Bowhunting.Net 3rd Annual Bowhunt - 2006

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Online Whitetail Bowhunts - 2006 Bowhunts and on the spot pictures -- by Robert Hoague | Sponsors of 2006 Whitetail Bowhunts | Bowhunting.net Annual Bowhunt |  | Wade Nolan Writers Camp Hunt - October | Wade Nolan Writers Camp Hunt - November | Bowhunting Deer At Home - 2006 HOME PAGE For All 2006 Deerhunts Part 5: Finding The Last Hay Barn  Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Hunting The Buck Funnel Since I had seen 2 bomber bucks near the fence crossing I figured the BuckEye Cam would transmit some pics of bucks. But out of several dozen pictures only one was a buck. This was definitely a trail that does used more than bucks. Even though this was a predominantly does area I didn't want my scent there and the easiest way to do that was slip on the Elimitrax and go. Here is a picture of the BuckEye Cam watching the fence crossing. And here is a close up of the BuckEye Cam busily transmitting my picture to my computer. After gathering up the camera I went to the Last Hay Barn. On the way I took a pic. You can see several small outbuildings the original rancher used. The Last Hay Barn is showing through the trees on the left.  As I got closer to the tin barn I noticed some deer sign I was interested in. A scrape. You can see it under the trees in the middle of the pic.  A nice big scrape too. I always carry binoculars when I scout so I focused on the lower limbs of the scrape. They were chewed and broken. Another good sign. Approaching my destination I took a pic through the trees. This is the North side of the Last Hay Barn. The dark space is a big tin door. The pictures may not show it but this is a very secluded area that is not pressured all year long. And it had become a funnel for bucks. The East end of the tin barn was open and from it I could shoot for 25 yards and cover the area that I took the close up Big Boy 10 pics. It was my first choice to hunt. I put up a Matrix ground blind inside the barn in the shadows. Then I pulled the staples on the fence in front of the blind (remember, it's my own property) and waited until the next morning to hunt it. First Hunt At first good light a Coyote walked by. Ordinarily I would have shot at it but today I wouldn't take the chance on spooking any deer. Twenty minutes later there was good light and a big spotted Bobcat came from the food plot direction. I reached for my camera and turned it on as the Bobcat turned and walked in my direction. At that exact moment the sun came out from behind a cloud and lit me up like the Las Vegas strip. The Bobcat took off. As I watched him disappear into the woods it occurred to me that he might live in the deserted barn, I had seen the bones of a recent fawn kill inside the barn. A doe came from the woods to the North of me and saw the lit up blind. She snorted and ran. When it happened again I broke down the blind, left it there, and went to the house. I had to re-think how to hunt this buck funnel opportunity. Second Hunt That afternoon I set the bind up in the door on the North side. Hay was 3 bales deep on the floor of the barn. It looked like this from a distance. Nice. I also brought fence pliers with me and already had the Elimitrax on, so I yanked staples out, cut wire and shoved down part of the fence so I could shoot if anything showed up. Here is the shooting area as seen from inside the Matrix. I also have a crack in the East side so I can see anything that comes by on that side. Like a buck. Or the bobcat if he really does live in this barn. The time was 4:15, later than I would have liked. Ten minutes later a buck walked out of a blind spot to my right (the East) and walked by me on the nearest trail to the fence, 10 to 12 yards. My camera battery died when I turned it on. Minutes after 5:00 a nice 8-point came up the closest trail to the open end of the barn and took a left at the corner post. It walked the same path, stopping to rub his antlers on the skinny rubbing tree in the picture above and in the many night pictures. Soon after a noise to the East got my attention and I looked through the crack and saw a real deal buck with extra tall tines. He was on the trail against the East fence and if he took a left he would be right in the middle of my shooting spot ... is an instant. So I'd be good to go, I drew. Almost to the corner I would see that he was wide too. I put my pin where he would be if he turned the corner He turned. And I saw that his right main beam was broken off after the G3 point. The other side was perfect. He was a bomber 8 point for sure. But it wasn't his day. Or maybe it was, depending on your take on it, because I held my draw until he was past me and let down. Sunset came and daylight faded away and I carefully walked to the house.  I had me a nice new buck spot. NEXT: A Bold Move 2006 Deer Hunt Sponsors BOWTECH GRIM REAPER Broadheads Arizona E-Z FLETCH CAM TRAKKER Game Cameras MyTopo Aerial & Topo Maps WILDLIFE Research Center ELIMITRAX TROPHYSCORE WOLVERINE Boots Sticks N Limbs Camouflage GATEWAY FEATHERS ROPE RATCHET HOT TRAILS Scented Hunting Candles Jim Fletcher Archery Essential Gea r CARBON EXPRESS Arrows NIKON Optics To The Home Page For This Bowhunt

Billy Don Van Cleave Wild Horse Prairie Ranch P.O. Box 199 Satin, TX 76685 Call: 254-749-6119 Fax: 254-546-2709 Email:  BillyDon@hughes.net Web: WildHorsePrairie.com Dream Woods Adventures 2501 Ridge ST Eldorado, IL 62930 For information call: Doug or Greg at 618-926-1481 Email: dougandgreg@dreamwoodsadventures.com Web Site www.dreamwoodsadventures.com

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