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I am going to try and provide up to date posts about this archery season. Tonight was season opener, major storms coming in, flash flood watches/warnings…but you gotta go on opening day. Saw 11 does and fawns, one 2 year old buck, and I could hear some other deer at dusk. Had to get down a little early because of the storms. Day one is in the books.

10/2 Rain out

10/3 This evening saw the coldest day so far this summer/hunting season. After days of rain and warm temps, should be a good one. I sat a new farm tonight that I have never hunted before. I was hunting a bed to feed pattern with the main food source alfalfa. I hung a stand a month or so ago to take advantage of a north wind and a huge ditch crossing that paralleled the food source. On stand about 4:30, first deer was 5:20, a small buck. In the next 15 minutes I watched 6 total different bucks as part of a bachelor group pass by. At one point, I actually was at full draw on the last buck that I just couldn’t get a good look at until he came though an opening. I think he was a 3 year old with a very impressive 145″ish rack on his head. There were 2 each of 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 year old bucks, and 4 does and fawns. At quitting time a coyote chased off the deer…it was his last time chasing.

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10/4 I had east winds all day yesterday so I didn’t hunt, then toward evening the skies opened up again. No hunting.

10/5 It was a great night for hunting. Rain gave way to nice sun and a cool breeze. I sat a bottom ground blind with a nice steady west wind, overlooking Appin turnips. Saw two fawns early, then nothing until about 6:30 when I saw a bigger deer walking the edge of some soybeans about 300 yards away. I could only get glimpses through the tree leaves, but once in the clear for about 3 or 4 seconds I saw it was a mature buck…big shoulders, thick neck, big gut, small rear in proportion. I got a quick glimpse at his rack, wide maybe 18-20 inches, no idea how many points, and then he was gone. Never saw him again. Saw a little buck and a doe with a fawn at quitting. The bottom where I was hunting was tore up with rubs and scrapes and I had a camera there—but wouldn’t you know it the batteries were dead since 10/1. Menards cheapos!

10/6 Did some small spot scouting today on the home farm. I have some bottom ground with a small transition food plot in it where I hunted last night that has two treestands on it and one ground blind. It’s where I hunted last night. I had to do some small trimmings from one of the stands and I pulled the other…too close to the action and I feared deer could get down wind of me from that spot. So, that’s ready to go complete with new batteries in that cam. Sat the big ditch tonight on the other farm. Didn’t want to go back there but I wanted to hang a second stand in that tree so Amy could sit with me…or anyone else that happens to be in camp. Got the stand hung fairly quiet, with two small clanks but it was so quiet today that I didn’t like those clanks. Saw only a small buck and a doe…both were very nervous. I find deer are more nervous and jumpy on those nights when it is so quiet out you can hear your own heart beat. I prefer a breeze loud enough to hear the leaves. I have more stands I could be sitting with these winds but I’m letting them soak for now.

10/7 Went out with Amy tonight. Sat a ladder stand and hang on stand together on the north line fence here at the home farm. Saw a small yearling doe by herself (would’ve shot her but didn’t have the chance) and then one small buck near dusk. We tried a new entrance path through the neighbors cow pasture and the had to cross the fence near the stand…it was a success in that it definately is the way to go to sneak into that stand, but I should have tried it before tonight. We made too much noise crossing the fence and as quiet as it was it quite possibly could have alerted deer tonight. Good news is it will be ready the next time. Plan to put a wooden fold ladder over that fence so no more noise.

I have more stands I could be sitting. Amy was joking with me the other day about how many stands I have out. I’m letting them soak for now.

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10/8 Sat tonight in the ladder stand on the north line overlooking that mock scrape. Found a low spot in the fence allowing for quiet crossing. Saw a coyote early, then a doe with two fawns…one buck fawn. I would have gladly shot her to keep the buck fawn from displacing but she crossed the ditch and walked quickly through my transition plot out to the green soybeans. I could’ve stopped her but she was so close I was afraid to spook her off. I’ll get her another day. They all fed out quickly across the beans headed to my main brassica/soybean plot about 400 yards away. I’m able to hunt this stand repeatedly because I have great access from the north through a cow pasture and exit the same. All deer only stop for a brief moment to feed/scrape/ etc. in my transition plot then move on. No spooking deer on entrance, while on stand, and when I exit. The perfect stand allows for this. If you’re bumping deer going in, out, or while on stand—it’s not a good stand or your strategy getting in and out is pour. I’m hunting this spot a lot because I can, and I’m letting other spots soak until I have more confidence in killing a good buck out of them.

10/9 Stronger east winds tonight, storms coming in. Went out with thunder and rain..saw nothing! I may take a few days off from hunting, do some spot scouting, checking cameras, etc. and then hit it again in a couple/few days. Weather looks rainy the next couple days, then colder. I wouldn’t mind letting all my stands sit for a bit while I try to put a game plan together. Cameras DO NOT show everything that is going on, but at this point I do not have a good pattern on a single good buck. This is not unusual. Some years it seems easy this early, other years I just have to wait until bucks disperse a little better and really start scraping and working their home ranges a bit better. Also, with the late spring planting there is a ton of green beans still out there, lush alfalfa, standing corn. I have not seen any signs yet around me of the fall harvest starting.

10/14 Got back at it tonight after spending some time with family up in Wisconsin. Went back to the ladder stand on the north line, good SE wind which is perfect for that stand. Saw a doe with two nub bucks around 6, shot her right below the tree and watched her tip over about 50 yards away along the brassicas. If you are going to shoot a doe a great one to shoot is one with a buck fawn or two with her. A buck fawn that is orphaned has a 90% chance of staying in his current home range on your farm…if the doe is not shot, she will displace the buck fawn upwards of 90% of the time…a complete flip flop. Also, orphaned buck fawns are over twice as likely to live past their first year over buck fawns that get displaced by their mothers. Do a buck fawn a favor (and yourself) and shoot the does with buck fawns. A few minutes later…another doe, shot her below the tree within inches of the other doe and she also died about 50 yards away just inside the beans. That stand will pay off any time I have a south wind. When the bucks start cruising and moving better it’s gonna be a great spot for a good buck as well.

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10/15 Sat a stand good for a north wind last night. The winds were brisk and cold, should have been a good night. Saw only one 2.5 year old buck. Right now, my two best farms I can’t hunt because I have hunters coming in on those farms in the next few weeks. My home farm is good, but unless there is a buck on it with a bed to feed pattern, I won’t kill a good buck on it until later in October or into November. Another farm I have access to is also a great farm but access isn’t the best. Great hunting is coming.

