Freezing Cold Sitting in a Tree......Video Added

[Mayfly]

I'm not sure if I am looking forward to tomorrow morning or if I am dreading it!!

Wow its going to be cold!

Anyone else heading out in the cold with their bows??

[bowhunter73]

 O come on fly it will be fun ! If i can get off this site and get some sleep.

[Grute Man]

Im heading out with my 11 year old so he can get his first taste of deer hunting.  We borrowed a ground blind so that should help but now ya got me all ascared.   Aww what the heck?  I aint afeered of nuthin!! 

Maybe I'll take the sunflower.   

[Joe]

As long as the wind stays down it should be a great morning to be on stand. Good luck guys.
I'm opting for grouse hunting this morning. I should be leaving after this cup of coffee.

[Mayfly]

It really wasn't that bad. The later it got the wind picked up a tad but I was not that cold. No deer for me today, didn't even see one. My cousin saw 4 does and 1 buck all together walking way too far away. Will head out tomorrow again......Now I just want to get a deer so I can spend December pheasant hunting. No time left to be picky

[Outdoors Junkie]

Mayfly, you are not suppose to wear a skirt out in your stand.  Of course you might get a little cold with the wind blowing up your skirt!  

[repoman]

we were out today , we dident get nothing though , saw a small buck and some does but nothing close enough to shoot . the buck came in a lil closer when i let off a couple bleats but not enough for me too shoot .. wasent to bad out this morning .

[Grute Man]

Well we had no luck with the deer.  Only saw one running away VERY fast and VERY far away.  The ground blind worked out great.  My kid really loved it.  He could hunker down in his coat and sleep like the best of us.  We did have fun so I'd say it was a sucessful day.

The one thing that really made me mad was all the garbage left out by others    The parking lot was a pig sty of bottles, cans, rubber gloves and deer remains.  I'd love to catch a slob like that and let him have it.  We picked up over a dozen pieces of garbage.  The most interesting was a pillow case with an assortment of beers and water bottles with vodka and Lord-knows-what stashed by a tree.  Well their stash is GONE now and I hope they stay out of the woods.

[GuideGirlsMom]

To bad some people have to be such PIGS when they are outdoors--Doesn't take much to clean up after yourself... GGM

[Mayfly]

Made it out again tonight and wow do I love bowhunting! Its good to be back after taking off 3 years.

Got out a little late...think I was in my stand and quiet by about 3:20pm. About an hour later saw a few does walking by, way too far for a shot. A little while later I could hear something but could not see the source, before I knew it there was a deer right behind me! I tried to move a bit but I think he sensed something was wrong so walked away. A few minutes later and he was on his way back and then he turned again. This guy kept coming  back and basically made a huge circle around me. The it was getting dark and he wasn't moving. Either I was spending the night in the tree or I had to spook him so I started to come down. Never heard him run. What a fun night though. I went with the intentions of shooting anything and of course now they won't come within range. Might make it out in the am!

Here is a couple pics...from when I was bored


My Stand:






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[Grute Man]

Mayfly,  Do you use scents?  I had some Trails End 307 on scent wicks and doe estrus scent wafers/leaves from Wildlife Research hanging and my little buck came STRAIGHT to them without noticing me.

Adrenaline is fun huh? 

Still lots of time left so don't give up.

 

[Mayfly]

Mayfly,  Do you use scents?

I sure do! This year I used the wildlife research scents and I also used whitcombs. I had nothing that I know of respond to my scents except for yesterday. That buck sure wanted into my area, so bad that he tried 3 times and cirlced me. I keep replaying the scenario and if I would of just used a bit more patience he would of been mine. He was coming down the trail right into my lanes and I was worried that he was going to turn and tried to get into position. When I tried to get into position he busted me, rookie mistake. When I first saw him I had about 30 minutes of light left, who knows what else may of came through or if he was with someone else. I've been patient and still for the whole season. I am dissapointed in my actions yesterday but live and learn! 

[Mayfly]

Here is a video clip of my big deer. I was doing some cleaning today and he walked right through the field out in front of my house at 11:30!! I had some tunes on in the house and it goes along perfect with the video.

Check it out:



My Deer

[Mayfly]

here is a smaller file

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14fx6CwvlMY[/youtube]

[ScottPugh]

Here is a video clip of my big deer. I was doing some cleaning today and he walked right through the field out in front of my house at 11:30!! I had some tunes on in the house and it goes along perfect with the video.

Don't you just love when they do that?    I saw three deer this year, one backend opening morning.  Then one doe as I was causing racket tossing stuff out of my stand to rap it up for the year and the last a big buck walking in the thicket looking for a X-mas tree.  Just give you a little reminder on who's boss and they show up when you don't expect you too.  Next year I plan on surprising them when I'm out there muzzie hunting for the first time!!! 

[Mayfly]

Well no deer tonight

I had 4 does standing around under my stand for about 10 minutes. I regret not taking one but I was waiting for something better...I need to stop doing that!

I thought it was cold when I first started this thread...tommorrow morning is going to really be cold.

