new to hunting and bows. can anyone help?

[213chrisp]

Ill do the best I can to explain myself. My name is Chris. I'm 28 and grew up around firearms all my life. I enjoy shooting and have my chl (ccw). But no one in my family has any experience with hunting . After finally committing myself to trying this out I traded for my first bow. I went with a barnet jackal crossbow with 9 carbon arrows.

I have to buy tips so first question would be. What should I buy for tips .

I know I have to do scent control so any suggestions as to what to look for.

And the hardest part is I woukd love to be able to hunt with someone , I've signed up for the local hunter safety course but won't be able to attend till Jan 11th. I plan to hunt rush run or hueston woods but this is where Im completely lost. Don't know where to hunt there or what to look for besides obvious signs like droppings or tubs on trees. And food plots and acorns and what not. And any equipment needed please let me know what all I'm going to need.

Ty you in advance.
Chris

Oh I'm in Germantown Ohio

[mrbb]

OK first off, I am from PA, but think its the same in any state, First off you have to pass a hunter ed course to LEGALLY hunt in any state
so till you do that I do NOT think you can legally hunt in Ohio
so check into that with calling Ohio DCNR or the local game warden
next to help find a hunting partner, again you can try asking the local game warden if he know's anyone that mentors hunters, if NOT, ask at the Hunter ed course, odds are they will KNOW people that do
if NOT, try going to some local Bow shops and asking for help there, post a add if they have a bulletin board there, or even local gun shops
can try joining a bow league, many I assume will allow X bows, and not just compounds and likes
plus you will learn a lot about shooting if you do this
next, before you hunt, you need to be efecient with your weapon, that means hitting where you aim, all the time, not some of the time, practite alot all season /yr long! more the better, BUT watch for string wear, X bows can chew up a string fast, as they hold a LOT of power, and there design isn't that great for string wear!
but you need to shoot to learn how it all works, and keep shooting to keep your edge
as for broadhead/tips, well, make sure you stick to same weight tips for practice as well s for hunting, as in 100 grain or 125 grain or 150 grain, make sure the match
second, everyone will tell you what brand is best, truth be told, all modern heads are fine, the key in any hunting head is just this, it has to be sharp, and has to go where you want it, when you want it
most folks and all the latest rage is, mechanical heads
and I too use them, I use 125 grain RAGE crossbow heads for hunting, thye fly just like my field tips, and they are pretty well liked in the hunting world, meaning they been tested and work more than they don't if you do your part, putting it where it needs be
NO head will kill being put in a bad spot on a deer, don't believe any hype, you have to hit and cut a vital organ to kill a deer,
practice with a broadhead too, to mke sure what ever you use fly's the same as your target tips, many folks skip this part
BUT remember that if you do this, you will dull the blades, so a great idea to swap out blades for new one's before hunting with them
the crappy cheap so called fake broadheads that come with Rages do NOT fly the same, as in many other brands, why they do this is beyond me!, cheap on there part I guess!

as for equipment, well the sky is the limit here, all you need to kill deer is this, move slow, pay attention, and hunt where deer are
camo helps, but personally its more in how it makes a hunter feel, than really needed, millions of folks killed eer before there was camo so?/
But blending in never hurts, buy cloths that are quiet. better to be quiet than camo'd any day of the week if you ask me
scentt control
here again the sky and how dedicated you are is the only limit
things I suggest, and do, I shower with so called scent free shampoo, use so called scent free deoderant
I wash all my hunting clothes in scent free laundry detergent, and ALWAYS wash the washer in one cycle first to clear out any scent from other detergents first, same with the dryer, I use scent free dryer sheets and run a dryer sheet in dryer for 20 minutes before adding my hunting clothes with a fresh dryer sheet
next I store all my hunting clothes in scent free plastic totes(like 30-36 gallon totes, I wash good with baking soda and let air dry before adding clothes)
I never wear my hunting clothes for anything but hunting, I wear clothes washed in scent free detergent, and then at hunting site change into hunting gear before hunting, and then off again for ride home
that is my scent control, been very happy doing this for 20+ yrs
not what every one does, but an idea
I also use the so called human scent sprays, I spray down before walking into a stand too, forgot to add above!
things many forget I think, hunting boots shoul;d be seperate from work boots, same as with , NOT pumping gas in hunting boots or just that, gas sticks to you like glue, so avoid that before hunting if you can same with a hat, its many times the little things that burn you

as for reading sign, well thats a skill that comes from time spent in the woods if you ask me, all things like tracks, rubs scrapes and likes tell you deer where there, but learning when they were there and why, comes with experience
hunting near food is normally a help, as deer eat, but many eat at night, so a little farther back is normally better, unl;ess you have low pressured deer, that feed in food plots in daylight
best of luck hope this helped some
if you have any questions feel free to ask, be glad to help if I could

[mrbb]

wel as for places to hunt, again, talk and get to know your local game warden, be suprised how helpful one can be on giveing you tips on where to hunt, maybe even private lands where owners have crop damage/deer damage, that might lead you to private access!
never hurts to ask if you get my drift on info from a local warden!

[213chrisp]

thanks for all the information and that helps alot,
i did go to a local archery shop today and they suggested i just read the manual and then go get certified at a local odnr office, that way i dont have to wait months to go threw the safety course, so that will be the first thing i do.
the scent control was a topic i knew little about but ive been reading alot about how to plan a hunt and wathcing alot of youtube videos on the subject and thankfully they also covered that subject about like you did, which is a plus, so i think i got that part figured out.
ive been asking in facebook groups and threw some friends and no one seems to want to help me because they dont want to give away there locations on where they hunt, sadly i tried explaining i dont even want to shoot one yet, i just want to get in the field and sit and survey with them so i understand WHY they chose the spot they did and i can use that knowledge to good use .

i have been looking at public hunting area and found what i think will be the perfect spots , maybe i can post a link

[213chrisp]

pull up google maps and search these cords
39.593338,-84.601513
let me know if that worked.

you will see the small lake , its in the corner of the park, so it has nautral bedding area i would think near that spot, they are obviously going to move to the fields to feed on , and the water near and i think the 2 creek beds as well.

i was thining that spot, or just north at the Y where it looks like it would be a natrual funnel for them to make there way east to the large plots of farm land.

[mrbb]

that place looks nice, but nothig beats walking it to see, and again, a good spot now, might be a mad house come gun season or just hunting season
talkking to your loal game warden again , he can tell you how much pessure a public lands gets, maybe saving you some headaches/surprises

and again, many hunter ed places have lists of mentors that help new hunters get started, ask about, call several all over the area too, never know till you ask
I learned to hunt by myself in the 80's
so it can be done, and that was back before the internet and so much info out there and known info too!
just enjoy and be safe
and it al comes in time if you want to learn, nothing beats experience's you earn
good luck

[213chrisp]

Wts your thoughts on using a pop up blind or climbing tree stand. I personaly want the pop up blind because I'm 250lbs bit I want to take my brother hunting and he's probably every bit of 350. So was thkining of the pop up blind is the safer option but how effictive would one be against deer with a bow ?

[mrbb]

well you can kill deer any way you want if you do your part, buy getting in and out of spots deer travel and set up to intercept them before they can see or smell you
just watch the Tv shows, they kill deer all teh time from both
BUT hunting with a blind can be harder than up a tree, cause you are more in the direct eye path of there vision
you have to also be a little mroe aware of your scent control, as up a tree you have a little advantage of keeping scent up higher over some deer's nose's
next a blind will stick out and many deer need time to adjust to it being there
and on public lands, levaing a blind out for any time alone, can mean having one stolen
same with treestands, but a blind is easier to take it sems, or just damage!
next
on the ground in a blin% sure there legal in Ohio on public lands, but not 100%, they seem to focus more on blinds than sound up a tree
but I have killed many deer both ways
I have also killed a lot more deer off the ground without a blind or a treestand, will admit more of them kills came with a rifle, at 50-75 yrds
but it can be done with making natural blinds, legally there allowed in most states, but not all, so you have to look first before building and hunting from one, I am 95% sure there legal in ohio, but not 100% sure there legal on public lands, many times public lands and private lands can have different rules
like baiting, its legal in Ohio on private lands but NOT on public, so look into that before building and using!

they sell and make BIG ladder stands for bigger folks and or two people, , but there also heavy to haul and set uop, but do able if you have the desire
if you are new to hunting, and want to kill deer, your lowering your odds a lot having 2 people hunting in a treeot blind
by adding twice the scent
so won't tell you not to, but your not helping yourself with two folks at first(even pro's will tell you its a lot harder when they have a camera man up a tree with them,
blinds too, big shooting house's set up weeks or yrs in advance over prime food plots on unpressured lands, is typically hopw the pro's hunt and even there they can struggle
so publi lands,????
your call

a blind is safer sure, and many times can be warmer and hide a lot of movements, both ways have pros and con's
being a bigger guy I suggest you look into making a good ground blind, or a good ladderstand made to hold you, or roll the dice on a ground blind being there when you want to hunt
sure you can set up day you hunt, but again that lowers your odds, as deer tend to notice new things and that can lead to you getting busted!
good luck

[213chrisp]

ok im going to do the best i can explain my day, decided to go scouting that land i was showing you earlier about, spent about 2 hours today 12.30 pm till about 230 ish. i put drew up a map of the path i took and they have numbers at the locations. each number has a video, or picture of something in question. and i will link everything so you can understand my questions and comments.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/scouting_zpsc0dd55b8.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/scouting_zpsc0dd55b8.jpg.html)

as you see , i walked a rather large section of this public land, just wearing boots , jeans and a solid orange tee shirt and my cell phone, so wasnt trying to be covert or anything just wanted to get some foot time in these lands and look for clues as to where deer might be and i can plan a hunt according.

i walk into the woods from parking lot , directly north to the lake edge and walk around thinking that would be a simple least resistance to the corner of that land which is where i was curious to get too. being i dont know where paths are at this point yet, i stumbled across picture #1 and video #6 to what i believe to be antler rubs against a tree, during my entire trip there its the ONLY place i seen something like this in the woods there. can you confirm if i am correct on what i beleive that to be?
and next question would be, why there? its no where near any feeding zones that i could think of, just some simple berries on some shurbs, the small pond just south of the tree, and alot of cover, so maybe a bedding area?
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/IMAG0421_zps00eec8e2.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/IMAG0421_zps00eec8e2.jpg.html)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X43ziSV1Yz4

[213chrisp]

so moved on threw the woods to where i was intended to be going, made it to the corner of the opening which i thought would be a feeding plot of some sort, turned out to be tall grass in the middle so i walked to the 2nd field and it was corn mixed with tall grass but not big and the 3rd lot was the same, inspected the corn and seemed to be eaten up and bad, most of it was on the ground and rotted away or striped from all the animals. so i made my way up the property line north to where i thought might be a funnel at the bottom of this hillside where the lake and creek feed together. i stoped and turned left and spoted a deer at the top of the hill so looped that way and was hoping i could see why the deer was there since i spoked it away. i didnt even find any trails caues of the amount of leaves on the ground, didnt see acorns or anything really that would hold a deer to that location, i know the direction it went too , which was the other hilltop so i looped back that way to see if i could spot any trails, but didnt find a clue.
so i decided to head back to truck and maybe find a better path home because i was semi lost, i kinda plowed my way to that location to begin with. and discovered what i thought to be bedding locations in the corner of the opening in the field in the tall grass? im not sure if its bedding area or if it was from quail hunters or other type of hunters going threw the tall grasses looking for game.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnBbsuocBWE

[213chrisp]

so decided to continue to walk around this plot thinking there HAS to be a better path to get here then how i did, and i know it takes equipment for corn to grow back there like they had it setup, so i continued my path along the edge heading south, and at a tree line in the middle of the field, i discovered a large doe, ironically my heart started pumping and thinking to myself, if i had my bow, just how more anxious would i have been knowing there is a deer this close to me at 145 in the middle of the day, how would i react on a hunt, so i pulled my phone out and started recording the doe as she moved near me and continued to feed.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/IMAG0422_zps5656dab2.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/IMAG0422_zps5656dab2.jpg.html)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWx61i3jo48

[213chrisp]

i watched the doe for a bit, then turned off the camera on my droid and decided i was going to try to sneak up behind her some on this tree line , but then she decided to move closer to me, so i just stopped and went back to original location and continued to film her, and at that point i spooked her just enough so she took off to the woods. if i had to bet 150lbs maybe more. i think she was about 45-50 yards from me when she decided to take off.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLIIhQD1qGw

[213chrisp]

so i decided to go check out why she was there, and investigate what she was feeding on, and im lost once more, nothing there besides this one small patch of vegetation in the field , is that there food source of choice when corn is gone? i would like to think acorns are covered with all the leaves in the woods so not sure how well that would be for deer at this time of year...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md8R-S3c8o4

[nomad_archer]

First off welcome... You have done a lot more research and scouting than a lot of hunters do and it seems like you are having fun. Deer eat a variety of things. Green vegetation is one of many things they eat. When the snow gets very deep in the winter deer will eat tree branches and bark when there isn't easy food around.

Best thing you can get is some sort of range finder especially when you are learning yardages. I got a doe last week at 35ish yards and I used to rangefinder before the shot on a log. If she walked by the log I knew how far I needed to shoot. It really helps and it takes the guesing out of it for you. Depending on when you are hunting dictates where you are hunting but one think for me is I really like to hunt the edges of thick thick cover. I usually have very limited vision in these spots but they have payed off for me.

[213chrisp]

thank you , and yes, it seems i cant find anyone near me thats willing to help so i have to learn how to do this by myself, so i been doing a tone of research online threw forums and youtube videos and stumbled across one about a hour long , the guy shows how to hunt places you never been too or dont know , and use google maps to location good spots using those tools without even having to go to the field, but he also stressed walking it out is good because sometimes the maps are old or you dont see a specific detail in the land on the maps as you would on foot.
thats why i picked the spot i did, was following what he suggested and i would say it was a successful souting trip, i did manage to learn alot but i think it also confused me about as much as i learned.

was the spot 1,6 , is that infact antler rub on the tree?

[mrbb]

OK didn't have time to watch all the video's
but that tree is NOT a buck rub, that is from a beaver chewing on it
most bucks rub trees about an inch in diameter to up to some BIG onbe's, not many will rub a tre even near that size with most being about the size of a soda can or smaller mostof the time, and they typically only rub about a 1/3 of the trees bark off on more or less one side
it has been said it can help you tell the direction they traveled while making it, as bark side still on it, is direction of travel then aftyer rubbing it
they also say rubs are used to markboundry lines and also travel lines, and to show markers to other bucks that one is claiming a home turf, and or just that there here, or just cause they hve nothing better to do LOl

but that tree in your pic and first vid is a beaver damaged tree

[213chrisp]

thank you mrbb for the clarification, kinda expalins why i was confused on finding it in that location , i was hoping it was a antler rub but at least im looking for clues :). and kinda helps me understand more because that lonely tree had me confused because i thought there would be no way a deer would have been at that location.

but i didnt see any other signs anywhere threw the woods of it, is that typical for this time of year?

[00buck]

where is this at not trying to hunt there but if needed or if you wanted i would meet you if it isnt to far away and maybe help scout it or answer questions always trying to help new hunters if so you can pm me or post on here

[radicalxl]

[QUOTE=213chrisp;156776]thank you mrbb for the clarification, kinda expalins why i was confused on finding it in that location , i was hoping it was a antler rub but at least im looking for clues :). and kinda helps me understand more because that lonely tree had me confused because i thought there would be no way a deer would have been at that location.

but i didnt see any other signs anywhere threw the woods of it, is that typical for this time of year?[/QUOTE
mrbb is right, that is for sure not a buck rub. As nomad said, mark your yardage before you start hunting. when I was hunting on a regular basis I usually had 12-15 sets I hunted and I would pre-range 3 or four shots at each location, mark them down in a notebook and look at it before I left. I will add one thing, don't ever assume there is no deer in a certain area. As soon as you do, one will be looking up at you, or staring at you through the blind window at 15 yards.

[mrbb]

well again didn't have time to watch all the video's, but it seems like your in a good area, with deer
deer will be any place a beaver will be, so just cause you don't see sign, doesn't mean deer don't go there, they like swampy area's
they like thick area's, and open area's, and so on
deer live by this simple rule more or less
they need food, water, and safety
any place that they can eat and feel safe, they will be there, after they eat, they will some time down the road need water
they can go many many hrs without food or water, even a day or more, but they need to eat and drink to live
Safety tends to be there number one concern in the world in most places, from about Aug, till about March, with late dec to late feb with food being some times a major factor
deer are browsers by nature, meaning they were designed by nature to live off broswe, browse being soft ediable woody matter, like twigs/buds, and young tree's
its due to farming, that deer have learned to eat crops, but its not there main diet all yr in most places
so most deer live in area's with lots of browse
area's with lots of browse tend to also offer lots of cover, which in turns, means lots of safety, and fast excapes
they will also bed in thick area's, and travel to food, liek crop fields
deer in some places will walk a few miles from where they bed to where they eat every day, , very common out west
but in the NE part of america, deer tend to live/bed closer when ever possible
places that get the least amount of disturbance , from hunters hikers, traffic and what ever , make the best bedding area;'s as long as they have cover and safety to the deer
a deer will bed in about any place it feels safe, from hiding behind a single bush all day, to in the middle of a swamp, on a river island or???
the name of the game in hunting deer is trying to guess where they will be and be there before they get there
since food is something we know they have to have to live, setting up on or near food, and catching them eating or on there way to eat is always a great place to sit for one
next setting up just a ways from a bedding area, getting them on there way back to a bedding area is another good place
pinch points between these two area's is normally a hot spot
how far from food or bedding??
that is the hard part, and why hunting is a challange so many enjoy trying to beat/figure out
so if you have the desire to try, you will learn as you go, only about 15% of hunters kill a deer on average , many times its cause its just not that easy, and other times cause folks don't have teh time to invest, or others don't see the deer they want, but still,
hunting isn't the highest odds game out there
and again, that's the challange we all seem to enjoy

scouting camera's are great, but just cause tou get a pic of a deer at 1 pm today does NOT mean at 1 pm it is there again, deer don't live that patterenable in 99% of the places they roam and live
tracks help tell a story, but tracks don't always tell you what time they were made, and a single deer can make a ton of tracks in short time

you seem like you want to hunt, and learn
I strongly suggest you
ask questions as you go, read , subscribe to several hunting magazines if you can afford them, like outdoor life, whitetal, north american hunter, JOIN the NRA too, always a great thing to do, being a member you will get a free monthly magazine too, and a good one too!
I wouldn't suggest learning how to hunt by watching TV hunting show's
sadly far too many hunt in places the average person cannot afford to
and they wil make it look way easier than it really is, and maybe make you feel like your failing when your really not
there TV shows, made to entertain, not so much teach you how to hunt
I persona;y am not a fan of most, they IMO lie far too many times about things they do
to new people, maybe its not so noticable, but to folks that have earned there hunting experience's from YRS of doing it
it turns a lot of us more experienced hunters off fast!
if you liek to read, theer are tons of great books out there to give idea's on how to hunt and ways to try
and from there you can do the one's you like, and want to
there isn't any real way of doing it wrong, to a point of course
just be safe, that inclused learning propper ways to use weapons, how to safely be in the outdoos, watching backgrounds when shooting and treestand safety if you use them, and also, blind safety if you use them,
just enjoy, and don't worry about making mistakes we all make them, thats a great way to learn too, good luck and feel free to ask, site seems to be running better, so odds are you will get more feedback now too!

