Category Archives: Day Afield

November 1, 2011

Earning an Outdoors Degree

By Author

Some degrees in academia take two years, some take four. Apparently, getting your degree in the outdoors takes a heckuva lot more than that.

I’m still seeking my diploma in the Outdoors (concentration whitetails) after more than 20 years in search of America’s most sought-after game animal.

Can you find the buck in this screen shot? This buck played the role of teacher last week in my search for an outdoors degree.


And this week was another lesson that professor Nature provided, leaving me as a stumped pupil hoping to not make the same mistake twice.

My hunting buddy Kenny and I made our near-annual trip to Western New York to chase whitetails with bow and arrow. It was its normally fantastic trip, yet neither of us were able to connect with a giant northern deer. I came the closest, yet never flung an arrow thanks to a minor hiccup by your faithful veteran blogger.

Let me set the scene.

It was chilly – a crisp morning with temperatures locked in the mid 20s. For any deer hunter who relies on their senses for how good a hunt could turn out, you would understand when I say it felt like a “deery” morning. Shortly after 9 a.m. I noticed a single doe standing in the woods. I decided to video her.

Shortly after I hit the record button, she made the all-too familiar glance behind her that signaled she was not alone. Was it a buck? I noticed another three deer walking toward her and figured those deer were the subject of her interest. I kept the video recording.

It was then that I heard the sound of a buck making a single, quick grunt. I quickly transitioned into hunter mode, pushing my camera arm out of the way in exchange for a clear lane to draw my bow. I kept the video camera recording, but the it was pointed at the tree I was perched in. As I reached to the other side of the tree for my bow, I could hear deer running toward me – a clear sign that this buck was bumping at least one of the does. In just a few short seconds, several deer went from 60 yards behind me, to being within 15-25 yards of my treestand.

By the time I turned back around with bow in hand, a doe and the buck were glancing my direction. I was busted. And he was a shooter – A chocolate-horned heavy eight-point with an “ain’t happening” stare.

I knew my opportunity was gone. There would be no way to get my bow drawn and make an effective shot on the buck at that point. I decided to reach for my camera arm and try to steer it toward the buck to catch video of him before the doe and he took off. I was able to capture just a couple short moments of video. And it was over.

I knew at that point, because our trip to NY was so short, that this might be my last opportunity at a good buck this year with my bow. And a rookie mistake of not anticipating a possible buck being with those does ended up costing me.

Lesson learned. And there will be many more before this hunter receives his diploma.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 2011, Day Afield

October 29, 2011

Waiting on The Waiting Game

By Greg Johnston

AHT Contributor, Greg Johnston Reports From the Stand:

The trail cameras prove they’re there, but this week I failed to lay eyes on any of the mature bucks that visited my Moultree cams throughout the summer and fall. The calendar tells us it’s getting to be that time of year, but the deer haven’t yet cooperated. That will soon change.

A doe feeds on corn Saturday morning.

I expect activity to increase this coming weekend and really get rocking the week of Nov. 7th.

My hunts this week were fairly uneventful, although I saw plenty of does and yearlings. The most action I saw was last Thursday morning when a 1.5-year-old 8-point bumped several does past my stand.

With a week and a half of vacation time coming up this week and next, I’m confident that I can get on some mature deer. I’ll certainly be trying. I’ve got my Dad in the field along with another hunting buddy, so hopefully between the three of us we’ll get our hands wrapped around some bone at some point during the next few weeks.

Stay tuned.

Leave a comment | posted in 2011, Day Afield, Day Afield, General Tales, General Tales, Uncategorized

October 24, 2011

Action on the Increase in WNY

By Greg Johnston

AHT Contributor, Greg Johnston Reports From the Stand:

The action is heating up here in Western New York.  I hunted Livingston and Ontario Counties this Saturday and Sunday where I encountered some decent action – including one of my Hit List deer.

Two does work past my stand.

Deer movement is on the increase and this week’s cold snap shouldn’t hurt things.  I hunted our Livingston County Farm on Saturday where I encountered over a dozen deer, including one decent buck that I wasn’t able to get a good look at.

Sunday was warmer and sunny, but I hopped in the stand anyway for an afternoon hunt.  I didn’t have high hopes, but movement was swift throughout the afternoon.  I was able to grunt in one of the bucks on my Hit List, but he locked up at 30 yards, behind a blow down.  With a bad angle and a tree in my way I had to watch him walk.

If it hadn’t been for that tree, I’m guessing this entry would have had a different headline and topic, but hey, that’s why we hunt.  It’s worth noting that I also encountered a 1.5 buck who was clearly in the seeking mode.