10/16 Got a late start tonight, had to finish up some electrical work on the new shop. Sat a new stand that allowed me to overlook some alfalfa. Deer movement was late, saw 3 does and 1 two year old buck. Most of my green plots are starting to turn yellow, in fact they have been for a few weeks. It seems almost impossible, but since my fall green plots went in we’ve had almost 20 inches of rain. Green plots need nitrogen…I put down plenty of coated Urea at planting, but 20 inches of rain took care of that!

It is now mid-October. Every year through summer and early fall I struggle to get pictures of mature bucks and even bucks in general. This might sound weird, but this is kind of by design. The habitat and plots I put in are suited and designed for fall. I don’t care what happens during summer and very early fall. I pulled cards today from 3 cameras on two different farms—out of 13 cameras I have on 4 farms. All 3 cameras showed new bucks I’ve never seen, with 5 new mature bucks hitting my mock scrapes. Unfortunately nothing with huge antlers, but for me I don’t really care about head gear…I like to hunt mature bucks regardless of antler size.

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10/17 Hunted tonight with a quiet SE wind. Saw a buck fawn (no doubt one I orphaned) and a small buck. I plan to take a few days off from hunting. I want to finish some stuff on my shop and get a few more things done around home. It is also supposed to be pretty warm the next few days, good time to let the farms soak a bit. The earliest I have personally witnessed a hot doe being courted by a mature buck is October 19th. It was a decade ago (maybe more) but it was the final bit of evidence I needed to solidify my theory that a mature buck will start his rut with massive day time movement, spending time outside his core, seeking other hot does, and making mistakes. Since then, I’ve seen farms spike with buck rut activity early like that year, normally around the end of October, or late….all dependent on when that first doe came into heat. Your farm will spike with buck rut activity, especially mature buck rut activity after that first hot doe…it’s time to start watching for it. We have some good hunting coming!

Want to hear more about timing the rut? Listen to my podcast about the subject by clicking the link below.
https://sportsmensnation.com/podcasts/when-to-hunt-the-rut

10/21 With a big front moving in, I decided to get back at it tonight. Heavy winds..which sometimes can be good hunting, but then it rained fairly hard. Saw 2 does with fawns and saw the orphaned buck fawns tonight. I wanted to comment about getting bucks or not getting bucks on your cameras. So many hunters get overly discouraged when they don’t pick up mature bucks or bucks they were hoping to show up from last year. It is not a realistic expectation to think that you will always get all the bucks that happen to have their home ranges on your property for much of or part of the year. There are strategies you can do to maximize the chances, but almost every year since I’ve been hunting mature deer while also running cameras I have seen bucks that I don’t have pictures of. In fact, two of the biggest bucks I’ve ever hunted never even showed up on cameras. One I killed and the other I saw in late November…once, and then never again. Neither buck was ever caught on my many game cameras in their last year, yet I thought they might still be alive because of the history I had with those deer. There are and will be bucks that you never get a picture of!

10/22 Saw my first mature buck of the year…a heavy short tined 9 point at about 5 pm tonight. It was in thick cover and never got any closer than 45 yards. I have pictures of him…will be fun to keep hunting this guy.

10/23 Was another beautiful night for archery hunting. Evening started off about 62 degrees with warm SW winds…but shortly after getting on stand and as predicted, the winds switched to the NW and dropped temps by nearly 15 degrees by quitting time. Textbook weather for a great night—saw nothing except those two same orphaned buck fawns. They sure do get around! Hunting will only get better and better from here on out.

10/24 What a great night of hunting. I saw 15-20 deer…couldn’t keep track. 4 bucks and one shooter, it was the same mature heavy but short tined 8 I saw the other day. He was out cruising at 5:30 this afternoon.

My first hunter was in camp tonight and hunted the cabin farm, had a great encounter with a super great 10 point that has been on that farm his whole life. Almost got a shot but the buck wouldn’t commit to coming out any further. What a great first night. Tomorrow starts morning hunting!

10/25 First morning sit today. I take great pride in planning out entrance and exit routes. Not that it never happens, but I usually don’t bump deer going in or out, it’s one of the most important things for me. Well, on the way in this morning I bumped two what seemed to be small deer…no doubt the orphaned buck fawns I thought. I let them get out and proceeded on. A few more deer busted out, then more, then snorting, then more deer. All told, I must have busted out a dozen deer? I was so disgusted. What was going on? There was no reason for deer to be where they were. Far from main food, far from bedding, and in a transition area that should be void of deer before sun up. As I got up in my stand I heard the reason why…the entire valley lit up with coyotes, then the hillside across from me lit up with coyotes, then behind me in the neighbors corn. The entire valley was covered in coyotes. No doubt they had pushed those deer around until they finally holed up right by my stand. The morning sit was a bust. I finally did see one 2 year old buck chaising a doe at 10am.

Tonight was a different story. I have superior entrance and exit to this north line ladder stand I’ve been pounding. With the access I have, I can literally hunt this stand over and over and never bust deer. I was texting my nephew around 5:30 (about hunting stuff) when I heard scraping on the ground…I looked up and there was this super nice buck working a scrape about 80 yards away…facing me. He had come up from a ditch crossing and was right in that scrape. I have one half picture of him. He’s a nice buck, but after watching for a bit I really think he might be 3 years old. A great rack, but I don’t want to shoot a 3 year old. As I was watching him, I saw another big deer just beyond in the soybeans. Binoculars up…oh yeah…it’s that big old 8 point I’ve been seeing. Now he’s at least 4. He’s got a huge bare patch on his back. I’ll call him Scar Back from now on. He was making his way my way but at about 200 yards he turned left and was out of sight. I swear he’s tormenting me. I pulled cards on the scrape in front of me and he was on it the morning of 10/24 right in front of my ladder stand. That was the night! Great night to be in the timber.

10/26 Morning…saw Scar Back again. At 8, he came out across the valley from me and stood. I knew instantly it was him, you can see the bare patch on his back. He trotted across the valley and headed into some timber right behind my house. I could watch him the whole way. So…good thing is I was only guessing where he’s been bedding, seeing him always come from the east but never sure of his origins. This morning I was sure. He is using a small patch of timber about 4-5 acres in size behind the house. AWESOME. I can now try to cut him off as he heads west in the evening. In only a few days though I fear that pattern will be blown as soon as the first doe pops. I pulled cards on one camera where that 3 year old trotted past last night. If you look hard, you can see me in the background just over the bucks rear.

