Heading to the dear stand!

[RavenDog]

Just heading out to the dear stand opening morning. Temp 53, Wind 1 MPH SE.  Where you at whats it like?  Did you see anything on this wonderful opener!

[Grute Man]

I wish you luck.  Let us know how you did.  My oldest son is out right now.  Its misty here so I wonder if he's dry?  He's in Marine on St Croix.

[Randy Kaar]

we decided not to go today, maybe next weekend and make a
long weekend out of it.

randy

[BIG 6 BUCK]

light rain and overcast sky............ good morning to hunt.  I passed on a doe and fawn around 7,
the fawn was very small and full of spots yet!!!!!!!!!!   ( I live by Glencoe,  75 miles west of the metro)

[RavenDog]

Felt good to get back in the old deer stand.  Passed on a nice doe at about 21yards, at around 7.  Started to mist around 8:30 so headed out and chased a doe with a fawn.  Nice and cool this morning.  I live in St. Cloud. Keep in touch!

[Cody Gruchow]

it was a nice morning. it started to rain at about 5am on my way to the stand, but it lightened up. had a 9 pointer sneak up on my from the left at 7:30am heavy rack and tall, was going to shoot him, but i decided to to late busted me when i picked up the bow, had my knee resting against the rail and let me tell you trying to stay still that way dont work. had a stare down with him for about 2 minutes (buck fever kicked in also) he looked away tryed to put my release on the loop but couldnt cause i was shaking to bad anyways he walked off. then about half hour later had a 7 point come in that has to be culled out of the herd this year, i just wasnt willing to do it this early, ill let the shotgunners take care of him. anybody tag anything this morning?

[Grute Man]

had a stare down with him for about 2 minutes

I try to close my eyes as far as I can but still see them so they don't get a good look at a pair of eyes staring at them.  I just think there are some things that animals know by instict and a pair of eyes staring at them is "trouble" in their book.  I don't "know" if this works or not but any edge I can get -- I take.

Glad you guys (Ravendog and Big 6 Buck) had some action.  It's a long season to go.

[Cody Gruchow]

i was trying to concentrate on not moving my foot that was dangling down from the shooting rest lol. he just knew something wasnt right. i was about 20 feet up the tree to. he literally came out of no were

[GirlGuide]

(buck fever kicked in also) he looked away tryed to put my release on the loop but couldnt cause i was shaking to bad

So how did you do the rest of the weekend THUMPER? 

~gg

[Stensethfan]

Had three walk right under my stand 10 minutes after i settled in for the AM hunt.  Too dark to tell what they were, but I would assume with the amount of does and fawns up there that it was mom and two kids hurrying back to bed down in the swamp.  In the afternoon spent 4 hours getting soaked with rain until a doe and fawn came out from the swamp to feed in front of me for 20 long minutes.  I stood at the ready trying to get a shot at the doe, but was interupted by a gray squirel who climbed into my tree on a branch that was at my heads height.  I tried moving as much as I could to get him to notice me and to not spook the two deer that were 15 yards from me.  The squirel saw me, got nervous and for some reason ran right at my head.  I damn near fell out of the stand as he bounded onto my bow hook and jumped 20 feet to the ground and ran away.  Amazingly the deer didn't catch my movement, but later blew out of there when a distant doe started blowing.  The leaves were a love hate relationship today as they caused me to not get a shot, but also concealed my movements from the squirel that dang nearly bumped me from my stand.  Did not get up this morning to make the hour drive to the woods.  I will be leaving shortly to get in the tree.  Good luck everyone!

[Grute Man]

         Thumper!!          Attacking squirles!!          You guys are killin me here!!         

So tell us Cody, how'd you do?  (thumper    )

[GirlGuide]

OMG...Stensethfan, your story was hillarious!!  I hope you come home with another good one tonight!!    If you do, please feel free to share it with us again...were here for ya!   

~gg

[Cody Gruchow]

seen a few smaller bucks this morning, and a few does with fawns, other than that no shooters to mention. be back out tommorow morning

[GirlGuide]

seen a few smaller bucks this morning, and a few does with fawns, other than that no shooters to mention. be back out tommorow morning

....did you see your friends, Flower and Bambi? 
Just Kidding around, Good luck tomorrow morning Thumper!! 

~gg

...and I couldn't help myself!

