Scouting
For Deer Season 2001: a Photo Journey
SCOUTING
IN 2001: June & July | August
| September |
THE
HUNT: 10 Pointer
on opening weekend | 2001
Deerhunt |
How soon after bucks
loose their velvet do they start making rubs? When do the bucks get an
"attitude"? When do the fawns loose their spots?
It's time to answer the
above questions. For one thing, you've seen some of it happen in pictures.
A few fawns have lost their spots and they are fading on the rest. Bucks
become aware of the "buck attitude" when they are 1 1/2. The bigger they
get the more attitude they develop. When they get big enough most of the
other bucks "don't even bother". Third Question: bucks make rubs right
away once they loose their velvet. Their necks start thickening and they
get an eye for the ladies. But that's another story, if I have anything
to say about it you will see that in pictures, too. |
 When
Do The Bucks Loose Their Velvet?
Here's how it was on Sept
2. (Hint: one of these 3 bucks isn't in velvet any more!) Buck
#1, Buck
#2, Buck
#3.
Ok
... So How Are The Deer Doing In September?
(Sept 2) We had over 10
inches of rain while I was gone on the August
bear hunt, bingo, my poor food plot is not suffering from "sun stroke"
any more! It is green, and lookin' good today ... and full
of deer at deer thirty.
Check
Out this Nice 10-Point That Just Lost His Velvet
 Sept
4 - That dark red color on this buck's antlers is dried blood. It's
only been a few hours since he shed his velvet and the reddish color will
be history in no time. I took several pictures of this Big Boy 10-point
as he approached and joined other deer in my food plot yesterday afternoon.
More
Bucks Are Loosing Their Velvet, Right Now
 Bucks
loose their velvet fast. I took pictures of this unique 6-point on Sept
5 and he was in velvet, but here he is on Sept 7 and the velvet is totally
gone.
This buck was not the only
one to show up without velvet today, you'll find 3 others in the photo
gallery I made.
And, in case you want a
wallpaper of BigBoy-6, the way he looks right now, here it is in
1024x768,
800x600,
or 640x480.
SCOUTING UPDATE (Sept
17):
What few acorns there are,
are little dinky, pea sized things. Summer's scorching, dry weather
ruined the crop. The up side of that is the deer are on the move more than
when the acorn crop is plentiful. September's weather man gave us a dozen
inches of rain. The milo and oats I planted back in May suddenly leaped
out of the ground. Much of what was growing there before was weeds, but
that's ok, deer like weeds.
Deer are still visiting
my food plot. Bow season is only 2 weeks away and I have to find routes
that the bucks take to the plot. In particular, the big 10-point and the
wide and high 6-point (scroll down for pics). So I've been glassing the
woods and see them traveling through the Rolled Wire area. But that doesn't
tell me "exactly" how they get from there to the plot. I hung a couple
of Buckshot Scout game cameras near some trails. Maybe I'll pinpoint a
trail that they are using right now.
(Last week I got a picture
of the big 10-point at 10 yards. But it just didn't seem right to put it
up then. Look for it tomorrow -- in wallpaper no less -- and other current
pics as more bucks loose their velvet.)
Fathers
& Sons - There Is A Big Difference
 A
young buck, still in velvet, looks a big 10-point over. If any picture
ever showed the difference in size and features between a first year buck
and a mature buck, this is it. I did it in wallpaper so you can see it
full sized on your monitor. (1024x768)
(800x600) or (640x480)
SCOUTING
(In Progress, Sept 18) Getting Close!
 Early
last week I set up a new photo blind where I could get a better look at
where the deer come from. I scored a picture of the 10-point right away.
You can even see his coat changing color. (1042x768)
(800x600) (640x480)
Three days later he walked even closer to the blind. (1042x768)
(800x600) (640x480).
But, on the down side I saw a dozen more deer 40 yards away in my food
plot. I definitely do not want to spook them so I waited for them all to
leave, which was well over an hour after dark.
