Deer campFour guys have been going on the same hunting trip for many years. Two days before the group is to leave, Doug's wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn't going.
Doug's friends are very upset that he can't go, but what can they do? Two days later the three get to the camping site only to find Doug sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, drinking a beer, and dinner cooking on the fire. "Doug, how long have you been here, and how did you talk your wife into letting you go?" "Well, I've been here since last night. Yesterday afternoon ,I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, 'Guess who?'" I pulled her hands off, and she was wearing a brand new nightie. She took my hand and pulled me to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose petals all over. On the bed she had handcuffs, and ropes! She told me to tie her up and cuff her to the bed, so I did. Then she smiled and said, "Do whatever you want." And, here I am. Cheers!! 
Are you afraid of the dark?
Are you afraid of the dark? This picture might make you think twice before you head out to check a trail cam or take a stroll through the woods. A friend sent me this picture it was taken in Southeast Missouri near Poplar Bluff Missouri. There is NO hiding we have mountain lions in Missouri anymore!
2012 Gladetop buck storyThis is an article on what I did opening morning when I shot my buck. When the alarm went off we got up I got dressed and re-sprayed myself with primos control freak earth blind then sprayed my boots down with fox urine. Loaded my rifle and slowly started walking the logging trail into the bottom. When I got to my stand I put my Hunter's specialties fresh earth cover scent wafers on and around were I was sitting. I took my tinks 69 and put it over the mock scrape I put out earlier then sprayed the scrape with buck urine. I then freshened the other scents I had out and sat down. I heard the first shot at daylight and waited 15 minutes and made 2 short grunts with my The “bone collector” buck collector flextone grunt then 1 long grunt. I waited about 5 minutes and used my Primos “the original can” call 3 times and waited another 5 minutes and called another 3 times with my Primos “the original can” call. I started to take a drink of my team real tree outdoors energy drink I put the drink down and was going to take a picture of the can my rifle and my pack with the sun coming through the trees in the background and that’s when I saw the movement down on the edge of the wood line and field. I lifted my rifle and saw bone on top of his head all I could tell was he had a long main beam and 2 points on the near side I thought he was a crab racked buck. He was walking the trail right to me when the wind shifted and started coming from the other end of the field. I had heard deer moving down at that end but couldn’t see them my guess is they were hot does and when he got the scent of them he stopped walking and turned their direction I had no shot all I could see was his tail and his chin I put my scope on his chin and could see his lip curled up. I knew he was going to be out of sight soon and I wouldn’t see him again. From the direction he was facing and the way the wind was blowing I took and check the path he was going to take the only shot I was going to have was right when he started to move it was a small window only about 6 inches. I put my corsairs at shoulder level and held steady in that window. I took him about 2 minutes before he moved it was the longest 2 minutes of my life. As soon as his shoulder was in my sights I pulled the trigger. He took off running like I missed him and my heart sunk. I jacked another round in my rifle and sat there listening to him bust threw the brush then I heard him crash and my heart jumped I knew I had got him then I heard running again I thought oh no I had a bad shot! Then I heard him crash again and then run and crash then run and I couldn’t hear anymore. I left my pack and took my rifle to see if I could find a blood trail. When I found the blood trail start right where I shot him it looked like someone spilled a bucket of red paint and then started running through the woods with a holy bucket of red paint. It was the easiest blood trail I have ever followed. I found were he had crashed every time and found pieces of lung all along the trail. I found him lying dead 50 or 60 yards away and that’s when I got a look at the bone on top of his head I was shocked he is the biggest buck I have ever gotten. When I field dressed him I found out that I had a great shot on him one lung gone the top of the heart taken out and some damage to the second lung.
This is the story of my 2012 Gladetop buck. You can read why I chose to hunt were I did in an earlier article. Just letting you knowThere are going to be few if any articles this week but the site will be updated with shoot or pass every day but Wednesday and Thursday. I will post comments and pictures if anyone sends them. If anyone has a suggestion for an article shoot me an email and I will get one done. Remember that Tuesday November 6th is Election Day get out there and vote. I will be voting before I go to the deer woods. Also November 12th is Veterans Day if you see a veteran thank them and remember our freedom wasn’t free. Good luck this deer season and make sure not to shave it’s no shave November. Thanks for visiting the sight and I look forward to spending another year talking and getting ready for another deer season sorry this site got up so late in the game. My goals for next year (my year ends at the end of deer season) are to have videos of hunts, making your own scents, Hillbilly Hunting patch’s and gear to purchase, and more detailed articles. Hopefully I will have recruited another member to help write articles by next year. It has been great sharing with you for the last month and a half look for late bow season articles. Send in your pictures of your harvests and no shave November beard so we can have them on the site. Again thanks to everyone that shared, commented, and visited Hillbilly Huntin. Good luck on your hunt and have a great safe time in the woods.
