Last Day Success!

Kevin has a knack for coming through in a pinch.  This year was no exception -- if it wasn't for him there would be no venison in my freezer -- cuts from this one and a button buck he shot the week before.

 

It was the last day of muzzleloader and the plan was simple:  Find the most inaccessible piece of public land we could find and simply try to kill a deer for the freezer.  And thanks to the good will of Kevins' brother Jay we got access to just a spot.  Jay knew a farmer who let him cross his property to hunt an isolated piece of public land that is about as good as it gets for a public land hunter in Indiana (the year before Jay pulled a heavy-beamed ten-pointer out of there that pushed 200 pounds) and Jay secured permission for us.

 

At the split in the logging road Kevin went one way and I went the other and we both had the uncanny sense a third party would be accompanying us on our way back to the truck -- if not a fourth party as well.  Yeah, it was just that kind of feeling on the last day of the season.  And if it wasn't for an error on my part while loading my muzzleloader we would have been dragging deer all day but, that is something I will talk about later.

 

Kevin posted up at a well used creek crossing where he had seen quite a few deer in the weeks prior and waited for something to move through.  This buck saw him about the same time he saw the buck and the buck tried to make a quick escape across the creek.  But, with the creek still swollen from the heavy rains the week before he decided it was too risky to get wet and he came back towards Kevin on a flat out run to beat all.  Kevin got him in the scope at seventy-yards with a sense of urgency that it was going to be now or never, followed him for a few moments and squeezed off the shot.

 

I was off across the thicket a way when I heard the loud boom and I had no doubt we had a little work ahead of us.

When it comes to true trophies this may be as good as it gets.  When I think about the lost sleep, the miles spent on the road and on the foot, the monotony of going to work every day all year long so time can be taken during the season, the effort, the money  . . . , I think you know what I mean -- and for it all to boil down to the last few minutes of three months of time spent, hard work, and hope -- and then everything comes together in just a few moments, well -- everything suddenly becomes worth it and this deer is the culmination of all of that.  And now all we can hope for is that next season is going to be just as good as last.
 

Autumn Pictures




A Small Eight-Pointer Moves Across the River Crossing.



A Procession of Does in Step on the Old Logging Road.

Patoka River



The Patoka River is classified as a state navigable waterway for 146 miles of it's corridor, and beginning at that point where the river flows under Highway 37 in Orange County to where it empties into the Wabash River it is a navigable body of water open to public use.  That doesn't mean the entire river bottom is open to the public, most of this land falls under private domain and is off limits without granted permission.  But, for the public land water way hunter willing to put forth a little effort, the river provides access to a number of state and federally controlled lands along its' winding path.

Beginning in Orange County the river flows along several remote sections of Hoosier National Forest before it widens out into the Patoka Lake Reservoir.  The Patoka Lake Corridor is controlled by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and this area provides over 17,000 acres of huntable public land.  Last year, during the fall hunting season, the Corps of Engineers held the lake at a low level and the open shoreline would have made a perfect path for a stalking hunting to move slowly along and hunt the wooded hillsides.  This was something I planned to do, but never got around to.  This year not as much of the shore is exposed, but there is still enough for a hunter to work the wooded edge.  Along several sections of the property the Indiana DNR plants crops and grasses, and I have seen an above average number of deer this year in the areas I regularly drive through. 



Moving downriver from Patoka Lake the river winds through several other sections of state and federal properties.  Parts of Pike State Forest (3,089 acres) border the river bottom and the river flows through several sections of the Sugar Ridge Fish and Wildlife Area (8,109 acres). But, possibly the hidden jewel among all of these is the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge (5,828 acres).  This is a place where I have wanted to hunt and explore since it was dedicated, but am yet to do so.

A Nice Patoka River Ten Pointer on a River Bottom Trail!

Deer numbers have been strong for the past several years in this region of Southern Indiana.  Last year the antlered harvest was up in several counties the Patoka River flows through.  Hunters killed 797 bucks in Orange County, 771 in Crawford County, 698 in Dubois County, and 696 in Pike County.  All of these counties increased their antlered harvest from the year before and if the amount of deer I'm seeing in Southern Indiana this year is any indication of the coming deer season, I'm willing to bet the kill ratio increases again this hunting season.

If you're tired of hunting the crowded roadways of Indiana's public lands get yourself a cheap canoe and discover for yourself just how good these out of the way public lands can be.

