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Monday Oct. 22,12 AM Hunt
I was able to scrounge up just enough provisions to make it one more night in camp so I decided to stay Sunday night and Hunt Monday morning and drive to work from there.
I found one white potato that had been in the bottom of my floor board just a couple days to long and I knew I had a couple top sirloins in the cooler that I could not wait to get on the cook fire. Unfortunately, they were just a little to old also and looked like something that was more fit for my coon hound than me. However, it was all I had so I shaved off as much as I could to get down to red meat and rolled the dice.
Well, I am still here to recount the story and didn’t poison myself. I hunted the next morning at the west fence stand but did not see any deer movement. All the other creatures seemed to be feeding and doing their thing but the deer were just not cooperating. The squirrels were really active, feeding and chasing each other all over the place.
I was dying to get back into this stand as I could not hunt it Sunday evening due to the wind direction. I had to hunt a stand I call Rick’s stand in a little scrub oak hammock but did not see any deer on that hunt either. When I pulled the trail camera card there. The deer activity was weak with on two deer there during the day and none were bucks. There was a tall 3pt there in the dark and I got some great pictures of him raring up on his back feet to stand straight up in the ait to smeel and hook some oak limbs over a scrape.
Monday afternoon had me back in Bunnell and I wanted to watch the last Presidential debate so I hunted at the property and camped at the house that night. That was the first night I had been home since Thursday. Besides, I needed some clean cloths.
The hunt was a bust and I didn’t see a single deer. I pulled the camera card there and found that a number of does had been there but only (2) bucks and both in the dark. One was the big 5pt and the other was a 5” spike. Both are deer I knew and I had actually saw and got just a little video of the spike. The 5pt is a least a 2.5 yr old buck and has only been on trail camera once in the daylight. That was at 12:30 in the afternoon.
Tuesday morning, Oct. 23, I went back to the pond stand again but only hunted until 8:30 AM as I needed to get the meat from Saturday’s kill in the freezer. I cut up another batch of jerky from the scraps and got it marinating in my special Jerky seasoning formula. That is some awesome stuff. I literally, can’t stop eating it.
Anyway, I had found a really interesting spot Sunday and hung a test camera there to see what is using there. I pulled the card Monday morning and discovered no less than 4 different bucks had crossed there between midnight and daylight! That was all I needed to see. I couldn’t wait to get in there Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday afternoon Oct. 23,
I took the climber in to the new fence crossing spot but was much later getting in the tree than I wanted. Also, daylight is getting less and less everyday now. Besides that I was in a hammock strand with a heavy canopy which cuts the hunt down even more.
I did not see and deer but I and camping again tonight and will hunt it in the morning. It promises to be a good one!
Wednesday Oct 24,
Well, so much for the morning hunt being a good one. I got into the stand well before daylight and listened to the mosquitoes buzzing around for a half an hour until I could begin to see the ground. The morning came and went without seeing a single deer.
The feed time was good, the location was hot but no deer. Strangely enough all activity, squirrels, birds etc. was very weak. By 8:45 my gut feeling was that this was just not going to happen so I jacked down the tree and packed all my gear out.
It’s about a 3-4 mile 4wheeler ride back to the camp and I was humming right along when I passed a little sink hole filled with some waste high weeds. I looked over just in time to see some deer piling out of the sink. I slammed on the brakes, whipped it sideways and grabbed the rifle out of the rack all in one more. By the time the bike settled out I had the cross hairs on the lead deer. Deer after deer piled out and up the hill until 5 in total were visible. I could not find a horn on a single one.
This is interesting as I have seen a total of two does all bow and most of the muzzleload season! Last year I saw one. I guess an optimist might say, sightings are up 50% but something is wrong with the deer herd. Last year I blamed it on the massive acorn crop. Deer sightings are always low when large mass crops are available. The deer can fill up quickly and go lay back down. Of course the bucks are still going to be visible when out looking for receptive does.
