T
Turkey River
Guest
I haven't seen the big bucks yet this year either. Today I saw a lone button buck, numerous does with fawns, and forty turkeys. I may see you at Apple Creek Gallery in Cedar Rapids next weekend if I can pull myself out of my treestand.
Very few of the older bucks, but if the number of forkies/young bucks is any indication, we're in for a wild ride in the next several years. I'm not seeing nearly the amount of scrape and rub activity as in the past in "traditional" areas.
While there will be some gone after this weekend, we still have a lot of corn left in parts of NW IA. I wondered if this might be affecting some of it by scattering their activity in a wider area.
While there will be some gone after this weekend, we still have a lot of corn left in parts of NW IA. I wondered if this might be affecting some of it by scattering their activity in a wider area.
Buckhunter
New Member
I have not been seeing any bigger buck's yet.For some reason I'm seeing alot of single doe's and wondering why?You would think that the doe's would still be together.
Overall I have not seen the #'s of deer that I usually see at this time of the year but I have not been hunting anything but state property so far.
Good luck to everyone!!
Overall I have not seen the #'s of deer that I usually see at this time of the year but I have not been hunting anything but state property so far.
Good luck to everyone!!
Daver
PMA Member
I saw a real big buck last Saturday PM and watched him make a couple of scrapes within 40 yards of me. I didn't see any bucks last Sunday PM, but did fill my antlerless tag after seeing several does.
I went last night and did notice some fresh scrapes in the mud following the rain Thursday/Friday. I also had a new rub, actually the tree had been ripped in two, right in front of my stand. So I am thinking things are looking up, but then did not see a deer at all.
Every year it seems some folks talk about the "early corn harvest" after seeing a few combines running in September. Well, I can tell you from experience, and this is year is no different, that you can expect at least some standing corn in your area until at least the very end of October. With the rain in the forecast, I think there may be some corn for a few weeks yet.
I went last night and did notice some fresh scrapes in the mud following the rain Thursday/Friday. I also had a new rub, actually the tree had been ripped in two, right in front of my stand. So I am thinking things are looking up, but then did not see a deer at all.
Every year it seems some folks talk about the "early corn harvest" after seeing a few combines running in September. Well, I can tell you from experience, and this is year is no different, that you can expect at least some standing corn in your area until at least the very end of October. With the rain in the forecast, I think there may be some corn for a few weeks yet.
I've been hunting a scrape line for the last couple of days...I had several does feed into the field in front of me last night, they kept looking over their shoulders and sure enough about five minutes later three bucks came out behind them - two tall six pointers and a 130 class Eight...they seemed to be traveling together and never approached to does..they fed and sparred for a few moments. The biggest buck freshened a scrape and urinated in it. I was about 100 yards from all of this and they never came my way. Tonight I will be in a stand about 25 yards from this scrape...I hope they follow the same pattern tonight, and if they brought a big boy with them I wouldn't mind
Good luck to all
Good luck to all
CamoMan
New Member
One of my stands is within 40 - 50 yards of a large cluster of rubs near the field edge. There are several trails leading to this, and each has many rubs along them. Friday night, I got in my stand just in time to see some does coming my way. Thought I was fresh and scent free (ha!), but the wind tipped them off, and they got real nervous. Then the wind started swirling some, and that made it worse. A couple does stood downwind and snorted a bit. I had a young 8-point about 30 yards away, but that didn't seem to bother him much. He eventually moved off, and just before dark, I heard two bucks sparring lightly about 50 yards away. I couldn't see them, and had to get down eventually, so I tried the barking dog thing, also. Thought they were still there, so I started rustling a leafy branch real fast, and got real aggressive with the barking. That sure moved them away. It worked great, and I would do that again if necessary. Thanks for the idea !
Old Buck
Life Member
Sounds like things are picking up. Open house is over and I finally get to go out.
The cool weather should really help but I'm not real big on getting wet when I don't have to. Might be a good time to move some ground blinds, stay dry and get some ground level photos and video.
Glad to hear the 'barking dog' is working. Comes in real handy.
Old Buck
The cool weather should really help but I'm not real big on getting wet when I don't have to. Might be a good time to move some ground blinds, stay dry and get some ground level photos and video.
Glad to hear the 'barking dog' is working. Comes in real handy.
Old Buck
Allamakee Grand Slam
Life Member
Old Buck,
First time in a tree yesterday for the year. Got to my tree and a had a rub on some saplings between the ladder stand and the tree it was leaning on. At 4:15 heard a twig snap behind me then some raking. Peaked around the tree and saw a 135 8 pt working a limb at 35 yards. He kept working brush and got to 20 yds. Didn't try any grunting because I figured he was going to pass by me anyway. What I got was a little wind change, end of that story.
6:15 noticed another buck making a scrape at roughly 80 yds. He worked his way around a clump of tree finally making 3 scrapes. I did the grunt thing and he came on the run. He also ended up on the back side of my tree at 25 yards. Tried to tease him to come around but he wouldn't. Finally he went back from where he came from. A dandy 9 pt. Had both sides been the same he would been in the 150 range. Would probably go 130-135. Long tines. He might have been better than that, I seem to guess them small when I look at them from a treestand.
While that was happening had a fawn feeding at 30 yards when all was said and done the fawn bedded at 15 yards. At dark I'm thinking what do I do now, then remembered a post on here a week or two ago. Someone wrote try dog barking. Tried it, he was up and running right now. Whoever wrote that, Thank You.
Allamakee Grand Slam
Please support the NRA
First time in a tree yesterday for the year. Got to my tree and a had a rub on some saplings between the ladder stand and the tree it was leaning on. At 4:15 heard a twig snap behind me then some raking. Peaked around the tree and saw a 135 8 pt working a limb at 35 yards. He kept working brush and got to 20 yds. Didn't try any grunting because I figured he was going to pass by me anyway. What I got was a little wind change, end of that story.
6:15 noticed another buck making a scrape at roughly 80 yds. He worked his way around a clump of tree finally making 3 scrapes. I did the grunt thing and he came on the run. He also ended up on the back side of my tree at 25 yards. Tried to tease him to come around but he wouldn't. Finally he went back from where he came from. A dandy 9 pt. Had both sides been the same he would been in the 150 range. Would probably go 130-135. Long tines. He might have been better than that, I seem to guess them small when I look at them from a treestand.
While that was happening had a fawn feeding at 30 yards when all was said and done the fawn bedded at 15 yards. At dark I'm thinking what do I do now, then remembered a post on here a week or two ago. Someone wrote try dog barking. Tried it, he was up and running right now. Whoever wrote that, Thank You.
Allamakee Grand Slam
Please support the NRA