10/26 Evening, saw a doe with a fawn (button buck, she’s lucky I didn’t have another doe tag for this county) and then one more doe.

10/27 Morning hunt. I sat a stand on the back side of a great ditch crossing. This crossing has not had much action this year. The trail leading to it is scarce, and during my observation sits I have yet to see a deer use the crossing. I got skunked during the morning hunt and took a quick poke over to that trail and crossing that should be there. The trail was faint, but upon coming to the edge of the crossing I saw why…a damn shiny helium balloon had landed right smack dab in the middle of the crossing…blowing around in the wind, creating noise, and I’m sure pissing off every deer that would have used that crossing. You literally have no chance in controlling that right!!! The balloon is gone but it might be too late for that spot.

A little editorial. Each year, bucks will stay in their summer home ranges in bachelor groups well into fall. These home ranges typically have great summer food and open high canopy timber. When fall comes, their groups break up and typically mature bucks will seek out their fall range, still in their overall home range but just in a different location. The fall range will have great fall food, great fall bedding with tons of side cover and daytime woody browse. Much thicker and more reclusive than the summer range. Many times a mature bucks bedding during the fall is isolated from other deer. That’s what I’ve been chasing with old Scar Back. Here’s the problem or challenge…by the time bucks disperse into these fall ranges it can be mid-October. By the time you figure them out it can be another few days or even week or two. As October wears on and a mature buck’s testosterone levels rise and rise, he will leave his bed earlier each evening and get back a little later. It’s why late October is a super great time to pattern and kill a great mature buck. What you have no control over is what is happening with the does at the same time. At the same time a buck’s testosterone level is rising, the girls are getting closer and closer to coming into heat. As daylight gets less and less, does will get closer and closer to coming into heat. When a doe comes into heat, and it coincides with that buck’s new fall range that you finally figured out…well that pattern is now busted. He will now start his full blown buck rut of chasing and cruising…seeking out any hot doe he can find. If you’re still hunting that bed to feed pattern, your going to have some long empty sits! It’s why the first hot doe on your farm really triggers when the bucks will start their “rut” and go all nuts. I won’t know when that will start for Scar Back until I see it or see other evidence the does are in heat. We are close to having that first hot doe!!!

10/27 Evening sit. Only a doe with two fawns. Then at quitting a little buck. Got word from the hunter at the cabin farm that he saw the big 10 again tonight but no shot. Keeping at it!

10/28 If you’re following along, I sat a fence row this morning with a perfect view of my entire valley. Any deer using the valley to get back to bedding I will see. My goal was to see Scar Back a second time making his way back to bedding in hopes I could set up an ambush position by tucking behind some brush or stump…you name it. Well, no Scar Back. This is the bad part…no information is not helpful. I cannot assume because I didn’t see him that he didn’t use the valley and bed where I think he is bedding…all I know is that he didn’t cross that valley from sun up until 9am. He may have made his way back to bed before sun up. He may have used a different route besides my valley (not likely). Or, he spent the night and morning with a lady friend that he likes more than me…good chance. There is simply no way to tell except experience and time of year. I would say 50% he came through in the dark, 5% he used a totally different travel pattern, and 45% he’s started his rut with the first does coming into heat. It’s that time of year.

Tonight was a nice cool northern breeze but soon after it started raining hard then turned to very wet snow. Saw a few small bucks chasing some fawns and does early on…got down early due to the weather.

10/29 By all accounts, today should have been a great day for hunting. Sat this morning and saw chasing by a couple small bucks. A few does and fawns were on the receiving end. Tonight, I saw nothing until just before quitting time, then saw 3 adult does together and nothing else. It’s been surprisingly slow the last couple days. I glassed some cut corn tonight on my walk out and saw about a dozen deer feeding on the corn with no chasing that I could tell. I wish I had more to tell.

It’s this time of year when a lot of hunters that have been hitting it hard will start to shows signs of hunter fatigue…you know, getting up a little later in the morning, cutting corners with entrance and exit routes. Getting sloppy. Don’t fall into it. Now is the time above all to make sure you are doing everything right.

10/30 So, today was very cold and windy with blowing snow for tonight. I sat observation again this morning and did not see anything noteworthy. Tonight I sat my best spot on the home farm, the spot tainted by the metallic helium balloon, and saw one fawn. I fear that helium balloon might have messed up that spot and I didn’t find the issue early enough. It’s not like that balloon landed there and was laying on the ground. No…it was hung up by the rope on a branch right over the ditch crossing and right at a deer’s eye level. It was like something you would do to keep deer away, and the sign shows. But, good news on the Scar Back search. Remember my sits on morning observation, and I said most likely he was coming through before sun up, well I relocated a couple cameras and picked him up at a fence jump two mornings just at sun up. Problem is where he is crossing there are no trees. I would have to put in a ground blind and it would be risky that I could do it without bumbling the area. I’m still devising a plan but I don’t have much time!

10/31 Halloween was a good day to be in the timber. All told, I saw about 20 deer today with a bunch of chasing. No mature bucks but I did put a plan in place to try and take Scar Back…yes I’m still after him. After my morning hunt the other day, I checked a camera I relocated along a fence jump and old Scar was on it several days in a row right at dawn jumping the fence at that crossing. Only in the morning, and right at dawn. This crossing is about 1/2 mile from where I was doing my morning observation sits…the reason I wasn’t seeing him was because he was back in bed before light. Just what I had thought. I put in a blind today and brushed it in…I need a north morning wind, and if he shows again, I may get a shot.

11/1 Sat a new stand this morning. It was a long walk in. I packed my clothes in but apparently either went too fast or wore too much because I perspired just enough to freeze me out by 10am. Only saw two fawns but the spot seemed like a good spot. There was a box elder tree had fallen on the stand so it took some effort and noise to remove. This stand was inspected in August…but you can’t control mother nature. Tonight, I went out with the intentions of sitting a ground blind on soybeans, but when I was going in the wind switched, then switched again..then again. It was variable winds and then started to rain. Because of the winds, I didn’t hunt tonight.

11/2 So let’s go back to last night, the evening of 11/1. My son Forest and his girlfriend Jessica were coming into hunting camp from Wisconsin. My wife had spent some time in Wisconsin with friends and family while I stayed in Iowa. She was headed back to Iowa with them. This is only significant for this blog because upon driving down our road at 9PM last night, they saw 4 bucks, two mature ones courting what seemed like a hot doe. One of the bucks after further discussion and analysis was definitely old Scar Back with another mature buck and two smaller ones. My fear came true…I was not able to get on that buck before does started coming into heat. This morning, we sat the ground blind I installed for old Scar and he didn’t show, predictably so as he is now off to the chases!

