Looks like a lot of hunting going on......

[Darkhorse]

Many deer already on the ground.....good times. Just reading about it is keeping me chomping at the bit.
I'm also a little jealous as I haven't had a chance to go yet. I've been kept busy doing clean up and stuff from the hurricane. I've got one more major log jam to cut up and all the roads will be open again. I started it yesterday afternoon and it's a bad one, an oak fell and the top fell on 5 or 6 smaller trees and bent the tops to the ground. Everyone is bent like a bow. On top of that the whole mess is covered with vines that must be cut free and dragged away just to get to the tree.
This is a situation that can get you hurt bad if you let your guard down and fail to plan ahead.
But starting this week I'm finally getting started myself and just can't wait. Got the old .54 sighted in and my plunder in the shooting bag. Just waiting on me.

 

[Rabun]

Hope you get out there soon and bag a big one!

 

[leoparddog]

Stay safe Darkhorse and good luck to you this season!

 

[Darkhorse]

I finally got to go this morning Nov. 11th. Never, never since I got a drivers licence have I missed so many days in the early season.
But, I saw 6 does and a 3 point. I really wanted to pop one of those doe's as they strolled through the funnel I'm hunting. But I'm hunting for something a little better right now, maybe after the rut I'll shoot a doe for meat.
Got a big footed buck scraping all over, I spent some time this morning trying to figure this one out. I know where he beds, I know the direction he comes from to work that ridge top and I think I know where to take a ground stand. And I got a camera out too. Now all I need are a few day's without rain.

 

[Rabun]

Good luck with that buck...hope you get him!

 

[trad bow]

Looks like the rain will be with us all week. Hope you get the buck or one of those tasty does.
Jeff

 

[Darkhorse]

I'll try for a doe after the rut, right now they are bait. I went yesterday afternoon and built a ground blind in the rain, then hunted it in the rain. Saw 2 mature does and a big bobcat. Went back this morning and hunted in the rain, saw one doe.
When I left yesterday I pulled the camera from another scrape. It had been out 24 hours and had 5 deer visit. 3 does a button and one with hard antlered knobs. 3 of those were in the daylight. Seems like the does are getting interested. Maybe chasing will start in a few days.

 

[Darkhorse]

We had a bumper crop of acorns this year and I've never seen as many deer as I did this season. Trouble was they were all does and young bucks and that's not what I was hunting. I was looking for at least, a decent buck.
When I'm trophy hunting I approach it with a lot of self discipline, good for getting a good buck, bad for just getting venison. And with all the deer I was seeing a good buck is sure to follow a doe and give me a good shot. Didn't happen. I did see a few good bucks during the rut but none gave me any kind of a shot. Couple that with only hunting about half as many days as usual and "no deer".
So in December I decided I needed to shoot a doe for meat. The acorns were gone and so were the deer.
But I'll get to hunt most of next week. My last chance till fall. I've killed a lot of deer in late December and January in the past. Maybe I'll get lucky.

 

[Harold Hunter]

GOOD LUCK!