However, this year the acorn crop is off and we are still not seeing does? The only other thing that I can fall back on to figure this out are the trail cameras which are all set up on feed stations. They are telling me the doe population is off. I am seeing very few does and yearlings on the cameras. The camera at the stand that I killed the two bucks is seeing ONE doe a week! Incredible.
It’s not over yet but I might not inflict the hurt I was planning.
Best of hunts,
Larry S.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Florida Bow Hunting Report 10-18-12
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Thurs., Oct. 18, 12
Major Feed Time: 1:50 AM (MINOR 8:00am)
Wind Direction: SE 2-5 mph
Time Hunted: PM: 6:50 -8:45 AM
Weather: cloudy
Humidity: upper 60's%
Temp.: 67 AM
Barometer: 29.9
Moon phase: 2 days past New Moon
Yesterday afternoon I scrambled over to the huntin' club which is an hour plus drive. I was able to get climbed in time to hunt about 50 minuted or so. Unfortunately, There was no deer activity to be seen. All the corn was gone at the stand but I had carried some in to charge it up.. I pulled the trail camera card and reviewed the pics back at the truck. There was some good buck activity early in the week while the corn was in good supply but had petered out by the time I got there. Most of the activity was even in the daylight. Strangely, there was no doe activity on the camera.
Here are a few pic's from that camera:
I hunted the pond stand this morning but had the same result as the PM hunt......no deer. However, the trail camera had 51 pic's on it. There were a pile of different deer at the stand overnight including the big 3.5 year old 5pt and another spike that I have seen one time before.
Here are some pictures from that camera:
best of Hunts,
Larry S.
Thurs., Oct. 18, 12
Major Feed Time: 1:50 AM (MINOR 8:00am)
Wind Direction: SE 2-5 mph
Time Hunted: PM: 6:50 -8:45 AM
Weather: cloudy
Humidity: upper 60's%
Temp.: 67 AM
Barometer: 29.9
Moon phase: 2 days past New Moon
Yesterday afternoon I scrambled over to the huntin' club which is an hour plus drive. I was able to get climbed in time to hunt about 50 minuted or so. Unfortunately, There was no deer activity to be seen. All the corn was gone at the stand but I had carried some in to charge it up.. I pulled the trail camera card and reviewed the pics back at the truck. There was some good buck activity early in the week while the corn was in good supply but had petered out by the time I got there. Most of the activity was even in the daylight. Strangely, there was no doe activity on the camera.
Here are a few pic's from that camera:
I bought a new trail camera yesterday while at walmart. It the the Bushnell 119420cw.
I will get it in the field ASAP and see how it performs.
I hunted the pond stand this morning but had the same result as the PM hunt......no deer. However, the trail camera had 51 pic's on it. There were a pile of different deer at the stand overnight including the big 3.5 year old 5pt and another spike that I have seen one time before.
Here are some pictures from that camera:
best of Hunts,
Larry S.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Florida Bow Hunting Report 10-16-12
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Tues., Oct. 16, 12
Major Feed Time: PM
Wind Direction: NE 5-7 mph
Time Hunted: PM: 6:00 -7:15
Weather: mostly clear
Humidity: 69-85%
Temp.: 75-84
Barometer: 30.0
Moon phase: 2 days past New Moon
Well, I just don't know what to say! I am thoroughly disgusted with both my videoing and my shooting.
I hunted at my property this afternoon and on the way in I decided to charge up the feed in front of the stand and pull the trail camera card. I know better than to walk in front of the stand before the hunt but it is usually not a problem. It caught up with me tonight. I always approach from the side the deer NEVER come in from so I expect a shot before the deer ever get to where I have walked. Even if they do cut my sign, It has not been a problem to this point.
I spotted the first deer of the hunt at 6:10 PM, slipping down the far side of the chop at about 80yds, paralleling my location. It appeared to be the momma less doe fawn I see regularly. She was making a bee line for the feeder at the back of the chop.
