My first hunt of the year

[StringShooter]

I hunted this morning in North East Missouri for the first time this year. As soon as I got out of the truck, I could hear the tune of the yotes in the far corner of the field I was hunting...never a good sign for deer activity in the area.

As daylight arrived, the turkeys began their usual chants. There were two flocks, one in front and one behind my stand in the creek bottom. I will admit that I am not a big turkey fan. I am looking for the wall hanger buck not a long neck bird. Anyway, I had decided to try for a bird this year and had 5 big hens begin to approach my stand from the left side. I stood up, put my release on the string and waited for them to get in range. Well, they would only get as close as 35 yards and I decided to give it a crack. When they walked behind some brush, I drew back and after about 30 seconds, let the arrow go. Dead on! (except for the small twig). I would have taken the bird but...stuff happens

We have a lot of birds and I know I will have numerous chances during the rest of the season.

I guess the bummer is, I didn't see any deer...ummmm

I blame it on the yotes because when I climbed out of the tree, and began my hike back to the truck, one ran out of the corner of the field about 50 yards from my stand.

There are a few of things that I have never tried before and one is coyote hunting. I think the time has come that they need thinned out a bit. I bet it would be a blast for sure.

Hey Jesse, the deer seem to be kind of shy so far this year. I drove up Hwy 61 into Bowling Green this morning and didn't see one deer along the highway peering at the cars and trucks. Not one struck by any vehicles either.

What's your play on the deer situation so far since you were around last week? It seems to me that they need another couple of weeks to get roused up.

 

[Chairman]

I haven't been out yet, but the 25th is only a week away!

I had to go to KC yesterday ~ my brother had knee surgery. I left before dawn, and I only saw 4 doe's along the highway, the entire trip. It was really strange not seeing any road-killed deer, either... I think you're right ~ we're gonna have to give them a couple weeks to get roused up a bit.

I saw more than average road-killed coons, though ~ 10+!

I don't see many turkey's on my property, but if I do.... it will be my first one with my crossbow.

Coyote's are a different story. They definitely need thinned out! Probably why I don't see any turkey's... I bought a 25-06 barrel for my T/C Encore, so I can start hunting the 'yotes. I also bought a custom barrel from Virgin Valley Custom Guns ~ 6mm-.250 Savage. As soon as I can get set up to do some reloading, those 'yotes will be singing a different tune. Should be fun.... and beneficial.

 

[spectr17]

Shoot them turkeys Bob.

I didn't see any turkeys in the north but saw and heard a bunch near FLW.

As far as deer, the ones I saw on public MDC CA land seemed to be in their pre rut mode and pretty shy. Bachelor groups and doe/yearling groups seperate etc. Rubs all over so that's good. I filmed 3 days in Swan Lake NWR and that place is like another world. I had two buck fights going on in front of me one day and the bucks were walking around all stiff legged with their tails straight out sniffing the does. Quite the contrast. The deer were hitting the pin and white oaks 2 hours before dark. I did the falling acorn trick with gravel to see if the deer would respond and they did like usual. Hey, if I heard the sound of falling cheeseburgers I would respond too.

Only thing I can say is call people you know in the area you're hunting and when they say the big bucks are on the move walking across open fields in the middle of the day it's time to head north, right now. Nov. 5 to Nov. 12 should be good time. That's what those sick days are for right?

I didn't see any roadkill deer in the 10 days but the coon squish marks were up it seemed too. Didn't see any deer from the road either now that I think about it.

Another thing I notice every year at this time is the crop harvest makes deer change their patterns a bit. Most of the corn and beans in the north were out last week so the deer were moving different according to my buddies. Shifting from the corn to acorns.

 

[Tinhorn]

About 10 years ago, the coons got distemper and died off around our cabin but they made a comeback about 2 years ago and are a pest now. I took a pix of 3 hanging off our birdfeeder at the same time out the back window last spring. There were 2 or 3 more on the ground under it.

Thanx for the Sit-Rep on the deer herd, I'm def not seeing anything but last Tue I took my shotgun for turkeys and seen 3 deer, 30 min's b-4 dark, one a 6pt with strikingly wite horns. They were not together but all were running along the edge of the same gizzialian acre field. I noticed there were'nt any road killed deer lately but sure been seeing (smelling) plenty of run-over Skunks all of a sudden, wonder if the momma's are running off the little ones this time of year.

Tomorrow, my hunting partner and I are taking a scouting trip up to Monroe County to check out a farm to see if it's worth Bowhunting the 1st week of November. It's 640 acres but the owner's son said it's all in Grain (or was, the beans are cut now but has standing corn still) He said there are NO TREEs big enough to get a stand in! Hard to believe that but hoping there is some kind of deer cover......

Tinhorn

 

[StringShooter]

Jesse,
The last of the crops were harvested last Saturday. We have a BIG acorn crop this year so your sure to be right in your assumption. The deer should be hitting the acorns now and staying in the woods to feed. Let's hope so, I'm heading up for 2 1/2 days of hunting mid week next week. I'll try to get a bird for you too...I may be getting hooked after my last outing (my miss). I've never seen two bucks fightiing before. As much time that I spend in the woods before and during the rut, you would have tought I would have by now.

Tinhorn,
Monroe county is just to my west. I hunt in Ralls Co. near the lake. There is a ton of Corps land that is not hunted that you can only access by boat. Thats my only problem because we get a lost of trespassers trying to hunt the Corps ground. The only way to it is by crossing our property.

I'll let you you know how things work out next week. I'll bring the digital camera along just in case. I'll shoot some pics of the property too.