DeerHuntStories2000

Nov. 17, 2000

While Thursday's hunt back in Greene Co. failed to produce any deer activity, yesterday was a different story.

As I crossed the bean field at daylight I saw a big deer run the hill behind the Apple Man's barn. I have seen this deer and others a few times during the past week. They seem to be behind the land owners cottage and I spook them out of there sometimes when I come and go back to my van. After about 3 hours in the stand I decided to head back to the van and go back home to warm up and eat lunch.

I still hunted (walk and stop) my way back to behind the little patch of woods on the hillside behind the cottage. As I slipped along the top edge of the hillside I stopped and grunted with my grunt tube. The
bushes moved and a little yearling popped its head out. I knew that a doe should be close by so I grunted again and a bigger deer got up a moved through the honeysuckle and stickers. I could see the Apple Man working on the back of his barn not 150 yards away. He has been there all morning pounding and sawing working on an overhang.

After a few minutes I slip up to him and tell him that there are a few deer down below him in the woods. He volunteers to walk the woods from to behind the cottage to the back, hoping to push the deer out into his back yard. I positioned myself on the fence row where I have observed in the past week that the deer head when I spook them out from behind the cottage. I am looking down through the brushy hillside at the bean field.

Here we go, this is where it gets exciting!

The Apple Man allows me a few minutes to get set up before he starts walking behind the house. Soon I see 3 deer run diagonally across the field. Well that's it I think to myself. They ran the wrong way and they are gone. But wait! Here they are coming back! They run back towards me. I could now see that the bigger one is a nice buck! They stop at the edge of the field and look back toward where the Apple Man is. After about a minute they start moving my way. I am looking down through the honeysuckle and brush and I could now see the big buck only 20 yards away. He is a big 10 pointer!

Soon the Apple Man pops out of the woods and starts walking my way. I motion to him that there are deer right down below him. He back tracts a little and drops down in the little strip of brushy hillside. I could still see the bucks head and antlers, he is only 15 yards from me, and is looking back at the Apple Man. There is no shot, too much brush!!! The doe has to be around there some place and he wasn't leaving until she did. Finally the Apple Man gets to within 20 yards of them and they bolt through the brush into the neighbors property.

Man, he was a beauty! Close but no cigar.......>>>=======> Steve

Nov. 28, 2000

Well I have struck out so far with a bow, now gun season is here. Since I am not taking off of work this year for gun season I have been going out to Greene Co. after work with my shotgun.

Monday evening, after legal shooting hour, as I was making my way back to the van 2 deer, a doe and a yearling, came out of the woods into the bean field about 40 yards from me. They are still messing with me!!!

This evening the Appleman walked the woods in back of the cottage. I set up in the fence row as before. As planned 2 dear came out and ran into his back yard and up the hill. They were bookin'. Although they came right by me I elected not to shoot. The doe was not very big and also it was a risky shot at a running deer. Around 4:45 I had a little buck with half a rack come by my stand. Too small, let him go.

My plan is to hunt after work the rest of the week and then go all day Saturday. I am hoping that on Saturday that there will be a lot of hunters in the surrounding property and that they will push deer my way. Sat. is the last day of gun season, I will probably take anything then! What I really need is to have someone walk the different patches of woods on the property that I am hunting to run them out of the honeysuckle hillsides. Maybe I can talk my wife into it, hmm :).

>>>----------> Steve