Other than a sparrow hawk, it was pretty uneventful for the next hour. About 7:10 I looked to the south, the direction the deer almost never come from and there is a deer, already 40yds out into the chop. It looked like a pretty good deer and I suspected it may be a buck when I saw it. It was the big spike I have been hunting. This was the first time I have laid eyes on him.
I turned the camera on and started to follow the deer as he turned towards the stand. he eased his way in and I decided to take the shot at 18yds, quartering away.
I pulled the string and as I came to full draw the buck snapped to attention, looking towards my tree. I put the 20yd pin on his elbow and pulled the trigger.
The next thing I know my shaft slaps him high in the back and the buck goes screaming off back to the SW at a high rate of speed and I hear him go splashing off through the young pine stand. He stops after about 150yds and starts blowing at me!
The only thing I can figure is he squatted the shot but at 18yds that hardly seems possible. I still can't believe it!
To make it a total loss.....after the shot I sat down and turned to the camera only to realize the little red light was NOT ON! Unbelievable!! I don't know what else to do to remind myself to push the frickin record button, !$*%!$#!
I am going to put the next few days in that stand and hope beyond hope that I can get another crack at him quickly. It's a long shot. He will likely over our encounter but he is going to be pretty soar for a while.
Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button.................
If there was a bright spot it was the buck activity on the trail camera at the stand over the last couple of days. Here are a few of those pic's.
Best of Hunts,
Larry Stephens
Tues., Oct. 16, 12
Major Feed Time: PM
Wind Direction: NE 5-7 mph
Time Hunted: PM: 6:00 -7:15
Weather: mostly clear
Humidity: 69-85%
Temp.: 75-84
Barometer: 30.0
Moon phase: 2 days past New Moon
Well, I just don't know what to say! I am thoroughly disgusted with both my videoing and my shooting.
I hunted at my property this afternoon and on the way in I decided to charge up the feed in front of the stand and pull the trail camera card. I know better than to walk in front of the stand before the hunt but it is usually not a problem. It caught up with me tonight. I always approach from the side the deer NEVER come in from so I expect a shot before the deer ever get to where I have walked. Even if they do cut my sign, It has not been a problem to this point.
I spotted the first deer of the hunt at 6:10 PM, slipping down the far side of the chop at about 80yds, paralleling my location. It appeared to be the momma less doe fawn I see regularly. She was making a bee line for the feeder at the back of the chop.
Other than a sparrow hawk, it was pretty uneventful for the next hour. About 7:10 I looked to the south, the direction the deer almost never come from and there is a deer, already 40yds out into the chop. It looked like a pretty good deer and I suspected it may be a buck when I saw it. It was the big spike I have been hunting. This was the first time I have laid eyes on him.
I turned the camera on and started to follow the deer as he turned towards the stand. he eased his way in and I decided to take the shot at 18yds, quartering away.
I pulled the string and as I came to full draw the buck snapped to attention, looking towards my tree. I put the 20yd pin on his elbow and pulled the trigger.
The next thing I know my shaft slaps him high in the back and the buck goes screaming off back to the SW at a high rate of speed and I hear him go splashing off through the young pine stand. He stops after about 150yds and starts blowing at me!
The only thing I can figure is he squatted the shot but at 18yds that hardly seems possible. I still can't believe it!
To make it a total loss.....after the shot I sat down and turned to the camera only to realize the little red light was NOT ON! Unbelievable!! I don't know what else to do to remind myself to push the frickin record button, !$*%!$#!
I am going to put the next few days in that stand and hope beyond hope that I can get another crack at him quickly. It's a long shot. He will likely over our encounter but he is going to be pretty soar for a while.
Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button,Push the record button, push the record button, push the record button, push the record button.................
If there was a bright spot it was the buck activity on the trail camera at the stand over the last couple of days. Here are a few of those pic's.
