Official Thread of 2015-2016 deer season

[conn_air7]

We are seeing some pre rut action in Bradley County. A little trailing and chasing going on! I think the temps are still a little too high, but the rut should be full effect the next few weeks.


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[Peace]

Had one walking the ridge behind us this morning about 7:30 in West TN.  We were not setup for a shot in that direction.  Nephew saw a doe walking another field about the same time.

 

No takers today....

 

-with a full moon (?) last night and a windy, bright sunny morning, I didn't expect to see anything.

[shotgunshooter]

Got a doe today

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[KahrMan]

It's windy and warm where I am. Good luck to whoever is out. Edited November 27, 2015 by KahrMan

[KKing]

Well, supersonic 300BO works well on deer. I've been reluctant to build me an upper until I saw what this one would do I built my dad. He took this one a few minutes ago at around 75 yards. It took one step and dropped DRT. Ignore the funky long muzzle brake thing. It's something he made that he thinks looks cool lol



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Edited November 27, 2015 by KKing

[Johnny Rotten]

My son missed a 8pointer last Saturday, made good this morning.

 

 

[Luke E.]

My son missed a 8pointer last Saturday, made good this morning.

Congrats to your son!

[Luke E.]

Well I've not had the opportunity to take that really big buck on our place and the bright moon and clear sky's have been nothing short of discouraging for the last several days so I've moved over a farm just for some new scenery. I was told by the neighbor that he'd seen 2 140"+ bucks over here a few times last week so here's hoping. Good luck folks!!

[Omega]

I had not seen anything hunting mornings, I believe it's due to the bright moon as they move at night.  So today I decided to hunt in the afternoon/evening and what do you know, before I got to my stand I seen one walking midway up a hill.  I dropped to one knee and scoped her, she just bedded down and gave me a perfect neck shot.  I fired and she was DRT, then the woods erupted with movement, so moved to another target and dropped a small button buck.  Two more deer were making their way across the hill and I was going to take another but decided pulling two up the hill was going to be enough for one day.

 

So if any of you are having the same luck in the mornings you may want to do an afternoon hunt if you haven't yet.  

[gregintenn]

I had not seen anything hunting mornings, I believe it's due to the bright moon as they move at night.  So today I decided to hunt in the afternoon/evening and what do you know, before I got to my stand I seen one walking midway up a hill.  I dropped to one knee and scoped her, she just bedded down and gave me a perfect neck shot.  I fired and she was DRT, then the woods erupted with movement, so moved to another target and dropped a small button buck.  Two more deer were making their way across the hill and I was going to take another but decided pulling two up the hill was going to be enough for one day.

 

So if any of you are having the same luck in the mornings you may want to do an afternoon hunt if you haven't yet.  

Absolutely. I don't see deer regularly during a clear night/full moon time period until mid morning. This past week, I've been leaving for the stand at about 8am. I'm seeing the deer from 9-12.

 

After a dark/cold night, you'll tend to see them earlier in the morning.

[vanilla gorilla]

Put down a nice fat doe this morning, 105 # dressed.

[Luke E.]

Congrats on the deer folks! I've not had much time this year with the new baby showing at about the time I started seeing early scrapes and rubs. The people to the south of me have killed so many that I'm not even getting night pics of deer very often. Wouldn't be such a big feel if I weren't averaging 6-700 pics per week per camera during bow season. From what I've heard, they've already surpassed the 100 deer mark on that property this year and totaled close to double that last year. Guy is charging $100 per person per day on an "it's brown it's down" basis. I've seen wounded fawns and other sickening things from those a-holes. Anyways, I just got the key to an 800 acre farm down the road and permission to finish out my season there if I choose. I can only hunt it on weekdays though so I guess I'm going to start working Saturdays and taking off a lil early each evening.
Good luck for the rest of the season guys.

[KaNaPaPi]

Got off work early enough on Friday afternoon to go sit in the stand.  About 10 minutes before the sun dropped below the horizon.  I see a huge doe prancing toward me.  Directly at me.

 

She gets within 30 yards, decides to stop and give me a perfect broad side shot.  I hit her in the kill zone.  She went about 20 yards and dropped.  Yaay, meat in the freezer.

 

I give her about 15 minutes to make sure she's dead before I approach her, so she doesn't jump up and run away (been burned before).  I roll her over and start to gut her.

 

"To my surprise, this doe's penis and testicle are staring me in the face.  I take another peek at her/his head.  The antlers had broken completely off. I'm estimating he was 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 years old, not full grown and easily mistaken for a large doe.

 

I guess he'll be as tender as an old doe.

 

Didn't hit his heart with the bullet.  However, the lungs were completely vaporized.  The 158 gr 357 JHPs did the trick.

