Thread: Online Hunting Journal 2009

4/17 3.5 hours in the woods.
6 turkeys, 10 hogs, 3 deer
4/18 7 hours
3 turkeys, 1 deer
4/19 3.5 hours in the woods Nothing seen...
4/26 9.5 hrs in a blind 6 turkeys seen
4/28 3 hrs 3 birds non wanted to play


93.0 hours
24 deer
21 hogs
43 turkeys

5/1 Last day of SC turkey season. Seen 1 turkey 2 deer
5/3 5 hrs 1 deer
5/5 5 hrs 10 turkeys seen
Went to a ditch bank this evening. sittin in the truck I saw 2 birds 300 yds away. I decided to bump them and go hunt it. Ended up bumping 5 birds (3 more 75 yrds in). 30 minutes in 3 birds come back out and feed around 75 yds away and the rain starts. I sit it out and at 7 pm 2 jakes walk past me at 25 yds on the other side of the canal. I purr at them and they jump the ditch and start walking back to me. At 18 yds they run off and I look back towards my truck to see 2 fisherman.
I had my longbow today and was wanting the 5 yd shot I was about to get. Next Time...

5/7 What a time. lots of highs and lows. Get set in the blind about 3:30 and within 30 minutes 7 birds come out and start feeding my way. They are closing slow but get to 100 yds and get spooked. I have 3 people decide to show up and ruin my hunt. Not their fault, they had a right to be there.
I move 400 yds down to try to avoid them. Get set and guess what 3 more poeple show up down there. I'm livid so I pack up and start heading back to where I 1st was. I wave as I pass them. I get set back up and here they come again only this time they are where they shouldnt be and I yelled at them to leave. They left and things quieted back down after 2 more people walk thru. The birds show back up 4 jakes come out 20 yds to my right. They end up feeding up to about 50 yds of my truck out by the highway and I have a hen get spooked away by several more people. I decide to call to the jakes and they come a runnnin. Get to 20 yds of my decoy and disappear down the canal bank. they walk past the decoy and a hen pops up 1st. 2nd bird is a jake and he putts, 3rd bird stands there and I shoot low. 2 more birds cross the ditch and I shoot low again on 1 of them. It was a hunt that was frustrating yet fulfilling at the same time. I was happy for the opts with my longbow...
I saw a red fox as well...

5/10 3 hrs in blind, seen 1 jake at 25yds.
5/12 2 hrs... 2 birds... never closer than a 100 yds.

113.5 hours
27 deer
21 hogs
64 turkeys

6/17 1st time out this month went with my friend to a grown up food plot that he swears pigs have been in the last 10 times he went there. We get there at 4pm and I'm thinkin its crazy, we need to be in the swamp but I look to my left and here comes 3 pigs. I get to 15yds of them and a black one facing me I won't shoot but I get a shot on another one with my longbow. Super quiet and not even a squeal but I know the shot looked good. The other 2 run back down the plot and leave. My buddy was right there at 25 yds with his .300 mag. It was the closest he had ever been to them.
I pick up the blood immediately but it is sparse. appears to not be a pass thru but color is good. I follow it bout 100 yds where I can see the drops are clotting bad and I lose it.


6/18 No hogs today but seen 5 deer(1 buck) n 12 turkeys(9 jakes n 1 dragger)



115.5 hours
36 deer
24 hogs
80 turkeys

7/11 Tried out old camp swampy today.

We had a fun day, got on 2 real quick and I closed to within 30 yds. There was a problem, a 150lb boar was at 20 behind some palmettos I didn't see him...Busted
They were munching on some blueberries.

Second was in the distance and pulled a fast one on us. we never saw tracks where they crossed the road but they disappeared out a 20 acre patch real quick.

3rd group we stumbled on did the same thing, they was gone before we could get in position(maybe the wind).

A good day 10 deer, 11 hogs, 4 turkeys, 3 raccoons , 2 tortoises and I caught an armadillo.lol

7/23 2.5 hrs walked about 4.5 miles and seen a black yote,1 doe, 1 turkey, and 2 dillos.
7/24 3 hrs Had an awesome day. got on a good boar quick. got to 35 yds but couldn't catch up. tried again got up to 40 but a no go. Went back to general area 1.5 hrs later and got on 1 again. 40 yds was closest. Went to the last spot I checked yesterday and got on 3. Had a good boar come in to 7 yds with no shot. I had a shot at 20 but my arrow came off string and at 15 was brush in the way. seen 8 turkeys a deer and a yote.

7/27 3 hours 5 stalks 11 hogs 3 deer. Had hogs at 30- 40 yds 5 times.
The guy with me(Marty) took a nice boar.


136 hours
51 deer
51 hogs
93 turkeys

8/7 1st time out this month. SC deer season starts in 8 days.
Seen 3 hogs n 3 turkeys in 2 hours.

8/10 6 hours 3 deer 5 turkeys
8/16 1st day out for the 09 deer season. had 1 doe at 3 yds under my tree. I had left my pack on the ground and it rattled her a little bit.

8/24 Stuck a decent 8pt today with longbow low n right behind the shoulder. Broke off 5 inches of arrow. Saw a doe as well. Followed blood 200-250 yds and then it just quit.

8/27 Took Nolan to his feeder. It has muscadines on 3 sides of it. Saw a doe in the swamp goin toward the feeder, she crossed the road bout 40 yds in front of it but never went to it. Another deer on our right must have winded us as it started to blow and ran off. the doe did the same. As I was walkin back to my truck another deer ran off. Only 1 seen. Wind was steady NNE but did shift right before dark to South but no reason for deer to wind us as they where east of us.


150 hours
58 deer
54 hogs
101 turkeys

9/1 Seen nothing, had an issue with tresspassers I took care off. Also pulled tc and had pics of 2 does and a fawn.
9/2 Sat Nolan's feeder. Seen Nothing, wind was squiggly. My friend who was 1/4 mile away saw 5(1 buck) but no shot offered...

9/3 went to stewart for pigs. Seen 1 deer and 4 turkeys
9/5 Went to Stewart on a dove shoot. This was my 1st public land shoot and at 1st I wasnt impressed but the birds picked up about 4. Nolan and I shot over a 100 times and there was tons of guys popping off rounds. I would rate this hunt a 7 out of 10. Only thing I didn't like was how no one was really in control and it was a free for all w trucks driving back and forth across field and people movin around alot.

9/11 Went to Lil Man's Feeder. Had 2 does n a fawn come in at 7:30.
9/15 Seen doe and fawn, 4 pt and 8pt. Nolan shot the 8pt
9/16 Seen NADA thing
9/17 Seen 2 8pts and 7 does in fawns.
9/20 Took the wife to the feeder today. It's 122yds to our east. We had a nice 8pt come from directly North of us to 30 yds and turn and walk west away and behind. The wife had no shot and I was some kind of disappointed.
9/22 Didn't see anything, windy and few skeeters. I do know the moon was falling but not out the sky at dark.
9/23 Another slow day, didnt see anything. My friend killed a doe about an hour before dark so they were movin elsewhere.
9/24 Sat a field blind. Seen 2 as I was leavin the field.
9/29 Sat feeder with Nolan. wind shifted and we got winded from the swamp. There's some good bucks in the area this year for sure.
9/30 Had a fine 8pt come in behind me to 20 yds. No good shot. Had 2 other deer in area, at 20 also right behind me.
That is I believe a record for me. I have had 6 8 pts within 55 yds of me this year so far.

62 Days In the Woods
185.5 hours
81 deer( In season 7 bucks 20 does n fawns)
54 hogs
105 turkeys

10/1 Had a great hunt today. Watched a 120" 8pt for over an hour. I even shot a doe while he was 40 yds from me. He didnt move a muscle for 10 more minutes. Saw another doe but passed on the shot..

10/2 Another good hunt. Had a small 8 come into 12 yds. He was behind a big tree. 4 more steps and he's been at 5 yds and left or right would of been fine. He turned around and walked away with no shot offered with the longbow. Also right at dark had a deer under my tree.