Also yesterday, my good neighbor called and said I should try hunting her cow pasture farm. I have been on that farm but never with an eye for hunting it. I love hunting new pieces so even though I had no experience on it, and it was a little late in the season I jumped at the possibilities. We did some quick scouting and then went back this afternoon to pull a hang and hunt. Two stands in one thorny honey locust…no deer. The farm looks to have great potential, many trails leading to the alfalfa field we were on. Scrapes. Rubs. Big Rubs. But, the alfalfa is past it’s prime having seen some heavy frosts and the combines are going nuts right now…there is cut corn all over and deer love fresh cut corn. I fear we are too late for the alfalfa set and the rest of that farm is pasture. Still a fun night. I will probably sit it one more time if we get a warmer night and the wind is right…just to make sure.

11/3 This morning I sat with Forest on my north fence line overlooking soybeans and brassicas. We saw several does and fawns begin harassed by one or two small bucks. Not much else. All the action was fairly early.

Tonight was interesting. I decided that my neighbors alfalfa was too good…that last night was just a bad fluke. We had made some noise yesterday doing the hang and hunt, plus while scouting we may have wind bumped some deer. So I decided that I should give it another shot. I was using a decoy set upwind of my location in hopes any good buck entering the 20 acre alfalfa would come to the decoy in defiance. The stage was set. Only there is something going on literally behind me. About 100 yards behind me I catch movement…here I see another hunter in full top of the line gear, entering a ladder stand. I was slightly embarrassed having assumed he was watching me set up the decoy and getting into my stand. But he was moving around. Maybe I got there first. Then he got down from the stand and was walking around…back and forth. Then back up again. OK, this is weird I thought. I settled in and around 4, I saw a doe come over the hill straight in front of me with a 3 year old nice buck. She was clearly in heat. They ate near each other on the alfalfa…then the hunter behind me starts grunting very loudly in an effort to call in the deer. It was loud, long, deep grunting—like you never hear for real in the woods. They spooked and ran. Then a little 4 point came out, circled my decoy and actually tried mounting it several times crashing it to the ground. He spooked to about 100 yards after crashing the decoy…then more loud grunting from the hunter-again-spooking the 4 pointer off the field. At 5, a nice 2 year old 8 came into the field…was loudly grunted at, and he spooked. All deer came from the cow pasture, the open cow pasture you would never expect them to come from. The brushy draw behind me which should have been the best bedding, was void of deer. Then, well before the night ends—the hunter gets down and leaves. I now know why we saw nothing yesterday and the deer are not where they are supposed to be on that farm! Apparently this professional hunter look a like, with all the latest gear, complete with the mega-dominant-mad-grunter call has no idea how to sit still and be quiet.

11/4 I didn’t go hunting this morning. Truth is I was tired and sore, my back hurt, and I needed a morning off to get some stuff done around home. One of my food plot tractors caught a piece of steal in a rear tire late August and sliced it open…so I worked on it today. The rim is badly rusted from being ballast filled, so I have some welding and fixing on the rim along with a new tire to get that tractor ready for spring. I know, it’s an excuse but at least I got something done while not hunting.

Tonight Amy and I sat out on the neighbor’s alfalfa. (By the way, this farm is about 6 miles from home, not right here). Using the decoy again. At about quarter to 5, a solid mature main frame 10 with some stickers came out to our north. He was in a dip in the field so didn’t see the decoy. We watched with patience as he ate and made his way kiddie-corner to us heading for the opposite corner of the field. Once he crested a small rise he saw the decoy. We thought for sure he was ours…but he didn’t like it. He got nervous and showed signs of major subordination to this decoy. My guess is, he’s been in a fight or two and didn’t end up on the winning end? That’s just a guess. But without spooking he trotted off the same direction he was heading slowing to a walk as he left the field. That was all. You often second guess actions while on stand. If no decoy would I have gotten a shot? Doubt it as he was too far off. Could I have grunted him in without the decoy? Should I have grunted before he saw the decoy? Bottom line is if I had to do it all over again I would do the same. Experience tells me that the best way to take a mature buck this time of year on a huge field like this is to use a buck decoy and be patient and calm. A great night though!

11/5 Morning hunt…I sat the alfalfa on the neighbors with the decoy again. Beautiful morning. Before I got further, I know hunting the same stands over and over is not a great idea, but I’m doing it with purpose because I am trying to learn my home farm and now the neighbor’s where I have permission. I realize I may be overhunting, but it is all in preparation for future hunts and years. I still have great stands soaking and I am going to stand hunting those very soon. Anyhow, I saw that same shooter Amy and I saw the other night. This time he was coming from what seemed to be food to bed, and when he traveled the draw behind me on the neighbor’s (where the professional hunter was grunting with his mega buck grunter) he took a big loop exactly around where that other hunter has his stand. I watched the whole thing unfold. It was funny how he was working the draw, then jutted out around that stand, then continued down the draw when he got by. That hunter has no clue what is going on, those deer have him pegged! I saw one other deer but he/she busted me when I turned or moved or something and I heard it take off before I got a look. No idea what it was.

Tonight I sat a great stand on my cabin farm. This farm always produces—always. My goal was a doe since I need to shoot about 6 does on that farm and the bow hunter (my outfitted hunt) on that farm is now gone. I got skunked. I will spend some time on that farm in the next week or so and an adjoining neighbors farm over there. Doe harvests on my farm and maybe a buck on the neighbor’s. I’ve owned that farm for 7 years and honestly I have not killed enough does on it. I need to make that a priority.

11/6 Today was another great to be hunting whitetails. I sat a favorite stand of mine this morning and saw three bucks and one doe. One buck was a young ten point with a super rack, maybe about 140 inches if you were counting. Could have shot all three bucks but not the doe…go figure. Tonight I sat a great spot I will only usually sit a few times a year, if that. It is a small interior plot adjacent to great bedding. I had deer around me all afternoon and night. Saw maybe 6-8 does and fawns and three bucks, no shooters. I want to shoot does, and could have but not in this spot.

My first hunter on my new farm in Ringgold County started hunting today. That farm is ripped up and has been soaking all season so far. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he shot a great buck the first night…tonight. We’ll see? The target buck on that farm is a giant mature 8. Hope he see’s or gets him! Update tomorrow.