The Hillside Thicket!

 



If you have been following this blog you are probably familiar with "The Hillside Thicket."  Several years ago Kevin pulled a nice Hoosier National nine-pointer out of the place and it has become a go to spot for us ever since.  When the hunting gets tough and we want to see some deer -- this is the spot we go.

 

Last year, however, the place just didn't work out for us.  Throughout the months of October, November, and December someone would move into the thicket and sit a spell.  Upon return to the camp the conversation would go something like this:

"Man the place looks smokin' hot -- the deer trails crisscrossing across the flat look like deer highways, and there are fresh scrapes and rubs scattered out in front of the stand, and the deer droppings are so thick I can smell em' from twenty feet up, and . . ."

"Well, how many deer did ya' see?"

"I had a fat fox squirrel climb down the cedar tree and nearly sit on my head, then two coyotes worked up out of the bottom and I could've shot either one, but I just knew a buck was going to work down off the hill so I didn't shoot."

"Well, come on now -- out with it -- how many deer did ya' see?

"I can't believe it, but I didn't see a single deer, not even a doe!"

And that's the way it was all season for the hillside thicket.  Maybe it was a case of being in the right spot at the wrong time, or maybe the deer have caught on to us in that spot.  Maybe I went in one too many times with the trail cameras and deer being no fools they just aren't going to let us by with it.

So this year no cameras are going in and the place won't be disturbed until it's time to hunt and maybe this year there will a different story to tell about the hunts at "The Hillside Thicket."

The Unicorn Buck!

 

The Buck and the Full Moon

 

I have been in the woods off and on all month squirrel hunting and placing and checking trail cams.  The worry is over about the negative effects from the late season frosts and summer drought.  There is plenty of mast in the trees and on the ground.  White oaks, red oaks, chestnut oaks, black oaks and every other oak in between are dropping acorns. 

 

If you know where a good persimmon stand is and the trees hold their fruit for another couple of weeks you just may have a prime time location on your hands for the bow season opener.  Several evenings this week I have watched deer move under the persimmon tree in my back yard cleaning up the fruit that fell during the day.  Several days ago I watched a small four-pointer and a young gray fox chase each other around under the tree trying to get the fruit.  Finally, the buck grew tired of the games and chased the fox off into the woods.  After securing the persimmons the buck triumphantly strolled over to my little cherry tree and went to work on it with his antlers.

 

Rubs, scrapes, and licking posts are all popping up in the woods as the deer transition into the pre-rut.

 

If you're not taking the time to do a little squirrel hunting you're missing a prime opportunity to prep yourself for deer season.  This is a wonderful way to perfect your woods stealth again and tune your senses to the sights, sounds, and smells of the field.  Not to mention the benefit you get from pulling the trigger on actual game instead of a paper target.

The Waiting Game Begins!

September, the longest month of the year for the Hoosier Bow Hunter, has finally arrived.  The October opening is just around the bend and the anticipation is beginning to boil.  I admit I haven't picked up my bow since January, but you can bet I will find the time this weekend between the remnant rainstorms of Hurricane Isaac to do some much needed target practice.

 

 

I have hardly taken the time to wet a line and suddenly I realize it's time to change gears.  Some morning soon will find me toting my old remington 870 over my shoulder chasing a few bushytails in one of my old haunts to check on the acorn mast.  I know not all has been lost with the drought -- my deck is covered with acorn cuttings from the big chestnut oak in my yard, so I suspect there are going to be some hotspots on some of the oak flats in the Hoosier National.



 

Trail camera's will begin to go out and hopefully soon enough to catch some of the bucks losing their velvet.  Those bloody racks with hanging velvet make for some interesting pictures.

 





 

I have seen a lot of deer this year while driving through parts of the Hoosier National and some of the areas that were slammed by blue tongue disease several years ago are making a comeback in a big way.  I've seen more deer in those areas this year than the last four years combined.  Quite a few of the deer have been bucks and some of them were true trophy's by my standards.





 

These are some of the photo's from late season last year so hopes are high that these bucks made it through the mild winter and heat stressed summer.

 



 

Only time will tell, but I'm hoping it will be a good year for the hunters of Indiana Whitetail News!

A Hunter in the Making!

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that today's youth can become passionate about hunting and fishing, or trapping.  Pay attention to any budding teenager equipped with electronic gear and you will notice that their available time is spent talking through the push of buttons.  In a sense it's as if they feel alive because they are electronically connected.

