Friday October 3rd - p.m.- Stoddard County - Nothing Viewed
Saturday October 4th - p.m. - Ripley County - 3 Squirrels
Sunday October 5th - a.m. - Ripley County - 11 Wild Turkeys - Rainy - Shot and missed.
Sunday October 5th - p.m. - Ripley County - 6 Wild Turkeys - Rainy

Saturday October 18th - p.m. - Ripley County - 3 Squirrels, 3 Deer, 7 Wild Turkeys
Sunday October 19th - a.m. - Ripley County - 5 Squirrels, 4 Deer
Sunday October 19th - p.m. - Ripley County - 2 Squirrels

Saturday November 1st - a.m. - Ripley County - 5 Squirrels, 18 Deer, 20 Wild Turkeys
Saturday November 1st - p.m. - Ripley County - 5 Squirrels, 5 Deer, 25 Wild Turkeys
Sunday November 2nd - a.m. - Ripley County - 4 Squirrels, 5 Deer, 50 Wild Turkeys
Sunday November 2nd - p.m. - Ripley County - 4 Squirrels, 1 Deer, 8 Wild Turkeys

Saturday November 8th - a.m. - Ripley County - 5 Squirrels, 13 Deer, 10 Wild Turkeys
Saturday November 8th - p.m. - Ripley County - 6 Squirrels, 16 Wild Turkeys
Sunday November 9th - a.m. - Ripley County - 3 Squirrels, 2 Deer
Sunday November 9th - a.m. Ripley County - 2 Squirrels, 1 Deer

WILDEST DEER HUNTS OF 2003 PART 1

HUNTING PHOTO JOURNAL - By Allen “horntagger” Morris
As the season has progressed. This is my journal.

November 1st I walked to the area just south of a ridge, that I have been hunting leaving behind a scent trail of BF-Fgland since this is the highest phase of movement per the Deer Daylight Activity Index that I use as a guide during the season. 

I climbed the tree with my Summit Bullet and got settled in about 6:00 a.m. and two deer to the south started snorting back and fourth as the Turkey's roosting in the area started sounding off and flying down. If it was not for the Summit Climbing Stand I would not have been able to hunt this area like I did.

About 6:45 a.m. a 4 pointer came from the other side of the ridge and hit the scent trail and came within 10 yards of the stand. I watched him as he went on by and walked out of site.

7:20 a.m. I hear a deer running in the clear cut behind and just northwest of me. When all of a sudden a doe running flat out is running right for my location. I stand up pull back and aim just as she passes under me. I have seen deer run before but nothing like this she was flat moving. I had not shot at her because she never stopped.

When I hear the second deer a 3 point buck come following up and trying to keep up they made a semi-circle around the valley and head back over the ridge.

About 30 seconds to 1 minute behind that I heard more noise from the original location. I look in that direction and I see more than one buck in the thicket, moving back and forth. 

I pull out the can call and turn it twice. Then all **** broke loose, sound like a heard of pigs. Buck’s started heading right toward my location and crossing back and forth and I could see a huge eight pointer with a couple of six’s, four’s and other bucks that I still not sure of the head gear and the numbers. I pull back to shoot the 8 pointer but he does not stop till 20 yards pass me. (Note all the bucks are within 10 yard and directly under and behind the tree I am in)

More bucks keep coming by but I am taking aim at the 8 Pointer with his tongue hanging out, when I see a huge 160 class 10 pointer coming along with what was even just as big 8 pointer. I try to aim at the 10 but he never stops and the second 8 pointer stops at the same location as the first 8 pointer. Then a what I believe a 11 pointer in the 170’s runs into a vine out in front about 10 yards and I take aim at it since it is the only broadside target I had and it starts to back up trying to get the vine out and I shoot and it raise on it’s back feet at the same time and the arrow passed right over the back of another buck and goes right under the neck of the 11 pointer and falls short of even a bigger what I believe was a 12 point buck that was passing behind it. The 11 pointer put it’s ear back and headed right toward a 8 pointer with his head down and the 8 move just in time from being stuck in the side by the 11 pointer.

A few more buck of enormous size passed under the stand and behind me during that time. They made it about 60 yards out and broke up and headed back into the clear cut and over the ridge and some kept going south.

I sat down and try to convince my self I was not having a dream. I believe I counted 13 plus bucks, I no for sure I lost count. The 11 pointer was by far the biggest deer I have ever shot at.

I was not even disappointed about missing, not sure what I was feeling other than dis-belief.

I will say this will never happen again no matter how long I hunt.

