Gun Week Start

I'm hunting solo at the start of the week and expecting some other hunters in a few days.  I've been spending morning and evenings hunting and mid-day on the computer. So far I've been seeing deer but no shooter bucks.

I've been spending mornings sitting against a tree and hoping to catch someone on the way to bed. 

It's been pretty nice out.

The first morning I had an encounter at 50 yards with a little 6 point.  Here's a video. The Stare Down

From the stands in the evening, I've been seeing does and young bucks. A video of some action.  Low Res Spike Fight

Here's a video of a spike convention that came by.  Spike Convention

Some of the travel routes are starting to be obvious now that the growing season is over.

This rub is blatant taunting.  It is immediately behind one of my cameras.

I checked cameras including this one that I moved from a licking branch to a scrape that was right beside it.

And it saw some activity.

From bucks and does.

And from an owl.

The owl was active at my other mock scrape too.

And a hawk during daylight.

There were some pretty good shots of the bobcat this week.

The usual coyote activity.

Synchronized doe twins.

Wish us luck for the balance of the week.  This what happens mid-day.  Dog Exercise

They Were Moving!

I didn't have much time but I got a couple sits in stand this weekend. The weather was cold and that might have been a factor.  When I arrived and looked out the window at 3:30, there were already does in the field.

I also bumped a spike on my way to the pond stand.

When I got to stand, I had does out almost immediately.  That was followed shortly by a shooter buck stepping out at 120 yards.

He chased these and other does around, left the field, came back, but never got within range.  At least there was a nice sunset. But it was windy and cold.

I consoled myself with elk fajitas.

In the morning, it was really cold and I saw five white tail flags on my way out to stand.  I couldn't stand sitting for long so I slow walked and checked cameras.

The brassica is holding up well and attracting a lot of attention.

I found this scrape right beside one of my hanging licking sticks.

I didn't have any bucks on that spot but I got 2500 photos of the stick blowing in the wind.  So I just turned it to look at the scrape.  We'll see what it shows next time.

Here's an example of the current action.  This was going on at the barn while I was out hunting.

Immediately following the doe was a buck on the chase.

I believe the temperature on this camera.

It was cold but I can't believe the temperature on this one.

During my walk, I bumped a second shooter buck. I was approaching a camera to change a card and he stepped out from the brush (at the X), took a couple hops down the treeline, and jumped back in the brush.

 Some of the cruisers looking for action.

This looks like a military formation.

This mock scrape continues to get attention.

Including from this owl.

The bobcat was around but no evidence of the baby.

The usual coyote activity.

Here's some of the hunt action from last week.

This turkey seems spoked by the cape buffalo.

And so was I.

It was a fun weekend but I wish we had movement like this week.