I've done this in the past for a few different seasons and wanted to do it through a thread again instead of cluttering the actual blogs.
As many of you have read, this will be the first I will be deer hunting this year due to college. I'm excited. I've hunted muzzleloader season two times before, both with borrowed guns and without luck. Last year I got a Remington Genesis and have shot it in the past couple months over break and am comfortable with it. Open sights, I'd take a shot out to 100 yards. I know the gun can go further that than, but that's what I feel safe with.
I have not been able to do as much scouting this year as I would have hoped to. I've been out to my main piece of woods just three times, twice squirrel hunting and once this past week to look around. I'll probably be going back tomorrow afternoon to take advantage of the snow to look for tracks. I know this piece of woods by the back of the my hand, sometimes there are deer, other times there are not. It's pretty frustrating not knowing who (or how many) have been hunting this piece of woods or how many deer have been in there or have been harvested out of there. Last year during extra gun season I walked into this woods almost as blind and shot a doe on the first day at 2 in the afternoon, thanks to someone pushing it towards me with their missed shots. Here's hopin' for the same kind of luck. However, this year I'm faced with the extra challenge of Riverdude. No, not the actual 'dude' but it might as well be
! They are drilling for a well out in the field off one end of the woods. I normally hunt the other end and so I'm hopeful it will have little effect, or if anything, keep the deer on "my" side of the woods. Again, here's hopin' (that's going to be the theme).
![Image]()
(Standard legend: red dots are stand, orange is property line, green is known frequented deer paths)
The next piece that I will be hunting is close to home. I used to hunt this when I was in high school or before I had my driver's license. It's small but can be a haven for deer, depending on the pressure. I stopped by the neighbor's and he has seen a nice buck back there but no one is hunting it. I walked back yesterday (I've seen deer in the field once since I've been home) and saw lots of tracks on the edges of the field. Better than that, I stepped into the woods and quickly bumped 4 doe up. They bumped but didn't spook and I didn't walk through the woods lest run them off. On my return trip past where I've seen them come out and where the tracks where, I surveyed for a spot to sit (I'm thinking I might invest in a blind this week and put it there, not sure yet). Where I put the yellow 'Corn?' is a low spot in the field that has some soybeans missed by the combine. I will probably put some corn out there to add to the natural feeding area.
![Image]()
And finally, the last farm. I don't have permission to hunt it but could with a phone call. The orange part anyways. I was out there for youth season and we saw 11 deer before noon. A guy bowhunting on the other side of the row that morning also saw a few that we didn't. However, no one had any luck there during gun season so I'm not sure. There are some CRP fields that I'll probably get invited to help push, we'll see if it amounts to anything (driving just isn't the same with smoke poles anyways). [This map is also noteworthy because the farm that is adjacent to it that I outlined in blue happens to be the family of the girl that I've been on a few dates with. Needless to say, if things keep going, there's some extra reasoning to keep dating her :16suspect1:]
![Image]()
I think that's all.
Two final thoughts
1) I'm not going to be able to get out this week. I'm doing a week long internship in court and so I'll be tied up during the day (but could be able to put corn out in the mornings or evenings). Stinks but I know I will be pulling at the bit to get out (and will be in the habit of getting up earlier than 11 like I did today)
2) I've invested in some better cold weather clothing to endure four days. My schedule is clear for the four days and I'm planning on hunting every legal hour that I can. For my birthday I got a nice thick double fleece hooded jacket from Cabela's. Thanks to Christmas and a kind soul on this site, I've got a pair of new insulated rubber boots coming in the mail, as well as a new facemask and a new pair of socks. (Thanks again)
...
Well, here's hopin'. I will try to update this thread this week as I get out maybe tomorrow afternoon and then perhaps more later in the week. I'll be sure to post daily updates in the evenings. (if I post anything besides "I got one!" during hunting hours the 9-12th, yell at me and tell me to get my lazy butt back out there!)
Capt
As many of you have read, this will be the first I will be deer hunting this year due to college. I'm excited. I've hunted muzzleloader season two times before, both with borrowed guns and without luck. Last year I got a Remington Genesis and have shot it in the past couple months over break and am comfortable with it. Open sights, I'd take a shot out to 100 yards. I know the gun can go further that than, but that's what I feel safe with.
I have not been able to do as much scouting this year as I would have hoped to. I've been out to my main piece of woods just three times, twice squirrel hunting and once this past week to look around. I'll probably be going back tomorrow afternoon to take advantage of the snow to look for tracks. I know this piece of woods by the back of the my hand, sometimes there are deer, other times there are not. It's pretty frustrating not knowing who (or how many) have been hunting this piece of woods or how many deer have been in there or have been harvested out of there. Last year during extra gun season I walked into this woods almost as blind and shot a doe on the first day at 2 in the afternoon, thanks to someone pushing it towards me with their missed shots. Here's hopin' for the same kind of luck. However, this year I'm faced with the extra challenge of Riverdude. No, not the actual 'dude' but it might as well be
! They are drilling for a well out in the field off one end of the woods. I normally hunt the other end and so I'm hopeful it will have little effect, or if anything, keep the deer on "my" side of the woods. Again, here's hopin' (that's going to be the theme).
(Standard legend: red dots are stand, orange is property line, green is known frequented deer paths)
The next piece that I will be hunting is close to home. I used to hunt this when I was in high school or before I had my driver's license. It's small but can be a haven for deer, depending on the pressure. I stopped by the neighbor's and he has seen a nice buck back there but no one is hunting it. I walked back yesterday (I've seen deer in the field once since I've been home) and saw lots of tracks on the edges of the field. Better than that, I stepped into the woods and quickly bumped 4 doe up. They bumped but didn't spook and I didn't walk through the woods lest run them off. On my return trip past where I've seen them come out and where the tracks where, I surveyed for a spot to sit (I'm thinking I might invest in a blind this week and put it there, not sure yet). Where I put the yellow 'Corn?' is a low spot in the field that has some soybeans missed by the combine. I will probably put some corn out there to add to the natural feeding area.
And finally, the last farm. I don't have permission to hunt it but could with a phone call. The orange part anyways. I was out there for youth season and we saw 11 deer before noon. A guy bowhunting on the other side of the row that morning also saw a few that we didn't. However, no one had any luck there during gun season so I'm not sure. There are some CRP fields that I'll probably get invited to help push, we'll see if it amounts to anything (driving just isn't the same with smoke poles anyways). [This map is also noteworthy because the farm that is adjacent to it that I outlined in blue happens to be the family of the girl that I've been on a few dates with. Needless to say, if things keep going, there's some extra reasoning to keep dating her :16suspect1:]
I think that's all.
Two final thoughts
1) I'm not going to be able to get out this week. I'm doing a week long internship in court and so I'll be tied up during the day (but could be able to put corn out in the mornings or evenings). Stinks but I know I will be pulling at the bit to get out (and will be in the habit of getting up earlier than 11 like I did today
)2) I've invested in some better cold weather clothing to endure four days. My schedule is clear for the four days and I'm planning on hunting every legal hour that I can. For my birthday I got a nice thick double fleece hooded jacket from Cabela's. Thanks to Christmas and a kind soul on this site, I've got a pair of new insulated rubber boots coming in the mail, as well as a new facemask and a new pair of socks.
(Thanks again)...
Well, here's hopin'. I will try to update this thread this week as I get out maybe tomorrow afternoon and then perhaps more later in the week. I'll be sure to post daily updates in the evenings. (if I post anything besides "I got one!" during hunting hours the 9-12th, yell at me and tell me to get my lazy butt back out there!)
Capt
