Fall 2001 Deer Hunting Journal
This will be an ongoing page updated daily to record each days hunt. I will try to get the camera out with me sometimes also.
The timber I am hunting this year is called the Berry Patch. It's 140 acres, about 70 or 80 are timber the rest are apple orchards, pumpkin patches, berry patches, and natural fields. The property is surrounded by agricultural fields. To see an aerial picture of the property click here.
1 Oct 2001 A.M.
Winds SW 8, BP 30.14, Temp 54, Mostly sunny, Full Moon. Stand F.
Went to an old ladder stand that's been in the timber for years, I haven't been in this stand at all since last year so I realized it might need some lane trimming but decided to risk it anyway. On the way in, had to go in the back way as I figured the deer would be in the fields and I hoped to catch them on their way back to through the timber.
Unfortunately got lost on the way in and made too much racket. Didn't see a thing all morning except for maybe a squirrel or two.
1 Oct 2001 P.M.
Winds SW 7, BP 29.99, Temp 72, Sunny, Full Moon, Stand C.
More of the same from this morning, very warm, full moon, seems all the deer are sleeping in and moving when it cools down after dark.
Saw one racoon and several squirrels, nothing else.
4 Oct 2001 P.M.
Winds NNW 6, BP ?, Temp 52, Cloudy after Rain, Full Moon Stand E
This is a new stand site for this year, pretty promising with a very prominent rub line and multiple trails intersecting at this point. The deer come through here and out of the timber here to go to the standing corn.
Since this was the first time hunting it I wanted to make sure I remembered my glasses and range finder, I forgot both, go figure. Got in the stand and sat down ready to go at 4:05 pm with about 3 hours of good light left. It was new so the plan was to just take ten minutes and look around thoroughly and try to make estimates on ranges to different landmarks and such. At 4:08 pm as I was looking behind me I noticed a doe on the ground about 15 yds out looking right up at me.. OOOps. It had rained most of the day and the timber was extremely quiet and she had snuck right in on me.
She was fully alert and after a few minutes moved off to the west and out of site. About 30 minutes later I heard something running behind me and looked back to see a fawn running to the west about 40 yds out. It stopped and then continued to walk west and out of sight.
The first doe that spotted me had now worked her way due west of me and was about 60 yds out, I could just make her out between cover every now and then, she was working south to the field. Eventually she made it to the field and I watched her out there. Then something spooked her and she looked as if she might come back into the timber, the closest trail to bring her back into the timber was the one I was sitting on so I stood up and got ready, as I did that a deer blew about 70 yds to the northwest of me, I looked only to see a flag retreating back into the timber. It was on the rubline trail, and it was big bodied, may very well have been the buck I was looking for that was making all the rubs.
After all that the doe calmed down and then continued to the east out in the field. After about 15 minutes I then noticed she was again within 20 yds of my stand due east of me. I had no cover from that direction and she was too close so I couldn't do much but watch. Eventually she worked her way back to the very spot she was first at when I saw her originally, again looking right up at me. I was up and not sitting this time and ready, so I attempted to lean back and hide behind the tree i was in and draw back, as I did she spooked and ran off to the northwest about 15 yds, I figured her about 30 yds out, got the pin on her but a branch was covering the vital area, as I manuevered around in the stand a little bit I was able to get a line of site between two branches that would put me in the vitals, seemed like a slam dunk shot so I took it. Arrow hit and sounded all wrong, as I watched her hall butt out of the area I noticed my shot was back behind the ribs and way high. I don't know if I clipped one of the two branches of if she was alert enough that she jumped the string and moved. Either way I shouldn't have shot with her being alert.
Settled back in the stand and gave her some time, as I did this a large group of 3 or 4 does with several fawns each moved by about 50 yds to the west of me, heading south to the field.
After I got down I went to the spot she was at, only paced out at 21 yds, so I figured way off on the shot distance, no blood, went to the point that I last saw her and picked up a very light blood trail, followed it for about another 50 yds and then gave up and went back into town to get help, time 6pm.
Me and a friend went back out and tracked her, light blood for about 150 yds, then she pulled the arrow out, then we had a massive blood trail for several hundred yds, the whole time we thought we were going to end up stepping on her in the dark, really thought she was down.
We trailed her from stand e, down past stand f, down to the creek, then west along the creek all the way past stand b. About the last 100 yds the blood trail lightened up from massive amounts to just moderate amounts, but every time she stopped she was still leaving softball sized pools of bright red blood. Found the arrow after a couple hundred yards, she'd snapped it or bit it in two and pulled it out, we only found the fletching side of the arrow. Covered in bright red blood. Initially I thought I was so high that I would have caught the main artery running underneath the back bone, but by this point over 500 yds later it didn't look good, she didn't bed down once.
