Showing posts with label cover scents. deer lures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cover scents. deer lures. Show all posts
Monday, November 21, 2011
Week Eight
Week eight for me was slow. I had to work and then rain moved in so afternoon hunts were out. Saturday rolled around and I had a class to teach, I thought it was at 9 a.m. so didn’t go to the woods, it turned out it was at 12:30 instead. Sunday morning it was 60 degrees, cloudy with no wind so I headed over to a spot that has only been hunted 4 times all season. I sat in the stand till 10 when rain moved in and forced me out without seeing anything other than an amazingly fat fox squirrel and his buddies eating bowdock seeds. Nothing to add to the list for me but others had a great week which is a good thing since my part is short so here we go.
@Team_QT got a spike. @KimmieDG got a doe. @GoosedownGC got a meat deer. @ KillinitOutdoor scored a good deer. @Deaddogwalkin took a yote. @AnterlerAddiction took a whooper. @BigBuckPW got it done last day on an out of state hunt. @bulletnbiscuit got a buck. @epcave71 sent a pic of Ashlyn with a her buck. @feistylilfckr got her first deer a blacktail buck. @firstlightgear took a stud. @huntscience sent pics of his cousin and Dad with bucks. @ILCornfed took a great buck. @mepoohe husband got a buck Saturday but no pic. @Jeremy_Juhasz Dad too a buck. @Lukekujacznski with got a good buck. Madison @ILCornfed daughter got her first buck. @rhbowhunter scored again, I thin I hate him now J. @turkeytalkr69 got himself a buck. @turkeythompson got a black yote, I want one. And finally @UHG_Hunter took a nice buck.
Thank goodness other folks had a good week cause it sure wasn’t my turn. Enjoy the pics everyone and be sure to give these folks a follow if you are on Twitter, you won’t be sorry. Be safe, wear your harness and good luck this week. Be sure to post or send a pic so I can get it in next week.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Week Seven
Here we are at week 7 and things seemed to have been a bit on the slow side. Folks from all over are talking about the slow down in sightings, deer activity during hunting hours is not what it was. The full moon along with weather changes would seem to be the blame in most cases. During 4 afternoon hunts I only saw 2 deer but the weather took a turn for the better here at least for one day so I made plans to head to the mountain to try and fill a doe tag or two.
With the time change my hour and a quarter drive started too early for my tastes. Give me a break, I’m old. I got on the road at 4:10 to get there in time to take a short walk to my stand. It was 39 degrees and almost no wind Saturday morning which is about as good as it gets for deer moving here in Tennessee. I got in the stand ready to put my Knight .45 to work, by 6:00 I heard the first shot of the morning, by 6:30 I had heard several and had deer in the field less than 100 yards away. Two mature does fed in the corner along with a yearling, one doe went uphill to bed down and the other two slipped along the treeline out of sight. Later I saw the rear of one of our local bucks as he cruised the field edge. That was it for the morning so I headed to the house for some food and to visit with friends.
I hung out until 2 then headed back in for the evening hunt. I knew I had to change where I was set up because the trees were just thick enough I couldn’t shoot from my stand. I found a spot to sit on the ground where I could see up the treeline they were using and had a convenient log to use as a rest. I was almost completely hidden from their view and couldn’t have had a steadier rest to shoot from if one came out. I got settled in and started hearing shots at 2:48, the deer were definitely moving. I sat and watched, tweeting to friends that I was down to an hour and 40 minutes to fill one of my tags in that unit but was beginning to wonder if I would. Around 3:45 I saw a doe right in front of my scope. I watched as she fed downhill getting closer to the spot I had picked to take my shot. As she got to about 100 yards she made a left turn and followed a trail into a field and out of sight. I was not happy, I had her in the scope perfectly broadside when she walked away but thought she was coming closer.
Not a minute later I saw another one coming downhill toward me. She followed the same path as the first one and sure enough got to the same trail and turned to take it. I had the scope on her the whole time so when she turned broadside I flipped the safety off and settled the crosshairs on her heart. I knew it would hit a bit high but still get a good double lung (my usual shot) and was surprised when the shot went off. The wind was blowing enough to clear the smoke instantly so I could see her head down the trail tail down, a couple of seconds and I heard her fall. By now it was 4:00 so I headed uphill to see if I could find a blood trail. I had no idea exactly where she was standing or which trail she took, there was no blood to follow so I took a trail headed in her direction and found her 40 yards away.
