Backcountry Bucks

   When I woke up this morning, winter didn't go anywhere. Once again, it was staring me in the face. I'm still not sure why I decided to do what I did, but I went on what I would call a marathon walk. I figured, I would use the day to cover as much ground as possible to see if I could locate any good sign. In my travels, I saw many amazing things.    I found one of the things I've been looking for, which was a really good bear track. I figured they would be heading toward their denning areas, but I didn't expect one to be wandering around in all the snow. I tried catching up to him, but I never accomplished my goal.    Instead, I had one of the most amazing things that ever happened to me happen while hunting in the Adirondacks. I wrote about a similar incident in my second book in the chapter titled The Bowl. As I was still-hunting, I spotted a doe. Within a few minutes, there were a few bucks chasing her all over the forest. I took some video of them and hope to uplo

  Winter came with a vengeance last night. When I got up this morning, I didn't expect to see what I saw when I looked outside. I figured every expert tracker would be in the woods, but knowing how most deer react after a big snowfall, I decided it wasn't for me. I've always noticed that some deer do move the day of the storm as the storm tapers off, but usually the deer will move much more 24-48 hours after the storm blows out. I've studied this for years, and it has held true in every area I've ever hunted.    Although I wasn't hunting today, I did get out later in the day to ride a few roads to look around. In my travels, I met a young man walking down the road. He looked bushed, as I'm sure he was due to the amount of snow that came down. There was about 10-12 inches of new snow on top of the few inches that still remained from the other day.    Although I wasn't going to go out, I decided to check a place out for my dad shortly before dark. I knew i

   I had a hard time believing today was Sunday. It seemed like Monday the entire day. It was another chilly start, but at least it was 20 degrees. It warmed up about 10 degrees throughout the day, but the wind picked up to the rise in temperature didn't do much when the wind chill got figured back into it.    It took me about an hour to get to where I wanted to go. It was the first time sitting there this year. Upon my arrival a few minutes before daylight, a deer began blowing at me. I know it couldn't smell me due to it's location. I'm pretty sure the noise is what caused the chaos. It heard me walking in the crunchy snow, and when I stopped, it got nervous. After blowing for about five minutes, it finally made its way out of there.    I sat until about noon and never saw anything. After getting up, I wandered around for a bit and found a few places where the deer have been hanging out. I actually found a big rub that was made yesterday as well as a scrape. Being thi

   Today was a chilly one. When I got out of the truck, it was 12 degrees. I know it's chilly when my hands hurt while walking into the woods. This morning when we were all outside getting ready to leave, we heard a shot. I'm not sure what people are shooting at 5:00 in the morning, but it makes me wonder. Little things like that, although they are most likely harmless, make me feel a little uneasy.    I had every intention of going to a place I haven't gone this year, but 3/4 of the way into the trip, I was spent. I thought I had more in me, but I just had to tap out and sit in an area I hadn't planned on sitting. I also had a new pair of lined LL Bean wool pants on. They no longer make the pants I've always worn, so I decided to try the lined ones, and they were a little over the top. I'm going to have to decide what to do. I could use them for sitting, but I definitely can't walk any great distances with them on again. They were great for sitting the enti

   Today was chilly and windy. The wind just doesn't want to give us a break. I figure the woods would be full of people today. I went in well before daylight and came out after dark, so I don't know what happened on the road. There were no gunshots, but I'd say the wind and weather probably were the main causes for that.    I don't have much to add tonight. I'm exhausted, and the length of the season is starting to catch up to me. I can't imagine how many miles I've put on this year. I covered a lot of ground today and didn't find much of anything that made me look twice. I saw minimal deer sign. I cut very few tracks for the amount of land I covered. It was rather disappointing.    Hopefully, they win calms down a little bit. It chills me to the bone and won't let up. The wind has been nonstop. Today it averaged about 20 mph. At 20 degrees, that didn't feel to well by the end of the day. 

   There has never been anything like hunting on Thanksgiving Day. I've enjoyed it since I was a kid. It has always been something I've looked forward to. However, as the the years have passed, the day doesn't seem to have the same luster it used to have when I was growing into adulthood.   Anyhow,  I made my way into the woods this morning behind my dad. It brought me back to a time when I never thought about aging. I thought Dad and I would be able to hunt forever. It's amazing how when we are young we don't think we will ever see the effects of getting older. We think we will be able to climb mountains one after another and return to do it day after day after day.   It was bitter sweet to follow Dad into the woods this morning. He doesn't go like he used to, but he still goes. I can recall trying my hardest to keep up to him and not complain. He could easily walk be into the ground. This lasted many years, probably until about eight years ago. As difficult as

