DeLany connects on the first buck of 09

9/20/09 - BS155 - The Killing Tree Set
Pete & I hunted the BS155 Friday evening and there was good deer movement back by the Killing Tree set. With an east wind and Pete up in north MO, I headed back into the set for a Sunday evening sit hoping to catch up with one of the shooters we've seen. Around 6:30pm two does came out into the beans east of the set. I was watching the does when I heard footsteps in the timber to the southeast. I picked up two more deer making their way to the beans. At first I thought they were more does, but as they got closer to the field I noticed antlers on both of them....with one of them being a good looking shooter.

They stepped out into the beans and the bigger 10 point was in the lead followed by a smaller 8 pointer. They started feeding at 35yrds and the 10point started to angle away giving me a good shot angle. I came to full draw as the buck turned just a touch more and I let the shot go. I hit further back than I wanted to, but with the quartering away angle the arrow & Rage 2 did it's thing. The buck ran back down the field past the south set and only made it another 40-50yrds into the timber before piling up.

I was jacked up about killing my first potential P&Y buck and tore up the phone lines calling all my peeps trying to find requirements to help drag the deer out. We finally got the BIG BOY out around 9:30pm and hopefully didn't tear up to many beans in the process.

It was great start to the 09 season....now we just need to get Pete on the board with another shooter buck.

FYI - The World's Greatest Dad t-shirt was not in effect last night and is a dead to me now!

MO Archery - 9/20/09 -North MO

9/20/09 - (Oak Ridge Ladder Set) 6:25am-9:50am, 65-72 degrees, ESE 5-12mph, overcast w/ drizzle.

I headed up to the north MO property on Sunday for my first hunt of the 09 season up there. It rained most of the evening and the front was supposed to have moved through by 9am. I got into the Oak Ridge Ladder set around 6:10am . There were small rain showers off and on all morning. I only saw 2 squirrels for the entire sit. There wasn't a single track on the road after walking out. I adjusted a couple of sets & ladders that had been up for two seasons, they needed it!

In the afternoon I planned to do some scouting up north and possibly hang a new set. I thought about grabbing my bow, but didn't.....and I'm kicking myself now!!! I didn't find much sign on the east ridge in the north meadow, so I thought I'd go adjust the Retarded Genius set, since it had been up for two seasons. There were two nice trails coming into the meadow where Rog cleared out around the pond dam last year. It grew up in 4-5' tall weeds, so I thought I'd take a little look. I hadn't made it 20yrds down the trail when I spotted movement to my left. A big 150ish ten point was walking up the dam for a drink not 13yrds from me (12:05pm). He had no idea I was even there. The rig was about 90yrds away with my bow in it, so I started to slip outta there. I felt the wind switch for a brief second and the big guy must a caught my wind. He walked to the edge of the dam and was looking into the grass intently. We had a stare down for about 3 minutes, before he turned and headed back into the timber. He was nervous and knew something wasn't right, but he never made me out. I did a little scouting after he walked off and it only took about 2 minutes to realize this is where the new set is going. The back side of the pond was covered in tracks and sign...hopefully somebody will be there the next time ol' boy wants a drink in the middle of the day.

9/20/09 - (Outlook Set), 4:15pm-7:40pm, 74-68 degrees, ESE 3-15mph, sun & clouds

After getting the new set hung I took a little cat nap and listened to football waiting for the evening sit. I hunted the new Outlook set over looking the south meadow and crop fields, hoping the FrEaK or some other bruiser would show their face. Rog was combining corn across the river, which has pushed deer my direction in the past. Nothing doing tonight however...the only action I had was a tree frog perched in the next oak. He was entertaining to watch though.
Delany shot a 10pnt on the BS155 around 6:30pm... the story will be posted shortly after editing of course!

MO - Archery 9/18/09

9/18/09 - BS155 (4:20pm-7:55pm), Not-to-Tall set, 76-63 degrees, NNE 5-9mph, sunny

Since I only had to work a half day on Friday I headed back to the BS155 property for another evening sit. Delany is finally going to pop his cherry on the 09 season tonight also. I decided to sit in the Not-to-Tall set just south of the pond. The corner is covered in sign with three big trails crossing within 15yrds of the set. Had two mini deer come out around 4:50pm and head back north. Around 6:30pm I heard footsteps to the south of the stand and picked up a mature doe and mini making their way to the beans. They were coming in directly down wind, but instead of taking the main trial they veered off and headed right at me. The momma got to 8yrds before she finally winded me. She wasn't real nervous, but you could tell she knew something was up. She blew one time and then stood and watched the field for 3-4 minutes before walking back into the timber. I just can't catch a break early!!! Had a turkey and coon come by the set shortly after that. I was packing up around 7:45pm when I caught two deer coming into he beans off the main field. I could tell they were bucks, but it was getting real dark and fast. They proceeded to cut the corner and walk within 11 yrds of the set...if only one had been a shooter. I actually saw the bigger of the two on Saturday when I was hanging some climbing sticks. He's a good 2yr. old 8 with a wicked front sweeping right main beam. Brian saw 7 does and the 2 bucks also.

