10/19 – 10/20/2012 Hunting Trips

Well another weekend in the woods.  Headed out to the woods Friday afternoon (10/19/2012) to one of my spots in Loch Raven.  Got into the woods around 3:20 and after having a fight with my treestand, I finally made it up the tree.  What a beautiful afternoon, I really thought the deer would be moving.  Around 5:20 or so the breeze picked up and something voice in my head said to check the radar on my phone (thank god for smart phones).  When I looked I realized that a line of storms was coming and decided to bail before the storm got bad.  However, I waited as long as I could but still wanted to make sure I was down before the storm really got bad.  So, I didn't see anything at all, had to leave the woods a bit early.  But, I didn't get soaked, and as it turns there was a tornado warning that was issued and I never heard if one was confirmed but the worst of the storm went right over the area in Loch Raven where I was.  I am sure glad I got the heck out of the woods before that storm because the wind and lighting were pretty bad.  Another skunked night...

Headed out to private land Saturday morning (10/20/2012).  I went with a friend, he took his muzzleloader and I took a bow.  We sat on a hillside about 75 yards apart but facing two totally different directions so what we would of been shooting at would have been very different.  Beautiful morning, heard 5 - 7 shots between 7 and 7:45.  However, my friend and I didn't see or hear a single deer.  However, I will say that we walked around before heading out for the morning and found fresh tracks from last night after the rain, so I am guessing since where we were hunting is small and mostly a travel route to food, the deer must have gotten up and been moving most of the night and were probably bedded out in the corn field that is not far from the property I was hunting.  Yet another skunked!

Headed back out to Loch Raven this evening to one of my spots that is hit or miss but very easy to get in and out of.  Didn't see a whole lot but around 6:20 I saw 3 does running away from me.  That was my excitement 3 does that ran at a distance first towards me, passed me, and away from me.  Either I am having the worst hunting luck ever or this crazy weather is really affecting hunting.  At least I wasn't skunked! 🙂

I'll be headed back out in the woods next week hopefully more than this week.  So maybe my luck will turn around!

How did you do this weekend bow or muzzleloader hunting?   Any success, we would love to see some pictures!

Good luck to everyone headed out this week.

 

2012 - 2013 Hunting Season Journal
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  1. Clay
    I bow hunted both Saturday and Sunday. I had more opportunities this weekend compared to last weekend. If you remember last weekend I saw 2 buck and didn't feel comfortable pulling my bow since they were so weary when they approached. Well, here is some good news the deer isn't running together which means less eyes, ears, and smell. One huge buck came in on me about 20 yards out. I had to shoot through some leafs. Well I missed. The buck ran off about 5 yards stop and look back. I tried to reload by reaching down to my quiver (note to self, take a couples of arrows out of quiver, for easy reload) that was on my footrest. He detected my movement and gave me a 2 loud snort. I responsed with a snort/wheeze, but it didn't work the large buck ran off. On Sunday, I got in the woods around 3:15 and as soon as I climbed my tree stand and sit down a doe appeared right under my stand. I didn't have time to put on my mask on or to notch an arrow. I reached down to my quiver and loaded an arrow. I took a quarter to shot and the deer ran off about 5 yards. I waited an hour before get down. I was really disappointed because it felt like I didn't get to hunt. Anyway, I went to the spot of impact and started to track, walking in the direction that I last saw the deer. However, I couldn't find any blood and I kept circling looking for blood. I came back to the spot of impact and found my arrow lading on the ground to my surprise. Is it possible to have an arrow deflect off a deer ribs? When I usually miss my arrow is struck in the ground not lading on the ground. Also, I had practice shooting my bow in the morning and I was dead on from the same distance as the shot I took. I had some action but my results are are the same. No meat in the refrigerator.
    Reply
    October 22, 2012
    • admin
      Clay, Sounds like you an an exciting but non successful weekend. Look at it this way, you are seeing deer, even bucks. So you must be in the right area and sooner rather than later you will be successful. Good luck this coming weekend, as hopefully you get one of those deer!
      Reply
      October 22, 2012
  2. Henry
    This year has been slow at times even though I have had a few crazy hunting experiences already. But went out Friday night and I was in Monkton and that storm came out of nowhere. I was in my woods and in a climber. The wind began to blow so hard that I had to tell myself, "ok don't panic just do like you normally do and get out of tree safely". But wow lightening and thunder everywhere and I got soaked. I wished I had looked at the radar also. Sunday I went out twice. Morning was cool and I saw the same nice buck that (if you read my post a week back) that I hit while relieving myself from my stand and not with an arrow. He came back almost in the same spot but was again moving too fast. I am now convinced that human urine does not spook deer away. That was the only deer I saw that morning. I went out again because I got so sick watching the Ravens get killed. Not long after I got up a doe came flying past me like something was chasing it. Few minutes later I saw a few horses with dogs going through the woods. They never saw me, it was kind of cool watching them come by but no more deer after that. Going out Wednesday night and then Friday morning.
    Reply
    October 22, 2012
    • admin
      Henry, Friday night was wild and they even have said there was a possible tornado east of Monkton, so glad you made it out safely. This year has been slow and I think that is in part due to the strange weather. But hopefully things start to pick up in the next couple weeks. Good luck later this week when you head out into the woods!
      Reply
      October 22, 2012

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