Nice 6

This is the spot which I have been loosing deer, I have had very few pictures in this spot, and was not having any luck hunting, so because of the trail cam I switched locations - greatly increasing the deer I have seen. 

Turkeys are making a strong come back in MD

what used to be a strange sight has become very familiar all over the Eastern Shore of MD.  This is a recent pic, of a visitor around the deer corn.

Warm weather still a factor in MD

Hunting is really crazy, at least for me.  I have been seeing loads of deer, mostly bucks while actually hunting, but does are plentiful as well.  I have not been able to connect yet this season.  Gearing up for youth day next. 

October 28th - trail camera makes my decision

Ok, after viewing four days worth of photos from my trail cam, all dozen or so - my decision of where to hunt was made very easy and even though we didn't shoot anything, it was a great hunt.  First the most interesting pictures over that time period were a small buck and raccoon sharing a late night snack and a single small buck.  Nothing to get worked up about.

So, my 12 yr old son and I ventured across the farm to a spot we don't hunt as much.  Just as we start walking down the buffer between the beans and the woods, there stands a doe with her eyes on us.  &$#@##?!! - now what, don't move - - ok, we did that for 3 minutes or so. The doe walks towards us.  I determined it was best to spook the doe and hope it doesn't screw up the rest of the hunt.  We walk to the doe, and get about another 40 yrds.  Pretty cool, but she does run into the woods, then we notice two more does a little farther back who do the same.

Nice, what a way to start.  So, we continue on, working towards either a woods blind I have set or to sit along the woods edge.  After seeing another doe sneaking along the wood line I take the woods edges as a gamble.

We find a great little spot, up on a little knoll, next to a maple tree. Now, I set my son down, get the shooting stick in place, then take position myself.  About 5 minutes went by and what has to be the smallest fawn I have ever seen steps out to feed in the buffer.  Shes about 40 yrds up.  I didn't have to tell my son not to shoot, -- but did anyway.  Now we wait for mom.

But, big daddy comes trotting through the beans.  Very nice buck, that I was not expecting, a buck I have not seen at all even on camera.  Kinda a basket rack - 8 to 9 pts with some mass.  A shooter - except in MD right now for muzzleloader season its doe only.  Yes, my luck strikes again.  The buck comes from about 150 yrds up to 50 yrds near the doe.  Looks and sniffs around a bit then into the woods, but not before we express our feelings about the doe only season.  My son could have nailed that buck - however.  So, the wait for mom continues.

Mom, still does not show, but brother does.  Yes again - taking the same path as the older deer, this spike buck walks from about 150 yrds , cuts in and goes directly to the same spot about 50 yrds out.  Another clear shot. I forgot to mention that I put a little attractant out just prior to setting in the woods.  It's a local home made powder of apples, and magic dust I think, but --------- the spike takes a liking to the stuff.  This spike during about a 20 minute span - walks up to about 10 yrds in front of us.  Tenderloins for sure if it were last Saturday.   I decided to spook the deer, thinking spooking it at 10 yrds was better than 5.   He blew, tail up and jogged into the woods, it was then we saw the does waiting to come out - their tails that is.

The only other thing we saw was a fox.  But, we both agreed with the lack of deer we have been seeing on the other side and the lack of pictures ( which is really unusual ) - we had a fantastic evening.  I only wish I had my video camera with me.

So - using the trail cam plus the past couple days experience, I ended up with a great hunting experience with my son.  I would have probably hunted the other spot had the camera shown deer at dusk or more activity.

Finally a good day hunting, so now to return and get some meat for the freezer.

Hey I know you

Appears to be a stand off

Close encounters

Proof that the "Camera Stick" will not spook deer, not that there was any question, but it is a neat picture.

so called hunting season........

Well, the best thing I have done so far this hunting season was help a friend track a deer.  I went again tonight in the rain, perfect - I mean perfect set up.  Deer moving, weather good, quiet, good location, deer all around the farm, but ..... not anywhere around my blind.  So, tomorrow is another day.  I should have some pictures to post as I retrieve my camera card.

Hunting Season Cont....

The weather in MD stinks for hunting, it's like 70 out.   I did not hunt today, but finally put a new card in my Moultrie.

cool picture

This is one of my favorite pictures, just really a luck shot.  Nice buck too.  This picture was sent to me by a friend of mine, Mali Vujanic of Outdoor Essentials.  Mali is a trail camera enthusiast and uses dozens of Camera Sticks. 

Shooters - No Limits Outdoors Picture

Gordon Griffith from No Limits Outdoors sent me this pic.  I think its a cool pic.  The Camera Stick is a product sponsor for No Limits Outdoors. Those guys use Camera Sticks around the country.

Good Average Buck

Just a good IR photo taken with a Moultrie I 60 I think.  Nice Buck, I have several pictures of this deer at night.

FOX

We have a lot of fox.

Second day of Maryland muzzleloader season

Well, my last couple days of trail camera picture were rather boring. The weather in MD is warm, and it is affecting deer movement.  So, I changed my tactics.  I actually hunted late this morning, because I was partly lazy and got tied up with a couple things. I managed to get to the woods around 715 am.  Spooking one doe on the way in did not improve my outlook.  Things went down hill from there.  I decided rather than sit in my blind, watching corn piles that deer had not even been using yet, that I would sit along the edge of a woods, at a CREP strip just prior to a bean field.  I watch the leaves blow for about an hour and basically got disgusted. So - I decided to walk, I know, I know, bad idea.  I ended up jumping about a dozen more deer before I got to my truck.  I then thought, well, I have spooked a bunch of deer, some of which were running to the other side of the woods ( a narrow strip between two fields) maybe I will have a shot on the other side.  Nope, nothing, but I did see a nice buck running accross the field, on the side I usually hunt.  I should have slept in. 

And - I forgot to replace the card in the camera I have set on that side of the field. 

Not in Season

I had seen a rogue pig on the property, a pot-belly pig.  I thought it had been scared away.  I found out you can't just scare away a hungry pot-belly pig.  I am in the process of finding the owner.

My hunting season

My hunting season basically revolves around the use of trail cams.  Not totally, but I use them to my advantage, primarily because I have so little time to hunt.  I frequently note dates and times of activity.  If deer are more routinely hitting my corn pile at first light, then I plan on an early hunt.  However, if I am not seeing any activity within shooting hours, then I will most likely hunt according to how the area has produced activity in the past.  I have a spot I love to hunt in the late afternoon.  It tipically shows deer (mostly doe and young bucks) just prior to dusk.  By using the images from my camera set there, I have determined the best time to enter the blind, and when the deer have been in the area.  This enables me to take advantage of the best opportunity to harvest a deer. 


I do experiment and hunt different times and locations. Especially during the rut and when other seasonal factors such as the weather are a factor.  I hunted Maryland's opening day of muzzleloader season today.  The cameras told me that activity was very low before dusk.  The weather also increased my chances of squirl watching today, with the higher temps.  I did take my son, which was the high point of the hunt.  No, deer today.


Just prior to leaving, I took the card from my Moulrie I60 camera so that I could determine if an early or late hunt was in order.  After reviewing several days photographs I discovered a change in location was the best bet.  We have had warmer weather the past several days, and my photographs have gone from plenty of buck and doe activity to a family of raccoons out for a midnight snack. 


Tomorrow I will take my daughter and a friend hunting, she and I are still discussing who shoots first.  Interestingly enough I don't even have a camera at the location I plan to hunt tomorrow.  A product of too much work I suppose, however, having been out of the area for several days is to my benefit, especially in this warm early season.