Tomorrow!

[44man]

Doe starts for 3 days. I need to get up. Still too warm and I have seen almost no deer moving. I moved a stand with some hope. Rain is predicted now and then too.
I never seen it so bad. Deer are here from sign and those seen crossing our roads. But even fields on the other road where as many as 40 could be seen have been bare.
The WV kill is way down so far.
I wish all of you luck.

[Djones]

Good luck 44 man. I will be hitting the woods tomorrow too. Yesterday during the gully washer I jumped three does while wandering around. Managed to get one to stop at about 60 yards. Let the ole 45-70 short bark and got another doe for the freezer. That is number 5 for me this year. All with cast. I hope your season turns around.

David

[roverboy]

Its been pretty warm here too. I've not hunted much the last week because, of the temp and lots of rain.

[tdoyka]

my little brother lives near clarksburg, wv and he's been complaining its too hot for deer hunting. hopefully it drops from 70deg. everything on his trail cameras show deer at night. here in PA we have a muzzleloader season that goes for about 2-3 weeks.

[labradigger1]

I fell your woes 44man, here in tucker co. We don't have a doe season at all this year and we have a PILE of does this year. I still have one unfilled doe tag I want to use tomorrow in Randolph co.
Lab

[white eagle]

good luck fella's
hunting with firearms is all over for me
go get em

[missionary5155]

Good morning
River bottoms I hunt when up north in the US of A is a lake. North Fork (east ILLinois) is at 18 feet and climbing. Normal is 2.5 feet. May take out a couple bridges this time.
Mike in Peru

[Djones]

Have three does bedded to my west, upwind luckily. Been watching them for about an hour. They are just medium sized. Waiting for a trophy doe I guess haha.

Have my trusty marlin 1894c loaded with 180 grain NOE wfngc.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

Hey Mike,
Lots of water here in the Heart of Dixie. I recorded over 12" in December at my location. Flooding and tornadoes Christmas Day, and more rain yesterday and tomorrow is supposed to rainy.

[44man]

Poured rain all night and morning, I stayed in bed until Carol let my little dog in to get me up.

[Djones]

Pushing the four inch mark here since Saturday. It has been spitting snow today and rained hard last night.

Still planning on going out hunting?

[44man]

I will go at about 2 this afternoon. Rain has stopped but cloudy.

[Thumbcocker]

Hope to be in my tree at oh my God thirty on Thursday to fill my remaining tag. If I get one I will have meat to give away if not there will be next year.

[TXGunNut]

Good luck, 44man! As you well know there's no substitute for time spent in the woods. My freezer is full but I hope your luck changes soon. Most of the hogs where I hunt have gone nocturnal due to hunting pressure, I suspect pressure is a factor where you hunt.
I hope your absence from the forum this evening indicates you are butchering a deer!

[shoot-n-lead]

Good luck,44man...my season has been terrible, also. I am hunting in a county that has QDM (Quality Deer Management) regs and you can only shoot a buck with 4 on one side...I saw a lot of bucks early in the season...but none were legal. And, doe days run the entire season, in this area...I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE DOE...first time in 30yrs that I have not seen a single doe.

The last 3wks have been terrible...I have not seen a single deer...all activity on my cameras, is at night. We have 12 days left in the season...I hope my luck changes.

[c1skout]

I took this week off to go flintlock hunting, so far I've watched a lot of tv and rain through the window. Maybe I'll get out later today!

[44man]

Had a bunch come in behind me, could not see them at all and ground, leaves were wet. I still could tell they were deer and soon one was right out front. I slowly cocked the hammer and she looked, snorted and bolted. I seen tails everywhere and heard more behind. My BFR has to be the quietest revolver to cock.
We went back this morning and there was NOTHING! I have only tonight left. I never spooked many deer cocking a gun. Pressure has them on edge. Can you imagine a Colt or Freedom cocking?

[Djones]

Wow. They must be getting hunted hard. Good luck tonight.

[Brett Ross]

Late muzzle loader season stared last weekend here in Iowa but had family, tomorrow will be my first day out. We are allowed to use handguns in this season and this will be my first attempt with a handgun, .45 colt Bisley. I will be using the Lee 255gr RNFP, hollow pointed using a neat little tool Goodsteel made for me last year, fired by 8.5gr of Unique. I will limit my shots to 40-50 yds as my accuracy is a bit suspect after that. Wish me luck.

[MBTcustom]

Late muzzle loader season stared last weekend here in Iowa but had family, tomorrow will be my first day out. We are allowed to use handguns in this season and this will be my first attempt with a handgun, .45 colt Bisley. I will be using the Lee 255gr RNFP, hollow pointed using a neat little tool Goodsteel made for me last year, fired by 8.5gr of Unique. I will limit my shots to 40-50 yds as my accuracy is a bit suspect after that. Wish me luck.

I was wondering whatever happened to that tool. Can't wait to see what it does to your game! The 29th was my birthday, and some of the fellows came by and we all hung out in the shop and swapped stories etc. My best buddy JT asked me whatever happened to that, and did I know how it performs.
I told him I was sure I don't know, but it's bound to be epic! I'm betting you wind up with four exit holes. HmmmBwahahahaha!!!!

