Oct 1, 2001

Welcome to my 2001 Fall Hunting Diary.  The fall big game hunting season is only 6 days away!

I will be making entries to my diary sporadically as my experiences warrant.  I will probably not be making daily updates unless something really exciting happens!  I will not use real names or real places in my diary, other than my own name, to protect the innocent.  :o)  I hope this diary will be entertainment for some of you and maybe someone can even learn something.  If anyone has any questions or comments please email me!

I will be hunting with bow, muzzleloader, and rifle for deer with bow being my favorite.  I will go on a few turkey hunts this fall as well.  Probably a few early season hunts and a few late season hunts with dogs. 

I look forward to sharing this season with you...

From early preseason scouting I have found that the mast situation is spotty in the areas that I hunt.  I have found a few white oaks dropping acorns with the majority of mast producing trees being red oaks.  It looks like the deer will need to travel a little more this year to find preferred food and this could be good for hunters.   My recommendation for the early part of bow season is to find the preferred food (acorns, fields, apples, etc.) and setup between the bedding and the feeding areas.  Watch the wind!  Always be aware of wind direction!  Don't blow a good stand setup because of the wrong wind!  Hang several stands to take advantage of the different wind direction.  The cool weather we are having now is great, let's hope it sticks around.  I don't like hunting when it's 80 degrees with the mosquitoes in your ears!  One other good tip for early bow season is to be versatile!  Always scout to and from your stands and take advantage of new sign and be aware of food preference changes.  For example, I always keep my eye on a few persimmon trees on a farm that I hunt.  If you can catch the few days that the persimmons are ripe and falling it can be some great hunting.  The deer will abandon the acorns to feed on the new fallen persimmons.  Ok, last tip...  Always try to control your scent!   Notice I didn't say eliminate, but control!  Wear clean camouflage (washed in a special scent free, UV reducing laundry detergent), Wear rubber boots, try to reduce perspiration, and avoid contact with foreign odors (dogs, gasoline, foods, etc.).  It's also a good idea to use some type of cover scent/spray to help reduce unnatural odor.  I usually save my attractant scents for the rut when I use a doe-in-heat scent. 

Above all have fun and be careful!  Good luck to all of you!

Oct 6, 2001

Well... opening day of bow season started off windy and pretty much stayed that way.  I got into my stand overlooking several trails heading to a bedding area from some fields and oak flats.  Before daylight I heard the deer come through and that was pretty much the story that morning.  At about 1:00 PM I decided to still hunt through an area that I have scouted and found lots of beds.  Figuring the deer would be in there I gave myself 1 hour to cover the 100 yards or so.  I had just started into the area when I hear deer trotting, coming my way.  I snap my release on and watch as a big doe comes trotting by me at 8 feet!  Yes 8 feet!  I came to full draw and the next deer came almost as close and I stopped it with a bleat.  At less than 10 yards I decided to pass the shot at the young doe.  This early in the season I am looking for a buck.   I continued to still hunt through the area and got within 35 yards of 2 more bedded deer before they detected something amiss and got up and moved off, both does.  That afternoon Amy and I headed to her favorite spot.  At about 6:00 PM Amy spotted a small buck heading her way.  She got up and the deer marched right down the trail to within 15 yards.  4 more steps and she would have him!  Just then my uncle decides to cut some fire wood on the mountain about 125 yards below Amy.  The deer doesn't spook but stops right in his tracks to figure out what's going on.  He turns and proceeds to go around behind Amy to find another route down the mountain.  Amy couldn't get turned around on him and the deer eventually got downwind and busted her.  He came trotting by my stand at about 50 yards.  All in all considering the terrible wind it was a good day.  We both had deer within bow range and it's early in the season.  We are going to let that spot cool down and slip in there one evening this week.   I have a spot that I wanted to hunt opening afternoon, but the wind was wrong.  It looks like the wind is okay today (Monday) so I might get to try it this evening... - Here is Mark Taylor's report for opening day- http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story119233.html

Oct 8, 2001

I was very optimistic about my setup for this evening.  I had a favorable wind and this stand has produced well in the past.  Soon after getting in the stand I spotted a flock of 4 longbeards working toward me.  They never got there and proceeded up the ridge from me.  I finally spotted 2 does feeding in some oaks and they worked there way toward me but I passed on them.  Right before dark I had another flock of 7 longbeards come in behind me and go over the ridge to a favorite roosting spot.  No bucks this evening.  I did jump several deer on the way out and I think the moon phase has them moving right at dark.  I think as the moon phase changes the deer activity will be better.  I'll be after it again tomorrow!

