2011 Archery Log

[bigbucks]

Very nice shooting on the two does.

Going back to the liver shot I shot a small yearling once on opening day & hit the liver. It went 15 yards, just depends with livers.

Hunted Thursday, Friday, & Saturday nights in the wind, no deer, but saw turkeys Friday night. Sunday night hunted turkeys in the wind, no turkeys, but saw two deer. Did hunt Saturday morning & saw at least three. Had a five pointer with a death wish within 10 yards for about 15 minutes. Fun to see. Man if he only knew how easily he could have died.

[Archerysniper]

With liver hit's like the others have stated,it depends if you hit the artery that supplies blood too the liver it's going to be a fast blood loss just like any other artery.

[mnhunter79]

mankato. thanks guys

[james_walleye]

Found a place at the entrance to a park to watch the new permission i have here in Rochester. I can see my stand from about a 1/4 mile away. I pulled up about 5:45 and there were 2 does, a yearling 8 pointer, and about a 120" 9 pointer in the grassy draw about 100 yards from my stand. I watched the 9 pointer absolutely thrash a lone small tree in the draw for about 2 minutes. They all eventually made their way into the woods moving up toward my stand. Through the spotting scope i could make out a bunch of other rubs along the edge of the woods. Pretty cool to watch that buck. Where the deer were is where im seeing alot of deer and i can put a decoy out in full view of where these deer move in this draw. The draw itself is not on the property i have permission to hunt so along with the edges i have my stand near im hoping to draw a big buck crossing that draw up using the decoy. Cant wait to see what a decoy does out there.

[Archerysniper]

James if you use the decoy place it quartering towards you, most deer will come in and go nose to nose or approach the head of the deer that will give you a nice quartering away shot.

[james_walleye]

Thanks for the tip. There are some absolute giants here in town. Can't wait to see what happens next week when I'm off work.

[totally_addicted]

Great night on stand!! This cool weather really had the deer moving. I saw 18 from my stand in which 12 of them were easily shootable. Only one had headgear and he was a 1 1/2 year old fork. Also, saw a fox that had a death wish. It was a great time and can't wait to see if all the mature does I saw tonight bring in a bruiser in a couple weeks.

[goblueM]

sat this morning in light rain. Didn't see anything by 9, so got down. Decided to move the stand seeing as i had seen one tiny buck in 7 sits. Move it about 300 yards away, come back past my old stand location on the way back to the truck, and there's a pretty nice buck literally under my old stand.

[archerystud]

Finally got out for the first time on Monday. I got a bonus doe on Tuesday AM. I'll take another bonus doe if I get a real good shot opportunity....otherwise it's time to hold out for a nice buck.

I've got one decent one on the camera but he needs another year yet, hopefully his grandpa shows up.

[sticknstring]

Had a great encounter with a nice 6 pt tonight. Came out right at sunset and stuck around for 20+ MIN. Came in to 6-7 yds - had a few staredowns... I was only 10' up! He worked the scrape that I had "freshened" 45 MIN earlier - all right in front of the trail camera. I love bowhunting!

[Archerysniper]

I got pinned in the tree tonight when a deer came in at last light and hung around. It made it to directly under the stand and It looked like it had a really nice rack. It either smelled my tree step or where I walked in and took a big jump and stood there for 10 minutes. Then I hear another deer coming in and when it gets close the first one runs and the second one lets out a really deep grunt/moan as he runs off the other one. Finally was able to get down and head to the truck at 7:28 can't wait till the morning it's getting good.

[grizrunner]

James if you use the decoy place it quartering towards you, most deer will come in and go nose to nose or approach the head of the deer that will give you a nice quartering away shot.

Doesn't it depend on a buck or a doe decoy which way to set them up? No expert here, just heard that you set a doe up facing away, and a buck toward you.

I only used a doe decoy one time...scared the living heck out of a small herd of 3 fawns/two does. Never used one since.

[deerminator]

Got out for the 4th time this year and hunted the fringes of one of my best properties. First time in a blind at a corner where two cornfields (one picked, one not), grassland and woods all meet. Saw a white tail flagging at me from 20 yards to my right half an hour before shooting light ended and then had a small doe cruise by just at last light. I had the bow draw because I could hear her but not see her until she was 15 yards in front of the blind but then eased down. I'm in a lottery area so that would be it and plus it was just dark enough to question the shot. Good luck guys.

