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Dan Andrews

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I heard this will happen. You see deer everyday in a location but when you show up with some arrows they're all gone.

It has been so hot here in Niagara. The other night I checked my GPS and it said sunrise was at 6:30 so I set the alarm for 5:30 so I have enough time for coffee and a cereal bar then the drive to my location, time to harness up, walk through the woods in the dark and finally rest my ass on my tree stand before pulling back the string on my cross bow.

Gee it's still dark, guess what? My GPS didn't account for the extra two weeks before the clocks go back! :-X

An hour later as the sky morning light finally started showing the brush a single bird started the chorus and was immediately followed by about 6000 more birds around me. These birds mostly young robins spent the next 3 hours ratting me out every time a blinked. The grey squirrel must have thought my leafy hood was a nest and nearly mounted my head before seeing me move.

It got hot quick. This will come in handy once the cooler weather comes but for now having my stand face the morning sun is a huge disadvantage. I may move my stand back into the bush by a small watering hole until it cools off.

This morning I arrived about 8:30 as I had to see my Son off to school. By the time I reached my stand the heat had already busted my scent protection. I had to take my jacket off so I sprayed my arms and face with scent blocker. Turns out the yellow jackets and flies love this stuff so I had bugs crawling all over my face. The morning sun was too hot so I've decided that until the weather cools off I might as well stick to fishing.

Oh ya I never saw one deer for 2 days in a row now. Maybe if I come without the bow :-/

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Guest canadadude

Welcome to the deer hunt :D:angry::angry: ....... Hey Dan did that for years keep on plugging that one day it will all come together and then venison in the freezer :blink::blink:

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Dan, is this a spot where you have been keeping tabs on them for a while, and it is an actual travel route for them....and a decent food source near by them...is it an area that they as it gets into morning, have spots near by that they go and bed down....or is it an area that they use as a travel pattern relating to the rut???? or are you just hoping that one is going to happen to pop out of the brush now and again because you have seen the odd one there??are there signs of deer around...scat...scrapes...tracks???

Only asking because it helps to try and put a pattern on them for times of day...travelling around...when they are looking for food, and what it is they are looking for and also thier route to bed time for a nap..same as different weather patterns that might effect thier daily travel patterns, once you have a few of those things figured out on the group you are following around then chances are you will start to at least see a few pretty much every time you are out...might not always get within shooting range, but if you can figure out the reasons some of the deer are showing up at your chosen hunting ground, soon to follow will be almost what time of day you can count on them being there....when you are hunting like that in a tree stand, you are banking on them coming to you as opposed to hiking around looking for them.

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The deer are behaving like it is still summer. It is still summer!

I see lots around and they don't spook until me and the dog start to get close. Mostly does on the escarpment brow.

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I was going home from my parent house sunday night, had to slam on the brakes for 2 golden retrievers at firt I thought were deer jumpin infront of me. They were beautiful dogs looked like purebreed. It was 9 pm near humane society so don't know if they were just dropped off. Half a kilometer away I almost smacked the wifes new van up on a nice 6 pointer, Rack wasn't that nice but it was a big buck. I dunno if there was a hunter out there after dark or not, but little suspicious with 2 purebread dogs chasing a buck durring hunting season?

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No rubs yet Jack :)

The biggest factor this year is water. That should be changing now with all this rain and as it cools off more water will start to sit on the surface. Land is hard to come by and the place I have only has water in the corner the landowner doen't want me to hunt.

The second biggest factor has been scent. I either have to lay off the camo or buy some lighter stuff because by the time I get to my stands I'm all sweaty. :rolleyes:

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water is important, but only a small factor in some of the things I mentioned...deer will travel pretty far to find water, but will also travel back to where they came from..food, bed time, rut ..whatever..you really need to ask yourself if this is an actual travel route that is regularly used by the deer in that area or you are pretty much wasting your time waiting them out in a tree stand...or else you have to give them a reason to come to you if there are actually a decent number of deer in close proximity to where you are hunting....scent attractants...a salt lick...food source....really if it is not a well used area for the deer there, you almost may as well be sitting on your porch waiting for one to come by it's the same thing.

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We have been dropping corn and it has been dissapearing daily with a few hoof marks to boot. My first morning in the tree it all became clear. I've attracted thousands of birds which are also busting me every time I blink. We have found the major throughways and will be moving our stands shortly.