10/4 Jumped 1 walking into stand and right at last light a doe came by close and then she came running back by with a buck in tow. No shots offered.
10/5 Decided to try to stalk hogs in the rain. Ended up seeing 3 turkeys, 4 deer and 15 hogs.
Got to within 45 yards of a pair before being winded. Got about 75 yds from big sow with 12 piglets before being seen.
10/7 3 hrs seen 1 deer and 6 turkeys
10/13 seen 1 deer a 5pt.
10/14 1 Deer couldnt tell what kind
10/15 Very short hunt today. Seen 3 does, killed 2 of them!
10/17 Got in the stand a little late and stayed bout 45 mins cause the wind was not helping me. I decided to walk a ways and rattle. I have a deer come up behind me blow and run off. I take off after it cause its headed to the clearcut. I get to 50 yds of it and its a small spike. It runs off and I walk that way only to see another deer 50 yds away. couldnt tell what it was but is was a dark gray bigger deer. I move to try to cut it off but see nothing. As I'm leavin a small 6 pt is standing very near where I saw the 1st buck. All 3 seen me as I saw them so no shots were possible.
10/18 Went right back in where I saw the 3 yesterday. Had a spike chase a doe right up to 6 yds from me. Gonna hang loc on in here this week and start bowhuntin this spot.
10/19 did some stalking/scouting for an hour. Nothing seen.
10/20 Didnt see anything today. reports on property were bucks chasing and one guy killed 2 does.
10/22 Seen 2 does
10/23 Sat the feeder with Nolan. Nothing came in.
10/24 had a deer walk down rd beside me @ 40 yds right at dark.
10/26 watched a spike at 40 yards bout 15 minutes.
10/27 nothing but a little rain
10/29 nada thing
10/30 1 deer right at dark

81 Days In the Woods
222 hours
109 deer( In season 15 bucks 40 does n fawns)
69 hogs
114 turkeys

11/1 Nolan and I didn't see anything on the edge of the swamp.
11/2 Didn't see anything.
11/3 Seen a doe at 9:30 another at 3:30. Got in stand at 4 and seen 2 does and a fawn.

11/6 almost not fair to add the next 2 days here. I went to South Dakota and spent 8 hours today hunting. Seen 248 deer, 200 antelope, 12 coyotes. I shot a good buck!
11/7 Still in South Dakota we saw 110 deer, 200 antelope.
Total bucks for 2 days was 38. my buddy shot a big mulie today!
11/17 Seen 1 buck a messed up 4ptr.
11/19 nada thing
11/21 seen one that skirted me and then winded me.
11/23 2.5 hrs in stand seen 3 turkeys, 1.5 hrs stalkin seen 3 does missed 1.
11/24 took a friend back in where I saw the 3 does. We seen one leavin that was bedded/
11/25 Seen nothing
11/28 hit a spot just before dark on public and had 1 deer run off walkin in.
11/29 Sat w Nolan at feeder. Nothing seen

94Days In the Woods
260 hours
476 deer( In season Local 16 bucks 48 does n fawns)
Out of State(358 deer 38 bucks 320 does n fawns)
69 hogs
117 turkeys

12/1 Went to a "green" patch next to the marsh. Nothing seen.
Guy w me seen 3 does and killed one.
12/ 3,4,5 Did a 3 day deal at Oconee WMA. Seen 1 deer and 20 turkeys.
12/8 Nada thing
12/10 seen spike and 3 does
12/11 only an owl
12/13 nothing
12/15 nothing but woodies
12/17 Seen 3 does
12/18 one deer walked up 20 yds behind me and winded me.
12/21 nothin from the stand, seen 5 on the road leavin.
12/22 Nothin
12/23 turkeys went to roost early, nothin else
12/24 spent 20 minutes in stand today. Shot the Big 9
12/25 1 under tree right at dark
12/26 went back where I killed w Nolan. Seen Nothin
12/28 Nada
12/29 Nada
12/30 Nolan got a button buck.
12/31 Nada

115 Days In the Woods
302 hours
488 deer( In season Local 18 bucks 58 does n fawns)
Out of State(358 deer 38 bucks 320 does n fawns)
69 hogs
117 turkeys

Well the year is over. It was fun, tried a few different things this year and ended up with 0 big game bow kills(a first for 5 years) by hunting with the longbow. Nolan got his 1st Turkey, 2 hogs with new .308 and a nice 8pt. I got 1 bird, a South Dakota whitetail and 1 buck and 3 does in SC. I watched my friend Marty take a nice boar with his handgun as well. We ended as a family with 8 whitetails and 2 hogs. 2008 had 8 whitetails but more hogs.
I also had an awesome rabbit hunt w the bow(2 of us killed 8)
HatchetBowDan gave me a hickory bow he made that I have already taken a squirrel with.
Lookin forward to 2010 as I am doing a few things different. 1st on the agenda, Marty and I are building arras with turkey feathers, bamboo shafts and stone points to rabbit hunt with...