Survival and Emergency Preparedness

I came back up to the woods house yesterday after visiting my mom. Dont have to be home until next Tuesday since I switched my visiting days next week with my brother.

Anyway got here about 4:30 and it was about 5:30 before I got out to the field. At about 7:10 a lone deer came out at the north end. No horns but 9.5 times out of 10 a lone deer without horns will be a button buck. He made his way down to the south end where I was. He was close enough to see the buttons on his head. Another lone deer came out the north end and started south. Likely another button buck.

By this time it was getting pretty dark. #2 walked down towards me so I glassed him with binocs. I was surprised to see 2 other deer with him at least one had horns. At this point it was pretty dark but the general rule is if you can still see your sights i.e, black cross hairs in you scope it's still light enough to shoot. Not to mention the sky was clear and there was at least a half moon shining. I scoped him saw the xhairs and at least one pretty big tine. He was about 30 yards. Sighted on his chest and squeezed the trigger.

My brother had given me a arrow with a nock that's lights up when launched. It kinda looks like a tracer. The arrow blinked on and off an on again and buried itself in the ground as all three deer ran away.

I waited about 10 minutes before venturing out. Wasn't sure whether I hit it or not. The lighted nock sticking out of the ground was bloody so I had hit it. It's common for xbow arrows to go through a deer. Didn't see any other blood.

I started checking the edge of the woods line for blood. Took me about 10 minutes to find a drop, then another jus inside the woods. Then a couple more. Then 5 minutes before I picked up the trail again.

What typically happens is you'll get a few drops from the entry hole and some splatter from the exit hole. Then some widely disbursed drops as the deer runs. If it's a heart shot the chest cavity will fill with blood and then you start getting a lot of blood. About 25 yards into the woods I started to see lots of blood. I pretty much knew it was a kill shot at that point. Another 20 yards and I could see him piled up on the ground.

He was a big deer but not a full rack. He had long tines but only 4 points. After gutting him I went back and got the ATV to haul him back. He was too big for me to lift him onto the ATV so I ended up dragging him back to the house.

The obvious question is whether I'm done hunting, got my buck so I should be done...right?

Well, my state has what they call a combo license. You can take two bucks as long as one of them has 4 points on one side. That typically means an 8 pointer but I've seen deer on my cameras with 4 on one side and 3 on the other and one with a broken antler on one side. I've also seen 3 or 4 other 8 pts and at least one 10 pointer. So I'm still after the big bucks.

Not to mention you can take 10 doe as well.

So here I sit, in my blind overlooking the beaver pond in the rain waiting for one of the big guys to walk by.

Back at the house for lunch. Still raining.

Yesterday between the morning hunt and evening hunt I went back to the ridge that has hundreds of small pine trees and started cutting 2-4" trees down. A couple years ago I cut about 100 down, stripped them dried them out and have using them to build fences, arbors, racks etc. Very useful but I now want to build deer blinds with the bark still on them.

I got about 20 cut with my little electric chainsaw. I then trimmed the branches off with my machete. Arm and shoulder sore today. Was intending to cut about 20 more today but the rain hasn't let up. Rain+electric chainsaw=nope

Hopefully the rain let's up soon so can get some stuff done.

I suppose I could drag the logs I've already cut back to the barn with the tractor to build but then I'd have to carry it back out into the woods...nope.

The rain let up for a couple hours yesterday so I got some more of the pines cut and framed in a blind before the rain started again.

62 degrees this morning at 6am. Not currently raining so maybe I'll get a chance to work on the blind after the morning hunt.

Update...
When I came up last Tuesday the temp was 64 f. It was in the 50s on wed & Thursday. In the 40s on fri & sat. 29 and snowing on Sunday with a high of 34. 31 this morning with a high of 35 today.

Hunted with my brother on Saturday and sunday. Been seeing a new flock of turkeys in the field, 26 hens and jake's. Saw a couple button bucks and 2 spike horns as well.

After the morning hunt I went back to the house and got the atv to take my tools to the back ridge. Passing the field around 11:25 a I saw 2 deer at the far end. One of them had a big rack. Couldn't tell how big without my binocs. I rode off into the woods and made my way back on foot. They were gone.

Saw a couple spike horns on Monday as well as the new flock of turkeys.

Got the deer blind on the back ridge almost finished. Will finish if off next weekend. Heading back to the suburban house after the morning hunt today. Have to go home for an MRI on my shoulder this afternoon.

The blind is coming along though not finished yet.

It is 5' square, 7' tall at the front and 5.5' tall at the back (nice to be able to stand up in it.

Framed in with pine trees


Wrapped in tar paper



I then started nailing sticks, narrow pine tree length, pine boughs to it. No pic yet of that. I still have to make a door for it and figure out how and/or if to put windows in it.

Coming together very nicely

I pretty much finished the blind and hunted in it last night. Didn't see anything but it's mostly intended for the rifle season which starts a week from wed (Nov 15). My 3 brothers are coming up but my son (his wife is in labor right now with their first baby) isn't going to make it this year, either is my nephew who just started a new job.

Just finished reading all my other deer hunting threads back to 2019. Frankly they are pretty much the same....i.e, seeing lots of deer, doe and bucks but shooting very few. Temperatures varying from the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's week to week and sometimes day to day. Color changes

So...I'm pretty much done reporting until/unless I get the big guy either during the remainder of bow season or during rifle season which starts Nov 15.

I hunted in the new blind on Thursday evening. Had 2 doe walk right up to it and paid no attention to it at all. I could have taken either one but since I have a buck in the freezer I don't need the meat. Still looking for the big buck.