Eventially the blood trail went from a moderate amount of blood, then in two yds later it went to absolutely nothing. It just all of a sudden stopped down by the creek, and we lost her trail.
I'll look more for her tomorrow.
5 Oct 2001 P.M.
Winds W9, BP 30.12, Temp 49, Mostly Sunny, Full Moon
Got back on the trail around noon, had classes all day, it was still the same thing, it just stopped cold. She had a major hill to go up if she went left or straight ahead from that point, or she had about 25 yds to the creek if she turned to the right, along the creek was some very heavy cover so I went through all of that with no sign, and no fresh beds.
I'm starting to think now that I had only a muscle hit through the loins, I was very high, there was no smell of a gut shot on the arrow, nor any other signs of gut shot on the arrow, I believe this one is going to make it from all of the signs I saw last night and today.
There was obviously something wrong with my treestand, she was just too able to pick me out when I was up there, as well as the other deer that blew at me. So I went back to the stand and moved it, about sixty yards to the southwest along the treeline of that inside corner, it's now labeled on the aerial picture of the property. The treeline on that side of the corner runs north/south and I'm able to reach any of the trails that come out of the timber in the corner, will need a north or northwest wind to hunt it.
Was done with that around 3:30 pm, but just didn't feel much like hunting tonight so I called it good for the day. The stand location is much better now though with great cover around it, if I get appropriate winds I'll hunt it on Sunday evening.
7 Oct 2001
Temp 68, Winds S14, BP 30.12, Mostly Sunny, Moon 3/4 Stand B
Got in stand around 4 pm. Very warm out and winds were somewhat strong. Not much of any activity moving around.
Finally around 6 pm, had a small doe by herself come out from the timber on my side of the field. She fed within range for about 20 minutes off to the southwest of me, until she finally had her fill and went back into the timber. I thought she was pretty small, didn't look like this years fawn but more like last years, yet small. Let her walk.
9 Oct 2001
Temp 64, Winds SE 9, BP 29.88, Cloudy, Moon 1/2 to 3/4 Stand E2
Got in stand around 4 pm. Winds were mild to calm for about five minutes then they just started picking up and never stopped. They seemed to get stronger throughout the evening.
Around 6 got a call from home that the daughter had fallen out of a tree at the neighbers and broken her arm so had to do some talking on stand then. Rest of the evening nothing showed.
11 Oct 2001
Temp 64, Winds SSW 9, BP 30.01, Clear/sunny, Moon 1/2, Stand B
Got in stand about 3:45 pm, wind seemed to be constand and steady but not too strong.
Around 5:30 just seemed that everything was moving, from waterfowl, to squirrels, bugs and everything else. Started to look promising.
Finally around 6:10 pm I saw four deer enter into the bean field on the other side of the field. Scoped them out with the binoculars and it was a big doe with three fawns. They slowly made their way across the field directly toward me until they hit about 52 yds on the rangefinder then they found a trail through the beans and started angling away from me. Looked very promising for a little bit, would have filled the doe tags with that doe and one of the doe fawns if I could have. Took them about 40 minutes to finally work their way out of site.
After they left nothing else showed.
13 Oct 2001
Temp 55, Winds WNW 16, BP 29.46, Overcast, Moon sliver, Stand E2
In stand around 4 pm, winds were strong and unfortunately there were alot of people up in the pumpkin fields and apple orchards. The landowner was giving hay rides through the fields until around 6 pm.
Finally things quieted down after 6, but then the winds seemed to pickup and the skies cleared off to no clouds, just clear. Nothing showed.
16 Oct 2001
Temp 42, Winds NW 5, BP 30.31, Partly Cloudy, Moon none, Stand A
In stand around 4:30. Winds were mild, this was the first time in this stand this season, it was the first stand I hung in early Sept.
Things became quiet after 6pm, but nothing but a single squirrel showed.
17 Oct 2001
Temp 62, Winds SSE 15, BP 30.05, Clear, Moon none, Stand C
Had to go in early around 3:30 to re-hang another stand on this tree, the previous one was a home made stand that wasn't hanging well on this tree. Put up a new stand that holds well and was settled in by around 4 pm.
Slow afternoon until around 5:30, then I had every bird imaginable around the area, wood ducks landing on the creek and several squirrels moving around. Seemed that everything was moving around in the timber, started to look promising.
A little after 6 it seemed like every tree in the area was raining racoons, they were coming down all around, watched several of them for a while and took a couple pictures.
