Bad Season

I have been deer hunting for quite some time but this deer season has been the worst season ever. I have been hitting it hard since September 4th and I have only seen one buck worth shooting at and I did just that. Unfortunately I did not recover that buck due to bad shot placement. I hunted hard this year trying every thing possible to get close and nothing seemed to work. I played the wind. I used decoys and scents. Grunting and rattling. Nothing, nothing at all! I had many encounters with does and small bucks in the first part of the season but as the season carried on the deer seemed to be carried off.
I have spoken to many other hunters and thank god I'm not the only one with a black cloud hanging over my stands. Don't get me wrong there have been several nice bucks taken here in Kentucky but the deer activity has been slow in my neck of the woods. I have done some research and I have found that due to the warm weather along with the timing of the full moon made this deer season a tough one. We all know that warm weather will keep deer movement at a minimum. We had several extremely hot and humid days not to mention over a month with zero rain fall. Walking through the woods sounded as if we were walking on aluminum foil. Critters could here a hunter coming a mile away. The full moon also played a roll. When the full moon falls within the first week of November (1st - 10th) its going to be an exciting season. Deer are moving everywhere you hunt at. Last year it was this way. If your like me and do a lot of traveling you will see many deer dead on the sides of the road. I didn't see over 10 dead deer on roads I traveled and I travel from country roads to major interstates and highways. If the full moon comes in at mid/late November get comfortable, you might been there for a while. Deer movement will spike a high level one day then the next day you think someone turned the switch off. Its hard to stay motivated during this time but I'm holding on by a finger nail. I plan on doing some hunting with my PSE over the holidays.
In conclusion deer hunting this year was a tough one for me but I enjoyed everyday I got out there. Of course it would have been nice to have taken a nice buck by now but that's why we call it hunting instead of shooting. This is whats keeps me coming back for more. I love a good challenge.

Muzzler Loader

This weekend starts the late muzzle loader season for Kentucky and all chips are on the table. Its been a long season with not a lot of action in Central Kentucky. High temperatures have kept deer movement down to nothing til night fall. I am hoping with the cooler temperatures deer will be up moving. I am planning on hunting a ridge line that is covered up with oaks. Every year at this time, deer seem to huddle up in this area. It has plenty of cover and food so maybe with a little luck we can get some action on film. I have been totally committed on taking a mature buck and letting the younger bucks walk. So with that being said I haven't even attempted to take a doe but that is about to change.