2015 Bow Hunting Report Thread

[Striper69]

Report: My last hunt- a small doe walked right by me as I was getting ready to pack up my stuff into my car. A cold front was starting to come through and the wind shifted to a north wind. It had been hot and I was getting ate up by small bugs (I think they were coming from a tree I was near).

The deer looked right at me as I stood on the other side of my car. It was right at dusk and still legal shooting time. I had been staking out an entrance to a path about a half mile away that I knew a buck had been using to get to the cornfields. There were fresh scrapes on the trail he has been using.

The deer was no more than 20 yards from me and wasn't spooked by me being there. It instead headed to the corn to begin eating. I had a clear shot and put the deer into my scope.

I passed because I'm getting a place to live in a nearby town and I can process most of the venison myself without taking it to a butcher after I get settled in. It was too warm anyway.



PS: Anyone ever had this happen to them?

 

[shocka04]

This is sign of ''false rut'' It is a sign that the rut is about 28 days away. The first does will come in season right at the beginning of November, there-abouts.

EDIT: You will see young spikes and such type male deer shadowing/chasing does early(most times their mother or sister). This is when the mothers will run them off. When you notice that young buck is no longer with that group of does, we're getting close. When I notice a doe that has two button-bucks that year, I usually kill her. That way, she won't run the young bucks off(to avoid in-breading), And the young'ns stay in that locale and grow up there. A theory I believe in and have witnessed first hand.

I just saw a buck(about a 8 pt) chase a doe into the woods last night. Was wondering if the rut was about to start. Also saw a small buck that had been hit on my way to work and almost hit one the other night. Seemed like the rut might be getting close.

 

[outrider58]

From my understanding of doe estrus cycles, like most mammal's, they occur every 28 days or so. In the case of whitetails, the first One occurring in October. It is very brief and weak and doesn't result in breeding. The 'main event' happens during the full moon in November. For those does that don't get bred then, a third heat occurs 28 or so days later in December(known to most as the 'second rut').

Note that the full moon in November comes on the 27th and that will trigger the majority of does into heat and will tail off thereafter. The period we, as bow hunters should focus, on is the seeking/chasing phase which usually starts 12-14 or so days prior. This when those old, wise, nocturnal bucks start cruising during daylight hours. The only thing that can kill daylight activity is warm weather. If it gets real warm, you might think the rut is not happening when in reality, it is but, at night, when temperatures cool. Deer cant sweat to regulate body temperatures so they can't sustain high activity in warmer climes. One thing to consider, if it does get warm, focus your hunts in low-lying areas such as swamps and creek bottoms where the temps. will be the coolest. It's worked for me in the past.

 

[Striper69]

Any thoughts on Excalibur matrix 405 crossbows

I use a Parker "Bushwhacker" crossbow. The scope's great on it. Puts a crossbow bolt clean through a deer.

 

[Striper69]

From my understanding of doe estrus cycles, like most mammal's, they occur every 28 days or so. In the case of whitetails, the first One occurring in October. It is very brief and weak and doesn't result in breeding. The 'main event' happens during the full moon in November. For those does that don't get bred then, a third heat occurs 28 or so days later in December(known to most as the 'second rut').

Note that the full moon in November comes on the 11th and that will trigger the majority of does into heat and will tail off thereafter. The period we, as bow hunters should focus, on is the seeking/chasing phase which usually starts 10 or so days prior. This when those old, wise, nocturnal bucks start cruising during daylight hours. The only thing that can kill daylight activity is warm weather. If it gets real warm, you might think the rut is not happening when in reality, it is but, at night, when temperatures cool. Deer cant sweat to regulate body temperatures so they can't sustain high activity in warmer climes. One thing to consider, if it does get warm, focus your hunts in low-lying areas such as swamps and creek bottoms where the temps. will be the coolest. It's worked for me in the past.

I was just watching the Weatherchannel and it said that the full moon is on Oct 27th. Does that mean that the rut period will be in the mid to late November time period?

 

[wilcam47]

I use a Parker "Bushwhacker" crossbow. The scope's great on it. Puts a crossbow bolt clean through a deer.

we have one too and you are correct! Its a good deer killing Crossbow!

 

[Striper69]

we have one too and you are correct! Its a good deer killing Crossbow!

I've probably shot it close to 500 times (at the range) and no problems yet!

 

[Devonian]

From my understanding of doe estrus cycles, like most mammal's, they occur every 28 days or so. In the case of whitetails, the first One occurring in October. It is very brief and weak and doesn't result in breeding. The 'main event' happens during the full moon in November. For those does that don't get bred then, a third heat occurs 28 or so days later in December(known to most as the 'second rut').

Note that the full moon in November comes on the 11th and that will trigger the majority of does into heat and will tail off thereafter. The period we, as bow hunters should focus, on is the seeking/chasing phase which usually starts 10 or so days prior. This when those old, wise, nocturnal bucks start cruising during daylight hours. The only thing that can kill daylight activity is warm weather. If it gets real warm, you might think the rut is not happening when in reality, it is but, at night, when temperatures cool. Deer cant sweat to regulate body temperatures so they can't sustain high activity in warmer climes. One thing to consider, if it does get warm, focus your hunts in low-lying areas such as swamps and creek bottoms where the temps. will be the coolest. It's worked for me in the past.

Thanks for the info. It looks like the full moon is at the end of November. It's a new moon on the 12th.

