Ketchup

Its a nice day out. Wet, cool, and little to no wind. Being stuck working on days like this is for the birds. This next week looks to be good for movement. Next 3 weeks starts the pre-rut, and i should be out 4 days a week in the evenings.

The camera from these pictures is located on the tree to the right. Small black dot if you zoom in. Been getting lots of activity from bucks. Couple nice 10 pointers this week on camera. There is a creek 5 yards threw the tree at top of picture. Just a nice honey hole.

The spot i hunted.

Another picture

Decided to do any evening sit yesterday, in hopes of making it more of a scout trip in the stand. Got to the stand at 4:40pm. It was pretty windy in the area i was "low open field" and the wind was swirling constant. At 7:08 one of the nice 8 pointers walked in from across the field. I seen him come out 75 yards away. He stopped at the base of a tree in front of me 15 yards away. He knew sonething was wrong. Its neat to watched them use their senses. He would lick his nose, which attaches the smell better like a bird dog. He stayed there for a good 3 minutes trying to figure out where i was with that swirling wind. He finally had enough and turned the way he came and walked away, stopping several times to look back. At 7:28 he and another mature shooter buck ive been watching on camera came out from that same spot and instead of walking towards me, walked the opposite way. I had already let my bow and backpack down to the ground, so just watched them walk away. On the walk back to the truck, i was busted by both of them. Got the loud blows and watched them trot over the hill. Great time even with the sweat pouring down my back walking in. Cool huntable weather coming after today. Heres the shooter buck that came out with the younger 8 point. Hes a big bodied, mature rascal.

Yes they are Quill. If you enjoy venison, those young are hard to beat. My most enjoyment from fishing or hunting comes from being "out there". 95% of the time i coukd care less if i catch a fish or shoot a deer. My heart beats for nature.

Scanning the web this time of year, reading posts, comments about deer hunting, and seeing alot of new hunters out there, starts my brain working with sharing knowledge. I often see comments posted about guys saying they try to shoot the old nannies in the group because the old girls are smart and bust the hunters to often. Heres where my experience and thoughts come into play. The old mature doe are like old bucks. They got that way from being smart about their born traits. With them being wise to the smells, sounds, changes of their surroundings that we walk into, but yet get busted by, are the reasons they are still alive. An old doe is a wonderful mother. I cant recall how many times in 30 years i have seen on camera pictures or in person an old doe protect her young from other critters, deer, etc. and in the process teach her young whats scary in the world. There is nothing better on a property that you hunt, than an old doe. First they are PROVEN good mothers. Most have twins that they raise being aware of their surroundings. Second they are the first to come into heat on your property which brings the bucks. Third they are the ones that keep the young safe in the herd. Watch a group of old and young mons together and you will see the old doe putting the young mothers and babies alike in line. Thats how you sustain a good deer herd on a piece of property, by passing on those old does. If you want meat, shoot the young, unproven does that will be more tender and taste better, and in return, sleep better knowing you left experience with the old nannies in the woods to continue to teach. Just how i see the importance of the old does on a farm. I posted this picture before, but this is an old nanny. While watching her slowly come in that morning, she was very sure of everything around her, while all of the young mons and babies just came strolling in like there was no danger around. Harvest selectlively guys and you will see the herd grow and prosper.

I spent the better part of 2 hours last night looking at deer on cards i pulled the other day. One thing is for sure, there is not a lack of old nannies, young moms, or babies on this property. Filling the freezer will be an easy task. My thoughts with the cool temps coming this week is to focus on antler size "i know cant eat horns" but knowing that it means more to me for my wife to make the memories of harvesting meat, that leaves me with the ability to be selective. This farm "264 acres" has very minimal pressure around it, and hasnt been hunted in years. Good friends bought it 3 years ago and have asked me every year to come hunt it "they arent hunters but like the meat" so this year i set cameras, stands, did the ground work, and now its the enjoyment of sitting in the stand just watching and taking pictures. Love this picture. Looks like a 2 headed deer the way their bodies lined up.