Oct 9, 2001

I managed to take a nice little 6 pointer this afternoon.  As soon as I stepped up into my stand at 5:15 a deer started blowing right up the ridge from me. ARGH!  Knowing there were plenty deer in the area I just sat tight.  At about 6:15 I could hear a deer walking up the hillside to the ridge I was on.  Soon I spotted his legs coming through the woods.  I eased to my feet and turned to face the deer as he was almost behind me.  He came straight to my stand and if he had went left it would have been a little better.  Of course, as he got to my tree he went right and I had to turn around 360 degrees in the stand and by that time he was only 10 yards away.  He came down the fence line almost right under my stand.  Again, if he had gone straight down the fence it would have been better.  Instead he turns to face the fence like he's going to jump it.  I draw the bow and wait, and wait.  Finally I decide to take the shot and I hit him high in the back.  He jumps the fence and staggers up the hill.  I get another arrow from my quiver and finish him off.  I field dressed him and started the long 1/2 mile drag!  I'm holding out for the big one now!  Pictures coming as soon as I finish the roll...

It looks like the deer are starting to move a little better.  A good friend killed a 4 pointer this morning and my brother passed on a small buck.  I'm also starting to find some scrapes and a lot more rubs... My buck and my buddies were the only 2 deer checked in at our local checking station.  The moon is darkening and that's good! 

Oct 23, 2001

Well... nothing really exciting has happened since I killed the 6 pointer.  I have seen a few more deer since then but no shooter bucks and nothing really outstanding to report.  I have been seeing quite a few turkeys and am looking forward to chasing them some next week.  The deer kill in my area has been down so far this year with only a few deer checked in at our local checking station.  I have been noticing a few more rubs and scrapes so I think the bucks are getting a little more active.  Hopefully I'll have something to report soon...

Oct 30, 2001

Had an interesting couple of days...

It started Saturday morning when I saw a little buck that I passed on with the bow. This morning, opening day of gun for turkey, I was setup next to a tree on a ridge that I have seen several gobblers in the past. Right at daylight I had a nice little 8 pointer walk right up to me-10-12 yards and I was holding the shotgun! Figures... After I decided the turkeys weren't roosted there I got up to head to a small field and called a few times and got a bird to answer me with a cluck. I setup and called and here they came. It was 8 nice gobblers (looked like they were jakes this Spring- 7 or 8" beards). They came to about 60 yards on the open ridge top but wouldn't come any closer. They finally went off the side and I tried to relocate on them but they busted me (pretty hard relocating on that many gobbler eyes!) I was moving too quick as I had to work today. Anyway, never got them close enough for a shot. On the way out I could have killed one out of a flock of hens and young birds but passed. They were in another field and I snuck within 30 yards of them. Anyway, pretty exciting morning- I'll be back...

Nov 6, 2001

I chased the turkeys a few more days last week and had a few shots at young birds but I was being stubborn and holding out for a big gobbler.  I think the hunting pressure has changed their routine and I haven't seen the flock I was after lately.  With muzzleloader season and rifle season coming they will get run out of their usual spot.  The area was covered with hunters yesterday.  My brother and I tried to film a hunt one morning and we setup in a likely roosting area and sure enough they were in the trees all around us.  He got some good footage of them on the roost.  No gobblers though...

Opening day of muzzleloader season found me in one of my favorite stands and again it produced some great action.  I stayed in my stand from daylight to dark and saw 10 deer (4 bucks), and 12 turkeys.  The bucks were a 1 pointer, a  spike, and 2 sixes.  They were just not big enough to shoot.  The bucks were harassing the does pretty serious but I don't think the does are quite ready.  Look out next week and the first week of rifle.  All in all it was a great day in the stand and I saw most of my deer activity between 11 and 3!  I've got to plug my new Ol' Man Vision treestand.  It was so comfortable I didn't have any trouble staying in the tree for almost 12 hours.  I love it!

I hunted for a couple hours this AM before work from the same stand and saw 2 more bucks - a 4 pointer and a 6 pointer.  I think once the does are in estrous the big boy will show himself!  Cross your fingers...

Nov 23, 2001

Well... sorry it's been so long since an update.  I've been really busy at work and hunting so my diary updates have slipped.  Quick recap of muzzleloader is that I saw a lot of small bucks until the first Saturday when I missed a real wall-hanger (He was too far, I don't really want to talk about it! haha!).  I saw another nice buck on the last Friday of muzzleloader season.  Opening day of rifle season I hunted a couple hours before work and saw a button buck.  I didn't hunt Tuesday and Wednesday morning I saw 5 does.  I went back into the area that I saw the 5 does on Thanksgiving morning and sure enough at 7:20 she led him right by my stand.  I made the 50 yard shot and then immediately realized that the work was about to begin!  I used my brain instead of my back and got my father-in-law and Amy to bring my cousins ATV to help with the long haul.  It was a decent buck, nothing huge but definitely a shooter.  Here is a picture of the buck I took with the bow and the rifle buck- Oh, and also the Grey Fox I killed with the bow on the last Saturday of bow season...