ARMED4BEAR
12-12-2009, 03:46 AM
I hunted a Land Trust just as posted earlier. I scouted the land for a couple weeks, set up a area and put a stand up on sunday before, so as not to get it stolen and on my way out I ran into a guy and his son coming out doing the same. He said there were about 5 stands on the land trust and that it does get driven. He also said that the guys that hunt this area have hunted the property for 50 years and they could be pretty mean with strangers on the property (public land?). Took it with a grain of salt.
6 day firearm -
monday - 8 inch spike, with a good size body, coming into stand from my left down the trail. It came in @ 6:40, finally under stand at 7:20 for 40 minutes... I figured dang opening day 1st buck at this rate I'll hold off and try for a rack. Saw nothing else, stayed in stand til 5:03.
Tues. - 8:00 4 good sized does go by in a conga line- second deer on 1st deers butt 3rd on 2nd, 4th on 3rd, they were bunched up, like making a wall of 4 deer, at about 100 ft away. they were crossing from the scrub oaks into the heavy laurel. 9:30 - another doe crossing going the other direction... could have been one of the 4 does.
11:00 a 5 inch spike comes rolling in fast from straight ahead to my right to within 40 ft, stays for about 2 minutes and rolls out as fast as he came rolling out to my right going away. I'm thinking this place is unbelieveable. Thats 6 deer for tuesday and I would be limited out for meat, 2 BUCKS in 2 days.
I'm a zone 65 hunter but as many have said, that orange army by 8:00 opening day sucks.
Wed. hunted after rain stopped saw nothing the whole day but a huge rabbit I mean huge 4 or 5 lbs.
Thurs. had a doe under my stand at 7:00 for 5 minutes it could have been more but it came in from behind me and with that wind blowing I couldn't hear anything. That wind was roaring and I was rocking. I was in the stand 5:15 til 5:03. went home and took a shower to try and thaw out. Washing my hair the boat started rocking. Felt like I was in 3 to 5 footers all day.
Friday - Nuthin
But, the whole week I think there were only 2 other hunters in those woods monday and tuesday and the woods was never driven. I heard three drives way far off on tuesday and that was it. Hunted 5:15 til 5:03 ever day and it was a 45 minute drive to the woods and 15 minutes getting to the stand. I never saw anything move after 11:00 the whole week. Had I known that I would have gone home then instead of waiting 6 more hours til dark. But, It was the most productive piece of public land I have ever hunted. can't wait til next year. 8 deer during the week, 2 were bucks, THATS 25% and I would have been limited out by 7:05 TUESDAY... THAT would have been a 1ST-- for me...for South Jersey deer...
SCORE = DEER 8..... ME ZERO
Next year I'm taking a headcam into the woods to record the hunt.:wave::wave:
6 day firearm -
monday - 8 inch spike, with a good size body, coming into stand from my left down the trail. It came in @ 6:40, finally under stand at 7:20 for 40 minutes... I figured dang opening day 1st buck at this rate I'll hold off and try for a rack. Saw nothing else, stayed in stand til 5:03.
Tues. - 8:00 4 good sized does go by in a conga line- second deer on 1st deers butt 3rd on 2nd, 4th on 3rd, they were bunched up, like making a wall of 4 deer, at about 100 ft away. they were crossing from the scrub oaks into the heavy laurel. 9:30 - another doe crossing going the other direction... could have been one of the 4 does.
11:00 a 5 inch spike comes rolling in fast from straight ahead to my right to within 40 ft, stays for about 2 minutes and rolls out as fast as he came rolling out to my right going away. I'm thinking this place is unbelieveable. Thats 6 deer for tuesday and I would be limited out for meat, 2 BUCKS in 2 days.
I'm a zone 65 hunter but as many have said, that orange army by 8:00 opening day sucks.
Wed. hunted after rain stopped saw nothing the whole day but a huge rabbit I mean huge 4 or 5 lbs.
Thurs. had a doe under my stand at 7:00 for 5 minutes it could have been more but it came in from behind me and with that wind blowing I couldn't hear anything. That wind was roaring and I was rocking. I was in the stand 5:15 til 5:03. went home and took a shower to try and thaw out. Washing my hair the boat started rocking. Felt like I was in 3 to 5 footers all day.
Friday - Nuthin
But, the whole week I think there were only 2 other hunters in those woods monday and tuesday and the woods was never driven. I heard three drives way far off on tuesday and that was it. Hunted 5:15 til 5:03 ever day and it was a 45 minute drive to the woods and 15 minutes getting to the stand. I never saw anything move after 11:00 the whole week. Had I known that I would have gone home then instead of waiting 6 more hours til dark. But, It was the most productive piece of public land I have ever hunted. can't wait til next year. 8 deer during the week, 2 were bucks, THATS 25% and I would have been limited out by 7:05 TUESDAY... THAT would have been a 1ST-- for me...for South Jersey deer...
SCORE = DEER 8..... ME ZERO
Next year I'm taking a headcam into the woods to record the hunt.:wave::wave: