Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Hunt smart
- Thread starter Pucky Freak
- Start date
Bowmannate2000
Well-known member
Nice! It was -13 here this morning, so I chickened out. You're inspiring me to get out tomorrow for one last try.
Bowmannate2000
Well-known member
Looks like the 357 does good work!
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
FWIW the distance was closer to 30 yd. Yearling doe.
duckhunt
Well-known member
To cold for me to play outside.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Two more rabbit outings, and no shots fired. Plenty of animals, but cover too thick or just no clear shot.
Since I have just a partial day here and there to hunt deer, I’ve been patiently waiting to play my cards. Skipped warm days, and skipped wind/ice storm on Sun/Mon. Scouted for 1 hr after work today. Very little fresh sign where I had a group of 4 bucks two years ago.
With 15 mins of light left, I set up on a hilltop with broad views all around. One doe came out at 175 yards, and I hung tight to see if there were followers.
She ended up walking right at me, and at 100 yards she picked me out standing statue-still in the open in blue jeans. Despite occasional glances, she continued on her path. At 40 yards I shifted my weight slightly, and she bounded back to 60 at the noise, only to wander back again. Not really all that curious, mostly just moving and feeding.
I didn’t want to deal w/ a carcass today and I passed. My wife thought that was ridiculous. One antelope and 2 1/2 deer in the freezer, I’d rather focus on finding a buck for now. New Years Day is colder yet, and I plan to take my daughter out for the evening sit.
Since I have just a partial day here and there to hunt deer, I’ve been patiently waiting to play my cards. Skipped warm days, and skipped wind/ice storm on Sun/Mon. Scouted for 1 hr after work today. Very little fresh sign where I had a group of 4 bucks two years ago.
With 15 mins of light left, I set up on a hilltop with broad views all around. One doe came out at 175 yards, and I hung tight to see if there were followers.
She ended up walking right at me, and at 100 yards she picked me out standing statue-still in the open in blue jeans. Despite occasional glances, she continued on her path. At 40 yards I shifted my weight slightly, and she bounded back to 60 at the noise, only to wander back again. Not really all that curious, mostly just moving and feeding.
I didn’t want to deal w/ a carcass today and I passed. My wife thought that was ridiculous. One antelope and 2 1/2 deer in the freezer, I’d rather focus on finding a buck for now. New Years Day is colder yet, and I plan to take my daughter out for the evening sit.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
A while ago out with my daughter for an evening sit in the deer blind. We went to a field that reliably holds deer, but we bumped a doe and fawn hanging out on the edge, and nothing for the rest of the night. On the walk out we had a great round of “would you rather” to laugh off the uneventful night.
Yesterday last day to hunt bucks and I picked a new area, determined to hunt sign and not spots. 1/2 mile walk between food and cover, and more than a dozen perpendicular trails like this one.
A single buck footprint the entire route, and it was weeks old. I identified the trail a doe and fawn took the day before, and opted not to sit it. Returned to the truck with 45 mins of shooting light left.
Yesterday last day to hunt bucks and I picked a new area, determined to hunt sign and not spots. 1/2 mile walk between food and cover, and more than a dozen perpendicular trails like this one.
A single buck footprint the entire route, and it was weeks old. I identified the trail a doe and fawn took the day before, and opted not to sit it. Returned to the truck with 45 mins of shooting light left.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Kicked off 2026 hunting season today with an hour to hunt, and my daughter was game to try her first cottontail walk. My best spot is a giant maze of prickly ash and multiflora rose - I did everything I could to avoid spines. We advanced about 1/4 mile per hour, with pretty limited chance at finding game. I’m far more concerned about keeping it a positive experience than taking home an animal.
We got lucky and found a motionless rabbit twice - 17hmr head shots and lots of excitement with the new experience.
She cradled it all the way back to the truck, and insisted I carry the other one, which got decapitated. She ended up just with one briar scratch.
“Dad, how long have we been gone?”
“An hour.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long at all.”
We got lucky and found a motionless rabbit twice - 17hmr head shots and lots of excitement with the new experience.
She cradled it all the way back to the truck, and insisted I carry the other one, which got decapitated. She ended up just with one briar scratch.
“Dad, how long have we been gone?”
“An hour.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long at all.”
Caseknife
Well-known member
Good little retriever you have there, looks like she had fun.
