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#25557 - 11/25/17 12:53 PM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Here are 2 bucks that I've blasted with my regular camera. The one is a 6-point, and a spike, and I've bumped into turkeys 2 or 3 times.




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#25569 - 12/01/17 12:47 AM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV

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#25570 - 12/01/17 03:16 AM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
I blasted another one yesterday, with my camera.



We've been warm and our woods are dry as a bone, critters are sitting tight.

Anyone else catching pictures?

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#25606 - 12/12/17 11:45 PM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV

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#25703 - 12/31/17 03:53 AM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Here's a picture that I took with my regular camera today. I had my dog with me, but all together we got to see 10 deer, today. Bear season is in also. Tomorrow is the last day of season.



The WV DNR will send out a final report on the overall deer kill, probably one day next week? Before the DNR sends out their report, I'll give you a run down on my season. And the reports that I've had from my friends and hunting buds. And we'll see how my opinion compares to the DNR's.

I've had a good season, even though I haven't really fired a shot. Days kind of run together after a while, but I do remember the first day. Not counting the buck deer standing off in a pasture field, I scoped over 3 antlered bucks before 9 am, the first morning. A spike, a 4-point, and really couldn't tell about the first deer. It was bigger, all 3 were chasing a doe, not positive, but I'd say it was the same doe?

The one 6-pt that I posted a picture of it above, (with my regular camera) pretty sure I scoped it over 3 separate days. Pretty much in the same area. That one little spike, his horns are kind of odd, positive that I had him in the crosshairs at least twice. Turkeys, bumped into a bunch of 7 long-beards, 2 different days. And kicked out the same bunch of hens and little ones, 3 times in one day. I've been wearing blaze orange too. And a couple of singles here and there. I've had fun!

There was about an inch of fresh snow on the mountain this morning, I broke track, give or take about 8 miles. It snowed up till around 4 am, this morning, but I did track a bobcat and a red fox.

I'm going to guess, that WV's overall deer kill is going to be down, quite a bit. At least in this area. I live in Hardy County, according to the DNR, we came in with the 9th highest buck kill in the state. There are 55 counties in WV.

Tomorrow is the last day, we've got a light snow going on now. Reckon I'll run up and track out the mountain again in the morning. Honestly, I'll be surprised if I don't find a bear track. Never know.

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#25708 - 12/31/17 11:59 AM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
musher Online   content
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Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2376
Loc: Qc.
If you find a fresh bear track, can't you walk it down? They must not go very far at this time of year.

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#25709 - 12/31/17 12:54 PM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
I'd like to cut the track of the biggest bear on my trail camera today. I've tracked out and killed a couple bear that way, it's hard to track and still keep your head up and hunt. Seems like they always bed in a thick spot, where you can only see 15 steps or so. About 3 hops and it's gone, hear the brush breaking and rocks rolling and all. Sometimes you can get out where you can pick it off on the next ridge.

If I find a nice track this morning, I'll let you know what happens. Ideal conditions, we got just enough snow to cover up the old tracks, and it's 11* now. Probably 5 on the mtn.

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#25715 - 01/01/18 12:37 PM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
I'll show you a couple pictures from yesterday.

That's my "lured rock", notice the little yellow spot, that's genuine frozen coyote pee.



Here's the only bear track that I found yesterday. Compare it to the heel of my boot, maybe a male cub?



Follow along the blue line, it went down over the side of the mountain, heading south.



Here you can get a glimpse of where I'm hunting. (If I have them in the right order.)



We're down to 0* this morning, coldest day we've had this winter. I did see 7 deer yesterday, all does.

The little bear that I tracked yesterday, was border-line legal. I didn't find it's track till about 10 am, still had another 2 miles of road to track, and I had to be at work at 2pm. If I'd tracked the 300 pounder, I'd probably been late for work!

If you'd have 2 or 3 or 4 guys hunting together, staying in contact and all on the same page, I could have kicked out that bear in an hour or two. Somebody would have seen it.

Moe said it's too cold, Wardney is under the weather, Big D. don't hunt Sundays, and on and on. It's hard to find anyone that wants to hunt anymore!

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#25721 - 01/02/18 03:12 AM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
My buddy Moe and I rode out this evening to check the river ice, then headed up on the mountain, just looking for tracks.

We had another little dab of snow last night, and found 2 sets of bear tracks. These are 2 different bear, both headed west, and both of them had a nice sized foot. Didn't track any fox, coyotes or bobcats. Did track a mink on the river. Very few deer tracks, did see 2 fawns.




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#25723 - 01/02/18 12:45 PM Re: 2017 Deer Antler growth. [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
I'll add one more comment before the DNR sends out their final deer headcount.

I talk to a good many people while I'm at work, nearly everyone that I've talked to is a little bit disappointed in our past deer season. Just the number of deer that they were seeing.

Talked to a man the other day, he said that he'd hunted 5 days, and didn't even see a tail. That's bad. A friend of mine, he and his family own 1,000 acres east of town, he said this is the worst year that they've ever had. I know that they did pass up some small bucks, but they just didn't see many deer.

The Department of Highways guys, they're not picking up many roadkills. (I'd been wanting a truckload for bait.)

I checked the camera at the "lower saltlick" a week or so ago. Forget how long that it'd been out, 4 weeks or so?, but I had 280 pictures. I've got 3 small bucks on the camera, and as well as I can tell, it's the same 6 or 8 or 10 does and fawns. Pretty much everyday.

The camera up at Wardney's salt lick is about the same. It seems like the same 5, 6 or 8 does and fawns, day after day. I did have that one little 8 point on the camera, last check.

I don't remember, I scoped over 9 or 10 different bucks, but I can tell you that our overall deer population is down. But it'll be interesting to see what kind of "spin" the DNR puts on the numbers.

It's always enjoyable to read, it'll involve the mast crop, road conditions, stream flow, the south wind, etc.

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