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Kaleo Hills-Property tour
- Thread starter weekender21
- Start date
weekender21
Well-Known Member
We just don’t have many white oak so those big poplar are the real cash crop. The #1 poplar are getting more per board foot than our oak though.
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weekender21
Well-Known Member
Cold front fun in the NC mountains. Fall briefly turned to winter in NW NC this week.
Day one, 11 hours in the tree. Frigid but beautiful, definitely felt more like January than November. I saw 4-5 young bucks but nothing mature. High 26F wind gusts to 40mph but this saddle was mainly protected.
The morning of 11 November was cold, in the teens with wind gusts over 40. I slept in but confirmed it was COLD.
I couldn’t make up my mind where to hunt in the afternoon but decided to brave an exposed ridge with West winds occasionally still gusting to 30+. I spent a lot of time hiding behind the tree trunk.
This ridge has nearby bedding and food on my neighbors slope and bedding and food on my side as well. Just seems like a logical place to ambush a cruising buck. Over an hour before dark I spotted a lone mature buck headed my way. From the time I saw him until I shot him at 15 yards was probably less than a minute. He bedded 60-75 yards away within sight and soon expired. My biggest whitetail to date! Rough green gross is 139”. Honestly I think this buck is only three but he’s much bigger than anything I’ve had an opportunity at in the mountains. Sending in the teeth and excited to find out.
After taking care of the buck I received a text to check out the northern lights. They were easily visible but the night shot on my iPhone really made them pop. Not all tech is bad.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Day one, 11 hours in the tree. Frigid but beautiful, definitely felt more like January than November. I saw 4-5 young bucks but nothing mature. High 26F wind gusts to 40mph but this saddle was mainly protected.
The morning of 11 November was cold, in the teens with wind gusts over 40. I slept in but confirmed it was COLD.
I couldn’t make up my mind where to hunt in the afternoon but decided to brave an exposed ridge with West winds occasionally still gusting to 30+. I spent a lot of time hiding behind the tree trunk.
This ridge has nearby bedding and food on my neighbors slope and bedding and food on my side as well. Just seems like a logical place to ambush a cruising buck. Over an hour before dark I spotted a lone mature buck headed my way. From the time I saw him until I shot him at 15 yards was probably less than a minute. He bedded 60-75 yards away within sight and soon expired. My biggest whitetail to date! Rough green gross is 139”. Honestly I think this buck is only three but he’s much bigger than anything I’ve had an opportunity at in the mountains. Sending in the teeth and excited to find out.
After taking care of the buck I received a text to check out the northern lights. They were easily visible but the night shot on my iPhone really made them pop. Not all tech is bad.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
Beautiful buck! Congratulations!
Flatiron75
Member
That buck is a worthy trophy any day, friend!!! Congrats on a beauty. Great pics - buck and N. lights.
weekender21
Well-Known Member
Haha, thanks drycreek. That last part is unfounded though!
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weekender21
Well-Known Member
My son’s first buck!
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Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Memories for a lifetime! I notice that you're making that property pay you back a little bit. Doing deer habitat management and improving a property can often seem like an endless ritual and a bottomless pit, but doing the right things eventually pays off.My son’s first buck!
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BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
Awesome! Congratulations!
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
That is awesome man! Congratulation to your son and to you for teaching him!
weekender21
Well-Known Member
We headed out for a doe hunt this evening. It didn’t take long to get a shot.
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weekender21
Well-Known Member
We finished up the year with a few hunts and kicked off 2026 with our youngest daughter’s first two deer!
The first afternoon on stand was COLD, 26F and windy. After 2.5 hours we threw in the towel. I wasn’t too upset leaving before dark, skinning deer with that wind chill is no fun.
She had all the layers on by the end.
I spent New Year’s Eve in the blind with our oldest daughter. We sat until dark but the deer never showed.
New Year’s Day I was back in the blind with our youngest. She was excited to see a few deer and made two great shots under pressure. A new hunter is born!
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The first afternoon on stand was COLD, 26F and windy. After 2.5 hours we threw in the towel. I wasn’t too upset leaving before dark, skinning deer with that wind chill is no fun.
She had all the layers on by the end.
I spent New Year’s Eve in the blind with our oldest daughter. We sat until dark but the deer never showed.
New Year’s Day I was back in the blind with our youngest. She was excited to see a few deer and made two great shots under pressure. A new hunter is born!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Good times!
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Those are some great pictures!
