The Good, the Bad, The UGLY.

[Kenton]

I guess I'll just go in order.

the good: While driving today, I saw a young buck with a freshly broken main beam on his left side. I also saw two separate doe groups moving between woodlots in the middle of the day. Deer are moving and the season is almost here.

the bad: this past weekend the woods where buck 52 lives had a boatload of people in it. The woods was logged this summer and now firewood is being cut from the tops at least a couple of times a week. I also noticed today that the woods where Johnson lives had a crew nearby working on a utility line. I'm very concerned about this much intrusion so close to the opener.


the ugly: Saturday I took down my last scouting stand and planned on putting it up in a place most productive during the rut. When I can I use multi-trunked trees for my stands and I was leaning against one trunk when I pushed myslf forward away from the trunk my shoulder popped. Now, I've had shoulder problems steming from a high school baseball injury and now I fear surgery is in my future. So far the only meaningfull sleep i've gotten required serious alcohol consumption. I tried to draw my bow today and could do it but it was a struggle. If the season started today I probably would miss it but I still have a couple of days to see what happens. I think this quallifies as UGLY.

[dick195252]

If i was you. I would stay in bed all day Tuesday and hope my Luck changes

[agingcrossbower]

Sorry to hear about the ugly. I would get that shoulder looked at as soon as possible. You don't want scar tissue. Thats even worse. Hunting is important, but your shoulder is life altering. Think of it in the long term.
Best of luck to you.

[Esox]

Your luck stinks now, but eventually the shoulder will mend and in the meantime hunt slower and wiser, and with the extra people around in the woods the deer will become used to people, and amybe they won't freak out as much if they catch your scent and if most importantly the bucks will still be there for you when the rut comes in November....

...turn it positive, now that you got all the BAD luck out of the way the rest of the season will be great!!!.... I hope.....

[Mike P]

This could severely affect the contest odds!

[B-Logger]

Hang in there Kenton. We are all pulling for you. Get healed and then get hunting.

As for the intrusion, it may not affect as much as you think. With wood cutters, the deer usually move out but move right back in as soon as they leave. We had the same thing here a couple different years. It made little difference in hunting or game populations.

[Cossack]

I can relate to the shoulder surgery. Have had both mine done. The 'football in high school injury' was done the conventional way and took a long time to heal. Would not advise. However, the 'took the ladder stand for a ride-down' left shoulder was done arthoroscopically ... I was able to (cock my Phoenix) in just ten days. Gingerly, but got 'er done! Do the scope if you have a choice...ASAP, scar tissue and arthritis complicates surgery.

I waited until March, my down-time month for bow shooting..

Best luck.

[VixChix]

We never saw as many deer on our lot up north as the year it was logged. They loved all the tops and they seemed to have been conditioned to the presence of humans by the logging activities.

Sorry to hear about your shoulder. Try anti-inflammitories (Aleve). I sometimes have to live on it. Makes a big difference for me.

[bbbwb]

Ditto Vix Chix experience. Deer like that type of cover - especially in the late season when snow is present. Check it out periodically throughout the season.
Hope the pain diminishes and you are back at full throttle.

bbbwb

[Mike P]

the bad: this past weekend the woods where buck 52 lives had a boatload of people in it. The woods was logged this summer and now firewood is being cut from the tops at least a couple of times a week. I also noticed today that the woods where Johnson lives had a crew nearby working on a utility line. I'm very concerned about this much intrusion so close to the opener.

I don't know if I would consider this "the bad" when you look at the bigger picture.

The woods where 52 lives was going to be crawling with people next week, and those folks are going to have bows in their hands, not chain saws. If it where me, I would hope this intrusion by the firewood cutters is enough to send 52 to high ground for some time.

There was a good chance one of the "I didn't even scout johnny come lately" hunters could have lucked out and had 52 walk within range the first or second day. I really think you want to take advantage of the strengths you have over these lazy hunters. You know his core area and you have time on your side.

You need to hunt him hard every day of the pre-rut kenton. I think it is your best chance. Once he starts bedding doe's he is going to be tougher. Mr. average hunter does not have the opportunity to crank it every day unless he takes vacation time, and most will take that vacation during the gun season.

You might get a crack at him during the rut if you can catch a doe trolling him along on her way to a food source, but it is harder to harvest him during the rut versus the pre-rut in my humble opinion.

The disadvantage of the pre-rut versus the actual rut is the fact that he has not gone totally stupid like he will during the peak of the rut. But the advantage is the fact that he feels compelled to check every thing out, grunt calls included, during the pre-rut. But, I am not telling you anything you don't already know.

What I find incredible is that you have convinced Fred that the best time to hunt buck 52 is in January.

If I didn't know any better I would think you took Fred drinking again!

[DuckHunt]

I would get that shoulder looked at as soon as possible. You don't want scar tissue. Thats even worse.

Exactly. I tore my rotator cuff in 06 and waited until after hunting season to see the doctor. By then imperfect healing had commenced and I'll have to live with the results of not seeking surgery right away. Surgery could result in a lengthy full recovery (~8 months I'm told). Without surgery I finally got a new vertical bow a few weeks ago. It has taken 3 years to get back to near normal.

If I had it to do over again, I would have seen a doctor right away. I went about a month with painful sleep. There's no reason to put up with it if you can help it.

Good luck with it.

DuckHunt

[crazyfarmer]

I think someone is trying to jinx the top 2 ranked teams... first I almost broke my ankle.. Now Kenton is shoulder disabled..

Im wondering if this new female team is putting spells on us

Kenton, sorry to hear man... you will get better shortly hopefully!


as Mike said, maybe all those people where a good thing. They pushed him out of that area hopefully so no one else will get a crack at him. But he will return. Hopefully when you are in the stand!

about 600 acres of land I hunt was clearcut this year. I have pics of bucks there, but its gonna be a whole new learning process to hunt them. Ill be off to a slow start also learning what patterns have changed

[Kenton]

thanks everyone.

in 07 I had to miss muzzle-loader season from the same reaccuring injury, so this is nothing new, it just sucks. I absolutely agree that deer love areas that have been logged, tons of bedding area. While I think many deer will continue to use the area despite people cutting firewood, I firmly believe mature bucks will not tolerate this. One buck in particular is a corn maniac; as soon as he is pressured he wont leave standing corn fields; My fear is that this has already happened. I hunt corn fields alot and have even harvested deer from them, but going in after a mature buck is a tall order. Whatever happens this year, even if I am only a videographer, the season will be a success. When chasing deer, how can it not be.

[saxman]

Sorry about the shoulder.I can relate.
Sounds like some nice deer in your area.
Let the other hunters push them to you.