Webster / Sumter Counties 2014

[Curtis]

How are things with you Webster and Sumter county hunters? The last couple of weeks have had some nice deer on cameras and even a few seen in the woods! Food plots will be planted late this year for us as there is plenty of browse in the woods and lots of peanuts in the fields at the moment. Saw quite a few folks hauling corn, four wheelers, and stands this weekend. The season is upon us. Good luck.

 

[Pessell Creek]

We're Planting our food plots this weekend. The bucks just rubbed out last week on our farm. Tons of acorns are on the ground. The bachelor groups are breaking up. Should be a good season, we'll see how it plays out. Good luck to you!

 

[jam]

Paradise

Lots of small bucks the last month or so on camera, no big boys as of now. Camera indicate a good crop of young ones. Rain has been good as of late with the Alfafa/Chicory and clovers planted the first weekend of Sept. due to the amount of moisture I had. Followed the following weekend with the grains and peas even though I was worried about being to early, the moisture and predicted rain was to good to pass up. The established Alfafa/Chicory plots was fertilized the first weekend of Sept. and really took a change in one week with the rain. Old man was at paradise this last weekend and he reported all the plots were up and looking great, he bow hunted one plot and the does were bountiful mowing down on a established Alfafa/Chicory plot. Just waiting on the magical date!

 

[jam]

Did we get any rain Sunday and Monday out of this front? Did not look like we got any.

 

[Curtis]

Didn't get any to speak of on Sunday. Don't know about Monday, if so it wasn't much from what I can tell.

 

[Turk]

Forecast was for 100% Monday, 3/4" -1" expected. Overcast all day, but no rain!

 

[jam]

Thanks for the update, that was what I was afraid of!

 

[Curtis]

Any plans for muzzleloader weekend? This cooler weather is heading out. Looks to be a hot, sunny weekend. Good luck.

 

[Jim Ammons]

I am ready, willing and waiting. Down there this past weekend and saw some movement. Food plots looking great.

 

[jam]

Small bucks and a few does, nothing we were looking for! Rain has food patches looking great. The crew saw some scrapes beginning to appear in high traffic areas with a few rubs here and there. White oaks just beginning to drop in the swamp. Hogs are taking over, need to figure a way to get rid of them jokers. Anywhere around the creek they can be heard in the early morning hours, got to be more than one group of them according to our cameras.

 

[Curtis]

Only a couple of us have been out, the rest are waiting for the wonderful days of November! We too are seeing does, some young bucks, small scrapes and rubs. Plenty of acorns and the food plots are doing well.

 

[jam]

Hunted the weekend with one of my boys, dad, and a close friend at paradise. Not as much day time activity as the weekend before. Only a few small bucks seen along with some does. I did manage to take a yote out of the gene pool late Saturday afternoon slipping along the creek bank, got to consider that a success in itself. Cameras indicate things are busy between the hours of 9 pm and 5 am, got to hope this will change soon so we can get our eyes on some of the bigger boys. Scrape activity is fair but picking up. Be back middle of the week to begin my month long stay with the old man. We will be getting after the big boys then!

 

[Curtis]

We had same experience as jam. Two does were taken, but not much seen. Even small bucks were scarce. Things should really pick up in two weeks.

 

[jam]

Windy here at paradise, almost not worth not getting out of the warm house. Old man took care of business this morning. He took a sow and 3 pigs out of the gene pool. Four less than we had eating our food supply! I had a black object come thru on me on creek before good shooting light and camera indicated it was a lone boar, wish he would have been 15 minutes later. The only thing as far as deer were some does and small bucks. All my cameras are still showing rut is not close, as many as 3 bucks still traveling together. Stick with a few days before and after Nov. 18th.

 

[jam]

Update

Things have been pretty slow at paradise. First of the week does and small bucks were on the prowl, as many as 6 does together, one morning old man had 12 does and 1 small buck move by him in a matter of a few minutes. Does are definitely still grouped together. The big bucks are still being captured on trail cameras at night with no sign of the rut approaching. This full moon has not helped matters. I still am looking for the rut to start around the 18th. We were able to remove 3 more hogs and my middle sons female guest bagged her first deer which was a small buck, glad she was successful because its always great to be apart of someone bagging their first deer.

 

[Curtis]

Slow, slow, slow. A couple of does taken over the last two weeks. No bucks seen in daylight hours. Like JAM, we expect this next week to pick up. Last year it was like someone flipped a switch on the 17th and all heck broke lose after that. Good luck and let's see some photos soon of the big boys.

 

[Curtis]

What in the wide world of sports is happening in Webster and Sumter? We are seeing very little. I took one doe on Sunday morning. other than that, bunch of guys hunting last 5 days have only seen a couple of deer, no cruising, running, grunting or other rut activity. Maybe when it breaks lose it is going to be a big rut but so far season is just looking like a bit of a let down. Fingers crossed that it picks up. Hope others are seeing more or doing better. Not many shots heard and other near us reporting the same "flat" year.

 

[Jim Ammons]

Patience!! It's coming-just a few more days.

 

[Pessell Creek]

We have seen it picking up strong in south Sumter/ Lee area this past week. On the average we're seeing 5-10 deer per sitting up to 23 on a large BFO plot. We harvested a few cull bucks and saw some studs starting to show the ladies attention. Almost every deer was eating in the larger food plots and paying corn little attention. Its my first full year owning this farm, and its no wonder people complain about not seeing many deer in Sumter county. Off in the distance, it sounds like a dove shoot every time I sit in a stand. Its really sad to see some of the deer taken to the processors with the potential that's out there.

 

[Curtis]

From what I am hearing from the boys who are out there this week things are picking up. More activity, daylight sightings of bucks, one shooter buck taken on Tuesday. More deer being seen in open fields. Buck are in the woods and largely on the move - not hanging around. Quick decisions on whether to shoot or not.
Good luck.