'14 season

[VaRedneck]

Nov 15th

This morning started off clear and cold...beautiful, especially after the frigid blast from yesterday. Got to my stand w/o kicking anything outa bed..always a good thing. Early...just as the sky was lightening behind me...I heard someone coming down the far hill opposite the creek. Listened to him make one long, low grunt. Yeah...sure...that'll bring all the deer right to you...idiot. Then I listened to him....somehow get across the neighbors fence...and back up the hill to the east...way too fast and quiet for a man. Dang...and I didn't even get a doe bleet out. Ah well...there may be something to do this mornin anyway.

An hr later I catch a glimpse of a small buck 70yds at my 12.....catch sight of him again as he makes his way passed the first shooting gap...gone. Another...this one a spike..maybe a fork...goes the same way. He's movin sneakier...don't see him after the first. Half an hr later the first buck shows in the second lane. He's a 6pntr...pretty lil rack..will be a nice one in 2-3yrs. He takes his time cruising on by....I lose sight of him to my 6 and comeback to the spike...he finally shows in the second lane..took him 30min to go 50yds...yeah..he's not a happy camper. He comes down to the bottom...don't like somethin and heads back into the mt laurel.

I hear somethin to my left and 15yds away coming to the edge of the pasture is a 3pntr. Musta come from the salt lick...wanted to rub his eyes in the bushes...then he calmly made his way back up the hill toward my old stand. I couldn't believe it...deer everywhere..and not a single doe.

The 6pt comes back nice and easy on the fence line. He takes his time...rubs a small tree. Kinda cool when you see them do that. Then makes his way on down the fence line toward the creek. Just as he reaches my 3o'clock...I hear something farther up the north hill...like lumber being beat on...once...twice...two, three more times. The 6pt has now turned around and faced the far hill. Nice and easy I swing my leg around to the right of my stand's seat frame so that I can bring my rifle to bear. Just as I ease into my new position a deer starts blowing across the way. Dang..I didn't see a thing...evidently he saw me though. After 15-20min of trying to locate a twitching ear I ease back toward the left. 6pt is gone...never heard him leave.

As I sip a lil coffee...still not feeling too bad...I'm warm today...extra clothes and toe warmers..."I can sit here all day at this rate" I thought to myself. Then I heard something to my 6o'clock. I look back toward my 5 as far as I can....nuthin....except the shadow of somethin moving, on the creek bottom! That means he's on the tree line to my 7o'clock! With my tree between me and whatever's moving I swing quickly to my left. Got worried when nuthin showed...then I heard him closer....45yds...he steps away from my back trail gonna go up the hill toward my old stand.

He didn't make it. Thought the shot was a bit low but it was a both shoulder/heart shot...he made 30yds back into the cedars.

Not the biggest. But it was one of my best days in the deer woods. 8pt dressed at 188lbs.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 21st

I got out early...fitful breeze...not bad..maybe low to mid 30's. Before dawn I swore I was hearing squirrels, too dark though for them so somethin else was movin around. About 0730 had a doe cruise down my back trail with company in tow. A 7pt, 4pt, and a coupla spikes. 15yds and none of them looked twice at me. I swear though...the doe was hoping I would take one out to give her a break. Had a doe pop outa nowhere to my 12 an hr later...then the wind started in earnest. Couldn't hear much of anything after that and called it a day. Checked my cam...everyone I saw today made an appearance...as well as another young 8pt. Hoping for a turn in the weather for Sun.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 23rd

At 11 had a small doe come in from the western side of Wolf creek. She crossed my northern neighbor's fence and kept on goin to the east. Rain started around 2pm. About 4pm had two does cross my 12 at 75yds. Young doe w/yearling. Got me all pumped...expecting company to be a few minutes behind. She wasn't in a hurry though...had both of them under my scent dripper at my mock scrape. Both eased on to the northeast and outa sight and sound. Still held out hope for a travelin bruiser. Not.

Didn't happen for me today.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 28th

Had a fox trot by right under the stand before dawn. An hr later he came back...sniffed around the 2nd-3rd lanes. Right as I was deciding to put the scope on him, he takes off up the creek and gone. Sure can put some distance on without even putting any effort into it. Right about then the wind picked up nice and steady. Could barely hear the squirrel 10yds in front of me. The best part of my day was having two hawks stop by and take a look at me. First lit on a branch 4yds and a bit higher than me. The second chose a branch right behind my head...skeered the livin shiite outa me. That was it...nuthin with four legs movin after that...I had stuff on my mind and called it an early day.

Tomorrow's another day.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 29th

Realized I had company across the road behind me when the shot rang out, dang near goosin me from my stand. Hate when the neighbor gives permission to hunt that land w/o tellin me. Not that he has to...but dang would be nice to know before the shot goes off. Might explain why things have been slowin down. Hate bein squeezed.

[VaRedneck]

Dec 13th

I had somethin cross the northern neighbor's fence in the dark...sounded like more than one...buck pushin a doe maybe. An hr after sunrise had 4 bucks...2-8's a 6 and a 5 come back from where I heard earlier...wondered if it was these just guys out searchin for the ladies. They all made their way across the NE fence and then on down the creek to the south. Had a herd of elepha....okay...flock of turkeys tearing it up behind me for most of the mornin..around noon they finally eased up to my 3oclock...made a left on up the hill and into the pines. Just before dark had an 8pt head back north up the creek...he was wider than my last..but thinner shorter tines. About the time I left the crosshairs off his shoulder a tagalong caught up with him and then both were gone.

Never had a season like this. Seen 2 maybe 3 does all season so far...bucks everywhere with most being too small to shoot. Needing a few does to fill the freezer...maybe next week.

[VaRedneck]

Dec 22nd

Something changed this year...or more likely...a combination of. Best acorn crop in years...in my mind, (with the exception of a coupla does with bucks in tow) kept everything 'cept young bucks to the thick stuff all season.

Was out yesterday...just before legal light had what I believe is one of the last two 8pt'rs in the area cruise 40yds past the stand...even stopped under my old scent dripper before headin into the thick stuff just before light. Celebrated the mrs' BDay so was outa the woods by 10a.m. Check the game cam...no deer for the past coupla weeks in the pasture during the day light hrs.

As I was walkin back from the cam I paid special attention to the leavings....acorns are gone...nuthin but shells and skins. And sure enough...long about 4pm had three does checkin out my back trail from my stand. Put some glass on them...2older one yearling.

Heard talk of bear still active in the higher elevations. I was starting to wonder if I had company next door. This fri mornin I'm expecting to see a bit more than what I've seen this season to date. Need three more in the next two weeks...gonna be a close thing.

The other change...prolly self inflicted....

I'd put a hurtin on the does the last coupla years...taking 3 or so and letting the lil bucks walk. It's been an effort to see more bucks. Well.....last year I struggled to see does as well...had to re-read my posts. A good thing. Anyway....A thought that maybe all those lil bucks are squeezin the does outa their normal bedding areas. Maybe I gotta do a more "balanced" harvest.

I dunno....I'm not the only hunter in the area so....would I make that much of a difference....dunno.