The tree we were told was best isn't. Last years storm (disaster) changed all the major routes. In my opinion deer are lazy and are more likely to follow an atv trail then go through the scrub. Maybe I should borrow an atv and make them a trail to my stand :rolleyes:

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Guest canadadude

The deers will start rutting soon as the magic night of Nov 15 approaches!!! This is basically the time most deer come into esterus and are prime for mating!! It's still earlly for those big bucks to start and get crazy but they will be starting to make rubs on the trees and scraping soon!! Just keep on scouting around when not hunting, the rain will make it alot easier to spot tracks and trails aswell!!!! Keep on looking around for sign and form a plan, the deer will change there habits and travel routes and such during the ruttting stage!!! An area that was freaquented during the summer may become void of deer in the fall!!! :rolleyes:

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if you are putting a feed pile out for them, and getting too many unwanted birds around all the time..switch her up...try and find a big pile of apples, and throw in some smashed up pumpkins... you may even be able to go to that feed place in Stevensville, they may have bags of feed mix that has things like corn,oats,grass pellets, dried legumes in it, but this may not help with your bird problem..specially if it's starlings and the like, hundreds woill swarm into there if there is food, and yep they make a huge racket...I know lots of people who put out big piles of apples, and even last week when I was at my trailer where there are lots of hunters in the fall, there was lot of pickups driving around town towing atv's and big loads of apples. You are right, alot of times deer and mosse will choose easy travel routes, they will travel at night along side the road, and also why alot of people hunt the skidder trails in reforested areas

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i have found that does will be the ones to frequent ATV trsils, while the "BIG" bucks are not dumb enough to put themself in the open, the exception of this is that magic time when the rut is on. If you can find the does, you find the bucks.

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Talking to the guides up north. Even the moose rut is way behind. Weather has been far too warm to get the bulls active. This can also have an impact on the deer hunt and the rut. Bucks are triggered by weather. We need some crisp air.

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Guest canadadude
if you are putting a feed pile out for them, and getting too many unwanted birds around all the time..switch her up...try and find a big pile of apples, and throw in some smashed up pumpkins... you may even be able to go to that feed place in Stevensville, they may have bags of feed mix that has things like corn,oats,grass pellets, dried legumes in it, but this may not help with your bird problem..specially if it's starlings and the like, hundreds woill swarm into there if there is food, and yep they make a huge racket...I know lots of people who put out big piles of apples, and even last week when I was at my trailer where there are lots of hunters in the fall, there was lot of pickups driving around town towing atv's and big loads of apples. You are right, alot of times deer and mosse will choose easy travel routes, they will travel at night along side the road, and also why alot of people hunt the skidder trails in reforested areas

Is it not illeagal to bate deer, the bird problem happens if you are near a fence row or such they flock up this time of year, I mean I remember during the shotgun hunt flushing thousands of doves out of fence rows and such!!! Find the doe runs and let them go this time of year, the big ole bucks will be following them and be stupid to you sitting the tree :Gonefishing:

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Well we've been out two evenings in a row.

First night I saw no deer from the stand. I saw a black squirrel and a wild turkey. Dam thing stood like a statue for about 2 minutes at 25 yards before walking away. It will never happen in the spring I bet. My Son however saw a buck behind him but had no shot through his tree. Shooting lanes all on my side (for supervision). I'd rather him not shoot if he's not 100% sure and if that bow opens up and hits a branch he's going to get his eye gored with the scope.

Anyway 10 minutes before the end of legal shooting time we decided to stalk our way back to the truck. As soon as we came through the brush to the other side of his tree stand we saw the tails bouncing. THEY WERE RIGHT UNDER HIS STAND WHILE I WAS UNBUCKLING HIM! Saw some more down the fence row and almost got close enough. Well he was close enough but I won't let him walk with an arrow loaded since he pointed it at me in the Marsh (it will come).

Had the wife vibrate my phone at end of legal shooting time. Encased them and watched the deer circus on the walk back :lol:

Tonight we moved the stands to the traffic area but it has very low cover. As predited, deer aren't stupid and didn't show up TILL MY LEGAL SHOOT ALARM WENT OFF! I'm unbuckling him and he says LOOK THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE!!!

Well at least we got out and enjoyed the scenery. I'm a proud Daddy. While other kids were out soaping car windows we were walking back through a farmers field in the dark talking about Cougar attacks and the coopers hawk that took issue with his leafy mask TWICE! :P Almost got him and I was the only one laughing :P . Saw a falcon and about a million chickadeedeedee's. We'll keep at er and hopefully next weeks shot gun won't affect our area.

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Guest canadadude

Sounds like your getting the best from hunting there Dan!!........the kill is a bonus, the time your spending with your son out in the bush is memorable!!! Good for you bud the times you and your son spend now will bring you happiness forever :lol::P

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good story about you last adventure Dan. I was talking to someone up at my trailer a few weeks back and he mentioned going out to help investigate some livestock killings in the past a ways north of where my trailer is in the past, and with the MNR investigating as well, the actually confirmed that they where infact cougar that killed the livestock, they proved it from hair sample they found along a barbed wire fence :angry:

as for the comment about not being legal to bait for deer....I am pretty sure you can infact legally do so, there is a wide range of products out there from salt and mineral licks, to bait blocks and mixes like Rack Stacker

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This is turning into a bit of a blog but here goes :o

Got everything ready to go for when the kid got home from school Wednesday. I didn't have to work till 8 and legal shoot time was 6:40 so plenty of time unless I actually shoot something. That leaves me some time to gut my first deer and get it in the truck. After strategically dropping piles of corn and retrieving my Son's lost quiver I headed home to intercept him.

