almost here and nothing done!

[Axis II]

Man i have about 43 days until Ohio's bow opener and nothing done! i have to do my firearms requalification tomorrow until 2pm an hour from home. I'm hoping to get home and grab the trail cams and put them up. i landed a new property last week but its been way too hot to scout so I'm waiting for a cool down but that doesn't look like its going to happen so ill just have to deal with it.

I asked my old hunting buddy if he changed his mind and he said no he still not hunting so im going solo for the first time in years. i decided this year to buy a millennium hang on with the receivers and quick sticks so its not so much work hanging stands and taking them down. i also have a nice climber but its big and ill sweat to death unless its snowing. just sooo much to do and not enough time!

 

[SoonerMedic]

Just have to make sure you're staying busy on your days off. You still have plenty of time to scout, just watch the weather about a week out....

 

[Kingcreek]

Plenty of time for the woods stuff but it is time to start shooting arrows if you haven't already.
I set up my target last weekend and shoot at least a couple flights nightly

 

[Axis II]

Plenty of time for the woods stuff but it is time to start shooting arrows if you haven't already.
I set up my target last weekend and shoot at least a couple flights nightly

i setup my 3d target last week but cant find my release and really don't want to go buy a new one seeing how this ones about $80. purchased new arrows too so have to refletch them with blazers and helical. im going to clean everything this weekend time permitting and find the release and then shoot daily.

 

[Axis II]

well I went out today in hopes of putting up 2 cameras on a new property and found 8-9 ladder stands and one climber. I was told this farm used to be a hunt club farm but they were kicked out and now its me and a father and son that hunt it. I got a little discouraged because all the spots I found I wanted to sit had stands in them. 2 stands are being used for sure as one had a mineral lick by it and the other had fresh duct tape holding the ladder pieces and the seat on. this is a 2 man stand so I'm thinking its the farm house with a kid. I ended up getting sick so had to leave right away and just decided ill leave the cams and see it when it walks in front of me.

I hunted public land since about 2003 until a few years ago I started knocking on doors with a buddy and got a few private land spots but they are in agreements with hunt clubs so it gets hammered for rut and gun week. ive never shot a buck over 50inches so I became obsessed with deer I got on camera only to never see them in person and let a lot of other bucks walk. I have a nice buck coming to the wall next month so ive achieved my nice buck so now I just need to focus on meat.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Got the blinds out back brushed in with new brush. That's about all there is to do for now. A few tracks were by the salt lick so at least there's a deer around. Our bow and muzzle loader season starts around the second week of Sept. but that's still too darn warm and buggy for me.
I'll wait till it's colder.

 

[BigBore44]

well I went out today in hopes of putting up 2 cameras on a new property and found 8-9 ladder stands and one climber.

How big is this property? What types of features are you liking that obviously someone else does to? Are they creeks, trails, ridges, tree lines? Is this an open area? Is it heavily wooded? A mix? Figuring out the deer isn't hard. Even if you can't talk to the owner (hint, hint).

 

[Axis II]

How big is this property? What types of features are you liking that obviously someone else does to? Are they creeks, trails, ridges, tree lines? Is this an open area? Is it heavily wooded? A mix? Figuring out the deer isn't hard. Even if you can't talk to the owner (hint, hint).

I talked with the owner and its 3 generations-granddad, dad and kid that hunt if for 20yrs and now me. There are several apple trees, hickories, and oaks that border a large corn and bean field. Several small hollows with creeks running through and a lot of cover with a few gas lines running through them. it seemed like every time i would stop and say this looks good there would be a stand. I'm not sure if they are left from the hunt club that was kicked out or if they belong to the other 3 guys. the property is quite large with woods and field id say 30-50 acres of woods and 50 acre field and i also have permission for the neighboring land but when i got sick i had to hi tail it out of there and to mcdonalds.

 

[SoonerMedic]

when i got sick i had to hi tail it out of there and to mcdonalds.

You say sick...I say you were prairie doggin' and panicked lol

 

[Axis II]

You say sick...I say you were prairie doggin' and panicked lol

no prairie doggin last night. it was nothing but water all night and all this morning. i drank almost a gallon of apple juice yesterday which might be the culprit. I think i scared my buddy a little doing 70mph down country roads and then he tells me oh we should have went to another McDonalds that was closer.

 

[BigBore44]

Hahahah!!! A gallon of apple juice will give you some MAJOR fits! Omg that's funny!

As for the land. I'd get the current hunters together and have a sit down. Wouldn't take an hour. They might think the other stands are yours and then nobody hunts them. Just leave the apple juice. Next time you go back out, snap photos of the stands and mark them on your phone's GPS. Then when you get done, go home and open your maps app and see if those stands are concentrated anywhere. Will greatly help you decide on locations.

 

[Axis II]

Hahahah!!! A gallon of apple juice will give you some MAJOR fits! Omg that's funny!

As for the land. I'd get the current hunters together and have a sit down. Wouldn't take an hour. They might think the other stands are yours and then nobody hunts them. Just leave the apple juice. Next time you go back out, snap photos of the stands and mark them on your phone's GPS. Then when you get done, go home and open your maps app and see if those stands are concentrated anywhere. Will greatly help you decide on locations.

there is only one place to park so im assuming ill run into someone sooner or later. the landowner told me the others are told to check slips so im sure if someone sees me they will be wanting to talk. i thought about putting a note in a baggy and tie it to the ladder and just say new here don't want any issues give me a call or something like that or just slip in and out and do my thing. i don't leave permenant stands up i use a climber or millennium hang on and 3 sticks so they will never know im there unless one of us walks in on the other.

 

[BigBore44]

The note in a baggie idea is what I would do. Obviously if the see it on their way in, they can text you from the stand and call after they get done. Also if it's not to far away, you can meet them after they get done. Meeting someone in the woods on private land has a tendency to ruin a hunt that day.

 

[Axis II]

2 stands cleared, trails cut on crp, camera is up. one camera to go, a little scouting to go and I'm done till October 1

 

[SoonerMedic]

Might've been a little late to cut lanes....they might get wise to it.

 

[Captcurt]

Didn't bother my setups. I set cameras and cut lanes the same day. Had 465 pictures the first 3 days. Even had a couple of decent bucks. Nothing that I would shoot, but nice 15"-16" two and three year olds.

This is on a farm that has a lot of tractor and ATV traffic so the deer are use to human movements. Try this in our National Forest and you might not see a deer for a month.

 

[Axis II]

2 stands cleared, trails cut on crp, camera is up. one camera to go, a little scouting to go and I'm done till October 1

the crp is 5ft tall and a lot of prickers. last year someone rode an atv through the crp and I watched several deer walk the tire paths then walk the 5ft grass. we just took the weed whacker and hit a 2ft wide path all the way from the beans to the next bean field where I have a stand and to the atv trail and to several apple trees. I wont hunt it until October 1st.