EF2’s 2020 Fall Hunt

[TheBenHoyle]

Lots of action tonight and nothing to show for it

Set up on a field edge facing to the edge to my right and about 4PM I hear a ton of noise behind me along the left field edge. I first thought it had to be a human, then I thought it must be two. I’m looking over my right shoulder in the woods looking for the approaching hunters, but can’t see anything. Is it deer? Finally I see this huge racket is turkeys - close - and I’m not ready! I made an awkward stretch to pick up my gun, waiting for them to walk past me a ways before shouldering my gun. But the turkey in front is walking inside the timber right at me, from what I can hear. At 3 yards she starts putting at the suspicious blob blocking her path, and I briefly consider whipping around, but I instead I figure I’ll wait until they sound about 25 yards away and then I’ll whip around. I could hear the hen close for quite some time - which seemed odd - I just wait. Finally she sounds far enough and I whip around, line up the sights, and shoot. And miss. What?

The noise I was hearing following the putting was a songbird foraging through leaf litter, while the turkey flock had walked out of range. Lucky accidental decoy fools the hunter.

At the shot they flew off in all different directions; a good calling scenario. I moved, set up, called, and had one fly off from about 100 yards. Next a hen walked in quiet to my calls and stepped behind a tree at 30 yards. I figure she’s done for. But I somehow miss this easy shot Busted a tom in some thick stuff on the way out and soon after that shooting hours were done.

Why do turkeys have to be so unpredictable? I feel your pain... Not the shin pain, but I'm liable to bang them on something before too long.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Wednesday
Set up in the rain between where the turkeys roosted and fed the last time. I had a young buck come in to 20 yards and he hung out for about 30 mins before wandering off. On the way out found a deadhead, but no birds.

Mid-day walked a new spot that holds spring birds, but found very little sign.

Ended the day at another spot and I found fresh sign and could hear birds talking on private. I shadowed them on the public side for over an hour and right at sunset I spooked one off a roost in thick cover. Saw lots of deer including this doe and 2 fawns.


No kill, so We’re having chicken for turkey day today. I have 1-2 more days to get out before season ends.

 

[Pucky Freak]

AM set up to glass a large open area for turkeys. They typically feed on private and sometimes they loaf on public. No birds and no sign. 23 does and fawns, and 2 small bucks though. Hit the gun range for a couple hours, and then tried a different turkey spot in the afternoon. Hiked for about 2.5 miles and turned up nothing again. Last chance tomorrow - I’m hunting where I found fresh sign on Weds.

 

[Pucky Freak]

On the way in today I busted a bird off the same roost as Weds. Next set up on the field edge and wait. On the far side of the field about 200 yards out a lone hen came out to feed, and lucky me she came my direction into range after about 30 mins.

The shooting window was small, but I thought I had it and instead smoked this little tree.


After looking it over, I realize I need to move my chair a couple of paces for bigger shooting windows - they are just too narrow to effectively shoot through.

0/7 on shooting turkeys this fall My wife may suspect I’m doing this on purpose to extend my season. Six hours to go - it’s not over yet. Cold temp but I’m layered up and enjoying it even if I just blew my last chance.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I should have brought a jetboil to cook lunch

Friday I also shot a rabbit in the neck with a .22

Something about turkeys...over-excitement and I lose my focus and mess up somehow. Redemption may have to wait until spring season. I do hear one yelping now 200 yards behind me in the timber, I’m going to sit tight.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Call from COVID contact tracer just now - I had an exposure at the gun range yesterday. So I’ll be quarantining for the next several days

 

[Pucky Freak]

 

[duckhunt]

You are having a great fall. Ive been spending to much time at work to get hardly any hunting in.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Had a great hunt today. Forecast was sticky snow all night before gun deer opener, and continued falling snow all day today. No other rigs at access points of the public tract we picked, and my buddy and I still-hunted into the wind. We found a big buck carcass someone seemed to have lost the week before with a stubby driver side and a large antler on the other, and nearby we busted a deer neither of us saw. Later in the morning we were on a ridge top and I spied movement on the bottom 200 yards away. Just our luck we had a buck chasing an estrous doe fawn along with two does, and they basically ran right up into our lap. I’m rapidly whispering out a plan, and soon they were upon us. We let the females pass by and when the buck cleared an opening at 30 yards we both fired.

