The year is closing down

Well I've made it through the first two family Christmas get together's! Both we're a great time, and I couldn't ask for a better family both immediate and in-law to spend them with.  I apologize for the delay in getting a few of these stories to you.  Between work, the holidays and this crappy weather I haven't been out near as much I wanted to.  Now I am glad to bring you tidings of good joy and let you know my father scored on a nice 8 point we had been keeping tabs on most of the year.  He was fortunate enough to take him down on December 6th.  I was working later and couldn't go with him so he went alone and with out a camera! I've gotta get him a hat camera at least for next year, we can't have deer going down with no footage.  But anyway, he sat a long time producer set we call the skid tree.  The first year we gained access to this property there was an old wooden skid that was nailed into the branches from a previous hunter, hence the name.  This tree sits on the point of the woods that is connected by two ridges leading up out of a 30' deep ravine and creek bottom into the crop field.  And 80 yards to the south is a heavy fence crossing that separates the crop field from a livestock pasture.  This area doesn't get hunted a lot as it's primarily an evening stand only, it's hard to get in and out of undetected and is at the opposite end of the property from our 2 acre bean field.  But that night the wind was perfect for that stand and the signs were showing the deer were crushing a small turnip plot that was put in 10 yards from the stand.  This spot is probably as big as a full size pickup truck.  He arrived at 2:30pm and settled in.  For the last 3 weeks all the action has been concentrated to the creek bottom, so of course that was the way he was facing as the burnt orange sun slowly began it's decent to the other side of the world.  The strange sound of loud crunching broke the silence.  Dad said he thought to himself, that's way too loud to be a squirrel and if I'm not crazy that has to be a deer eating turnip bulbs.  Now this stand faces North, the creek bottom is do East and the turnips are hidden on the South side of this 100 year old oak tree.  So whether the deer just appeared in the field or slipped over the ridge an into the field from the side fo the tree you can't see, we'll never know.  But as he peered around the trunk from the west side of the tree and saw 6 does and the 8 point standing 10 yards away eating turnips just on the edge of the woods.  Now the gun was still hanging up and he had to turn a full 270 degrees to make this happen.  With no leaves on the trees in December and 14 cautious eye balls looking around, I have no idea how he made this happen.  But a very stealthy move had this buck standing in the cross-airs of the Knight Disc Extreme at a mere 15 yards.  Needless to say, he rode back to Brownsburg in the Chevy!  So congrats Dad, and next year either take a camera, take me, or don't go! Ha Ha.  There is two video's attached here.  One from a duck hunt, Brian & I had a few weeks ago and the after shot of Dad's buck.  I'm heading out tomorrow after an urban buck that has been giving me the slip since September 15th.  But he recently left two fresh rubs in a new area I feel very confident he's been bedding and hiding out in.  With a South wind and snow "supposedly" blowing in tomorrow afternoon I feel I've a got a small advantage on him if everything plays out right.  I will be trying to punch this final tag until the very last day of season so I'll keep you posted as to how the hunt is going.  Again, I hope y'all had a very Merry Christmas and will have a safe and Happy New Year.

-ASMS

Vacation Pre-Rut Hunting Highlights

This was from the 14 days leading up to the 15th.

