Dang man that stinks! I hope you’ll be getting good enough to walk in a month or so??? What’s the doc say?
Hunt it on public
- Thread starter Pucky Freak
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Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Yeah, I should be good to go. 2 ankle sprains and a knee sprain. I'm supposed to stay active but not overdo it so I can heal up.
TheBenHoyle
Well-known member
oh man, I would have to think a long time if someone offered me a successful turkey hunt in exchange for 2 ankle sprains and a knee sprain... congrats on the turkey. I hope you heal up quick.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
I'm healing up quickly. Ankle feels great, and knee is slower, but coming along. Felt well enough to sit for turkey ambush where I busted them last time. Had a dozen deer close, including 2 bucks, a doe, and fawn all at 8 yards.
About 9:30 AM I heard a twig snap directly in front of me past a small rise, and I shouldered my shotgun for the turkeys moving in to loaf. I had a great set-up, but one bird must have crested the rise ahead of the others and seen movement because 6 birds immediately busted out at 40 yards. So close!
About 9:30 AM I heard a twig snap directly in front of me past a small rise, and I shouldered my shotgun for the turkeys moving in to loaf. I had a great set-up, but one bird must have crested the rise ahead of the others and seen movement because 6 birds immediately busted out at 40 yards. So close!
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Spied a flock just off the roost at sunrise. A quick inventory showed 7 toms eating seeds. From the end of cover I was 70 yards, with the closest food source at 55. I opted to back out and try to get ahead of them. I crept to 60 but they were already moving past me. Backed out again and bounced ahead a bit further. I crawled to the edge of cover and tucked in. For 20 minutes I watched them filter by, with the closest a bird at 55. Backed out and bounced again, but then couldn’t find them.
Supper for a coon
Supper for a coon
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Thursday headed out with a buddy in the evening to try and intercept toms on the way to their roost. Each of us covered 2 likely approaches and we tucked in. An hour or so later with 10 minutes of shooting left and only a squirrel sighted, I started typing out a text to see if my buddy wanted to ride it out to the end or else hunt our way out. Apparently he had the same idea and his text came through first. I glanced up to see a tom at 20 yards pinning me down from the glow of my screen. Dang! After about 5 minutes of stare-down he began walking nervously and I tried to pick up my shotgun from the ground to get a quick shot off. At my movement his walk converted to a dead run faster than my reflexes and I ended up shooting behind him.
Friday it was awfully chilly in the house and after checking the thermostat it was evident the furnace was not working. A few hours and several troubleshooting videos later I poked a wire down the HE air intake pipe to find it full of gravel! No good way to retrieve the rocks, so I cut the pipe, and found it packed solid with trash and sticks. After a quick rebuild (pic below) I had a little chat with my 4-year-old to please not do that again!
Follow up visit with the doc on my knee and the good news is likely no tear. Seems to be a PSTL sprain. He said it should be better in a couple months, but PT could speed things up. I went ahead and signed up for it - I don't want to be stuck with a bum knee on my late season elk hunt.
Tonight headed back to try and ambush turkeys again but none were seen (a first for this season). Did jump 3 woodcock - they seem to have just shown up from their southern migration. We haven't had a fall frost yet, so it's still very green in the woods.
Friday it was awfully chilly in the house and after checking the thermostat it was evident the furnace was not working. A few hours and several troubleshooting videos later I poked a wire down the HE air intake pipe to find it full of gravel! No good way to retrieve the rocks, so I cut the pipe, and found it packed solid with trash and sticks. After a quick rebuild (pic below) I had a little chat with my 4-year-old to please not do that again!
Follow up visit with the doc on my knee and the good news is likely no tear. Seems to be a PSTL sprain. He said it should be better in a couple months, but PT could speed things up. I went ahead and signed up for it - I don't want to be stuck with a bum knee on my late season elk hunt.
Tonight headed back to try and ambush turkeys again but none were seen (a first for this season). Did jump 3 woodcock - they seem to have just shown up from their southern migration. We haven't had a fall frost yet, so it's still very green in the woods.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Made it out for my first deer hunt of the season today. The area around my first stand was completely devoid of fresh deer sign. The huge scrape from the last 3 years was totally neglected, and the local does seem to have shifted elsewhere for food. On the upside, there was a TON of fresh turkey sign from the last 24 hours. I made quick work in filling my second tag.
I spotted a grey squirrel, which was really cool since they are rare here; this is the only time I have found one in this part of Iowa.
