Huntin with the Hedge 2019-20

[HH~]

31 Oct-1st Nov
28-degrees under clear high pressure and low moon phse which was only up the first few hours after sunset.

Hunted last two days with my friend at his place. Saw 12 deer on the 31st from 0845-0930. They were eating re-sprout soybeans on the field edges and never offered a shot, 30yds was as close as they fed into me. One was a nice buck but he was a long way off.

This morning Nov 1st had lots of action right after sun up. Deer came out of this draw heading straight up to the white oaks I was in. Wind was out of SW which these deer would hit at some point. A family group of six doe and a button buck. They come out and beelined for my location. Stand is only about 13ft up and it looked like they were going to pile in right under me but as it happened the lead doe veered around me to the north and under the biggest oak. They came in like they owed they place. Lead doe crossed my downwind slipstream and new something is not quite right. They fed out at 25-30yds and never came near me and the big doe started getting birdy and stomping occasionally.

I watched this for about 5 min and this doe prancing about when I looked over to my right and 3x3 buck was standing watching this doe. Think he got the wrong idea! He moved on her and checked her and some other and they were not in the mood and moved on. They younger deer were looking at this buck like "why is he doing this"? The young'uns prolly never seen this yet. I can only guess. Like yearling seeing snow for first time.

My friend shot a doe on 31st and after a 3/4mile track with really good blood ended up where we could not continue. Tough deal. We gave it some hard hours and we just ran out of real estate. Today he shot a doe and this deer went in thick and we found arrow and not one drip of blood. After breaking off after several hours he went back out and went in only direction we did not cover and found her. That's like me I guess I would go back after a bite to eat and rehydrate. Lookin purty grim for awhile there but It ended with good harvest and she did not go to aweful far!

Weather and deer here are doing that fall deer stuff in a big way.


HH~

[HH~]

03 Nov

Went out for a 3hr sit this evening. Time change so dark at 1700hrs.
Dry and about 53 degrees when i left under clear skies.
Got set and sourh breeze was good for my location. Along about 1650 i can here a deer coming thru the dry leaves up the bluff. It was two doe. They were travelling along and went by at 30yds or so.

Some big scrapes showing up on trails now. Nice fall evening. Saw a few raccoons cross in front of me during my walk home.

HH~

[HH~]

04 NOV

Conditions: 54 degrees and high pressure, south with 5-10mph, Moon is Waxing 1/2 tonite and rising at 1645hrs

Going out soon. Going to hunt the farm up the way from me. Bucks are now scent checking every doe and moving well. think it may have been a bit warm but as sun dips the deer should move to feed.

Be a good night either way it goes.

Update 1930hrs

Got in stand about 1520, nice setup about 20+ft up on a nice creek side flat with big oaks, sycamore, osage. Settled in and after 10 min I see a big bodied deer coming along creek bank 125yds out. As he gets closer I see it's a big 4 pt on left side and a main beam with 1pt on the other. He hugged creek and went by me at 40yds out.

Sat for another hour or so and stood up. Right about then I see two doe coming in behind me headed for creek. Pull out my 35yr old doe grunt and give two short soft grunts and the lead doe comes right in jumps a big dead log and stops at about 8yds. I pick a spot, bend out at waist hard and grab a handful of D97 string, hit anchor and send arrow. Arrow looked high at impact, deer spun and ran with about half arrow out at a steep angle. It looed to be stuck out thru the off shoulder low. She crashed thru some deadfall about 30yds and fell.

A short time later the other doe went and checked the fallen deer out. Then, a fork horn came in and went at checked out the fallen deer as well, he then went to raking a small river maple right by dead deer. Then he chased the second doe about for a bit and wandered off in the direction the doe ran off.

Another nice night on the deer stand with a piece of Osage in hand. Will get after it tomorrow night in same area I'm thinking.



HH~

[HH~]

Nov 4th 2019

HH~

[Deerhunter21]

Good job!

[HH~]

Nov 5th

Hunted tonite in creek bottom again under clear skys and nice North wind. Was pretty warm 57 degrees. We were sure action would be right at dark. Was exactly how it went. First deer i saw was a forkhorn walking in creek. Shortly after a big buck chased several doe off the field behind me.