If you’ve been following this blog I haven’t talked about all the bucks that are potential shooters. Any one of them (or one that I don’t know about) may show up. At some point I’ll have to update the pictures section of the site. But until then, suffice it to say there are some great bucks running around!

11/7 This blog is about what I have personally been experiencing this season. However, one of my hunters killed a mega giant last night. Here is the story. https://www.fullpotentialoutdoors.com/2019/11/07/mega-giant/

This morning I saw one yearling, one each of 2 and 3 year old. And then there was Scar Back. I got a later start and when I was layering up in the stand old Scar Back got in on me and busted me. It wasn’t a hard bust…he just saw some movement right when I saw him and he didn’t like it. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten a shot anyhow as he was coming right when I saw him and he saw me. Who knows what would’ve transpired but I’ll never know now right. Tonight, I sat a great spot at my cabin farm. I got in around 2 after helping Mark get his deer. Right away, I saw a buck chasing a doe but didn’t know how big. It wasn’t the classic chase where she doesn’t want to be caught, but the flirty chase like if you catch me….Quickly and with desperation I grunted a couple…I set the call down and he was already coming in. I grabbed the bow but he was already on top of me…I could hardly believe it was another mega giant. A huge bodied old buck, maybe 7 or 8 years old. I recognized him immediately from past years. His eyes sunken, blood shot, circled by white/gray hair. His ribs starting to look skinny. He’s a mega giant past his prime. This year, he sports a 7 point rack with large bases but spindly looking beams and tines. Just over his prime he was still highest on my list of bucks. He caught me off guard and I never got a shot. Dang it! The rest of the day I saw 4 more bucks, 2 of which were pope and young sized adolescents and a hand full of does and fawns. That stand is awesome. OK…I saw 8 bucks today. Out of all 8 none had a hot doe except which one? The mega giant!

11/8 Sat the home farm this morning. Did not prepare for the cold that we have and froze out by 9. Saw three bucks, no shooters. I got warmed up and headed right back out and was in a blind overlooking soybeans, brassicas, and more soybeans. I could see about 400 yards in one direction looking at a draw and soybeans, and I could see another 200 yards in the other direction, over looking another draw and soybeans. The blind is situated between these plots where there is a ditch crossing and fence opening. From 11:30 until quitting time I saw one unknown deer I caught a glimpse of in one of the draws. The timber to my west I have seen many deer in the past two nights, I wanted to see where they were going on their evening pattern. None of those deer were going west or I would have seen them—or they are simply not leaving the timber until after dark. My guess is the does and fawns are not leaving the timber because they are being harassed by bucks…just a hunch. Tomorrow I need the cold weather gear. I hate cold weather gear because I can’t move good and I need to pack it all in, but I can’t freeze like I did this morning.

11/9 Sat a ladder stand on the downwind side of bedding Alllllll Dayyyyy today. Never got down. Saw 4 little bucks cruising this morning…then nothing between 11 and 4. At 4 I saw a couple of those same little bucks and another 2 year old chasing a doe around. That’s it. This is the time of the season where action is just really hit and miss. Bed to feed patterns are busted. You just need to put in your time. Most mature bucks will have a hot doe, so you either need to get lucky with her coming by, or get him in between does. In another ten days or so hunting might actually get easier again? We’ll see. I plan to take a few mornings off from hunting. I have some things to get done around the house and I have the January issue article for Iowa Sportsmen Magazine due that I haven’t started yet. I’ll keep hunting evenings.

11/10 Started and finished my article so I got that accomplished today. But, sat out tonight and saw a fawn and one doe being chased. I could watch an entire bottom, standing beans, travel to corn…nothing moving. This is typical for this time of year but I just don’t have a good setup for an evening sit with a strong NE wind other than where I was at. I will wait this out and in a few days, maybe by the 15th or so they will once again be moving outside the timber. All mature bucks are with hot does, you might get one between does but that is a game of luck really–and persistence I guess. The next few mornings will be bitter cold. I might just sit them out? There was a time when I would pride myself on hunting the coldest days of the season…not anymore as I would feel terrible putting a bad shot on a deer being bundled up as much as I would have to be to stand that type of weather. Maybe that’s just an excuse, but it’s reality as well. Calling for temps in the single digits, which isn’t too bad by itself, but add in 15-20 mph winds and it will cut through you in no time.

11/11 Took the morning hunt off as planned. Very windy and cold. Sat a stand perfect for tonight’s NW wind. Cold weather gear as much as possible for archery hunting. Saw one doe and a buck fawn…did my best to shoot the doe (always, always target does with buck fawns) but I couldn’t get a shot off. Had her at 20 yards too but couldn’t get drawn. Saw a handful of other does and fawns feeding out to soybeans but as soon as they got out of the timber they were targeted and chased off by a two year old 8 point. This to me is very typical during this time of year. Deer are mostly in the timber during peak breeding. In a few days hunting will get better I’m sure. I looked at my log from last year and I had great hunting from about 11/19 or so on. Only three hours on stand tonight and upon getting down I was thoroughly chilled. The cold wind cut my face all night and burned the lungs walking my 3/4 mile out at quitting time. It was windy and about 16 degrees at quitting time.

My crazy neighbor (and friend) came over for coffee today. I think he’s crazy for working all the time…he thinks I’m crazy for sitting in a tree waiting for deer—they just don’t get us hunters do they!

11/12 Took the morning off again. Went to town to see what I could pick up for colder weather gear. Mine just is not cutting it. Toe and hand warmers! New insulated gloves…all I was using were knit gloves. And I was wanting a wool wind type breaker that my son has only when I saw them and tried them on, the arms were too tight. Not planning on it, but I bought a wind breaking set of coveralls? Seemed warm, quiet, fit nice. What the heck…(and cheap!)

Sat tonight in a stand perfect for the cold south wind we had. Mission was a doe and it was a good place to kill one, short drag to the truck/cabin and not in an area I would be worried about bumbling. Saw one great 10 point but it was not mature, probably a 3 year old. Great buck, beautiful deer. Then, saw one doe at 4 but she never came in. I think she was getting bumped around by that 10 point. The good news is my new economy class coveralls, hand warmers, and gloves were a success! Was on stand a little over 3 hours with little sun, constant winds, and temps in the lower teens.