  We got hammered with snow/ice/rain last night. In the end, we got about 6-7 inches of snow, and rain immediately followed it. When we got up, it was a disaster outside. As we got ready, the rain continued pounding off the roof.    Dad decided to venture out into it, but Brian and I decided to wait until it stopped. We headed into the woods about 7:30. I decided it would be a good day to sneak and peek on the soft, wet snow. After taking a track from the road, I didn't get too far before deciding it wasn't one I wanted to follow. Instead, I would head toward a patch of woods that gave me the confidence I might catch a good one off-guard.    I went almost a mile and a half before cutting a track after leaving the one I was on. Where had the deer gone? I couldn't believe I had to go that far before seeing one track. I figured the deer would be moving well after the storm, but I also know that it usually takes a full day for them to get back into the swing of things. I always

 Unfortunately, I'm having issue uploading any photos into my posts. It's beginning to get irritating. I felt confident when I rolled out of bed at 4 this morning. Something in my gut told me today would be the day. It was calm and cold. When I got out of the truck, the thermometer hung steady around 15 degrees.    After walking a few miles, it didn't take long to warm up when he sun came up. Although it got up to about 30 degrees, it felt much colder the entire day. The dampness seeped into my bones and wouldn't let go. I was never cold, but I could explain it best if I said it was "raw."   It was loud and crunchy today, and I fully expected to see a few deer come crunching through the leaves in my direction. A few times I thought about abandoning my sit and going for a walk to look at a few different areas.    When all was said and done, I didn't go anywhere. I listened to my gut, and my gut told me to hang tight. Well, today my gut was incorrect with th

   It was cold and windy this morning. When I got out of the truck, it was 15 degrees. The wind made it feel much colder. However, as I walked, I eventually took my gloves off. I went to a place today that I don't hunt too much. I figured a change of pace and a look at something new might pay off.    I settled in next to a small tree that was overlooking a narrow saddle. I could see off three sides of the knob I chose to sit on. On my walk, I saw quite a few tracks in the dusting of snow and hoped I might see a few deer making some more.    It was another day that passed quickly. The wind cut through me and chilled me to the bone. Although it warmed up a little bit, I still felt a bone-chilling cold throughout my body. Once again, I could smell a buck near me. Halfway through the day, I found the source of the smell. The buck must've opened two scrapes right next to me before daylight. The were both impressive scrapes. I would've liked to see the buck that opened them, but

   I had a great feeling when I left the truck this morning. I hustled along to get to where I wanted to be before daylight. My feet were light underneath me, and I felt like I was walking on air. Everything inside me told me today was going to be the day.    The woods were becoming gray when I got to my spot. It took my just shy of an hour and a half to get to the spot, but I went with my gut this morning. I know a lot of books cruise this particular flat this time of year, and they often visit a scrape that is off the beaten path. I decided to sit in a place I could overlook the scrape.    Before I knew it, the day had passed without any sightings. Although I could've been disappointed, I felt good about the day. I could smell a buck in the area, and that kept my hopes high. Dad informed me that he had another camera stolen. Brian had someone turn off all of his cameras and delete the pictures on the SD card. I'm glad I cut back on the camera stuff. I'm not sure I could h

   It felt good to be in the Adirondacks today after a long layoff. However, the good feeling lasted about 30 seconds after getting out of my truck an hour before daybreak, and the mood stayed the entire day. Someone decided to blaze a trail through the woods. I've never been able to figure out why people feel the need to do that. When I was young, I was taught to use my surroundings to navigate. It helped me become a good woodsman along the way, and it kept my presence unknown. I guess people are into showing everyone in the forest where they're going, and when they blaze trails through the woods, it tends to attract  a lot of people.    I was tired when the sun came up. It began spitting snow, and the wind had a bite to it. I had a hard time staying comfortable, as it felt like the wind was finding a way to get through every piece of clothing on my body. It also felt good to have a camp full of my friends and family. My dad was able to hunt with us today, and a few friends jo

  The sun set on my hunt today, and I'm going home without ever drawing my bow. I think that's the first time I can remember that happening in a long time. I simply never had an opportunity to draw my bow on an animal. While I did see plenty of deer that were worth shooting, I didn't see what I was looking for. I won't like and tell you I'm not disappointed, but that's the way the ball rolls sometimes. If you want to kill a giant buck, you can't kill a really nice buck. That's what I chose to do on this hunt. I don't regret my choice.    I'm not sure why I can't paste photos into this tonight, but my buddy Jimmy killed a giant Adirondack buck this evening. I took him under my wing a handful of years ago and tried to show him a different style of hunting. He's in his late 20s and has killed some awesome Adirondack deer, but none like this one. We put on more miles than most people could ever imagine in pursuit of this deer, and I'm rea

      Today we returned to the place where I spent my first evening of the hunt. The morning passed quickly, and the temperature climbed to 70 degrees by the time I climbed out of the stand around 11. It would get up to 76 today. The deer did not move at all. I saw three does right after daybreak and nothing the rest of the day. I just can't seem to beat the heat the last handful of years. It's going toward December and it's still in the mid 70s but only for the time I'm hunting. The highs were in the low 40s before I arrived.     We will see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, the heat breaks, but the forecast isn't calling for that. 