 

[Striper69]

Update: I've got a place to live near the hunting area so I hope to harvest my first deer of the year next week and get some fresh venison. I'm holding off on serious hunting until then. I may just do some scouting this weekend. Maybe practice using my climbing tree stand.

 

[outrider58]

I was just watching the Weatherchannel and it said that the full moon is on Oct 27th. Does that mean that the rut period will be in the mid to late November time period?

Thanks for the info. It looks like the full moon is at the end of November. It's a new moon on the 12th.

Yes. My goof. I fixed it. Sorry for them wrong info. I was looking at the wrong chart.

 

[wilcam47]

I've probably shot it close to 500 times (at the range) and no problems yet!

I dont even know how many shots we done on the crossbow. Its killed about 6 deer though

 

[Striper69]

Does this look like an antler from a spike buck to you? I noticed a bone in a dirt road and also saw this a few feet away. I also saw a coyote lying next to I-29 in Iowa and it had just been hit by something. It's leg was quivering like it had been shot.

 

[Striper69]

Started back up with hunting yesterday.

I scouted a new spot that has a gully leading to a bend in a creek from river bottomland. Deer trails all over the place.

I picked a spot high on a dike that's on each side of the creek but decided it was too high profile and moved to a lower spot. I spooked a nice buck on the way to the new spot.

I picked a spot where I could sit on the ground amid some dead brush in front of a cornfield. Just before dark I could hear a deer munching on the corn behind me but wanted to wait and see what would come out of the bottomland.

Nothing showed so I moved out a dusk. I walked along the dike a little ways and saw two does coming up the side of the dike. At first they kept walking my way but when I walked towards them they spooked.

I'll park farther from the spot and try again tonight.

 

[Striper69]

Update: Last night I decided to scout out another spot. The wind was blowing hard out of the MW and it was getting pretty cold. We'd have the first freeze of the year last night and it was snowing at some of the high school football games. The sun was out so I sat behind a small berm I guess you'd call it out of the sun.

The terrain all around looks good for the coming weeks. There's some high spots that will be great for the rifle season that starts on Saturday. The rut should start in a couple of weeks as well. I was also testing out my hunting jacket that I never used last season.

Just when it was getting dark a huge buck comes around the berm exactly the opposite direction I was expecting anything to come from. I thought the river bottom would be where the deer would be bedded. I think it saw me but I can't be sure. It was just out of bow shooting range which is about 35 yards for me with a compound. It did a little foot stomp then headed off into the other direction but it did so at a slow walk so I don't think it saw me. If it would've went in front of me I would've been posting about a trophy buck today.

I'm going to go to a higher spot this weekend with my .35 Rem lever rifle.

 

[Derwood]

"It did a little foot stomp"

In my experience this means I've been busted.

Are you in Maryland?

It frosted in the DC area early last week.

 

[outrider58]

I believe striper is in Indiana. Foot stomp just means he was trying to figure out what he was. Unalarmed, he walked away. The part of the rut you WANT to hunt should be starting this week, striper69. They should start chasing any time now. A good freeze will trigger the early does into heat.

 

[HogCommander]

I got in the stand earlier than normal today hoping the early rut would bring a buck my way. I stood up to adjust my climber and my X-bow fell 25 ft to the ground.

Continuing the hunt for antlerless only with my ML but worried how much damage was done. Its a Barnett Jackal and has a plastic riser for the scope mount...we'll see how durable it is soon enough.

7 Nov 15 Update: Finally got a chance to take the crossbow to the range. Sure enough, the point of impact was off. Got it re-zeroed and it's working fine now. The plastic sight/scope mount riser is my only complaint with the Jackal. If I buy another crossbow, I'll definitely be looking for one with a metal riser.

 

[wilcam47]

I got in the stand earlier than normal today hoping the early rut would bring a buck my way. I stood up to adjust my climber and my X-bow fell 25 ft to the ground.

Continuing the hunt for antlerless only with my ML but worried how much damage was done. Its a Barnett Jackal and has a plastic riser for the scope mount...we'll see how durable it is soon enough.

Yikes...hope your crossbow is ok.

 

[outrider58]

First morning hunt with my bow today had bucks moving at first light. Had a real decent 8 point come in range, made a rub at 28 yds. I let him walk. He looked to be a 3.5 YO. Short heavy antlers with long brow tines, I was tempted.

 

[Striper69]

Went out yesterday but it was starting to sprinkle. I sat on the little berm or hill and watched a kind of big gully. I could barely make out a nice doe about a half mile away and it spotted me. I was sitting at the foot of a tree with the camo on. The doe walked the other way. I need to take my binocs with me every time.

A doe smelled me from behind and came running alongside the hill screaming a warning to all other deer. I started to get up at dark and two does were behind the berm and took off. I didn't see the buck that trip. I'm taking my ground blind and Ozonics with me next trip and try to get one of those does or I should say try to help my nephew get one of them. Rifle season started today but I'm waiting for the rut to start.

A bunch of out of state hunters are on the Rez now. I talked to one of them and he said his group was from Michigan. There were three deer hanging in the camp. One was a small 8 pointer. His head was cut off and the body hanging in a game bag. One was hanging and wrapped in a garbage bag. At least the top half was in the bag. Flies were all over the meat and it was pretty warm and sunny today. I can't imagine that the meat will be any good.