11/13 Saw a three year old and a two year old buck hunting tonight. Both were without does and there were no does in sight. That 2 year old I’ve seen several times and he’s never had a doe, he’s chased them but he’s never actually been with a hot doe. Tonight when I saw him he looked extremely exhausted. He looked like he’s been getting his ass kicked every day for the past month. I’m sure he’s been running and chasing and trying to get a doe, but he is not a dominant buck by any means. However, as more and more does come into heat right now, there is actually a good chance he’ll get one here soon. That 3 year old 10 pointer is a buck I have pictures of and immediately recognized. Beautiful buck, just not mature. He too was out looking but seemed to have more energy than that younger buck. Still on a doe mission on that farm but they aren’t coming out yet. Soon!

11/14 Sat the fence jump blind at the home farm this morning. Saw 4-5 bucks and the same number of does and fawns. At about 7:30 a nice buck walked the edge of a corn field/fence line to my north about 400 yards away. Did some scraping and worked a licking branch…he then walked the edge further and jumped the fence onto my cut beans. He then made his way all the way through my bottom ground and then veered toward me. I lost him in a waterway and when he reapeared he was about 80 or so yards away walking south. Out of range, but close, I got to watch him with my optics for a good bit. He’s a really nice 10 point, mature 4 or 5 year old animal. One busted brow tine. A super buck but out of range. I have a few pics of this guy but nothing during daylight…until I pulled a card on the loan camera I have on the home farm. He’s now on my farm quite a bit and during daytime. Scar Back was on the pull too so I have some hope here at home.

Tonight, I sat the cabin farm on a doe mission. I can’t or really shouldn’t shoot a buck over there because there is a muzzleloader hunter coming in. There is one buck however that I would shoot over there…it is this mega giant mature 7 point. He’s old, maybe 7 or 8 or older. I’ve been watching him as long as I can remember on that farm and would like to kill him. Most hunters won’t target a buck like this because he doesn’t “score” well. I don’t care all that much about score if the buck is an old legend like this guy. Anyhow, I saw him tonight along with a couple does and 3 smaller bucks. Nothing in range. There is a really big 10 point on that farm that I hope the muzzy hunter gets a crack at. I’ve been watching him for a few years too but he is in his prime at 4 years old.

11/15 So, as I’ve said on this blog, it seems like bucks have been tied up with does and any day there should be better hunting. I’ve sensed that it has been getting better the past couple days having seen mature bucks with every sit out looking for the next available doe in between does they’ve already bred. Even though this is peak breeding right now, with every passing day there are fewer does left to get breed…making mature buck hunting this later part of November and even into early December a great time to kill a mature deer. Many hunters never get to experience this because in states like Minnesota or Wisconsin (there are probably others) the gun seasons open up and that pressure subdues rutting activity. This has been my experience. I’m only bringing this up because if you are from one of those state with November gun seasons you’ll understand why you don’t experience this great later rutting which can be awesome.

Sat a ladder stand on the north line on the home farm this morning. Saw several younger bucks, one nice 3 year old, and then about 8 or so a big bodied mature buck made his way toward me from my bottom ground. With the morning sun shining directly on me, I felt I couldn’t hardly breathe or he’d see me. He cruised up a draw near my stand but out of range. Then he headed back east toward the cover behind my house. I was convinced he would bed there until the evening. I recognized this buck immediately as one I had pictures of recently…a broad shouldered massive buck probably 5 years old. I left the woods with a plan for tonight’s hunt!

11/15 Evening Hunt. So, going into this evening I’ve seen at least 4 mature bucks that I could identify on the home farm. But, because of a little bad luck (helium balloon incident) and going all in early on Scar Back, I haven’t had much luck getting in range of any. If I find myself using rattling, grunting, or even a decoy that generally means my off-season work was either inadequate or I was off a little. I think generally it was the latter this year as few deer were getting downwind, access was great, but the sets were just a bit off. My plan was simply this, to set up the decoy right in my mock scrape below the north line ladder stand. Amy wanted to sit out tonight with me and this was perfect because that set is double hung. The goal, see the big mature buck from this morning…or any mature buck…and if they saw the decoy they would commit and come in. Unfortunately, the mature deer I had been seeing so far were always out of range. Sometimes close, but I needed a few extra yards. The decoy would supply this coaxing!

We got in about 2:30. Access from the north through the neighbor’s cow pasture. I carried in the buck decoy, Amy packed my bow in. I set the decoy right in the mock scrape and we sat back and watched. All night, we saw buck after buck cruising, chasing does and fawns, more cruising, but nothing big. Around 4, with the sun still above the horizon, I spotted the bruiser from this morning leaving his bedding area behind our house and headed our way. He got to my bottom ground, worked a scrape, and then veered into my bottom draw. He didn’t see the damn decoy! The rolling terrain blocked his view. Amy saw another nice buck in the same draw but couldn’t tell really what it was. It was thick, hard to see in there especially with the sun at it’s current angle. 10 minutes passed and the big bruiser stepped back out this time seeing the decoy. Immediately he tore into a tree, alternating between scraping violently and rubbing the licking branch. This went on for 10 minutes or so….just commit I kept thinking…and then he did. On a line, he came our way. Amy don’t move I kept saying, Tom don’t move she kept saying…it was tense. Like they always do when you decoy, at about 50 yards his ears went back, hair raised, sideways walking to push the intruder out. At 30 yards, well in range but quartering to me, I needed him to turn…he did!

This blog will continue as I have another land owner tag I can purchase for archery season. I will be sleeping in tomorrow however!

11/16 Purchased my landowner tag this morning. Was able to get on stand about 2 PM after helping a neighbor with their corn bin dryer fan. (Control fuse was blown on the start/stop circuit to the motor starter, that’s my old electrical side kicking in) Saw maybe a dozen does and fawns and two smaller bucks. Most of the deer were long range viewing. Will get back at it tomorrow.

11/17 Didn’t hunt the morning because we cut my deer up. Interesting to note…Amy was cutting up both front quarters while I was cutting out the loins, neck roast, and getting the hinds ready. When she started the second front leg, she found what looked like a piece of metal? We looked it over and it almost looked like a lead fragment from a bullet. With a little more cutting she actually began to see a bunch of small fragments in the shoulder and meat. It was in fact pieces of lead from a previous bullet wound. We found no evidence at all upon skinning the animal that it had been shot so it had to be old/older. Because by then the meat had already been intermixed with the other front leg, we had no choice but to throw out all the meat from the front shoulders. If not, there would have been well over 100 pounds of total meat on that deer.