[213chrisp]

again thank you for the deep reply, to answer the other guys post, its south west ohio, rush run wildlife area to be exact, in gratis ohio , near hueston woods state park. it is known to be a decent doe place but not good for bucks from what the history of the place, but again that could be a wrong statement cause im sure if there is a doe somewhere, there has to be a buck near it at one point.

the place i might be leasing is down in hamilton in a town called millvill, its apartently 1 stop sign and is about 15 achers. with a large pond and a farm behind it. with a good patch of woods between .

[nomad_archer]

Like radicalxl said deer show up everywhere even if there isn't really obvious sign. I have hunted areas with tons of buck sign and scrapes all over the place but I never saw the buck that made them. It seems like you have a pretty good base knowledge the best way to figure out what the deer are doing in a particular area is to go out and hunt them you can adjust your set ups as necessary.

For example I have been hunting a particular area by my cabin for 8-9 years. This year I finally got a ladder stand to put where I thought the deer were moving. After one sit I needed to move the stand 50 yards. It turns out the final spot for the set was 40 yards from a tree i used to use my climber in. So I needed some minor adjustments to finally get the stand in the right spot. Remember you can always adjust your setup as necessary what you dont want to do is to constantly be moving your set. Where I am at not I had a buck and a few does walk by that week although they were there before I moved my set. I am able to see 60-80 yards and did see the majority of the deer I was after in that area but I will not be moving my setup again at least not until I give the spot I picked a little better chance.

The moral of the story is if you think you have a good spot go and sit it a few times for a few hours and see what you see. Dont be discouraged some spots really work out well others turn out to be duds.

[213chrisp]

next part to this issue, lets say i do go hunting and i do manage to get my first deer, how do i get it back to my truck by myself? there are a few good hills i would have to trail threw so im just worried that i might run into an issue where i cant get the deer out of the area im hunting there, which is one of the reasons why i was wanting private land, i can use my golfcart to get it out of the woods.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/golf%20cart%20project/IMAG0169_zps6a477a9f.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/golf%20cart%20project/IMAG0169_zps6a477a9f.jpg.html)

[nomad_archer]

If there are trials you can use some thing like
A game cart:http://www.cabelas.com/product/Yukon-Collapsible-Game-Cart/741991.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Ddeer%2Bcart%26x%3D-1187%26y%3D-51%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=deer+cart&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Or a simple deer drag http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunters-Specialties-Deluxe-Deer-Drag/709135.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Ddeer%2Bcart%26x%3D-1187%26y%3D-51%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=deer+cart&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

I use both a deer cart and a deer drag depending on where the deer is and what needs to be done. Where I hunt there are usually some decent trails and or old logging roads. In those cases I go back to the truck and get the deer cart. I sometimes use a deer drag to get the deer to the logging roads. I will sometimes drag the deer all the way out with a deer drag depending on the number of people in the woods (gun opener). If you have some snow a cheap roll up sled makes things easier. On private land use your golf cart but on public land the deer drag always helps. Deer drags will also help to get the deer to a place with easy access to get them out.

[213chrisp]

good idea, i was thinking of using a sled like a plastic torpedo or something like that but for 10 bucks i think the drag would work, i just hope i can manage to pull it the 1 mile or so that it felt like i was walking.

[nomad_archer]

Take your time and you will get it out. Deer tend to drag ok once they get on open ground. Here in the mountains of PA you always seem to have the deer go down the biggest hill in the neighborhood and some die and like to slide all the way to the bottom.

[213chrisp]

i think this sat morning im going to attempt my first hunt. at that field i found that doe, all depends on wind will depend on the direction i approach the place, from what the weather is saying its suppost to blow nw which means i should be ok to go to that stretch of trees and sit there and hope something comes out to that field where i was at before. dont really think i can get to the south woods line cause of the wind direction i would be downwind of them if they was going to come out of the woods behind me though.
and it looks like its going to get cold out too which from what i understand is a plus helping them get active in the am and forces them to move around and feed.

[nomad_archer]

Just an FYI. Big fields tend to be better in the evening. By the time you get there in the morning the deer will more than likely be bedded down and if they are not you will more than likely clear the field before you get set up. Now think about it how often do you see deer in fields during the day... not often. Now how often are they there right before dark... pretty often. So think about this get back off of the field were that doe came from in the woods and you have a little bit better chance of seeing deer in the morning. In the evening setup on a trail or two 20 - 30 yards from the field and see what you see. Thats how I would play it. But you have the boots on the ground experience with the place so I could be way off.

[213chrisp]

so your suggesting i stay just to the south of the field and see if i can get them heading from the field back into the woods to bed down for the day? i figured with it being as cold as its suppost to get and nasty day out, ( i think its going to be low 30-high 20's and cloudy and rainy) that they might be coming to field and staying out there to feed more then normal. or would my thought process be kinda wrong?

[nomad_archer]

With the cold they will be feeding more then usual absolutely. I am not saying your plan is wrong. You may want to give it a try because I do not hunt too many fields since they are rare on public land here in PA. Will they be feeding in the field I don't know but I wouldn't set up to hunt the field edges in the morning. Setup inside the wood line it doesnt have to be very far but I would be 20-30 yards at least inside the wood line because they may be feeding just inside the field edge because the woods offer them some cover and protection so they would presumably stay there for safety.

[213chrisp]

ok that makes since on why when i was following the trail back to my truck i found soneone made a manmade blind on one side of the creek just south of the field in the woods, and its about 25-30 yards to the other side of the creek where it has a nice good opening and the trail Y's off and makes its way to the field on direction and other direction goes back toward the woods more. so i beleive someones had the same though process in that exact location, its probably 20-30 yards from the tree line and where i would be sitting is probably 50-60 yards from the field. i think i can get in there and be ready before sun up, it was about a 10 min walk to get to that spot.

my only issue that has me worried is i dont have a stand so i can use that blind in my favor, im just worried the scent will be going north into the field and keep them from coming my way cause i very easly could be down wind of them at that point if the wind is not blowing NW, if it goes north im probably screwed. NE i know for sure they would . i guess i have to play that part by ear.

i might have to pull a hail mary and try another field

[nomad_archer]

Sounds like a good plan to me. I wish you the best of luck and you have the enthusiasm to get this figured out on your own. Plus dont me disappointed if you dont see anything the first few sits. It happens to all of us.

[213chrisp]

there is some more fields off to the west of where i scouted, that is in another parking area, it is ALOT closer of a hike to get too and the woods is to the north of the fields so i wounder if that would be a better location and hide in the woods on that side of that field cause of wind direction.
??? any thoughts on that?

[nomad_archer]

I say go with your gut. Hunt the first field you were interested in and see whats happening there. On thing to remember about hunting is to keep it simple and go with your gut and dont try to over think it. I think it is time for you to get out there and hunt. Also try not to get tied to a spot it is better to have several options and spots to hunt especially on public land since you never know if someone will be in the same area as you want to be. If they are then you need to have a back up plan.

[213chrisp]

yep i was just thinking the same thing, just dont know the land well enough to know where spots are good at, i guess only way to find out is try and see what happens. i know if wind is going north no way i can go to the north side of the field and hunt in that woods cause deer would be downwind of my location. so i would have to stay on the south side and hope i get lucky.

[nomad_archer]

sounds like a good plan to me. Good luck let us know how you do.

[213chrisp]

yea im ready to get out in the field and just go with what is delt with me, if i get one and i cant get it out, one way or another ill figure out a way too, or same thing goes with field cleaning it, never done it, did alot of research , and only way to know if i can do it, is by doing it in the field on my own.

[nomad_archer]

Field dressing isnt too difficult but much easier to show someone that to describe it. They doe I got last friday took about 7 minutes or less from when I took my jacket off until the deed was done. Probably only 4 minutes total to get everything out. The first deer I did myself took something like half an hour and I had been showed how to do it and aslo done it with instruction. Dont be discouraged if the first field dressing attempt doesnt go well. Make sure you have gloves, a sharp knife and some paper towels to clean up your knife and if you get any on you. Also when using the drag crisscross the deers legs over the neck/behind the head and then tie the drag around the neck where you have the legs crisscrossed. It will make it alot easier to drag and get over any logs that may be in the way.

If you get to shoot... make sure you wait at least 30 minutes after you shoot to go look for your arrow/track the deer. We lost a buck at out cabin last week because the guy couldnt wait the 30 minutes to get the deer. Good shoot but bumped the deer and lost the blood trail. 30 minutes is if you have a good hit. Longer if it was a poor shot.

Have you dont any research on good/bad angles and shots with archery equipment. If you havent I suggest you do so you can make a good shoot on the first one.

