2023 Live From The Tree

Here is the annual live from the tree thread.

Always fun to see who is seeing what. Use this thread to post live updates/pictures from your stand, blind or pre-season scouting trips. Also, it makes it really nice if you post your state and general area so we can see deer movements.
DT

Cant wait!

This thread might have more entries this season given that they legalized crossbows during archery season for the general population.

I will be curious if the dnr changes the regs for that this year.

Youbetcha wrote:

I will be curious if the dnr changes the regs for that this year.

The DNR doesn’t follow the laws? So I shouldn’t run out and buy my crossbow yet?

The regs come out in early August so we’ll find out soon enough here. I would bet that it’s implemented.

You are right. They released an article saying they will change that this year. Will be nice to see more posts about bow season.

Haven’t gotten cameras ready yet but am over at my parents doing some work around the farm as my dad is on restricted duty for a month or so. Was done with jobs for the day so decided to go do some field watching like I did before cameras. Just sit a row or two back in am adjacent corn field and watch. Was watching some small bucks in the field (alfalfa) and out strutted a pretty nice buck, all the other small ones parted way and gave him the middle of the field with a wide berth. He looked to be pretty much formed on main beams with just the tips still growing. Not huge but nice, I’d guess he will be mid 130’s when done. Didn’t have my phone with me, pretty far away to try and take a picture anyway. Coulee country of WI east of La Crosse.

Turned on one of my cell cams at the beginning of the month, and caught my first bobcat on camera ever last weekend, in southeast MN. Doe with a single fawn came by an hour later and sniffed the spot he was in.

Is it a good thing when you’re trout fishing and can hear the deer eating your corn on the other side of the creek?

Golfed at Wild Rock by Wisco Dells this weekend, and saw about 50 deer over 3 days. It was crazy.

Thanks for starting the thread, it’s always a good reminder to start getting more miles in hiking/scouting, and to start getting some cams out.

I am excited for the year.
I seen one of the big bucks last week that I hunted last year in SW Mn. So he made it through all the hunting seasons and our hard winter.
One of the things I have noticed in my summer scouting is a lot of does with out a fawn. I wonder how many were not bread last year or did they abort their fawn over the winter.
Haven’t heard any reports on how many deer we lost. But parts of ND lost over 50% of their herd last winter.
Will be hanging some cameras on some rope scrapes next weekend.

September 1st is just around the corner. Will be heading to Ne for the opener if I can get a tag. They cut it to 3000 this year. The kicker is they still allow a person to buy 2 either sex tags.

Another night watching bean fields, and another rain barely missing my food plot.

The front of the corn field looks rough, but the back 80 is thriving. I’m heading in starting to set cameras and try out my new beast sticks and stand. I’m going in to this season a little different with a full mobile set up. I have spotted 2 really nice shooters in the last couple weeks. Hoping to pin point t where they are bedding at with out getting to close.

Same field opposite end. The corns knee high and yellowing

The entire south end is not good for the corn. Lots of tracks going through it all. And I found 2 big piles of bear scat

Bearcat89 wrote:

The front of the corn field looks rough, but the back 80 is thriving. I’m heading in starting to set cameras and try out my new beast sticks and stand. I’m going in to this season a little different with a full mobile set up. I have spotted 2 really nice shooters in the last couple weeks. Hoping to pin point t where they are bedding at with out getting to close.

Youre going to be on some nice deer with that plan in mind

Youre going to be on some nice deer with that plan in mind
[/quote]

This is the year. I’ve shot a few shooter bucks being lucky, but this is my archery season for a swamp buck.

2023 Nebraska archery deer tag in my pocket.
This year they reduced the nonresident tag numbers from 5000 to 3000. However they still allow a person to buy 2 tags that allow the taking of a buck.
They did not sell out last year and as of a few minutes ago they were down to 1215 left.
T minus 38 days and counting. But who is counting. Lol

Well I waited until the warmest day of the year to change batteries and move cameras around. As you can tell from pic I think I lost 5lbs! But didn’t take long to get a nice 8 to show up. Hung a stand in the yard a few weeks ago and have been practicing out of that, won’t be long!

Another Pic

Looks like we know where you’ll be opening day

New 2023 regs are out. Honestly lots of changes to lower limits.

Youbetcha wrote:

New 2023 regs are out. Honestly lots of changes to lower limits.

Just saw that.

Here’s the link.

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/full_regs.pdf?20230801-08

I was very tempted to dump a bunch of time in scouting a large chunk of public land over the offseason but very glad I didnt as it dropped to a one deer unit.

Everything looks like last year as far as bag limits go around me.
I haven’t seen very many does with fawns this summer. I wonder if some does aborted their fawns last winter.
It’s either that or they didn’t get bred or it’s predation.

Youbetcha wrote:

I was very tempted to dump a bunch of time in scouting a large chunk of public land over the offseason but very glad I didnt as it dropped to a one deer unit.

Go fill that tag first then move on to a 3 deer zone.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Carter Johnson wrote:</div>
I was very tempted to dump a bunch of time in scouting a large chunk of public land over the offseason but very glad I didnt as it dropped to a one deer unit.

Go fill that tag first then move on to a 3 deer zone.

Crappy thing about that is if you tag out on a doe on a one deer unit thats your either sex tag. For a guy that only bowhunts anyway. You cant use a bonus tag.

Crappy thing about that is if you tag out on a doe on a one deer unit thats your either sex tag. For a guy that only bowhunts anyway. You cant use a bonus tag.
[/quote]

Yup, I hear ya. I pictured taking a big buck right away and moving on lol, if it were only that easy

I wish. Wasted too many sits passing on does in a one deer unit.

Here is the start of my food plot for the year.
It’s a 1/2 acre bay in the woods. East of this 1/2 acre is corn.

Went in and spread 40 lbs of triple 10. It’s all they had. Wanted to put down 120 lbs of triple 13.
Spread a fall brassica mix into the standing grass and weeds. Then sprayed round up on everything.
With the rain that is forecasted this weekend I think my timing is right.
Late next week I am going to mow it down good and spread the 120 lbs of triple 13 and then pray for more rain.
Once I get it mowed I am going to put a 4 x 4 post with a licking branch on it right in the middle of the plot. It will be a perfect 20 yards from the stand.

Last year this 10 acres of woods and the crop field had deer all over it through thanksgiving.