2018-19 Bambi Whacking

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  • Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    I had taken off this Friday and a bunch of them coming up. Yesterday was my first day to hunt and the morning turned into a Mosquito feast. Mind you, I am in the mountains, we don't have this crap here normally. I itched so bad I quit by 7:30 and waited for my daughter. I was just going to alert the deer to the stand so quit early.

    Then off to walmart for bug spray a new hat and then to target for a long sleeve breathable running shirt to hunt in. 4PM back out there. Decided to hunt the back. 3/4 mile walk, what a mistake. Sweated up by the time of reaching the stand and took 1/2 hour for sweat to dry up. Nothing moved back there. Come out early as the access trail is so slippery its like a greased skid. Two does hanging on the access trail and the only two deer I saw all day. But I am not really after does yet. We have two many needing thinning and a lot of late season fawns because of it. Don;t want to drop and mommas of the younger ones yet.

    I have had enough of this rain and humidity and quitting until the humidity drops. This is just not enjoyable yet. I'll get some crap done at the house and drink some beer. :D
     

    Speed3

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 19, 2011
    7,816
    MD
    I'm out today for the first time, bugs are bad and I forgot my thermocell, never again will I forget it
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,158
    #1 son got a very nice 8 pointer this morning. I stopped my hunt to help him track it and field dress it. Unfortunately when we gutted him we found his hindquarter all soft and mushy.
    Anyone know what this could be?
    The deer did not appear sick or injured before he shot it.
     

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    #1 son got a very nice 8 pointer this morning. I stopped my hunt to help him track it and field dress it. Unfortunately when we gutted him we found his hindquarter all soft and mushy.
    Anyone know what this could be?
    The deer did not appear sick or injured before he shot it.
    Nice rack, not so nice inside. Is that CWD? Personally I wouldn't save any of the meat but that's your call obviously

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,158
    Nice rack, not so nice inside. Is that CWD? Personally I wouldn't save any of the meat but that's your call obviously

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

    I don’t think so because the deer was full weight. Maybe EHD fever or whatever it’s called?

    We didn’t keep the meat but he did keep the rack. He said, “Dad I feel like a poacher.”
     

    Mike3888

    Mike3888
    Feb 21, 2013
    1,125
    Dundalk, Md-Mifflin,Pa
    I don’t think so because the deer was full weight. Maybe EHD fever or whatever it’s called?

    We didn’t keep the meat but he did keep the rack. He said, “Dad I feel like a poacher.”

    Great harvest, tell the young fellow congrats and not to feel bad. I've never seen anything like that. Kinda looks like some kind of abcess. I've killed them covered in warts and quite a few that were gang green inside. You both did the right thing.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    @Brian - be sure to report that to DNR if you've not already. I don't know what that could be and also would not have risked eating it.

    I got out on Saturday. I was in my stand by 2:30 and for the first time ever at a Thermocell. Mother of god why didn't I get one of these things years ago! I still got some mosquito bites but it wasn't nearly as bad as it normally would be. I was at the same public land spot I've hunted for the past three seasons without ever seeing another hunter and I've taken three deer in those three years. It's about 3/4 mile from the nearest road so when I pulled up at 2:00 and saw no other cars anywhere nearby, I went for it. Around 6:45 I started to hear deer moving in the patch of woods behind me. Sunset was 7:18....like clockwork at 7:15 two hunters appeared ON FOOT walking though the field I was looking over -- upwind of me. These two guys in ghillie suits apparently thought they were visually and olfactorily (is that a word?) undetectable. Nope. I saw them immediately and just hoped they would turn the F around and go back to where they came from. Who the hell tries to still hunt in an open bean field at dusk? Nope...they kept walking through the field. After about a minute of this, I heard a doe alert from the woods behind me and then heard a small stampede of deer take off in the other direction. So annoying. At that point I whistled so they would know of my presence. It took them a solid three minutes to find me even though I had only a green t shirt and no ghilee suit because I'm deer hunting from a tree stand, not stalking Viet Cong snipers. I stayed in my stand until an hour after darnkess just to see if those deer would come back but they didn't. I'm going back to my "public land only in the bow season and only on weekdays" rule haha. This is the price of sharing the resource but damn it's annoying when it happens. I hope those guys managed to sneak up on something.