My friend was about 150yds from me on the creek. Right at last shooting light he shot a deer. I saw his light on the ground and knew he had shot. I worked my way over and he told he shot a doe. We found blood and after 200yds we came upon the largest doe I have seen taken in TN. The deer was bigger than the 5x5 i shot a couple weks ago, a lit bigger. I had to lift her leg up and check her head to be sure it was to a buck! She was dry. Good deer to take off farm.

Will get a photo she is in my shed now.

Good hunting

HH~

[HH~]

From last nights hunt. Deer was a big mama 123lbs dressed. One of the bigger ones I had seen in Tenn.

HH~

[HH~]

08 Nov

0445 25 degrees North wind 3-4mph under clear skies.

Went up to farm this and we knew it would be a good day. Bucks are cruising and we saw 3 dead ones that were not there on road yesterday. Had my wool on this morning . Got in stand and could here deer in a depression below me right away. Got light enough to see at 0545 and could here a deer above as well. Told myself I need to stand up soon or I will get spotted. About 06o5 I saw a shadow coming up the scrub line in front of me and stood up. Then I saw it was a big 3.5-4.5 year old buck I never had seen here before (cruising). He came up and turned to east to go through some goldenrod and blackberry open scrub and skirt me. Pulled the doe grunt out and gave to short light grunts. He turned and stated to circle into the wind which would bring him to about twenty yards and a shoot opportunity.

He stopped and was looking in brush hard for the source of the grunt at 25-27yds. I had my bow in hand and fingers on string. I knew once he cleared these lower branches on my stand he would be a shade over 20yds. He picked up walking again and I stopped him at 22yds. Pick the spot and drew and loosed a 540grn 23/64th Wapiti shaft with a 160grn two blade which took him behind the right shoulder. To my disbelief the arrow only went in about 10" with not much down angle. This was big issue I knew right away. One lung at best.

0945hrs
Got down and met my hunt buddy. Told him the problem. We find blood right away but oh so little. We stayed on the blood for 5hrs over 3-4miles. We knew the guy who hunted the next section farm over and we followed into his section. No long after on far side of corn field I hear a yell. Then, see a bow hunter walking about 400m toward me. I met him in middle of field. He was getting out of stand when he saw a buck coming past him with bow on ground. I asked "you saw a good buck"? He said "yes, with a big fresh blood spot right in sweet spot" I said "yep, right side halfway up body", he reply "yes".

1100hrs
We found blood and followed into a old logged off section on this other farm. Stayed on blood and I knew he had the broad head in him and was dribbling steady every 10-15ft. We picked thru this rough brushy section as he headed to the TN state line and a large creek that was swelled by rain over last day or so.

1200hrs
we finally hit the creek up on a steep bluff hand railed the creek checking deer crossings without any evidence of deer crossing. about 4 miles in at this point and the next property over we had no idea who owned. So, we circled round a beanfield and squirted creek and walked back to retrieve our gear. 

Not the outcome we had hoped for, but one we knew was in all honesty was what we were expecting after a few miles in. Tough day in woods. You get quality chance like these once maybe twice a season with a selfbow. When so many things have to go right I don't expect my arrow without hitting bone or shoulder blade to only go in 8-10". Murphy is truly out there, you can beat him a time or two by he is going eat at some point and today was his day.


HH~

[HH~]

09 Nov

24 degrees, SW wind, clear

0600
Went up by KY border this morning. In stand by creek bottom crossing point. Had plenty action until 0745hrs two coyotes under me in the dark. Swam the creek right in front of me., 5 min later it would have been light enough to shoot. Had tow different forks come in. Then two doe and a button. The doe hung up when then hit the coyote trail.

Did not stay but til 0920. Had chores to knock out. Will hunt my place this afternoon. Wind has picked up 5-10 will head for thick cover.


1500

Went out at my place. saw no deer. The smoke poles were going off all around the river basin. Will be a different hunt season after today and gun season open. Saw only raccoons on the ground looking for acorns under some oaks. Hope the deer start flooding into my section soon as they do when guns are going off. No guns go off in here. Take til Monday probably. Problem is the 4.5yr deer and older wont show in daylight until late Dec when this banging starts. It's all good everyone, has to eat.




HH~

[HH~]

Nov 11th

1000

Just in from morning hunt. Big storm pushing in. Very quiet in woods. Saw no deer movement in my hunt area.