Scouting:
The Last 3 Days - the 10 Pointer is still hanging
 (7:42am)
Here is a larger picture of the
10-point taken a few minutes ago this morning, September 26. His coat
is now totally gray, in the previous picture (below) it still had some
of the reddish, summer coat. Also, notice the gash in the buck's left rear
leg, it's healed up but the hide is permanently tore, it probably happened
when he jumped a fence. He allows a young 8-point to hang around where
he it and here is it's picture.
I've been shooting my bow every day and today I put them all in a 6 inch
circle from distances of 10 to 22 yards. I can't wait until Saturday morning
when I can "get in the pit" near, hopefully, where all these deer will
still be.
Scouting:
The Last 4 Days
(Mon, Sept 24)
I glassed the big 10-point
near my food plot again today. He runs off any mature bucks that come near
him. But he tolerates fawns, does and young bucks. I had hoped to have
him patterned, but he comes from all directions. The closest trees to the
plot are 40-50 yards away and most of them are too small for a treestand.
45 yards into the trees a gully drops off downhill. I hung a stand near
the edge of the gully. I have glassed the 10 and other bucks in this area
recently. Later in the season I can see the food plot area but not now.
I'm thinking I'll be there opening morning, this Saturday.
(Sep
26) I've been working with a state biologist, Todd Pilcik, to form
a wildlife management Co-Op that includes several of the landowners in
our area. Today we started the program. First we established a survey route.
Then Todd did a visibility study (he used a range finder to measure how
far he could see each 1/10 of a mile of the survey route). Then we made
the first deer survey (this is called "running a line"). That means we
counted deer by spotlight and used binoculars to identify them by sex.
We have additional surveys to take and once they are submitted Todd will
compile deer density figures and calculate our buck to doe ratio.
SCOUTING:
Bucks
Will Be Bucks -- Finally!!!
 (Sept
27 at 8:18am) There was a major change in deer activity this morning.
A handful of does were in the food plot at first light -- but the bucks
were not interested. They were marking limbs and making rubs. At daylight
an 8-point worked the edge of the woods, raking several low limbs and bushes
with it's antlers. Two other bucks also raked limbs. Then the 10-point
walked up from the gully and began raking limbs and bushes. Here is a 4
pic series of him hard at it. Everything happened early this morning,
the last deer I saw was at 7:20am. Today was the first day of the pre-rut.
Sept
29 (10:12pm) - At Last, Tomorrow
is the day!!!
Our bow season opens when
the sun rises tomorrow morning. The Duck, Robbie & Robert Cramer are
down and John Askew will drive in for the morning hunt.
Yesterday I practiced shooting
again. When I shoot I go over and over it in my mind, look at the buck's
body and find the vitals, draw slowly, check to make sure my hands are
relaxed. Put my pin precisely were I want it to go. Release. (The arrow
goes in the X ring.)
In a couple minutes I'll
go to bed. Before dawn, I'll wash cleaner than I've ever washed before,
drag my camos out of the baking soda they stay in, and take my bow to the
blind I put near the edge of the gully where the 10-point is rubbing limbs
(Bucks Will Be Bucks).
I figure I've got 2 chances
and they're both tomorrow (the morning & afternoon hunts). This weekend
people will be around where they usually aren't, and that will put him
nocturnal and I may never see him again. Tune in on Bowhunting.net
later today, mid-morning, I'll let you know if the 10-point shows and how
it all comes down.
Scouting
In 2001: June & July | August
| September |
To
JULY 2001 Scouting & Photos:
This the month the bucks'
antlers take shape. Follow the deer in pictues and as I scout for them
with my digital camera. July is a big month in the life of whitetials,
the fawns come out of hiding, button bucks become spikes, sixes, 8-points
and big racks ... all in July.
 
Scouting
In August 2001
August is a month a of dramatic
change in the whitetail's life. Follow the bucks, day by day, as their
antlers grow and their bodies gain weight. Fawns sightings are more frequent
and does are ever present. Come with me through my pictues and as I scout
for them with my digital camera.
 
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