What helped you harvest a deer?

[drkeenan]

I believe I had my best season eveE harvesting 6 deer (4 does and 2 bucks) with my Exomax because I committed myself to becoming better at calling. After some success calling last year I decided that during the 2014-2015 season I would blind call every 10-15 minutes. My hope was to increase my effective hunting radius from 30 yds to 150 yds.

I used the Lost Fawn Mah-ma by Woodswise to call in and shoot two does early in the season. I called in several others but the area I hunt is so thick I got busted because they saw me before i saw them. On November 1st I switched to the Super Hot Mah-ma also by Woodswise and during the month of November I called in and shot 2 more does and two 5 pointers. I also passed on another doe and 8 pointer (because I was tagged out on bucks). Next season I'll be more selective.

Since my strategy has been to blind call every 10-15 minutes the doubters (some of my buddies) contend that I've just been lucky this year and the calls had nothing to do with it. My response ( and belief ) is that the calls have increased my effective hunting radius from 30 to 150 yds but if they think I'm wrong they should continue to do it their way. That said, I'm sure my success is because of calling for 2 reasons. 1. All of the deer came in as if on a string. 2. My longest shot this season has been under 15 yds.

A couple of my observations. 1. The lost fawn is more challenging (and fun) because the does are more alert. Not afraid but certainly more aware. 2. All of my success with the super hot has been with the estrous bleat (inhale) side of the call. I used the exhale and breeding bellow during the peak of the rut with no results. That said, next season for the month of November I'm going to NOT use the inhale side to convince myself that it was timing and nothing more which kept me from bringing them in with the exhale side and breeding bellow. And if my experiment fails I will still have December and January to fill the freezer;)

Sorry about the length of this note.

[bob watkins]

i found this year a lot harder to hunt did not see as many deer . i believe we have all the stuff to make happen. the thing i learned most this year was beeing patient and beeing persistent

[bubba]

Newbie!! So that's the story behind the tailgate. I've read a lot of your posts that you mentioned your tailgate this and that never could really figure it out thought is was some thing like lost your tailgate or some thing pertaining to it {SMILE} Thanks Flightattendant,, for finally telling all the reason, That's really funny lost his bow out the tailgate {was open} on the way to the woods!! Oh I meant after the hunt??? Now that's good stuff right there.......................#$%^%^( it happens.............

[Boo]

Newbie!! So that's the story behind the tailgate. I've read a lot of your posts that you mentioned your tailgate this and that never could really figure it out thought is was some thing like lost your tailgate or some thing pertaining to it {SMILE} Thanks Flightattendant,, for finally telling all the reason, That's really funny lost his bow out the tailgate {was open} on the way to the woods!! Oh I meant after the hunt??? Now that's good stuff right there.......................#$%^%^( it happens.............

[newbie]

Newbie!! So that's the story behind the tailgate. I've read a lot of your posts that you mentioned your tailgate this and that never could really figure it out thought is was some thing like lost your tailgate or some thing pertaining to it {SMILE} Thanks Flightattendant,, for finally telling all the reason, That's really funny lost his bow out the tailgate {was open} on the way to the woods!! Oh I meant after the hunt??? Now that's good stuff right there.......................#$%^%^( it happens.............

Yes sir it makes it a lot easier to take the ribbing cause now i see the humor in it. Plus i got a chance to bring Midge into the family.
Paul thanks for clarifying the tailgate thing to Bubba
maybe i should change name to tailgate lest we forget.

[Boo]

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think it was funny when you first called me to tell me. I honestly feel really bad for you Mike.

[bubba]

Newbie..Tailgate... Like em both.But please don't change your avatar.. That would really mess me up, Glad you have a since of humer Newbie, and I'm still glad the mystery has finally been solved.....