Really seemed like everything was moving around tonight so my hopes were up, but the evening wore on and darkness came in without any deer seen again. That's three hunts in a row now with no deer.
Will hunt the same stand in the morning, plan on pulling a drag rag into the area with some doe estrus urine and see what results from that. It's a little early but not too early, we'll see.
18 Oct 2001
Temp 49, Winds S13, BP 29.85, Clear, Moon None, Stand C
In stand by 6:30 am, unlike most other times I've hunted this stand in the morning, I didn't spook any deer out on the way in. Watched everything wake up throughout the morning.
Around 8:10 am, I finally had a small buck work in from the South West, as he got closer I noticed that it was a small cow horn buck. He presented a couple shot opportunities but he was really small so I let him walk.
A while after that I left, did a little scouting on the way out and noticed some new rubs and fresh scrapes fairly close to the west ladder stand. This stand is about 100 yds due east of Stand C. I'll try hunting this stand the next evening evening.
19 Oct 2001 pm
Temp 57, Winds WSW 10, BP 29.92, Overcast, Moon Sliver, Stand W Ladder Stand
Pulled a drag rag into the stand with doe in estrus urine. Got setup and started the wait.
Squirrels were numerous but that was about it. Stayed till dark saw no deer.
22 Oct 2001 pm
Temp 54, Winds ESE 6, BP 29.64, Scatterred showers, Moon sliver, Stand E2
Weather was supposed to clear off around 6 pm, which would be an hour before dark. Got in stand around 5 with a light rain. Around 5:30 the rain did stop and everything was starting to look good.
Watched two squirrels chasing eachother around for a while.
Finally around 6 the wind picked up alot and got gusty, was windy and gusty until dark. Saw nothing else.
23 Oct 2001 am
Temp 55, Winds SSW 3, BP 29.52, Overcast and Misting, Moon Half, Stand D
Back to the old ladder stand this morning, got in way early and quietly in the mist, everything looked good.
Daylight finally made it's way in and I was feeling good about my position, I had new scrapes in the area of this stand. After an hour or so of light the mist stopped. Watched squirrels all over the place, and had a hawk about land on me.
Then the cloud cover cleared off and it was clear and sunny. By 9 am nothing had showed and I did some scouting through out the timber trying to figure things out. Back to this October lull thing I guess.
Found a good in timber scrape line and setup another stand along it to hunt later, Stand G.
23 Oct 2001 pm
Temp 66, Winds S7, BP 29.47, Partly Cloudy, Moon half, Stand B
In stand and setup, noticed some new scrapes along the field edge on the way in, one directly below my stand. Waited out the whole evening until dark and saw nothing at all. Gettin frustrated as usual at these deer, would at least like to see something.
24 Oct 2001 Work
25 and 26 Oct toooooo Windy
40+mph Did try to hunt the standing corn a little with no luck
27 Oct Work
Two days of high winds and this morning was dead calm, but i'm stuck working... arghhhh
28 Oct 2001 am
Temp 36, Winds S13, BP 30.01, Clear, Moon 7/8, Stand A
Got into the stand a little late, bumped one deer out from directly under my stand on the way in, guess that figures, get out late and then I finally see a deer and it's right under my stand. Stayed the rest of the morning and saw nothing, after two hours the wind had me chilled so I headed out and did a little scouting on the west side of the timber. Found another trail that is loaded with fresh scrapes, may have to setup a ground blind on this one no good trees where I want them. Will hunt stand b tonight with the south winds and stand g for the first time tomorrow with north winds if the weather forecast holds true.
28 Oct 2001 pm
Temp 66, Winds S23, BP 30.06, Partly Cloudy, Moon 7/8 Stand B
High winds, warm nothing seen again.
29 Oct 2001 am
Temp 42, Winds NW8, BP 30.25, Clear, Moon 7/8 Stand G
Nothing but squirrels and racoons, don't know what it's going to take to find some deer, seem to have lost my doe groups also, almost everything has disappeared it seems like, corn is still in all around the timber also.
29 Oct 2001 pm
Temp 60, Winds NE 13, BP 30.39, Partly Cloudy, Moon 7/8 Stand E2
In stand by 4 pm. Finally around 4:45 pm a small 4 point came out of the timber south of me from the tree line. Pretty much downwind but he didn't seem to know i was there. Worked his way across the inside corner, walked right through the field in the open without a care.
Got to the east west treeline and went into it, he was in range a couple times but let him walk.
