Rewind a bit over 2 weeks ago - I went back home and setup a stand, feeder and rice bran pile. Went back 5 days later to hunt a little blackpowder and do some more set up work. Got a bunch of pics off that cam, including the buck I posted elsewhere. The wife (who is awesome, btw) had the Federal holiday off today, so we made a quick trip (2 hr drive, one way) back to check cams, feeders and piles.
First stop, the cam that had netted 1,600 pics in 5 days. 0 pics. Didn't format the SD card correctly. Grrr.
Next stop, put out a test bran pile and cam. TBD here.
Third stop was the stand/feeder/bran pile we set up 9 days ago. Mixed bag. Some pics, mostly in the dark and not really hitting the bran. Pretty sure the cheap feeder hasn't been spinning. Not too worried as this is a potential travel corridor and there's shooting opportunities in rifle up to 600 yards (I'm not shooting that far or even in the ballpark, but could very well see deer even a few hundred yards further.) Historically, this deep draw has been a spot where bucks like to lock down doe that are hot. There was one pic of a six point that likely needs removed from the gene pool - standard 4 on the right side, 15" spike with a brow tine.
Last stop is a stand my dad and brother built a month ago. Trip 9 days ago, I put out four gallons of my own version of Chase's bran mix. I knew exactly where I put it, because it was just past the straightway at a "Y" they brushogged that weekend. There was zero sign to show where exactly the pile was before...which is not usual in my experience....there's usually at least a bit of residual. Anyway, put another 4 gallons out and went to check the feeder cam in the other direction across the lake/pond.
There were 261 30 second videos of the wind blowing real hard. One video at night showed a hawk landing on the top of the feeder. I didn't watch all 261, but that was the only vertebrate I saw on any of them.
Actually, the first stop was at my dad's stand to put up a feeder for him. Did that two weeks ago, but there was a short somewhere and it wouldn't work. Anyway, we took our 8 year old german shepard that loves deer camp, killing squirrels and generally being a country dog when he's given the chance. There was a big 'ol tire rut turned big mud puddle right next to where I stopped the Kubota. We'd let him out to roam a bit and as soon as he saw the puddle, he proceeded to...lay down in the middle of it.
I'm not sure what we really accomplished, but it was a frustrating, but fun day. Did see a mature buck birddoggin' a doe in the middle of a hay meadow about a mile east of the McDonald's on 412. It was obviously a short observation at 75 MPH, but I'd say she was most certainly hot, but not quite ready. Rut will peak within the next 5 days, IMO. That's before rifle, but that's a good thing probably.
Gonna go back Thursday night with my son after his basketball scrimmage and bow hunt Friday and Saturday morning and then get back to Stillwater for the Texas game.
And this completes "Storytelling with Jeff J." for this week.
This post was edited on 11/12 1:40 PM by Jeff J.
First stop, the cam that had netted 1,600 pics in 5 days. 0 pics. Didn't format the SD card correctly. Grrr.
Next stop, put out a test bran pile and cam. TBD here.
Third stop was the stand/feeder/bran pile we set up 9 days ago. Mixed bag. Some pics, mostly in the dark and not really hitting the bran. Pretty sure the cheap feeder hasn't been spinning. Not too worried as this is a potential travel corridor and there's shooting opportunities in rifle up to 600 yards (I'm not shooting that far or even in the ballpark, but could very well see deer even a few hundred yards further.) Historically, this deep draw has been a spot where bucks like to lock down doe that are hot. There was one pic of a six point that likely needs removed from the gene pool - standard 4 on the right side, 15" spike with a brow tine.
Last stop is a stand my dad and brother built a month ago. Trip 9 days ago, I put out four gallons of my own version of Chase's bran mix. I knew exactly where I put it, because it was just past the straightway at a "Y" they brushogged that weekend. There was zero sign to show where exactly the pile was before...which is not usual in my experience....there's usually at least a bit of residual. Anyway, put another 4 gallons out and went to check the feeder cam in the other direction across the lake/pond.
There were 261 30 second videos of the wind blowing real hard. One video at night showed a hawk landing on the top of the feeder. I didn't watch all 261, but that was the only vertebrate I saw on any of them.
Actually, the first stop was at my dad's stand to put up a feeder for him. Did that two weeks ago, but there was a short somewhere and it wouldn't work. Anyway, we took our 8 year old german shepard that loves deer camp, killing squirrels and generally being a country dog when he's given the chance. There was a big 'ol tire rut turned big mud puddle right next to where I stopped the Kubota. We'd let him out to roam a bit and as soon as he saw the puddle, he proceeded to...lay down in the middle of it.
I'm not sure what we really accomplished, but it was a frustrating, but fun day. Did see a mature buck birddoggin' a doe in the middle of a hay meadow about a mile east of the McDonald's on 412. It was obviously a short observation at 75 MPH, but I'd say she was most certainly hot, but not quite ready. Rut will peak within the next 5 days, IMO. That's before rifle, but that's a good thing probably.
Gonna go back Thursday night with my son after his basketball scrimmage and bow hunt Friday and Saturday morning and then get back to Stillwater for the Texas game.
And this completes "Storytelling with Jeff J." for this week.
This post was edited on 11/12 1:40 PM by Jeff J.