That's why, several weeks ago, Chand's call came as such a surprise.  July had just begun and Opening Day was three months away.  Thoughts of deer season were gnawing away in the back of my mind like a fox squirrel cutting on a hickory nut, but were not yet devouring my thinking like a starving coyote on a fresh gut pile.  (This typically happens when September rolls around.)

Chand's voice held an anticipating excitement that I had forgot existed.  In his hands he clutched his first hunting license, and as he informed me of all the legal requirements he was bound by and the game and limits he was allowed to take, my mind drifted back to August 15, 1984 and I was once again in the squirrel woods with my dad and brother for the first time.

Chand talked of the coming deer season with unmatched enthusiasm, and recalled events of past seasons with a clearness and clarity that left little doubt how important those few days in October and November are to him.

Then and there I decided this deer season would be dedicated to Chand.  For years now he has been a part of deer camp.  Patiently he has waited his turn, quietly listening to the stories -- his time in the woods limited to a noon-day squirrel hunt and the occasional deer drag.  But for Chand, this year is going to be different.

Battleship Rock

With the heat wave and drought punishing Southern Indiana it may be hard to think about deer season.  But, if you look close there are signs of autumns approach.  For starters, the summer solstice has come and gone and the evening sun will be disappearing sooner and sooner.  Several weeks ago I noticed some of the lower leaves of the buckeye trees losing their color.  In my region these trees are always the first to leaf out in the springtime and the first to lose their leaves, too.  Of course now with this heat they are just wilting away and dying.  Yesterday, I saw squirrel cuttings underneath a walnut tree, though the nuts are not yet ripe.  Tuesday night will be the buck moon.  October is slowly rolling in.

I don't know how this drought is going to affect the deer.  Several years ago when this happened an EHD outbreak decimated some of the areas I hunt (including the area where these pictures were taken,) and those places have not even recovered -- let's hope the disease doesn't hit them this year, too.

The late spring frost hit my area three times this year and the white oak mast and persimmon crop were hit hard.  To make this even worse it seems this heat is cooking some of the nuts on the trees.  Yesterday I walked under a pignut hickory tree.  Scattered on the ground below it were dried, brown, heat schorched nuts.

These pictures were taken at an area I call Battleship Rock.  Every year I scout this piece of Hoosier National during the pre-season and post-season, though I have never gone in with a bow or gun. Some years there is big buck sign, some years there isn't. The flat is woodland edge habitat. There is a good stand of matures oaks on the level, but when the hill begins to climb a dense pine thicket takes over. A well used deer trail runs the edge between the pines and oaks. Every year there are scattered scrapes and rubs along its' length.

The shelf these deer are walking drops off into a steep ravine that even a noisy machine can't climb.  For me the place fullfills all the requirements for most places I hunt on public land: it's a tough climb in and in the event of a sucessful hunt -- it's a tough drag out.  As a matter of fact this may be one of those places that can really test the bonds of a hunting camp.Who knows, maybe I will never hunt this place, the years are beginning to add up, and this spot might be a young mans hunt.

But, just in case I feel a little froggy this autumn, the steep ravine offers a well concealed approach and there are plenty of tall, straight trees along the shelf for my old, trusty, loggy bayou climber.  

It All Begins Again!

When the season of great anticipation began, with its hopes of possibility that the big buck from from the year before was still out there sauntering through my hunting grounds,

and an early autumn picture showed indeed he still was, only now much bigger, with an immense thick chest and blocked head with graying muzzle,

and I knew this aging buck living on public land was a cagey, crafty old fellow, because for many seasons he had figured out what it took to survive on pressured land, and I spent the season wondering where he was hiding, trying in earnest to find him, sacrificing time and money to be where I thought he might be, calling in sick to work, jeopardizing job and relationship,

sitting on stand for long hours waiting for that one chance, listening to the echoing booms of the hunter over on the next ridge and the defiant report in return from the hunter across the big woods, wondering if somewhere the monarch had fallen, hoping against all odds he had somehow made it through.  And the fleeting months passed without one chance sighting of him, then on a late January day on my winter trapline a scrape popped up where one wasn't the day before, then another, and a trail camera went out and I hoped that just maybe it was him,

and when the picture came in it wasn't the best, but by all accounts it could be, and after all this was said and done it's then I realized -- it all begins again.

Hunting Season is over -- Time for a Trapline!

