Stone Branch, build it, they will come.

It is often said that you can't go into your hunting spot when not hunting. Well I have been pretty successful in the past not following that rule. This past week I'm up there hunting mornings and or evenings, running the saws, and moving stands. I moved my ladder stand to the top of my rock pile and carved a shooting lane right down and past big scrape spots that I found in process.







Just close shots around the stand otherwise.



Despite all my intrusion the cast of characters going into gun tomorrow is set and they get their pictures taken day and night even side stepping me up there with the saw. I cant take the chance that the palmate buck isn't a 3 year old with a promising future, he gets a pass.



I chatted with one of the NC hunters next door down the hollow this morning. He said that there is a big old bully buck, 7 years old and 250lbs. I said 9pt crab claw left with a recent broke off left g3, "yep that's him". I past on him last year in late muzzleloader. I wont pass him again this muzzleloader if I'm still hunting.



The 8 is a big mature deer and could get killed by an itchy trigger finger looking to dodge a $700 taxidermy bill.



So this leaves me looking for/waiting on the 9. 3 mornings ago I was setting up there thinking that it felt like it was already 80 degrees up in the wind and hot sun, it was 60 degrees, and the 9 is heading right up to me at 8 o'clock. He took a left and went to the aforementioned scrape area in my new shooting lane for my other stand. I threw some grunts at him against the wind and he apparently never heard them.





G

Looking good...looks like this year might be better for you. Deer in different areas act differently...I can pretty much do anything at our 30 acres down county and the deer will just watch and go about their business. Up here in the big woods they will shut down a day or 2 when you change something on them...

OkieKubota said:

Looking good...looks like this year might be better for you. Deer in different areas act differently...I can pretty much do anything at our 30 acres down county and the deer will just watch and go about their business. Up here in the big woods they will shut down a day or 2 when you change something on them...

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I've said it before, I just want to be a deer hunter when I grow up.

G

George said:

I've said it before, I just want to be a deer hunter when I grow up.

G

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Me too...

I was in my Kill Zone stand tonight feeling a bit lonely when I had some customers show.









In the wind yesterday I was down on the ground about 150 Yards away.



G

That’s the way it works...I don’t know how many pictures I have of my target deer at the stand I was at 15 minutes after I leave around 11 Am or so...

OkieKubota said:

That’s the way it works...I don’t know how many pictures I have of my target deer at the stand I was at 15 minutes after I leave around 11 Am or so...

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Sometimes I wonder who is patterning who. Back in Michigan it was common for me to return from lunch to find the scrapes and rubs in front of the stand freshly worked and those deer were real stingy with their time.

The thought did occur to me to just start processing meat and then the thought occurred to me that my hunt would be over. All of my main characters are hanging close.



G

Hill Top



Rock Pile










Kill Zone







My oyster stump produced another crop and I almost missed it.



The big buck that I passed two evenings ago donated his liver to me. The 10 year old neighbor boy shot him last evening with his 30/30 with iron sights about 200 yards off my property.



G

I really hope that I don't have to see the Palmate buck while I'm hunting.



My target 9 listening to me pull in this morning a few hundred yards away.



Adios, heading for the Sanctuary.



2 evenings ago this boy came out of the Sanctuary and into my life.



hit some of the hot spots



and perhaps back out of my life.



but no, he has returned. He is quite a looker. I think that I may have a new target buck.

He has a bulge on his right side gut.







G

George said:

I really hope that I don't have to see the Palmate buck while I'm hunting.

View attachment 20566


My target 9 listening to me pull in this morning a few hundred yards away.

View attachment 20567

Adios, heading for the Sanctuary.

View attachment 20568

2 evenings ago this boy came out of the Sanctuary and into my life.

View attachment 20569

hit some of the hot spots

View attachment 20570

and perhaps back out of my life.

View attachment 20571

but no, he has returned. He is quite a looker. I think that I may have a new target buck.

He has a bulge on his right side gut.

View attachment 20572

View attachment 20573

View attachment 20574

G

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How many of those bucks have you been watching since the summer and how just showed up recently?

howboutthemdawgs said:

How many of those bucks have you been watching since the summer and how just showed up recently?

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I have summer time pictures of all of them except the big 8 that just showed up but I do have a picture of the big 8 from last year judging by the rack and bulge on his right gut.



G

You need to autopsy that thing!

swat1018 said:

You need to autopsy that thing!

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Don't I wish. My Loved One has corrected me on this a time or ten but in regards to animals it is called a necropsy.

No pictures of my target 9 on the 20th then on the morning of the 21st a shot rang out down off the east end of my property. My neighbor shot at a big buck that was heading back on to my property. He looked all morning for blood and text me that he is relieved that it was a clean miss. I don't much believe in clean misses. If you shoot low and you have an arrow sticking in the dirt with no hair, blood, or stomach contents on it, maybe. A 100 yard shot with a rifle, not so much. Any how the buck made it back up on to my property but my target 9 no longer shows up to get his daily pictures taken. I won't go into the Sanctuary till hunting is over, at least gun, and I really can't get close enough to discern crow activity.

The big 8 is still making his 2am rounds.



The palmate buck is still safe.



I started hiking up instead of 4 wheeling up.





I tried the antlers yesterday morning on the rock pile to no avail. I did have some commotion under me in the thicket before light.





And last evening was my 5th deerless hunt in a row.



