Author Topic: Deer Season 2011-2012 (Read 1239 times)

Almtnman · « **on:** November 04, 2011, 12:43:37 PM »

I'm looking forward to getting out on the woods and doing some deer hunting during the gun season. I will be hunting on private property and also plan to make at least one hunt on a very large management area that another member here and myself did some pre-season scouting on last week. Where are ya'll going to hunt this year. Also keep us posted as to how your season goes.

Hey...let's go huntin...

Tom W. · « **Reply #1 on:** November 04, 2011, 03:46:43 PM »

I may get to go a time or two where I went before my wife died... I talked to man that usually leases it, and I may get a trip or two..

PowPow · « **Reply #2 on:** November 04, 2011, 04:05:08 PM »

I'll be on our Westervelt lease in Shelby Co.
Not the greatest place to hunt, but I can sneak out of work couple hours early and get to hunt during the week.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** November 04, 2011, 05:27:31 PM »

I no longer have access to private land to hunt so all my hunting will likely be in CWMA. I really need to get some boots on the ground time in a couple of the areas I like to hunt to get some ideas on just where to go. I sure hope they have the roads open that were closed the day we were there James. Those really are the main thoroughfares thru the area.

Almtnman · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2011, 01:56:48 AM »

I changed the title of this topic to Deer Season as it seems to fit better. Maybe those roads will be open by the time the regular season since there would probably be a lot of hunters depending on them to travel on.

Almtnman · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2011, 07:15:39 AM »

I got up early this morning and headed to the woods. Got there before daylight and was planning on getting in my Summit climber that I had already hooked at the base of the tree where a lot of white acorns are falling. I sat in the truck a few minutes and got my gear ready to go waiting on it to start breaking light enough that I could walk in. I then decided that I wouldn't use the climber today and instead headed to an elevated shooting house close by that was overlooking a big field that is maybe 500 to 600 yards across. I sat down and waited on daylight as it was still so dark that I couldn't see but a little ways in the field. Then about 7:30 a deer ran across the field about middle ways. It stopped about 3/4 ways across, stopped and looked back. I decided to not take a shot as something bigger might come by later. The deer then hopped on into the woods and about 30 seconds later a dog came across the field tracking the deer and also disappeared in the woods where the deer went in. Then about 5 minutes later, two more dogs came across on the cold trail of the deer and also went in at same place. I listened to them barking until they got out of hearing distance. I guess the deer gave them the slip at a nearby creek that was in that direction, because out comes a nice big coyote from the same place that the deer went in running full blast across the field. I tried getting it in my scope, but couldn't keep up as it was running flat out. It went back into the woods on the other side. Then a minute or so and the dogs came out trailing the coyote. I listened until they got out of hearing. Then about 30 minutes later, here comes the coyote out from the same place that it had came out the first time, except it was a little slower this time, but I had stepped out of the shooting house to get rid of my morning coffee and didn't get a shot. I climbed back in and watched the same dogs on it's track again. I sat there about 4 or 5 minutes and here comes the same coyote coming back out from where it entered the woods. It got about half way across the field and I scoped it in and took a shot and missed. I cycled another round in the old Sako 30-06 and by that time, it stopped to look around and see where the dogs were. I put a round right through it's neck and it dropped like a brick. It was about a 250 yard shot and took me a while to drag it out of the field as it was plenty heavy and had a very nice looking pelt. The landowner is going to skin it out and use the hide to make something as he's more into trapping than hunting and like the hides.

Now getting ready to watch the Alabama-Auburn game.

PowPow · « **Reply #6 on:** November 26, 2011, 03:29:38 PM »

After a lot of warm weather, it finally got below 40 on Thanksgiving morning. Set up in my new chair blind behind a pile of brush in a clear-cut, watching a strip of hardwoods about 300 yards long. About 10 til 7, saw one moving through the tall hardwoods and short pines. Nice size. Looked for a opening in the trees for an ambush shot about 120 yards away. Steps out. Pow. Loose sight through the scope from the recoil. Look up and see it walking off, briskly. How did I miss it?. Walked to where I shot and found a different (smaller) buck laid out. Shot through both shoulders. Didn't know there were two deer. Drug it out and quartered it in the field. Hauled the quarters and backstraps to the car, left a feast of skin and guts for the coyotes. Home by 10 am. Meat in the fridge. Gonna smoke this one.

Friday and today, the weather was warm and the wind swirling, so we got out the predator toys, to see if we could get a bobcat ot coyote. No luck.

Gonna figure out how to fit in a morniing hunt during the next work week, when it dips below freezing.

Almtnman · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2011, 03:08:25 AM »

Next week with the temps dropping, it's getting for some good deer huntin...

Almtnman · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2011, 03:11:56 AM »

BTW, congratulations on getting the deer and the meat for the freezer, Pow Pow!!

PowPow · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2011, 08:15:37 AM »

Thanks.
Wednesday or Thurday looks best here. I either going to take the day off, or take a client and call it work; either way its still fun.
But I need to go then, because for all I know, it could be 85 degrees by next weekend.

PowPow · « **Reply #10 on:** December 03, 2011, 03:22:27 PM »

Frosty morning today in Shelby Co; looked very "deery", thought I might see something till the loggers fired up the big chipper about a quarter mile away. Packed up and headed out. They have another week.

Wednesday, I took a client on a pay hunt Marengo Co. Our host always delivers a good experience, and he has never let us down. First time deer hunting with him, though. I knew we would see deer, just didn't know we would be hunting deer in downtown Demopolis.
Drove west on US 80, turned north into Demopolis, then west into a neighborhood. Pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned auto parts or paint store. He starts whispering "one of you go around this building, there is a shooting house behind it, the other walk down this road to the other shooting house." Nobody else in the neighborhood was whispering.
I took the walk to the next shooting house. Had a deer on the field before I could climb the ladder. Within 20 minutes, had 9 deer in front of me. Took a shot at a doe; it hit her and she stumbled off the field out of sight. The bucks were small and I was wanting a big buck or another doe. We were on a meat hunt; two of us were supposed to limit out on deer and a buddy was going to fire up the smoker today). A big buck or a single doe never showed up, so I took a 230 yards shot at a 4 pt buck that was made of mostly meat.
He bounded off. Never found the first doe, but our host said he knew the report of a rifle hitting a deer and that first one was hit. Guess its coyote food.
I did realize the I was setting the fore arm of my Ruger 1 International directly on the rail of the shooting house. That might work for a floated barrel, but the International has the full length stock and muzzle cap and needs to be hand held, even the hand is sitting on the rail. I knew this fro mthe range, just never thought to apply it to shooting houses. Will now. Came home empty handed...well I received a carload of harrassment about; My Ruger being a toy gun, bringing a suitcase (it was a back pack), shooting early (4:00), missing two deer, more harassament about the gun... Great time. Looking forward to next time.

Got an invite for tomorrow pm to go to Moundville. Always hear about big deer in Pickens Co. but never been before, til now.

Almtnman · « **Reply #11 on:** December 04, 2011, 02:00:21 AM »

Pow Pow, I guess you could title that one a downtown deer hunt.

Must be a lot of deer around there. I used to hunt some Corp of Engineer land just a bit north of Demopolis along the river bank and there was always a lot of deer there.

You need to get a little accuracy work done to that rifle. Everyone that I own I have carried to a gunsmith to get the trigger pull adjusted to what I want and to float the barrel if it needs it. My old Sako, all I had done to it was adjust the spring behind the manual ejector to throw the cases out better and adjust the trigger pull down to 3 1/4 pound pull. I didn't do anything else to it like float the barrel as it's group was so small that I didn't want to do anything else. I had the barrel on my Ruger floated and the trigger pull the gunsmith didn't want to hone it down farther than 3 1/2 pounds of pull as he thought he might mess it up with any farther honing.

At least you got a good hunting day in!

