Hawkens 2010 Deer season

[Hawken]

Opening day 2010! I hunted a small finger of timber in an a clear cut. It is basically an old dried out creek bed with some hard woods that is maybe 100 or so yards wide, and several hundred yards long. In fact I have a lock on placed at the opposite side of this finger of timber that I am saving for gun season. Anyway I hunted until 10AM with no action except for countless bushy tails. It was awful humid, but it was nice to be back in the woods hunting. I didn't go out this evening. I'll be back after them in the AM.

[Quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Hawken

Opening day 2010! I hunted a small finger of timber in an a clear cut. It is basically an old dried out creek bed with some hard woods that is maybe 100 or so yards wide, and several hundred yards long. In fact I have a lock on placed at the opposite side of this finger of timber that I am saving for gun season. Anyway I hunted until 10AM with no action except for countless bushy tails. It was awful humid, but it was nice to be back in the woods hunting. I didn't go out this evening. I'll be back after them in the AM.

How did it go this am?

[Hawken]

Originally Posted by Quickdraw

How did it go this am?

I ended up sleeping in this am. I got up and had every intention of going, but I was real sluggish from staying up late watching FB, and as humid as it is, it didn't take much for me to go back to bed. There's a lot of season to go, and I'll hunt harder as the weather changes. I know it's supposed to be hot next weekend as well, but I will give it go and see.

[Hawken]

Saturday 9-18
Excellent morning! I saw th first deer of the year on stand. I hunted a pinch point on a hardwood rige with a water oak dropping. I saw four deer total. The first two deer arrived at 7:30. It was a old horse head nanny doe, and her yearling. I could have taken a 30 yard shot at the yearling, but I wanted momma. Those old does have a knack for knowing somethings a miss. The Horse head doe got about 40 yards from me and started acting nervous, she never came in range, and she never really spooked, she just knew something wasn't right. She and the yearling made a loop around me, and they left me about 7:45. Then at 8:20 I had two does come in directly behind me. They came in through some really nasty cover and I couldn't get a shot. The fed to me left, and at one point I could have threaded the needle on one of them, but instead I chose to wait hoping they would work there way out of the cover and toward me. They never did. Anyway a fantastic morning. I moved my climber to what I think is a better tree for this spot, when I got down, and I'll be back after them in the AM.

[Hawken]

Sunday 9-19
I hunted in the same are this morning, with no luck. In fact the, with the exceptions of the Turkeys rootsing behind me, the woods were dead until later in the morning. We'll give it another try next weekend.
On a side note, we have two guys who have been hunting pretty hard this first week of the season, and niether one has seen a deer from the tree yet . One of these guys drives a four wheeler to his hunting area, the other one drives a polaris ranger. Is it Just a coincidence, that these guys are the only ones who use these for transportation to the stand, and they haven't seen anything? I'm sure these guys aren't driving directly to there tree, but I am curious if this is hindering them. I'll be watching them and there results just to see if there rides are maybe hurting there hunting.

[Quickdraw]

[quote=Hawken;683008]Sunday 9-19

On a side note, we have two guys who have been hunting pretty hard this first week of the season, and niether one has seen a deer from the tree yet . One of these guys drives a four wheeler to his hunting area, the other one drives a polaris ranger. Is it Just a coincidence, that these guys are the only ones who use these for transportation to the stand, and they haven't seen anything? I'm sure these guys aren't driving directly to there tree, but I am curious if this is hindering them.

Across the creek they say it dont bother the deer to ride 4 wheelers all over your hunting area. You might can bag a mature deer during the rut but you sure want bag many at other times of the season. I have guys that ride 4 wheelers to the stand in the club next to mine. Sometimes I have deer around me while they are riding. The deer always become attentive and end up walking away from the noise and they are 1/4 of a mile or more away

[Hawken]

[quote=Quickdraw;683070]

Originally Posted by Hawken

Sunday 9-19

On a side note, we have two guys who have been hunting pretty hard this first week of the season, and niether one has seen a deer from the tree yet . One of these guys drives a four wheeler to his hunting area, the other one drives a polaris ranger. Is it Just a coincidence, that these guys are the only ones who use these for transportation to the stand, and they haven't seen anything? I'm sure these guys aren't driving directly to there tree, but I am curious if this is hindering them.

Across the creek they say it dont bother the deer to ride 4 wheelers all over your hunting area. You might can bag a mature deer during the rut but you sure want bag many at other times of the season. I have guys that ride 4 wheelers to the stand in the club next to mine. Sometimes I have deer around me while they are riding. The deer always become attentive and end up walking away from the noise and they are 1/4 of a mile or more away

I used to hunt in Washington County back in the early 1990's. I hunted on a local farmers place, and he had parties from time to time. Anyway at one of his Parties I had a few beers with a guy who had taken a ton of big deer, in that area, as well as out of state. I'll never forget in our conversation, he told me that the number one way to booger an area, and educate the deer. was to BUY A 4 WHEELER AND START HUNTING WITH IT. He was that convinced that they hurt you more than they help you. That always kind of stuck me, and now all these years later, I am seeing it.

[Quickdraw]

[quote=Hawken;683114]

Originally Posted by Quickdraw

I used to hunt in Washington County back in the early 1990's. I hunted on a local farmers place, and he had parties from time to time. Anyway at one of his Parties I had a few beers with a guy who had taken a ton of big deer, in that area, as well as out of state. I'll never forget in our conversation, he told me that the number one way to booger an area, and educate the deer. was to BUY A 4 WHEELER AND START HUNTING WITH IT. He was that convinced that they hurt you more than they help you. That always kind of stuck me, and now all these years later, I am seeing it.

