if you get a doe and you dont use a tag from you license
Stop a GW and ask...let me know how works out.

More info : yall do know that opening weekend in SHNF their is
a mandatory check in for all deer at the hunters camp areas.

Good luck to the other public hunters this weekend. Stay safe and dont shoot me! Hahaha

With this rain my clients for tmrw may cancel and if so I may have to go hunt in the rain. I found an area where it looks like they were bedding down and tons of tracks after that rain a few days ago. I also saw 2 other sets of foot prints in the area too. May have to head out about 3:30 am and sit in the rain for my first ever opening morning hunt.

watch for falling limbs guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

especially if it is windy or rainy!

Its looking like saturday afternoon and sunday will be nice. I might have to go duck hunting saturday morning and then head up to the Sam saturday afternoon. I have only been there once, so I am still trying to find a good spot. I did spook up a bunch of deer (6) last weekend, but couldnt tell if any were bucks. Now that bow season is over, Im really hoping I see a legal buck because I didnt hit the deadline to even apply for the anterless permit.

Do you prefer to have more of an open shooting lane, or be tucked away in deeper trees/woods? I have been looking at topo maps and google earth and have found some openings, but wonder what the consensus is out there. Anyone seeing rut activity in the Sam? Im guessing if the rut is hitting, more open area may be better, but also being public land it may be better to be tucked away more (to be safer and because pressure may keep deer in the woods).

Anyone braving the weather this morning?

I'm here, in a tree, in the rain, tree swaying back and forth. Not a lot moving right now. Maybe when the rain lets up and the rest of the hunters start getting out of their trucks. Glad I bought the water proof phone.

I am there with you in spirit Palehorse.

I got up at 3:30 AM and decided it wasnt worth it. It is now 11:30 and I keep thinking I need to head out there for the evening hunt but it just doesnt look good on the radar for such a long drive especially when I can hunt during the week.

I wish I was there right now rain or not!

Since I made this thread before I have seen the wind switch from North to West to East.

Better have some good scent control boys because that wind is swirlin!

Well, I'm not going home empty handed. About 30 min ago, a sounder of hogs came through and I dropped a pretty good sized sow. It's laying there within sight and not moving. Hoping something else will come wandering through.

I made it up for a few hours to scope my spot for tomorrow and mark my path to the tree ill be in. I sat in one spot for anaboutout 30 min at sunset and had two doe in my sights for about 10 min. I was hoping to at least see a spike or something I could shoot. Ill be in a tree in the morning. Good luck to everyone else!

Spike down! got my first deer! Pics and story to come.

I toughed it out in the rain all weekend, hunted all day Saturday in the rain, in a tree. Ive been here 5 days and have not seen a single live animal other than a bird. Once again, Sam kicked my [censored]...beyond frustrated. Starting to really get down on myself after hearing all these success stories...i just wish i knew what im doing wrong. Its sure not for lack of effort...i bust my butt

I had begginers luck. Well...maybe. I did scout sat evening and found a spot where I saw two does at sunset. i would suggest (and maybe its wrong) to get out of the stand and scout and stalk. Look for any sign of scrapes, poop, bedding, etc. Im sure you already know. Even go maybe a little faster than notmal to see if you spook up any and mark those spots. Last weekend during bow I saw 6 deer. Saw two does sat at sunset and pucked a spot that was pretty thick and had quite a few fallen trees. My max visability was about 80 yards, but the spike I got was only about 20-30 yards when I first saw him pop out. I also hunted the wind. Look at the forecast and dont get up wind of where you plan to hunt. Lastly I hung some cotton in the area I was going to hunt the night before with generic cheap doe pee. Not sure if it helped. Feel free to pm me if you want to know where I went. I cant get anything else this year and dont mind sharing where I was..

That's very nice of you compadre, but I would keep that under my hat. I've had several spots overrun and ruined because I told one person. Just my
Congrats again!

Yeah. The way I figure is its public. Im new and appreciate tips and pointers and dont mind sharing. If its loaded next year there 162000 more acres to go scout:) also...anyone going where I did has to earn it. Its far back.. takes at least 30-40 minutes just to get to the tree from where you park and it took MUCH longer dragging the deer out. If somekne want to give that a shot they earn it too:) I dont plan to post it publicly, but I dont mind helping others out. Karma will pay it back in one way or another.

Cool Deal Indy. I am quite impressed that you got in there and got it done so fast.


Last Monday I went and scouted out a spot and I found a ton of tracks in one area. I finally had this morning off to go sit on a log I had picked out on my scouting session. Wind was in my favor so I got in there about sunup and didnt see a thing. About 9:45am I decided I better scout the area a little better find a better a spot and see what fresh tracks I could find. Last week I did find a ton of tracks and 1 big heavy set of deer trax. After the rains this weekend most of those trax were washed away but those big trax were fresh again in the same spot heading east to west again. Looks like I have a nice deer to target even though I bet he is moving at night. A few hog tracks also on the same trail. Cant wait till I can go camp there for a day or 2 so I can figure out this deers movements. There is a private tract of land about a 1/2 mile East of where I am set up so my guess is that he is staying over there until after dark and then heading back west to bed down I guess.