Sat the cabin farm tonight on a doe mission or the mega 7 point. Saw 7 bucks, mostly 1 and 2 year olds and then we did in fact see the mega 7 come out of some tall warm season grasses, cross a soybean plot, and go into the timber. He never came back out that we saw. Also saw a doe with two fawns but no shot.

11/18 Sat this morning at the home farm in the north line fence stand. Saw 3 small bucks and 7 does and fawns. 4 Adult does got down wind of me in the pasture and busted me. First time this year anything got down wind of me in that stand…probably because the cows are not on pasture anymore?

Sat tonight in a stand I call East Boot at the cabin farm. It’s situated east of an interior plot and in between two soybean plots. Directly in front of the stand is a small brassica plot. Basically, everything to the west of the stand is food or cover. There is a very thick draw and ditch that the stand is located in and I made a ditch crossing at 28 yards to the west of the stand. Perfect setup because with any westerly wind (we had SW tonight) all the deer are upwind and in front of you. Didn’t see a single deer until about 5 then all hell broke loose. Two bucks chased a doe to my north, deer started piling into the beans to my south, a couple smaller bucks chasing does in and out of the timber. A mature 8 point came out of the timber directly in front of me and gave me a shot, but I passed. I recognized the buck. He’s a 4 year old with good mass and the beams and tines are decent. I think if he gets to 5 or 6 he could be a giant…thus the pass. Then there was more grunting to my south, then to my west. I had to stay somewhat still to not get busted by the does. All told I saw maybe 6-10 does and fawns and 5-7 bucks. (It was literally hard to keep track). I got lucky at quitting time and a 2 year old 8 point chased all the does off the field allowing me to get down…as I was getting ready to get down just before quitting time 2 bucks started fighting hard in the timber to my west. It was loud and sustained for several minutes. Awesome night to be on stand!

I will be hunting tomorrow morning but then will be taking tomorrow night off and the next couple days after. I have to find two rims for my tractor yet as they are rusted from being ballast filled. Then I plan to take my bride out or something to spend a little time with her during the season. Unless I kill a buck tomorrow morning, I will not update this blog until maybe Friday the 22nd.

11/22 Well, the tractor rim mission was a fail. But Amy and I did get some Christmas shopping done. Got home late last night so I didn’t hunt this morning. Sat out tonight at the ditch crossing that had the metallic helium balloon in it. The trail looked to be active again but not nearly as good as it had been in previous non-balloon years. I hadn’t been in that stand for a few weeks or so and besides the trail, there were numerous big rubs in the area. It felt good tonight although it was very still and quiet. I prefer a little breeze and think it is easier to hunt without being detected and I also think deer move a bit better with a little wind. Saw a half dozen fawns, two does, and one really nice buck. I got a pretty good look at him…he had a 10 point frame with two distinct kickers that I saw. I believe he was a younger deer, most likely 2 or 3 so I made no attempt at him. He was out of range. This buck would have scored well into the 140’s if not 150, making him score much more than the brute I shot on the 15th, but not the buck I want to harvest. All in all it was a good hunt tonight and the thought that the deer are once again using the ditch crossing…even a little, is encouraging!

I did a podcast this morning talking about this year’s rut, how the standing crops have affected my hunt, and what I’ve been trying to do to adjust. If you have some down time or want to listen on stand, here you go… https://sportsmensnation.com/podcasts/not-your-typical-rut-with-tom-peplinski

11/23 Sat the home farm this morning and saw a couple does and fawns. Nothing much to talk about.

This evening, I sat the cabin farm on a doe mission. I would shoot the mega 7 if he came by…Saw a few does early but far away and they got chased by a small buck. Then saw the same 8 I’ve seen many times with a doe (she wasn’t in heat). He got real nervous so I knew something was coming through the ditch I was hunting…sure enough a 150″ or so 10 point came right through at 25 yards. Beautiful buck but he is only three. Would have passed anyhow as I have a late muzzleloader hunter coming in on that farm. Then saw another 130 or so 8 at quitting time. All three bucks moved off to my west after feeding in standing beans for a bit. Great night to be on stand. Hunting is going to get real good here again I think.

11/24 For maybe the past 20 years, I won’t hunt mornings when I have a bed to feed pattern. That’s why I won’t hunt mornings until maybe the 25th of October when bucks are more apt to cruise instead of just bed to feed. Then again, when bucks return to a bed to feed pattern after most breeding is done, I’ll once again go back to evening only sits. That’s where I’m at right now. It’s not that I can’t or you can’t kill a great buck in the morning right now…it’s just more of a preference thing for me. If I had say 852 acres and just got another 116 (or something random like that amount) and was a real land baron, then I could pound the heck out of my properties and never burn them out. But, most of us don’t have that. So, in an effort to keep pressure down, and the fact that I’m seeing bucks on a bed to feed pattern, I’ll most likely take mornings off; unless I get a great morning for sneaking in like the perfect wind and it is in fact windy to mask my entrance. With that…I did take this morning off but hunted tonight. Saw three nice bucks. Two 10 pointers, one three the other two years old. Saw a doe and a fawn but no shot. Then at quitting time I saw two does and a fawn in the soybeans a distance off. Then sky lined, I saw the mega 7. Here’s a confession. I’ve been confused about the mega 7. I went back and looked at trail pictures as well as my own sightings and there are actually two nice bucks with very similar racks. The mega 7 is actually an 8, huge bases and a bunch of junk. There is another buck that truly is a main frame 7 but very similar. Tonight I saw the mega 7—which is actually the 8 with junk? Anyhow, I had to wait on stand about a half hour past quitting time before the deer moved off. All three bucks were on a bed to feed pattern, but once at the food source checked out every doe out there before eating themselves.

11/25 Sat tonight at the cabin farm looking for some doe action. Saw one spike buck around 4. It was very warm and balmy today so I was not surprised that action was slow. I might actually sit tomorrow morning but I’m not sure yet. If not, I will not be updating for a few days because I’m taking a couple days off for Thanksgiving.

