Bow Season Progess?

Just got in the stand the field is basically an island surrounded by water. I may be SOL today unless the deer fell like swimming to the food plot. Who knows
 
Put truck in park, opened door and saw buck in front yard of the farm yard Im hunting, 0600 and next to the road. He crossed the sreet, it was amazing saw the tracks in the tilled soil in the moon beams, must of been following his doe's. hope to get out at sun set to see them going back accross the field.
 
Got my first shot off at a deer today! It was a spike, but it was 15 yards away and presented a perfect broadside shot. I lined up my sights for what should have been a double lung shot. Hit the trigger on the release and the damned thing jumped the string!!!! After it jumped and stared at me for a bit it started to trot away. It got about 60 yards out and hung around for a bit, but never came any closer.
 
Got my first shot off at a deer today! It was a spike, but it was 15 yards away and presented a perfect broadside shot. I lined up my sights for what should have been a double lung shot. Hit the trigger on the release and the damned thing jumped the string!!!! After it jumped and stared at me for a bit it started to trot away. It got about 60 yards out and hung around for a bit, but never came any closer.

It is amazing how fast they react sometimes.

Bob
 
Had a button buck walking all around me at 4 oclock today. He was 5 yards from me. He hung around for about a good 20 min. I took a video on my phone if I can figure how to upload it.
 
Seen a nice mature buck chasing a doe that had a fawn with her.
Was about to draw on her, then she bolted and left the fawn behind.
20yards deeper was a goon of a buck on her tail. He never offered a shot and went looking for her. About 10min later, I hear her clicking to the fawn. She pops her head up, and the fawn walks into the thick to her.

What a rush, I need a bow mounted camera. This was unreal to see live!!
 
Learned a valuable lesson yesterday, my time in the ranger battalions in the 80s to 90s should of prepared me for this. When you establish a patrol base or hide always sweep the area you are setting up in, a basic principle of patroling. Well I cleared out the underbrush yesterday to make a silent path in , located on a deer superhighway next to a farm yard rest stop. Last night went to the hide walked in and took a knee for a half hour. I noticed my friend in his blind with a camp chair and I swear he was testing, so I moved a rock for me to sit on waiting for the deer to feed. Well as soon as I moved the rock the; gaggle, pride, swarm, pod, colony, sleuth, swam, flock, clutter, coalition, murder, warren, litter, drove, gang, cast, band , pack, smack ( my favorite refers to jelly fish) herd of deer jumped up from there bed down 10 feet behind me and ran off.
 
Had a great experience yesterday. Managed to call in with a doe can a very large doe and a fawn. They veered off twice and the can brout the big doe into range. But, as luck would have it, the hurricane must hav bent a small branch into my shooting lane and the deflection slowed the arrow as well and it barely stuk in her shoulder, falling out 50 yds later. Tracked last night and went back today but I think she survived as there was no blood except one tiny drop on a leaf. 100 yds out. Tracked 3 possible trails another 400 yds and nothing. Kind of upset that I didn't get a quick kill and she may be wounded. That's hunting. However, it was the first time a doe can worked for me. still need to fill that antler less tag and check my shooting lanes again. That hurricane really changed things up andi think the deer are not as spooked buy environmental changes as a result.
 
4 pointer I shot last night was pestering the crap out of a small doe before he came in on a string to a grunt call.
 
I have found the pre rut very active. I have seen deer at all times of the day. Shot an 8 pointer Saturday while he was chasing a spike horn, hit him at about 15 yards. dressed out at 160 pounds.
 
I have still yet to see any deer. Went out Saturday, got in the woods around 8am stayed out till 12:30. Saw fresh deer droppings but still no deer!
 
I’ve thanked her for dinner.

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I have still yet to see any deer. Went out Saturday, got in the woods around 8am stayed out till 12:30. Saw fresh deer droppings but still no deer!

8am is generally speaking too late. Sunrise is around 7:20. Deer start moving for breakfast about an hour prior to sunrise and most bed about an hour post sunrise. Legal shooting time is ½ prior to sunrise and you want to be in your ambush at least ½ hour prior to that to let things settle. So 6:20 at the latest. Most morning opportunity would be around 7:30 to 8:15. If your area has low hunting pressure and deer must travel far for their morning food source, you might see them even at 9 or thereabout, but the odds are lower. I am not saying you cannot successfully harvest a deer walking in at 8 and leaving at 12:30, but your odds are very low.
 