She was what you can see 20 of on a decent day on the mountain, a nice healthy doe that will be great on the table. The shot was a perfect double lung and I found the bullet just under the skin on the far side. My first muzzle loader deer in two years.
As for everyone else, even with what many considered a slow week there was a lot of critters taken. Here is what I have and it has some nice ones and some special ones.
@xtreme95Cummins got a doe. @Ryan5Bass took a buck, still waiting on a pic. @turkeythompson got a yote and a hog. @EmilySFLG got a nice buck @myarr sent a pic of a big Florida buck a cousin got. @Jake_Manning took a great buck. @huntingNY took a piebald buck. @huntscience sent in pics of his Dad and Father in law with their bucks. @LockeStokNBarel took a nice buck @whiskeybent took a nice buck. @thewild001 sentt a pic with 3 does. My friend Kari Murray has taken two with her bow but I will talk about that in another post. My friend Lee's brother in law took a nice 7 pt in Warren County TN last weekend. The duck and goose hunters are doing good right now but the warm weather might slow them down the next few days.
I know I missed a few and if it was you send me a note so I can get you added. Good luck this week everyone and send a pic or note so I can tell folks about it. Be safe, wear your harness and shoot straight.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Week Six
Where to start, where to start. This was the week I had been looking forward to for a long time, the week I was scheduled to film with Rudy @Huntography for this year’s documentary. I had Thursday and Friday off for filming then Saturday was opening day of muzzle loader. I am not talent, no real desire to be on camera but was honored to have been included in a group of hunters that many people look up to as how it should be done.
I kept checking the weather to see what we would be dealing with. One of the two things I was dreading was bad weather moving in on us, guess what. The first day of filming a fast moving front was coming through dropping temps and rain just about lunchtime. I was hoping it would get in and out so we could get in an afternoon hunt then clear up Friday. This was the forecast but not the reality.
Rudy rolled in at 12:34 Thursday morning and after getting settled we both managed maybe 2 hours of sleep, got up and drove an hour and fifteen minutes to Jump Off to hunt the mountain. Once there we did manage to see one little doe which I passed on before the storms started moving in. The afternoon hunt was rained out just as we got settled into the trees on the Beasley farm down the road. Friday was cold, windy and nothing moved, not a squirrel, chipmunk, nothing morning or afternoon. Rudy looked at his schedule and found out he had time to go on opening morning with me so we got ready for muzzle loader Saturday.
We hunted a spot I have only been to twice this year but we had a heavy fog and cold. Not long after settling in we had 3 does come in but got busted when I tried to get his attention. Later we had a doe run in but she heard him clear his throat and was gone. Then I saw something coming in through the fog and thought it was a coyote at first, it turned out to be a nice buck. He came in and stopped broadside at 50 yards, chip shot. The fog was still bad, bad enough I could see good main beams but couldn’t count the points. I got the scope settled, pulled the trigger and heard him fall. As I waited for Rudy to come around to where I was I looked to see the buck start to move, I reloaded then was amazed as he stood up. I got to a spot and took a second shot but was a bit high and missed. The buck walked a few yards, straightened up then took off like nothing had happened. We searched for hours and never found a hair or drop of blood it was like he never existed.
After talking to several others and replaying the shot I’m certain I hit just a bit high where there is nothing vital. The bullet shocked him enough to paralyze him for a minute then he was on his feet and gone. Absolutely the weirdest shot I have had on a deer and the second thing I was dreading about being on camera, losing one. Maybe more on this later but don’t want to spoil Rudy’s movie.
We headed back home a bit down to get Rudy headed to Arkansas for the next part of the #deertour. I hope he had a good time because I will never forget a great 2 ½ days with a cool guy. He rolled out oddly enough at 12:34 Saturday for an 8 hour drive. Now for the months of waiting to see the finished #Deertour DVD.
