Ben's semi-live 2024 hunt thread

[TheBenHoyle]

The plan was to go out today and sit all day in those same woods. On New Year's Day I tested positive for covid and I have been pretty badly wiped out. Yesterday I felt better and I was hoping I would feel even better today.

I modified my plan to be an afternoon hunt thinking I would feel good enough to handle it and the afternoon is when I have been seeing the best deer movement.

I woke up this morning maybe feeling better than yesterday, but I wouldn't bet any money on it. My head is very stuffy and I'm pretty low energy.

I spent a lot of time thinking about my options and trying to figure out if I could handle the cold temps and the exertion, but in the end I decided to not push it. I'll spend my afternoon watching the Bears improve their draft pick placement and maybe do some woodworking. The deer will be out there next weekend.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I went out for an all day sit on Saturday. There was fresh snow and I saw tracks in the snow, but they looked like they had been snowed on. So the deer had been in those woods within that past 24 hours. I was hoping they would wander through in the morning, or midday or just before dark.

I was wrong on all three counts. I didn't see any deer until about sunset and the two does were about 400 yards north east of me on someone else's property...

I didn't hear any turkeys, which is always bizarre in this spot. But it has been more common for me this year than it has in the past.

I have until the 19th to fill my archery tag, but I am not positive that I will get a chance to go out. I have a college visit for my oldest on the 19th, so if I get out it will have to be the 18th. I'm pretty discouraged after Saturday, but the law of averages tells me that I should be a little hopeful that I will see deer the next time out.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I've got one last hunt on the 2024-2025 archery tags on my pocket. Headed out in the morning. I'm going to try basically the same thing I have done the past three hunts, but I might be a little less patient if I'm not seeing deer. I might move north and try to get closer to the creek since that's where I have constantly seen deer.

It's going to be 30ish in the morning and then as the day goes on the temps will just go down, will be near 10 at sunset I think. Hoping that has deer on their feet a little earlier in the day.