[213chrisp]

i did do a bit , i know where to aim, and know it needs to be a broad side shot with its front leg forward and not back toward the back end as the front shoulder blade cloud diflect the arrow and cause a bad hit or completely miss the vitals. i did not do much in reguards to BOWs though, but i did sight in my crossbow for 30 and 50 yards with my red dot so i should be ready, or so i hope, i just gotta go get my licenses and tag , drag, and a knife set and im ready for the woods.

[nomad_archer]

One good knife will do you just fine. I like kershaw knives but everyone has their favorite as long as it is sharp you should be good to go. You dont need a huge blade 3" or so is good, otherwise it will just get in the way deer aren't that big inside. Unless you plan to butcher the deer the one knife deal is plenty. If you are going to try to butcher the deer yourself then that is a whole seperate conversation. Good luck make sure you check where your crossbow will hit at 20 and 40 yards. My bow and dad's crossbow are both sighted in at 20-30-40 yards since there is enough difference in those yardages to justify having them set up as such. But if you are hitting good at 20-50 yards being sighted in the way you are that gives you one less thing to worry about is getting the exact yardage right. Again good luck I hope you have lots of success your first time out.

[213chrisp]

this is how i was going to field cleaning the deer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewCVFkkyQC4

[nomad_archer]

Cool that will work. I will have to try his method for getting the butthole out. I usually get as close as I can to getting it out and cut the pelvis with a bone saw when I get the deer back to the truck. The only thing I do different is I dont split the pelvic bone in the woods or the breast bone to much of a chance to cut yourself with both methods. You need to split the pelvis to get the butthole out but I do that at the truck. I never bother splitting the breast bone since you can reach in there and cut what you need to cut without adding the extra work. Plus the meat stays cleaner when you drag it out if the body cavity has some structure to it. IE the breast bone isnt split.

You may want to get tall rubber dish gloves for gutting gloves they are durable and reusable.

[mrbb]

well that video does a good job , but IF you don't have a knife yet, they sell many models with what they call a gut hook, if you see the second knife he used, it has one on it, its made so you don't have to use your fingers to hold open the belly cut, and helps prevent any cutting into the guts and or your fingers
they work well, and can be had kinda cheap
the real deal is keeping a knife sharp
a dull knife is much more dangerous than a shatp one,
if you plan to get your first deer mounted, you will NOT want to cut up thry the ribs like he did
what you then have to do is stop at them, and reach up with your arms and just remove things that way, some what blind cutting, but nothing in ther is consideed great meat cuts, so even if you slice up a little, no real harm, just don't cut your fingers doing so
name of teh game is to cut all loose up there so you can pull it out
its a learning curve that works best by doing, rather than reading
you'll be ok
as for removinga deer, they drag some what easy, just take your time and you'll be ok
they sell carts and the likes, but if its hilly they come to be more work than help
these days with so many folks with cell phone, normally a call to a friend can bring extra muscle, and that makes life the easiest
a good 10 ft rope is all you need and strong back and will power
go slow, and take all the breaks you need
gutting a deer before dragging makes the lighter LOL
so many folks do that where they die! for that reason, some folks don't cause they worry about attracting coyotes and such, and ruining there hunting area
I never worry about that, but some do

if you hit a deer, best advice I can tell you is try to do 2 things, really pay attention to where exactlly it was standing when you shot, and where you last seen it whe it runs off, them two spots are HUGE impotance, so many get caught up in excitement and forget to do this
and if a poor shot happens, and they do, not knowing these things makes matters even harder to recover
when it doubt back out, meaning its better to wait longer than go after a deer sooner
archery kills by nleding a deer out, a rifle/bullet does so more by trama
so a minor hit takes alot longer if at all to bleed a deer out, than a good hit, thus, more time nefore looking the better on poor hits

lighted nocks help a ton on seeing where you hit a deer, finding an arrow, or even the deer I highly recommend them if your budget allows

a good range finder too is great gear to have
for new hunters I strongly recommend you try to stick to closer shots too, like 30 yrds and less
closer tends to leave less room for error
experience and skills progress and then you can decided on how far is far!
asking here or any bow hunting site tends to get a lot of debate on how far is too far or just far so its a personal call and skill set

[213chrisp]

yea i dont have a knife yet either, its on the list to buy before i head out, it seems i might be having to work now too, but if im off, im heading out to the woods on way or another.

[Newbowhunter32]

Hey good luck with your first hunt, hope you have some action. It sounds like you have been doing your research which is great. If you are like me, you will also end up learning a lot from trial and error, so don't beat yourself up if things don't go perfectly; just apply what you learned to the next hunt. Another tip for dragging the deer, if you ending up hunting from treestands at all and are wearing a harness, it is pretty nice to tie your rope to the deer as described above and then hook that to the back of your harness-- gives you a more stronger, more durable pull than just holding the rope with your hands. Have fun!

[nomad_archer]

I stay away from using my treestand harness or any of my safety ropes for dragging as I dont want to cause any more wear on them then I need to since if I ever need them I do not want a failure. A small sash type drag takes up next to no room and keeps my safety equipment out of work for deer dragging and in business of keeping me safe. Thats my take on it. Probably wouldnt hurt to use it but I will stay away from it.

[213chrisp]

so today went to walmart and got my licenses and bi sex permit , a double harness deer drag, broadhead wrench and a remington guthook knife. so now im ready to go hunting! besides that small saw he used to split the pelvis bone.

[nomad_archer]

in a pinch I've used all sorts of things to split that bone. A clean hacksaw, butchersaw or a dedicated bonesaw will work just leave it in your vehicle or at home just dont take the deer to the butcher without getting the butthole out.

[213chrisp]

i was thikning about getting a drywall saw at lowes for about 8 bucks and just use it for that. i dont think im going to need much of anything else besides my safety vest and cap. and my shopping list would be done.
all i can say is im getting excited about this, i know weathers going to be like crap but its not stopping me from getting out there , if anything it will help me unwind from normal life and i can get the chance to relax. worked 108 hours at work in the last 2 weeks (mandatory ot) so needless to say im kinda beat up mentaly and physicaly.

[mrbb]

well I have gutted a few hundred der without a saw
and never needed one, there a luxery, and nice to use, but not needed
there are other ways to either break that, crack it or just cut around it and clean things out without breaking/cutting it
a small ax at the truck can get the job done too, and then just remove the rest before hand
a strong knife(be safe about this) and slapping the back down into it hard will work in the right spot

a cheap leatherm,an with a saw will do whole job too
many bigger knives with them gut hooks on them, have a saw teeth on the back of the blade making them a one do all tool too

I wouldn't worry too much about it, butchers get a ton of deer with guts still in them and cleaned poorly, they don't sweat it that much
some might complain more than others but they have to be used to it
I do part time work for a freind that does about 250+ a yr, and trust mem, we get a lot in with a lot of things left in, the butt hole is minor!
I would be more worried about practicing your shooting
did you take a hunter safety course yet??
I now wally world can some times sell lic's to folks that didn't take a test
but that can leave you in violation of some state's game laws if you buy it and hunt with it before taking the course and passing it
ths if you kill a monster buck and they find out, you can loose the deer and even get fined big time for illegally hunting!
shooting well is one of the most important parts of hunting, and shoot safe and accuratly is what I mean by that
good luck and be safe

[nomad_archer]

As mrbb said dont worry too much about the saw. I have a cheap Gerber bone saw I got from dicks sporting goods or walmart years and years ago. Dont worry too much about that. I shot lots of deer before I got the bone saw. It just makes the job easier. Some butchers will add an extra fee on to the job if you dont have the butthole out others wont.

[213chrisp]

so i live in outskirts of a small town on south west ohio and across from my subdevision is farm land that is now just semi overgown and a grass fields mixed with pathces of woods, couple weeks ago seen about 4-5 deer in one of the fields , yesterday seen a good buck , i would guess 8-10 points, i didnt get a super good look at him but i do know he was large, and today im going to work and at 830 and there was a large doe sitting in the other field feeding off the grass lands, im going to go try to see if i cant get access to hunt this land since it seems to hold good quality deer. i just dont know when i can even attempt to approach the landowner.

[213chrisp]

and i just realized my first hunt is going to be first day for youth gun season which reqires all hunter orange vest and cap to be worn at all times. this is going to be intersting day tomorrow

[213chrisp]

ive been trying to find this answer and i just dont seem to be able to figure it out, regulation says no hunting 30 mins before sun up, and 30 mins after sun down, does that mean i cant go into the woods till that time? or i just cant shoot a deer during these times?
reason why im asking is i thought about heading in before sun up and pick my spot and get myself prepared and do a short scouting on the field.

[Newbowhunter32]

You are allowed to go into the woods whenever you want, just can't shoot a deer until 30 minutes before sunrise. You are right on track, generally a good idea to get to your spot 30 minutes to an hour before shooting light so you can get set up and let things quiet down before the action begins... Wouldn't do a ton of scouting in the dark though, it is tough not to bump deer in the dark hours of the morning as they are usually on their feet, I would slip into your spot as quietely as possible and try to choose a route where you are unlikely to encounter deer or leave scent on the path they will be walking to you. Too many times I have seen a deer headed to me and cross my track and become alerted. Of course good scent control can help with this...Good luck and stay safe with youth gun going on

[213chrisp]

yea thats what i thought, i will be working a corner of a open field , im just worried someones going to come in behind me and just trail right threw where ill be sitting to go to the other side of the field and if they do, A the wind will be against them and thats going to run them off and i might as well move to another spot at that point, which i probably will do, i planned on sitting basicaly where the trail comes to the field and it does a Y , left goes to field, right takes you along the edge and thats where i was going to hunt.

i guess time will tell.