[strum]

its funny now but im sure it was heartbreaking at the time
my wife borrowed my truck a few years back on a Saturday..I didn't use it Sunday or Monday and went to a job Tuesday ..could not find my tool box..thought I left it at home maybe?
after much searching we realized that when I had came in Friday, unloaded some stuff and left the tailgate down. tool box was never found. the box and contents (every carpenter hand tool that could fit in it) probably took 400-500 bucks to replace. we do some funny things sometimes

[Deaf jeff]

On that note: Way back in the late 90's when I was pretty green and hunting on the ground, i had gone out to my local public land in Late October and walked into a nice white oak grove that dipped into a creek bottom, evening hunt. When legal quitting time came I was packing up my stool to leave when all hell broke lose down in the bottom! It sounded EXACTLY like two big men hitting baseball bats together as hard as they could.

It was surreal for a few seconds because I KNEW that was impossbile. Then, I honestly got goose bumps and that hair raising feeling when I realized just what caliber of bucks it would take to make that sound!!! I figured that they were about 150 yards in there through the thick cover on the other side of the creek, because I couldn't hear any leaves thrashing or even the typical fast "rattling" sound, just the smacking of their antlers when they REALY hit hard. Some thrill buddy, let me tell you!

maybe squatch doin his "knocks"

[newbie]

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think it was funny when you first called me to tell me. I honestly feel really bad for you Mike.

I hear you Don i needed a shoulder that night. Took me a few weeks to find it amusing. Funny then thats a big nope, funny now yes sir. Things happen for a reason i only hope whoever found it, found it with their tires first :mrgren:

[amythntr]

its funny now but im sure it was heartbreaking at the time
my wife borrowed my truck a few years back on a Saturday..I didn't use it Sunday or Monday and went to a job Tuesday ..could not find my tool box..thought I left it at home maybe?
after much searching we realized that when I had came in Friday, unloaded some stuff and left the tailgate down. tool box was never found. the box and contents (every carpenter hand tool that could fit in it) probably took 400-500 bucks to replace. we do some funny things sometimes

...you mean like the time our Expedition was packed with everything to go on vacation, including bicycles on top of the vehicle, and my beloved bride of 30 years decided to go through the bank drive thru window type of funny things Stan????

Anthony

[newbie]

its funny now but im sure it was heartbreaking at the time
my wife borrowed my truck a few years back on a Saturday..I didn't use it Sunday or Monday and went to a job Tuesday ..could not find my tool box..thought I left it at home maybe?
after much searching we realized that when I had came in Friday, unloaded some stuff and left the tailgate down. tool box was never found. the box and contents (every carpenter hand tool that could fit in it) probably took 400-500 bucks to replace. we do some funny things sometimes

...you mean like the time our Expedition was packed with everything to go on vacation, including bicycles on top of the vehicle, and my beloved bride of 30 years decided to go through the bank drive thru window type of funny things Stan????

Anthony

[diesel]

Well my Boo string for sure !!!!!!!!!!

[stoneycreekhunter]

NAP FOCs

They are unbelievable

[Patriot*]

Great topic Don, and we harvest deer in our family

Patience and sitting very still, waiting and waiting and being quiet for hours on end, carefully checking the prevailing breeze or maybe none, being especailly excellent observers and listeners. Always paying attention to what is going on in the woods. Listening to a covey of dove startled and suddenly flying off knowing its deer movement not a Sharp shinned or Cooper's hawk because we know what these birds of prey sound like. Sitting 20 foot high really made it much more difficult to be "busted" by the keen sense of smell the deer have. Being properly dressed for the weather..knowing what days to layer what clothing a must. Watching deer long enough as to not jump the gun enabling us to select the perfect broadside double lung kill shot, resulting in a shorter track 35-40 yards for all 6 deer.

Certainly being at the right place at the right time with skill and luck mixed in allowed us to harvest (6) NC Carolina whitetails. One of these deer was my wife's first deer killed with her Excal Axiom 305 the day before the season closed.
A special day to remember.I am very proud of her,as she takes hunting and killing deer very seriously as I have taught her...as I do.
And always a prayer for a safe and successful hunt before we go.
Our freezer is full.

Dave

p.s. hunters in our extended family and generations before have been killing large bucks and doe without scents, real tree, mossy oak camo, ozone gadgets, scent blocks, scent sticks, do-do drops, unscented detergent, unscented hand soap, charcoal lined hunting clothes, deer urine long before all this stuff came out.
just sayin...