Hunt/Camp 2012

Me and some of the boys (7 in all) headed up to our camp in Laurel Hill the day after Christmas. It was antlerless deer season from 12/26 to 12/30 in that zone. We set up camp and my friend Art went to the woods for an evening hunt. He saw two small doe and passed on them. The next morning Tuesday, me and Art got up and again headed to the stands (we had two stands and one shooting box set up). I didn't see anything but Art shot one of the small doe he saw the evening before. That morning when we were all out of the woods I set up another tree stand on the right side of the property and put some corn out. Now we had 3 stands and a shooting box. For the evening hunt we all had a place to go so everyone was in the woods. Art was by himself and the rest of us doubled up. Again it was dry, no one saw anything except Art who saw a few turkeys. The next morning Wednesday, we all got up around 5am and went to the woods again but this time the stand on the front side of the property (320 acre farm) opened up so Jesse went there. That morning Art shot a large spike (107lbs) and Jesse shot a small doe. The next day Thursday we went again to the woods and Art shot a large doe (110lbs) and that was all. The evening hunt produced nothing on this property but I did see two small doe on the stand on the front side of the property that I passed on. The land owners son and friends arrived that evening with 3 large doe they had taken off of another property. The barn was busy with all the skinning and gutting activity :>) ...the buzzards and coyotes were very happy. Friday morning around 12am 6 more hunters arrived. The old crew from monday again went to the stands for the morning and saw nothing. I decided not to hunt the evening because I was heading home on Saturday morning and I wanted the new crew to have the opportunity to sit in the stands. That evening Ryan shot one of the small doe I passed on the day before in the stand at the front of the property. It was his first hunt for deer so we let him get away with it without a lot of grief...although I was concerned the neighbors would be looking for their dog! Anyhow, it was legal. Also that evening Josh shot at a doe and missed...something about not being used to the trigger....yeah. Anyhow, he made up for it by shooting the doe the next morning, but it was again really small. It was also his first hunt so I guess it's all good. They will eat well anyhow :>) Total take for this trip was 1 spike, 5 doe plus if you count the 3 doe from the neighboring farm that would make 9.

We didn't get pictures of all the deer but I'll post more photos if I get them. It was a fun trip.