Deer Pockets

[ko4nrbs]

I bumped into a very friendly local archery hunter in the refuge. He has been hunting there long enough to know the deer patterns quite well. He told me the deer are spread out in the refuge in small pockets. The area is a mixture of swamps/wetlands and strips of wood lots. Many crop fields border most of the wood lots. The crops are milo, corn and soybeans. He confirmed that the bucks travel the wood lots during the rut searching for does. My scouting finds were right inline with his thoughts.

Going to be slow hunting but I just don’t have the physical stamina to climb mountains anymore. Except for long walks the hunting areas are not bad to access. Just got to wade water sometimes but I can handle that.

Going to require long sets in the wood lots in order to ambush these traveling bucks. The spots I hunt are covered in rubs and scrapes in December. The deer rut later here than what I am used to.
Bill

[AJ01]

Good luck Bill!!

[longbow joe]

Hey Mr Bill would one of them jet sleds like the duck hunters use help you with your needs in the wet areas.
Even if you hide it in the brush somewhere?

[ko4nrbs]

Hey Mr Bill would one of them jet sleds like the duck hunters use help you with your needs in the wet areas.
Even if you hide it in the brush somewhere?

I have one and use it with my cart to get my equipment in and out. I use a Sherpa Hunting cart kit with my Summit Viper treestand to turn it into a cart. The sled fits on top of it really well. Just load my gear and I’m off. I use it to float gear across flooded fields as well. It is very handy!!

Fortunately the refuge has raised road beds that have locked gates this time of year. I use them to get to the back of the wood lots. So much water around limits the access.

Bill

[ko4nrbs]

Here is a picture of the Sherpa cart kit installed on my Summit Viper.



The kit attaches to the Viper with four straps. Only takes a few minutes and the stand is ready for the tree. They came with the kit and do not loosen up in use. The sled rides very well on the cart and is stable. This set up eliminates the need to take an extra cart just to haul the tree stand.

Unfortunately Sherpa Hunting is no longer in business.
Bill

[longbow joe]

Great minds think alike I guess lol.
Good luck buddy!

[ko4nrbs]

Great minds think alike I guess lol.
Good luck buddy!

Thanks Joe.

Plan on hunting all I can. Getting up at 3am puts me in my tree at around 5:15. Well before daylight. The does I saw came through about 7:30.
Bill

[gerald strine]

That is a pretty slick set up you have their.

[ko4nrbs]

That is a pretty slick set up you have their.

Has worked well for several years.

I haul the deer out underneath the sled with all my gear packed in the sled. Easy to pull if you can avoid logs and holes. Once I was out on the road and the fields it worked very well. To get the deer to the cart I used the sled.
Bill

[xcaliber]

Keeping that load centered makes it much better when hauling. Nice setup Bill, and good luck.

[longbow joe]

[url=https://postimg.cc/D8hVxdzz]
It's terrible trecking the 70 yards to the industrial park
treestand from the truck gotta stop at wawa and get a coffee that eats up a Lotta time
This is the early morning deer movements

[longbow joe]

[url=https://postimg.cc/Z0VgLkXw]
They feed on this remote plateau and either come towards me or simply lay down 10 feet in the woods
This is my default spot when I'm not "feeling " the swamp hassles you are speaking of.
I always see deer here lol.

[ko4nrbs]

[url=https://postimg.cc/Z0VgLkXw]
They feed on this remote plateau and either come towards me or simply lay down 10 feet in the woods
This is my default spot when I'm not "feeling " the swamp hassles you are speaking of.
I always see deer here lol.

Once again you have proven deer can be in the most unlikely spots.
Bill

[longbow joe]

Growing up 35 years ago we used to travel a hundred miles north to hunt deer because we didn't have many deer here now the things are literally everywhere walking down my street it's crazy I know.
Basically the automobile/truck is the deers main enemy here not me.

[wheelsquad]

Yep just like Zach from The Hunting Public says "if you're in it, you're in it"

Deer definitely find those small pockets, especially after exposed to some hunting pressure. Gotta go find them and how to hunt them without bumping them out.