    On the plus side, I saw a really nice fox walking in and this year I got my fur permit. So I might go look for more of those in November.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    @Brian - be sure to report that to DNR if you've not already. I don't know what that could be and also would not have risked eating it.

    I got out on Saturday. I was in my stand by 2:30 and for the first time ever had a Thermocell. Mother of god why didn't I get one of these things years ago! I still got some mosquito bites but it wasn't nearly as bad as it normally would be. I was at the same public land spot I've hunted for the past three seasons without ever seeing another hunter and I've taken three deer in those three years. It's about 3/4 mile from the nearest road so when I pulled up at 2:00 and saw no other cars anywhere nearby, I went for it. I thought I'd done everything right. The wind was in my favor. I was very careful and quiet walking in. I had my scent control under control. And I managed to sit very still for a solid four hours by reading a book.

    Around 6:45 I started to hear deer moving in the patch of woods behind me. Sunset was 7:18....like clockwork at 7:15 two hunters appeared ON FOOT walking though the field I was looking over -- upwind of me. These two guys in ghillie suits apparently thought they were visually and olfactorily (is that a word?) undetectable. Nope. I saw them immediately and just hoped they would turn the F around and go back to where they came from. Who the hell tries to still hunt in an open bean field at dusk? Nope...they kept walking through the field. After about a minute of this, I heard a doe alert from the woods behind me and then heard a small stampede of deer take off in the other direction. So annoying. At that point I whistled so they would know of my presence. It took them a solid three minutes to find me even though I had only a green t shirt and no ghilee suit because I'm deer hunting from a tree stand, not stalking Viet Cong snipers. I stayed in my stand until an hour after darnkess just to see if those deer would come back but they didn't. I'm going back to my "public land only in the bow season and only on weekdays" rule haha. This is the price of sharing the resource but damn it's annoying when it happens. I hope those guys managed to sneak up on something.

    On the plus side, I saw a really nice fox walking in and this year I got my fur permit. So I might go look for more of those in November.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    @Brian - be sure to report that to DNR if you've not already. I don't know what that could be and also would not have risked eating it.

    I got out on Saturday. I was in my stand by 2:30 and for the first time ever had a Thermocell. Mother of god why didn't I get one of these things years ago! I still got some mosquito bites but it wasn't nearly as bad as it normally would be. I was at the same public land spot I've hunted for the past three seasons without ever seeing another hunter and I've taken three deer in those three years. It's about 3/4 mile from the nearest road so when I pulled up at 2:00 and saw no other cars anywhere nearby, I went for it. I thought I'd done everything right. The wind was in my favor. I was very careful and quiet walking in. I had my scent control under control. And I managed to sit very still for a solid four hours by reading a book.

    Around 6:45 I started to hear deer moving in the patch of woods behind me. Sunset was 7:18....like clockwork at 7:15 two hunters appeared ON FOOT walking though the field I was looking over -- upwind of me. These two guys in ghillie suits apparently thought they were visually and olfactorily (is that a word?) undetectable. Nope. I saw them immediately and just hoped they would turn the F around and go back to where they came from. Who the hell tries to still hunt in an open bean field at dusk? Nope...they kept walking through the field. After about a minute of this, I heard a doe alert from the woods behind me and then heard a small stampede of deer take off in the other direction. So annoying. At that point I whistled so they would know of my presence. It took them a solid three minutes to find me even though I had only a green t shirt and no ghilee suit because I'm deer hunting from a tree stand, not stalking Viet Cong snipers. I stayed in my stand until an hour after darnkess just to see if those deer would come back but they didn't. I'm going back to my "public land only in the bow season and only on weekdays" rule haha. This is the price of sharing the resource but damn it's annoying when it happens. I hope those guys managed to sneak up on something.

