The Bow stand Log thread.

[Rippinlip]

Buck came cruising by this morning, too far to shoot, I grunted at him, he froze, grunted again and he came to me on a rope, after he passed directly underneath me he was quartered away at about 20 yards, I was at full draw, but just too much stuff in the way, did not want to take the chance of a mis-hit. I let down and watched him walk towards where Melissa was sitting, he skirted her and got within about 15-20 yards on a pretty good jog, no shot for her either, he was really interested in something.

[mudslinger64]

i ended up getting out from 3 until dark and again nothing,not even any fresh sign i just don't understand what is going on.it went from seeing deer all over the place every day to nothing...

[DonBo]

I was skunked tonight too.

[LOTWSvirgin]

I am with you guys on that skunked here to

[tracker x-2]

ya add another to the skunked list tonight what the heck. On a positive note the neibhor with a hundred acre corn field was out combindin.

[jltimm]

I got out for the 1st time tonight and had a buck sneak in from the back of me. Looked decent as he trotted off, but it was getting dark and I couldn't see to well.

[Wanderer]

Congrats Archerystud!

Tonight I had 4 browsing out and about. I bleat called and a doe and fawn start meandering my way. Somehow one of the others pushes over a rotted tree and as it crashes down they all scatter.

The fawn goes by too deep in the cover but the doe is walking at me and zig zagging so I can't predict which shooting lane she'll go through. The two lanes are on either side of a tree. Well with her facing me at 20 yards (I'm only 12 feet up) I commit left. Yup she goes right and gives me only about 1 second to shift and make the shot.

Needless to say there was no shot and she kept walking.

They came out early tonight and I really hoped there would be more to follow but it just wasn't meant to be.

Still waiting for a decent buck sighting. I won't have the bow back in hand until after Thanksgiving.

[reelguy]

I was out this morning which is about the 6th or 7th time I've been out with two of them being quick washouts! I only have one full season last year and a month of the 2007 season under my belt as far as bow hunting goes, so still a newbie and no deer to show...unitl today!

10 minutes before shooting time I had a Coyote beating feet under my stand so fast that I'm sure he was late to the local diner for breakfast.

Then about a half hour later a doe came down the hill south of me at about 35 yards but too brushy and she veered off away from me. About a half hour later another small Doe came walking in from where the coyote ran off too. She was in no hurry and she had no idea I was there. I think she smelled the Coyote and must have had friends a ways back. She kept looking back, circled around a scrape and started to walk away but turned around again. She kept looking back and so I came to full draw as she was behind a tree and looking away from me. Boy was I breathing hard and legs shaking! I have had a couple close calls this season and last, but never truely drew on a shooter deer. All I needed was for her to take 2 steps and I could let her buck! Not today though. Something made a twig break and she scattered off where she came from. Darn

About 10 minutes after that I saw three white tales off in that same direction but they were on a trot up the hill and away from me.

It was getting to be after 8:00 and I was getting discouraged. Too many close calls this year and I am wanting to get that first deer notch on my belt.

About 8:30 another Doe comes in a fast walk down the same trail as the last one. She gets to the same area so I draw when she is looking back. She is as nervous at what ever is back there like the last one (maybe the same one from before, but I don't think so. She looks a bit bigger). Just as I come to full draw, she decides to get spooked again at what she is watching and starts to trot away. Darn It, another one got away! Oh wait, grunt at it dummy...see what happens.

I give her a couple grunts and she stops! She was just past the tree I ranged at 20 yards. Put mine 20 pin on her, bent down to get under the branches she was near and...Fling, thwak and she's off! I heard the arrow hit and she lifted her leg as she ran off. Right after that I heard what sounded like a freight train going through the leaves up the hill from me. I looked back thinking its a deer, but it was about 25 turkeys flying away in the same direction.

Turns out there were two guys squirel hunting over that area that chased the doe and turkey's to me. This is a public chunk of land. Guess I never thought I would thank a squirel hunter hunting around my deer stand!

Waited an hour and a half and for a buddy to show up. Followed a great blood trail for about 100 yards and she was piled up! On top of the biggest hill in the area no doubt. Made for an easy drag! She isn't a biggun, but she'll taste good. What a relief to get that first one!

[Wanderer]

Good job on your first archery deer!

Thanks for the story too!

