Coopers 2021 Deer Recovery Thread

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
opening day giants again. I thought it was too hot?
Great coverage for Cooper. He should have his pic in the story. :)
I missed seeing this one when it happened.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
It's about as green as it can be out here for this time of year according to my buddies. Most rain within the last month or so. Alfalfa, Milo, cut and standing corn as well as beans. Hard to choose where to hunt but we've found some fresh scrapes so we'll see.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Young 8pt walked up behind me and stood for 5 minutes at 5 steps, looked like he was limping. Saw about 12 does, some in range. I'm hunting from the ground and stood up in a cedar for the last hour and a half of the hunt. These deer are more curious then skiddish, I'd say dumb but I ain't killed one yet lol.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
I wouldn't be looking to this thread for any kill pictures from me, I'm enjoying my time not hunting as much as I am hunting and my hunger to kill a big buck isn't really there. I've passed on a few deer, but I'm just enjoying being away for a little while. Maybe I see a big buck and it excites me, and I start putting in work, but I'd be just as excited if my buddies got it.PXL_20211002_123720597.jpg
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
I'm not done here but heres some thoughts:

The deer are curious, not scared. As far as does, if they wind you they still come to investigate, the area has a ton of does. Every pocket of woods has deer or small bucks.

There is a ton of food for them, we've seen 50+ feeding in the same cut corn field at one time, only couple small bucks. Does can be 150-180lb, if you want to shoot them it's easier then shooting does in NC. But for mature racked bucks they are few and far between. There's no where on this public that isn't easily accessible with a decent walk, hunters can get to any spot fairly easy. Rain can make roads impossible but you don't have to walk terribly far. So mature bucks are pushed to private or on the line where they can move to public easily in the night.

The best buck sightings have come early morning in cut corn on private in the most hilly areas. We are hunting before the rut. And evenings have been better then mornings.

I've seen and hunted scrapes, saw 2 small 1.5 yr old bucks in and around the area, one at 40 yards. So young bucks have started making them, if I had a camera I'd put it in that spot.

Folks have basically stopped trapping here, and it looks like it's going to effect the turkeys and rabbits. According to everyone here they've seen less turkeys and rabbits already, and tons of raccoons.

Nebraska is a very hunter friendly state, atleast the area I'm in, with the right people, it's a lot of fun.
 
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lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Sounds like a great place to be. Glad you have the opportunity. And you picked a good time. It sounds like nearly everyone here has been making good shots on their deer.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Deer blind humor with my 10 yr old son Mason

My son: That squirrel is looking left (possibly at deer)
Me: I wouldn't trust a squirrel
My son: yea they're nutty

Me: (in reference to the big buck showing up behind a doe on camera) I'm showing him pictures showed doe going left and buck went right
My son: he swiped right

Kid is quick lol
 

vaco

Button Buck
Deer blind humor with my 10 yr old son Mason

My son: That squirrel is looking left (possibly at deer)
Me: I wouldn't trust a squirrel
My son: yea they're nutty

Me: (in reference to the big buck showing up behind a doe on camera) I'm showing him pictures showed doe going left and buck went right
My son: he swiped right

Kid is quick lol
Any of your crew score in Nebraska?
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
We're back from Nebraska and tracking again. Rain came in soon after dark last night making tracking by sight nearly impossible.
1st track, hunter knew he hit high but wanted to do all he could to attempt finding the animal. Cooper tracked confidently 200 yards past last blood 2 times, Cooper never showed the enthusiasm he would on a dying deer, there was no blood or anything to confirm but I trust Cooper 100% on that one.
2nd track shot yest evening, gut/intestine on arrow, hunter tracks 20 yards and backs out. Experience shows this deer should be dead in his first bed within 200 yards. Rained last night, no chance at sight tracking this morning, couldn't even find the blood from last night. Cooper is tracking independently, no looking back, so I stay with him and let the hunter know behind me that I'm going with the dog 100% on first go. Cooper's tracking to good to stop him, but we are passing good bedding areas and I know this guy didn't bump this deer. At 500 yards we cross a creek I to a bedding area, slight distraction as a deer jumps close by. Cooper loses interest in the bedding area and I call the hunter who is following 100 yards behind with his son and tell him I'm coming back to the hunter to water the dog and restart further back to check our work. Before I could get off the phone the hunter sees the buck, The buck is in between me and him but off 10 yards to the left of the trail we took. I restart Cooper slightly back from where deer turned and he finds the buck. Being 500 yards from thé start, I wonder what it would have been like without Cooper
IMG_20211010_124413~2.jpg
 

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