Success this AM

[snapbang]

I was in my blind by 5:30 am. An hour and a half before legal shooting. I like to get there early cause Half Cocked and I did see deer going by in the dark. Dont want to scare any deer away right before shooting hours. My buddy texted me he had over slept. I had the heat on and was pretty comfy. Ate a half of an apple fritter I left there a few days before and finish my hot chocolate. AAAAHHHH

After shooting time I had what Im referring to the ugly buck go by. If you take your pointy finger and bend it at 90 degrees thats about what the ugly buck looks like. A few minutes later about a 6 point went by. I think a twin to the one Half Cocked shot. I almost did and thought well if Im seeing deer I just need to be patient.

About 1/2 hour later following the previous two bucks trail in reverse I see movement. This fellow was on a mission. I grunted at him a couple times very loud. He paid no attention. So I put my face out the window and let a really loud grunt go. He stopped dead and looked right at me. Don't you know with a 4" tree covering his left side at about 100 yards. Been shooting my new to me $126.00 LK 93 with 80.6(W) grains of T7 and Precision Rifle Dead center 220 grains.

Didnt want to hit the shoulder so moved up to the neck and he fell like a rock. Never moved from where he fell.

 

[MrTom]

That one will keep your knife hand busy. Looks like a stout deer. Congrats!

 

[03mossy]

Congrats! Unique looking rack on him.

 

[HC]

Congrats on a very respectable Buck.

 

[snapbang]

 

[Hanshi]

Congratulations on a very nice buck. He's certainly nice enough to mount, IMO. You did good, snapbang.

 

[deermanok]

That's a dandy buck.
Congrats.

 

[snapbang]

Yeah he is a good looking deer. Ill do a European or just mount the rack. My barn has deer and elk racks in the rafters. I may mount him and put him back out in the blind.

 

[Okie Hog]

Congrats on the great buck.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Congrats!

 

[Blueridgeguy]

Congratulations!

 

[Widude]

In the blind 1:30 before shooting light shows dedication, heat helps when it’s cold out. I agree, hate busting deer on the way in. I think my usual lead time would be about 20 minutes before opening minute, 30 at the most.

 

[GregK]

Nicely done & congratulations! Still waiting for my SW Michigan buck to come by….maybe tomorrow

Greg

 

[snapbang]

my usual lead time would be about 20 minutes before opening minute, 30 at the most.

Only because of the heat. I can have it 60 degrees in a half an hour. Even with the shooting ports open a low heat keeps it there. My wife leaves early for work so I just go out to my blind. I have 2 office chairs and its real easy to kick back and sleep while I wait for shooting hours. About 15 minutes before shooting I turn the heat way down so the glow doesn't cast shadows. I have gun and varmint magazines to read. I Take water and food. Often I stay all day. I have a bird feeder about 15 yards away and enjoy the birds feeding very much.

After shooting the buck above I have no interesting shooting another. For the remainder of this year I have my sidelock with ball and patch loaded and ready for a doe. My wife has people in the city who want venison. Ill also have several guests out to see if we cant score them a deer or introduce them to hunting.

Then we have the deer drives. Oh is that a pile of fun.

 

[MrTom]

I Take water and food. Often I stay all day. I have a bird feeder about 15 yards away and enjoy the birds feeding very much.

In addition to the food I take daily I also bring out a quart zip-lock bag of sunflower seed. The stand's side walls have 4" caps that make perfect places to spread some seed for the chickadees and nuthatches. It's amazing how fast those little birds can clean up a handful of seed.

An observation I have made at the stand site is that if there is bird activity the deer will be way more laid back. If nothing is moving, the deer tend to be much warier.

 

[snapbang]

An observation I have made at the stand site is that if there is bird activity the deer will be way more laid back. If nothing is moving, the deer tend to be much warier.

Interesting Mr. Tom. But that makes sense. How about some peanuts???
Got me thinking now.

 

[Widude]

The birdseed is a nice touch. I have seen deer around geese & turkeys, I do think they are more comfortable around other critters with good senses.

A relative in the U. P. has a top end tower built with all the comforts, plenty of heat also. One could put a movie on the iPad & just look out once in a while if not hard pressed to bag something.

 

[MrTom]

Personally I stick with the sunflower seed. Peanuts might get squirrels up in the stand and I can imagine the ruckus they'd make if they found me there watching a deer. Squirrels use the waterhole at the stand too. I've watched deer wait until the tree rat has boogied before coming into the water. If a squirrel homes in on you a deer will follow its line of sight. When squirrels are around I stay pretty darned quiet. Turkeys are another one of deer hunter's banes, especially hens with poults. Deer will also follow a turkey's stare and there is nothing in the woods that can stare like a hen turkey.

Sunflower seed is not without its issues too. Blue jays moving thru the area will hone in on the small birds dining on the sunflower seed and move in to push them out. A few blue jays pissed because there's a big orange something where the seed is can make one heck of a fuss and deer are always hip to what the blue jays are telling them. Most of the time I am getting the chickadees and nuthatches. The chickadees can get darned friendly and if I put seed on the bill of my cap they'll sit up there and pick it off. I've had seed in my hand and had both chickadees and nuthatches come and eat. when I'm sitting, I'm a pretty low profile whatever up there to wildlife and those birds can be a real treat to keep me company.

I have no idea how it happened but I forgot my pack up in the stand one night. It still had some snack stucff in it. The next morning, I got in the stand and grabbed the pack, and it was heavier than heck and moving. A young coon crawled out. Mind you I was sitting and had the pack in my lap, so a coon wasn't such a welcome critter. It ended better than it could have after it went up my chest and over my shoulder Now if there's any seed left on the tops of the walls I just brush it off to the ground below and start fresh the next morning. By day three I have birds waiting at the very first hint of light.

 

[snapbang]

A relative in the U. P. has a top end tower built with all the comforts, plenty of heat also. One could put a movie on the iPad & just look out once in a while if not hard pressed to bag something.

Yeah, My days of walking to the woods and sitting at what I believe is a comfortable tree are limited. I do intend to do a couple more western hunts but may target pigs in warmer places in years to come. I thought about taking this laptop out to the blind. Frankly the deer I did shoot wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been on the ball. I go out there and sit in the off season just because I like to be there. Seems like when I get home there is always a story of a crazed squirrel or belligerent blue Jay.

Love those 1/2 thumb sized birds though. Chickadees and the like.

 

[GregK]

My days too are limited. My failing health will eventually win. It’s already limited my ability to be out in the woods. But I appreciate every opportunity I’ve had to hunt & I’m so thankful that my dad taught me how to hunt & fish.
I’m in my blind this morning next to the swamp & I’ve been blessed to see 9 does already. They’re still stepping in snow covered scrapes so there’s a horny old buck here somewhere that needs just one more fix lol

Greg