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Back 1000 2015 Rut

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Post by hoyt Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:51 pm

Thought I'd attempt to keep a log of this yr's.  rut..if any..in S. Shawnee National Forest where I hunt behind my house.

I'm already worn out from the season..didn't hunt today..had to go to town and still hot. Anyway, I killed a couple of doe first part of season and that's been it for me.

I'm hunting with my 62" 47# Border Covert Hunter Recurve with the Hex 7 limbs and using FMJ 340's with 165grs Simmons Tree Sharks. I may change bows if the weather gets real cold and go with another recurve with larger brace height.

Last few days the bigger bucks have started to move around a little and getting quiet a few pics on my trail cams at a particular crk crossing.
This is the best one so far, (I've been seeing this yrs little bucks and little yrling 4's, etc. for a while and now seeing the older ones, but haven't seen a really big buck yet..picture or live since about Sept.) but I've got pics of 3 or 4 more on the ridge he's coming off of earlier in the yr. a lot better than him..if they're still around.
Back 1000 2015 Rut Redheadb_zpsvig3rt9q

I hunted this crossing about 3 times and saw one buck..grunted him down to about 18yds and couldn't draw on him because he was up the ridge looking right down at me. This is him.
Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0694_zpsysaf3gew

This one also crossed there Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0705_zpsw7cibk6d haven't seen him..or another 3 or 4 that crossed there I've got pic of recently.
I'm pulling out of there..to much scent..and going about another half mile back in the ridges in the morning if not raining and hunt a loc on I got in a good cruising spot on narrow thick ridge.

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Post by hoyt Thu Nov 05, 2015 11:06 pm

Can't really make up my mind where to hunt in the morning. I've got a XOP Loc On hung I haven't been in it since last season and two seasons ago saw 3 bucks in that spot within 15 to 1 step of my tree. Two were pushing B&C and the other an easy 10pt..probably 3yr old, short points. Didn't get a shot at any of them.

But, acorns are crazy this yr. haven't seen the first white oak and every squirrel and it's cousin has been burying what's left of the reds and everything else falling, to where you can't hardly find and acorn of any kind now. That yr. white oak were really good close to this ridge and does were using the area.

I do have a Lone Wolf Hand Climber a couple hundred yds from there along with a Muddy Loc On on the ground. The LW is about 70yds from where I had a nice mature buck come through early this Oct. and couldn't get him to stop in the one opening.

Will decide on the walk in tomorrow..it's all the same direction for a long while.

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Post by hoyt Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:32 pm

All I saw this morning was a few squirrels and this hawk. I was going to get in a tree about 4 foot from him when I looked over and saw it.

Didn't seem like it wanted any company and I didn't want to tangle with them sharp claws and beak. He acted like he was right on the verge of going nuts. So I moved down a little ways found a fresh rub and climbed a tree.

Jumped one going out..couldn't tell what it was..no big rack or I'd have noticed it.

Saw one small buck this afternoon about half way as far back in as I was this morning. I was on some scrapes made two days ago and the little buck came out at 5:15 old time about 50 yds up the ridge and moved on along fairly quick.

Still debating where to hunt in the morning.
Back 1000 2015 Rut Hawk_zpsdqcj2i5h

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Post by madeforthewoods Sat Nov 07, 2015 1:33 pm

Dang man you have some nice bucks in your area!
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Post by hoyt Mon Nov 09, 2015 11:24 pm

madeforthewoods wrote:Dang man you have some nice bucks in your area!

I get quiet a few pictures of decent bucks..but only one time. There's only about 2 or 3 I've ever gotten more than one picture of.

I don't think there's enough does in this area any more to keep them around. They don't seem to have their own territory like bucks I've hunted in other places. They'll make a few scrapes and very few rubs anymore and just move on through.

This National Forest goes for over 60 miles to the Mississippi along with all the other woods connecting to it they got a lot of room to roam.

