck with my nephew and dad getting ready. This was a case of to many chiefs and not enough Indians.

The buck stood up before everyone got into position. Were I was sitting there would have been a 100yrd shoot if he went my way. Instead I had a 200yrd shot, open sights, running away from me. I still managed 3 shot, but there was no trace of blood and the buck never missed stride. Only one of us should have tried to sneak up to the buck, coming from the south. It was fun anyways.

4:00pm Operation Spike Buck

Since my brother filled his tag he decided to stay at the house and spot for deer and communicate to us. I get half way out to my blind and he radios that he saw a spike bedding down. It’s in an area that no one is hunting. Since I was the only one not to my blind I radio that I’m coming back in.

I glass the buck lying in the weeds. His spikes are about 8-9” curved. I decide to sneak around to a tree that is about 100yrds from were he is sitting. I was able to get there undetected. I setup using the tree as a rest. I put my sights on it, he stands up, having a good view of its body I pull the trigger. He turns and makes a leap in the other direction disappearing. My brother and I head over; he spots him walking into a woods tail up. No signs of blood. This one I can not believe that I missed. 100yds with open sight is not a guarantee but is frustrating; he was there ready for the picking.

I head back to my blind with my tail between my legs, I saw nothing the rest of the day. 

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