PowPow · « **Reply #12 on:** December 04, 2011, 04:48:15 PM »

The gun has a crisp trigger, but you can't float the barrel in a Ruger 1 International because it is wood all the way to the muzzle and there is a muzzle cap that connects the wood to the barrel. Developed a great load for it; 180 gr SIE Pro-Hunters go 3 shots into .4".
I think I need a little accuracy work done on ME, mostly between the ears.

Went to Moundville today. Windy & warm. The shooting house walls we high enough that I didn;t even bother with camo.
Deer had other plans today. Got a nice nap.

PowPow · « **Reply #13 on:** December 30, 2011, 04:02:23 PM »

Got an invite to a hunting camp in Minter AL this week, about 30 miles S of Selma; good fellowship, good times, everybody got one.
Gonna sound like a hunting show; "It was the last day of the hunt, getting dark....". But it really was.
I was in a store-bought shooting house tripod with sliding plexiglas windows, about 200 yards from two separate greenfields.
Got in a nice nap before it got serious.
Some small bucks put on a show with some sparring and some doe chasing.
Finally a 100# doe came out (only shootable deer on the field, per club requirements).
Used my Ruger 1-V 22-250. 55 gr thru the lungs and heart at 170 yards. She went about 40 yards.

Going back to my club tomorrow am; Got my climber in a great spot.
Hopefully I will have a post for tomorrow...

PowPow · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2012, 03:18:16 PM »

Finally...some cold weather.
Was off all last week, and the temp and wind were both high.
Yesterday was futile with 30 mph gusts, drug up at 9am. Moved my climber to a new spot.

Today was the first day back at work in 11 days, but it was an ideal deer hunting day, so I skipped lunch and then went to see my deer-hunting-friendly customer whose office is on the way to our deer lease.

Got in my climber about 3.
A 5 pt walked out and I was agonizing over it, had the safety and in the crosshairs, but it was probably only a 1-1/2 year old.
About 15 minutes later, a doe comes out and I move the crosshairs over to her.
Then I hear some stomping in the woods about late:30, and this one comes out about 50 yards from me. Neck shot. DRT.
How come I always have to drag them uphill?
7 pts 165 lbs.

Think I will go in to work early tomorrow...

Almtnman · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2012, 02:01:10 AM »

Congratulations on the 7 point! I have been waiting on cold weather and January to get here. I seem to see more deer and a lot of bucks in January as I think that's when they are in rut in Alabama and moving around more than usual. Once you find where the does are in January, it has always been good for me that there will be bucks close by.

PowPow · « **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2012, 04:55:58 PM »

Another cold morning, I just had to go back this afternoon.
So I call another member of the club to see if he is going and he's working, but he tells me "go to Field 4, climb as high as you can and you will see a nice 8 pt". Well, Field 4 was so bad last year, we talked about putting up some soccer goals so we could get some use out of it. But this guy is something of a deer whisperer, so I think I will invest an afternoon in it.

Running late, gotta get my climber from the previous field, find a tree...
All the tall ones had low branches that I didn't have time to trim, so I pick a little one and get up about 12'. I can see 100 yards through the pines in every direction.

Should have taken some cough medicine before.
4:30, get a tickle in my throat and just can't fight it, hack, hack, hack. I think "hunting's over".
4:45, daydreaming, waiting on near dark. 30 yards in front of me is the 8 point. Just materialized.
I freeze. He looks right at me, sticks his nose up and starts sniffing.
Puts his nose down and starts slowly quartering away, like maybe he's looking for love in all the wrong places.
Let him go about 30 yards.
Ease my rifle up. Don't know if it was me flipping the safety or a sling swivel squeaked, but he bolted.
I fired what turned out to be a warning shot, about 6 feet behind him.

Sat there til dark, being overly optimistic. Nothing else came out.

I will give Field 4 a rest til Saturday and maybe he will come out again.

Missing is better than not hunting.
Today was a good day.

