Live from the stand thread

[Native Hunter]

I’m pulling cards this morning. If my target isn’t on camera, I’m taking off until some more favorable weather.

 

[jsasker007]

The deer don't move much at all here when it's hotter weather.

 

[jsasker007]

I’m pulling cards this morning. If my target isn’t on camera, I’m taking off until some more favorable weather.

Was the big guy there?

 

[jsasker007]

Native, didn't know if you were aware of the ravin 500 recall or not. This is the list for the owners that have a recall.

 

[356]

First sit in one of the new stands. I arrived at 5:57 (sunrise is 7:02).



Just before shooting light, a buck the went behind the blind--snorting all of the way.
Two other deer (I believe a doe and her fawn) went by the blind before shooting light and busted me.

These four hung up at 35 yards, and knew something was wrong, but did not panic. They ended up going north, then west onto the neighbors property. I'll let this blind sit for a month, and will narrow the wind chart, as I believe the treeline is taking this morning's westerly wind north and south along the blind's treeline.

 

[356]

I’m back in the stand. We currently have a south wind that will be changing to a north wind by 7:30 PM. That makes the blind choice limited, so I’m hunting a section of land where my scent will hopefully into the soybeans. .

 

[Native Hunter]

Was the big guy there?

Sorry for a late reply. No, he wasn't there, but the other big ones are still around and coming in legal shooting light. Right now I'm only interested in hunting him, so I'm taking a few days off and seeing if he comes back when our weather changes. Starting tomorrow we are supposed to get rain and cooler weather. However, the beans could be harvested any day now which isn't likely to be a good thing.

 

[Native Hunter]

View attachment 83007
Native, didn't know if you were aware of the ravin 500 recall or not. This is the list for the owners that have a recall.

Mine was recalled last year, and I sent it back. But, I had better check and see if this is something new or the same thing. Thanks for posting.

Update - that is from March 21, 2024, so mine should be okay.

 

[356]

It was a fun sit with several sightings. The doe always had branches in the way for a clean shot, so no venison yet.

 

[356]

I’m in for a short evening hunt in a new blind. 1” of rain on Tuesday is bringing a little life to the food plot. The squirrels are out in full force.



Didn't see any deer....I had to come in a little early and the deer showed up 5 minutes latter on camera.

 

[356]

I put up a pop-up blind based on camera data from last night. My target buck came into this plot of oak trees 3 minutes before shooting light ended last night. We have a brisk south wind, which should play into the strategy well if he repeats.

At 86°, it’s pretty uncomfortable in here, but the deer start filtering through these oaks around 5 PM.

 

[fishin coyote]

Opening day in my part of PA... Sitting on the edge of the grapevines 20yds from this oak tree that is just raining acorns. Nothing but squirrels so far

 

[Barndog56]

4th weekend of bow season and it's been 80+ degrees for every one of them. We're a week past our average first frost and haven't come close to one yet. A nice wind this evening so I'm in stand. I've got Honeycrisps waiting for them.

 

[fishin coyote]

Ended up seeing 10 total including my target buck and one his small companions. The bucks came in with about 10 minutes of shooting time but of course only the smaller one got close enough.

 

[356]

Not much action so far, it’s pretty warm today. A cold front supposed to be coming in Tuesday, that won’t help me when I’m out of town :-). It’s great to be back in the woods this early season. The stand is pretty much a doe stand until the rut.



Update: This is the view from the stand I was hoping for this evening.

 

[356]

First freezer fill of the season. 127 pound “dry doe” that has been somewhat predictable on camera, but never when I was hunting her until tonight. The plot is just 100 yards from the house across a small creek. It’s always nice to notch the first tag of the season.

 

[MN Slick]

Do you have a lot of dry does in your area? I'm always shocked at the number of does without fawns in MO vs. my old land in WI. Fawn recruitment in MO is far lower. We haven't shot a doe on one farm in MO since we bought it in 2021 and the population isn't noticeably higher if at all. Maybe the neighbors are killing them.

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Went out for the first time last Friday. Two tiny bucks and a bunch of does. Definitely need some cooler weather. My mock scrape is getting used daily. Had to switch from rope to grapevine before they would use it though……

 

[356]

Do you have a lot of dry does in your area? I'm always shocked at the number of does without fawns in MO vs. my old land in WI. Fawn recruitment in MO is far lower. We haven't shot a doe on one farm in MO since we bought it in 2021 and the population isn't noticeably higher if at all. Maybe the neighbors are killing them.

Generally, the five-year recruitment in our area is about "normal" and aligns with averages seen in Missouri and Minnesota. However, this year's fawn recruitment is lower than usual. Normally I see most does with twins and triplets. This year I reported more single fawns and a couple of twins, but no triplets. The doe I harvested has been fawnless all season, based on camera data. I'll age the jaw later today. I am not sure if fawn predation is the issue or weather--we had lots of rain in late May. One of my target deer was an old nanny doe that never had fawns (in eight years I had her on camera). I've not seen her this year, so she may have died or been harvested.

 

[Telemark]

Got a small stag. No thermal, just moonlight.