G

I feel your pain George. A flash of tail is all I've seen in my last few sits. Place is looking good though and if you're keeping them around this long you should definitely have survivors for next year. How do the wind and thermals act in your steep terrain? Are they a possible cause for your lack of sightings?

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pinetag said:

I feel your pain George. A flash of tail is all I've seen in my last few sits. Place is looking good though and if you're keeping them around this long you should definitely have survivors for next year. How do the wind and thermals act in your steep terrain? Are they a possible cause for your lack of sightings?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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My experience in Iowa with thermals in the ridge and hollow terrain was a good lesson. Here in KY the winds on the ridge tops run true to the winds on the windstream map. Like in Iowa if you go less than high your stink ends up everywhere. I did learn that warmer afternoon thermals that are supposed to float over the hollow will actually sink like a rock on the cold side of the mountain. I was busted one time by a deer 200' down. The only other deer to bust me this year walked into my stink that I knew he would because of where he was heading. In general I'm doing better with my stink this year being up high and I am reluctant to go lower and start polluting the Sanctuary. Sure the deer are aware of me being up there at times but I believe the fact that the deer have shut down is more of a result of the start of hunting season and much of the numbnutting that is going on around me. Give deer a 120 acre Sanctuary to hide in and they may take you up on it. I have decided for now to wash myself and continue to stick with the plan.

G

You are correct, the proper term is necropsy, I'm an Animal Science major! I typed it, then changed if for fear of nobody knowing what I was talking about.

George said:

Here in KY the winds on the ridge tops run true to the winds on the windstream map.

G

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What windstream map are you using? The wind does crazy things on the mountain no matter what the weatherman says.

I’ve had the most success (all but one mature buck) in the mornings. If thermals weren’t pulling my scent up, I’d never have a chance at a deer.

George said:

I started hiking up instead of 4 wheeling up.

G

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It took me a while to let this one sink in. I thought....it’ll be less of a disturbance if I just get dropped off and don’t walk in. Wrong...almost every deer I’ve killed was when I hiked in instead of getting dropped off.

I’m sure I still blow some deer out, but they don’t hear me coming from a mile away.

George said:

My experience in Iowa with thermals in the ridge and hollow terrain was a good lesson. Here in KY the winds on the ridge tops run true to the winds on the windstream map. Like in Iowa if you go less than high your stink ends up everywhere. I did learn that warmer afternoon thermals that are supposed to float over the hollow will actually sink like a rock on the cold side of the mountain. I was busted one time by a deer 200' down. The only other deer to bust me this year walked into my stink that I knew he would because of where he was heading. In general I'm doing better with my stink this year being up high and I am reluctant to go lower and start polluting the Sanctuary. Sure the deer are aware of me being up there at times but I believe the fact that the deer have shut down is more of a result of the start of hunting season and much of the numbnutting that is going on around me. Give deer a 120 acre Sanctuary to hide in and they may take you up on it. I have decided for now to wash myself and continue to stick with the plan.

G

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Are you using the Windy app? Thats the one I like best, but the problem for me is my place is almost all river bottom so it doesn't necessarily follow the predominant wind. It's usually a variation of what they are calling for, so winds out of the NW, I'm likely getting them from the N, NW, and W. I think I've figured out that my best days are either very calm or medium winds (8-10 mph). Those light wind days (4-7 mph) tend to be the most variable.

Anyway, sounds like you've got it figured out and its just a matter of time before one of those bucks crosses your path. Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

HB_Hunter said:

What windstream map are you using? The wind does crazy things on the mountain no matter what the weatherman says.

I’ve had the most success (all but one mature buck) in the mornings. If thermals weren’t pulling my scent up, I’d never have a chance at a deer.

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I use wunderground and go to maps then interactive radar and turn on windstream. The map allows one to dial in on your ground. I don't use any phone apps.

HB_Hunter said:

It took me a while to let this one sink in. I thought....it’ll be less of a disturbance if I just get dropped off and don’t walk in. Wrong...almost every deer I’ve killed was when I hiked in instead of getting dropped off.

I’m sure I still blow some deer out, but they don’t hear me coming from a mile away.

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That fact couldn't have been more clearly illustrated for me than by the pictures of my target 9 listening to me pull up and then turning and heading for the Sanctuary. The 5 NC fellers that hunt the 900 acre lease next to me get a lot of good buck pictures at their bait sites. When they head in to hunt I hear the drone of 4 wheelers for a half hour. They drive right to their stands for the most part. The last that I talked to them 5 guys hunting all week, sometimes all day, saw two deer total.

pinetag said:

Are you using the Windy app? Thats the one I like best, but the problem for me is my place is almost all river bottom so it doesn't necessarily follow the predominant wind. It's usually a variation of what they are calling for, so winds out of the NW, I'm likely getting them from the N, NW, and W. I think I've figured out that my best days are either very calm or medium winds (8-10 mph). Those light wind days (4-7 mph) tend to be the most variable.

Anyway, sounds like you've got it figured out and its just a matter of time before one of those bucks crosses your path. Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Down in the crack the wind does it's own thing. It can be a strong westerly up on the ridge and down in the crack it could be blowing the opposite direction up the crack.

I'm fighting the urge to jump into the Sanctuary, this morning after a rain for example. But I can't bump deer out where they would be more vulnerable. I text with my neighbors when we are on the ridge but none of us can text down in the crack.

G