11/30 I have a few more days to try and pick up a mature buck and make a play on him. I was going to sit an observation blind this morning but the wind was out of the wrong direction and it was raining fairly hard. Bottom line is I sat it out because I didn’t feel like sitting through that weather. I sat tonight in the same stand I shot my buck back on the 15th, again with the decoy. It was a windy night, and toward quitting time it started to thunder so I didn’t figure it was going to be good. Just then, I looked behind me in the cow pasture that was downwind and saw a bigger deer crossing…I instantly recognized it was Scar Back. He was run down quite a bit, but still looked like he was in pretty good shape for this time of year. At any moment he would be cutting my wind, and then a bit further he would be crossing my tracks. He was about 100 yards away so there was a chance he would smell me but not spook. He did smell me and stopped, but only briefly then continued on. He was just far enough away that he didn’t spook. He then crossed my tracks with the same results…a brief stop as though to think about if it was safe enough, then continued on again. When he was far enough past me I grunted hoping he would see the decoy and come in but he didn’t come. I only softly grunted a couple times. Saw another dozen does and fawns and 1 small buck right after that across the field to my south. Scar Back was by himself to my north. At quitting time I looked at where the decoy was to where Scar Back walked through and it was clear he never could have seen the decoy. This buck is one lucky son of a bitch I’ll tell you!

12/01 I didn’t think I would hunt any mornings the rest of the year with archery equipment, but I did get up today to go. Was met with rain, sleet, snow, and heavy winds so I chickened out and didn’t go. That’s ok with me. So I sat out tonight on a standing bean field in a ground blind. I saw a dozen or so does and fawns but no shot. At about 4:30, 4 bucks meandered out to the beans and were feeding heavily. The mega 8 also showed up and I got some video of it. I told myself I would gladly shoot this deer, but this late in the season and I’m also inclined to let it go…yet another year.

12/2 Tonight I sat the same blind as I did last night overlooking standing beans. I saw a total of about 25 deer tonight. They are definitely on a bed to feed pattern. All of the deer save one was on a standing bean field about 300 yards from my position. There were 3 smaller bucks that I could tell and one big mature buck. Because of the distance, and the fact that I’m looking through tree tops when glassing this field, I could not tell exactly what big buck this was. I could only see a mature framed body and a big rack? On my beans, around 4, the really nice 9 point I passed up way back on opening night came out. That encounter two months ago was nearly 3/4 of a mile away from where I was tonight. The deer are making their annual shift to my habitat and standing crops. Just about every night I am seeing another buck I haven’t seen all year or have seen away from my standing crops and bedding cover. With the rut mainly over, they are looking for security and food.

12/3 I decided to go all in tonight and hunt a stand inside the timber. It is a great spot, probably one of my best stands but this time of year it is really tricky going into the timber. The last thing I want to do is bump deer that are camping out on my farm. The spot I chose is inside the timber about 75 yards on a transition plot leading out to soybeans. I wanted to see if the bucks were staging inside the timber? I’ve been seeing a bunch of deer but not the two big shooters on that farm. The night was good in that we had some pretty good sustained winds masking my entrance. About right at sunset a big deer entered the staging plot to my left/west. It was the 9 from last night. Shortly after another big deer, another 3 year old, but this was a 10 pointer. They both ate in the green plot for about 10 minutes then worked behind me toward the soybeans…then out of sight The 10 point went first and never smelled me even though he cut somewhat downwind. The 9 smelled something he didn’t like when he cut downwind of me but didn’t spook. I was high in the tree with steady winds and they were way below me in a draw by the time they got down wind. I was hoping one of the big shooters would show so that I could get a look at them but nothing. They are there, just not coming out to the beans during daylight. Experience tells me that this will change with 1. No pressure on the farms and 2. some colder weather forcing them to eat earlier on their evening feeding pattern.

12/4 Sat a stand tonight I call Cage Fight. It is a transition food plot from bedding on the way to soybeans. The plot itself has nothing left in it. After intense browsing all fall even the green plot is gone. It still acts as a staging area. I can see 100 yards or so to my south and another 90 or so to my NW. Any deer passing through this area from bed to feed I’d see. However, I can’t see any deer farther north than that 90 yards. I got in clean because it was a windy afternoon and I took my time. Was in by 2…didn’t see a deer until quitting time when a doe and fawn came in. They just mingled and staged for almost 1/2 hour. I could hardly see, and then a small buck came in and chased them off to my approval! It was warm today, maybe 55. This time of year, when it’s that warm, deer just won’t generally move all that good until after dark. Those bucks I saw last night was very similar. I’ll try one more close to timber spot tomorrow evening if the winds stay SW as forecast. My next best chance at a buck early season is my last, as Friday colder weather is coming.

12/5 Today was a very warm day for the 5th of December. Highs were near 60. I had no confidence going into tonight’s sit especially with all the late movement I’ve been seeing lately, and with the warm temps deer this time of year just don’t have to move all that much. Does are all fat and ready for winter. Bucks are on a bed to feed pattern, the old mature bucks that need to put on fat reserves before winter are having it easy in these weather conditions. All movement seems to be late…and tonight confirmed my suspicions. All movement was late, with only 4 does and fawns and one small buck. Tomorrow is the last day of first season and it is going to be 20 degrees colder with wind. It is my last chance but it is also the day before shotgun so I won’t be putting any pressure on the local deer herd in hopes of helping some of the better racked younger deer (that are typically targets for gun hunters) make it through the season. Tomorrow, I plan to sit the ditch crossing infected with the metallic helium balloon I found a month or so ago…will the deer return?

12/6 Well, almost had it come together tonight. I sat the ditch crossing after leaving it alone for a long time. It was ruined by a metallic helium balloon weeks ago. The temps were 20 degrees colder tonight. Perfect last night on stand. I had deer around me and in my view all night. Saw maybe 25-35 deer total, a few small bucks. Around 4:30, coming from the west I caught more movement…it was Scar Back. He was slowly walking and feeding toward me at about 100 yards. With plenty of daylight, my thinking is he’s coming this way so there’s a good chance he jumps the fence on the main trail to the ditch crossing. Over the next few minutes he makes his way closer and closer…my bow in hand, release on string, then he jumps the fence. A few more steps and it’s so over! He stopped to nibble on some locust pods…then all hell broke loose. From my south a bunch of does and fawns came running in, spooked by something. They ran through and back to my left the same way old Scar came from. He had seen enough, with a twist of his body and an effortless jump, he was back over the fence jump and gone following the does and fawns. I don’t know what spooked those deer, but this time of year it could be anything. A loud squirrel, noisy muffler, or a doe’s paranoia. Doesn’t matter much. The remainder of the night I saw a bunch of deer but no more good bucks. Great way to end the early season though! And fitting that it goes out with another sighting of Scar. We might meet again during late muzzy…or maybe next year.

I won’t be hunting now until the late season archery which starts up again December 23rd and runs with late muzzy. Until then, good hunting if you are still at it!