Unless you are lucky enough to have hunting grounds in the states urban zones the deer season is now over.  And if you are one of those lucky hunters the season is open until the end of January.



I ended the year with a hunt on the last day of the season.  Despite the gusting winds (sometimes over thirty miles per hour) I saw deer.  I hunkered down in a patch of briers watching over a river bottom trail.  As I carelessly ate a granola bar a doe walked up on me offering a clear shot at fifteen yards, unfortunately my bow was on the ground in front of me, and she didn't stick around long enough for me to pick it up.  I saw five other does that day, but they stayed just out of range.

When these pictures were taken most deer hunters had either tagged out or given up on the season.  But, it's pictures like these that give me that little bit of encouragement to keep hunting, and shows me bucks are still exhibiting rut like behavior late into the season.

For the past week I have ran a small trapline covering parts of the Hoosier National Forest.  Believe it or not the secondary rut is still in swing, or at least there are bucks still trying to find receptive does.  Monday, January 09, and again on Wednesday, January 11, I found freshly opened scrapes.

This is a great time to be in the field scouting for next year, too.  With all the vegetation gone the woods are an open book just waiting to be read.  All the sign from this fall is there to decipher -- rub lines, scrape lines, bedding areas, trails -- are all just waiting to be found.  Now is a perfect time to learn more about your hunting area or a new area you would like to hunt next year without worrying about pressuring deer on your hunting grounds.

Some bucks will have begun to drop their antlers, too, though I suppose prime shed hunting is still months away.  Several years ago, in late December, my brother walked my trapline with me.  He watched me walk right past two sheds from a big ten-pointer and then he casually strolled over and picked them up.  They are now his rattling antlers.

This week I have also picked up several cameras I put out after the end of muzzleloader season, so I am anxious to have the film developed to see what may be roaming my hunting grounds next year.

Pictures are still coming in of the bucks in these pictures.  Somebody is going to have a long wait until October rolls around again.

Late Muzzleloader Comes to an End!

Sunday afternoon found me walking to the marsh.  I didn't expect to see anything really, I just wanted to end the season in the place I love to hunt most.  From a wooded hillside I looked down on the marsh until the shadows overtook the sycamores that grow along its edge and dimmed their snowy bark. 

I turned home, waded the creek, walked under the sycamores and made enough noise in their dry leaves to awaken the dead (they're noisy.)  As soon as I made the hardwoods I sat on the trunk of a fallen maple a beaver had dropped, emptied the water from my boots, pulled off my socks and wrung the water from them.

With the sloshing sound in my hikers gone I felt more like a hunter.  I slowly began moving along the logging road that bisected the river bottom from a tall wooded ridge.  I rounded a sharp bend in the trail, looked up on the ridge and saw two does scrounging acorns from underneath the leaf litter.  Twice I counted coup: I eased off the safety, looked at the rear doe in my sights, wrapped my finger over the trigger, eased off, and did the same to the lead doe.  Just maybe a buck would show.

For twenty minutes I watched the deer nose into the wind.  For twenty minutes I nosed along behind them.  A possum walked across the trail in front of me.  A grey squirrel jumped off a tree beside me.  My heart skipped a beat.  The evening was warmer than it should have been, the rut was gone, and I suppose the bucks were as tired as me.

Bow season is in for a few more weeks.  I know of a spot where the red oaks dropped a heavy mast.  Maybe the deer will be hungry enough to eat them and maybe I will be up a tree there when they do.

I am pretty sure this is the buck I saw in the marsh during shotgun season.  I had him in my scope three times, but I couldn't quite get the shot.  Maybe he made it through the rest of the season.



A Tough Season So Far (But There's Still Time)

The Pro Staff at Indiana Whitetail News is having a tough year, even the regulars like Kevin and Mike -- guys that typically kill out on opening weekend -- have gone home without filling a tag.  But we will be back in the woods this weekend.

Sure there have been some close calls: Ronnie missed a big bruiser with his bow early in the season; Kevin, an Army Marksman and a one shot one kill man has missed three times; and the biggest buck I've seen in years stood less than forty yards from me, but I couldn't get the shot I wanted, even though I had the buck in my scope three times.

The good news is our trail camera's are now snapping pictures of the biggest bucks we've seen all year, we're still finding fresh big buck sign, and we're still seeing deer.  I think it's only a matter of time.

This little nine-pointer seems to need a nap, but a yearling button buck has another idea.