Around 5:15 pm, another buck came out the same trail, this time a 6 point, he to went across the field, however this one, unlike the 4 point responded when i grunted, looked back to me, then I grunted once more and he turned around and came right to me, amazing how he had me pinpointed so easily, he was probably a 80 yds away when I grunted. He came right in to about 10 yds, stopped and looked right up at me, after about 20 seconds of staring he walked right to me and turned broadside at about 6 yds, and followed the trail to the south and back into the timber. Again too small. Nothing else showed the rest of the evening.
1 Nov 2001 pm
Temp 74, Winds W15, BP 29.75, Partly Cloudy, Moon Full, Stand B
In stand by 3 pm. Very warm out again but the winds weren't too bad.
About 4:45 heard something to the south of me and looked over to see a small 8 point coming out of the timber and just into the bean field, he was just a little bigger than a basket rack, but not real big. Thought about it for a minute then decided not too, the rut is due to start kicking in here shortly I'd rather wait a little longer, watched him for about 2 or 3 minutes then he got spooked at something and worked back into the timber.
Nothing else the rest of the evening, don't know if the wind swirled and he caught my scent or what spooked him.
3 Nov 2001 am
Missed the weather, it was clear and cool. Stand F
Got in pretty early this time, froze for a while watching nothing but squirrels run around the timber.
4 Nov 2001 am
Temp 40, Winds Calm, BP 30.36, Clear, Moon Full, Stand D
In stand a little late around 6 am. Didn't push anything out on the way in, seems the corn around the timber is finally starting to disappear which should help alot.
Around 8:15 I heard something to the southeast of me and looked to see the forkhorn I'd seen the other night coming down a main trail, heading right out toward stand e2, he was about 60 yds out, watched him go out to the field edge and pause looking it over, then headed across the field again just like the other night, and just like the other night he wanted nothing to do with grunts or bleats.
Nothing else the rest of the morning.
5 Nov 2001 am
Temp 35, Winds Calm, BP 30.31, Clear, Moon Full Stand A
Got into the stand plenty early again, right at 7 am, heard a deer coming in from the southeast, looked over and saw it coming in and thought it was a doe so I got the bow ready to try and fill the doe tag. As it got closer and up to the fence I realized it was a cowhorned buck, maybe the same one I'd seen early in the season.
He got up to the fence and instead of going along the trail to the part where the fence was broken down, he made his own path, he kept crouching trying to get ready to jump the fence, then he'd chicken out as he noticed the over hanging branch he was going to have to go through to clear the fence, finally after about three attempts he got the nerve up and went for it, jumped through the over hanging branch and over the fence.
After he cleared the fence he was right out in front of me at about 10 yds, he crossed my trail that I had walked in and stopped and started sniffing the ground hard, I'd been using some drag rags the last couple times out and don't know if I had gotten something on my clothing or what he was smelling but it didn't spook him at all, he followed the trail right to my tree, and spent a full couple minutes sniffing around the area before he finally left.
Got a couple of good pictures of him under me, he didn't even spook at the click of the camera, unfortunately for some reason they didn't turn out, I don't know what went wrong or maybe the film was bad from sitting in the truck too much..?
Nothing else the rest of the morning.
6 Nov 2001 am
Didn't get weather left from work, very warm out, windy, clear.
Bumped two deer out of the front lawn of the landowners house as I drove in, both does, no bucks around.
Got setup in stand h early and hoped they'd come back down to the timber for me.
Around 7:45 heard something down in the creek and looked over to see a doe with two fawns crossing the creek to my side.
About 20 minutes later heard something in the creek again and looked over to see another doe crossing the creek over to my side, as it turned out they all eventually went to the south and didn't come by me, it was windy with south winds all morning.
Got down around 10:30, and as I did two does jumped up 40 yds away from me, somehow they had bedded down and I missed that they came in.
Total of 8 deer, 6 does, 2 fawns, finally found some does again but puzzled that one is still lugging around fawns, and none of the others had any bucks bothering them.
6 Nov 2001 pm
Temp 73, Winds SSW 20, BP 30.07, Clear, Moon 3/4, Stand B.
Noticed on the way out this morning that the corn to the southwest of the timber had finally been cut, so now both the beans and the corn is out.
Got into stand around 2:30 pm, around 3:30 a fawn came out across the field, at first thought she was a coyote, she stood at the edge of the field for about 5 minutes and didn't hardly move, then she just went back into the timber. Around dusk she came back out and walked up the treeline to the north and disappeared.
Didn't see anything else the rest of the evening except for the squirrel that tried to jump on me, that's the second time in a week i've had squirrels try to literally jump onto me, this one i had to hiss at about 4 times before it got the idea and left.
To view Last years Journal and the pictures please click here