    On the plus side, I saw a really nice fox walking in and this year I got my fur permit. So I might go look for more of those in November.

    That sucks. Not just that, who the F still hunts deer with a bow? I mean, if you have NO choice, sure, but that seems unlikely to succeed. Especially in a bean field. Especially near the golden hour of hunting. I do a LOT of still hunting (with a ML and rifle), but I also know to plant my butt from at least 15 minutes before shooting light until at least an hour after sunup and from about 90 minutes before sun down until a few minutes after last shooting light.

    I've had guys flip-s when I've walked by their stand, hung 10 yards off a major trail on public land 200yds from a parking lot, at 3:30pm 3+ hours before sunset in October. Too bad. But I am not going to screw with someone there or anywhere else when it is remotely close to sunrise or sunset.

    I remember having some guy walk right under my stand about 15 minutes after first light and being pissed as hell that not only was he moving through the woods shortly after first light scaring whatever away from my stand, but he was standing DIRECTLY under my f-ing stand (only like 18ft up).

    I then realized I was up in my stand with a stitch of orange on me in muzzleloader season. My vest and hat were on the back seat of my car!!! Holy smokes, I am going to get my ass killed. I whistled to him and I think he might have loaded his pants. The one time I nearly died (not from him also okay, just got hurt a lot). I got down from that tree so fast I wasn't carefully setting it each time I moved and the bottom slipped out when I got close to the ground and fell about 18 inches and smacked my face in to the tree as my harness strap caught (as it should have). It caught me about 2 feet off the ground and I could easily pull myself back up, shimmy my harness strap down the tree and lower the rest of the stand properly. Had a bloody lip from the experience.

    I don't think I've ever made that much noise walking out of the woods in my life. Not even in bear woods when alone. I probably pissed some guys off with my whistling and humming, but I was pretty well camouflaged otherwise and I really didn't want to get shot.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    I couldn't help myself and ended up taking a photo as they exited the field. Can you spot Waldo? Haha.
     

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    engineerbrian

    JMB fan club
    Sep 3, 2010
    10,148
    Fredneck
    I had my oldest son go out today and sit in the stand while the rain was tapering off, he wasnt to happy. Once the rain stopped 2 deer strolled in and he double lunged a small doe at 26 yards.

    No pic if the deer, but heres the arrow

    eta: sideways pic but i guess it doesnt matter :shrug:
     

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    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    Worked for 71,000 years. Patience is the name, deer is the game. Modern equipment does however aid the process for some but I can understand the concept as being foreign to others. Sooner or later the idea comes around, some accept the challenge and often the disappointment that comes with it.

    I enjoy still hunting with a bow from time to time. This is my compact rig for when I get tired of sitting. Packs a pretty good punch when I do my part.
    Super mag.jpg
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    True. Outrider straightened me out a bit. That also said, most primaries bow hunters in actual primative societies hunt as groups, not lone individuals. More akin to stalk and drives with bows than individual still hunting.

    Not saying it can’t work, just it has a lot more limitations than still hunting with something longer ranged. That said, can say the same about bow hunting from a stand compared to a rifle.

    I’ll be giving it another try this season and try to keep in mind the conditions that make still hunting with a bow more successful.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    ^Yep. What bugged me about these guys as much as anything is they were not working the wind properly, so they blew up the entire field and the deer I could hear moving nearby all scattered. But everyone has to learn somehow and that's how it goes on public land! We have to share with everyone.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    They were probably wearing very new Scentlok apparel under those ghillie suits. So scent was a non issue. :rolleyes:

    Also deer can't detect the human motion while wearing a ghillie suit. A hunting show proved that!! :rolleyes:

    In all seriousness, I think a lot of hunters either know nothing, to about having half a clue.
     
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