Palmated Update

Crossbow Hunting

Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude

Post Reply
Mike P
Posts: 2091
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:58 pm

Palmated Update

Post by Mike P »

Palmated Update

I am sitting at the spam table at the farm house as I write this. Shrader is making lunch and Doc and Becker are watching NFL pre-game shows. The four of us have spent the weekend here and will depart for home after this afternoons hunt. I thought I would give you another update on the palmated buck.

I saw him yesterday afternoon when I went out riding on the ATV to check out our feeders and cameras. I decided to glass some of the creek beds and that's when I found him. He had a doe bedded down at the bottom of one of the hollows. I set up on one of the trails out of the bottom that comes up to the now harvested bean field that adjoins the clover field. It is a well used corridor up to the fields. I usually don't care for this trail as the surrounding terrain forms a natural wind tunnel that always seems to send the wind blowing down to the hollow below. I have been busted so many times on this trail that I seldom use it. You can sometimes get away hunting this trail in the mornings, but in the evenings the scent always seems to head down to the bottom below. Knowing that the palmated buck was in that very bottom tipped the scales and I threw caution to the wind, figuratively and literally.

At 5:09 yesterday afternoon the action started. Three doe's came up the trail, got to within fifty yards of me, got my scent, started blowing, and back down to the bottom they went. Two more doe's came up the trail, hit the same distance and busted me a mere twelve minutes later. And thus it went. The act was repeated twice more before shooting hours ended with no sign of the buck. I am pretty sure he and the doe went out another way with all the commotion and warning blows being sounded.

Shrader saw him Saturday morning with a doe at about two hundred yards away when he came in from the morning hunt and was walking back to the farm house.

My last chance at him for a while will be this afternoon. I am going to set up on another hillside where the wind does not play so much a part and hope to get lucky. After that it is off for home.

On Tuesday we fly to Texas and spend Thanksgiving and the remainder of the week at the ranch. After that, we have to run up to Chicago to see the grandkids for a few days. I figure I will have just a few days to hunt him again upon my return before the Ohio gun season opens.

The thought of the gun season terrifies me. I fear I may lose this buck to a gun hunter on the surrounding farms.

The temperature is going back up this afternoon, up to about 48 degrees F. It should make for a very pleasant hunt.
Grizzly Adam
Posts: 5701
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:36 pm
Location: Decatur County, Indiana

Post by Grizzly Adam »

Best of luck, Mike.

Hope you get the 'ol boy. :D

Have you seen any skunks around there? :lol: :wink:
Grizz
User avatar
wabi
Posts: 13443
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 9:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by wabi »

What's the address of the farm again? I just might know a neighbor who will let me gun hunt!

Just kidding!!!!!!!

I've already tagged my buck for this year, anyway.
Good luck on getting him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wabi
User avatar
wheelie
Posts: 3886
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:01 am
Location: Meaford, Ont.

Post by wheelie »

sure could use that 48 degree weather, was hunting most of the day well below the freezing mark and knee high in snow.
crazyfarmer
Posts: 5250
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 10:21 pm
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by crazyfarmer »

Mike, feel free to invite me out there since you wont be able to hunt again;)

ill freely shoot and get him mounted to put on my own wall.. :P
Mike P
Posts: 2091
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:58 pm

Post by Mike P »

crazyfarmer wrote:Mike, feel free to invite me out there since you wont be able to hunt again;)

ill freely shoot and get him mounted to put on my own wall.. :P
Oh I will hunt him again CF, of this you can be sure. I will be out there with my TC Omega .45 cal on opening day of Ohio's gun season. Rest assured I will take this buck out with the gun if I get the chance.

But I really want to kill this buck with my crossbow. I want to kill him up close. Shooting him at over a hundred yards will just seem so impersonal for lack of a better word. But if given the chance, I will do it.

I saw a lot of bucks this weekend on the move. They are still running doe's here or are paired with them. I had some opportunity to pull the trigger on two hunts this weekend at the farm but so far I still have enough conviction to hold out for the palmated. We will see how long this conviction holds as the season gets shorter.

My trigger finger is starting to develop a twitch.
crazyfarmer
Posts: 5250
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 10:21 pm
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Post by crazyfarmer »

im with ya on the bow;) I always gun hunt the same way I bow hunt. Normally my farthest shots with the ML or gun are only 20-30 yards :D Nothing like close and personal. One reason I mount alot mf my deer now is because they were so close I got to study their everymove so they all have a story to tell 8)


more than likely, when you have the 45cal out he will come by at 10 yards :lol: :P
awshucks
Posts: 5238
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:40 am
Location: arkansas

Post by awshucks »

On Tuesday we fly to Texas and spend Thanksgiving and the remainder of the week at the ranch.
WHEW!! This is cutting it close, Mike! Today is Monday and you leave tomorrow. I'll be glad to drive all night to get to Oh so I can watch your place for you while you are gone. Wish I'd seen this sooner.

As one of your 'forum friends', I feel it's the least I can do. I could hand deliver that bag of peanuts I got ya to boot. Will I need my 4 whlr? How steep are your hills? I'm kinda like the monkey they fed the cue ball w/ that beast.

For the other Mike: Wabi, what does your week look like? Heh Heh Heh!
"Eze 18:21"
Mike P
Posts: 2091
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:58 pm

Post by Mike P »

If I see a thread titled "Arkansas Monster Buck" when I get back I am going to be pissed!
User avatar
wabi
Posts: 13443
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 9:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by wabi »

awshucks wrote:
On Tuesday we fly to Texas and spend Thanksgiving and the remainder of the week at the ranch.
WHEW!! This is cutting it close, Mike! Today is Monday and you leave tomorrow. I'll be glad to drive all night to get to Oh so I can watch your place for you while you are gone. Wish I'd seen this sooner.

As one of your 'forum friends', I feel it's the least I can do. I could hand deliver that bag of peanuts I got ya to boot. Will I need my 4 whlr? How steep are your hills? I'm kinda like the monkey they fed the cue ball w/ that beast.

For the other Mike: Wabi, what does your week look like? Heh Heh Heh!
That farm has to be close, and I have a lot of customers who would give me permission to hunt if I ask. Maybe we could set up on the farm next door and you could fly over where the buck is hiding dropping some of that Irish Spring that's left over! :lol: :lol: :lol:
wabi
awshucks
Posts: 5238
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:40 am
Location: arkansas

Post by awshucks »

Mike P wrote:If I see a thread titled "Arkansas Monster Buck" when I get back I am going to be pissed!

:D :D :D :D Knew the 'forum monkey would be back for just one more banana!

Have a good trip, he's safe for now.

Eesay ouya uesdayya AbiWay, lol.
"Eze 18:21"
User avatar
wabi
Posts: 13443
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 9:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by wabi »

Iay inkthay iay otga imha ottedspay wshucksawy. :!:
Good idea on using the code Dan, Mike 'll never know what we have planned! :wink:
wabi
User avatar
wabi
Posts: 13443
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 9:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by wabi »

Oh - and be sure to reply to the Thanksgiving thread, it'll keep him from looking a this one.
wabi
Post Reply