    This morning when I got out of the car, it was 25 degrees. I can't quite figure it out, but for some reason the area we've been hunting is about 10 degrees cooler than all the surrounding areas. I'm not complaining, especially with the high heat we've been experiencing in the day. Today got up to 75 again before it headed down the other side toward nightfall. It has definitely influenced the deer movement in my opinion.    With Brian headed to track the deer he wounded yesterday, I headed into the area I hunted the first day I got out here. I felt optimistic about it but didn't really know what to expect. It was calm as I made my way to the stand, and it gave me a sense of relief after dealing with the wind for the majority of the trip.    About 8:00, I had a few deer appear out of nowhere. They were in my lap before I knew it. One of them had a spike on one side and four points on the other, and the other one was a basket six. I enjoyed watching them, knowing t

    I went back to the place in which I feel the most confident. I figured I might catch lightning in a bottle. About 15 minutes after it got light, Brian texted me and said he just didn't feel "it" where he was sitting. I replied, "Be patient. It's November."    Five minutes later, he texted me, "I just shot one."    After a brief discussion, we decided to wait before getting on the track. Three hours later and about 400 yards into it, things weren't looking good. Then, all hell broke loose and the deer jumped up like a woodcock that's been flushed at your feet. Brian was a mere three steps from the bruiser when he jumped up and barely got going before stopping and turning back to look at his predator.    That's when we decided to not return until tomorrow. Before all of the action, I did have a decent morning hunt. I saw a doe and two fawns, but nothing followed them. I could hear them coming for a long way, and it got my heart racing

    I returned to the same place I sat last night for the morning sit. My hunt didn't last long, as a few squirrel hunters began lighting the woods up with lead shortly after daybreak. They were having fun with a .22 and a shotgun. It didn't lead to much on my end, so I vacated the area and headed for greener pastures. You can't control what happens on public land, so you need to make the most of it.    The rest of the day didn't go much better. I saw a handful of does and fawns but no bucks followed. This is the strangest rut I've ever seen. There is basically minimal rutting activity here. Brian saw a giant buck this morning in the gray light.    Doug and Jeff headed home today, so Brian and I will stick it out for a bit longer. We rented and Airbnb until next Thursday. If Brian fills his tag, we will probably head home. If I fill my tag, we will stay and try to get him on the board. The chances of doing either right now appear to be slim, but your worst trip can

    I approached today with a lot of optimism. However, the optimism turned sour when Brian pulled over on the side of the road to drop me off and I looked at the thermometer in the car. It read a balmy 19 degrees. Where did that come from? As I stood in the ditch, I wondered how the day would go without any long underwear, one under layer on the top and non-insulated boots. Maybe I should've looked at the weather report.    The 3/4 of a mile walk to the stand was frigid. My hands turned numb as I made my way from one hedgerow to the next. When I climbed into the stand, I felt good about my chances. Something about this tree tells me I might get a chance.    Shortly after the sun came up, things began warming up. I could hear deer crashing through the bushes but never saw them. It didn't take long for the sun to hit me in the face... and it actually got my feet. It warmed up quickly, so I really didn't pay the price for my ignorance. Around 10 a.m., my boredom finally took

    Doug redeemed himself today at first light and shot a nice 11-pointer. I was happy for him. He was pretty dejected after yesterday, and I know the feeling all too well. I was glad to see that he could put the memory behind himself.    Here's the kicker... he shot the same deer he wounded out of the same tree at the same time 24 hours after the initial hit. Once again, the buck was with a doe. It's amazing how everything transpired. The deer most likely never knew Doug shot at it the first time.    I had a slow start to my day. It was chilly this morning when I got out of the car. It was 29 degrees. The win cut into me, and I could feel the wind chill instantly. After climbing into the tree and getting settled, I had an abundance of confidence. I felt like today was going to be the day.    As the hours rolled on, I couldn't believe I hadn't seen anything. The conditions were ideal for deer movement. I did hear commotion in the bushes and surmised it was a buck chasin