[nomad_archer]

Extra people in the woods isnt a bad thing. People moving usually = deer moving as well. I would rather be in the woods with a few other people then all alone especially when things are slow. Dont worry if someone walks by you and keeps going they probably didnt mess anything up. I've had people come through and 10 minutes later I had deer in front of me.

[213chrisp]

Off to the woods I go. Wish me luck. And I'm first one here in this section of woods

[nomad_archer]

Good luck let us know how you do

[213chrisp]

Well clearly I don't know what I'm doing just yet lol. Just cane out of the woods wind is picking up so decided to call it quits. Just crawled back to the truck.
All in all ibyhibk it was successful for my first hunt. About 640 I was going threw woods to get to where I thought was the good spot. And about 2/3 way threw the path I hear a ruckus to my 2aclock. Its still pitch black out so I can't see nor can I shoot and sure enough it was 2 good size deer. And I only know that cause of the white tails in the air. How large I didn't get a good look at them. I had a light strapped to ny head . So made it to my first spot and wasn't getting any action so I decide to go try the field. Here comes a dad and son walking right threw middle of the field crossing the entire thing at a 45 degree angle. At this point the wind is blowing east unseat of north like they projected so I figured I was waisting time hunting this part of the land with the wind blowing basically down the entire field now. So decided to go scout for a new spot about 9am and would find a spot ans stop for 30 mins and look around. Again nothing. I've discovered I need a tree stand (which I don't have) and a game call ( which I don't have). Used a hunting app on my droid and decided to use it in my advantage and starred looking around for spots and discovered this place is nothing but hills and valleys and with 10plus mph wind blowing all these tresses over and the fields figured I'm fighting a lost cause.

It was good learning curve and I will do it again. Just maybe not here .

Guess Its just a matter of experience at this point.

[ed1315]

You went hunting and spooked two deer going in. This happens to me a lot. Many times the deer do not go far so you just settle in and wait. Sometimes they come back or other deer show up, sometimes not. The good news is you saw deer so your spot is good. Now all you have to do is fool them.... easier said than done.....

[nomad_archer]

We all bump deer when walking in some know it some dont so dont worry about it . People walking through the field doesnt really make that much of a difference. I just wont hunt them come gun season since everyone and their brother thinks a deer is crazy enough to walk through an open field.

Dont let 10 plus MPH winds discourage you. I used to think that was bad but over the years I noticed the deer still move but the harder the wind blows the more the deer will move to try to stay out of the wind.

Sounds like you had fun and it seems like you got the public land experience.

[213chrisp]

Well being i don't have a tree stand yet I'm kinda limited. And I don't have any calls yet so I couldn't bunker down somewhere and try go lure anyone in. I guess its a learning curve but still frustrating.

[nomad_archer]

I rarely use doe bleat and buck grunt calls and only when I can visually see the deer. Around me rattling antlers has never worked and especially not like it does on tv. A climbing tree stand or hang on stand helps alot but it can still be done on the ground.

[radicalxl]

I rarely use doe bleat and buck grunt calls and only when I can visually see the deer. Around me rattling antlers has never worked and especially not like it does on tv. A climbing tree stand or hang on stand helps alot but it can still be done on the ground.

My age and surgeries forced me on the ground in 2008. Use manufactured and home made blinds now. I buy two tags a year and have filled them on the ground each year that I've hunted. You don't need a tree stand right now, just get out there. Shots are different from a tree stand. Because your just getting started in the sport, your better off on the ground anyway.

[213chrisp]

what research ive done says temp blinds are hard to use in public grounds because the fact that its something new in there enviroment and takes the deer a few days to get use to it sometimes, which i thought would be a disaventage over a tree stand, and yes calling deer is only good when you see one, that part i did read alot about and it makes since. from what ive read rattling rarly or never works in this area as well, seems grunt is the call of choice and bleat would be after, but i guess that is also up to the hunters opinions and probably not "required" to hunt, just gives them an advanatge over someone that just sits quiet in a tree or blind.

if i dont hunt with a blind or treestand then how do you pick the perfect spot to stay and wait, seems the spots i picked out wasnt great for it. the area i was hunting was super thick in most parts with alot of small hills and valleys, which leads me to not finding a spot where you could sit and get a decent clearing for a shot, and since i couldnt hunt the field edge in the AM times, i guess its just lack of experience to know what to look for when it comes to places to hunt at.

i did finally get permission to hunt the other private land which has a deer blind tree stand already up for me to use, so ill probably give that a go next time i go hunting. even though i would rather get one on public land knowing its more hunting and requires skills moreso then private land.

[radicalxl]

Just from reading some of your posts, you seem to be able to get yourself on some deer. It is true about pop up blinds, it takes a little time for deer to get used to. It is best to brush them in or build one out of natural materials from the area you hunt. The deer you see to the left is a 157 7/8 not young and dumb. I did not have a shot on him half a mile from where I shot him. I knew where he was heading because of scouting his rub and scrape line, so away I went. I got to one of my blinds that was set-up on that line and did not have time to get into it. I hid myself against a tree, he came cruising by, I gave him a little grunt, he stopped, he's dead. Point: find out where they're coming from (you already know where they're going) ambush them somewhere along the way. You don't always need a blind. As far as being able to shoot, you need to cut some shooting lanes towards where they are moving through. They may not always be in those lanes but, that's hunting. Just keep at it.

[213chrisp]

ok ? for you, you say i know where there going, but in fact i dont think i do completely, the open fields where the youtube video was taken from doesnt have much to offer anymore besides some greenery on the ground, i did manage to find a few small corn plots there yesterday that still had corn in them and dont seem like there too intersted in feeding in that area, but there was prints all over that open field.
i can say i think there in the woods to the south east corner but how to hunt that area is where i think im lost because it just seems so thick and almost impossiable to find an area that i can get a shot off that is more then 25-30 yards away at the most, and even that would be super lucky, cause the areas that are like that, are in the middle of a small hillside with little cover to use to hide myself with. i guess i have to scout some more in that area maybe to figure out whats in the se wooding area which is where i think there bedding down in.

[mrbb]

where a deer is going and when is always a gamble and a guess
don't think that you have to know this info
what you need to know is that deer are in the general area you are hunting, then from there try to think like a deer
think about it, a deer needs to have food water and safety, colder it gets, more they need food to stay warm
anything green this time of yr(minus pine tree's) is more than likely a good food source to a deer
corn, now and till its cut or gone will always attrract deer, but like all crops and food plots, deer learn that its there 24/7
meaning they know they can go to it when ever they want, or safest, and many times that means at night
or they will just live in that corn and only leave it for water, as corn can be great for safety for them too!

as for how do you hunt without a blind or a tree stands
millions of deer have been killed by folks just sitting up against a tree, on a rock a stump and so on
the better you can see deer before they see you the better, and as such, the better you can blend in, as in build a blind out of tree branches and or what ever is naturally handy
but again, all you have to do is sit still and pay attention to spot deer before they see you, so you have time to get ready,
pinch points, places of higher elevation, and there are many times tree's that can be climbed, to gain a few feet too(don't recommend using branches to go high, be safe and use good judgement here)
treestands really only got popular in the late 80's and 90's
and deer have been killed for a lot longer than they have been about, and pop up blinds have really only been about for about 10-15 yrs with the last 5 or so being the most used, adn again I feel that's because of the fact they make for easier hunts on private lands and for camera man to film TV hunts!
and all the folks that want to take kids and have less worry about kids being fidigty and such!
al it takes to kill a adeer again is being able to make a good shot, and read deer sign, and be where deer are
do all this and you will kill deer
to just kill a deer isn't all that hard if you put forth an effort , killing one of a certain age and class on a regular basis can be much harder, but many do it yr after yr, so even that is possible
hunting is like most things in life, more you put into it, more you get out of it, and that includes kills

[radicalxl]

To me it does sound like you do know where there going, your just second guessing yourself. If there are deer in that area they will go to the food as the temps get colder. What we are suggesting doesn't always work, they are just higher percentage ways of going about it. If it was that easy, anybody could do it. It may be a few years before you knock one down, it may be the next time you go out, who knows. One thing I do know, if you get discouraged and you and the couch become best friends, it ain't ever gonna happen.

[mrbb]

also, I personally think learning the way you are will be more rewarding when you get that first one
people that get taken out and all set up, have a much easier time, but I think they miss learning a lot of things, you learn by trial and error
trial and error in the hunting world adds yrs of experience over a hunter that was walked out put up a tree and placed in a spot to kill
they never got to learn why to hunt there or how to read sign or the rest of things involved in hunting
more experienced folks like to take there kids to get them a deer , and I get that , but at the same time I feel the kids miss learning a lot of what we all(experienced hunters who learned from doing) have learned along our yrs
a big difference to me
so just stay possitive and rememebr in the long run you'll be a better hunter by doing all this work now

[213chrisp]

well worded mrbb and i agree 100%, i still plan on going hunting just seems like i got more to learn is all, if i think there going to go to that field to feed at one point or another, i should stay near the edge of that but inside the woods like others have suggested, when i get some time ill try to get some maps up so i can point where i think is good, and kinda go from there.

