He lives on...gag, vomit

[blackveltbowhunter]

    Personnally, I would move my stand. At least hunt a different set for a day. For me 8 days is a long time to sit one set. from what I gather from your posts It sounds like your hunting public ground bucks off the beaten path, which is good as your experience shows. It soesnt sound like "your" buck was spooked severely which hopefully will not drive him underground, however he will most likeley adjust his movements, maybe into the area on the slope, maybe he left the sign. Regardless your scouting of another area paid off and turned up some good sign. I would have more confidence in a fresh set:tup: Good luck man

[AKBowman]

I switched it up, hunting with the climber on the SW slope this afternoon so we shall see. Lots of fresh sign just hope they r using the area during daylight.
No chance to set up cams. Estrus is out though and that's what triggered the response the other day. 

[AKBowman]

Hunted Sunday, Monday and today and never caught up with him. I probably would have shot the spike but never saw another deer. Bummer but theres no way he got shot so next year he should be that much larger.

I've got Thursday-Sunday to get it done in another unit that's open still. Luckily I've scouted the hell out of that area so I have good ideas and two stands set up already, one hanger and one giant 12' old growth stump that I made a blind out of.

Cant go all year with that miss in my mind, want to wrap my tag around a big one.

Sausage, burger and pepperoni!!!

[AKBowman]

Man I have had that dillema more than once.  I would sit your current spot this evening.  Then if you don't see anything go sit your SW slope spot for a full day.  If you don't see anything in your SW spot go back to your current spot.

I did very close to exactly that. I hunted the SW facing spot yesterday b/c the afternoon sun was warming the hillside. About an hr before dark I started hearing deer moving all over the hillside in front of me just never had anything come close.

Hunted back where I missed the buck this pm and didnt see anything pretty sure didnt hear anything either. Full moon sure didnt help. I wish I could have hunted the SW spot in the morning just had to get up at 5 and work til 12 before I hunted the PM so no chance. I liked that SW slope a lot though especially for a late morning hunt when the sun gets high enough to warm things up after a cold night. Everything in the shade was crispy solid all day with ice on the water, the sw slope was toasty thawed and covered with deer crap.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Man keep it up! Im missing the late archery hunt this year, so its cool hearing about what you got going on   I had the multi this year. And while I am super pumped with the buck i killed with my rifle , and time off to actually have "holidays" with the wife and kids is nice. I miss the late BT season like crazy   Good Luck man!:tup:

[AKBowman]

Thanks BVBH, moved to another unit adjacent to where was hunting when I missed the buck. Couldn't make it out this am b/c of work but I got in my stump blind/stand around 12:30. Definitely not the same amount of sign on the trail as late oct/early nov but some.

I have through Sunday to get it done, debating shooting a doe if the opportunity arises.

[foambeetle]

All you can do is hunt!

Enjoy the time in the woods . . . and keep positive, you never know what might present itself in the waning days/hours of your hunt.

GOOD LUCK!

[engelwood]

Keep after it, you will get em'! 

[AKBowman]

Last nights 1:12 minute ride out in the rain pitch black and fog was not a lot of fun. My headlamp made things worse by lighting the fog so I couldn't see anything.

Hunted from 12-4:50 today and no sightings.

Tomorrow is day 15 of late buck for me. 5 full days and 9 half days so far.

I can't go all season with this miss playing over and over in my head. The only way to clear the mechanism is to redeem myself!!

[AKBowman]

I cant remember if today was day 15 or 16...I think 16, anyhow I lost count. Sat in one of my stands this morning until about 11, then put in a monumental effort to gather 3 trail cams, still hunt and scout a bit. Found some things out about the area, its amazing how much different things looks from late Oct compared to mid Dec.

Not much moving out there today, no new rubs. Did see a fresh (probably 3 days old) buck track.

Tomorrow is most likely the last day for me, havent seen a deer since the missed shot Saturday. I'm going to leave the stand alone tomorrow and do some still hunting with calling setups.

Caught this buck on one of my cams. Slow trigger speed didnt catch him but he looks older, wide and his thirds are super tall.

[AKBowman]

OK unlike the buck I yipped on at 14 yards and missed, this post can officially die. It was kind of fun for me to keep it as a running tally from last Saturdays miss through yesterdays final day for me.

I put in a lot of scouting this yr, but for all the scouting done the past 16 days in the woods hunting has made me realize that I don't know enough about the areas I'm hunting. The only good thing about extending a season to the max and coming home empty handed is that the additional time in the field is well spent and appreciated.

Just guessing I would say I spent the better part of 20 days between April and Thanksgiving scouting, hanging stands, checking cams, etc. My first yr spending the better part of a full year scouting.

Spending the summer and fall scouting for late archery was both gratifying and frustrating at the same time. Gratifying in the fact that I learned sooo much about the area and a little about the deer. Frustrating b/c I scouted all spring, summe and fall watching the action ramp up to the rut only to have to sit on my hands and wait for the late Archery season to open.

Please don't get the wrong impression I am not making excuses or complaining I just came to a realization this yr that I'm making it way harder on myself by choosing the archery deer tag then waiting until late archery to deer hunt the wet side.

I kind of look at it like this:

If you're hunting the modern season and start on oct. 15 your chances get better and better as the season goes on culminating with the last fee days of Oct and a prime 4 days in mid Nov. By Nov 23rd it's hard to argue that the majority of tue rut action is over with in most areas on most years, generally speaking of course. And your chances get worse and worse from opening day on.

I know that there are pockets of rutting deer and it
can be great when and if you can be in an area when a doe comes in to estrus. I had my chance at a deer that responded to estrus and blew it but I would still take hunting the best part of the rut (late oct then nov 17-20) over a season of waning opportunities as the bucks become more and more nocturnal.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Way to give it hell man! 

[AKBowman]

Oh yeah forgot to mention...I enjoyed every minute of it even the hikes and bike rides in and out in the dark.