2023 Deer Season

[DocIndy]

Worked around the house all day. Was putting the gator up and saw a deer I. The neighbors corn field. Grabbed some binoculars and snuck to the back corner of my place where there is a cedar tree/bush and some saplings. Had a nice buck in the field and had a couple does with him. They wandered out to the middle of the field and the buck and one doe bedded down in a low spot. The other doe bedded down about 20 yards from the edge of some woods. The stayed there for a few hours in the sun. Since it was cut corn, you couldn’t see them unless their heads were up.

 

[Michigan Slim]

A buck with a doe on the neighbors. Two coyotes started to harass them. Buck stood his ground. Was hoping to pop a yote but no shot. Then a young buck went through. Going to sit late.

 

[Hookeye]

Cuz blasted a broken 8 at 11:15 am.
Proly was the one I saw with a 5 pt an hr before sunrise in the picked beans.
Button at 90 yards all I saw during legal light.
And a cat. Man the squirrels don't like cats.

 

[tcecil88]

I just got back from checking cameras. Last time I checked them was 3 days ago. Big bucks are not on there anymore and only a few does. The lock down and this weekend's hunting has them shut down it appears.

 

[DapperDan]

Nothing too crazy but happy to have this guy down. Had all kinds of action yesterday morning, passed on a smaller 8 pt. Pretty quiet this morning, but things started picking up around 9. Multiple bucks chasing does, took this guy hot on a does trail. Harrison county

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Killed a small buck in the HNF, Jackson Co. yesterday morning with my Ruger .44/77. I got that gun a few years back from an INGOer; added a decent scope and it's still my favorite deer gun. I love camping and hunting down there, but I'm getting near too old to drag a buck (while carrying pack and gun) over the ridges and through the briars. Took my time, but I was spent by the time I got the deer out to the truck.

 

[glank09]

Finally got a decent 8 pointer, first since 2016. Passed on dozens of smaller ones last couple of days(years!). Not a monster but I am happy. Shot with my 350 legend SBR sporting a griffin bushwhacker 46. First time deer hunting with a suppressor, definitely nice no ringing ears! Sorry for crappy photo, wanted to rush before dark.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

I took #2 today, small spike buck but he'll eat good.

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

Nothing with antlers was moving where we were today so I settled for meat in the freezer. Shot a slick head on private land in brown county and got to try out a new hunting knife from kc knives that arrived last week- very impressed with it.

 

[ACC]

3 guys hunting my 70 acres in SE Parke Co. Passed on tons of does, I passed on a 6pt at 8am on Saturday. My two buddies both took 7points on Saturday evening. Nice size deer for the small racks. No action this morning.

 

[model1994]

Yesterday morning I walked out my back door just at shooting light and was deciding where to go sit. After about 30 seconds a big, big buck suddenly came running thru my backyard. I assume he was pushed from a neighbors land. He was delivering the mail but stopped at a fence and gave me a ~70 yard shot. I missed. He jumped into some thick timber and joined with a doe, and they slowly walked away. I stood there self-loathing for a bit, walked down there to check for blood just in case, and then returned to the house & went back to bed.

I keep getting presented with shots just outside my comfortable slug range, so my plan is to get my .270 ready and get out before season ends. That miss makes two in a row with the Buck Buster 12ga, and three in a row with slugs in general. I’m feeling pretty lousy but happy it was a clean miss. Maybe I’ll get a chance again.

 

[spencer rifle]

Yesterday morning I walked out my back door just at shooting light and was deciding where to go sit. After about 30 seconds a big, big buck suddenly came running thru my backyard. I assume he was pushed from a neighbors land. He was delivering the mail but stopped at a fence and gave me a ~70 yard shot. I missed. He jumped into some thick timber and joined with a doe, and they slowly walked away. I stood there self-loathing for a bit, walked down there to check for blood just in case, and then returned to the house & went back to bed.

I keep getting presented with shots just outside my comfortable slug range, so my plan is to get my .270 ready and get out before season ends. That miss makes two in a row with the Buck Buster 12ga, and three in a row with slugs in general. I’m feeling pretty lousy but happy it was a clean miss. Maybe I’ll get a chance again.