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Finally got on stand about 3:30 PM today after about a 2 1/2 hour rain delay. Around 5 PM a lone big doe comes in. I first spot her when she is about 40 yds out. I wait and she continues to move closer. At about 25 yards she stops and turns broadside. I am very excited as this is my first opportunity to release an arrow at a deer this year (last weekend I got busted when drawing back, and the week before I could not stand or pull back on 2 deer 20 yards out as one of them was always looking in my direction). I quickly line up the shot and let it fly. The deer does an immediate about face and runs back into the woods. I think it was a clean miss - but how can that be? On Thursday I went to the archery range and hit the 6 inch circle on 25 straight shots from 20 yards. I think I got so excited that I rushed the shot. I sit down and stew. A few minutes later I see a deer moving about 100 yards away. After looking at it for a minute I see it has paired up with another. They both are does. Then a larger deer joins them. I couldn't see the head very good but it looked like a bigger bodied deer, so I think it was a buck. Well now it was almost dark and I am thinking about gettting down when I get a shot at redemption. Another doe comes in and gives me a shot chance at between 20 and 25 yards. With only a few minutes of light left, I put the pin on her and let it fly. I hear a thwack and then a second thwack. The deer retreats about 15 yards but doesn't leave the area. A little while later, it gets closer but it is now too dark. I wait for the deer to leave before I get down, but it won't. I don't want to get busted in the stand so I send my father in law a text message to come out of the house and scare the deer away so I can get down. After he does, I look for the arrows. I found one of the two. It had light colored hairs about an inch long on it. I couldn't find the other arrow. So tommorow my father in law (I am hunting on his property) will look for the other arrow and any blood and signs of dead deer. I won't be able to get back out until Wednesday. This will be playing in my mind a bunch I'm sure. So it was a good night of seeing them, not so good at shooting them. Grrr!

[archerystud]

My 2009 Buck.

Like I said he isn't huge but I may only have 4 days left to hunt this year so I got some venison for the freezer.

Check out the willow thickets. I love them for deer bedding areas but they are tough to drag a deer out of.

[BLACKJACK]

Good job Archerystud!!

Was out Fri. evening in the snow and saw nothing.

Was out Sat morning, had a deer 'blow' at me as I walked in, saw nothing from the stand. After a late breakfast with my Mom went back thru the area pheasant hunting and deer scouting, saw 7-8 ground scrapes. Got two roosters.

Sunday morning was a great morning on stand!!!! Just getting light and had a small 8 point come thru a little out of range, got to watch him tend a scrape, could hear his antlers on the branch above. Waited awhile and decided to do a rattling sequence with my rattling bag. Just got done, picked up my bow, when this deer comes flying in from behind me, ran under my stand, and stopped in the brush about 20 yards away. He was a forkhorn, looking around for the bucks fighting. He stood there for about 10 minutes, then started moving toward my stand, I'm looking for a shooting lane - then he laid down about 25 feet from my stand!!!! Problem was he was facing me, I had a good shot at the white throat patch but wasn't going to take that low percentage shot. I sat and watched him lick his hoof, groom his rear leg, saw him reach down into the leaves and eat a leaf, saw his tongue licking out his nose - he was close!!! He was panting like a dog, he must have laid down to rest. I had decided he was a shooter the way he had come running in and bedded down but now it was it waiting game for him to stand up. I kept hoping another deer would come along to see his reaction but no luck. Problem was my arms were getting tired holding my bow up and my fingers were getting cold so when he turned his head to groom himself I moved my bow about 12 inches to the left and rested my bow pulley on my stand seat. After about 20 minutes, he stood up and I raised my bow but in the process my arrow fletching scraped a branch and he heard it!!! So now he's looking at me, we had the five minute stare down, he’s bobbing his head, then he slowly backs up a couple of steps and wanders off thru the brush!!! So close and yet so far!!!!! I was already contemplating the fact that it was warm out, supposed to get to 50+ degrees, no butcher shops open, that I end up spending the day butchering him - then he gets away!!! Fun to watch though!!!

So then I'm kind of drained, replaying the events, when about 10 minutes later, another buck, a little wider rack, comes running down the field edge, I could see the sun glinting off his antlers!!! If he kept going he'd come right down my main trail about 20 yards away, but the next time I see him is on another trail where the first buck had went thru, I tried voice grunting to stop him but he kept on going.

To top the morning off I had a doe and fawn come by later on, right down my main trail but I passed on her.

Great morning on stand!!!!

Went out again Sunday evening, after my morning I was psyched, saw two does late, but they must have smelled me, they were nervous but it was a nice evening on stand, watched a nice sunset to the west and the moon come up to the east. Taking Wed, Thur., Fri off to hunt, can't wait!!! Looks like the rut is taking off!!!

[rbs]

went out sunday morning and last night. I saw nothing at all on the morning hunt but it was very nice out.