[Stensethfan]

Decided against the afternoon hunt due to the increase in the amount of rain clouds as the afternoon crept on.  Two rainy cold afternoons in a row was not looking like much fun to me, and we are still early in the game here. Maybe I will be able to entertain with another good story Tuesday if I can make it out, as long as it does not include gray rodents.  Also, anyone know how to silence a .22 pistol so I can possible protect myself from squirels that get too close.  All I can think about today is how close I was to having a squirel jump on my face. 

[GirlGuide]

Decided against the afternoon hunt due to the increase in the amount of rain clouds as the afternoon crept on.  Two rainy cold afternoons in a row was not looking like much fun to me, and we are still early in the game here. Maybe I will be able to entertain with another good story Tuesday if I can make it out, as long as it does not include gray rodents.  Also, anyone know how to silence a .22 pistol so I can possible protect myself from squirels that get too close.  All I can think about today is how close I was to having a squirel jump on my face. 

I'm still laughing at your story Stensethfan..    It reminded me of something that happened to one of my brothers a few years ago.  He had fell asleep in his deer stand and he woke up to a chipmunk sitting on his lap muching away on his sandwich!    I love hearing stories like these, I think they are absolutely hysterical....when they happen to OTHER people of course!   
Good luck to you on Tuesday! 

~gg

[letgofishing]

Cool,  I went stand tree and rain on n off all day... I saw 21 wild turkey about 25 yards away from my stand tree... saw 2 nice doe 30 yards from me. i let nice 2 doe go,, I'm wait Monster BUCK,, as saw 4 big buck last yr,,, i knew it still out there in the corn field till farmer tractor cut corn out the Monster buck will come out to woods... that's why i killed nice buck last Oct. 30th RUT time while farmer tractor cut corn to push Monster buck off the corn field...

want to tell you GOOD LUCK Archery Bow Deer 2008!!!

[deadeye]

Finally finished siding the house on Friday night so my son and I decided to go hunting Saturday morning.  Because I had not sorted out my hunting stuff from last December, I just threw in everything I owned related to bow hunting.  We got the land about noon, rain commenced soon after.  While the rain came down, we spent the next 4 hours under the trailer awning sorting through our hunting stuff, setting up new broad heads etc.  We saw a couple deer pass by at about a hundred yards so that was exciting.  Rain finally stopped around 4:30.  We tested and sighted in the equipment and finally headed out around 6 pm.  It was one of those strange evening where every thing was so quiet, you were sure any deer within a hundred yards could hear your breathing.  No deer sighted by either of us.  Sunday moring I sat at the edge of a woods overlooking a large field and several ponds.  Nature provided a great show as approximatly 100 sandhill crains in groups of 4-6 made their way out of the swamp heading to a feeding spot.  Some flocks flew so close you could hear the air rushing through their wings.  This show lasted for over and hour.  Definately worth the price of admission.   

[ViperDXT]

Rain all day saturday...nothing came by.  Dang...you wouldn't believe how quickly the nuts and bolts on some of the equipment get rusty right in front of you.  Cheap...manufatures should include rust free products   

Sunday...just when I started to see two deer coming my way at 50 yard...it got spook and ran off.  I thought they must scent me...but it turns out to be a coyote that scared them off.  I was gonna put an arrow through him....to help out the farmer,  but he walked too fast.

0-venison.

[Cody Gruchow]

made it out this morning, was kind of dragging  after i got up, but once i got to my job i quickly fed all 26 dogs, all happy to see me and slobering and licking me all over my hunting clothes . got to the woods and soaked myself head to toe in scent killer, finally made it to the stand by moon light because if i can avoid it i wont use the flash light. got to the stand and realized i had left my saftey harness there from saturday morning and o boy was that thing soaked . finally sun started to come up and nothing came in until just after 7:15am i stood up to stretch the legs a bit and not 10 seconds later a small buck came charging down the hill behind me, afraid that he seen me stand up i froze, he walked on the trail that leads under my tree stand and stops and starts sniffing the ground were i was standing not more than an hour earlyer he keeps moving and notices a kitty cat walking on the logs 50 yards to my left and he goes after it . i had never seen a deer do that before but he was acually terrorizing this cat for about 5 minutes(lucky for the cat that the deer was there) finally the poor cat ran off and he lost interest. he stayed around for about another 20 minutes and a another small buck comes down from the hill across from me and they start to spare, i slowly sit down and watch. then they both walk off and i have some turkeys come in on the small access road with a HUGE TOM. anyways they fed around for awhile and left and i got down freezing because my safety harness was wet  :censored:and went home.

theres my adventure for today, dont think ill get to the tree again until this sunday.