[mrbb]

also remember that come gun season, a ton more folks will be hunting, like an orange army, and that will change deer movements a lot, in place with more hunters, they tend to move more at night, and bed more all day
that works both ways too, in some places a bedded deer will get moved by the influx of hunters and thus be on there feet more being moved from say a home range onto new lands
a field this time of yr is a good food source, but sadly its more likely to be used at night
a good way to learn a bedding area is to walk from field towards cover, till you start to bump deer
and then back off a little and set up on a next sit, or even that same day!
deer tend to try to bed in same general area, unless move a bunch of times by outseide disturbence's, then they more to places with less intrusion
name of the game is to enjoy being outdoors and then advancing as you go
all about fun, and killing last, even if its the main goal
a kill you earn will be sweeter than one you luck into!

[213chrisp]

yea i was first in the woods sat morning on opening day for youth gun season, and was alone for about 2 hours till around 930ish, i thought i was in the good spot but found myself close to the main path going to the field i was hunting which is why i was forced to move, oh well though.

might have to give the private land a try till after gun season , or i can try public land again next sat cause that will be the break between youth and adult gun season for the 7-10 day period that it is.

about calls.
ive done some reasearch and i seem to like the idea of this Flextone Extinguisher Deer Call , being its basicaly a all in one call for a few different reasons, Cheaper on the wallet cause i wont have to get different calls , and also easier to use cause it seems rather simple to operate, anyone have any experience with one or know someone that has, all reviews ive seen is positive on it.

[nomad_archer]

What MRBB said find I trail from the field source and walk it back until you either run into deer or start finding beds which are essentially ovals of matted leaves, grass etc... where a deer was bedded down.

Dont discount the private land. Hunt that if you have a chance it takes skill to get a deer private or public dont sell yourself short. If I had access to private land I would spend my time hunting that over private land because the private land probably has a few more deer with less pressure and you chances for success will increase as well.

[mrbb]

well to me the real perk of private land is simply this, you have more control over who and when people will show up(or you lets say have more control, as trespassers still drive me nuts at my place LOl)
and that makes deer more predictable, knowing, or them knowing less folks bother them to throw them off there normal routines

as human disturbance is a huge influence on deer if you ask me, and its no fun to walk in to a spot an hr before sun rise, and have a guy walk in on you 10 minutes after first light
it happns on public lands, and you have no action to take but suck it up
where as on private lands, you can maybe kick them out, get to know them and work together to not happen again, or, have them arrested
the perks of private lands can also be lands with better habitat, thus better hunting
and also having the options to set up stands and blinds and leave them with less worry about them gropwing legs and walking off on you!
and in OHIO< on private lands you can legally bait, if you so want, where as on public lands in ohio, its illegal to do so!
those are all the perks to private lands in my book!
but I have killed dozens and dozens of deer on public lands
and even in places I have access to private lands, many times I have still found myself on public lands when conditions are right on them! don't get caught up in the need to have private lands to have a good hunt or chance at a deer, far too many guys cry about public lands, yet the majoriety of deer killed are on public lands in most states yr after yr!

[213chrisp]

which is what i thought, being its private land i dont have to worry about others trailing threw the woods, the deer are no where near as pressured to come out of the woods or move around and feed cause there "safe" in that location , or at least was :) , i know deer are smarter and also stupider then people want to beleive , its just a matter of figuring out feeding/bedding areas and pick a spot between and wait.

[mrbb]

thats right and again, come gun season, deer will be all over the dam place, as all them places no one has been in months will get pressure in most places, private or public
making almost any place a good place to be on opening day
just be safe and watch out for guys shooting and not paying attenion to back grounds
one time of yr that maybe being up a tree is a safer place to be LOl
oh well, hunting is a super safe sport
I live in a state that used to have over a million gun hunters hitting the woods opening day, and it was very rare a person ever got shot! and that was with rifles that can send a bullet a few miles,too!
last yr we actually had a zero % of accidents in the hunting season, a first ina while, but considering how many hunters we have, that make hunting a pretty safe sport overall

[213chrisp]

im ready to get back out there, probably will go hunting sat evening, like 1pm till sundown. just where i dont know yet, either public in the same spot ive been at before, or private land that ive not scouted but friend told me where i should go there.

[mrbb]

well good luck

[nomad_archer]

Good luck and have fun with it. Opening of gun season is always an adventure. Half the fun is deciding where to hunt. There are alot of "spots" in the woods so don't get too attached to one or the other. I mostly hunt public land and have killed a few deer over the years. Not until recently have I had pretty good semi consistent success and as such I have matured and turned into a better hunter and I transitioned from a gun hunter to an archery hunter my success has increased with the amount of time I am able to put in in archery season. It really is a good time. I am still a meat hunter I've just gotten much more confident in my stand choices.

[213chrisp]

just checked out the weather and it says south winds, if that is true, then should i sit on fart north side of a field and go inside the woods about 20 yards and have my back to the field and hunt downwind ?

[nomad_archer]

Sounds like a plan to me. I don't pay too much attention to the wind direction in so far as most of my sets have a prevailing wind direction and hunting in the mountains the actual wind direction may be different from the weather. Just try to keep the wind in your face especially when hunting on the ground. Now saying that I still do pay attention to the wind but I don not let it completely dictate where I will hunt unless it is high winds etc and in those cases you dont want to be on the top of the hill but rather out of the wind.

Now should I pay more attention to the wind probably but I dont. Now if you want to play the game with the wind I say go for it. It cant hurt you chances of success to play the wind correctly.

[213chrisp]

just trying to think like a deer at this point, im sure no matter how much scent controll i do, im sure im giving away some odor, i just want to make sure i put all the ducks in a row and plan the hunt according that way i have a better chance, i think im going to try a different field this time , and its got a mixture of pine trees and brush and regular trees with what looks like a few decent trails , near a small stream, looks like it would be a good spot where i could ambush one coming in at evening time to the fields to feed. and from what i can see looks like ill have a few shooting lanes and semi open too.

[nomad_archer]

Now that sounds like a good spot. Also walk the stream bank and you may find a spot with a heavy trail were they cross. Follow that trail and see where it goes. That may also yield a good spot.

[mrbb]

I also don't hunt by the wind, far too many times I have killed eer on so called wrong winds for a stand
I worry a lot more about scent control, and getting in and out of a setup, without being seen
most folks hunt where deer smell humans all the time, so I think they are less sensitive to human scent, that deer in big mature woods, where human scent isn't very often there
when possible I will try to hunt with a wind working with me, but if a spot is hot, I will hunt that over a different area with less action any day of the week
to me a hot stand is a higher odds hunt no matter the wind, of you do good scent control that is
I seldom get busted, and I have deer near me most sits down wind up wind and all over me, and I feel I am doing a good job, so what I do works for me
we all learn what we feel is working or not as time passes

[radicalxl]

I like hunting a crosswind. With good scent control that seems to work best for me.

[Newbowhunter32]

I also have found that good scent control is key. For a lot of the stands I hunt, deer can be coming at me from multiple directions so it hard to play the wind to my advantage even if i try.

[213chrisp]

Another unsuccessful day Saturday. If anything more of a disapointment then anything and what I've read about the place is exactly what happened. So Saturday decided to try a different field ( the one I planned on trying for a bit now) and I found the trail I wanted and went to far south. Ran across a path where a small field to the west and a large field to the east and a field to the south of this spot. All 100 yards or less. Ironically there was a deer stand mounted to the tree on the corner where I was thinking of hunting. So I hunkered down and got quiet and prepared myself. Within 15 mins I hear a small bell in the distance coming and going. And then I spot a white dog running threw the field to the east and then I spot the orange and sure enough its a dove hunting heading south threw the large field. 30-45 mins later the dog comes back to me .band this time its no more then 15 yards and still hasn't spoted me . Didn't bark or anything just stopped and looked around. The owner called it back and they went off out of the field . No more then a hour passes and another young ccouple comes to the same spot and they have a dog. Instead of going threw this field they decide to head the path I took. There now to my 10pm and 20 yards away and the kid says "wooah" and stops the dog jeeps on walking around and I just raise a hand and say hey and they head west threw the field I was hoping to get a deer to come out of . So I sit still another hour goes by and next thing I know I see another pair coming into the same spot I was sitting and goes to the same field to my left less then 100 yards away and they bunker down in a small overgrown field next to the corn plot and woods. (The same place I was hoping a deer would come from to my location ). So at this point I just said Fuck it. 430 pm and I'm telling myself too many people roaming around at this point so ill go where I think there is deer and I hope I'm alone. So I head to another corn plot to the east across the main road and go to where I van see a lot of paths feed to a central spot and a trail . So I find a tone of brush to bunker down to and hope I get one roaming threw at a dusk . Well no luck . I didn't even see a deer this hunt. So I strolled just into the woods around where I was to quickly scout on my way out and stumbeled across a pine tree cut right to a large thick tree and shrub line and I spot a clear deer path. Spot a large hoove track that looked semi fresh looked still wet anyway and then I spot what I think is rub. Took a pic and looked around more and found 5 trees in less then 50 yards stretch that's all the samehttp://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/IMAG0429_zps8f8d5e84.jpg

I think I can hunt it but be tough. Its near property edge in public ground and I don't think anyone goes this direction to hunt . No obvious signs anywhere.

Ohh forgot to add. I did see a tone of trash and stuff on the other field which leads me to believe its walked a lot. So maybe the east is where all the deer moved too with gun season being here now.

[nomad_archer]

You found yourself quite the rub line

[213chrisp]

yesterday went to rural king and picked up myself a climber tree stand, had them 30% off so figured i would pick me up one.

im planning on going hunting again thursday, but being its open gun season, i dont want to use my shotgun, and dont really want to hunt public grounds but hard to decide where to hunt, i can go back to the place where i found those tree rubs as im almost certain no one would be near that spot due to its location, poor to hunt with a rifle in such a small area like that, or i can go hunt the private ground which ive yet to set a foot on, i guess this is half the fun and battle of hunting is "where".

i think im aiming for public spot since i seem to have a good understanding of these deer now.