Last night I got in my stand at 3:30 and got settled in. I decided I was going to try rattling for the first time this year as well. I picked up my grunt tube and made 2 grunts and I heard something below me moving in the leaves. I made one more grunt and it moves again. I waited for about 10 mins and didn't see anything so I grunt and then start rattling very softly. Then he appears at 55yds. It is a 8point and he is rubbing a tree down below me next to a field. I grunted and he looked up towards me. He stood there for 15mins eating and I decided I would rattle again. I rattled softly and he picked his head up stood for about 10 seconds and then bolted out of there. I figure he was about 14" wide and was not going to shoot him anyways. Just interesting on how he acted tho.

Later towards dark I had a doe and 2 fawns come out and feed in the picked corn at about 75 yds. A truck drove by so they retreated into the crp again and then came out 5 mins later at about 30yds. Another vehicle drove past and they bounded right at me to 10yds and stood there. They then walked just to the east of my stand and down the hill and out of sight.

just at dark I had another doe and 2 fawns come out at 30yds as well. She was very big but I let them pass. Heck of a change from my morning hunt that is for sure. I think they go to their beds early when it is a moonlit night at least that is what I am guessing anyways.

[ARROW 1]

Congrats archerystud. I think im getting a cramp in my leg just thinking about pulling a deer thru that thicket.

[sticknstring]

Archerystud - Congratulations on a nice buck. He'll fill the freezer nicely. Now that have your tag punched, you know what will happen next time you're out right? Big papi will show up.

[DonBo]

Congrats on that first deer reelguy! What a rush huh?

Good luck finding your deer rather...

Archerystud, no reason to be ashamed of that buck! I'd be happy with one like that now.

I hunted this morning, only the third time here at home on morning stand this year (been too busy turkey hunting ). Have yet to see one in the morning...till today. Saw 6 or 7 before sunrise. One yearling doe got a ride home in my truck! My first kill with the new Mathews DXT! Good to break the ice with the new bow. Hope it adds 'em up as fast as the old one did.

[sticknstring]

Way to go on the doe Don! After SD, it's good to hear that DXT can kill something.

I hit the stand for a quick hour before work today and smashed the antlers together... nada. Some dink bucks on camera but nothing good cruising through yet.

[Wanderer]

Congrats Donbo! Always good to rub the new off the bow.

Blackjack's Saturday sounded fun.

[TDH]

Well today must have been my day because everything went according to plan for a change. Decided to go out in the morning for the first time this year, and also to a stand that I had not hunted since last year. Got all set up a little later than I had planned I only had to sit for about 15 minutes until legal shooting light. I had a grouse walk by at about 6:30, i love eating grouse so I decide to take a shot but just got feathers.

So I settled back in and about 20 minutes later I hear some noise coming from behind me. I look back and at about 15 yards this buck is walking to a scrape below my tree. I reach up for my bow, as soon as I grab it off my ez hanger it start working the licking branch and is looking right up at me forcing me to freeze with my arm still stretched up with bow in hand. He eventually continues down the trail and I draw back, he starts to trot off I got him to stop at about 20 yards and I let him have it. The shot was less than ideal I'm not sure if I hit a branch or I just pulled it, but the arrow hit him way back in the hind leg. The arrow did angle up into the chest cavity but didn't make it to the lungs or heart. None the less the 2 blade Rage did its job and he only went about 40 yards. This is my first buck ever and to get it with the bow, and also off of public land makes it so much sweeter.

[sticknstring]

Way to go TDH. 1st buck with the bow - he'll be one you remember. Almost a grouse too - congratulations are in order!

[DonBo]

Great first buck TDH! Way to go.

[archerystud]

That's a beauty TDH!! Congrats on a great first buck bow kill!!

SnS,

Yeah, I'm a little scared to go do some doe hunting right now!!! I did have to pass up a real nice shooter buck last year in a management hunt (does only) so I guess I have experienced letting a big boy walk and I can do it.

I'll be out with the fire pole this weekend hunting with my dad. Like I told him if you hear me shooting you'd better be ready because it will be something that I will want on the wall.

[Meat-Run]

beauty, congrats on your first!!!

mr

[DonBo]

Another skunk tonight after a good morning. I never did like hunting the full moon.

[Guppy]

I sat last night and saw nothing. Three of us sat this morning and saw nothing. Two of us sat tonight and saw nothing. A guy at the archery shop said that with the full moon mid day is the time to be out there. I can't take sitting all day, so do you think it would be good to sit from around 10 to 2?