[RavenDog]

Didn't make it out today, had a wedding on Sunday.  I buddy of mine is home from Iraq and he had one thing he wanted to do while he was home was hunt. "Well and see family and friends"  So I set him up in my stand Saturday night.  My rules are no does in Sept., Big Bucks in Oct., Nov. Whatever, and Dec.  depends on Sept, Oct, Nov.  But he was only gonna be home for 1 more week, so I told him to take a buck or a nice doe(no fawns) if he gets a chance.  He got set up about 4:30 and by 5:15 he had a 8pt in sight, but no shot.  By 6:00 he had  2 doe walk in 1 about 140 and the other maybe 110-120.  Got a shot at the bigger one, and nailed her. I was at a wedding dinner and he called me and was so pumped.  It made my week to see him get a deer when he was back for his 2 weeks.  It kinda made me realize that I (we)  are pretty lucky.  He was so proud and wanted so many pics to bring back with him. Just wanted to share that little story with you all.  Thank are Troops! God Bless Them!  While they are over there fighting, we are over here Hunting! Thanks.

[Stensethfan]

Amen for our troops!  God bless them!! 

[Randy Kaar]

thanks for sharing that! he will have something to remember when
he gets back over there. plus gets to brag a little!

randy

[GirlGuide]

Great story Ravendog!! Thanks for sharing it with us...and thanks for givin' up your stand to one of our nations protectors!! I bet he will have some awesome stories to tell when he goes back, your a good friend!! 

Cody,

Thanks for sharing your day with us too...sounds like you got to see a pretty cool show!!
Good luck next time you go out Thumper!
~gg

[BIG 6 BUCK]

Well its 83 and sunny here.  A perfect blue bird day.................  dont know why but Im headding out to my stand now.........  Do they make scent blocker shorts???????    I just have a good feeling about tonite.  Good luck to me and the other die hard's 

[22lex]

Good luck to you.

I am jealous, even if it is 80 out.

[RavenDog]

Dont think I am going to make it out this week, but his weekend! Lookout! Good luck to ya all!

[RavenDog]

Heading to the stand Friday Morn. Gonna be a nice day, maybe alittle hot.  Will fill in the St. Cloud hunting report after the hunt!  Any other reports out there.  What is your favorite time to hunt? Month? Night/Day? Weekdays/Weekend? While the wifes around?

[22lex]

My favorite time to hunt is from Oct.-mid Nov. I am a morning guy, but if time allows me to I will sit in my stand all day with the right equipment. I don't think my back was made for an uncomfortable portable, but my climber is like a damn lazyboy! I am a firm believer in waiting until Oct. to hunt for the bucks I am after if I haven't pinpointed exactly where they are coming and going. I just think every time out in the field you leave a little more scent to let everyone know you are out there.
Example: I had a stand that I used to hunt early season through December. I only hunted this stand if the wind was right in the morning as it was a natural funnel leading from fields to the bedding areas. I always sprayed down, and got in my stand a good 45 minutes before light. For about two years the more into the season it got, the earlier the deer seemed to be milling throught the woods towards the bedding areas. It got so bad that the damn deer were using the area around my stand in the morning before sun-up as a bedding area so I could kick them up to their regular bedding area about 1/4 mile away. I know I didn't fart around my stand area, and touch everything around to leave my scent, but I am positive at the time they smelled me, and just waited for my arrival in the morning to let them know I was there. I hunted this area real hard, but only if the wind was right and I used all the known precautionary steps to be scent free, but they still got my scent somehow.
Ever since then I really don't get gung ho for bucks until October. I do however love shooting does early to get some meat!

[Cody Gruchow]

well i want to get up on this ridge that im bordering now, because its a natural funnel area and they bed on the knoll next to it, but thing is there is absolutley no way for me to get up there without being detected, so i sit just across from it and its frusterating seeing the buck your after walk right on the path that you wanted to set-up on in the first place.