[nomad_archer]

Careful with the climber and read the Instructions twice. Wear your harness and remember to tether the top and bottom together so you can't lose the bottom when in the tree

[213chrisp]

ty nomad and yes ive been doing a tone of youtube videos and reading up on them and almost everyone suggest tethering them together for that reason, dont want to get to the top and then loose the bottom half, would be a bad situation.

i think im going to the fields in the morning , still dont know where to go though, private land which ive not been to yet at all , or public land that im sure has been hunted heavly with being open gun season now.

[nomad_archer]

Go private and give it a chance. Thats what I would do.

[213chrisp]

yep, thats what ive decided to do , esp with the winds suppost to be blowing west, looks like it should be a good day. weather doesnt look like good forcast though. rain rain and more rain. oh well, its the only time i get to hunt so out to the land i go. will be early morning when i get there, i assume setting up on a edge of the field is useless at that time of day and be better of going into the woods correct?

[Newbowhunter32]

edges can still be productive in the morning, especially if deer use the edge to travel back from food source to bedding. Also less chance of bumping deer if you set up on the edge... if there is a heavily used trail in the woods that you know the deer are using then that may be better and worth the risk of bumping deer. If I am hunting a new area for the first time and haven't done much scouting, i prefer to hunt on the edge of a field with a good view that way I can see where the deer are making their entrance/exit. Sometimes the first hunt is more of a scouting trip with a bow in case you guess right the first time.

[213chrisp]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/IMAG0436_zps8db2d242.jpg

[213chrisp]

ok, that is the area i got acecss to hunt, the house is to the left, and subdivision to the sw of this picture (can see just the edges of the houses) hard to see but there is a small path leading between the ponds and if you follow it to the woods it will make a S and come out to the large field, im thinking of setting up in that field in the north west corner, OR, you will see that stick out over on right side of the field and there is a row of trees that point out, i think that is a little opening like where you would find a power line threw, thought about sitting back along that cut about half way into the woods. as you see the creek runs along the back side and curls around the woods and down the side of the farm land.

the owner said the north corner where the rocks are and the small pond was also a good spot, so i guess i got alot of options.

[213chrisp]

forgot to mention, winds will be blowing west tomorrow according to weather as well.

[nomad_archer]

I would use the info you got and set up on the edge of the woods and the creek by the small pond. That way you probably wont bump anything and will be able to check and see what is going on. You may want to go and scout before you plan to hunt so you can pick a tree and possibly climb it in your new stand.

[213chrisp]

so your suggesting i sit with my back to the creekside on the north of the property? or right in the corner and 45 it out toward the pond, i know i can eliminate the creek which is why i was thinking sitting my back to that and focus my attention on the wood edge at that point.

[mrbb]

the fields in the top left of that pic, seem a lot greener to me, , not sure how accurate the pic is to current conditions, but I would be hunting near the greenest firld there is, its better food for deer and deeer will know it, unl;ess there is standing corn or soybeans, then I'd be close to them for sure in the evenings and then a little farther back in mornings! catching them going back to bed for the day!

gun hunting pressure can some times be a good thing on private lands, or public, as all the people push deer about making for possible action all day long, where as many times deer only feed at night or early morning and then again at just dusk, learning how to get behind all them people is key, use them to push deer to you
good luck , glad your having fun with hunting

also, on the treestand, make sure you don't keep the twop too tight together when climbing with the link between them, make sure they can work well, and even once at the height your going to stay at, pulling up on the bottom can take presure off what holds it to the tree, so be safe when using, and let somoen know where your going too and when you will be back
I used to keep a map, and put a tac in where I was that evening and leave it in my truck, so if anyoen came a looking they would have a jump start LOl

[213chrisp]

that is a good tip indeed, i usualy tell a few people where im going, and landowner also knows, he tipped me that there is a 180+ lb doe in there , and they have taken a 6, 7. 8and a 9 point buck out of this land over the past few years so he knows there are good size deer back there. and he suggested the same top corner ive been eyeing. and also there apparently is a good trail right as i walk around the large pond to the north and keep walking straight, is a heavly marked trail of hooves and he knows they go to that pond to drink.
so sounds like i got a good game plan figured out.

[mrbb]

sounds liek a nice place and possibly a great place to have for yrs ,a nd doesn't maybe get a lot of hunting pressure, all the better for you then if so
and can also mean theer are some BIG one's there
I'd invest in a trail cam next if I was you, and see what you see, but wait till after gun season, incase folks hunt there(even one's that don't have permission can be about more in gun season than all other times of yr)
don't want a camera growing legs, no fun at all when that happens!
trust me, plain out sucks LOL

[nomad_archer]

Sounds like you have a plan. Use what the land owner tells you and work from there. Right now green vegetation is killer especially when there is nothing else around. In the big woods up north I've found some small patches of green that have really attracted the deer. When I was up there last time.

[213chrisp]

Well today was a disaster. Wed night late I started to assemble my climber and get myself familure with it and out out I was missing 2 bolts around 10 pm. So I got frustrated and just packed up the rest of my gear and figured since there was 2 stands on the land that I wouldn't stress to much over it. Plus I want to climb a small tree in my back yard first to make sure I'm comfortable with everything.

Get to the land at 630 and put on my camo. Test wind and there was none so I was happy. No rain . Slightly warm so figured might be ok. I make my way to where he told me to go and can't find the stands. I spent probably a hour and half searching for what he told me and was no where to be found. I walked all over that woods ands found what I think is a good spot right between the field and there bedding area. Right in the heart of the woods it opens up to some large trees with tall cannopy and a tone of trails. I gave up hunting and just used it as a scouting trip since I know I trailed all over the woods.

Sadly I did also find a blind in thew woods and it wasn't theres. So he's going to address that problem as well.

Decided to go back to public land around 10 and sat for about 2 hours and rain finally ran me home. And didn't see a single deer again. On the plus side I was aalone on public land lol.

[mrbb]

Well i don't blsme you on the treestand, always best to try it out in good light and in a safe place, but make sure the tree is of proper size, not too small
and yes it sucks to find them missing parts, been there with many a ladderstands over the yrs, very fustrating to say the least!
I ha e found the brand you buy can effect how common that is too, highrer end stands have few if any bolts on climbers, but sure it can happen with any brand
as for not finding the stands, well if someone took them, then, that says what I figured, people trespass and hunt there without permission, very common deal by me, sucks, but can still be a great place to hunt
and in all honestly, its never a good idea to use a stand blindly, not knowing its condition, age or how safe it is, best to check them out in good light
and again, just cause its public lands, doesn't mean there all crowded, i have hunted many great public lands even on opeing day of gun season and had the area to myself, public lands can be as good as any place to hunt
and last, don't give up, i been on good land all week and not seeing any deer, so it happens

[213chrisp]

Oh yea. It would be nice for me to even spot a deer while sitting in a hunt but I havnt. Oh well.

[Big_Holla]

Just read over a lot of what you have gone over here and it looks like these guys have you on the right path. Just takes time and once you start seeing deer then it will be on to shooting one.

What viewer did you use for the above ^^ property picture??

[Newbowhunter32]

Hang in there 213chrisp. I bow hunted for three years before I got one with a bow. Can be very tough at first with a steep learning curve, but it will get easier, especially once find find a few good spots and figure out a good way to hunt them....

[mrbb]

Thats right hang in there, don't forget you been trying ne3 places, takes even good hunters time to learn new lands, and deer movements, and with the bow,many times even longer, but again, hunting isn't allways a game of go and kill, only a small percentage of hunters kill a deer , and thats many with yrs of experience, yet they still go, cuase its that channalnge that is worth trying to beat

[nomad_archer]

I'm on public land as we speak. Had a guy setup 125 yards from me at 7. He left at 8. Its colder than cold 15 degree wind chill. New spot for me didn't see anything yet. Keep at it as you gotta play to win

[213chrisp]

ill be back out in the field friday. now that we have had snow for a week plus is there someting different i need to know about? a person i know thats going to teach me how to deer hunt told me that this time of year rut is done with for the time and there going to start moving in packs again. just wasnt sure what i need to look for location wise, still thick woods or sit on tree lines in open fields ?

[213chrisp]

also forgot to mention, weather has been cold over the past 2 weeks plus, snow covered all the land with 6inches or so, but friday its suppost to warm up to 46 and rain with a low of 42, and windy, so wasnt sure if that would stir them up with all the snow melting away that the grasses would be avalaible to feed on .

[nomad_archer]

First things first. If you can get out now with the snow on the ground and do a little scouting before it melts that will provide you with worlds of information from where they are going. Heavy trails etc. The cold tends to force them to eat a lot of that happens at night after the pressure from gun season. The will come out to the fields once the snow melts but probably not until last light or at night. Your best bet is to get between the food and the thick stuff. I like to hunt the edges of the heavy thick woods and open woods for fields.

I havnt had much success with warm and rainy but if that is when you have the time to hunt then go and hunt. Just remember if it is raining blood trails get hard to follow so make sure you take a good good shot. I prefer hunting in the cold and snow over the rain any day of the week. Its easier to see the deer its easier to follow blood trails and its easier to gather lots of information based on tracks in the snow.

[213chrisp]

i wanted to get out while the snow was on the ground but with work situation it was impossiable, weve been on mandatory OT for 6 weeks now so my hunting time has been super limited because of it. im just hoping i can get out there beore the rain hits and i can see the snow and the trails before it all melts away friday morning but i think im going to be too late.

