Special Hunting Spot Stories, Please tell

[Long_Range_Mauser]

I love hearing stories about everyone special hunting spots. I personally have one specific tree that i hunt often. Opening day of rifle season here in missouri. It was colder than a witches utter and snow and sleet fell that morning. Saw a 6 pointer about 150 yards through the heavy brush on the edge of a field. Nothing else. That evening I sat under my tree near where our pond runs off into the woods. Seated about 300 yards through thick forest from the pond. Hit my bleat one time, hadent been seated more than 15 minutes and a nice 8 pointer trotted into view on the other side of the small runoff. 65 yards double lung shot. Next evening i decided to see what came by there and I managed to fill my doe tag on a nice yearling doe at 35 yards. Three weeks later i proceeded to fill both of my archery tags on an old doe and a six pointer from that tree. Also killed five turkeys this year from under that same tree. Anybody else have that special spot?

 

[bang_bang]

My special spot is getting to be well known in my neighborhood. My neighbors that hunt, know that the large hill, 2nd tree down is my spot, and to stay clear of my shooting lanes throughout the large Christmas tree field.

I've only taken 1 deer from that particular spot, an 8 point, but many other deer have been taken with me "guiding" the other hunter.

Close to my spot, I have taken a 12, and ten minutes after I shot, my neighbor took a monster 11 pointer on the opposite side of the field (roughly 800 yards, and over the hill from me at the time).

During this past hunting season, my girlfriend took her 2nd deer from that spot. She was actually the first person to take any deer from that spot. My friend took a doe and a culled spike from there too. Another neighborhood boy took a culled 7 point from my spot while hunting with my friend (who always asks to sit there).

It's special, I've seen 4 deer harvested by another hunter's rifle. Personally, I think being a spectator is just as fun as being the hunter. Gonna try to bring a camcorder next season. I get more excited about it than the person that pulled the trigger, especially if it was their first deer.

 

[dakotasin]

hunting is a big deal to me, and i have favored spots across the state. three different spots come to mind quickly, each is about 3 or 4 hours by interstate/highway/gravel apart.

the favorite west-most spot sits just on the s.d. side of the s.d./mt/wy border, and has a history of producing some fantastic deer and antelope for me, but of course, there is much more to the story.

the place is remote, and on public land. access is minimal - you can drive to the general vicinity, but the next 2.5 miles is all on foot (or hoof, if you have horses). the spot sits on a high butte, overlooking a wide, deep valley. i have spotted deer and antelope from that vantage point in excess of 7 or 8 miles, and have pulled off several absolutely spectacular stalks that were initiated from that point that were 1-2 miles long (away from the truck, of course).

but what is really neat about the spot is the memories that go w/ it. because it is so remote, and so treacherous walking in the dark, there have been many times i haven't been able to get back to the truck until well after midnight (beginning the hike back prior to dark). i've fallen into an icy creek that transects the area, found an indian spearhead, been chased by a badger, fallen into a prairie dog hole, introduced a new hunter to hunting, killed my first antelope, killed my biggest whitetail, shot both nice whitetail and mule deer bucks within minutes of each other, been challenged by a coyote, saw a mother mountain lion with 4 young, and the list goes on and on. many special hunting moments have occured in that area. some have been extreme hardships that i was unsure of escaping w/ my life, and some have been extremely joyous occasions.

but, most of all, the spot reminds me of how insignificant i, and all other humans, really are. as the sun comes up, and reveals miles and miles of open, barren, rugged land, with nary an animal in sight, i can't help but notice how small i am. and how great the critter i am about to hunt down and slide a bullet into really is. the area calls to me and reaches for something deep inside to cause me to look harder, and look deeper at everything. there really is no choice, if you're going to see something - not like the area is chock full of wildlife.

hunting... i love this stuff!

 

[MCgunner]

My only special spots I can think of that aren't on private land where I no longer lease are waterfowling spots. I'll spare you since no one seems to hunt waterfowl here. I know of a few good areas in the Guadalupes for mulie spotting and stalking, but I've only done it a handful of times. It's a long way out there and the price of an out of state license in New Mexico has gone way up. New Mexico has a LOT of public land, 51 percent of the state I believe, and there's more population in Harris County, Texas than in the whole state of New Mexico. I'd move out there if they just had ducks and geese. Given the choice of spot and stalking mulies in the mountains or hunting geese or ducks, well, the birds seem to win every time. I just can't live without my waterfowling. Oh, they have a state income tax, too, not a good thing. LOL

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Long Range Mauser..

I personally have one specific tree that i hunt often.

Does that tree move? Can you effectively stalk up on it without spooking it?

Sorry, couldn't resist an out of context jab!

bang_bang..

Personally, I think being a spectator is just as fun as being the hunter.

Isn't that the truth! Having seen my teenage boys take their first Deer has been tops on my list, and those 'hunt spots' have to be on the list of places my memory always goes back to. But there are a few places I specifically go back to for Black Bear and Grouse. -Even though I've never taken a Bear at any of them. Public land in the Northern Cascades of Washington. There's a particular ridge on the SE side of Mount Baker that I love. I've seen Bear, Bobcat and Billie Goat up there. Grouse as big as small Turkey's! Also a few spots in the Noisy Diobsud Wilderness area. Just about treeline over looking a couple of alpine lakes. These areas are up to a couple hour hike from any road. Although I've never hunted there, I love the views from the Harts Pass and Slate Peak area of the North Central/East side of the Cascades. Bald mountain east of Acme brings back memories with two really good friends and hunting partners, and the last time my dad took to the woods hunting Deer with me. We all hunted this big Blacktail we'd seen during the summer. Never did get him. It snowed and rained on us all week. Camp was the truck canopy and a tarp. Good times around the fire though. Beer bottle calls to the Does that were answering in the dark night. There is one little spot on the old railroad grade that I'd like to go back to, but the roads are gated now on some private timber land. It's now a Blacktail sanctuary. -Because I know no one's hunting back there. There is a spot or two in eastern Washington that I've come to like. It's been a family affair for several years now. One particularly for Mule Deer, the other for Whitetail. Each time it's a week or so of hunt camp with family and friends.

-Steve

 

[bobby n.]

i hunt the back acreage of my property, i let it grow up with longleaf pines and cedars. i have two stands and have access to 200 acres of field behind my place as well. it serves to put the meat on the table.

 

[jmr40]

I used to have the perfect duck hunting honey hole all to myself. On public land at that. One year while deer hunting I stumbled onto a beaver pond that had flooded maybe 5 acres of timber. Wood ducks by the hundreds. It was only a couple of miles from some large lakes in the middle of a subdivision. The ducks would stay on the pond at night and fly to the larger lakes at sunrise.

I used to position myself between the pond and lakes and pick off woodies at treetop height. Since legal shooting time was 30 min prior to sunrise I usually had my limit within 15 minutes and was back home before my wife even got up. I never wore waders, never even got in sight of the water.

The pond is still on public land but the land right up to the water has been sold and now is covered with light industry. It is closed to hunting now because it is too close to private property plus there is no longer any access.