-ASMS

The Gift From Above...Last Minute Buck

Today was the last day of my vacation. My Dad and I decided it would be the perfect time to try and bowhunt a new set we had recently hung in hopes of ambushing a big buck that we figured was using a reclusive area that had 8 large rubs scattered in it.  The plan was to arrive 2 hours before light and sit it out in hopes of being there well before he returned from a night on the town.  4 am arrived early this Tuesday, after hunting 13 of the last 15 days I was worn out.  We arrived at the property at 5:15, miraculously as we drove in we spotted a doe and a big buck locked down in a weed field that lay between a moved grassy area and the wood lot.  We drove by and let them be.  We pulled out of sight and devised a plan to sit and watch until light and if they hadn't moved we would get up wind and try to stalk them on foot and with the bow and arrow in hand.  At day light I ascended up on a dirt mound to gain a better vantage point on the weedy area.  From there I would try to pin point the buck and doe and come up with my plan of attack.  After 5 minutes of scanning I spotted a smaller buck bedded 50 yards away.  I motioned for dad to bring the camera and the muzzle loader (just in case).  Shortly after that the big buck appeared over the top of a small rise and began to scare both the smaller bucks and me! He was thrashing trees, snort wheezing and shaking his head like a cinched up rodeo bull.  He definitely made his presence known that we were on his territory and that doe was all his.  After a quick brush back to the other smaller bucks waiting to jump in, he vanished from where he had appeared.  We sat there sore, cold, covered in mud and growing quickly impatient for over the next hour and a half. This was suppose to be a hunt from a treestand, and then changed to a spot and stalk.  So not only were we unable to use the camera arm but we had left the tripod at home too, so my dad was free handing all the footage.  I was expecting to spot them, slip back down the dirt (now mud) hill and began the Mohican sneak attack.  Instead it turned into a sit and wait hunt from the top of a small mud pile.  The smaller bucks between us and the big buck stopped us from trying to stalk any closer and were proving to make this bowhunt very difficult.  At 9:00am a large snap caught the smaller bucks attention and ours, and just like that the bruiser was standing on the rise looking our direction again.  I lowered down onto the Knight muzzle loader and found a small hole the size of my fist that was perfectly placed on the center of his chest.  Once I got the ok, the safety was off and the smoke filled the air.  He vanished, was he down, did I miss, did he run off? I couldn't see anything. "Did I hit him?" "I don't know?" "Let me rewind the footage and check."  Well with out a tripod the concussion of the gun shook my Dad's sturdy camera position and the deer vanished at the sound. We replayed the footage a few times and caught a glimpse of his rack running North.  We decided to back out and come back in 3-4 hours.  Those 4 hours I spent praying, pleading and trying not to throw up my lunch. I knew this would be my biggest buck to date if we found him. When we couldn't handle it anymore we went to the spot we had land marked his disappearance and we found hair and blood.  We followed the blood for about 100 yards and then it just stopped, like he put a cork in the leak.  The next 45 minutes were spent wondering around hoping to stumble upon him.  Distraught, emotionally drained and very pessimistic, I returned to last blood drops and last set of tracks.  I walked another 20 yards and sat down. I was scanning for any sign, and debating getting the dog out to help track.  I again prayed and begged with the Lord that he would help us find this buck.  Another couple minutes went by and still I saw no new sign that showed me he had gone down this trail.  I heard my dad circling back around to my spot so I proceeded to stand up, I turned to the right and took a quick glance through my binoculars.  My heart skipped at least 4-5 beats as I saw what appeared to be a white tail.  I took off running in the direction and before I could get there I could smell his rutting stench and see the antlers shining in the sun! I let out one big yell and jumped down into the depression where he lay.  This wasn't a staged recovery, before my dad could turn on the camera I was already standing over him trying to regain my composure.  The ups and downs of deer hunting is something only a hunter knows.  With in 20 seconds you can go from the top of the mountain to the bottom and be left there shaking and stupefied. The sheer rush of spotting such and animal and then the heart pounding adrenaline spike when you think you might get a shot at him, to only exchange the up for a quick down hill fall of frustration as the brush is too thick or he turns back around and then vanishes only to reappear and start the emotions all over again.  But after the shot the gut wrenching feeling of second guessing and replaying all the details until you finally put your hands on him all come running out as you finally pick up his bullish head and wrap your fingers around his antlers.  This hunt can not be summed up any better than a gift from God.  From how we spotted him, to where he ended up, to how we found him, it was all the perfect close to a week and half of vacation!  Nothing I do in my day to day life can stand up to the thrill I get from chasing these magnificent creatures and if I'm lucky enough I get to give the occasional old bully buck a ride in the back of the Chevy. Thank you Lord! You never cease to amaze me.

-ASMS

Last Minute Buck Down

Nocturnal to Killable...

All of these bucks were seen on their feet and in daylight today! It's just starting and I can't wait to get a mature buck with in bow range.  Bucks were up, cruising and chasing tonight.  It's not full board yet but the sightings are growing and it's only a matter of time now...

-ASMS

"The Retrieve"

I have to brag for a couple minutes here. On day 2 or 3 I can't remember, we were walking a ditch road the guys had named rooster road from the previous years of success there, we flushed 3 or 4 roosters at once, one of them gave me a perfect shot. Shot number one hit him perfectly in the head and chest region, the second in the body and Dad added one more for good measure. Now at our astounding disbelief this bird kept flying. Tex and Harley were hot on his tail but as he passed the 100 yard mark we began to call the dogs off. Harley turned quickly after Brian encouraged her return with the field collar. Tex on the other hand continued in stride like he didn't feel a thing. 2 days later we found out he didn't feel anything because his collar was broke, but anyway. I continued to blow his whistle and watch him get farther and farther away. The pit in my stomach was growing closer to my throat with every 50 yards he continued to run. At the top of the hill I noticed he was slowing, closing in on 400+ yards at this time. My stomach began to settle as I figured he would stop in exhaustion and I would just have to go get him, but at that moment the rooster who was still soaring fell dead in mid flight. Tex scooped him up and turned without missing a step. He carried the bird all the way back to my feet as I yelled, “that ‘a boy, that ‘a boy bring him hear buddy” over and over until the bird laid at my feet and so did Tex. He fell down as soon as he returned. At that moment I am not ashamed to say that with the swing in emotion from scared of losing him to the jubilation of his retrieve I almost broke out in tears. I couldn't scold him, because the last half of his adventure was perfect and I was so happy he had come back with the bird I didn't even care. So, I'd challenge anyone who has had a longer retrieve to speak up. Hard headed or not it was one of the proudest moments I've had with my dog.

So, after we all gathered around the truck and talked of how far that was, I was told that not only are pheasants smart and nearly impossible to kill they have another quality that links them to a chicken. They continue to live even after death. A pheasant is able to lock his wing muscles in place at death and basically turns himself into a hang glider. Even though they are dead on impact, with the wings locked in place they can coast for a long, long way, 400+ yards to be exact. The two blockers said they saw the pellets hit this bird in the head and chest and watched his reaction and head fall, but he kept right on sailing. Looking back I can still picture that bird not moving his wings one time, but simply coasting all the way to the ground. Tex knew we had killed him and didn't want good meat to go to waste.

-ASMS

South Dakota- The Maiden Voyage

My Father has been making the 16 hour journey every year for about 15 years now and he always has some good stories upon his return. I've always wanted to go but they were always there in the last week of October which seemed sinful to me as that's the week the Whitetail woods comes alive. I saved up some extra vacation days from 2010 and rolled them over into this year just for this trip. We were going to leave on the 14th of October and stay through the 20th. This was actually perfect. It keeps me out of the woods until the time was right and I would be back in enough time to spend a few extra days with the Mrs. for her fall break. I didn't really know what to expect, other than the "fairy tales" of hundreds of birds leaving the same ditch and how they would limit out for the day in 30 minutes. Pierre, South Dakota the mecca of pheasant hunting, there were 6 of us who would be hunting together, my father, my uncle David, my buddy Brian, Nick "Hunt Master" Jarnagin & Fred, and of course the two most important individuals, my dog Tex and Brian's dog Harley. The 4 older guys piled into Nick's full size Dodge van and Brian, the dogs and I into the pickup and we headed West. It was a long drive to say the least. Day one was possibily the best day we had, 12 birds down. Now if any of you have never been bird hunting or never been to South Dakota, you probably won't believe this. Don't worry I didn't either until last week. Most of the ground out there is privately owned, farmed for bird seed and leased to outfitters which in return bring hunters to their ground to take advantage of the strategically harvested row crops which allow 6-10 guys to hunt effectively in an area where they might see 200 birds at a time. Now for us low budget hunters we rough it out on the public areas. Part of public ground is the road, yes the road, which involves the road itself and 33 feet to either side from the center of the road. This style is called road hunting. Typically this involved Nick dropping my Dad, David, Brian, myself and the dogs off at one end of the road and then driving to the next break in the cover, which might be the next road crossing, a ditch that intersects or where the grass has been mowed down, and Fred and Nick would stand at that point and "Block". Basically wild pheasants are tougher than most deer and smarter than a coyote. When you walk through a thick weedy ditch and they see or hear you coming they RUN, not fly so you can shoot them, they duck and run. So without blockers they'd just run out the other end and get away every time. The blockers force the birds to either fly or turn back towards the dogs and us. It really ends up being a militia strategy to try and outsmart these birds. 90% of the time, they found holes in our attack and escaped un-harmed. The same strategy applies for large open fields, sometimes they would be 200-400 acres of rolling open grass lands. This case we would form a "V" or a "U" and keep the dogs working back and forth in the middle, this forces the birds that try to run out the ends to either fly or turn back into the hounds who are gladly awaiting the race. We got a few birds in the fields and a few in the ditches. We also got a few by the term that was taught to me called "Arkansasing them" which really meant as the last 2 hours of the day would come we would drive around the roads, which are even really roads I might add. They show up on the maps and have road signs on them, but I've cleared nicer four wheeler trails before. Once you leave the highway all the roads are basically dirt and gravel tractor trails. They would have the occasional, section line road, which really is just the farmer’s way of getting to his other fields, but in South Dakota, that's public domain. So anyway, we would empty the guns, only because it's the law. And hold as many shells as your gun would hold in the other hand and drive around until we spotted roosters (a male pheasant) in the road getting gravel to grind his lunch with or see them standing in the ditches and then the driver would speed to the spot they were at and slam on the breaks. Now typically all doors were open before the vehicle stopped, and sometimes we were exiting the vehicle as it was still rolling, but as your feet hit the road you load up your gun as fast as possible and begin to fire at the birds as they flew away. Now by law also, the doors got shut and the engine turned off before anyone fired. This was definitely heart pounding and a good way to get a few more birds in the bag before the day ended, but I enjoyed watching the dogs do the work better, but that's just me.  But all in all it was effective when needed to be.  With a few scares, a lot of laughs, some great exercise and a trip I won’t soon forget, I'm already looking forward to next year.

-ASMS

South Dakota Ring Neck Trip

Here is a few clips and highlights of the trip.  We're now back in Whitetail mode! Headed out soon, I'll keep you posted and finish this South Dakota story later... it's going to be a long one! Hope you enjoy the video until I can finish the update.
-ASMS

October Lull...

As long as I've been hunting there has been talk of the "October Lull" and even though I've seen a lot of deer during the early season but I'm on the band wagon.  As the month of October begins the temperatures are normally still fairly warm here in Indiana, the crops begin to come out, food sources change for the deer and there's a full moon around the second week which encourages the deer to feed all night and not move during the day.  They are transitioning off the green soybean fields to alfalfa and hard mast to get the carbohydrates they crave as they begin to put on fat for the winter.  This year it seems that certain oaks are dropping lots of acorns but not all of them are.  So looking for the right tree is more difficult than normal as the deer are bouncing around every other day making patterning them tough.  The bucks that were showing up during daylight have vanished from the fields and from the cameras almost as a whole.  We've seen a few does but no more mature bucks on hoof.   Which was expected, but every year I think it will be different but it never is.  We've hunted hard the first two weeks of the season.  There have been some high points and low points, but no deer on the ground since opening day of the Urban season.  We've since had 5 sits with not a single sighting of a deer.  These sits are very boring, demoralizing, and start to make you questions your stands and plans.  This weeks video will be clips from the last 4 or 5 hunts we've had.  Looking forward to cooler temperatures and Halloween!!!  Hopefully the next clip will show a few big bucks on the ground.

Thanks for watching! -ASMS-

October 1, Evening Highlights

On opening night we found ourselves out on a thick brushy point that extends from a large block of timber, this point is about 100 yards wide.  We were on the high side of it, as it slopes down hill toward the bottom fields.  It's incased on all 3 sides by bean fields.  The night before we had seen 2 good shooter bucks make there way across one field by way of a dried creek bed and a brushy fence row which lead them into this finger.  We positioned a new set there to take advantage of the wind and hoped for the best.  The 2 shooters didn't show, only a button buck, a few does and a couple good looking 3 year olds.  Once again we found ourselves chasing our tails to no aveal. Here's a short clip of a couple of the deer we saw. 