Almtnman · « **Reply #17 on:** January 05, 2012, 02:10:20 AM »

Just getting out there and seeing something is better than sitting in the LazyBoy at home watching reruns. Now you do know that there's a big one in the area.

steeladmin · « **Reply #18 on:** January 14, 2012, 06:29:34 PM »

It was in the teens this morning, and I have discovered that I need to upgrade my winter hunting clothes. My hunting partner saw 7 deer, shot 1 and watched the other 6 head toward me. After we met up, he asked why I didn't shoot. I told him I didn't see or hear anything. As we were dragging his deer back to the truck, we find the "highway". Deer tracks all over the road........20 feet behind the shooting house I was in. It has windows on 3 sides. We will be sure it has them on all 4 before next season

Almtnman · « **Reply #19 on:** January 15, 2012, 01:25:34 PM »

I have been in a few shooting houses that the back door was the best place to be watching for deer.

Almtnman · « **Reply #20 on:** January 15, 2012, 01:28:37 PM »

My nephew is a train engineer, drives it through some good deer territory, so he sees a lot. He told me that once he passed a place and a hunter was on a ladder stand not far from the tracks. As he passed by in the train about 30 or 40 yards past that ladder stand, he saw a 10 point buck standing watching hunter on the ladder stand.

Apparently that stand was facing the wrong direction.

steeladmin · « **Reply #21 on:** January 15, 2012, 01:55:00 PM »

At least the hunter didn't know. He can now go on in blissful ignorance

just-an-illusion · « **Reply #22 on:** January 15, 2012, 02:20:00 PM »

The bucks are finally starting to show themselves here in north Marshall Cty. I watched a spike run 6 does for better than 30 min Sat. morning. Same field Sunday morning I saw the same spike and a nice 8 pt running a doe. Dropped the 8 in his tracks and the spike never let up chasing the doe as she ran off. As they came out of an adjacent thicket he picked up another doe. This is the first deer ive had the scope on all year. First 8 pt also. Good luck to all AL. hunters the next 2 weeks.

PowPow · « **Reply #23 on:** January 15, 2012, 02:26:25 PM »

I was in my climber facing a greenfield last year. Stood up to stretch, looked back and saw a 170# buck behind me. bang, flop.
This season I have been pointing my climber away from the greenfields. I've seen more deer this year.
Our resident "deer whisperer" told me the bucks will come up through the woods and sniff the greenfields. If they don't smell any does, they will move on. Saw this very thing happen the day he told me.

Update on Shelby Co: Didn't see any this week. Either the rut is over, or the deer are in someone else's freezer.
After a month of dry mornings, and folks telling me how many they see in the middle of the day, I am going to sleep late next Saturday, get out about 10 am and stay all day. Probably try two different spots. I did find a Cracker Barrel near our club. Wish I had found it a few months ago. Eating at Cracker Barrel increases your chances of seeing a deer, or at least I would like to think so.

Just-an-illusion, nice 8 pt!

PowPow · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2012, 06:47:59 AM »

asked a lady at work to photoshop the white eye on my 7 pt.
she got a little carried away.

Almtnman · « **Reply #25 on:** January 27, 2012, 02:16:07 PM »

I went hunting Tuesday and got in the shooting house about 1 PM. At about 1:20PM a very large buck walked out into the 26 acre field I was watching. I counted at least 8 points and he could have been a 10 pointer. He had a really big and long body and his rack was very wide and tall with long tines. He was about 375 yards out and I took a shot. he ran over into the middle of the field at about 350 yards and stopped and I made another shot, knocking him down. He then ran out of the field and I shot at him while he was on the run. Me and several of my hunting friends tracked his blood trail for a couple of miles through the woods and we finally lost the trail at dark.I found where he had bedded down near a V shaped clump of brush and was probably watching us track him. My hunting buddy was standing across the trail from that clump of brush and heard him take off again. Except that time we only found one drop of blood where he had ran. It started getting dark and my flashlight wouldn't work. Next day I went back to that area and slogged around in my Muck boots most all afternoon through a swampy area in the direction he went with still no sign.

[/size] I went back today and got on stand about 12:30 PM and didn't leave until 5:30, never saw a thing. $:-\$

PowPow · « **Reply #26 on:** January 29, 2012, 05:07:51 PM »

Saturday - got a fox.
Sunday - got a bobcat.
Going Tuesday evening to Demopolis.