Bambi Whacking 2023-2024

[outrider58]

Sorry for crappy posts. I'm in the bottom of Monocacy river basin. Come are spotty at best.

 

[gtodave]

Come are spotty at best.

They probably make a pill for that.

 

[lazarus]

They probably make a pill for that.

Penicillin.

 

[RRomig]

Well after passing on one of the 8 points again this morning, my big 10 showed up. He came in to 25 yard range, but the shot was marginal so I opted to pass, rather than risk wounding or scaring him. I hope I get a second crack at him.

Man that’s tough. Shows what a seasoned hunter you are. Many would have taken the tough shot and regretted it. Good luck!

 

[28Shooter]

View attachment 439006
Cool reflection off the broadhead...nothing but squirrels so far

Cool picture...not sure the reflection is good thing when you're hunting.

 

[wilcam47]

Cool picture...not sure the reflection is good thing when you're hunting.

Only the memory

 

[28Shooter]

Only the memory

A beautiful one!

 

[outrider58]

They probably make a pill for that.

Fvcking AC plus posting from the bottom of a well. COMS

 

[outrider58]

Man that’s tough. Shows what a seasoned hunter you are. Many would have taken the tough shot and regretted it. Good luck!

So close, yet so far away... Lol

 

[MDHunter]

Well after passing on one of the 8 points again this morning, my big 10 showed up. He came in to 25 yard range, but the shot was marginal so I opted to pass, rather than risk wounding or scaring him. I hope I get a second crack at him.

The good news is, now that you're retired, you can spend lots of time going back and hoping he comes through again!

 

[outrider58]

The good news is, now that you're retired, you can spend lots of time going back and hoping he comes through again!

I figure I might have one day left before he goes back to his nocturnal ways. That's how he's gotten where he is. We never see him much later than now. He's a loner. Doesn't hang out with the wrong deer. He keeps to himself.
Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Slackdaddy]

Not seeing rut activity down in SOMD yet.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Not seeing rut activity down in SOMD yet.

Really? some of the are straight off around here mid shore.
Yesterday morning there was a nice one right over by the grain tanks at the chicken houses all worked up.
I'm expecting more to get would up with all the farming going on.
Still some corn and a lot of beans being cut which will get them roaming even more.
One of the boys video taped a decent buck bedded stalking through some pine woods yesterday with his bow, about thirty yards. I guess he was wore out a little from running so much.
Just laying there chewing a bit.

 

[Slackdaddy]

I heard the combines running last night on the corn/beans up behind my place,, hoping that gets them dispersed,,
But have not seen any chasing or fighting (only out for a few sits so far)
I'll be out most of next week

 

[lazarus]

Certainly rut activity here. I just watched a nice 8-or lock down a doe.

I got within 30 yds of them, but eventually she took off and he followed. He wouldn’t stop for a grunt as he ran.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow he will walk by my stand rather than playing chase the doe in my front woods.

I was slightly tempted to let one fly while he was in the front woods, but it was thick stuff and I would have had to thread the bolt through maybe a 2-3” opening in wineberry bushes.

On top of it being likely he would have run back the way he came, through all of
My neighbors unwooded backyards…

A shoulder shot maybe. Nothing else would have done there.

 

[kstone803]

Not seeing rut activity down in SOMD yet.

Where in SOMD? We've had bucks cruising like crazy during daylight. In one morning last week during the cold front I saw an 8 and two hammer 10s taken down here from different places in the county. Also seen a large uptick in road kill the last three days.

 

[RRomig]

One of our vans got a decent buck this morning.

 

[outrider58]

Certainly rut activity here. I just watched a nice 8-or lock down a doe.

I got within 30 yds of them, but eventually she took off and he followed. He wouldn’t stop for a grunt as he ran.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow he will walk by my stand rather than playing chase the doe in my front woods.

I was slightly tempted to let one fly while he was in the front woods, but it was thick stuff and I would have had to thread the bolt through maybe a 2-3” opening in wineberry bushes.

On top of it being likely he would have run back the way he came, through all of
My neighbors unwooded backyards…

A shoulder shot maybe. Nothing else would have done there.

When it comes to shooting an arrow 'through stuff', I will only attempt that if the stuff is right there against the deer and there is a decent size hole to aim through. If the stuff is somewhere between me and the deer, I never take the shot.

 

[lazarus]

When it comes to shooting an arrow 'through stuff', I will only attempt that if the stuff is right there against the deer and there is a decent size hole to aim through. If the stuff is somewhere between me and the deer, I never take the shot.

Yeah, all of it was about 5-8yds in front of the buck. Close, but not close enough I was remotely comfortable. I don't want a deer to suffer from a marginal hit period. But even if it is a decent hit, here I cannot afford the deer to run 300yds before dropping. With my luck, it would end up running and dropping right at my kids middle school bus stop as they were getting on the bus.

Not the kind of story I need all their friends to have.

My experience is that 80% of the deer run back the way they came. At least on my property. And back the way they came was almost directly from that bus stop...

And he was moving fast enough when he left, same deal. If I had been prepared for the shot, I might have considered taking it on the run with him. He wasn't moving super fast and quartering away, so I probably could have slipped it in there because the lead wouldn't have needed to be much. But it would still be the timing difference between a brisket shot, heart, double lung, or top of the back.

If I was using a ML or rifle, it would have been a fine shot on the move at that distance.

 

[lazarus]

My cell phone picture is blurry and far away, but I am pretty sure the beast in this game camera picture is that bruiser 8-pt. Also late yesterday a nice 7 walked past too. And this guy missing an antler.

Two shooter bucks in the last few days. Hopefully tomorrow one of those two (hopefully the bigger guy!) comes by my stand. (game camera not adjusted for the time change, so the two bucks, shooter and the one antler were at ~4pm and ~5pm)

Tempering my buck expectations, but the big guy is for sure who I am going for. But with no buck archery tags filled and a bonus in my pocket, I don't plan to hunt western MD during archery, so I can afford to take a nice, but not amazing buck during archery here and keep looking for a giant. But anyone smaller than that 7 is going to get a pass.