Happy New Year Hunting Trip!

First of all, Happy New Year everyone!  We are looking forward to another exciting year and continuing to grow and hear from our current readers and hearing from many more new readers.

I headed out into the woods on New Years Eve morning in hopes of seeing a doe within range or maybe even a buck as the full moon just passed and their still could be a little rutting activity.   I got out nice and early and man it was a beautiful morning, nice and crisp and chilly.  Around 7:20 I saw a doe running through a clearing about 100 yards away, so I got the binoculars out and started looking around to find her and what may have caused her to be running.  Never did figure out what made her run, but there was 2 does and they slowly walked through the woods about 70 yards in front of me.  At one point they turned and started walking down a trail that would have led them right down to me, but instead something made noise over the hill from me and they stopped.  Those 2 does stood there for a good 5 minutes before turning and continuing to walk sideways to me about 60 yards away, I watched them feeding while walking for about 20 minutes before they headed up the hill and over into some thicket where I lost sight of them.

I didn't see anything else all morning and finally I got bored and put my smartphone to good use and caught up on emails.

Went out and sat on the ground Monday evening with the crossbow in hopes of seeing a buck.  I saw 7 does instead and could have taken long shots 40 - 60 yards with the crossbow but knew we were going out for New Years Eve and decided the smart thing to do was let them live another day.

After waking up at a bright and early 10:20 am this morning, finally got to bed around 2:30 am,  Happy New Year! haha

I clearly didn't make it into the woods this morning and after life's chores took over the day including replacing the battery in the car. I decided to sit on the ground again in hopes of seeing those does or maybe that buck I am looking for.  🙂

Well, a single fawn made it's way through the edge of the woods near where I was sitting at about 30 yards away around 4:30 - 4:40..  She was very nervous and wasn't what I was looking for.  So I let her pass by and watched her eating for a while.   I hadn't seen the group from the night before and it was getting late, finally with 10 minutes of shooting light left I saw the deer heading to their evening feeding area but tonight they took a trail 100 yards away from me clearly no help to me. I stayed put as long as I could watching to see how many and if many some antlers might follow them out.  Well it was 6 does tonight and nothing followed and if it did it was after it was too dark for me see.

I remembered how hard it really is to hunt this time of year, everything is wide open, the deer are very nervous, and lets me honest when it gets this cold you have a hard time drawling your bow let alone shooting accurately.  This is why sometimes I take the crossbow these days rather than my bow which I would rather hunt with. ( Nothing again crossbows, I just enjoy hunting with my compound more) Probably the way I grew up..

Well once again Happy New Year, and I hope everyone had a happy, safe, new years eve and day.

Did anyone else take this couple days off and hit the woods?  How did you do?

4 Responses

  1. Brian
    Happy New Year! I've seen quite a few deer at Loch Raven but still no shot. I've mainly seen them in thickets and bedding areas, still have more to explore. Nothing at all on the private property I hunt.
    • admin
      Brain, Happy New Year to you as well! Glad you are seeing deer and I think we are all seeing deer mostly in the thickets and bedding areas. Seems to be where they are hanging other than at night. Sorry to hear your private property hasn't been going well. But good to hear other people are seeing deer at Loch Raven, past few trips for us have been slow. Good luck the last few weeks of the season!
  2. Clay
    Happy New Year, I went out last Saturday and New Year's day. On Saturday I had my dependable fawn come in within 9 yards both morning and afternoon. I just enjoy watching him. On New Year's day, the fawn was feeding in front from 7:30 to 8:00, at which point I heard what I expected to be a squirrel in the leave, turned my head and 2 does are about 6 yards on right and saw my movement. Got out smarted. They all left the area right away without me getting a shot off.
    • admin
      Clay, Happy New Year! Fawns can be dependable this time of year. Most commonly they are the only thing you can pattern. Does can be tricky and sneak in this time of year, but most importantly, they sure can pick movement out in a hurry! It is really hard to hunt this time of year with a bow and get close enough and not be seen pulling your bow back or even just lining up your shot with a crossbow. Heading back out in the woods Saturday, but thanks to the Ravens game being at 4:30 on a Saturday..... Guess only morning this week. Good luck Clay!

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