Hillbilly You think your having a bad day?
Hunting the other side of the sign. For years I have hunted public land with my rifle and most recently with my bow within a rock throw of a fence and private property sign. The philosophy behind that is that the pressure from the private land pushes the deer onto the larger public land. So it works well during rifle season but what to do during bow season when that pressure isn’t there? You have to figure out how to hunt the other side of the private property sign.
First off you have to figure out who owns the land. If the owner of the land lives out of state more than likely there is someone taking care of the property for them. You should talk to them let them know that you hunt the public land and would like to bow hunt there land. Most the land owners or caretakers have lived there long enough that they won’t have a problem with it if you can present yourself as a trusting outdoorsman. If they give you rules follow them. Offer to give them some meat if you get one. I recently got permission to hunt the land I have stared at for years and hunted close to countless times. I will be taking a case of beer to the old timer as a thank you even though we didn’t talk about it. That’s how you make a friendship that if you follow the rules he sets up and respect his wishes you should have land to hunt for a long time. When you become friends with one there is a chance he will be able to put in a good word to the other locals and before you know it you have plenty of land to hunt on the other side of the sign. 
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Have you filled your buck tag?It’s coming on the last days of the main rifle season here in Missouri. Have you filled your buck tag yet? Here are a few tips from the Hillbilly on how to fill that buck tag. First off you have to know where the breeding areas are its late in the rut the bucks are now paired with a doe and stuck to her like glue when she is ready to breed they will head to a breeding area normally a place with great cover close to browsing food and water. If you’re not sure on a breeding area on the property you hunt look for a place that holds does well. The areas that you’re used to only seeing does you’re going to see the bucks as well right now. Ditch the scrapes and hunt the food sources funnels and cover. The bucks that have already breed a doe could be looking for a hot doe that hasn’t been breed yet depending on your buck to doe ratio on your property. Those bucks will be on their feet if their searching for a does so your best bet is to hunt the does and if you see the does be ready for a buck to come through right behind them or with them. My first choice would still be a breeding area or safe haven for them to go to when they are being bred or have just been bred. Best of luck my hunting brothers!
my Stand Well it’s Time to explain where I hunted and why. I had scouted the area and found a few rubs, scrapes, and the deer trails were heavy but that’s not all. I knew the small field was being used to feed in as the deer made it from there bedding area to the main feeding area there was a creek bed with a small amount of water close by. A few years back there was a tornado that had knocked a bunch of trees down so I knew that since the rut had started and if a buck hooked up with a doe they would be in the timber and knocked down trees using it as a courting area. The field is in the bottom surrounded by thick cover with ridges running right down to the area if the deer had pressure from up top they would be busting tail to get into cover. I found a good trail leading up a draw with a little knoll between it and another the other draw I could see the field well small openings are what I had to see the field. I set up a mock scrape about a week ago I sat out estrus scents, doe urine, a homemade curiosity scent, and a store bought curiosity scent. I washed my clothes with a scent away detergent sprayed my clothes down the night before then again when I put them on. I sprayed my boots with for urine and sprayed myself down with pine cover scent and had fresh earth scent wafers on my gear.
I knew I had a good set up but wasn’t happy with my view of the field I thought about moving and opted not to. In the end I still got the shot and it worked out. My location was picked because I knew it was a natural corridor for deer movement and the buck sign was there. Having the downed timber was a plus since it will hold the deer during breeding. My location had everything I wanted this year. Cover, food, water, breeding area, sign, and travel rout. I made the mock scrape and left my scents out a week ago then freshened the scents on everything. I had good scent control and everything was working in my favor I made a few calls and that’s when the buck showed up looking for the doe. 
Right over the hill 58 yards away is where he was standing the edge of the field starts there his trail came up from the field to where I was sitting and had a clear shot. Instead of walking the trail he stayed on the edge of the field I only had a 6 inch window to take the shot I held steady in the window when he stepped in I fired and hit home. The red circle in the bottom picture is where he was standing.