On to what some of the other folks got this week. I have seen some good posts and am going to try to add more pics this week, I am a bit behind so will add a few to try to catch up.
As I write this @skinnyDman is searching for a big 10 pt he shot this afternoon. @Mandy_W30 got a doe. @HunterGe0rge got a nice turkey. @carrybarlowe took a nice buck and a coyote out west. @DroptineAvery’s Dad, Sean, took a nice buck. @GoosedownGC got a doe. @sdo_mlt got a doe with her bow. @turkeythompson got a great buck. @kennysimpson took a buck. @donohew19 took a great one last Saturday and I have a pic but it turns sideways every time I try to load it. @rhbowhunter took a stud of a buck with his bow. @first lightgear got called in to find a friend’s buck. @nbk_bowhunter took a monster with a bow.
I have been so busy this last week that I am listing things that I hope were taken this week but if not oh well. I know all were taken within the last 2 weeks and I might have missed them so here they are. Congrats to everyone and I’m sorry if I missed you. If I did remind me so I can add it in next week, this is about you, I want folks to see how you are doing.
Hope everyone is having a great season, good luck, be safe and wear you harness.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Week Five
Here we are at week five but I didn’t get to add to the list this week the new job kept me busy during the week and it was juvenile weekend here in Tennessee. I did get out to sight in a few muzzle loaders to get ready for opening day on the 5th and spent time getting ready for Rudy @Huntography to get here Wednesday night. We will be filming on Thursday and Friday for the #Deertour and maybe I will get a chance to take one on camera. I did get to look over a new farm that is over 600 acres where a big 10 was seen a couple of days ago, I got invited to hunt it opening morning of muzzle loader. Not only is the big 10 there but it is supposed to be covered in does. The bad part it is covered in trespassers, too. But the game warden is supposed to be out there checking opening weekend so they better be fast.
As I am writing this Sunday night @writinghuntress is recovering her 6 pt she took on camera during her first day on the #Deertour, still waiting on pics. @BigBuckPw took a couple of more does this week, one on his part of the #Deertour. @A_Reel_Lady took a big 8 this week with her muzzle loader. @Ryan5Bass took another doe. @BigBrother10 took a doe. @skullboundtv oldest son Walker took a bull elk on public land with a 501 yard shot. One of the guys hunting with @Cajun_Seasoning took a nice 8 in Louisiana. I tried to find out who’s wife killed her first deer this week a BIG 8 but couldn’t before time to post but congrats to her anyway. @Cajun_Seasoning passed on a cow horn spike but got a coyote to go with his bobcat from last week. @msargentphoto son doubled down this week on deer. @turkeythompson took two big pigs. @kimmieDG got a nice pig and had it on the grill in less than an hour. @ForemostOutdoor got his first bow kill this weekend. @centexhunter went north and got a mule deer. These are some good folks to follow on Twitter if you are there.
I can’t wait for Wednesday and my first chance to meet Rudy in person, not as thrilled about being on camera. Probably one of the few people out there that hunts as hard as I do that doesn’t want his own TV show but to be part of a documentary that shows real hunters doing it the way most folks do I wouldn’t pass up for anything. Even negotiated it into my job before I was hired, work 2 ½ weeks and take a 4 day weekend to hunt J. I hope we can get some good footage even if I don’t get a shot two days goes by fast.
Saturday starts our muzzle loader season and I plan on doing as much damage as possible. I have 4 doe tags in Unit A and 42 in Unit L before gun season opens when I will still have something like 126 doe tags left for Unit L but only 1 buck tag left for the year so I will be doing some passing on bucks. Does on the other hand should beware because I have several families that need food and they are it. My goal is to get 8 before the end of the season so wish me luck.