I never have much luck with slugs. 100 yard sight-ins were all over the place. MUCH prefer the .308.

A 6 point passed through my reduction zone area at 7, didn't give a sure shot, and I already got a buck in that zone, so no more for me. Haven't seen a doe there yet. If they really want the deer reduced, they'll let me shoot whatever offers an opportunity. Well, I have until the end of January to get does.

 

[Cavman]

Having absolute crap luck this year. Seen 2 good bucks in bow but 0 opportunities. Now rifle havent even seen a good buck.

 

[FN USA]

This morning was an awesome respite from an absolutely crazy week. About 20 minutes after settling in, I saw two does come out of the timber patch, looking behind them every so often. They they meandered about 200yds across the open field, constantly looking back until they ended up about 20 yards in front of me.

Sure enough, a buck stepped out behind them. His body size gave him away as being more than a third doe. He had been chasing them from the looks of things. He was breathing heavy, huge puffs of steam bracketing his skylined head. It was first light, and I couldn't see his rack at all. He traveled from left to right along the woodline, obviously stalking the does. I saw a good flash of white tines against the woody backdrop and wondered if it was the huge eight that had been gracing my cameras.

The does were still nervous, and made more so by my slow movement in bringing my gun to bear. I had dozed back off after my alarm and arrived in the area too late to set up my blind. I was leaned back against a large cottonwood, totally exposed to the close-range deer. I snicked off the safety and the does bolted. The buck froze at 135 yards, quartered-to, and the crosshairs settled.

At the shot, he whirled and plowed into the dirt, going less than twenty yards from the impact. I took a couple of pictures and went to go pick him up. He was not the hoped-for eight, and I don't know if I would have shot him if I had gotten a full look in better light. But he has some good character, and was clearly a fighter. I have some trail pics of two bucks fighting, and I believe this is the victor of that match.

It was a perfect morning.

View attachment 312882

Looks like you're using pretty much the same setup as me. I love my Ruger Gunsight scout in .308! I have a standard 3-9x on mine

 

[cg21]

So…. This morning I get a pic of this guy walking through so my girls and me get ready and head to the blind. (Not normal but we were excited by the pic) in the blind nothing for about an hour me and my two kids…

all of a sudden 20ft from the blind a doe and buck stand up…. My oldest was shooter today had them both dead to rights and she passed. I told her shoot if that’s what makes you happy! She got buck fever from little forky and the big nanny doe…. They leave after about 2-3 minutes standing in shooting lanes.

Next here comes spike…. Following the same trail… she let him walk also. She is a dead eye and these were chip shots 20yd max. So we sat for 3 more hours….. nothing else but the wind was a little swirly and my youngest likes tooting the grunt call.

Very proud of my daughter passing. Freezer is full (thanks to them) so now we can afford to be a little pickier.

So all that to say…. I’d love to be out tonight but this wind is so swirly I’m worried about ruining the only spot I can bring my dad.

Pic of the guy that had us geared up spike that sat there for about 2 minutes also pictures really tested my 10yo… deer is lucky my youngest wasn’t shooter today he woulda been down in about a second lol

 

[GSPBirdDog]

For YEARS I have thought that doe in heat scents were a gimmick. I was proven wrong this morning. I have private property in Clark Co. that my best buddy bought. It hasn't been hunted in 4 years. Went out this morning and poured a whole bottle of "Code Red" doe in estrus on a pine tree 40 yards from my stand. This buck came in right to the pine tree at 7:39am. Shot him with my suppressed 6.5 CM using 130gr Nosler AccuBond Hand loads. Ran 30-40 yards and fell in the creek bottom. My wife and son came out and helped me field dress and drag him out. My son now wishes he wouldn't have stayed in bed this morning. Definitely a memory of a lifetime! He isn't huge but I am happy with him. Good ole Indiana 10 pointer!

 

[Michigan Slim]

 

[Squirt239]

 

[Kdf101]

12 point Saturday evening. Tikka 308.

 

[cg21]

Against my better judgement and the wind…… I am going out this morning. When your kid asks to go…. You go. I don’t want her in the up in a tree in the rain and cold so the only choice is the box blind. Which the wind …….. is not good for at all. So gonna spray a bunch of cover scent leave the windows shut and hope for the best!