Beautiful opening day morning...

[roundball]

Up at 5:00am and on stand waiting for it to get light enough to see and sat until 11:00...

1) The weather was excellent and the Oak flat looked good;
2) The ladder stand I put up several weeks ago was still there;
3) It was the safest, most comfortable stand I’ve ever used;
4) Some acorns were dropping when I thought there would not be any;
5) 8:30 a very small doe came racing through the trees at a full gallop chased by a big racked buck only a body length behind her...I started to swing the rifle on him but checked up...they were just flashing through too fast and it would have been irresponsible...but I’ll be going back there Monday!

Gonna grab a nap and go to another place before dark

 

[gmww]

Best of luck to you. :v May you make smoke and bring home meat.

 

[KyFlintlock]

Good luck Roundball! I got out and bowhunted this am, you are right- what an outstanding morning!

Had a lot of action, but didn't see anything I wanted to drag home, cept the coyote I missed!! :cursing:


Wess

 

[PitchyPine]

Close one, good luck next time out. :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Hope he swings back and gives you a better opportunity. It's great just to see one in action.

 

[bwhoffman]

Good call on the "let him go"!

so whats the smoke pole of choice for this hunt? :hmm:

 

[PreglerD]

Hi roundball,

nice little story, sounds similar to the expirience on our drive hunt, many seen, but nothing hunted. But seeing some deer is also o.k.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[roundball]

Good call on the "let him go"!

so whats the smoke pole of choice for this hunt? :hmm:

Im using a GM .62cal smoothbore barrel that I had Ed Rayle rifle with .012" x 1:72" grooves...a tack driver at the range, hope to christen it right this season.

Yesterday afternoon at another place I was really tested with that new barrel too...a great big bodied buck wandered through a couple hours before dark looking for does and at one point was only 25yds away...he just had a little 4 point "forkie" type rack as if he was a 1.5 year old...I must have "seen" that .600" going through his heart a dozen times but let him walk...doe and 2 fawns right at dark and that was all I saw...still a great day to sit in the woods.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

let the ol' boy have his fun, he won't be moving so fast after the does wear him down for a few days. then maybe he will wander back thru your rifle range :thumbsup:

 

[jethro224]

Sounds like a dang fine way to spend a day. :thumbsup:

Have you ever tried whistling to stop 'em? Works sometimes...

I was out bowhunting in the evening. Saw one biggun too far away. Walking out a doe and a smallish buck ran staright to me across a field, did a figure 8 with me right in the loop on one end, ran back across, u-turn back to me, another circle, and down in a ditch. The rut is definitely on!

Good luck out there! :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

Have you ever tried whistling to stop 'em? Works sometimes...

I do that anytime a deer is moving, had time to whistle once but he never broke stride...only had one thing on his mind with his nose up that Doe :grin:

 

[bucktales]

Whistling stops Yotes too,... most of the time.

 

[PitchyPine]

Sounds like your deer apointment is near, good luck hope ya get a big buck.

 

[roundball]

I think the big bucks are still in the thickets finishing off breeding the late October does...the only thing wandering around right now seem to be abandoned yearlings, cowhorns, and spikes.

This morning right after first light I did see a doe & fawn just casually walking through the woods about 75yds away...later a cowhorn wandered through looking lost...an hour after that a spike wandered through looking lost.

At another place this afternoon I saw two separate yearlings temporarily abandoned by their mamas who are making whoopee, and two separate spikes.

Except for the good buck chasing that Doe at 100mph Saturday morning, I'm getting worn out and still haven't seen a shooter...they should finish with the October does and start cruising again here any day now...

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Glad you are getting to see deer moving in your area. Saw a one horn spike trying to sweet talk a doe while squirrel hunting the other day. You said you saw more acorns than you thought were going to be. Same here. Our deer season(gun) doesn't open till Thanksgiving week. Hope you get that big one. Post a picture.

 

[roundball]

Glad you are getting to see deer moving in your area. Saw a one horn spike trying to sweet talk a doe while squirrel hunting the other day. You said you saw more acorns than you thought were going to be. Same here. Our deer season(gun) doesn't open till Thanksgiving week. Hope you get that big one. Post a picture.

I am worn out and dragging half of me behind me...been up every morning at 4:30 since last Saturday...hunt until 11:00, get home, shower, take a nap, go back and hunt from 3:00 till dark.
Have seen any number of does, yearlings, button bucks, spikes, cowhorns, a 4 pointer...and yesterday an 8 pointer about 50yds through the trees & brush that I wanted to take but couldn't get a clear shot and then he was gone...haven't made smoke yet!

I've had two instances of bucks chasing does at a full gallop...quite a sight to see in nature like that. One of the two bucks was absolutely huge...I was just pulling away from my roadside parking place when a doe burst out of the treeline like a rocket, and a split second later this monster, biggest buck I've ever seen in my life, flies out of the woods too, a couple body lengths right on her butt...neither of them even noticed my moving car two cars lengths away headed towards them...so close I could see the muscles rippling under his hide.

And get this: one of the middle tines on the right side of his rack was 6-7 inches longer/taller than the other tines...it stuck up in the air above them like one of those "unicorns"...don't know how he was able to move through the woods with it...looked like a light saber...no question who the dominant buck would be when he was around...would have broken 200+ lbs easy, maybe 225...a big deer for NC.

I'd guess he was easily a 10 pointer but it's hard to tell when all that explodes in front of you, they're traveling across an open field at about 40 miles an hour, and it's over in a flash...gosh what a sight.

 

[Stumpkiller]

My neighbor three houses down (and a mile-and-a-half away) watched a black bear pass last Sunday when perching in a tree-stand while bowhunting. No season for them here, but it does spice things up a bit. ;-) That's the third sighting on my road this year. I wouldn't be surprised they're on the game menu in the next few years.

Still not seeing much whitetail activity. Tracks and droppings but no rubs or movement. It's been too warm and mild and they're moving at night.

 

[smo]

Roundball, hang in there & you will connect on a nice buck i'm sure . It sounds like you have quite a few deer in your area. Remember any day in the woods is a good day! Ever tried huntin'with the moon phases? I've had alot of luck doing this when the rut is not in full swing. But when it is it's an all day effort I may not stay on stand all day but I don't leave the woods :thumbsup: You can't shoot'em if you ain't there! Good Luck & Good Shootin'

 

[SunSetter]

Stumpkiller,
I saw a bear Wednesday on my way home from cardiac rehab. He was standing next to the road saw me dropped to all fours and ran. We've had them come to our house for a couple of years now. They keep raiding our bird feeders and tearing them from the trees. I'm just a few miles to far north or I'd have me a nice furcoat. LOL
There has been quite a few cougar sightings also. I haven't seen any but found what I believe was a big cat track while scouting for deer.

 

[roundball]

Ever tried huntin'with the moon phases?

I'm sure I do because once the season opens I hunt every possible chance I get :rotf: