Bambi Whacking 2023-2024

[outrider58]

I let my neighbor put his feeders and cameras out again this year. He waited till last week and an hour after he did he started sending me picture after picture of deer, and everything else that eats corn, until I asked him to stop lol.

He came down today to fill his feeders up and make some kind of blind for next Friday and Saturday.

Hopefully he gets some does. My cousin planted a 2 acre food plot and so many deer are in it he has parked and moved a car every day to try and keep them out a bit

They think there are more deer than usual but it’s because of the lack of rain and me not growing corn beans and sorghum anymore and the fields be fallow and weedy and only cut once a year down in the bottom. The deer are eating where crops are growing and hanging out there except when down in the bottoms looking for water and bedding in the fallow fields and thick woods and brush.

At least that’s what I think

My wife wants me to get my boy and neighbor to move my stand up to a field edge to get me back in a tree hunting instead of in my truck. Hell she said she put one of my old feeders out there too. I ain’t sure if she loved me or if she’s trying to do me in lol. 50/50 chance I fall off the ladder on the way up lol. But I rekon I will try. What the heck. It’s a good spot where a stream runs in a valley bordered loosely on one side by new houses where the farm next door use to be and the fields on our side between the farm above that’s growing bean and across the road corn and it funnels right past where she wants it put and the deer use it to get back to the swamp to bed in the late morning.

But I ain’t going till gun season or at least ml season. If I go at all

I think she's trying to get you out from under her heels, lol. Maybe put a mattress in a double stand.

 

[44man]

I think she's trying to get you out from under her heels, lol. Maybe put a mattress in a double stand.

It’s actually a double stand, I use to be able to take a good nap in it once upon a time lol.

She’s trying to get me to do something to get me outta my easy boy or truck seat. That’s for sure. My getting around sucks now and I would rather everyone didn’t see it and she knows it and no one would see me down there so she figures I will give it a shot and she’s probably right. I just don’t know how to hide my truck since I gotta drive to it since it’s farther than I could walk. Shyte, I have shot plenty of deer out a truck window so it don’t matter that much anyway lol. I sure miss getting around good. I don’t rekon the deer and coons miss me though lol

 

[Derwood]

I'll go out on opening day if the weather cools off a little bit. I've had about 50% success taking a doe opening day. On opening days, I've also been stung by bees climbing a tree and gotten more mosquito bites than you can imagine field dressing a deer just after dark. A thermacel doesn't do S when it's dusk in a bean field! When it's hot out, I always have 2 20 lb bags of ice in a cooler in my truck so I can fill the deer cavity with it asap. Good luck to everyone!

My low effort food plot along the powerline cut and near my home stand is still growing nicely and I'm starting to see deer eating it. I'm going to lay out a second bag of seed as soon as there is rain in the forecast.

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

had cameras out from the moment I saw my 1st velvet buck this year, I have 3 options this year an old grey buck which is 17 points, a young rising 8 point, or the new buck on the block which is a 4 point but he will fill a good bit of the freezer.

 

[Archeryrob]

So, what the DNR's official policy on cougars. I'm sure it is nope, didn't happen. My buddy and his grown son went out Sunday evening and when they stepped into the field they both saw a cougar sitting looking straight at his goats. He said it was 50 or so yards, clear as day and he could see the tail wrapped around the front leg, clearly. The cat heard them, makes eye contact, jumps a 4' fence and disappears into the woods. He said this was way bigger than a dog, round block head and long tail and no mistaking it and estimated weight at 150 pounds possibly. He said twice to three times as big as a bobcat, different head shape and long tail. Location east of Boonsboro and near the Antietam creek.

They both grabbed and redeployed some of the game cameras as they figured it would come back to see the goats again. The goats were up at the building instead of in the pasture, which is 40 yards from the house and probably why nothing got attacked. He is sure the goats knew it was down there too. I am not, ever, hunting again without a gun!

 

[GutPile]

Looks like the opener is going to be hot and rainy. Have the day off. Not sure I want to blow them out stinking/sweating and swatting at mosquitos. But I've taken some nice deer on stupid hot September afternoons.