[rugerla1]

I'm at work but after noon I'll be headed to the woods for the afternoon hunt. Sure would have been a good morning to be out as the sun come up!

[Luke E.]

I'm at work but after noon I'll be headed to the woods for the afternoon hunt. Sure would have been a good morning to be out as the sun come up!

Been a good morning to sit in one of my heated blinds but my knees wouldn't have been happy if I'd have made the sit in a stand!

[CJDore]

My deer season is starting late this year. I am going out today to stake a good blind spot on a good virgin 80 acre spot and set up a game camera. Any word on the status of the rut in middle TN?

[KahrMan]

Beautiful morning although nothing is moving yet.

[CJDore]

I was in the woods yesterday also. I did hear several rifle shots but did not see a deer though. I hope I am not too late.

[roverboy]

I saw several deer Yesterday and Today. I saw about 8 does Yesterday and I think one other deer was a buck. This morning saw 3 bucks, a spike, 3 point, and a 8 point that looked like a 2 1/2 year old. I let'em all walk. And 3 does.

[CJDore]

I saw several deer Yesterday and Today. I saw about 8 does Yesterday and I think one other deer was a buck. This morning saw 3 bucks, a spike, 3 point, and a 8 point that looked like a 2 1/2 year old. I let'em all walk. And 3 does.

 

I may have had a very hard time overlooking that 8 pointer that you saw today.Good luck!

[Luke E.]

I saw several deer Yesterday and Today. I saw about 8 does Yesterday and I think one other deer was a buck. This morning saw 3 bucks, a spike, 3 point, and a 8 point that looked like a 2 1/2 year old. I let'em all walk. And 3 does.

I've not taken a 2.5 yr old in years and after that first year there were noticeably more 3.5 yr old deer. I've been trying to not take anything unless it 4yrs or more this year. I still haven't taken one but I have had pictures of them. I know that you can't do that in a lot of places because of dozens of other hunters in the area that wouldn't dream of letting a 3.5 yr old deer walk. We've got 1 buck that's 5.5-6.5 and if you ever see one like that, it's hard to want to take less.
Good job giving the 8 a pass and I hope it pays off for you next year!

[peejman]

I've not taken a 2.5 yr old in years and after that first year there were noticeably more 3.5 yr old deer. I've been trying to not take anything unless it 4yrs or more this year. I still haven't taken one but I have had pictures of them. I know that you can't do that in a lot of places because of dozens of other hunters in the area that wouldn't dream of letting a 3.5 yr old deer walk. We've got 1 buck that's 5.5-6.5 and if you ever see one like that, it's hard to want to take less.
Good job giving the 8 a pass and I hope it pays off for you next year!

 

 

I work with a guy that desperately needs to figure this out. Complain about the small deer, but shoot them anyway?  How are they supposed to get bigger if you kill them?  :ugh:

[Luke E.]

I work with a guy that desperately needs to figure this out. Complain about the small deer, but shoot them anyway? How are they supposed to get bigger if you kill them? :ugh:

Funny how that works huh. No one wants to be the first to start letting them walk. I hear all sorts of excuses but one I love the most is "I only want the meat anyways and you can't eat the horns" I always reply with then why didn't you kill a doe? It's easy in mid and west to to kill doe so why not do that since "you can't eat the horns". Bottom line is, I've yet to ever meet a TN deer hunter that would let a 150"-160" buck walk because they didn't care about the "horns". Just an excuse to pull the trigger on the first thing they see. If that's what you want to do then far be it from me to stop you but if you have to make excuses about it why you shot that spike or split tine then maybe.... Yea

[CJDore]

Funny how that works huh. No one wants to be the first to start letting them walk. I hear all sorts of excuses but one I love the most is "I only want the meat anyways and you can't eat the horns" I always reply with then why didn't you kill a doe? It's easy in mid and west to to kill doe so why not do that since "you can't eat the horns". Bottom line is, I've yet to ever meet a TN deer hunter that would let a 150"-160" buck walk because they didn't care about the "horns". Just an excuse to pull the trigger on the first thing they see. If that's what you want to do then far be it from me to stop you but if you have to make excuses about it why you shot that spike or split tine then maybe.... Yea

I would never shoot a spike or a split tine. My biggest problem when that 8 point walks by is judging its age. I do not have enough experience to have mastered this. Any sure fire ways to judge?

[Omega]

I'm in the meat camp, I have no problem dropping a spike, split or doe.  As long as they are out of spots, they will drop.  As a matter of fact, I would rather eat them young than old.  I will drop a bigger buck, but I am not actively looking for them.  Last year I took four does, this year I have one doe and a button buck so far.