Best of Hunts,
Larry Stephens
Monday, October 8, 2012
Flight of the Arrow!
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I paroled another deer to heaven this morning. If you follow my blog you know I have been videoing all my hunts and this one was no exception.
I pulled the camera card at this test stand location Sunday morning and found that 5-6 different bucks had all of the sudden started showing up that. I was about to abandon the site as up until then there was one deer a week showing up.
When I reviewed the latest recon from the site and saw all the bucks showing up, I immediately shifted gears and hung a new stand there that afternoon and hunted it. I did not see anything but stayed at camp that night to hunt again this morning.
At 8:50 the least deer of the bunch showed up, a year and a half old 3pt. Being an equal opportunity hunter, there was no question what was about to happen. I got some great video, including the kill shot and arrow impact.
When I reviewed the footage I was surprised to see that it had actually caught the arrow in flight or at least the fletching.
This is pretty awesome, have a look at the slide show. I will post the video when I get a chance to edit it.
Good luck,
Larry S.
I paroled another deer to heaven this morning. If you follow my blog you know I have been videoing all my hunts and this one was no exception.
I pulled the camera card at this test stand location Sunday morning and found that 5-6 different bucks had all of the sudden started showing up that. I was about to abandon the site as up until then there was one deer a week showing up.
When I reviewed the latest recon from the site and saw all the bucks showing up, I immediately shifted gears and hung a new stand there that afternoon and hunted it. I did not see anything but stayed at camp that night to hunt again this morning.
At 8:50 the least deer of the bunch showed up, a year and a half old 3pt. Being an equal opportunity hunter, there was no question what was about to happen. I got some great video, including the kill shot and arrow impact.
When I reviewed the footage I was surprised to see that it had actually caught the arrow in flight or at least the fletching.
This is pretty awesome, have a look at the slide show. I will post the video when I get a chance to edit it.
Good luck,
Larry S.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Florida Bow Hunting Report 2012 #2
Sept. 17, 2012
Major Feed Time: 12:35 PM
Wind Direction: S at 6 but gusty in PM
Time Hunted: AM: 6:45-8:15 PM: 7:00-7:30 (AT POND)
Weather: Partly Cloudy, warm
Humidity: 65-91%
Temp.: 73-87
Barometer: 30.0 steady
Moon phase: New Moon
I hunted the property today both in the morning and in the afternoon. For some reason I did not consider the wind direction and it ended up blowing right to where most of the deer show up. I saw a young doe slip out of the thick pine stand that borders the new chop the stand is on. She was in range but I was not interested in shooting her. She angled away from me and before she got out of sight smelled me and departed blowing.
In the PM I walked in on a deer at the stand at 7:00 (I was pretty late) and within a few minutes the wind changed out of the south and another deer in the pine plantation smelled me and started to blow also. At that point I decided the best thing to do was get out of there and wait for the wind to straighten out.
The only photo's on the trail cam were a few turkey hens.
Tuesday 18, 2012
Did not hunt, rain PM and wind wrong.
Larry
Major Feed Time: 12:35 PM
Wind Direction: S at 6 but gusty in PM
Time Hunted: AM: 6:45-8:15 PM: 7:00-7:30 (AT POND)
Weather: Partly Cloudy, warm
Humidity: 65-91%
Temp.: 73-87
Barometer: 30.0 steady
Moon phase: New Moon
I hunted the property today both in the morning and in the afternoon. For some reason I did not consider the wind direction and it ended up blowing right to where most of the deer show up. I saw a young doe slip out of the thick pine stand that borders the new chop the stand is on. She was in range but I was not interested in shooting her. She angled away from me and before she got out of sight smelled me and departed blowing.
In the PM I walked in on a deer at the stand at 7:00 (I was pretty late) and within a few minutes the wind changed out of the south and another deer in the pine plantation smelled me and started to blow also. At that point I decided the best thing to do was get out of there and wait for the wind to straighten out.