The weatherThe weather forecast for opening week keeps changing first thing this morning when I looked it said it was going to be 70 degrees then this evening I looked and it says the high is going to be in the 40’s and raining. I’m sure it will change a few more times before we get to it but it makes me want to stress a point. You need to have a plan for different weather conditions. If it’s going to be in the 70’s that’s pretty warm so hunt near water. If it’s going to be raining cold and windy you need to hunt a draw or ridge that blocks the wind. The rut should be hitting hard as of opening weekend so the bucks are going to be searching for hot does. So hunt food sources were I hunt there are no acorns and the fields aren’t on the land I hunt so I will have to rely on pressure and the deer moving to cover from the wind and rain. The funnels and corridors that lead from the fields and block the wind are probably going to be focusing my time. If the wind picks up I will probably still hunt instead of sticking to my stand. If it’s in the 70’s there a few watering holes and sources so I will focus on the watering holes that have browsing opportunities around them. With the hunting pressure going up by Tuesday I will be traveling deeper into the woods looking for the honey hole that the deer are using so that they are able to stay closer to cover. The rut should keep the deer moving but make sure to consider the weather. Good luck.
Finishing touches With only a week left until rifle season I’m going to take a look at things we normally do to prepare and put the finishing touches for our hunting trip. We make a list of everything and check it off as it gets put in the vehicles so we don’t get to camp and say I thought you grabbed that.
To start off with you need to check your rifle make sure it’s still sighted in. check your ammunition, scope, sling, and any part on your rifle that could move. When you’re checking everything on and to do with your rifle you want to make sure nothing is loose, squeaks, or doesn’t work properly. Make sure you have clothes for all weather rain, heat, snow, wind, and freezing temperatures. Just because the weather man says it’s going to be clear and in the 40s all week doesn’t mean it will happen be prepared for all weather types. I always have extra socks and clothes when the weather turns I have what it takes to stay out and hunt. Have tools packed for emergency situations shovel, rake, chain saw, hand saw, knife sharpener, and a hammer. You never know what could happen by having all the tools you will be able to get yourself out of about any problem you run into. Tarps are a must you can never have too many if it’s hot hang them for shade. If it’s raining hang them for a canopy, if it’s windy make wind blocks. We normally bring extra rope along with the amount we plan on using to hang our tarps. I don’t think you can ever have too much rope. When it comes to cooking and what to bring we normally have two coolers one for drinks the other for the food that needs to stay cold every time you open the cooler melts the ice a little more. Just easier to have drinks in a separate cooler that if it get warm it’s not a big deal. Make sure to have extra water for washing hands and sanitation. Just tips save milk jugs at the house then wash them out good and use those for that water. Bring fire starting material I always have a zip lock bag in my vehicle of lent from my dryer and some paper. Use your hand or camp saw to cut some small dead limbs with some cider and you will have a hot fire in no time. Use your rake to move leaves away from the fire pit and you can start putting bigger chunks of wood on the fire after the fire is started. Let your fire burn until you have a good bed of coals if you’re going to cook on it. I have a spare rifle when I go deer hunting in case something happens to my primary rifle. I also bring a side arm and a secondary side arm that is in camp and all the campers nowhere it is in case of an emergency for self-defense. So yes I alone take 4 firearms to deer camp. Normally all the members of my camp have a secondary rifle. These are just some of the thing I feel you should make sure you have. I’m sure there is something I have left out and I would like to hear what you make sure to have in your camp. Talk to the right people Locals drive the road all the time night and day they can be very helpful and tell you if they have seen a nice buck. Most locals probably have their own land to hunt so it doesn’t hurt them to let the information go.
Other hunters might not be as easy to get helpful information out of as the rest but it can still help. They most likely won’t tell you where they saw that nice buck but you just have to ask the right questions. Ask a few of these questions. Have you been seeing any crossing the roads? Around what time do you think it was? Have you seen anything? Have you heard of anyone seeing much? Anyone from your camp having any luck? How long are you camping how long have you been here? You don’t want them to feel like you investigating them so throw in some small talk don’t ask them were they hunt or were they saw the deer. Game wardens will probably strike up the conversation with you it’s their job to make sure your legal. But they also are in the woods a lot it’s their job so they have valuable information since they are even out at night. They are the ones they may tell you where they have seen that monster feeding or crossing the road and when. Don’t let them be the only ones asking the questions you need to ask the right questions to benefit you. Forestry agents spend all their time in the woods and forest so chances are they have been seeing deer they are they all year long and probably know the deer crossing times as well as the deer. They are a lot like the game wardens but they probably aren’t going to try and get in your business but I’m sure they won’t mind passing on information if you ask. Now remember no one is just going to dump the information in your lap you have to ask the questions. It’s not even so much asking questions as it is asking the right questions. So get out there and talk to folks make some new friends. I know I have friends that I see every year but only in the deer woods and the information we share and can get can be very helpful. |