The buck kicked like he’d been hit and I saw a splash of red. There was nothing much to see or hear right afterward with the blanket of soft snow absorbing sound. We waited 45 mins and went to inspect, seeing a good amount of blood. 200 yards of trailing with blood in nearly every step and also smeared high on grass and branches, but we eventually found where we bumped him from his bed. Fearing the falling snow would cover up the trail, we continued and bumped him very close, but neither of us had a safe shot. We continued the pursuit, finding coughed up blood, and consistent blood, but we bumped him again very close in tall grass and this time neither of us had a clear shot. We got out the binos and saw him swim across a creek. Once on the other side he was hunched over and walking gingerly - he looked like he would expire soon. I had a quartering away shot at 120 yards, but I had to stand and shoot offhand, so I opted to let him walk.

At this point it had been 2 hours and over a mile and we were running out of public land to trail the buck. He was in a large island of timber and we gambled that he’d hunker down in some hell hole and die. Forecast was another hour of snow, followed by 2 hours of rain. We figured that the rain would melt the snow just enough to reveal the blood trail, so we waited 3 hours, but instead of any rain it snowed the entire time . Our spirits were low and we tried to stay optimistic.

Our game plan was my buddy would cover the most likely escape route from the timber island, and I would (literally) crawl into the thickest, crappiest brambles and either find a carcass or push the deer out to him. It worked! The dead deer was stiff and had 2 slug wounds - one nonfatal hit high above the lungs and the other made hamburger out of his diaphragm and liver. On mutual agreement my buddy punched his tag, and I’ll be out again tomorrow.

 

[Crossbowguy]

Beautiful Buck!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Sunday AM hunted in a different county where about 8” of dry fluffy snow had fallen. Settled into an eroded cut in an open area and watched a fawn jog by after daylight. In the distance saw 2 groups of deer maybe 20 total but just one small buck among them.

Mid-day processed the buck and found this lodged in his spine along with about a cup of creamy pus just forward of his pelvis.

Based on the entrance wound someone had attempted an eye-level quartering-to shot.

Afternoon was a fence-line sit at dusk near tall grass that big bucks use as a sanctuary this time of year. I found prints of a pheasant hunter and dog from earlier in the day and it was a bust.

 

[Pucky Freak]

This morning I set up between a food source an bedding. The day started at 14 degrees and I hoped it would be cold enough to be able to see a pressured buck on public during daylight hours. Even if I never saw an animal I was definitely enjoying the winter wonderland.


As I settled in I heard crashing deeper in the cover of a deer who had likely already passed my location. I also jumped what appeared to be a fox in the dim light. Still before sunrise I could hear something approaching in the crunchy snow. I re-positioned to face whatever it was, and soon I was treated with antler tips bobbing above the frosted vines. Even though I was motionless, he still managed to peg what could be seen of my outline at 45 yards through a deadfall in front of me. He stared for maybe 10 mins and I tried not to blink too much but I had to in order to keep my contacts from freezing. Finally he continued towards me and when his head was hidden I shifted as quietly as I could to set up for a shot. He immediately heard me and took several nervous bounds away then stopped. However, I had a clear view of his neck and dropped him in his tracks.




I still have archery cottontail yet this season, but that seems a little anti-climatic, so I'll go ahead and close out the thread with this post. Thanks for following along, everyone!

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Nice shooting. I would love to get a deer with snow on the ground. It just seems right. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.

 

[Nick87]

Hunting is always better in the snow! Congrats! No snow here anytime soon

 

[CouesKelly]

A great way to cap off your adventures this season. Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[Crossbowguy]

Nice buck congrats sir!

 

[Shangobango]

Have enjoyed following along. Congrats on a great season!

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

You had a helluva season this year @ElkFever2! Thanks for taking us along for the ride and enjoy all those good eats!!

 

[duckhunt]

Great season