ASMS

October 1, 2011 Indiana Opener

HighTower is a deer we know all too well.  He was seen early last October in the same spot at nearly the same time.  He was seen the next evening in the same vicinity and then never seen again.  Until this morning.  On October 1, opening day of the Indiana archery season, and most of the Midwest as well.  Hunter Brian Lewis and I found ourselves perched in a stand we call the birds nest.  A cedar tree on the end of a small point that separates a hay field and a 16 acre bean field.  Behind the point is a dried up creek bed that leads into a thick stand of cedars.  We have been getting pictures of bucks and does coming back through the hay field as they head to bed.  So we hunted it on a N wind since the field was to the N of our set.  But you can guess what happened without me even saying it.  All the deer came out and ended up down wind of us including HighTower.  As you can see from the video he was feeding naturally and unthreatened until he must have caught just even of something he didn't like to push him back into the woods.  He didn't blow or stomp, just a quick nostril flare and 180 degree path change.  I hope this will not be the last sighting of HighTower this year.  He is one of our top most wanted.  Even though he didn't get to take a ride on the buggy it was still a great morning and encounter.  It's only just begun, if we get lucky maybe the next video, we will be lucky enough to bring you an up close shot of our hands trying to hold up his big bull head.

-ASMS

It's Like The Night Before Christmas

Today is September 29th, the day before, now the night before opening day of Indiana Archery season. Every year for 7 years my buddies and I have made the 2 hour drive to our favorite spot in Southern Indiana for the Archery opener.  This year is no different.  2 of us arrived early to pull camera cards, hang one more camera man set and sit atop the hill overlooking a little more than half our 200 acre lease.  We got pictures of a few more hard horned bucks we added to our list and videoed 3 more good shooters we will be chasing over the next 2 days and the rest of the season.  These 5 deer plus 2 from last year that never read the script correctly will give us at least 7 mature bucks to chase on this farm.  Tomorrow will be the coldest day of the season, lows around 40 and highs in the mid 50s.  With a N wind it will set us up good for 2 specific sets and we will be slipping into them at least an hour before daylight.  Sitting in the pitch black woods for an hour with only your heart beat will play with ones mental toughness as you sit motionless, cold and tired trying to stay alert enough not to test the strength of our safety vests.  But as first light breaks, and woods comes alive it is like nothing else in this world.  Everything seems to awaken before you.  Every time I'm blessed enough to be on stand at this time, I am humbled at God's creation.  Tomorrow appears to be no different.  I will be running camera from a brand new set we feel will be one of our best shots at killing one of our hitlisters.  All the anticipation,all the planning and hard work will unfold before us in less than 7 hours... video to come.  To all my hunting buddies, I hope this is your best season ever. Let the fun begin...

 Aim Small, Miss Small!

Hunt 1, 2011

Opening Day Hunt Footage... There will be kill shots, viewer discretion advised! NOT!!!

Hit Listers

Just a hand full of bucks we will be chasing this year! A few new faces popped up.