[Archerysniper]

Grizz almost every time I have deer come too the decoy the come around the front first. I also rarely set it up as a doe from my experiences and have seen on show and read, the deer prefer a buck decoy even the does and fawns.

[grizrunner]

Do you attach any scent to the decoy?

I've seen some pretty cool vids of bucks thrashing decoys, and come to think of it, they all been buck decoys. The one I used was the standby Flambeau doe. there looks to be some better ones out there nowdays.

I can see where decoys may work good, given the right conditions. But I'm just more of a subtle hunter. No scents/ no noise/ scent free in/out. My findings are the less they know the better. I just sit 20' up along the venison highway!

Good luck fellas.

[Archerysniper]

I spray the decoy down with scent killer and put a scent bomb with code blue buck urine.

[Archerysniper]

Went out this morning and doe come thru at 8 and either saw me stand up or head me fold the seat up she didn't spook just turned and walked into the swamp.

My buddy connected on a nice doe on the other side of the property at 7:30 this morning she only went 40 yards and piled up.

[james_walleye]

Hunted my water hole stand this morning for the first time this year and saw nothing. Lots of scrapes though. The wind went straight north this afternoon which is iffy for that stand so I chose not to try and cheat the wind. Instead I chose to scope my new permissio again. Lots of does and a nice 10 pointer which walked 30 yards from my stand. To bad wind was wrong for that stand as well. Should be good for tomorrow morning though. I'll be there early with the decoy.

[nbadger23]

I got busted by 2 deer this morning on the way in and what I thought was going to be a great morning slowly went down hill. The squirrels were abundant and LOUD. I saw a doe and a fawn at 8:30 but that was in. I thought tonight would be great but again, not much besides squirrels and the largest nubbin buck I've ever seen. This is a hard weekend to get through as you hope for it to break loose.

[96trigger]

I had the same experience yesterday. After Thursdays promising sit, I had high hopes yesterday morning. Heard deer run away when I walked out there, never saw a deer the rest of the morning. Tried a little calling but never got a response. Going to give it a week to calm down, then hit it hard next week.

[tracker x-2]

Fri. and sat morn & eve. have been very slow for me. Only seen one six pt, between ratteling and grunting and snort wheez I got him to come back to me within 20yrds after the fourth i decided to stop messin with him befor he cought on to me.

I'm heading out shortly to try again.

[goblueM]

yesterday morning was great, we had frost and 32 degrees, no wind. Got on the stand 15 mins before shooting light, not long after I sat down, I heard a nice size animal coming from behind me. I was hoping it was a huge buck, and that'd it would take its time so it would be light enough to take a shot by the time it got to me.

Well it kept getting louder and louder, and I'm thinking hmmm that's too big for a deer. Then I see it - a bear! First one I've seen from the stand, walked 25 yards to my left. Was pretty darn cool. Still just a bit too dark for a shot, dunno if I would have taken it even if it was good light though

[paceman]

Was out Thursday evening in a great spot I had not been too yet this year. Saw 10 does/fawns and 1 small buck. Lots of scrapes in the area so I will be back there soon. Sat morning in a different spot. gorgeous morning but nothing on stand. Area camera shows most activity is afternoons/evenings. also some nice rubs/scrapes in area.

[james_walleye]

Well I'm sick to my stomach and in a position I'm not used to. I made a very poor shot on the 10 pointer I saw in the spotting scope last night. A button and a 5 pointer came right in and were eating acorns around my decoy when the 10 pointer decided to join the party. I pulled the shot left and hit him way back. There was more blood than I thought there would be but I didn't attempt to look for him. I'll be heading out around 3 to look. I need lots of luck.

[Archerysniper]

Good luck on the recovery and waiting is the best thing with a gut shot. Be ready when your tracking for a follow up shot sometime they will still be alive. I normally will wait at least 6 hours before tracking a gut shot. Good Luck and can't wait to see the pics,sounds like the decoy worked great.