Vanish and FireTiger's 2019 Journal

Well, this weekend didn't quite work out like we'd hoped. FireTiger had a very good cow tag from the reissues list, and our friend's father had drawn it, too, so the plan was to meet up at their camp at have some fun. Unfortunately, an important appointment got rescheduled from Thursday to Saturday, so there's no way we're making that 6 hour drive to elk camp.

Instead, I'll be heading out solo looking for a turkey. I don't know when I'll arrive, but this will be my only time for this hunt this season, so I'm not going to be too picky, though there are enough turkeys around that I'm going to save half that time looking for a tom.
 
Well, this weekend was a bust. I had the car all packed and we even dropped it off along the highway so I wouldn't have to redrive 100 miles, but the Saturday appointment got complicated and I ended up having to stay home. Instead of saving me 100 miles of driving that day, we ADDED 100 miles since I had to drive it back home anyway. Oh well, that's life! Our buddy was able to get his dad his first elk ( cow ) on the original hunt plan, so yay for them!

In better news, I have all next week off for my dad and I to hunt whitetails in Nebraska. Dad wanted to try earlier as he's convinced the action was slower in the first week of November the last few times. I think he's just blowing out his spot hunting it every single time, so after a couple days they're not moving through there as often, but the scheduling works out such that I'll be able to take off the full amount of time for FireTiger's 4th season elk hunt.

We're going to be there before the corn is out and it will be pre-rut, so that will change my approach. No rut funnels this time. I'm planning on mixing it up, trying some open country spot and stalk, bedding areas and winter wheat.

Debating on what I want to be prepared for if I tag out the first half of the week. I could bring small game / duck equipment or even buy a second whitetail tag.
 
vanish said:
Well, this weekend was a bust. I had the car all packed and we even dropped it off along the highway so I wouldn't have to redrive 100 miles, but the Saturday appointment got complicated and I ended up having to stay home. Instead of saving me 100 miles of driving that day, we ADDED 100 miles since I had to drive it back home anyway. Oh well, that's life! Our buddy was able to get his dad his first elk ( cow ) on the original hunt plan, so yay for them!

In better news, I have all next week off for my dad and I to hunt whitetails in Nebraska. Dad wanted to try earlier as he's convinced the action was slower in the first week of November the last few times. I think he's just blowing out his spot hunting it every single time, so after a couple days they're not moving through there as often, but the scheduling works out such that I'll be able to take off the full amount of time for FireTiger's 4th season elk hunt.

We're going to be there before the corn is out and it will be pre-rut, so that will change my approach. No rut funnels this time. I'm planning on mixing it up, trying some open country spot and stalk, bedding areas and winter wheat.

Debating on what I want to be prepared for if I tag out the first half of the week. I could bring small game / duck equipment or even buy a second whitetail tag.
Click to expand...
Always smart to plan for tagging out early... ;)
 
TheBenHoyle said:
Always smart to plan for tagging out early... ;)
Click to expand...

I think it is a reasonable thing to consider when you have 9 days and multiple people. Last year I had 3 days after tagging out and invested them in being camp chef ( which I am anyway :D ), moving treestands for FireTiger and scouting for the future. It was time well spent, but I could have doubled up with scouting.
 
Gusts are breaking 40mph. Deer do not like it. Had to double the guy lines on the new tent. 6 does and 2 small bucks this morning.

Setting up a tree stand on the ridge where I saw the big buck last night. Not sure it's in "the zone" but I don't have other options for a stand. If nothing else, I should be able to see where the deer are moving through.
 
It felt like a tougher day with the insane winds, but deer numbers were similar with 25 does and 4 bucks today.

I had a mature buck that I thought was the big 10 from last night but he was missing his passenger side. I ran out of light with him and 2 does inside 60 yards. Not sure I could have shot unless they were inside 15 yards due to the wind.

Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be even worse. Haven't made up my mind how to approach the morning.
 
The wind finally reduced for the last hour last night and the deer came out. I had moved to a makeshift blind where I saw the half rack staging the night before. 26 does and 3 bucks. Had deer as close as 15 feet. At 720pm I heard some deliberate steps and thought this is my buck. I drew my bow as I saw brown coming through a Bush. Nope, great big doe.
 
The winds were finally reasonable this morning. Expectations were high. I tried a new spot near where I had seen the 2 big bucks the first day. Total bust, as no deer moved through, nor did I glass any!

I attempted to quietly move my tree stand down off the ridge and into the bottom area adjacent to where I've been hunting in the evening. That area is holding lots of deer and I'll concentrate on that from now on. I'll hunt it in the morning.

Back in the same blind as last night tonight.
 
A pretty good night. Wind calmed about 6pm and the deer made a heck of a racket coming out of bedding. Ended with 12 does and 3 bucks. A new 8 point with a broken tine, the big half rack from 2 nights ago and the forky from last night. All were at 55 yards and took the other trail. Dang. Too far to shoot at whitetails.

If my morning stand site is a bust, I've picked out a tree that will put me at 20 yards of both trails in the evening. It's slightly risky as does could walk behind me and maybe wind me, but it's time to move in for the kill. No risk with the bucks because they'd be dead before winding me.

No pics as I left my phone at camp.
 
The morning was a bust again. Felt great to be in a stand, tracks all around, but the turkeys I heard roost didn't even show. I had two does feed a bit at 1020am but that was it.

Pulled that setup. I'm going for broke on the evening spot. Put a tree stand up 20 yards from where they are coming out of the brush. Wind is just off enough I should be ok, but its gusty so I could lose the gamble. I've seen 7 different bucks in that spot, with 3 that are 3.5+ years old. I'm unsure if I have 1 more or 4 more days left (depends on external factors), so feeling a little bit of pressure. :D
 
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