Good luck everyone, be safe and be sure to wear your harness.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week Four
Well here we go. Week four of the season by my counting and the results are coming in. I wasted my time trying to kill a stupid turkey only to have one thing after the other go wrong. Should have stuck to the deer. I did make a trip to Monteagle to try for one Sunday in a spot that hasn't been hunted in a month. I saw deer out on the roadside just before light which is never a good sign there and sure enough I didn't see a deer until 9:15 when I saw one slip into the woodlot I was in. I never saw where that one went then at 9:30 I saw two big does and a set of twins coming down the treeline toward me, as I got set up the lead doe smelled where I walked in and spooked. As she ran past the others the other big doe took off and almost knocked herself out when she ran head first into a tree, she hit so hard she had to stand with her feet spread out to keep from falling. As she got to the creek I had a good quartering away shot but missed low when I misjudged the yardage. Clean miss, no harm no foul. I hunted the rest of the day but didn't get another chance. The reason I got busted was because I did something I never do which is wear my hunting boots from the house to the woods. This time I was running late and did then didn’t get them sprayed down enough with scent killer, won’t happen again.
I saw a total of 25 deer Sunday but only one young buck and most weren’t on property I can hunt. Still I count them and it is always a treat to see them out feeding. I saw 3 sets of twins along with several other fawns so next year is looking like plenty more to watch grow.
Folks from all over have been doing great this week and here is this week's list. @Ryan5Bass got another doe and was actually in Week Three but I found out late. @SkinnyDMan got a doe. @backwoodlife took a buck and his Dad got a hog. @Krand67 got an 8 pt. @Gobblerchaser got one but I can’t remember what it was. @Turkeytlakr69 took an 8 pt. @BigBuckPW got a muzzleloader doe. @goosecaller44 and friends got limits of geese and mallards. @LindaQueentivo got her first muzzleloader doe at 70 yards. @Firstlightgear got a doe from a natural ground blind while filming for the #deertour with @Huntography. @BuckmasterJosh got his first with a bow a nice 5 pt. @muskalungee took a double on does with his bow a personal best. @cajun_seasoning missed a deer but got a bobcat.
Photo credit: @LindaQueentivo. This is her first M/L deer a 129 lb doe. Congrats!!
There were some misses and a couple lost which I always feel bad about for the hunter and the deer. I know there were a couple of foxes taken with bows but I can’t remember who got them. I do know one was a red and the other a grey.
The biggest news of the week for me was finally getting a new job after 3 years of looking. I won’t be in the woods as often but at least I can pay my bills now. Big relief just in case you wondered.
So that about wraps this one up. A bit short for me but I have some good posts coming up just need to get them written up. Thanks again to everyone and be safe out there this week. Add a comment to the 1 Year of Following Ghost for a chance at whatever I decide to give away.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week Three
Week three has seen most of us settling into the hunt. Well, it is week three for me, for others it is week one and for some places it is muzzle loader already. Several friends have scored this week, I will try to get them listed but they have been busy so if I miss you, Sorry, I’m old and forgetful.
@BigBuckPW Rob Freyer continues to lay them down, this week it was a double on does during an afternoon hunt. @t_marsh83 dropped a nice 8 pt, his first deer in four years. @sfritz took an 8 pt. @mkotzum thumped one Sunday morning early just as I started to write this a nice spike at 2 yards. @SkinnyDman got a nice doe the same afternoon Rob Freyer got his double. @deer_commander got a bit sidetracked and shot a 200 lb hog or it might have been his Dad but either way I wish I had done it. I’m ready to go pig hunting. @HuntingStories did a spot and stalk on a doe while I was writing, guess he wanted in this week. @GlennClute took a nice 8 pt on public land near me Saturday afternoon but I just found out so he is a late addition. Congrats to everyone and if I didn’t list you sorry but you will make the wrap up I promise.
There were a couple of near misses by folks. @MonicaJo4 gave one a shave while trying for her first bow kill. She will take a ribbing for that for awhile :0). I don’t think there were any turkeys or coyotes taken this week but one gray squirrel was with a 20 yard shot. Sometimes you just can’t take any more abuse from treerats. I swear I remember a moose or few taken and I know some folks are elk hunting, too. Remember folks the @ symbol with their name will let you find and follow them on Twitter.
Saturday October 15th sees the start of the @Huntography Deer Tour. It is kicking off in Wisconsin so if you use Twitter just check the hashtag #deertour for updates. Good luck to all the hunters on the tour this year. It is also the start of our fall turkey season so I have 14 days to see if I can get one with a shotgun or in my case a muzzle loading shotgun.