[mrbb]

well still a lot of time left to hunt, and more snow will fall before its over
snow is nice as it lets you see where there going, but many times deer use different trails in snow than when there is no snow, so keep that in mind, same with where and what they feed on
as snow can cover food, so when it snow they try to eat foods they have to dig less for
nothing beats standing corn when there is snow on the ground!, just a tip
and many times a bait pile will be super busy in a storm or right after one!
deer like corn cause it makes heat!

[213chrisp]

learned something new again today, i knew they liked corn i just didnt know why besides its a easy target to get too for food. and i know where standing corn is at where i hunt.... hmmmmm......

[nomad_archer]

agreed mrbb. Plus with lots of snow deer wont be hitting the green grass if something else is available. Standing corn also makes great cover for them as they can and will bed in there. Also dont forget to get out and scout when there is and isnt snow after the season is over. It can help you learn for next year without worrying about bumping deer or disturbing them.

[mrbb]

yes corm makes heat for them, but sadly its a crappy food source, gives them a false feeling of being full
but its like candy to kids, they just love it even if its not so great for them
the advantage of standing corn is they don't have to waste energy digging for it too, as its normally standing above snow depths
at my place I plant corn just for them and since this past snow fall, they will come out at night, and lay in the corn and eat it, till about an hr before sun up, and then take off to the swamps and hemlock thickets to bed all day
if you have any sections of pine tree's odds are that is where many are bedding, they like pine tree's because theer green, and they reflect heat better , making for a warmer place to bed, they also shelter from snow, as snow depth is normally lower under a pine tree due to thicher branches with all them pine needles
so if you know here a good pine thicket is, and a standing corn, get in between them two and odds are come last light you will have action!

[213chrisp]

thats scary mrbb, cause the corn field i know, maybe less then 100 yards away is a small patch of pine trees which is where i found all that antler rubs a few weeks back to the south east of the corn, and to the north of the corn is another small patch of pines, so i was thinking of going to the end of the corn into the woods about 50 yards , kinda between the two patches of pines and along a creek that curves around the land at that end. ill post a map shot of it in a few.

[213chrisp]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0444_zpschzsjiim.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0444_zpschzsjiim.jpg.html)

[213chrisp]

bad image of it cause it was taken with my cell, but the field to the left is the corn field, the pines to the south is where the tree rubs was at, and the pines to the left of my curser is the other section, and to the right of my curser is a small creek that runs north threw the hills , there is a large opening of fields to the south about 300 yards away and you can see the corner of another field to the east about the same distance. might be a bit more.

but i thought that was a good funnel where they might be traveling to and from threw all the woods to get to all the fields, the stream for water and the corn for food.....

[nomad_archer]

Looks good I would be somewhere in or around that area. Possibly in the edge of the open woods between the pines and scrubby thick looking woods by the field and the stream. But it is hard to tell where to go with out being on the ground. Also the best thing I ever learned while hunting was hunt edges... edges of open woods and thick woods. Edges of fields and heavy cover. whenever there is as change in the cover that creates an edge. The edges of a clear cut and open woods those types of things. The dge between the pines the open woods and the thick cover in you picture sure would be a good place to start and look.

[213chrisp]

ok pull up bing maps. and search this cords

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?q=39.587615%2c-84.608344&mkt=en&FORM=HDRSC4#Y3A9MzUuMjI3MTAwfi04MC44NDMxMDImbHZsPT Qmc3R5PXImcT0zOS41ODc2MTUlMjUyQy04NC42MDgzNDQ=

39.587615,-84.608344

only reason why im using bing is cause the maps was taken during fall so i can see the trees better and be closer to what they are in todays time instead of spring like what google maps has.

[nomad_archer]

Looks good now get in there and go hunting :) You can always fine tune a spot once you see what is happening

[213chrisp]

very true, its easy to get too, and this will be my first hunt with the climber, so excited to get some seat time in a tree and just watch and wait. so relaxing just to enjoy the quiet time out in the woods. if i get a deer is even better of a day, so cant complain.

[mrbb]

well that looks like a great place to set up if there is still standing corn, see several groups of pine tree's that a great set!
I'd be in there from about 3 hrs before dark till dark every chance I got, or maybe a hair sooner, if the place doesn't or hasn't had much pessure

good luck

[213chrisp]

the high quality pictures was taken from my gaming desktop on windows 7 using chrome on google maps, but the low image posted just yesterday was a screen shot with my cell phone :) to my work laptop, which is why the lines are all over the place.

and thanks newbowhunter32, i knew when i got into this that i probably wont be sucessfull this late into the season and knowing little about the deer in my area but i would consider a success is me in a tree stand and at least getting a visual on a deer somewhere NEAR me. even if i dont shoot i would call that a good hunt for what ive learned over the past month and half or so.

bing maps is decent in my area cause it looks like the shots they used for there database was taken during fall, of what year i dont know though. where google mapes looks like spring or early summer cause evrything is so green. which that is a trick i learned on my own about scouting land is to use internet to my favor and look at ariel maps like google maps, and reading topo maps to learn how the terrain is in the area ill be hunting and can put myself in a position where i think i have a chance.
but im new and this is all still a learning curve.

now on the other hand, im going down to my grandmothers house after xmas, i might try to get me a deer down there, they are like clock work down there cause we feed them corn out of a homemade feeder for years. right at evening time they will come into a couple acher plot that use to be a old tabaco farm plot behind a old barn in a valley of woods, and then they make there way to behind the house which is where the feeder is. its nothing to see a dozen deer there at a single time and usualy a few turkey mixed in from time to time.
this sping i think im going to work on rebuilding a bigger feeder and wiring up a remote camera to hook up to internet and stream that feed so i can keep an eye on the animals 3 hours away :)

[213chrisp]

the are has been presured alot, but the 3 or 4 times ive walked and hunted that area specificaly, ive not seen another hunter in that area, most of them go to the west where the large plots are or where i orignaly started scouting to the north east, im sure im not the ONLY one that knows that is there, but i just dont think it gets hammered like the other areas.

[mrbb]

well reason I asked about pressure is, pressure makes deer feed later and later into the pm hrs, a lower pressured place, deer will come out to feed a lot sooner, some places all day
but if the area very close to the place has had a lot of presure, then odds are them deer will opnly move the last hr or so of shooting light
the colder and nastier the weather the higher the odds are they will come out sooner, weather this time of yr can rule what a deer does
its not bad idea to even hunt right in the corn
or grab a bag from wally world or?? and dump some in a spot you can cover
that easier corn will draw deer like crazy
but watch getting in and out, if they bust you once or twice the gig will be up on that easy meal! lol

how much corn is there standing, 1-2-3-10 acres or???
if there is more than say 3 acres, its a good chance them deer are living in there, and very hard to kill if so
best bet there would be to walk in that corn make some noise about noon time, and boot them out, then set up on a good trail heading back to the corn last 2 hrs of evening, geting them coming back!
again, good luck, late seaon is a great time to kill a deer, less hunters and deer are many time easier to pattern, as again food wins this time of yr over a lot of other things!

[213chrisp]

its not a huge field might be 1 acher, long and narrow patch , im heading out there today ill be going about noon ish probably start going into field about 1 and sit till sundown.

[213chrisp]

Up in the tree stand. And I'm almost positive I'm the oh person in the woods today not sure if this is smart or crazy but time will tell.

[213chrisp]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0450_zpsh0gqadzu.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0450_zpsh0gqadzu.jpg.html)

Cayot ?

[nomad_archer]

very possible that is a coyote. They look like mange dogs. If it has no collar or tags there is a very good chance it is a coyote.

[213chrisp]

Yea looked like a Huskey. Maybe 50.lbs ish. Grey and light tan. Just didn't expect to see one at 230. Right in the middle of the day. And he came running in after doing a doe bleat call so I wounder if he was hunting for deer as well.

[nomad_archer]

Well did you see any deer?

[213chrisp]

nope. not a single one again.

[213chrisp]

here is pics of my stand locaiton

im facing south , came in from the west (to my right)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0446_zpsxrzchjgs.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0446_zpsxrzchjgs.jpg.html)


this was to my left, which would be east , on right side of that picture is a hillside that comes down to 2 creeks that forms a Y and heads to the lake which would be to the north of me, and to the left side of that picture would also be another hill with thick large woods but no brush, just large trees area.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0447_zpshuo37teh.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0447_zpshuo37teh.jpg.html)

and this is me looking west, i cam from top of that small hill where the patch of snow is on top left corner of the picture, and you notice how thick that is, but also there is 3-4 obvious paths going left to right on that picture directly under my stand and behind me looked just about like that, and that is the pine tree field just to the right side of that picture.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0448_zpsbbxutd8b.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0448_zpsbbxutd8b.jpg.html)

[213chrisp]

and lastly , my ugly mug shot

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/chrisp6108/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0449_zpslwyvijbt.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/chrisp6108/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0449_zpslwyvijbt.jpg.html)

[nomad_archer]

looks like a good spot with obvious paths I would give it a second or third try.

[213chrisp]

yea i wasnt giving up on it just yet i think wind was just not in my favor, blowing directly north so i was upwind from where i was expecting them to come from and the tree i was in forced me to sit facing south, which that was a learning curve as well. and its maybe 50 yards from the edge of the corn field, there was large scat piles all over the place between the corn and where i was setup, some piles as large as 12 inches around, so i agree i think im in the right spot for once, its just a matter of seat time now.