Happy Veterans Day


HH~

[bradsmith2010]

glad you found your buck, ,way to keep looking,, congrats and best to you on your future hunts,,, 

[HH~]

13 Nov

Did not last couple days. help a buddy skin and butcher a doe. Good eats for him.

Had the cold front pass thru. Nice hunting weather mid teens and big bucks moving very well. Went this morning was in stand by 0500 under full moon and 3/4" snow and ice and 13 degrees. I pulled into edge of bean field early and waited, could see 500m into field. Watched four bucks and four doe walk by the truck in moonlight. let them go by then moved to stand.

Soon as I was settled in stand I here one deer coming off ridge right at me, passed by at 30yds or so in moon. Moon going down and sun coming up made easy shoot light by 0600. Watched two buck walk the ridge down past me at 150yds. Then, saw a lone doe in scrub below me. I could guess what was going on here. She walked right by and nice 5x5 stayed 30 yds out along tree line keeping an eye on her shadowing her as she went up slope.

0630 I here a deer running and looked over and a large 4x4 is standing 15yds from when he pulled up. Could not move. He made quick trotting circle hit that doe track and trotted off in that direction. Few minutes later several forks and a 3x3 walked past. Saw the 5x5 again return back doen ridge for parts unknown at 0700.

Sat for an hour or more with no action then about 0845 I see the herd of doe we been wanting to trim down working my way. They came in and fed around. I picked what looked like a breeding age doe at about 25yds, line her up and sent arrow. Just as I had picked my spot and was thinking about release she hopped a half hop. To late arrow was already halfway there. I caught her in back third looked like angled right thru.
I watched her go in circles for about 20min then a buck chased them out of sight. Got arrow, broke in two and point was on ground so I know I kibabbed her. Go back in there in morning and see where she bedded.

One of those rare cold November days here in Tennessee. Maybe happens once every decade and it was a show for sure. One I will not soon forget.

HH~

[HH~]

14 Nov

Snow still on east and north facing areas, 25 degrees this morning. Hunted this evening saw two bucks and two doe. Saw a good deer easing out of the woods right at last light.

Had two coons climb up a big Basswood tree near me. Why they went up that I can only guess? They thought it was a red or white oak. They came 60-70ft and went about their way. Deer really packed in my thick woods during this cold snap. In the brush eating honeysuckle vine and browsing low limb buds. There is a couple uncut soybean fields and they been in those then cutting over the ridge to water in creek. Saw two big groups of 10-12 driving around back way to house. Pick the right travel trail and stand they all going to go by you.

Good Hunting

HH~

[HH~]

15 Nov

Clear skies, high pressure Lows in 20s highs in 50's.

Hunted a standing beanfield. Deer have about destroyed the backside of it. Combine had a accident and it is offline. May never get cut? Any how I got in at 1500hrs and was on ground in a fence row cut into a cedar. Saw first deer, a spike go by at 1615. Sat a bit more and saw deer start popping up everywhere in a low spot in field about 150yds from me. I crawl down a bean row into some tall Johnson grass next to a sinkhole. I grunted a big doe to about 40yds. Then, she new something was clearly not right and blew out. When she did deer come out those beans all over.

16 Nov

0600 24 degrees.

Saw bucks of all sizes scent checking every doe they saw and ground. Had same 3x3 come by me four times as he made his rounds. Lots of doe feeding by 0700 by river and edges of cut hay field. I could see a goo way now thru woods as most all but Oaks and Beech's have no leave. In the distance could see bucks chasing deer through thick scrub back and fourth. The rut is really in full swing and these early cool temps have them revved up. Good to see this going on.

A good 4x4 slipped out of thick stuffed for an instant then back in as he was nose to the ground. Did not hunt long today but saw a bunch of whitetails in two hours or so. Love being in the hunt woods with selfbow when this is going on.

Good Hunting

HH~

[WhistlingBadger]

Sounds like fun!  The whitetails in our neighborhood are rutting too.  There's been a decent 3x4 chasing does around with his nose to the ground like a hound dog.  Too bad the season is over!  I've thought about trying to grunt him in just for fun, but it seems like a bad idea to educate him; he'll be even nicer come next september!

Have fun!
Thomas