 

[Doco Overboard]

So, what the DNR's official policy on cougars. I'm sure it is nope, didn't happen. My buddy and his grown son went to go dove hunting Sunday evening and when they stepped into the field they both saw a cougar sitting looking straight at his goats. He said it was 50 or so yards, clear as day and he could see the tail wrapped around the front leg, clearly. The cat heard them, makes eye contact, jumps a 4' fence and disappears into the woods. He said this was way bigger than a dog, round block head and long tail and no mistaking it and estimated weight at 150 pounds possibly. He said twice to three times as big as a bobcat, different head shape and long tail. Location east of Boonsboro and near the Antietam creek.

They both grabbed and redeployed some of the game cameras as they figured it would come back to see the goats again. The goats were up at the building instead of in the pasture, which is 40 yards from the house and probably why nothing got attacked. He is sure the goats knew it was down there too. I am not, ever, hunting again without a gun!

You should email them and see what they say.
Ask them about Sunday hunting migratory game birds too.

 

[Doctor_M]

Just cut the corn behind my house. 7 does and 2 fawns browsing the smorgasbord. No bucks though.

 

[AlBeight]

You should email them and see what they say.
Ask them about Sunday hunting migratory game birds too.

I’m probably wrong, but I’ve been under the impression that they’re federally protected. There are states that they’re legal game animals though, so like I said I’m probably wrong.

I’d go with SSS, personally.

 

[teratos]

Probably will wait til early ML.

Early Mother in Law?

 

[Pale Ryder]

Early Mother in Law?

No that would be MIL, ML is muzzle loader.

 

[teratos]

No that would be MIL, ML is muzzle loader.

A boy can dream…

 

[Pale Ryder]

A boy can dream…

Don’t dream of my MIL, she’s 81.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I’m probably wrong, but I’ve been under the impression that they’re federally protected. There are states that they’re legal game animals though, so like I said I’m probably wrong.

I’d go with SSS, personally.

Idk. Two guys dove hunting on a Sunday afternoon stepping out near some goats then seeing a cougar makes me question what the heck's going on.

 

[Archeryrob]

Well, no one went hunting, so no rules were broken. The cat spotting changed what everyone's plans were. I'll bring that up so it doesn't happen again. We have everything else pretty much open for hunting everyday out here in the west and clearly forgot that was an issue. Thanks for the reminder. We can can hunt everything on Sunday except, geese, ducks, doves and crows. Plus one Sunday after rifle they close deer because it is not listed in a season.

It says eastern cougars are not listed on the endangered species list any longer. He could probably shoot it if near his goats and not if away from them. I probably could not shoot it at all unless it came at me. [EDIT] looked through the hunting guide and no mention of them, or pigs. I'm pretty sure they would say no on the cougars and yes on the wild pigs, even though they are not listed.

Eastern Cougars Removed from Endangered Species List

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mountainlion.org

 

[DaveP]

The LAST thing an outdoorsman wants is for WILD mountain lions to be found here.

 

[Ecestu]

Seen while doing a little "scouting" aka squirrel hunting. I think I'm going to sit here tomorrow and see if she does the same thing. I also saw a couple small bucks. She's at 40yds and they were at 80. I'm excited!

 

[TwinTurbskis]

I always hunt opening day, but I will not be whacking anything unless its going on the wall haha. Getting a deer out of the woods and processed when its 90 degrees out is not fun. Still very excited for the coming season however.

 

[G8tor]

I'm heading out this afternoon for an evening hunt. I definitely wish we had better weather for it, but I'm too antsy to sit this one out. I've been baiting for a few weeks now and am fairly confident I'll at least see something today.

 

[Ecestu]

Was tired of sitting this morning on this opening day, so decided to get some steps in. Of course I bumped a decent sized doe about 10 minutes later. I sat where I bumped the doe, hoping it would come back, which it didn't, but the squirrels were everywhere. I said, self, look at all of these missed opportunities. So I ran back to the vehicle and swapped weapons. Now here I sit with my shotgun without a single squirrel in sight. Such is life. I'll try it all over again this afternoon. Maybe it won't rain.