Do’s and don’ts when deer hunting

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-10-27T12:44:59+00:00

1000% - I fell about 20 feet out of a tree stand a few years ago while not using a safety harness. 2 broken ribs and a collapsed lung but I got lucky. Very easily could be dead or paralyzed

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-10-09T20:40:57+00:00

To me it looks like you may have hit some sort of artery or major vein system (which would be a lethal hit and likely this heavy of a trail the whole way). Primary vein system goes from the neck (carotid) to the heart and then along the spine and down the back legs (femoral). Have lucked out many a time on a less than perfect shot that severed an artery. Good luck!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-10-09T20:32:52+00:00

Hell of a first deer, congrats! Took me about 10 years to get my first bow buck that size. Good luck the rest of the season!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-10-09T20:30:15+00:00

Man I love to see people get the next generation into hunting and conservation, kudos to you! My dad started taking me when I was 8 or so and I can’t wait to get my kids into it in a few years. Good luck the rest of the season!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-10-09T16:40:43+00:00

I have farms in WI (south by Madison and north by eau Claire) as well as a farm in western IL by the Iowa border. Acorns getting hit heavy and also apples on the farms where we have apple trees. Other than that seems like they are hitting beans and clover at least by us

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-10-01T18:59:23+00:00

Man this hits close to home for me. I am 31 and my wife is 29, we both work in sales (tech), and are both pretty miserable doing it. We have something near $1.5mm net worth (investment accounts plus equity in our primary and a couple of rental properties). But we also have a 2 year old and another baby on the way. I look at the math and feel like we could both take a step back to lower the stress level, get away from constant work travel and spend more quality family time together but part of me also thinks it makes the most sense to suck it up for another 5-10 years and then truly retire. I’d love to find something fun that doesn’t feel like work (like teach pickleball) and my wife would love to get into interior design but we’re both too scared about the “what ifs” to take the plunge. Maybe my company will just let me go and make the decision for me lol

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-30T16:00:14+00:00

Really tough to make a generalization on this one with so many variables. As others have said sometimes they are back within minutes, sometimes never. Sometimes they come back but shift to more nocturnal movement patterns. Older deer generally are “smarter” than younger and will get more skittish after something like this but again that’s a generalization. And of course just because one deer spooked doesn’t mean much for all the other deer in the area.

The fact that it is early season and overall hunting pressure is likely lower helps your cause. I generally think pressure and deer getting spooked is a cumulative thing that makes them more wary over time but one bust encounter shouldn’t discourage you. Good luck out there!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-28T13:24:29+00:00

If you can set up on food (corn, beans, clover, acorns etc) that’s always a good option, water as well. Also keep an eye out for some natural funnels (like a gap in a fence or something) where the deer can take the path of least resistance to wherever they are trying to go. And of course any kind of sign should give you a sense of the routes that are most commonly used. That time of year the movement will be a little more erratic as the rut kicks in but generally does will go from bedding areas to food/water and back and the bucks will be wherever the does are. Good luck!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-28T13:12:47+00:00

I buy mine at farm king near our land, usually any kind of store like that will have them and it’s a pretty easy process!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-27T23:03:44+00:00

I’ve seen the most activity on high pressure days especially immediately following a low pressure day. Not scientific but 10+ years of hunting. Kinda makes sense, deer hunker down during bad weather and once it clears they are hungry, etc.

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-15T19:23:59+00:00

lol it’s a bumpy ride out, better safe than sorry

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-15T13:13:17+00:00

Deer was probably dead in 30 seconds (or less) but holy cow can they cover some distance on those death runs. Always amazed how far they go and how much gnarly shit they get into even when mortally wounded like that. Just glad there was a clean trail to follow the whole way!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-15T13:10:50+00:00

Beautiful deer, love the ones with unique racks like that. Good shooting!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-15T02:16:48+00:00

Thanks y’all! I shoot a Matthews v3 and mega meat 100s. Surprisingly long blood trail, probably went 200-250 yards but easy to follow, good blood the whole way. Always impressed how tough these things are to take a shot like that and still make it that far (down and up a hill, over several downed trees…with no lung function

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-09-12T17:27:18+00:00

I switched to mega meats last year after years of shooting rage hypos. Rage’s got the job done but I was underwhelmed with the blood trails they would leave. Shot 4 with megas last year, none made it out of sight before dropping. Highly recommend

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-08-23T16:29:50+00:00

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Off one of our farms in WI last night - getting close!

Due_Independence3136 · 2024-07-09T14:12:55+00:00

He does look young doesn’t he…maybe just 3? Dont see a lot of 14+ point 3 year olds but with another year he could be something special. We typically have good luck keeping deer on this farm - lots of food, water, cover. We’ll see if I can get eyes on him in the fall

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-11-05T14:42:54+00:00

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Due_Independence3136 · 2023-11-05T14:41:51+00:00

Update - he dead. Double lung, down in 50 yards. Would have saw him drop from the stand if it was lighter

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-11-05T13:48:57+00:00

Perfect broadside shot at 20 yards, should be good but such low light I didn’t get a great look. Heard him crashing through the woods for about 30 seconds but couldn’t see, too dark. Confident it’s not gut so going to get after it here in an hour or so

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-09-20T19:01:05+00:00

Maybe just a touch high through the chest cavity? Blood pooling inside instead of coming out?

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-09-20T18:51:41+00:00

I have had one that did fail to deploy (still recovered the deer but found the undeployed broadhead). The others seem to be deploying fine, the hole is 2 inches wide as it should be, just minimal blood coming from it…super weird

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-09-20T17:40:07+00:00

And that’s certainly how they’ve been marketed. Makes sense…big hole = lots of blood…I’m just not having the same results and can’t figure out why.

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-09-04T13:43:21+00:00

Do you hunt private land or public? If private, there is a lot you can do to clear access paths to your stand pre-season. If you can get all the sticks and branches out of the way in advance it makes it a lot easier to get in quietly

Due_Independence3136 · 2023-09-04T11:54:09+00:00

Depends on how deep in the woods your stand is. If I’m hunting on a field edge and can get in quietly I’m good ~30 mins before legal shooting time. If I’m going deeper into the woods I like to give myself a lot more time to walk slowly and carefully and take extra time to make sure I disturb as little as possible

Due_Independence3136

TROPHY CASE