8am is generally speaking too late. Sunrise is around 7:20. Deer start moving for breakfast about an hour prior to sunrise and most bed about an hour post sunrise. Legal shooting time is ½ prior to sunrise and you want to be in your ambush at least ½ hour prior to that to let things settle. So 6:20 at the latest. Most morning opportunity would be around 7:30 to 8:15. If your area has low hunting pressure and deer must travel far for their morning food source, you might see them even at 9 or thereabout, but the odds are lower. I am not saying you cannot successfully harvest a deer walking in at 8 and leaving at 12:30, but your odds are very low.

I think this is conventional wisdom, but I read a post last year that once the deer get used to hunters being in the woods early and late, they will move around mid-day. I tested this theory this year and have seen deer everytime I have been in the woods mid-day. Yet to take one (see my earlier post) but I am going to try this strategy as last year I did as conventional wisdom says and saw one deer the entire season.
 
Had a 7 pointer chasing a huge doe tonight. He finally came back alone had him at 10 yards took my shot and my jacket got caught in my string. Tons of deer today and yesterday all about 4 or 5 oclock had about 300 pics on my camera in 2 days. Ive yet to have pics of deer after 9 or before 3.
 
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I think this is conventional wisdom, but I read a post last year that once the deer get used to hunters being in the woods early and late, they will move around mid-day. I tested this theory this year and have seen deer everytime I have been in the woods mid-day. Yet to take one (see my earlier post) but I am going to try this strategy as last year I did as conventional wisdom says and saw one deer the entire season.

Yes, the conventional wisdom addresses a general situation. What you are describing is often referred to as the “midday stroll”. It normally takes place between 10:30 and 12:30. However, midday stroll is often takes place near bedding area in a very thick brush. So chances of seeing the deer are low, unless you know where they’ve bedded.

Lets say you want to see a school bus driving down the road. When would be your best chance? Conventional wisdom would say Sunday at 8pm is highly unlikely. But I saw one yesterday at roughly 8pm and it was full of kids too. IMHO, hunting is the odds game, not guarantee. That is why I go in the woods around 6am and leave around 6pm. Yet I do expect to see much after 9 or before 4.
 
8am is generally speaking too late. Sunrise is around 7:20. Deer start moving for breakfast about an hour prior to sunrise and most bed about an hour post sunrise. Legal shooting time is ½ prior to sunrise and you want to be in your ambush at least ½ hour prior to that to let things settle. So 6:20 at the latest. Most morning opportunity would be around 7:30 to 8:15. If your area has low hunting pressure and deer must travel far for their morning food source, you might see them even at 9 or thereabout, but the odds are lower. I am not saying you cannot successfully harvest a deer walking in at 8 and leaving at 12:30, but your odds are very low.

im in the tree 530-6 am
 
Yes, the conventional wisdom addresses a general situation. What you are describing is often referred to as the “midday stroll”. It normally takes place between 10:30 and 12:30. However, midday stroll is often takes place near bedding area in a very thick brush. So chances of seeing the deer are low, unless you know where they’ve bedded.

Lets say you want to see a school bus driving down the road. When would be your best chance? Conventional wisdom would say Sunday at 8pm is highly unlikely. But I saw one yesterday at roughly 8pm and it was full of kids too. IMHO, hunting is the odds game, not guarantee. That is why I go in the woods around 6am and leave around 6pm. Yet I do expect to see much after 9 or before 4.

You make great points and now that I think about it, my stand locations are within 100 yds of the bedding areas but not in them and I don't walk through them to get to my stands. So lesson is, hunt near the bedding areas, but don't get close enough to jump them going in.
 
Not to drag you guys down but the string/jacket, arrow/branch crap shouldn't be an issue. Doesn't anybody practice shooting with their full complement of clothing on any more? 3D shoots are where you figure this sh!t out. Don't post rookie mistakes aand take credit for it, say a friend did it. [hmmm]

And if there is any doubt you can make a solid boiler room hit, pass on the shot. Letting wounded deer suffer is a sin.

Flame on. Sorry to troll the thread.
-tapatalk and Devin McCourty blow chunks-
 
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