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Post by hoyt Mon Nov 09, 2015 11:48 pm

I didn't hunt Sat. or Sun. watch football and rested up some. Went to day about 1:00pm and checked a couple of cams to see if any bucks had come back and worked the scrapes.

Several had been to one scrape where I killed one of my does early this season. This is the best one and may be the one in picture below from earlier in yr.
Back 1000 2015 Rut WGI_0008j_zpswdmrvoto
Back 1000 2015 Rut Dogstand2jpg_zpsb2m5ykhh

Same scrape, just had my cam in different spot. Anyway, I didn't hunt this spot this afternoon wind was wrong. I went back to the next creek over and found a steaming hot scrape and few fresh rubs so hunted it.

4:15pm old time I see a deer coming up from way down towards bottom of creek...it's a small doe..yrling and headed straight up for me. There's another one same size following it. Momma not around..either dead or with buck. I didn't shoot. They were right under me two steps from my tree and just decided I"d killed two yrling does already this yr and didn't want to fool with them with all the buck sign in that spot. Maybe in the morning if they come by I will shoot. I'm already out of deer meat so I don't think anything else is going to get a pass.

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Post by hoyt Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:13 pm

I went back to the same area this morning and got up a little before daylight a few trees over. I'm pretty sure I saw one moving down through the bottom about 10:15am old time.

That was it besides plenty of squirrels on the ground. It was a good morning and I'm sure they were moving..just not where I was.

I really wanted to hunt this afternoon, but just didn't have the energy. First yr. my age and health have put a crimp in how and where I hunt. These ridges really take it out of me. Back 1000 2015 Rut Ridges_zps037d6bc8 I've been hunting little over half mile in for the last few hunts.. which is close compared to where I usually do..over a mile and I still can't make it back in twice a day half the time.

Haven't seen any sign of rut other than maybe two yrlings by themselves yesterday. The 13th three yrs ago I saw the best cruising I've seen around here so maybe things will pick up. Supposed to be about 30 that day.

Will hunt farther back in the morning around some fresh scrapes and rubs I found first of last wk.

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Post by hoyt Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:44 am

Didn't make it early in the morning yesterday 11th, had to run to town and do some things. I guess the rut is on here since I did see about an 8 or 10pt standing in a turnoff into a cut soybean field at about 11:00am. I turned around and went back so my dog could see him and he just stood there with a goofy look on his face for a long time and then walked into the high grass.

I went into the woods where I'd planned on hunting the early morning. A rub and scrape line in a thick greenbriar and black locust thicket that lot of deer bed in and move through as it runs between white oak ridges for about a mile long and quarter mile wide. It's always good cover in there due to most of it evergreen. They like to walk in it back and forth to the big agriculture fields..one on the Northern end where I live and the NW side is nothing but agriculture for as far as I hunt. The southeast side is pasture and more Shawnee Ridges. So the deer are either coming or going to one of these fields unless there's good acorns on the ground. Then they'll hit them on the way coming and going to and from the fields.

Found some more fresh rubs and scrapes going back in to it and checked a cam I had on a trail I cut through a thicket several yrs ago. This buck and two more dinks I've got pics of are  using it now and all have rubbed and scraped in it. This is one of a few does and yrlings going through in there. Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0011w_zpsrtjoxnmy Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0015_zpsvokrpozt

I haven't hunted it really..not right due to they come off a big cornfield behind my house and know when I leave before daylight..see my light in the morning and me after daylight and I push them out ahead of me. Other words they go through that trail before I would get there...(it thick up on the top of the ridge where they're headed..black locust and greenbriar and they bed in there) unless I walked a very long way and looped around coming in from the back.