The only photo's on the trail cam were a few turkey hens.
Tuesday 18, 2012
Did not hunt, rain PM and wind wrong.
Larry
Florida Bow Hunting Report 2012 #3
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Sept. 22, 2012
Major Feed Time:
Wind Direction: E (light while hunting)
Time Hunted: AM: 6:30-9:00 PM: 6:30-7:45
Weather: clear
Humidity: 69-85%
Temp.: 75-84
Barometer: 30.1
Moon phase: first quarter
Since there has only been 2 deer at my west fence stand in a week and the buck block stand has only had some does and yearlings, I had to hunt the kill zone stand again. It was uneventful in the morning but that afternoon I had a nice doe come in to 15 yds.
She was extremely cautious as almost all deer are when coming into a feeder. She stood off down a trail for what seemed like 5-8 minutes, listening and scent checking. Finally she committed to coming in but I decided shooting a doe that afternoon was not something I wanted to really do, especially since the video light was gone and the harvest could not be filmed. I got reprimand from my hunting buddy SteveO for letting that one slip by but I was glad not to have to fish another deer out of the flooded woods.
I did have another deer that I could hear pushing thru the thick flat behind the stand that was on its way to me but the wind was drifting that way and it ended up smelling me before I got to see it. I suspect it was another doe as it crashed off blowing back to where it had come from.
The afternoon is always a tough hunt when a deer comes in from down wind. You are just almost always going to get discovered. The two deer had approached the stand from 180 degrees from each other. In fact, that is one thing that makes this stand such a good stand. it is somewhat of a hub surrounded by bedding areas. I don't see a lot of deer there but it is always good for 2-3 bucks each year.
Sunday the 23, was uneventful and no deer were seen. There have been only a handful of deer shot in the club.
My friend Rick Edwards shot a nice 8pt Monday morning. He has been getting some really outstanding bucks on his trail cameras lately and has even gotten a look at the buck with the forked G2 but did not get a shot at him. Things should start picking up now as the feeding times are getting around to daylight and dark. Larry S.
Sept. 22, 2012
Major Feed Time:
Wind Direction: E (light while hunting)
Time Hunted: AM: 6:30-9:00 PM: 6:30-7:45
Weather: clear
Humidity: 69-85%
Temp.: 75-84
Barometer: 30.1
Moon phase: first quarter
Since there has only been 2 deer at my west fence stand in a week and the buck block stand has only had some does and yearlings, I had to hunt the kill zone stand again. It was uneventful in the morning but that afternoon I had a nice doe come in to 15 yds.
She was extremely cautious as almost all deer are when coming into a feeder. She stood off down a trail for what seemed like 5-8 minutes, listening and scent checking. Finally she committed to coming in but I decided shooting a doe that afternoon was not something I wanted to really do, especially since the video light was gone and the harvest could not be filmed. I got reprimand from my hunting buddy SteveO for letting that one slip by but I was glad not to have to fish another deer out of the flooded woods.
I did have another deer that I could hear pushing thru the thick flat behind the stand that was on its way to me but the wind was drifting that way and it ended up smelling me before I got to see it. I suspect it was another doe as it crashed off blowing back to where it had come from.
The afternoon is always a tough hunt when a deer comes in from down wind. You are just almost always going to get discovered. The two deer had approached the stand from 180 degrees from each other. In fact, that is one thing that makes this stand such a good stand. it is somewhat of a hub surrounded by bedding areas. I don't see a lot of deer there but it is always good for 2-3 bucks each year.
Sunday the 23, was uneventful and no deer were seen. There have been only a handful of deer shot in the club.
My friend Rick Edwards shot a nice 8pt Monday morning. He has been getting some really outstanding bucks on his trail cameras lately and has even gotten a look at the buck with the forked G2 but did not get a shot at him. Things should start picking up now as the feeding times are getting around to daylight and dark. Larry S.
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