I finally was able to make it out in the woods after a while of dealing with holiday preparations and fighting off a nasty cold that I managed to give to half my family.  I went to one of my go to spots for does within Loch Raven, as I am just looking for meat in the freezer at this point.   I got into my stand and got settled in and soon hundreds of robins were everywhere eating something (a bug of some kind I would guess) out of the leaves.  I have never seen that many robins in my whole life, but maybe this is a good sign colder weather is on it’s way. After what seemed like forever the birds finally started to quite down but no sign of any deer.  It was a pretty afternoon, and the wind was perfect for this stand, I really had high hopes but as 5 o’clock was quickly approaching I had diminished hopes that I was going to see anything at all.  Finally, at 4:55 I saw  a big doe walking into some thicket about 55 yards away, but she quickly disappeared into this very small clump of brush on the side of a little hill.  I thought maybe she had wondered down the hill in which case I wouldn’t be able to see her and she would be gone.  I gave it a few minutes, keeping in mind that I could only shoot till about 5:10 legally.  About 5:03 a yearling came from the same area that bigger doe had come from, but was headed straight for me. I decided a yearling would make some good tasting steak so I quickly got read, as she walked behind a tree I drew my bow, she needed to take 5 steps past the tree for me to have a shot due to some  branches between me and where she was.  She took 2 of those 5 steps, then turned and walked up the hill dead away from me,  had she taken 3 more steps I would have had a perfect broadside shot…… Best laid plans never work right?

Well, now I really though I was done for the day, but now at about 5:05 or 5:06 with it getting dark, here comes the big doe out of the this very small patch of thicket, she must of been eating the whole time.  With it getting dark, I knew I only had minutes or less and needed a closer as I would not be able to get a good visual on her at a distance to take an accurate shot.  Well, she walked up the hill towards me, and then turned up the hill walking perfectly broadside to me, at 29 yards. I drew my bow as she walked behind a tree, as she stepped out the other side, I had nothing. I couldn’t even make out an outline of her body, I knew she was there but the only think I could see was the whites of her ears.  I waited for her to start walking again and let my bow down,  I knew I was very close to legal shooting time and I could not see to take an clean ethical shot so I watched the deer walk up the hill and that was the end of my evening.

This was  slow hunting trip, and a lot of the people I have talked to have been telling him similar stories about their hunting trips lately.  I think we are in the post rut pattern where the deer are very hard to pattern and with the lack of cold weather or snow they have plenty of food sources still available.  Which means they are no longer rutting and they haven’t started  herding up yet for the winter, so we see small groups of deer with no pattern.  Hopefully the weather will change or the deer will naturally start herding up soon allowing us all to have a better chance at a patterning the deer, and maybe even present us with a chance at a late season buck!

Did anyone hunt this past holiday weekend?  What did you see or did you harvest a deer?  We would love to hear from you!

Both Amber and I at Bow Hunting Maryland would like to wish all of our readers and their families a very Happy Holiday Season!  We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Holiday and a Happy New Year!

We  look forward to sharing with you in the upcoming year and hearing from all of our readers!

Once again Happy Holidays From Andy & Amber!

After over a week without going hunting ( I sure hate busy schedules and being sick) I made it out into the woods.   The morning hunt I went with my good friend that hunts with me on a regular basis and we took our muzzleloaders ( yes I know I traded my bow for muzzleloader) and went to a small piece of land I recently got permission to hunt on.  I was hoping that after two days of rain, and a dusting of snow that the deer would be up and moving and I was on the look out for a nice big doe to help fill the freezer.  Well, all good plans never work out so well, we did not see a single thing all morning.  It was a very pretty morning and I will give that property another try soon.   Then around mid-day I got several emails and texts saying no one saw any deer in the morning or if they did it was one and a long way off.

I had to work between hunting sadly, but managed to get back out onto the small private property that I bow hunt where the trail cam photos come from.  I got in around 3:20, yes I know late, but the last time I checked the trail cam the deer were not entering that field till after 4:30 so I took my chances.  I also choose this location because I was running late, I never head out into Loch Raven when I am running that late so I do not screw up other hunters.  I sat in my tree and finally around 4:45 or so, one little button buck came down out and went into the field to eat.  then right before it got dark dark, another small deer, which I believe was the other button buck I have seen on the trail cam with the first one came down the same trail.  I stayed in my tree just to see if anything else came out right at dark but nothing. In fact as the moon rose overhead I watched the two small deer walk back into the woods and nothing else came out.  So I waited on them so I did not disturb them and got down and headed home.  Another slow evening of hunting and not even a doe in sight, so I started thinking about why this was.

Well, it is the moon of course.  The full moon is out there and allowing the deer to feed all night long. Plus it will be triggering the second phase of rut if there are any does that have not been breed. The bucks will be chasing them in the coming week or even sooner if this is the case.  I think this weekend between the cold weather and the moon hunting could make for pretty good hunting.  However, it is back to like early November, find does and you might even find a buck, but if you do not find the does, you may sit in your tree and see nothing.

Good luck this weekend and coming week and let us know what you are experiencing in the woods!