Post by bonecollector on Oct 24, 2010 18:58:55 GMT -6
I took my first trip to Laurel Hill this week/weekend and I really enjoyed it. I didn't see any legal shooters, but i saw bucks every time I was on the stand, except once. It was tough hunting and sometimes tough terrain. IF it was cloudy the forecast would have been cloudy with a chance of acorns ;D . I have never seen that many oak trees in one place in my life. It made it a lot harder to decide where to start. The food plots did not come in except for the corn, which was standing, but the deer were eating acorns for the most part.
I got to camp on Wednesday and set up and did some scouting that day. I had no idea where to go and just pick some places on the map. I found very little sign, but there was some in all the places i looked. I got up Thursday AM and i went to my spot I got situated and waited for the sun to come up. It took 40 minutes to get into. I picked a spot that was all down hill and up a creek finger in a holler for the approach. I was in there about 3/4 to 1 mile in. I set up in the creek bottom and sat and watched tree rats play all morning long. at 8:50 i had a small 5 pt come off the ridge behind me and didn't see anything else. I talked to the WO when i got back to camp and got some info on were to hunt and went into one of the areas but did not see anything that evening. that was the only time i didn't see anything.
I hunted in the same area the next am, but shifted, because i realized i went up the wrong ridge. I had a small spike come out at 7:20 and then a 6 pt come out on the field behind me and run through it nose to the ground bird dogging. Never saw a doe, but he was on a mission. I grunted at him and he paid no attention. I went to another area that the WO told me about and when i got there it appeared no one was there, but when i hiked in only about a 1/4 of a mile (thank God) there was a big orange blob in a tree, so i waved apologetically and backed out. I had no idea where to go and i was sweating and a little upset, so i decided to go to where the food plots were on the map see what was there. No crops just disked ground, but there were several tracks so i went in and found a white oak dropping and set up in it(it was the only climbable tree). Had one deer come out 50 yds and i put the scope on it. I had told myself i would not shoot a doe until Saturday AM, because that was my last hunt as i had Titan's tickets and had to come home, but i thought about one less night in a tent and a shower and almost squeezed on off. I scoped it's head and it had a little short nose and i knew in my heart it had to be a BB, so i let it walk. that was the only deer i saw. Had one blow in the woods to my left right at dark, but don't know if it was blowing at me?
Got up Saturday AM and went to another spot the WO told me about (at least i tried to find it in the dark) and got close. bumped deer at 5:40 am in a white oak flat and got set up by 6:10. waited for day light and at 6:55 a 6 pt ran by. he was wider than the others i had seen, but not wide enough IMO. I sat till 11:30 and didn't see another deer. got down and went back to camp to go home.
I met two guys from Michigan that were nice that came all the way down to hunt. One of them had went to another spot the WO told us about and he gave me some good intel for the Thanksgiving gun hunt i have.
One big deer was shot on Thursday night by a guy that showed up (never been there before) at 1:45 PM. He had lost his permit, but had proof he was drawn and the WO told him that was fine he could hunt. he went out found a spot that he felt looked good and got up the tree at 2:25. At 2:50-2:55 two big 8's came through and he shot the biggest one. it green scored 128 3/8 i think. Another guy missed a big 10 and a guy from AL didn't realize that the regs stated 5 on a side OR 15" outside spread and let a real tall buck with 6 on one side pass by. Another guy from AL saw one that may have been legal but could not get a shot. Some does and BB were shot and that is it. I heard the juvenile hunt only netted 2 does and a BB, but there were a bunch of misses on big bucks and i heard a lot of shooting, this week that exceeded the # of deer checked in, so if you have one of the gun hunts there are still a lot of deer left
. All in all i really like that WMA and that type of hunting.
I got to camp on Wednesday and set up and did some scouting that day. I had no idea where to go and just pick some places on the map. I found very little sign, but there was some in all the places i looked. I got up Thursday AM and i went to my spot I got situated and waited for the sun to come up. It took 40 minutes to get into. I picked a spot that was all down hill and up a creek finger in a holler for the approach. I was in there about 3/4 to 1 mile in. I set up in the creek bottom and sat and watched tree rats play all morning long. at 8:50 i had a small 5 pt come off the ridge behind me and didn't see anything else. I talked to the WO when i got back to camp and got some info on were to hunt and went into one of the areas but did not see anything that evening. that was the only time i didn't see anything.
I hunted in the same area the next am, but shifted, because i realized i went up the wrong ridge. I had a small spike come out at 7:20 and then a 6 pt come out on the field behind me and run through it nose to the ground bird dogging. Never saw a doe, but he was on a mission. I grunted at him and he paid no attention. I went to another area that the WO told me about and when i got there it appeared no one was there, but when i hiked in only about a 1/4 of a mile (thank God) there was a big orange blob in a tree, so i waved apologetically and backed out. I had no idea where to go and i was sweating and a little upset, so i decided to go to where the food plots were on the map see what was there. No crops just disked ground, but there were several tracks so i went in and found a white oak dropping and set up in it(it was the only climbable tree). Had one deer come out 50 yds and i put the scope on it. I had told myself i would not shoot a doe until Saturday AM, because that was my last hunt as i had Titan's tickets and had to come home, but i thought about one less night in a tent and a shower and almost squeezed on off. I scoped it's head and it had a little short nose and i knew in my heart it had to be a BB, so i let it walk. that was the only deer i saw. Had one blow in the woods to my left right at dark, but don't know if it was blowing at me?
Got up Saturday AM and went to another spot the WO told me about (at least i tried to find it in the dark) and got close. bumped deer at 5:40 am in a white oak flat and got set up by 6:10. waited for day light and at 6:55 a 6 pt ran by. he was wider than the others i had seen, but not wide enough IMO. I sat till 11:30 and didn't see another deer. got down and went back to camp to go home.
I met two guys from Michigan that were nice that came all the way down to hunt. One of them had went to another spot the WO told us about and he gave me some good intel for the Thanksgiving gun hunt i have.
One big deer was shot on Thursday night by a guy that showed up (never been there before) at 1:45 PM. He had lost his permit, but had proof he was drawn and the WO told him that was fine he could hunt. he went out found a spot that he felt looked good and got up the tree at 2:25. At 2:50-2:55 two big 8's came through and he shot the biggest one. it green scored 128 3/8 i think. Another guy missed a big 10 and a guy from AL didn't realize that the regs stated 5 on a side OR 15" outside spread and let a real tall buck with 6 on one side pass by. Another guy from AL saw one that may have been legal but could not get a shot. Some does and BB were shot and that is it. I heard the juvenile hunt only netted 2 does and a BB, but there were a bunch of misses on big bucks and i heard a lot of shooting, this week that exceeded the # of deer checked in, so if you have one of the gun hunts there are still a lot of deer left
. All in all i really like that WMA and that type of hunting.