[repoman]

nice buck tim

[riverman]

it was cold this past sat. and sunday.  I always thought the deer hunkered down in the brunt of a front passing through but i went out into the snow anyway on sat. afternoon. got into my stand about 3 pm.  by quarter to 5 i had seen nothing but by 5 pm there were 2 does and 3 fawns that skittishly came out.  now there is one doe and 3 fawns left. I shot at her about 70 yds away and she took off but i knew i knicked her. I thought craps its almost dark and now i need to track her.  she ran about 50 yrds to the woods with a slight blood trail.  But she dropperd dead about 10 yards inside.  the bullet cut the arteries on the top of the heart.  They do move when its snowing.  Sunday went out again and froze.  My son and I post about 500 yds apart. we saw nothing till 5 pm then 2 fawns and a spike buck came out.  about 5:15 out came 3 does and 2 fawns with a large buck about a 10-12 pointer chasing them. It was strange because there was also a 6-8 pointer running with him and another doe behind him.  They ran past the spike that was already there and into another woods. Then the big buck came back out and chased the spike away. Then he took off again! neither of us could get a close enough shot. We were absolutely freezing my knees were moving about 2-3 inches as they shivered. I got back to the truck and it was registering -1 degrees and about 15 mph winds from the nw.  My wifes hot chili was a blessing when we got home. Then I blew snow for over 2 hours.  What a life in nw mn!

[jigglestick]

riverman, that sounds like a great hunt. all except the part about shooting after hours.
sunset is 4:25 in the middle of the state. half hour past that puts us at 4:55.
just so you know and don't get in trouble.
5:00 is late and 5:15 is out of the question.
i have had two opportunities in the last three days, but the deer seem to know that I will not shoot 2 minutes after hours for legal hunting, cause that's when I see them.

[riverman]

Jigglestick:  on Sunday sunset was at 4:33 so add 30 min to shoot which is 5:03 plus 12 minutes for my area of the state which is 5:15.  I always check my watch after an event like that so as to plan my future hunts accordingly. so if I had a chance to shoot I would still have been legal! All was done by 5:15.  thanks for the reminder though.

[riverman]

My son came up with this theory on sunday>  The reason the deer wait till close to or after sunset to come out is because their eyes reflect alot more light than ours do.  Like on a snowy day it seems too bright out and  many people wear sunglasses as the brightness hurts the eyes.  Its the same for deer only much worse and they don't have sunglasses so they stay in the shade of the woods.  What does everyone else think.  Do you all experience that the deer travel less during the day when there is snow cover? 

[jigglestick]

I still believe they dont move until then because they know what  shooting hours are.
like I said twice in the last three outings I have been hosed by them whiley white tails.
I could have easily poked a shot at the second one at 40 yards, but it was getting hard to see my sights anyway and it was past the magic hour.

I just hate to think someone is out there with their kid pushing the limit, teaching bad habits.
glad your not.

[riverman]

You are right. the only way to hunt is keeping it legal.  We drive my wifes  avalanche to hunt with so If anything would happen to that rig life would be very miserable at our house.

[Mayfly]

I like your theory on the snow cover. That makes a lot of sense. I just brought my trail cam in today and the first deer did not show up until 11pm!? They are usually there early. They seem to be active all night and into the morning light but nothing in the evening. I'm thinking of a morning hunt Saturday am. This cold we have been haning has kept me in bed. Time to fill the freezer.

[deadeye]

I went out yesterday afternoon.  Saw a doe and fawn around 3:00 pm.  They were running so I didn't get a shot.  All quiet as the sun set and the cold moved in.  When I left my truck showed -5.  Very little wind so it wasn't too bad.  From the tracks I saw, my guess is they move in morning and throughout the day but settle in before the cold night.  As I always say, "you gotta be there when they are making thoes tracks"

[Mayfly]

I was out today just to get my camera and do a little scouting. As far as tracks go it looks like my stand is on a pretty good spot. There were tracks everywhere!! And main trails where I thought they may be moving were empty...no tracks. Like you said though..lets just hope I can catch them making those tracks!

[bowhunter73]

  As far as the bright snow and deer not having glasses, I don’t buy it. Unless you think they bed down all day with there eyes closed. Its post rut and cold weather so its my thought they are not running dumb anymore and are moving less  to save there energy. Think about it if your fridge was empty and your lady only said no would you get off the couch if you didn’t have to???

But this does not mean that I wont be in a tree this weekend. Because I know one thing for a fact. there are more deer in the woods on any day than ther ever is in my house

                Good luck

[riverman]

maybe the theory is only good when the sun is shining and there are few clouds? otherwise they stay in the woods where there is shade? remember there are normally exceptions to every rule.  PS  the rut is still on as of last sunday nite

[Mayfly]

-11 when I left the car this morning......man it was cold! NO DEER

Thought I heard a muzzleloader nearby....when does that close???

[JohnWester]

closes tomorrow, but it closed for me today... too fricken cold! Time to hit the ice!!!