I spent most of the day on the stand, and I did have 1 spiker come visit at 4 yards, and he got a pass. The last time I checked my other stand there were a couple good scrape lines - hopefully they are still there. If not, I have a backup stand site I can shift to as the rut progresses.
I spotted a grey squirrel, which was really cool since they are rare here; this is the only time I have found one in this part of Iowa.
I spent most of the day on the stand, and I did have 1 spiker come visit at 4 yards, and he got a pass. The last time I checked my other stand there were a couple good scrape lines - hopefully they are still there. If not, I have a backup stand site I can shift to as the rut progresses.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Quick sit on the pond before church today. 2 fly-bys, a hen on the far end of the pond, and this drake came to my end. Shooting my favorite kind of duck never gets old.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Walked in 45 mins to my 2nd tree stand today. There was lots of fresh sign there, and I was looking forward to seeing deer.
About 8:30 AM a doe and a fawn came in. It is thick cover and the one time I had a clear shot on the doe I didn't have a good range so I passed. At 11 AM I hung it up - I will definitely be hunting this spot again.
Next I made off to check my back-up stand site, and watched a 2-year-old buck cruise past there, oblivious to me at 60 yards. A short walk later I had a yearling cruise by at 4 yards.
I know some hunters are of the opinion that camo "works" for deer. Below is what this deer had an unobstructed view of for about a minute before he even noticed I was there.
I had one more spot on the ground to check out before calling it a day, but the wind shifted from steady to a variable direction, which doomed any attempt, so I just hiked out.
About 8:30 AM a doe and a fawn came in. It is thick cover and the one time I had a clear shot on the doe I didn't have a good range so I passed. At 11 AM I hung it up - I will definitely be hunting this spot again.
Next I made off to check my back-up stand site, and watched a 2-year-old buck cruise past there, oblivious to me at 60 yards. A short walk later I had a yearling cruise by at 4 yards.
I know some hunters are of the opinion that camo "works" for deer. Below is what this deer had an unobstructed view of for about a minute before he even noticed I was there.
I had one more spot on the ground to check out before calling it a day, but the wind shifted from steady to a variable direction, which doomed any attempt, so I just hiked out.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Session 1 of physical therapy was very helpful. My range of motion on my injured leg was poor, and several muscles were knotted and inflamed. The therapist gave me some exercises to do which have helped a lot.
Thursday I got out of work early to hang my 3rd stand. After dragging it in for about an hour I bumped into another hunter in a tree about 100 yards from where I was planning to put my stand. I apologized for disrupting his hunt, and it turns out he was really cool about it. He was from the NE and hunting in IA for 2 weeks, and was just wrapping up. He was generous in sharing his scouting report. I wished him luck and did my best not to disrupt him too much for the evening.
Thursday I got out of work early to hang my 3rd stand. After dragging it in for about an hour I bumped into another hunter in a tree about 100 yards from where I was planning to put my stand. I apologized for disrupting his hunt, and it turns out he was really cool about it. He was from the NE and hunting in IA for 2 weeks, and was just wrapping up. He was generous in sharing his scouting report. I wished him luck and did my best not to disrupt him too much for the evening.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Highs and lows, love it and hate it!
Hot day today, so I thought I’d just hunt a few hours in the AM and call it a day. On the way in I could see the scrapes were fresh and the trail was a regular deer highway. First couple hours were pretty quiet, then after hearing some snapping twigs I eventually spotted a doe ear through some thick stuff at 45 yards. About 10 minutes later a 3-year-old buck walked through the same spot. Over the next hour I kept hearing twig snaps in multiple places upwind, and I started some soft, non-aggressive calling sequences. About 20 mins later there is a bunch of crashing all over and 2 bucks grunting, so I joined right in.
10 minutes later a buck is headed my way. Looks to be a 4-year-old 8-pt buck, a shooter! He passes one very small window, and I see he will enter another one soon. I draw back, give a “mep” when he is right where I want him, hold on the 20-pin, and squeeze. I forgot to “pick a spot”, oh no! But the reaction looks good! Looks like a hit! He wheels, runs 30 yards and stops. I am looking for an exit wound and don’t see one
Maybe a clean miss? Deflection on a twig? I don’t hear any coughing, no death gasp…this does not look good.