-ASMS 

September 15, 2011

Opening day of the Indiana Urban Zone Archery Season.  My father was able to go along with me on this hunt to run video for me.  We arrived at our location (Hendricks county east of 267) for an evening sit.  The wind was wrong for our other stands so we sat the farthest west stand we could to avoid blowing anymore sent then we had to through the woods.  We had a NNE wind and we were located in an oak cluster on the S edge of a 1/16 acre fall/winter food plot that is tucked back in the woods.  I had to bring an extra stand and hang it for the camera guy.  Once we settled in and got all our gear situated we shot a quick intro to the hunt and kicked back.  Around 5 o'clock we were discussing something I had just read on facebook that was posted by my cousin, first mistake, and as I looked back over my shoulder to the W there stood a 130-140" 4-5 year old 8 point at 20 yards.  Stupefied I froze and whispered for dad to get the camera on him, but I was so quiet that he never heard me.  He only realized something was up when I began to reach for my bow.  At that point he had turned and walked behind a large honeysuckle bush, if he continued he was going to walk out broad side at 15 yards, but he didn't, he nibbled on a leaf, looked around, took two hops and vanished into 8 feet tall wild sunflowers and rag weeds.  He vanished almost as fast as he appeared.  Around 6:50 a lone doe began working her way through the oaks picking at scattered acorns on the ground.  She walked directly to the base of our tree and decided the dark blob above her at full draw, trying not to accidentally release an arrow that surely would have hit her between the eyes, was not there the day before and began to give me the famous head bob for the next 30-45 seconds.  She finally spooked to 10 years and gave me the shot I had been shakily holding at full draw for.  After getting the ok from dad he had her in the camera I released the first arrow of the 2011 season.  She jumped and kicked to indicate a heart shot and bolted away.  We high fived and celebrated shortly and quickly got back in game face mode.  I knocked another arrow and got ready in case the ghost buck came back.  Of course he did not, so after dark we descended to the ground and began the blood tracking.  The new T3's made an easy track job even for a red green color blind redneck like myself.  We loaded her onto the "new" '86 electric club car, transformed into the new hunting buggy and drove back to the truck.  Opening day, one down and fresh meat in the freezer.  Couldn't have asked for anything better, except for the 8 point to return.  Middle of this week looks promising as the rain should stop and the wind will switch.  I will most definitely be perched over looking the secret plot in hopes of catching up with the "Ghost"... stay tuned!
-ASMS

Welcome

Well, the last thing I thought I would ever be doing is starting a blog.  I'm not even sure I like the word "blog" it sounds like something in an 80's alien movie, but whatever.  I'm starting this to share my hunting experiences with, well probably just myself, but at least I'll be able to keep track of them now.  I used to keep a hunting journal, but since have really despised the use of an old fashion pen and paper to keep track of anything.  I will be making a short summary of each one of my hunts, where I was, what time, the weather, the wind direction and what I saw.  If there was any video shot I will add that as well.  I have been deer hunting since I was 11.  My father took me out with him and my uncle in 1994.  It was a lot different back then.  No hang stands, no four wheelers, no electric buggies, no food plots, no range finders or scentlok.  Just me, an over-sized pair of camo coveralls, an orange hat and 20 gauge Remington 870 youth model (which I have since added a longer stock pad and use to bird hunt and shoot clay pigeons- and take a lot of flack from buddies for it too) It was a 2 hour hike through the darkness in the middle of a public forest.  We arrived at our tree (where my father had been hunting for years) over looking 2 ravines and a dried up creek bottom.  I believe I fell asleep about 30 minutes after daylight.  I was awaken a few hours later to my dad telling me to "sit up and get ready they're coming!"  After the first 2 errant shots, the 3rd was a bulls eye and I had shot my first deer, a 100 pound button buck at 90 yards.  But that's all it took and now 17 years later I'm beyond obsessed, beyond hooked, it's life for me now.  I think about it 365 days a year.  We scout, plant food plots, hang stands, run trail cameras year round, put feed and mineral stations out in the winter months to keep our deer herds healthy and thriving.  I spends thousands of dollars and 10's of thousands of hours afield yearly on this thing some people call a sport and others just don't understand, but to me it's in my blood.  It's about the preparations, the sweat in developing new ground and the chess match with a mature whitetail that far exceeds the knowledge of the smartest human being.  Their ability to adapt and survive is beyond incredible, they are truly one of God's most amazing creatures. Not to mention they boast the fastest growing natural material known to man.  They drop their antlers each year and at full prime they can grow them back at up to 2" a day (which lasts about 90 days from start to finish).  I am truly blessed to have been raised in home that allowed me to hunt, and a father who taught me how to hunt and how to do it right, legally and ethically.  If you would like to follow my hunts as the year goes on feel free, and if not that's cool too, but I'm going to keep posting them so it's up to you. 

-ASMS (Aim small miss small)