I got this one's pic there on the other side of the crossing eating red oaks but haven't seen him. I think these two may be the same.Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0083_zpsbl5aarqh
Back 1000 2015 Rut Hot1%20344_zpswnzjzlfi
But this is the one I'd like to see..never have in person..nor gotten any pics this yr.. Back 1000 2015 Rut WGI_0342_zpsjdnlmbxo

Had 3 different little short spikes come by me yesterday afernoon..none close enough for a shot. Will hunt this after noon if wind dies down a little..about 17mph now. I got dressed way before daylight and walked out the door, turned to go behind the house and into the woods and wind almost knocked me down. Decided to wash some long johns and let the wind and sun dry them quick instead of hunting this morning.

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Post by hoyt Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:56 pm

I got dressed and headed out the door this morning..soon as I turned the corner of the house the wind hit me and I came back in and cooked breakfast for me and my dog Jake.

About 1:00pm went to the same place I'd planned in the morning. I had seen the biggest rub so far this yr and fresh along with a lot of buck sign, scrapes, smaller rubs and deer muzzling the leaves for acorns.

I'd seen deer at this spot early in the season while hunting lower down the ridge and they just about always work this bench and feed around some big red oaks when they are coming back from the fields heading into the thick stuff to bed.

This is really close to it less the snow and behind me it's thick greenbriar and black locust thicket where they bed a lot. Back 1000 2015 Rut CedarHunt2

2:30 or so I turn my head to my left and there's a nice little 4pt or so staring at me from about 10 steps downwind. He saw me turn my head and jumped back about two steps and stared at me for 5 minutes or so. I had my recurve across my knees and was comfortable so just squinched my eyes and waited to see what he would do.

He really wanted to come back towards me and go farther down in front of me so he could see over the bench better and see if any does might be down there.

He made about a step and a half back to where he was and froze some more then just started down to where he wanted to go and finally walked across in front of me down in that directions a ways. Stopped stared a while and walked back into the thick stuff. I would have shot if I could have but never had a good opening when he was walking down across in front of me.

Saw a bunch of gobblers late also.

Will go to the back side..bout as far as I go..in the morning I know there's more deer and does back there so maybe he bigger bucks may be moving. Looks like a good wind for the ridge I used to see some really good bucks on. I've got a loc on hung or may take my LW Handclimber and hunt a thick trail with scrapes in it. Missed a really high Pope and Young there a couple yrs ago.


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Post by hoyt Tue Nov 17, 2015 9:40 am

Last time I hunted was Fri. 13th. Went all the way back as far as I could go to a little strip of private property lease on the backside. It's all agriculture fields over there and more deer. I push a lot of them back that way with me coming in from the other side all the time and hunting..pressure.

Hunted a spot I hunted about 3wks ago and had three little yrling bucks feed under me for about an hr., but saw nothing this morning but squirrels.

I did a lot of walking when I got down checking old spots I'd killed or seen deer and found little to no buck sign or deer sign of any kind.

Decided not to make the long walk back in there for a while.

Found two decent rubs about halfway back out and will hunt that area next. Best rubs I seen this yr. about this size. Back 1000 2015 Rut P1030001_zpssasqwy6s

It's been raining since yesterday and suppose to at least ease up for this afternoon and if does I will go in and hunt a close ridge where I killed a doe during early season and have a bunch of pics of bucks. It's good for the South wind.

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Post by hoyt Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:13 am

Hunted about 4 hrs in strong winds and finally gave it up. Had two flocks of turkeys come under me but couldn't shoot the wind was blowing too hard and I couldn't stand up and draw for fear of falling.
Wouldn't have been able to hold on them anyway.

Rain just stopped this morning..about 7:00am but the wind is worse than yesterday 17th. If it will lay a little I'll go hunt the thick Black Locust ridge above where I found some good buck sign. They like to move through that area to check doe trails.

I'm getting lots of pictures now, all at night of small bucks and does and no big bucks at all. Gun season comes in Fri.

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Post by hoyt Sat Nov 21, 2015 10:13 am

Wind let up enough that I finally got back in a tree last thru. Found a scrape and decent trail and hunted over it. Didn't see anything.