I’d say it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing those older more mature bucks on their feet and cruising during daylight hours.  So, if you’ve got the time, I’d suggest you plant your rear in the seat of a stand somewhere.  The clock is ticking…

Be sure to check back weekly as I continue to chronicle my season and monitor deer movement here in the Northeast.

Greg Johnston


				

				

				

					5 Comments					  |  tags: , , , 															| posted in 2011, Day Afield, General Tales														

				

			

						

				

					
						October 19, 2011					
				

				
Nate’s Journal

				

					By Author				

				

					
The following journal excerpts come from Nate Faulkner, 12, who enjoyed his first trip to North Dakota to hunt the non-resident duck season earlier this month. The trip included his father, Richard, as well as Richard’s friends DeWayne Taylor and Kurt Culbert. 



Day 1.  We arrive in Fargo, North Dakota at about 11:00 pm central standard time.  I’m waiting for my luggage with my Dad and his friend Kurt.  The airline opens the oversized luggage window, drop out Kurt’s gun case but not ours.  Non of our luggage made it on the plane from Chicago, IL to Fargo ND.  We drive to the Hilton Garden Inn in Fargo ND to stay for the night.  We had planned to pick up our luggage along with the final member of our hunting party.  We slept on great beds, it would be the last time for the entire trip.

 

Day 2.  We wake up early to go and scout for the hunting to come.  We ride for a few minutes and pull into a field.  All of a sudden the field erupts in a blanket of waterfowl.  Ducks are flying everywhere, it is the most ducks I have ever seen.  We decided to name it “Nate’s Place”.  Everything appeared to be good, that feeling melted when we saw there were crops still in the field.  The law in North Dakota states that you can not hunt property that has a posted sign or has crops in the field, without the permission of the land owner.  So we drive away and plan to come back later to try and find a house near the field.  We ride around and find a few good backup fields in case the owner of what we have called “Nates Place” says no.  Next we go back to Fargo to pick up our luggage and the last member of our hunting party, DeWayne.  We ride back to “Nates Place” and find a house next to the field.  We go up and knock on the door, no answer, we knock again…..no answer.  The positive thinking we had is starting to fade.  Since no one was home we ride to another house close by.  This time someone comes to the door, a lady comes to the door.  It turns out she and her husband Dave own the field.  She provides us with her husband Dave’s phone number.  We wait to call him as he is working at harvesting beans.  We ride on to New Rockford ND and pull into the Bison Lodge where we will stay the rest of the trip.  We call Dave and he says have permission to hunt the field as long as we do not mess up any of the crops.

 

Day 3.  This is the opening day of non-resident season in North Dakota. We head out early to “Nates Place.”  We get out there and the ducks are here and there but not a whole lot of ducks.  We are beginning to get concerned, but my dad says it should be a good hunt as when we came by yesterday it was later in the day.  We get set up in the grass, decoys set, guns loaded.  It was a little past legal and the ducks start flying like there is no tomorrow.  My dad limits out in about 20 minutes.  I have about 2 ducks and it started  to slow down.  the rest of the hunt was pretty good.  I had fives ducks and the limit is 6.  Mr. Dewayne and I moved down the bank as the birds started to fly a different path later in the morning.  The birds would fly to us then move off.   Finally we saw a pintail as it was making a line for us.  I raised up and pulled the trigger.  It was the first time I had ever limited out.   I also shot my first gadwall, and blue wing teal that day.  We spend the rest of the day scouting for the trip.  We settle on a place my dad has hunted before and called the Juanita Spoonie Hole.

 

Day 4.  We wake up and start driving to the Juanita Spoonie Hole.   We get there and not much happens – most everyone has one bird.  My dad and I move to a different hole that is not far away on the same block of land.  Birds are constantly flying over us just too high.  We try to move to where the birds are flying but the water is too deep and we have to keep looking for a spot until we find one where the water isn’t as deep.  We move into the water and I shoot 3 more birds.  I ended up with 4 ducks this day.  We plan on trying to find a spot for an afternoon hunt but nothing ever comes up.



Day 5.  This is the last day we get to hunt on this trip.  We go back to “Nates Place” just in a different spot.  We did not see many birds at all that day much less shoot many.  One hen pintail came flying in and I raised up and shot it.  The bird comes down 4 feet behind me.  Other than that bird I didn’t shoot another bird.  So we go back to the Bison lodge and pack up for our flying home in the morning.  It was a great trip and some really neat land to see.  I really enjoyed seeing another part of the country.


Nate Faulkner


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Editor’s note: Great job, Nate! You’re welcome in my blind any time. Please look for a short video chronicling the father-son hunt very soon on http://www.AHuntersTales.com

				

				

				

					2 Comments					  |  tags: , , , , , 															| posted in 2011, Day Afield