[Viper225]

Our Alternative Weapons Season was not real special either. First we had howling winds.
Then we had a couple tolerable days to hunt. Then we had Missouri Monsoon season for 3 days. That was good for a little over 10 Inches in the 3 days.
Then another couple tolerable days, and then blue cold.
I was seeing a lone fawn, and 6 does and fawns together going by my stands. I Counted Coup on all of them every time a saw them.
The last morning of season it was very cold. I looked out my sliding door into the field beside the house at 07:30. All 7 of my slick heads were within 60 yards of the house. I watched them until 9 AM when they went into the woods. I did not see a buck while hunting all season. The two good bucks I saw during season were between 9:15 and 9:30 two different Sundays on my way to Church.

Always next year. That big buck should be getting bigger.

Bob R

[44man]

I seen nothing but my best friend Don got a nice doe. I am still happy.

[taco650]

Good luck,44man...my season has been terrible, also. I am hunting in a county that has QDM (Quality Deer Management) regs and you can only shoot a buck with 4 on one side...I saw a lot of bucks early in the season...but none were legal. And, doe days run the entire season, in this area...I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE DOE...first time in 30yrs that I have not seen a single doe.




The last 3wks have been terrible...I have not seen a single deer...all activity on my cameras, is at night. We have 12 days left in the season...I hope my luck changes.

You must be in Troup County LOL! I've got the same restraints. Been too busy with work & holidays to get out. Hoping to get a doe (or legal buck) before the season ends.

Good luck 44man!

[Tenbender]

Cooled off here this morning. 26 on the mountain. I packed it in for this season. Just got tired ! I have a spike and a 10 pointer this season so my freezer is full.
Good luck guys. The season ends here tomorrow.

[richhodg66]

Our extended antlerless starts today, headed out in a little while. Didn't make it out this morning, late evening last night, wife and I went to a concert, but it was really pretty cold and it wouldn't have been fun anyway.

I usually have pretty decent success in this extended season, hope to get another doe, still have two tags left.

[c1skout]

The rain here finally turned to ice.....then a slight covering of snow! I got out for a couple hours before family came over but didn't see any deer. I'm heading out again today for most of the day. My brother and I are going to try some new ground.

[Brett Ross]

Well I did get a shot late yesterday but missed. The light was just starting to fade and I was pushing my 50 yd self imposed limit. luckly it was a clean miss as it hate wounding one. It was cold in tne morning, low teens but improved in the afternoon. Man, is the blood ever thinner at 53 than 33.

[Thumbcocker]

I have gone out on the 31st and first. I was in my tree at daylight on the 31st and saw nothing but turkeys. On the first I went out in the afternoon and saw 7 does all bedded near the house, I went out yesterday afternoon around 2 and as I was walking along the field road I looked over and saw a doe standing in thick brush about 35-40 yards away. I was packing my climbing stand on my back and had walked about a third of a mile. I slowly turned my back on the deer and eased my .44 out. I cocked my hammer and turned slowly around and squeezed off a shot. Clean miss. I was disgusted with myself for the miss but better than a crappy hit. Mrs. Thumbcocker saw a doe behind the barn around 4:30 p.m. as I was walking back.


In this area I think I would look at goinging out around 1:30 or 2 and sitting up on a trail coming from a bedding / staging area to a food source and look for a shot right at dark. I am hearing most of the shooting around 2-4 p.m. This has been the screwiest year I have ever seen for deer hunting and I am very glad I got the 8 point back in November. I still have a doe tag but I am kind of on the fence about further hunting. I have all the meat Mrs. Thumbcocker and I need for the coming year. I love being out there nad hunting but I don't want my ego about getting 2 handgun deer this year be the driving force. Plus ther is the knowledge that a doe now could be 3 deer next year . Maybe I am getting old and thinking too much.

[Hickok]

Something I never thought about. I was talking to an old timer the other day about the deer population and he and his wife brought up a good point. His idea was there is way too much feeding the deer corn by people baiting them. Automatic feeders have become the rage nowadays. The corn doesn't do the deer any good in the long term and the in rigors of winter. They want to eat the corn all the time, and don't get fattened up and prepared for the lean times of winter.

Like he said, "Deer ain't supposed to be living on corn!"

Might be a lot of truth in that.

[white eagle]

The problem in my area is food plots
seen the deer drawn to them keeping the animals
bunched up and centralized on their favorites plot
but they do need to get there somehow

[Don Fischer]

I wish Oregon had deer like that! Someone om a local web site seem's to think that if F&G would put in witetail we would have. Hell, we already have whitetail.

[TXGunNut]

Something I never thought about. I was talking to an old timer the other day about the deer population and he and his wife brought up a good point. His idea was there is way too much feeding the deer corn by people baiting them. Automatic feeders have become the rage nowadays. The corn doesn't do the deer any good in the long term and the in rigors of winter. They want to eat the corn all the time, and don't get fattened up and prepared for the lean times of winter.

Like he said, "Deer ain't supposed to be living on corn!"

Might be a lot of truth in that.


Some truth, indeed. Reality is that most feeders are set to put only a small amount of corn on the ground; it's a nice little treat that keeps them coming by on a regular basis. Most deer will only eat a few kernels and move on.