11/10/06 All Day
According to Field and Stream's November 2006 edition, November 14 is one of the best days to hunt all day. Since today was the last day of Muzzleloader season and the 14th is just 4 days away, today ought to be a good day to hunt all day.
I have seen deer in the Bio-logic field on Sidney Bluff road enough times to have built up motivation for a long sit. Sunday night I jumped a good size buck. Also, Sunday night I picked out an ideal Hickory tree for using my tree stand.
I woke up at 3:30 dreaming that Willy (who was asleep on the foot of our bed) was doing number 2 in his sleep, on my leg. I was very happy to wake and realize it was only a bad dream. Sunrise was at 6:19, I wanted to be there in the stand at least 30 minutes early, I decided to stay up and be well prepped. I had not packed anything the night before as I was too tired from work and fell asleep early.
Got to the parking place, it was 53 degrees. No other trucks on the logging road. I was able to get back to the selected Hickory tree in perfect silence. I got the tree stand bolted on amazingly quietly. This task is much easier on the hands when the temp is warm. The moonlight was very bright, I didn't need much help from the flashlight. Like always, I used a temporary safety belt to climb the tree. This one is a slip knot around the tree trunk and a loop for my shoulder. It is easy to shimmy up the tree with and enough for me to grab on to if the tree stand were to come loose. When I get up the tree I have a harness and a tree belt that is more permanent - good for long sits.
On the walk to the stand I noted how glaring the big dipper was - I was obviously walking due North. I also noticed Orion's belt. It seems like this may be the first time I have seen Orion's belt this Fall.
I was set in the tree at about 5:19 - exactly one hour before sunrise. The wind was coming out of the east. It was a light breeze.
I was alert throughout the hour following sunrise. This is supposed to be a peak movement time for whitetail. I saw nothing. By 10, the wind was picking up and I noticed was coming out of the South. The wind felt warmer. I thought about changing strategies, but the spot I was in was perfect. I have seen deer here, I got in perfectly quiet, I had a good angle and good shooting range, and the wind was picking up. Deer alledgedly move into fields during windy days because the noise and swirling scents in the woods is confusing - they move to fields were they can rely more on their eyesight - supposedly. I had a bag of peanuts, four carrots and a bottle of water. I figured I was good for the whole day. I decided to stay.
I heard a few other shots, but not many.
I stayed in the stand until after dark. Honestly, the seat isn't any more uncomfortable the my office chair, and the view here was a hell of a lot better. The temp was perfect for a long sit. The discouraging thing is I never saw a deer. I did see a mama Turkey with eight youngsters in tow. The youngsters were half to three quarters of her size. The walked very near the stand. None had beards. I suppose they were too young for beards. The heads were sky blue.
I sat in the tree until after dark. Headed back to the truck in blackness. Clouds were blocking out the moon. I didn't fire off the round in the muzzleloader. I prefer to approach my truck in the dark with a loaded gun. Its not likely, but a redneck could pick a nice truck and wait until the solitary hunter returns after dark - then demand his keys. Alright, maybe I'm paranoid, but why not? I do remove the percussion cap when I climb out of the tree. I then put the cap back on to fire off the powder and ball load. Once at home, Becki's concoction does a quick job cleaning up the residue. I usually clean and oil the gun before I change out of my hunting clothes.
It is disappointing to not see deer. However, it is still an excellent way to spend the day. Although others do and I have tried, I can't read, write or listen to music - I have to just sit, watch and listen. It was a perfect day.
I have seen deer in the Bio-logic field on Sidney Bluff road enough times to have built up motivation for a long sit. Sunday night I jumped a good size buck. Also, Sunday night I picked out an ideal Hickory tree for using my tree stand.
I woke up at 3:30 dreaming that Willy (who was asleep on the foot of our bed) was doing number 2 in his sleep, on my leg. I was very happy to wake and realize it was only a bad dream. Sunrise was at 6:19, I wanted to be there in the stand at least 30 minutes early, I decided to stay up and be well prepped. I had not packed anything the night before as I was too tired from work and fell asleep early.
Got to the parking place, it was 53 degrees. No other trucks on the logging road. I was able to get back to the selected Hickory tree in perfect silence. I got the tree stand bolted on amazingly quietly. This task is much easier on the hands when the temp is warm. The moonlight was very bright, I didn't need much help from the flashlight. Like always, I used a temporary safety belt to climb the tree. This one is a slip knot around the tree trunk and a loop for my shoulder. It is easy to shimmy up the tree with and enough for me to grab on to if the tree stand were to come loose. When I get up the tree I have a harness and a tree belt that is more permanent - good for long sits.
On the walk to the stand I noted how glaring the big dipper was - I was obviously walking due North. I also noticed Orion's belt. It seems like this may be the first time I have seen Orion's belt this Fall.
I was set in the tree at about 5:19 - exactly one hour before sunrise. The wind was coming out of the east. It was a light breeze.
I was alert throughout the hour following sunrise. This is supposed to be a peak movement time for whitetail. I saw nothing. By 10, the wind was picking up and I noticed was coming out of the South. The wind felt warmer. I thought about changing strategies, but the spot I was in was perfect. I have seen deer here, I got in perfectly quiet, I had a good angle and good shooting range, and the wind was picking up. Deer alledgedly move into fields during windy days because the noise and swirling scents in the woods is confusing - they move to fields were they can rely more on their eyesight - supposedly. I had a bag of peanuts, four carrots and a bottle of water. I figured I was good for the whole day. I decided to stay.
I heard a few other shots, but not many.
I stayed in the stand until after dark. Honestly, the seat isn't any more uncomfortable the my office chair, and the view here was a hell of a lot better. The temp was perfect for a long sit. The discouraging thing is I never saw a deer. I did see a mama Turkey with eight youngsters in tow. The youngsters were half to three quarters of her size. The walked very near the stand. None had beards. I suppose they were too young for beards. The heads were sky blue.
I sat in the tree until after dark. Headed back to the truck in blackness. Clouds were blocking out the moon. I didn't fire off the round in the muzzleloader. I prefer to approach my truck in the dark with a loaded gun. Its not likely, but a redneck could pick a nice truck and wait until the solitary hunter returns after dark - then demand his keys. Alright, maybe I'm paranoid, but why not? I do remove the percussion cap when I climb out of the tree. I then put the cap back on to fire off the powder and ball load. Once at home, Becki's concoction does a quick job cleaning up the residue. I usually clean and oil the gun before I change out of my hunting clothes.
It is disappointing to not see deer. However, it is still an excellent way to spend the day. Although others do and I have tried, I can't read, write or listen to music - I have to just sit, watch and listen. It was a perfect day.
posted by Tim Baumgartner at
4:58 PM
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