He walks in the door and I say "are you ready" with anticipation. His look said it all. I was thinking he had suddenly lost interest and he sighed and said "Dad I was thinking of going out for halloween with my friends". DOH!!! I forgot it was halloween. The youngest doesn't like going out and the oldest doesn't like the Parents coming anymore so I'm going hunting by myself.

Well I had a plan for tonight and it just got quieter. I decided to drop the noisy camo for a thick grey hoody and track pants. The only camo I kept was the leafy mask. I also brought my six point buck archery target. Earlier in the day I had bought a squeezplay buck call and a bottle of "tinks" urine. I prepared my stand and put the decoy in the middle of the hedge row. Then I used a pencil to pin the tail (white rag) on the six point and added some pee.

Well at 6:10 I see this deer coming. Nice little doe. The heart starts making noise as I raise my bow. Dam it's got horns about 5 inches long with a slight fork on the end. He's got his butt kicked and has the marks to prove it and he's very small. My bow was half up but halfway there the homemade wooden handle scrapes my camo mask and makes a scratchy noise. BUSTED! He stands there looking at me for about 2 minutes. I never knew that bow was so heavy. My back is now in excruciating pain and my arms are starting to shake. As he looks away I found the opportunity to lower my bow to me knee.

I did not want to shoot this buck. He was like Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Beat up, skinny, small and for all the work to come before a night shift if I do shoot him, it wasn't worth the hassle. That and I'm sitting in my Sons tree stand on property we got for him and he's not here to take the shot :angry: . If he was here I'd let him take the shot. If he didn't I would so we could have even a small success together but I'm not taking this rail myself and wasting my buck tag.

Well this thing is checking out my decoy forever. It's blocking his path and he doesn't want any trouble. Besides why does an anterless buck smell like a doe in heat anyway. He back up and came forward 3-5 yards away from me for about 3 minutes. He was perfectly broadside and I'm thinking and I going to be sorry I didn't take this shot? I could have dropped him on the spot. I had time to check out every hair on him. He eventually crossed the hedge row, walked right by me in the field and re entered on the other side of my decoy.

The reason I worked so hard not to spook him is I was hoping a decent Doe or Buck was trailing him. This is like a deer highway at night. This is where we see the circus on the way back to the truck every evening. There has to be more! Well as my luck continues there were no more deer following. I went to work both sore and excited about my encounter and the kid was really sorry he didn't come. Hey there's more to life than hunting kid. We got all weekend so the story continues another day :worthy:

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Guest canadadude

Dan your so close to getting that Deer, Your doing it right though Bud Pick your deer it's nice your seeing so many animals and sounds like you and the boy are having a memorable time s in the bush!!! Good for you dude, don't worry a deer will give himself to you guys soon :D:lol::) ........by the way I'm lov'in the play by play :rolleyes::rolleyes: although it makes me miss hunting alot :D

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Well our luck has been dwindling since that last encounter. The deer seem to have our scent and are staying out of range. I even sat in the brush by their front door and they never came out. 2 minutes till legal time ends and I get up and start walking. They heard me and went crashing through the brush.

Today I started out by telling the gunners to get the hell outa there. That's what the owner told me I had to do if I wanted to hunt the property. I was properly told they did have permission. I checked and sure enough the owner had given permission without notifying me :rolleyes: . Dam lucky he didn't shoot me.

Anyway this morning was bright orange down there because shotgun opened and I'm down for a week with the rut ending at about the same time. It was amazing to see the new scrapes just since Saturday night. These deer are hornier than fanggo! :D

Just kidding :D . So when I come back not only will the rut be over but the deer will be scared shiteless :rolleyes:

and so the story continues next week.............................

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Guest canadadude

Sorry to hear that Dan, I know the shotgun wipeout is on take cover dude it's crazy out there!!!! go fishing stay out of the woods this week :rolleyes: ......anyway the 15th is fun night and if the does don't get lucky another rut comes around 28 days later :rolleyes:

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Good timing Tony. My buddy also bagged a doe on the weekend and when I saw the picture I kicked myself for not harvesting the little buck. He would have made tender jerky and was at least as big as that doe. But I know at least that I outsmarted one and even though I didn't pull the trigger I still feel I won. Problem is my mouth is still watering and venison will taste better than the water.

Make no mistake I have not given up. I am actually consumed by the hunt and will be very uncomfortable from January to October of next year. At least rabbits will get me to February.

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