Gun season came in the next day yesterday..and I went for the morning with my flintlock..won't go into any details on this forum other than I had put a trail cam out about a wk ago and went by it yesterday morning and picked it up coming out about noon.

It was on a fairly open side ridge where I have killed a decent buck with recurve this one.. Back 1000 2015 Rut Acc2-1 but very seldom hunt the area anymore. I'd been hunting up top in the ticker Black Locust thicket in the pictures of chasing.

Anyway bucks have been chasing does right here in front of this camera all wk and I didn't know it till yesterday when I pulled the card. Weren't any real big bucks mostly 4's, spikes, but a couple decent one's if they're not the same buck.
Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG00132_zps7wgqbaif
Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0036y_zpskdlmkk5a
Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG0060_zpsk9brdiw0
Back 1000 2015 Rut IMAG00101_zpsemddj94d

I'll try and get back in the woods Monday..if I can carry enough clothes..bout 20 degrees I think.

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Post by hoyt Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:54 am

Hunted Mon. afternoon from the ground where I was getting all the rutting pics. I wanted to try a Hammock Seat that I removed the material from and replaced with an old Jungle Hammock I've had forever. It's made out of fairly thin nylon cord and works perfect as long as you don't have bottons on you back pockets..they catch on the cord.

Anyway had two small buck come across out of range...little spikes or 4's. they were up by the thicker stuff.


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Post by hoyt Wed Nov 25, 2015 9:25 am

Hunted Tues. afternoon farther back. I'd left my LW Handclimber about 150yds from a spot I wanted to hunt in the thick black locust when I came out the first morn, of gun season, only hunt I did...locked it to a tree to pick up when I went back in. After I locked it up I went on down the ridge and pulled the cam with all the rutting on it so hunted that spot from the ground mon. instead of the thick scape I"d left the LW Handclimber.

When I finally got to the Handclimber yesterday..had to do a long loop due to South wind  I was sweating so I stopped and took my shirt off and was airing out when a doe came trotting through the black locust ridge at about 40yds. My bow was laying on the ground and I just watched..then a little spike came chasing behind here.

They came out of the trail I was going to go in on and the one the scarpe is on I was going to hunt.

My first thought was to find a tree right where they came through at and hunt..but no trees without long locust thorns so I just waited a while to see if another buck would come through then went on into the thick that had the scapre and lots of cross trails. Some deer would go straight and some take a 90 coming in direction of the doe and buck I just see. I wanted to up my odds by hunting at the scape

There is only on tree in the area I can hang a stand..all the others are covered in 2" at least black locus thorns..and it's about 10' from a scape the deer use pretty muck every yr. and has good trails going several ways around it.
This is a pic from last yr I think of the scrape, the tree I can climb is about 10' in the direction he's looking. Back 1000 2015 Rut Next_zps7fbd376a

Soon as I got close I jumped a big buck from 10 or 15' from the scrape. He busted out broadside and had a full grown body with good mass on left side..couldn't see any points. I'm thinking he was a big 4pt with wide heavy rack. I decided to hunt the spot anyway with the hot doe coming out of there and lots of fresh buck sign, I figured another buck might be along. Didn't see anything else.

Pulled cam I had stuck back up where all the rutting was going on and had a grown 4pt walk in front of it while I hunted higher up.

Will go back in there this afternoon either farther or hunt around the cam again and see if another one will come through.

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Post by hoyt Sat Nov 28, 2015 12:59 pm

When back in that afternoon and didn't see anything but a lot of squirrels right at dark. Hunted where they had been crossing in front of the cam.

Haven't been hunting since..rain..supposed to stop tonight. If so I'll go tomorrow where I found quite a bit of buck sign before gun season and usually see deer at this spot.

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Post by Waiting4Fall Sat Nov 28, 2015 11:09 pm

Great journaling, I really enjoy reading it! The pics are great too!
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