I found this place......

[Eric Krewson]

I found a place behind my neighbor's house with a small beech sapling in it that the deer are drawn to, there is a small opening near the sapling that the deer come to from all directions to socialize in.

The does lick the leaves on the small beech.

And the bucks sniff the leaves and the trunk of the same sapling.

I have pictures of 20-30 different deer congregating in this small opening, usually in groups of 5 or 6, lots of bucks but mostly youngsters.

I needed just the right wind to hunt this spot, there are houses in the background so I have to hunt from a climber so I am shooting down at the ground.

The conditions were perfect a few days ago, the perfect wind and the moon phase was at its peak 1 hour before dark. I carried a climber in and sat over the opening, it was an absolutely dead evening, nothing moved, not a bird, squirrel or deer. I left my climber on the tree which was probably a mistake, deer notice such things and change their habits.

I went back a couple of days ago, to another perfect evening, nothing showed up but I did hear some kid on a 4-wheeler down in the hollow where the deer come from in the evening. I have never seen a deer on this land when the kids are racing up and down the hollow.

It was still a great hunt, we have 6 more days of the season, I pulled my climber and will sneak in and make a surprise attack once more before the season winds down.

The little opening.

Old faithful, .54.

Just happy to be in the woods, as I left to walk home, I thanked the man upstairs for allowing me this opportunity one more time.

 

[TDM]

Very nice patch of woods Eric.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Eric,
Very nice post.
There are 'Special places" in the woods. At times you can feel them.
Whether this is one you can feel, or just the deer can feel, I don't know, but it looks a lovely spot!
Good luck with your surprise attack!

Rich.

 

[snakebit]

Just don't scream "Geronimo" until after you touch her off. Seriously though, great looking spot, I'm sure you're going to make meat there. Places like that are scarce.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Love your story. Being grateful for these opportunities is so important. Sometimes to just steal a moment to take it all in makes things even better.
Best wishes to you Eric.

 

[BillyC]

Good luck on your next sit. I HATE ATVs in the woods disturbing my peace but, what can you do?

 

[user 63390]

Good luck! Funny how we can find a place, get the setup correct, even mark some deer, but when it's hunting season, all bets are off. :-0)

 

[Skychief]

That smile says it all Eric. I hope that you and Old Faithful get a crack at one before the season ends! Good luck!!!

 

[sportster73hp]

Those are some healthy deer. Where are you hunting? Didn’t know Alabama got snow.

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Very cool pics. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Eric Krewson]

Every few years we get a good snow in N/W Alabama. This time we got 7" of snow, the temp went down to "0", then it warmed up and rained all afternoon and the temp returned to -2. All the rain and slush turned into a 4" thick sheet of ice, everyone out where I live couldn't get out of our driveway for a week. Being a closet prepper, I had the bases covered and ate well while I waited on a thaw.

These guys came looking for some lunch at the deer gathering spot. They were together about a minute apart. There is 7" of snow and these guys can walk on the crust and not sink in.

This rascal is huge!

These are subdivision deer, as jumpy and any deer I have hunted, they don't miss a trick. Here is a young cutie checking out my trail camera, she knows it doesn't belong there.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

good luck Eric.

 

[BillinOregon]

Eric, you are a better man than me using a climber at "our age."
Best of luck!

 

[45man]

Looks great! I planted some beech but failed to protect them. Bucks rubbed them dead. I hunted persimmon trees up the hill until the property sold and the jerk cut the trees down. He also cut out all the paw-paw trees.

 

[azmntman]

Persimmon Pudding! None since Ma passed over 12 years ago. mmmm

 

[Britsmoothy]

How's it going Eric?
Did you manage another try?

 

[Eric Krewson]

The conditions haven't been right for the spot, today may be the last day. The season ends Saturday, heavy rain is predicted Friday and Saturday, being a fair-weather hunter, the rain is a deal breaker for me.

There is a guy who lives about 400 yards away who has a habit lately of stepping out on his porch and doing a couple of mag dumps with an AR in the direction of my magic spot. I am pretty sure he baits deer in his back yard and shoots them off the porch as well, he has shot his modern .270 or whatever twice this week, always in the evening when I was hunting another area of the property.

I hunted the last three days, mag dump and 4 wheelers in the hollow on Monday, 4 wheelers in the hollow on Tuesday. Yesterday I set up on the end of the property off a point overlooking the lake, my neighbor didn't know I was there and took his evening stroll off the point, down to the lake and out of sight up the ridge on the 4-wheeler trail. He walked by me but didn't see me. After he went by, I moved up the hollow and creek bottom but nothing moved.

The deer are mostly nocturnal now after a long season and lots of pressure, very little movement. Early on I was seeing deer every day, they were juvenile deer, does with small fawns or larger deer just not in flintlock range. I have seen 4 deer in the last month and a half.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Rain, rain, rain, I sat on my deck and watched my woods and plot yesterday evening. I had thrown a couple of 5 gal buckets of acorns I raked up in the fall out on the plot yesterday to try to draw a deer in, not something I would normally do but I am trying to get a deer for a guy I know who is really down on his luck. He has feet that get infected to the point of losing them a couple times a year, now he has fatty liver disease and can't work.

A deer would be a godsend to him and his family, I would take it to the processor and give it to him free of charge.

I have a friend who was helping me get the guy a deer, he and I both struck out yesterday. Today is the last day, torrential rain is in the forecast.

Here my "shooting house" for today, I put the chair up on blocks so I can see over the rail and use it for a solid rest for my rifle. I hunted with nothing but a traditional bow and my flintlock all season, for my last sprint to the finish line and a better chance to get a deer for my friend, I got out my unmentionable firepower. Those are 3D archery deer targets in the foreground, I need to put them up.

 

[Christophero]

You gave it a valiant effort, Eric. Kudos from my part of the States for trying. A not too battered roadkill, if nothing else, can help fill his freezer if necessary.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I never turn down a good road kill and have picked up 4 fresh ones over the years.

I have an F250 with a very high tailgate, I am too old to lift a deer into the bed so I keep a receiver mounted hitch deer hoist in my truck during the season just for road kills. Before I had a tractor with a loader it was my deer skinning rack, the best money I ever spent and a back saver.

Back when I was younger and was in hunting clubs my winch got a workout, this is a flintlock kill.