2017-18 Live from the tree

First morning sit for me. Almost no wind,but cloudy an 38 degrees.

First sit this year. 3 does so far. Feels great to be in a tree. Squirrels are out………. A guy can forget just how loud those things can be…….

Time delay report from evening stand on 10/13. First bow stand ever. At ripe old age of 46. I totally get the attraction. Beautiful evening, not cold, but no bugs.

Oh, and deer everywhere! The turkeys were also out in force.

I saw some strange turkey behavior. They ganged up and ran a small spike buck out of the plot. I don’t know what he did to them, but there was a real racket and they ran him right off the plot. When good turkeys go bad…

The evening highlight was I had a 5 pointer (one nub on the other side indicates broken 6th point was there) come in and follow 4 does out to eat. He came in slowly so I stood up and got full draw on him with his head down feeding at 25 yards, broadside. If he’d have had 3+ more points…

Pretty dang exciting, this bowhunting. Should have done this sooner.

Grouse

I’m sitting about 100 yards off the corner of a bluff for a short sit after work. I watched a nice 8 point work a scrape on the way in, and I’ve got 3 scrapes within 40 yards of me!

That looks like a very nice spot!!

I like the spot, but at about sunset the wind switched and started blowing into the timber/bedding. The night ended with a very nice 10 point coming in and stopping at one of the scrapes about 40 yards away, which was now directly down wind of me. He then looked around a little bit, turned, and walked away unspooked. If he would have walked another 10 yards I would have had a shot.

If the wind holds up better tonight I think I’ll have a chance! He came in to light rattling by the way. Don’t forget the antlers this weekend, just don’t overdue it! I also had a small basket rack 8 chasing a doe and fawn around in the corn.

I sat near a small pinch point this evening and had 3 small bucks come through 10 minutes apart. All 3 going the same direction. With the wind, noses more to the ground than in the air. All 3 read the script just right, at 30 yards i coulda had em. Just not the right buck. Found 3 fresh scrapes and 2 very large fresh rubs on my trail also. Trail goes past a camera. When i checked the card at home, i had a blank card that read as an error…… The other card from that 2 pack in the same camera worked fine. Stupid technology. Im hoping “He” walks by tomorrow. Back out in the morning.

This mornings sit had lots of……wind. Also one little 4 point. Ive seen him on 3 different days, and 3 different stands. I guess we’re freinds. Back out now. Rain cant decide to stop or not…
Set up between a clear cut bedding area and a big pond. Fingers crossed.

Great cool morning, one decent doe so far

Couple does and a young 8 so far this AM. Tonight should be good!

Report from last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Lots of does/fans feeding, but only in the evenings. Did not see any deer on the morning stand.

I have a 5 pointer and a small forkhorn with spoon tips that are coming out with the does every evening. I was treated to a good sparring match between these 2 bucks just 40 yards from my ground blind on Saturday evening.

I have multiple pictures of the resident 10 pointer, but he continues to only feed at night. Even in the last quarter of the waning moon, he still prefers to eat in the dark.

I hope, hope, hope that Brutus Beefcake gets motivated soon to chase the young bucks away from his does. They’re getting quite friendly with the does out there in the plot and, in fact, they were quite clearly more keen on one particular doe than on the others. Lots of bum sniffing and noses stuck out when downwind of her. Makes me wonder if this cold snap will really get things started.

Grouse

It was so nice I took off for a quick hang and hunt. I’m sitting in the oaks just off the corner of a large crp field that leads out to corn about 150 yards away. To the back is a large draw that runs the edge of the crp. 20 yards to my right is a scrape that gets hit on and off all year, but right now it is torn up! If all goes as planned I should be able to be out atleast every evening through Sunday! I have high hopes for the timing of this snow!

Back in the tree I spent the last two nights in just hoping the wind dies down a bit!

Was able to get out of town for this eve. Deer were already occupying my first stand choice. Settled for plan B.

Very little snow here in west central, MN. lots of deer moving, cool and windy. Tonight is the start of a 10 day hunt and I just passed a nice 3 year old 8

sticker wrote:

Very little snow here in west central, MN. lots of deer moving, cool and windy. Tonight is the start of a 10 day hunt and I just passed a nice 3 year old 8

Good luck. I’ll hunt until Tues. Might throw a grouse day in there though.

Ground blind the last 2 nights.1 Doe with fawns both nights. In the tree this morning. Had a bobcat come by first thing. He was to quick for a pic. Saw 1 for pointer. Same one i keep seeing. Ive named him Clefty. His left antler bends over his head wierd. Sitting all day. Good luck to all.

First day in stand for the year. Jumped something on the way in at first light so my hopes were a little crushed. Then at 11 a doe and fawn worked through. All quiet until the woods exploded at 2:00. Big buck came grunting and chasing through and kept positioning himself between, what I think was a doe, and a little buck. Little guy kept getting close and the big one would run it off. Tried challenging him with a snort wheeze, but no luck. Probably shouldn’t have been so aggressive if he was with a doe.

Have had encounters with two more little bucks and it’s only 3:30. Gotta love the rut!!!

Yesterday i saw a total of 11 deer. 4 small bucks. None of the bucks were following or even seemed interested. Tonight im on the ground near a water crossing. Wind is gloriously in my favor. This spot has seen alot of rut magic. 3 nice scrapes on the trail since last night. Fingers crossed…

Holding on for deer life, wind is crazy, but I have to be in the tree

Just had a very nice 3 year old 9 make a scrape and rub at 25 yards. That was very cool to see.

Some more fresh snow, 32 degrees and a nice brreze. One doe so far.

Keep at it. I’ll honk when I go by on Friday.
DT

Day 7 heavy wet snow last night stuck to all the branches. 2 bucks and a fawn so far. Here is a really nice 2.5 year old 8. :he’s got great potennial.

Well I last minute took today off for one last all day sit before the gun hunters get out tomorrow! I’m sitting on a bluff with a cornfield about 250 yards behind me. About 10 mins before legal shooting light I had a smaller looking buck work a rub 15 yards away and I’ve had 3 more does work past since it got light.

Day 8 arrives with 23 degree Temps and light northeast wind. Snow coming this afternoon, so hoping that gets them active. Little or no rut activity here.

Last night with the bow for a while. Hope I can get it done.

Hunted yesterday evening to get out one last time before rifle season mayham starts.

Was sitting in a new stand I just put up where deer have been entering into the field. Got in stand at 3 and deer were walking in from every direction. Except from my side of the field of course.

Had a reall funny encounter with one doe. She came in on other side of plot and instantly busted me from 100 yds away. I have no idea how she saw me in full camo in a stand that hadn’t been there 4 hours before but she spent the next hour eating and staring me down.

Only 2 bucks showed up and nothing in range. Nice evening in stand though.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Had a reall funny encounter with one doe. She came in on other side of plot and instantly busted me from 100 yds away. I have no idea how she saw me in full camo in a stand that hadn’t been there 4 hours before but she spent the next hour eating and staring me down.

It most likely wasn’t you that she was focused on. probably the stand if it was just put up. Resident deer can be extremely aware of their surroundings and I’d bet that she spotted the stand and it wasn’t supposed to be there.

Passed a 3.5 year old 8 point 2 minutes into the season. We are supposed to get 5 to 7 inches of snow today.
DT