** OFFICIAL 2012 DAILY DEER HUNT CHAT**

[HICKMAN]

Got my first buck

More to come when we get him out.

Looks like a 1.5 yo six point


Wooooo hooooo!

 

[RGriff69]

Congrats Hickman!

 

[trapperDave]

Congrats. Post pics when you can

 

[BigHoss]

Got out this morning with my dad... didn't see anything but still have good activity on trail cams

 

[Hookeye]

Winamac tomorrow.

 

[srad]

Got my first buck

More to come when we get him out.

Looks like a 1.5 yo six point


Wooooo hooooo!

Congrats hickman!!! Woo hooo back at ya.

 

[ISP 5353]

Got my first buck

More to come when we get him out.

Looks like a 1.5 yo six point


Wooooo hooooo!

CONGRATS MAN!!!!! I went out this morning and didn't see any. It was a beautiful morning to be in the woods though.

 

[trailrider]

Got a buck with a jacked up rack I've been wanting to take out last weekend and got a nice doe this morning. Life is good with 2 in the freezer after getting shut out during archery. Replaced the shotgun with a lever 44 this year and I love it. Congrats and good luck to all. I'm sleeping in for the first time since Oct 1!!!

 

[whitetailbowhunter]

Shot a doe last night around 5:15 and tracked her for nearly 4 hours through tall CRP. couldn't find her so i owed it to the deer to head out this morning at first light with the fourwheeler and i ran back and fourth through the fields and found her nestled under a cedar tree. i ended up losing some of the meat due to the higher temps but salvaged everything that i could. It sucks to lose some of the meat but knowing that i did everything i could and put some meat in the freezer makes all the searching worthwhile.

 

[Hookeye]

Shot a doe last night around 5:15 and tracked her for nearly 4 hours through tall CRP. couldn't find her so i owed it to the deer to head out this morning at first light with the fourwheeler and i ran back and fourth through the fields and found her nestled under a cedar tree. i ended up losing some of the meat due to the higher temps but salvaged everything that i could. It sucks to lose some of the meat but knowing that i did everything i could and put some meat in the freezer makes all the searching worthwhile.

for doing all that you could.

 

[Tydeeh22]

For an 8 pointer (thats all I can count from the pics) 160 may be a little high. Upper 140s to 150s may be doable. Its an impressive animal to say the least. Cant wait to see the actual score when you get him measured up.

theres 9 points there.. bad picture angle.


if not for working both thanksgiving and black friday, this would be done measured.. ughh..

 

[Fordtough25]

Congrats to all who got a deer so far! I saw an 8 pointer Wednesday night but didn't have a shot, it was right at dark. Moved my stand last night, but don't have time to hunt until Saturday morning. Blast working all these holiday hours.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Had to shoo a 6 pointer out of the driveway to get the truck out this morning. 3 does on the road 2 minutes from the house. The wind doesn't seem to have stopped them from moving. Maybe I should of just hunted from the front porch. Oh well sitting in the woods now without a sound other than nature. Good luck to those out this morning and stay safe

Congrats Hickman on your first buck. You've been working hard for him.

 

[Hookeye]

Saw two forkies and a doe at Winamac. I was the only person in 1B.
All the shooting sounded like it was in 4.
Somebody checked in a chubby 6 pt. All the deer I saw were of decent body size, dark grey coats and dark racks (barely over their ears though).
Oh well, I picked two spots from my Google Earth and went and saw deer at those exact locations. Did that a few yrs ago last day of bow too.

Wonder if I'll see anything shootable this yr.

 

[nkhrfh]

Doe this morning

She came running in at 0900. I already tagged out on a buck. So, I did not wait to see if a buck was pushing her. One more for the 358 Hoosier. Coyote and Waterfowl next up.

 

[HICKMAN]

With two does in the freezer and a buck down, the boy and I may give coyote hunting a try.

I'll still be chasing an archery but at Crane after work during the week.