And Eva Shockey was there. ❤️

Thanks guys. Magicworm, twice this spring that exact thing happened, one of them being a true 7 pounder just outside of the Aunts Creek area that due to my stupidity, got off while attempting to flip it in the boat. I cast my RK out, started digging rock on a point, phone rings, answer it, 30 seconds later start reeling and BAM, the fight was on. Not sure i've ever had a bass fight as hard as that one did. I do try to slow down, but get so jacked with trying to catch fish, that it gets hard to just relax and let those cranks dig, then naturally float up, or to let that wacky rig actually hit bottom in 20' without jerking it.

KVD is enjoying the new sights.

We fished our club tourney out of Cape Saturday. The catching part was fairly easy for all that entered, but the keeper bites were a different story. I had several dinks by 8, and caught the first keeper at 9 with a 7" ribbon tailed worm paralelling the bank in 15 FOW. At noon i pulled up to a dock in 40 FOW, cast my PB&J wacky worm on a head that aarchdale makes, and at the same time i cast, dock owner walked onto the dock. This was my first cast in there so i let it set. chatting with the owners. While this was going on, i was slightly jigging the wacky on the bottom. Went to pick up my slack and noticed my line was out of the dock, in open water. Quick hookset, few jumps mid-air, and one more right into the net. This fish measured right at 22" on the dot. Felt great after not fishing for the past 2 months to catch a nice summer fish, where i normally struggle like no one else. This post has been promoted to an article

Im with Phil. I dont believe the admission fee is that steep, to see such beauty. I spent 6 weeks there building the concrete piers for the tank. I figured with the money i made off of him in that 6 week period "union carpenter" that i can afford to take the family as soon as the rush crowd dies down. We are very fortunate to live so close to all that JM has built. Some drive days to see these things. Heck, i spent $45 to just going to Taco Bell and McDonalds. Dont get me talking about the bill for the group at Lamberts.

Congrats Champ and everyone. This was my first fantasy anything, so my goal was a top 10 finish. With that happening, now i can see what little free time i did have, being used on fantasy fishing, fantasy hunting, fantasy wood crafts, fantasy guns..........Im doomed.

Well, i would like to say that i got to my stand at 5:00am, walked the 1/2 mile back to my stand, but that isnt the case. I was running a tad late, so i pulled thru the gate and parked in the barn, 60 yards from my stand. At 6:34 the first set of 6 does came in. Within 30 minutes i had 17 does and 1 small bucks under my stand and out to 50 yards. I snapped about 40 puctures of them while playing. Had 4 more come thru about 8:30. Due to my daughter getting married later that day, i let the critters walk or i would be the one getting skinned if i was late to pictures, etc. because i was tending to a dead deer. It was great to get out. Beautiful morning also.

zoom in as the tree in front of him takes away from his true size. Time shows 8:00am

Few of the better bucks. If you look over the shoulder of this nice buck, you will see a nice mid 130's buck. Look at the time stamp on the pictures. This is the stand i plan to hunt in the morning.

Looking thru the rest of the camera pictures early this morning, i found a few that got me a little more excited. I have 3 bucks showing up, with 2 of them in the high 120's "2.5 year olds that will be great deer at 4.5" and a nice high 130's. Best part is they are coming out between 6:15am and 9am about every morning. I carry my Nikon digital camera in the stand every trip out, and most excited to see these bucks in person in the morning, and to get some pictures/video of them. Going to pass on the bucks but plan to take a nanny if it presents itself tomorrow. Few pictures of a couple other small, cute bucks.

On my way to the cooking section. That'll get me "fired" up more than i am.

Good thread guys. I try to wait until mid Nov. before chasing small game, when its cooler out and those little rats are packing food away for winter. Love still hunting along a ridge, or walking along a creek bottom. Gosh i love hunting.

Thats most likely the case. Always a few first time estrus does coming in late. I enjoy that late rut phase where most does are bred, but the bucks are running their tails off looking for those few remaining. Man 2 more days.

Suprised at the spots still on this fawn. Mom was a late bloomer.

Some of those yotes.

Heres my favorite trail cam picture of 2014.