I agree with that guy 100%. If someone wants to ride to their stands they need an electric golf cart

[Hawken]

Sunday 9-26.
I only hunted yesterday morning and I didn't see a thing. I did however find some fresh rubs, one of which looks to be from a potential shooter. Now that the weather is breaking, I will hunt more and hunt harder. Good Ridence to that godforsaken 90 degree heat.

[Hawken]

Saturday 10-2
Absolutely perfect morning weaher wise. The first time all season I didn't have the thermacell on, and the first time I didn't sweat climbing my tree. I bumped two going in, and saw one deer I couldn't ID around 10:20. I had family obligations the rest of the weekend, so I won't be back in the woods until Muzzleloader.

[Hawken]

Saturday 10-9
Uneventful morning, but a fantastic evening. I got settled in about 4:15. I was hunting in some pines at the bottom of a hard wood ridge on the edge of a powerline. About 5PM I heard a commotion coming down the ridge. I knew it was either turkeys or people. It turned out to be Turkeys, and not just any Turkeys, 6 Fine gobblers. I watched them come out of the hardwoods and meander around the pines for 45 minutes. Then they went back up the ridge and out of sight. Around 6:30 they came back and came in a little closer. It was really neat just sitting there and watching them. At 6:45 a small bobcat came onto the power line and crossed it, and came over into the section of woods, that Myself and the turkeys were in. The turkeys, and the bobcat, could have cared less about each other. The bobcat just gave them one look, and went the opposite direction. Out of the six turkeys two of them were really the only ones eyeing the bobcat. Once he left they went right back to picking bugs off the grass. Then the turkeys fed behind me and roosted about 75 yards away. Right after they flew up, a small spike walked right under me, and went into the power line to browse. What a fantastic hunt. It's evening like this that make so very thankful I am a hunter. I'll be back after them in the morning.

[Hawken]

Saturday 10-16 OPENING DAY!
I had a fantastic gun opener. I hunted a loc on stand that I have been saving for opening day. It's positioned in strip of timber which acts as a funnell between two pretty narly clear cuts. It's got two white oaks that are absolutely loaded. The morning started out slow as afar as deer movement goes. I also didn't hear my first shot until 8:30, which I tought was unusual on the gun opener. At 10 AM on the dot, I saw a small buck about 5o yards down on my left. He was coming out of on clear cut and coming up my. He got behind a series of three tree's and I he just seemed to stop. He stayed there for about 5 minutes. While he was there another buck a small 6 or 8 pointer came up his same path he had just walked. The first buck turned around and walked over to this second buck, and the began to click there antlers together. Nothing serious, just some light playing. THe first buck eventually pushed the second deer away, then he wen into the clear cut. That was only the second time in 25 years of deer hunting, I had every seen two bucks do that. AT 10:30 two does came in from behind me in the clear cut, and winded me. They spooked and took off. I stayed in the tree until noon. I hunted the same stand that afternoon, but didn't see anything. One thing I'm gonna do with this stand is add another section of ladder. Due to the topographry anthing coming in from behind me, or to me right is almost eye level. If I can get elevated more, it will make a good stand even better.
Anyway a great opening day. I couldn't get out this morning, I'll try to go at least one evening this week.

[Hawken]

Friday 10-22
Another awesome hunt without actually pulling the trigger. I got down to the lease around 3pm, and on the way in saw a doe standing in one of our food plots. I hunted my loc on stand that is in the funnel between the two clear cuts. At 6:15, Movement caughtmy eye, and a 100 inch or so 8 pointer was absolutely giving a small pine tree hell. He wore that smll tree out. Then he proceded to make his way through the upper clear cut, and into the hard woods, and actually fed out of site. Then right at dark two bob cats came strolling under my tree. One of them stopped at my fanny pack at the base of the tree, then looked up and spied me. He jumped like he was shot from a cannon. Another good night in the woods. We'll be back after them tomorrow. I am hunting with my Dad's pistol. Dad would have been 63 on Sunday, and I would like to take a deer with one of his guns on his birthday weekend.

[matthewsman]

Originally Posted by Hawken

Friday 10-22
Another awesome hunt without actually pulling the trigger. I got down to the lease around 3pm, and on the way in saw a doe standing in one of our food plots. I hunted my loc on stand that is in the funnel between the two clear cuts. At 6:15, Movement caughtmy eye, and a 100 inch or so 8 pointer was absolutely giving a small pine tree hell. He wore that smll tree out. Then he proceded to make his way through the upper clear cut, and into the hard woods, and actually fed out of site. Then right at dark two bob cats came strolling under my tree. One of them stopped at my fanny pack at the base of the tree, then looked up and spied me. He jumped like he was shot from a cannon. Another good night in the woods. We'll be back after them tomorrow. I am hunting with my Dad's pistol. Dad would have been 63 on Sunday, and I would like to take a deer with one of his guns on his birthday weekend.

I told you to get you a video camera, even a cheap one....I hardly get in the woods without mine now...When we get old and somebody's changing our diapers and cn't get out there anymore......We'll have something to remember by..

[Hawken]

Originally Posted by matthewsman

I told you to get you a video camera, even a cheap one....I hardly get in the woods without mine now...When we get old and somebody's changing our diapers and cn't get out there anymore......We'll have something to remember by..

Donnie, I kept thinking about this post the whole day today. I must get one, especially with the stuff I'm seeing. I don't have time to post today's events, but I will tomorrow. As a small tease I saw 11 deer today. This lease is unreal! I'll post everything tomorrow.