2014 Archery Season

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Well can't believe it saw him again tonight 45 min til dark. Crossed the field about 150 yards away, worked down through the woods to about 60 yards out...and wandered off. The kicker is when he crossed the field he was right in front of my other stand. So damn frustrating.

[greatwhitehunter3!]

That's too bad.

I decided to work yesterday morning and hunt the evening instead. Saw nothing. Grabbed my camera (never leave anything out during gun season) and thought to myself, "watch, one of the shooters showed up this morning". Yuuuup. Two different times chasing a doe from 645-8am.

Sat this morning and nothing again. Forecast was way off from what I saw. Expected 10-15 mph south winds. I left the stand at 830 with 30mph gusts and the 0% chance of rain turned into getting rained on twice. Story of my season so far.

Time to put the bow down for a week or so and try to shoot some geese. Might get out during slug some evening but we'll see.

[greatwhitehunter3!]

Hunted over my plot last night in hopes of the deer hitting it before the system moved in. There was a spike in there when I got there and that was all I saw.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

I saw some decent bucks driving around SE MN this weekend and had a real good buck at 60 yards but just couldn't be 100% sure it had 4 pts on one side. It was tall and wide most likely an 8 pt but couldn't make out the brow tines.

Was going to try and go tonight but still snowing decent here and I have too much to do. Will probably head out tomorrow night in hopes of them moving after the storm.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Made it out late partly due to work partly due to walking half mile across an unfrozen field with a foot of snow and 2' drifts. Was a workout. Got to the hill overlooking the food plot and there was already a doe in there...so I backed out and sat in a different stand. Didn't see anything. Can't make it tomorrow will try for Thursday.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

This deer is ticking me off. He chased 8 does around for an hour tonight...but managed to stay out of bow range again. He is a friggen cow well over 200 lbs. Very nice rack. I forgot my rattle bag that may be my last option to try. With the wind he would have winded me in any other spot...no good place to move a stand. I dunno what to do. That's seeing him within 70 yards 3 out of 4 times I went out in the last week. Frustrating

[greatwhitehunter3!]

Ground attack?

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Possibly try that when the wind is right or throw out a buck decoy when the gun season is over since he has chased off all 6 of the other bucks I saw out there. Not a believer in scents but since every doe ran away from him last night and he ended up going the opposite direction as the does...maybe I'll lay a trail down to my stand. At least he has survived so far he just needs to make it 3 more days.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Well he didn't show tonight. Leaving for SE MN right now...going to hunt tomorrow down there to spend some time with those guys, prolly come back tomorrow night and bow hunt sunday

[Gordon]

I let this 8 point walk by at 35 yards yesterday morning while hunting with my slug gun. Biggest deer I've ever passed on, but it felt good that on the last day of the season, a deer I'd watched on trail camera since August, showed his face and has a great chance to make it to 3.5 years old. I can only hope he eludes muzzleloaders and bow hunters and sticks around.

I shot a mature doe 15 minutes after he walked by and filled the freezer!

I was able to hunt 7 out of 9 days of the firearms season. Hunting over 47 hours.