      The hunting seemed like it got better for a few minutes today, but it didn't last long. We hunted a strange area today that is in the middle of nowhere and is basically a big swamp with a few trees and high ground mixed in. I hung a stand there a few days ago and figured it was time to sit there.    Shortly after daylight I heard a twig snap and looked behind the stand. A nice 10-pointer was feeding and had no idea I was above him. He continued doing his thing and never paid attention to me. Although it was tempting, I let him walk. After seeing the deer I saw yesterday, I couldn't justify shooting this one. I did get some great video, and I'll upload it to YouTube when things slow down.    After he made his way through the thick stuff, a really nice 8-pointer came down the runway directly in front of the stand. Although he was a nice one, I immediately knew I wasn't going to shoot him. I took video of him also. I will upload that too.    Before my sit was over, I

    Today was nice when we hit the woods. There was frost on the ground and the thermometer read 32 degrees. I figured the deer would be on their feet and ready to cruise... I figured wrong. I sat until about noon and never saw a deer. Brian saw one buck and two does shortly after daybreak. The temperature climbed quickly and topped out in the mid 70s once again.    We spent the day scouting again, and we found another gold mine. It's only 100 yards off the road, but it's one of the best places we've seen. We hung a stand there and also put a cell camera on the scrape in the picture above.    Across the board, it was a dead day. I put a cell camera in a different location yesterday, and today I got two 10 pointers and one 9 pointer on it. I'm waiting for the right day to hunt there, and it's looking like it will be Thursday. We've found plenty of sign, but there is absolutely no sign of the rut going on other than scrapes. We will see what tomorrow brings. I fee

    The heat doesn't want to let up. It got up to about 77 degrees today. God willing, I hope one of these years I can come to the Midwest and not have summertime temperatures. We tried a new area this morning, and I did the best I could in the dark to find a suitable place to sit. While I was climbing the tree, there were deer blowing at me, so I figured I blew the area up for the morning.    Shortly after daylight, a buck appeared in front of me out of nowhere. I'm not sure how it got there, but it was a nice, little 8-pointer. I watched it work a scrape for a few minutes. Then, it got a little nervous and kept looking in the direction where I made my entrance before daylight.    After a few minutes, I spotted the source of the deer's attention. A really nice 8-pointer was walking toward the scrape. The little 8's hair stood up, and it took a fighting pose. However, the larger deer walked past it and went to the scrape, too. After tearing it up for a few minutes, it d

   The hunting is extremely slow. I didn't see anything this morning. However, I did have one blowing at me before daylight. I'm pretty sure it saw me moving in the tree when I was getting settled in. Brian saw a shooter 9-pointer at 11. Unfortunately, he had already let his bow down to the ground and stood there with the rope in hand while the buck made its way past him and disappeared down the hill. That's how opportunities go sometimes. We don't  get many opportunities, and you have to make the most of them when you get them. We just didn't get it done.    I covered some more ground today and marked a few trees to sit in the rest of the week. I think I found "the spot," but it will take a few sits to figure it out. There just aren't a lot of deer in this area, but there are some real corkers. Brian has multiple big bucks on camera. I've gone the other direction with cameras. I put one out, and that's all I brought with me.    As I was walkin

  Today was my first day in the Midwest. I don't feel overly optimistic, as the area we're hunting has been decimated by EHD, and we don't have the ability to move anywhere due to the Airbnb reservation we made. I guess we will have to make the most of it.    Shortly after daybreak, two dogs chased a few does past me. Brian gave me an OnX pin to head to, and I found a tree to get in easily. I was on a finger that was overlooking a valley on each side of me. There were scrapes littered across the forest floor in front of me.    I didn't sit too terribly long, as I wanted to cover some ground and find my own place. In my travels, I located a good spot and saw a bedded doe in the process. I will definitely head back to the place in the coming days.   In the evening, we headed to another area, and I was really impressed with it. The area looked fantastic. It was basically a thick river bottom with a monstrous scrape in a grassy area. I couldn't resist hanging a stand in

   This morning was the perfect morning to sit. The bad weather has blown out, and there was frost on the windshield when I went out to start the truck. I was hoping for some Halloween action, so I headed to an area that has always been consistent for buck activity on Halloween over the years.    The walk in was relaxing. The cool air in my lungs breathed a hint of optimism into my soul, and I knew this might just be another lucky Halloween for me. I was settled into place well before daylight. Since I've had limited sleep lately, I leaned my head against the tree and shut my eyes. I wanted to relax before my attention would be on high alert after daybreak.    An hour into my sit, I could hear a deer coming. It was approaching from an area where I've seen many bucks approach from. When it came into view, I saw that it was sporting a set of spikes. I was caught off guard when I saw a doe and fawn behind him. I wondered if the spike could've been the doe's sibling.    As