I have been sneaking out for a morning and evening hunt on the new farm and I’m seeing tons of turkeys plus deer. I went out Wednesday afternoon to hunt the tree where I got the cull buck Friday, I wanted to see if a doe or the 6 pt would come out. I got set up only to have a bunch of new cows released into the field behind me. I don’t mind them but these wouldn’t shut up so I could hear. Then about an hour into my set some guys start driving the treeline about 100 yards away checking for trespassers.
These are the same guys that messed up my hunt the night before when they decided to set a shooting house in a field just about the time I had been seeing a couple of bucks. They received a good cussing both times and both times I stayed in the stand after they left. The difference on Wednesday was the deer did come out. As I sat there tweeting with some friends saying I was getting down, I had had enough, everything got quiet again. I told myself might as well stay a little longer just to see what happened. I had already seen about 30 turkeys and thought maybe the deer was ease back in.
After maybe 30 minutes I saw what I thought was a cowhorn spike come out, right behind him was the little 4 point I see there all the time. They made the left turn toward me like they always do when sun hit the rack on the first one I knew it was the 6 I had jumped the first day. Now it was on, I have never taken a 6 and he had a nice rack. I got ready, waiting for them to feed down the soy bean row. The 6 came down, stopped at 35 yards broadside, looked like a backyard target. I drew, set my pin and touched the release. Just about 5 yards from him the arrow hit some Johnson grass and went who knows where. SOB!!
He ran about 30 yards, stopped to look back at what ever it was. His buddy was standing there looking at him like he was nuts for running. As soon as he stopped I knew what was coming. I have taken more than a few because curiosity got to them, this one had all the signs. I nocked another arrow then watched as he circled, stuck his nose in the air trying to find a scent always focused on where he was standing and never looking my way. He went behind a big cedar where I couldn’t see him but I knew he wasn’t leaving yet. He would either turn in front of the tree which would put him at 13 yards in front of me or slip into the woods at 16 yards. I watched as he slid into the woods and stopped perfectly broadside. When he did I drew, tucked the pin in tight to the shoulder and shot. I heard the hit, he took off tail down only to run about 40 yards just into a field then crashed.
I was thrilled. I had wanted this buck since I first saw him. He had a regular path he walked every afternoon and that combined with curiosity got him. I had watched him fall but habits run deep. I got down to look for my arrow and blood. I couldn’t find my arrow but did find a trail so I tracked it around to the field edge looking for the arrow until I saw him laying in the weeds a few yards away. When I walked up to him I saw my arrow had passed through but still had about 3 inches inside. This one continues my year of WTH shots. He was PERFECTLY broadside when I shot but the arrow exited at the next to last rib on the other side. When I skinned him the entry is in the shoulder but then hit the middle of the ribs on the near side. I can’t imagine how that arrow did what it did. Nothing about the path makes sense but it did the job and that’s what counts I guess.
The funny part was when I went to get my truck the guys I had cussed were parked in a field just across the fence. I yelled to them and we talked then I said I was going to load up my deer, telling them to come check him out. They drove around, introduced themselves and one of the first things said was “Boy, I bet you were cussing us.” I laughed and said yes I did. Then to make up for it they loaded my deer for me. Really good guys and now I know who is hunting next to me. Locals that know everyone around there.
I know a lot of the people that hunt areas where anything less than 150 inch deer isn’t worth a mention but here this deer is was better than many 8-10 pts I see. High racked matched on both sides, big, healthy, beautiful. He might not go 100 inches and I could care less. He was also number 45 for me. I realized as I looked at my journal I have taken every one of my best bucks with a bow, kinda proud of that. As I checked him in I ran into another guy, Mike Cunnigham, who was checking in a nice 7 pt he had just taken. Pretty deer and congrats to Mike.
Good luck everyone and be safe. Keep posting so I can add my friends to the weekly list.
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About Me
- Tommy Ellis
- Born and raised in middle Tennessee.I'm a working wildlife and landscape artist specializing in watercolors. Now making cedar lures and custom turkey calls.