 

[djl02]

3 days without seeing a deer. Today was understandable with the wind wiping around from all directions.Still real windy,taking tonight off. Hunting state land is frustrating this time of year.Deer are really spooked.Lots of pressure where we're hunting,this year.More than normal. Rut peaked a couple weeks ago,from what I've seen. It'll fire back up by next weekend possibly.

 

[Johnner]

Spent several hours in a couple different tree stands in Parke County. Didn't see a thing. My nephew saw a couple small does, but that's it. Hopefully next week will be more fruitful.

 

[Hookeye]

Private ground, the McD's place, tomorrow. Wondering if I should blast even a small antlerless to get one under my new rifle's belt.

State ground today...........that one forky was blisteringly fast, crossed the firetrail 123gone! I smelled him before I saw him, got ready and it still wasn't good enough.

 

[srad]

FIRST BUCK!!

Well it's been four years without success. Loved every minute of it though (except coming home not able to feel fingers or toes on a few occastions). Time in the woods observing nature and excercising your senses

Have seen does & bucks (usually while squirrel hunting), but never been presented an opportunity to take one.

This season has been my best ever regarding seeing activity, got permission to hunt a small 50 yd by 200 yd woodlot between three fields.

Spent a long 9 hours in the biting wind and cold yesterday. Nothing moving but three crazy squirrels. Called it quits at 11:30 am, having been on the ground in my spot sitting motionless since 0645.

Drove a 1/4 mile down the road and saw a big old white antlered boy tending two mature does across an open field. Did what any of you here would do... drove to Tractor Supply and picked up another set of long johns & headed back into the woods.

At 2pm a flock of 25 turkeys came parading through the wood lot, loud and boisterous, celebrating "I Survived Thanksgiving" Day. That was cool.

Nothing else moving except those same three courageous squirrels, so I finally called it quits after re-freezing again at 3:45.

Shut the alarm at 0500 this morning, rolled over and thought, "Do I really want to do that again". Went back to sleep.

Guess my common sense got me up at 0600. Jumped out of bed, washed up quick, and got my back against a comfortable tree at 0715, right at legal light.

Said my prayers and set back to enjoy the day. Then tossed up a quick prayer that the good Lord would bring the big six I missed by, or even the smaller eight I saw, or even a mature doe... or whatever he might have in store for me.

At dawn (0745) I hear the familiar shuffle along the fence line behind the deep brush to my left. Repositioned quickly and got ready for whatever was coming.

Here comes a good buck, nose to the ground! He heads right toward me, coming straight at me and I'm thinking, "Turn, turn!" On a dime he turns to his right down a well used trail heading into the thick thorny brush. He's moving pretty good, looks like he means business and is on a mission.

I let out a big bleat as he turned broadside. He stops. Got a good sight picture, exhaled, and let it rip.

Looks like I hit him good and he moves down trail about 10 yards. I bleat again to get him to stop, he does & looks back over his shoulder and starts down the trail again.

For the next few minutes (which seemed like forever) I wondered if I even hit him. Did I miss low? Did the bullet graze his brisket? He didn't even look like he was hurt as he walked down trail. Was there a sapling in the way?

Quickly texted my wife to say I got one, hopefully I hit him good.

Heard a good amount of thrashing in the brush for 15-20 seconds, then a crash. Checked my watch and it was 0755. Figured I'd give him till 0830 or 40 to be sure he's good & dead.

Walked to where I shot him and picked up a good blood trail that went 50 yards into the brush where he lay piled up against a big blow down.

MY FIRST DEER IN FOUR YEARS OF HUNTING... and a decent sized buck!! It was the eight pointer I'd seen walking in the neighbor's crop field earlier in the season.

Did a little fist-pump happy dance and offered a quick "Thanks Lord!" upward.

Checked the shot and it entered his chest right behind his left elbow but exited mid body on the other side... guess he was quartering toward me more than I thought.

Called my son to come help me load him up, drug him to a spot out of the thorn brushes & dressed him in about 15 minutes. The shot took out one lung, damaged the other, and took out part of his liver.

I've been missing squirrel hunting big time so I might get back to that until muzzie opens. Or I might just have to make good on one of the two does I let pass last Sunday