Another ten minutes and I try and find my arrow. It is buried in the dirt, no blood, and covered in pink residue, a clean pass through. No foul odor. White hair everywhere. Grazed the belly? Low exit wound? I range my stand tree and it’s 22 yards. At this point I am hoping for a non-fatal hit. I figure I’ll check for blood just in case. 8 ft up the trail I find a few drops…
Hot day today, so I thought I’d just hunt a few hours in the AM and call it a day. On the way in I could see the scrapes were fresh and the trail was a regular deer highway. First couple hours were pretty quiet, then after hearing some snapping twigs I eventually spotted a doe ear through some thick stuff at 45 yards. About 10 minutes later a 3-year-old buck walked through the same spot. Over the next hour I kept hearing twig snaps in multiple places upwind, and I started some soft, non-aggressive calling sequences. About 20 mins later there is a bunch of crashing all over and 2 bucks grunting, so I joined right in.
10 minutes later a buck is headed my way. Looks to be a 4-year-old 8-pt buck, a shooter! He passes one very small window, and I see he will enter another one soon. I draw back, give a “mep” when he is right where I want him, hold on the 20-pin, and squeeze. I forgot to “pick a spot”, oh no! But the reaction looks good! Looks like a hit! He wheels, runs 30 yards and stops. I am looking for an exit wound and don’t see one
Maybe a clean miss? Deflection on a twig? I don’t hear any coughing, no death gasp…this does not look good.Another ten minutes and I try and find my arrow. It is buried in the dirt, no blood, and covered in pink residue, a clean pass through. No foul odor. White hair everywhere. Grazed the belly? Low exit wound? I range my stand tree and it’s 22 yards. At this point I am hoping for a non-fatal hit. I figure I’ll check for blood just in case. 8 ft up the trail I find a few drops…
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Blood trail is just a drop or a few drops every foot or so. After about 50 feet it explodes. A huge pile of bright red blood, then 15 feet later another one. The big red drops are now every few inches like a leaky hose. Hurray! I get all my equipment and begin to trail in earnest, being about 45 mins since the shot.
Tons of blood. He heads into really thick cover after 140 yards, and I crawl another 160 yards into it. Then I hear a deer crashing ahead! Noooo! It must have been him, right? I should have waited! I know better… But there was so much blood - my excitement got the best of me.
Now, “the wait”. If I pick up the trail at 3:30 it will have been 6 hours since the shot. Maybe he’s already dead, maybe not. If I wait until morning I’m probably looking at a skeleton with how the coyotes are around here. The agony! Followed by worse agony…or maybe a celebration. We’ll see.
Tons of blood. He heads into really thick cover after 140 yards, and I crawl another 160 yards into it. Then I hear a deer crashing ahead! Noooo! It must have been him, right? I should have waited! I know better… But there was so much blood - my excitement got the best of me.
Now, “the wait”. If I pick up the trail at 3:30 it will have been 6 hours since the shot. Maybe he’s already dead, maybe not. If I wait until morning I’m probably looking at a skeleton with how the coyotes are around here. The agony! Followed by worse agony…or maybe a celebration. We’ll see.
Crossbowguy
Well-known member
oh man! good luck!
JShane
Well-known member
Hoping for the best for you on this one. Hang in there.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
First blood
Last blood
After waiting 2.5 more hours, I figured I would at least make my way to where I bumped the deer. Dried blood is a lot harder to spot than bright wet blood, and it took me 90 mins to trace the trail 70 yards. At one point he had made a hairpin turn, which led me in a few circles. I found a bed where he continued to leak, but the flow had slowed. The end of the trail is the second pic, where he bounded off. It looks like a decent amount of blood, but he had been standing in place for a while as the drip continued. What looks like bubbles on the leaves are actually little leaf parasite bumps. I spent another hour looking for a drop beyond this and found none. I tracked his footprints in the mud by overturning leaves for about 40 feet until it led into tall grass and then I lost it. I spent the last 90 mins of light walking every trail twice in the direction he ran and saw a whole lot of nothing.
My best guess is a low hit, across the ribs (red crosshairs). I make a habit of holding at the bottom of the vitals (black crosshairs) to account for jumping the string, and I don't think he ducked.
Sad that I was not able to find him, but the good news is that hopefully he will recover and be back to chasing does in couple of days. I plan to be back out Thursday and maybe the stars will align a second time.
