Huntin with the Hedge 2019-20

[HH~]

17 Nov

0500 clear 26 degrees wind NE 0-3mph. Got in a creek bottom, big flat with river cane, sycamores, burr oaks and osage. Nice morning with a kind of dampness to it. 0625 I picked up a deer with its nose down working down the bottom toward me. Did not know what it was but as a single I was purty sure it was young buck. He worked into a creek dry oxbow and when he picked his head up and stopped gave him two small faint doe grunts. That was enough he came right to tree. When he got close I see he's 15" wide 1x2. P & Y 3pt! His right horn was coming out sideways. he goes by me 20 yds and did something I have never seen whitetails do. The big Osage next to me had seed globes all over the ground. He walked around and scraped the outside skin off them with his bottom browsing teeth and ate it. Must be why his antler is sideways?

Late saw two groups of different doe poking along creek travelling hard for better picking I guess?


Good Hunting


HH~

[HH~]

19Nov 

0600 43 degrees and light rain.

Hunted back over at farm up the road down by creek. Got in plenty early. Gray morning with SW winds. Not much deer action where I was sitting.

As it became light enough to see well, I was looking in creek and saw antlers sticking out by bank right under me. Could see it was a dead deer now. Victem of the Hiway. As morning went by I heard sqweeking on far creek bank, then again. I looked and then saw four Otters working the bank and then got in water and swam past upstream.

After hunt we got the Mule and yanked the buck out of creek. Very large bodied 4x4 that will make P&Y! Harvested by Kennworth. To bad.


Good Hunting

HH~

[HH~]

20 Nov

0600 East wind 32 degrees, high clouds

A really great hunt morning. Saw many deer and more bucks than i could keep count on. One very nice 4.5-6.5yr old buck. One of the better deer i have seen in Tenn for a couple years. 250lb buck and that may be an under estimate. Like to see mature whitetails!

Later around 0700 coyote was standing in field about 200yds out. He was just standing in sun looking west. A whitetail doe walked toward coyote. When she got to about 25 yds she rush the song dog. He never moved and doe turned off and loped away. The yote watched doe go across field. The coyote then saw another dog and took off across field chasing the intruder.

One of those November morning where deer were in full rut and doing that whitetail mating thing.


Goos Hunting


HH~

[HH~]

21 Nov 2019

0600 45 degrees SE wind, partly over cast

Warm temps but deer did move early with a rain front coming in from west. Saw deer chasing before 1st light. Saw same two coyotes and a few doe out feeding early on. Then, a few small bucks out scent checking and poking around. Big group of long beards came by say 12-18 of them. Later about 0820 my resident bald eagles flew up the river. I had just wondered if they were still occupying their nest up river a mile or so? They have about a rick or two of sticks and things up in the top of a 75ft Sycamore tree that hang directly over the river. They have raised one or two hatchling for the last 10yrs out of that nest.

Raining hard out today 22Nov will take a break and go help bone and grind several front whitetail shoulders up and work on my new Osage bow name "Wrecking Bow".


Good Hunting

HH~

[Pappy]

See ya in a bit Shawn, yep it is sure raining.
 Pappy

[HH~]

22 Nov

Rain day. . . . Flood day really.

Hunted Osage Billets and shot some Arra's.

Good hunting

HH~

[GlisGlis]

good hunting HH and thanks for this diary
it's a good reading        

[HH~]

24Nov
35 degrees, SW wind clear.
0600

Took my climber and hiked in top where I hunted last evening. I had seen a large whitetail buck in thick cover with a doe there.

Got in early, wind could not make up what it was going to do. Stayed in tree til 0930 and it was first day I think this season I saw no deer while hunting. On hike out I did see one in the back of a yard a long ways off in distance.

I'm not surprised as this is opening weekend of rifle season. Gets very tough to get within SB range from here on out. Deer, mature ones do a lot moving at night with the horde of runners and gunners in the woods.

Good Hunting

HH~

[HH~]

25 Nov 2019
0600 frost, warm clear 60's by noon

Great day for this Ranger. Turned double nickels today. Never thought I would see 30! My better half (the Kaisers daughter) made me a real Black Forest Cake and at 0530 I cut into that baby and had a giant chunk with my coffee. Figger if all the commies, dictators and turds did not get me last 25 yrs maybe this sugar shock will.

Some nice deer taken last several days. All nice deer ive seen have been in thick cover with doe in last couple days. Not a bad thing, mature deer passing good blood along.

Good Hunting

HH~

[WhistlingBadger]

Happy birthday!  Sounds like a good one. I haven't had real black forest cake for a long, long time.  There are worse ways to die! 
T

[HH~]

26-27 Nov

Warm 30s -60s for highs and lows.

Hunted both evenings in same general area. Very thick old grown up tobacco fields on a ridge. Been the same big 5x5 in here for a week or so breeding doe in the this jungle. Lots of osage, small tulip poplar and honey locust, blackberries, wild currant, etc. I have had this buck with in 25yds twice in two days but just no shot. Nice deer 17-20" wide prolly a 4.5yr old and he's broken up on his right side. Had this deer in the heavy rain last night come within shooting range but would not turn for a good solid shot opportunity.

Anyway on my way in I saw about nine deer walking the base of the ridge in Ranger file, Nutt to Butt. They looked like they knew where they wanted to be and were wasting no time getting there.

By the time light faded and the rain really started coming down I got down and started for home. My wool Mackinaw was about 20lbs for the walk back. Think it heavier than my stand and pack? Felt that way anyhow.

Good Hunting

HH~

[Pappy]

Maybe tomorrow Shawn. I passed on the rainy day yesterday and glad I did, it came a flood at the farm. Have a good Thanksgiving and maybe see ya this weekend.
 Pappy

[HH~]

Yes
Will be down and find something to get into.

Saw 8 whitetails acroos flooed creek from me. All doe and one Einhorn. Tells me the mature bucks have breeding doe ears punned back in cover doing deer stuff!

Coyotes cut loose right at last light and as usual they were right where deer had gone. Hope those dogs show in morning!

Happy Thanksgiving Bowmen

Good Hunting

HH~

[HH~]

28 Nov 19 Thanksgiving

0600hrs, 32 degrees wind out of NW at 2-3mph partly cloudy

Did not see much action, few deer. I did hear deer before light walking in flooded timber. Saw one good one but he was a looong way off. My river and creek bottoms are flooded and river crested last nite after I hunted. Saw a few doe feeding early then not much. I did shoot a coyote about 0700 I hit it back a bit and it headed for the power line scrub. Went thru but I did not get down. Was a long shot. One less deer eater anyway.

Good morning. Turkeys were back in the their roosting spot in flooded creek bottom. Funny seeing the blue heron standing way up where one of my stand location is.

Going to hunt up some butternut squash and turkey bird on a plate later

Good Hunting

HH~

[WhistlingBadger]

Happy TG, Shawn!
Thomas