Headed to north MO on Sunday, so I'll check back in Monday....

MO 09 Archery Opener

9/15/09 - It feels good to be back in the saddle!

BS 155 -(6am-9:05am), Cul-de-sac Set, NE 5-7mph, 62-70 degrees, overcast.
My dentist appointment for opening morning got cancelled, so I decided to hit BS155 farm up for my first sit of the 2009 season. I hunted the Cul-de-sac set hoping to catch the big 10 coming back to bed. At 6:45am a doe and mini deer entered the beans on the east side on the field and worked SW towards the pond. Another mature doe followed their trail about 8 minutes later, so the 09 season was starting on the right foot with lots of action. Around 8am I caught movement to the E and a mature doe stepped out 36yrds away. She stayed behind the locust tree and fed E down the field edge. It was a great morning and start to the 09 business.

9/15/09 -BS155-(4:45pm-7:50pm), Cul-de-sac Set, NE 3-6mph, 83-72 degrees, sunny.

With a perfect NE wind I decided to stay in the Cul-de-sac set for the evening sit. I was on stand for all of 6 minutes before the first deer (a mini deer) of the evening visited the bean field. From 5:38pm - 6:32pm 2 mature does and 3 minis feed in and out of the field about 60yrds to the E of the set. The minis were a blast to watch running around chasing each other. They never came any closer than 50yrds, but it provided a lot of entertainment for the evening. Nothing else came into the field after they left. I have a feeling that we're going to have to find acorns to find the bucks.

9/16/09-BS155-(4:15pm - 7:48pm), Cul-de-sac Set, NE 10-20mph, 84-71 degrees, sunny.

With the afternoon off work I slid back out to the BS155 farm with high hopes of getting on the board in 09. I setup in the Cul-de-sac set again, because it's just a matter of time before the big 10 shows his face. The NE wind is absolutely perfect for this set. I was in the stand at 4:18pm and the first deer was in the field 20 minutes later (another mini) and fed for 5 minutes before heading back into the cover. I was about 4 chapters into the first Harry Potter book, when I caught movement to the E. The same 2 does and 3 minis from the night before entered the beans in the exact same spot. As I was watching them when I caught more movement about 30 yards out, another mature doe and smaller doe were working out into the beans from behind the locust tree. I had my bow in hand and was ready to cut loose if she presented a good shot...to bad that never happened. The bigger doe fed out from behind the locust tree at 23yrds, but was facing me the entire time. She fed on beans for 6 or 7 minutes then flopped ends and walked E to the rest of the deer. She never did offer a good shot angle, but she had no idea I was even there. That set will payoff big at some point. The deer continued to feed about 60yrds out until 7pm then headed back into the bedding area. I did have a skunk walk by the set at 7:15pm but no other deer came into the field. I'll be back at it Friday evening....

MO Season has started.....kind of

I had plans of shooting my first squirrel with my bow this past weekend, but after missing twice and having a super ninja squirrel hold a shot and run off with my arrow...I decided to try and even the playing field yesterday.

After doing some work out at the Williamsburg property I loaded up Ralph's .22 Henry lever action and hit the woods. I was in the squirrels right out of the gates and put a perfect heart/lung shot on the first tree rat I located cutting hickory nuts. After that however the action slowed as the mid-day temps climbed into the upper 80's and the tree rats hid up for the day.

I will be back later in the fall to exact my revenge!

2009 Hunting Season Begins

The 2009 MinnyMo Hunting season started with a bang Sunday morning. Shortly after that bang, things came to a screeching halt.

Logan and I arrived at the cabin around 8pm on Saturday evening (09/05/09). After unloading the car we headed to the field to get our decoys and blinds set for the morning hunt. We set up in the middle field just west of the Mecca Pond in a plowed wheat field. While we set up our decoys we could hear (and see because of the full moon) several geese and a bunch of ducks sitting on the Mecca Pond.Sunday morning Logan and I were in our blinds 10 minutes before shooting time.

We had clear sky and a south wind at 10-15 MPH. Five minutes after legal shooting time a group of 12 geese took flight from the Mecca Pond. After a little calling 3 geese broke out of the flock and came towards our spread. The first shoot of the year crumbled a large goose, shots 2 and 3 where not as great. Logan made a great retrieve on the goose. The good news was kill number 1 of 2009 was on the board in the first 5 minutes of hunting. The bad news was I never pushed the safety the rest of the weekend.

There was hardly a goose in the area. Other reports from hunters confirmed that the geese where just not around yet. Maybe some new birds will move in for us next weekend.

The best news from this weekend was the Mecca Pond is covered up in Mallard, Teal and Wood Ducks. If nothing major happens Logan and I should be in for a good shoot the first weekend in October.