Last blood
After waiting 2.5 more hours, I figured I would at least make my way to where I bumped the deer. Dried blood is a lot harder to spot than bright wet blood, and it took me 90 mins to trace the trail 70 yards. At one point he had made a hairpin turn, which led me in a few circles. I found a bed where he continued to leak, but the flow had slowed. The end of the trail is the second pic, where he bounded off. It looks like a decent amount of blood, but he had been standing in place for a while as the drip continued. What looks like bubbles on the leaves are actually little leaf parasite bumps. I spent another hour looking for a drop beyond this and found none. I tracked his footprints in the mud by overturning leaves for about 40 feet until it led into tall grass and then I lost it. I spent the last 90 mins of light walking every trail twice in the direction he ran and saw a whole lot of nothing.
My best guess is a low hit, across the ribs (red crosshairs). I make a habit of holding at the bottom of the vitals (black crosshairs) to account for jumping the string, and I don't think he ducked.
Sad that I was not able to find him, but the good news is that hopefully he will recover and be back to chasing does in couple of days. I plan to be back out Thursday and maybe the stars will align a second time.
MN_Bowhunter4
Well-known member
I had the same thing happen this year. Drew blood, and it petered out. Keep your head up!
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Arrived at the stand over an hour before sunrise and I disturbed deer that were already back in their bedding area. I had a 2-year-old buck cruise through at 40 yards and that was all. I ranged the place where I shot the buck on Monday and it was 27 yards rather than 22, which was the reading I got from the ground to the stand. It's even more clear why I hit him low, since I guessed 20 and was way off.
Mid-day I opted to still hunt, but this was largely fruitless as the wind changed to gusty and variable. I did make one blind stalk to 30 yards on this deer, which I thought might be a doe. It ended up being a yearling buck, so he was safe from me.
The wind for the evening favored my first stand which was light on sign the day I hunted it in October. When I got there it looked a little more promising as there were 2 new scrapes. It ended up being a productive sit with 4 does, 2 fawns, and 3 young bucks (got pics of 2 of them).
The last group to come in was a doe and her male and female twin fawns. It was windy and I didn't hear their approach so when I first saw them they were already in to 15 yards and about to cross at 10. They were off my right shoulder so I needed to reposition in order to get a shot, but with 3 sets of busy eyes I was pinned down. The doe began to enter my scent cone and she started acting suspicious. After a couple minutes she blew out, but for whatever reason the twins did not follow her. Now I was down to 2 sets of eyes, and the first chance they were both looking away I took my mittens off, stood and pivoted, drew back on the female and squeezed the trigger release. She kicked hard, ran 30 yards, and in less than 10 seconds let out the death gasp.
While field-dressing I discovered that the broadhead sliced through both lungs and a pulmonary vein, accounting for the rapid death. In IA it's illegal to leave the hide and bones on public land, so I just crammed the whole carcass in a game bag for the pack out, which worked surprisingly well since rigor mortis was just starting to set in. The rump is on the left, and the head on the right.
Mid-day I opted to still hunt, but this was largely fruitless as the wind changed to gusty and variable. I did make one blind stalk to 30 yards on this deer, which I thought might be a doe. It ended up being a yearling buck, so he was safe from me.
The wind for the evening favored my first stand which was light on sign the day I hunted it in October. When I got there it looked a little more promising as there were 2 new scrapes. It ended up being a productive sit with 4 does, 2 fawns, and 3 young bucks (got pics of 2 of them).
The last group to come in was a doe and her male and female twin fawns. It was windy and I didn't hear their approach so when I first saw them they were already in to 15 yards and about to cross at 10. They were off my right shoulder so I needed to reposition in order to get a shot, but with 3 sets of busy eyes I was pinned down. The doe began to enter my scent cone and she started acting suspicious. After a couple minutes she blew out, but for whatever reason the twins did not follow her. Now I was down to 2 sets of eyes, and the first chance they were both looking away I took my mittens off, stood and pivoted, drew back on the female and squeezed the trigger release. She kicked hard, ran 30 yards, and in less than 10 seconds let out the death gasp.
While field-dressing I discovered that the broadhead sliced through both lungs and a pulmonary vein, accounting for the rapid death. In IA it's illegal to leave the hide and bones on public land, so I just crammed the whole carcass in a game bag for the pack out, which worked surprisingly well since rigor mortis was just starting to set in. The rump is on the left, and the head on the right.
TheBenHoyle
Well-known member
Congrats!
Gellar
Well-known member
Have you asked a conservation officer this specifically? It does not say anything in the regulations about quartering and packing out an animal. It does say that dumping in a road ditch or on public property is subject to littering fines.
I talk to CO's almost weekly. I have just never asked to have that clarified. If I remember next time I see him I will get his opinion.
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