My friend showed up about 30 minutes after this was hunting on the ground of the location that the deer went over the ridge. He told me about 10 minutes after he got their a 4 pointer came walking back in a manner like he had never seen before. Didn’t really care about him and just roamed away, and never ran as he made it along the ridge in front of me.

I can only assume it was part of that group.

That afternoon had 5 deer and 25 turkeys come back through the area that afternoon just out of range.

Hope to see you in the woods or on the water. Horntagger

GO TO WILDEST DEER HUNTS OF 2003 PART 2

November 8^th after the last weekend of a hot doe and buck gang chasing I left an hour extra to get set up since the Pre-Rut was here by the Deer Daylight Activity Index. I switched to BF-Rut and sprayed it as I walked along the ridge hoping any deer crossing the ridge would follow.

I was using a StreamLight Green flashlight that helps me see more at night. I had great success with it during spring season not spooking gobblers off roost. Have been using it to see while I climb and had work great so far. But, was not sure how it affected deer. This will come into play twice during the morning that

After getting set up in the stand that morning it was still dark. I was hunting the same saddle and tree as the weekend before. Hoping that one of the bucks would come by this morning.

About 6:15 a.m. had a deer snorting several times south of me near the main gravel road. I have been waiting on my friend to show up. He was going to hunt the ladder stand just north of me. Well about 6:30 a.m. I could see the green light along the ridge coming. Then it went off.

I guess that he decided to walk the last 60 yards in the dark to the stand. Then I could here him walking, but he kept going along the ridge past the ladder stand location and them came back. That’s when I realize it was not him but a deer, so I stood up and here it came as soon as it hit my scent trail I had left again. Then I could barely see the antlers until it was right underneath the stand. I moved my bow to get ready, but I hit the stand and I look straight up at me and snorted and took off back to the ridge.

What had happen is the buck was following my scent trail but was 30 yards in front of my friend, which had decided to hunt the spot the deer crossed the weekend before. He could hear the buck snorting but never could see it because he was on the other side of the ridge and to the east.

The buck continued over the ridge and into the valley snorting the as he went.

6:45 a.m. here came a doe and a yearling over the ridge and thru the saddle and hit the scent trail and followed right to my scent container’s 15 yards away. They stood there and I waited for them to pass by a big tree to shoot.

But then turned and went back the direction they came. When they got back in the valley they started snorting for some reason.

7:00 a.m. another group of three does and yearling coming out of the valley over the ridge and right thru the saddle. They also followed the scent trail.

This time the lead doe and yearling past by the big tree and the third doe was behind big tree and the fourth doe stop to smell the scent containers. I pulled back and then the third doe came back to smell the fourth doe and I shot and hit the doe thru the back and into the lungs.

The three doe’s went south out of site and the arrowed doe went out of site to the east.

Well no use to get down just yet still can fill a buck tag. And with that many doe’s coming thru something is sure to follow.

7:15 a.m. I here something coming from the east and heading in my direction. Well a group of turkey’s started moving into the woods I was hunting. They stayed for about 10 minutes and moved on, just out of bow range the entire time.

Well at 7:30 here comes three more does from over the ridge but this time from where my friend is located.

They are spooked tails are raised, heads are turned, and even hoofed the ground once or twice before came closer. 

They finally are within 30 yards and they take off running with a fourth doe following up. My friend said they came by him and went over the ridge with the fourth doe watching him the entire way and making the others nervous. 

That was it for the hunting segment of the morning. After getting down and tracking the doe I shot we came across where the last four does had came from and four bedding spots within 20 yards of the ridge road right in one of the main trail roads that I had passed earlier that morning.

At least in appearance the green light in two case’s did not seem to spook the deer. 

That afternoon watched the four deer cut into the clear cut just south and behind me heading back into the valley thru another saddle.

Next day back in the tree my friend had put out some BF-Gland scent on a scrape and a three trees to draw the deer attention to the other side of the trail away from his direction on the trail.

He watched a 4 pointer come to the scrape and eat the dirt and stay on the scrape working it for so long that he had to lean on the tree to rest. Finally the deer walked down the trail and stopped at all three trees he had put the scent on when he arrowed him at the last tree.

This is all just in the valley on the other side of the saddle I had been hunting. While hunting for his first bow harvest ever. I found a nice fresh broken 3 point rack broken off just above the eye guard and another 2 point antler broken right above the base. This was located at the base of the ridge at the saddle I had been hunting. 

Man what a weekend. What a season. Even the fact I will never get to hunt that area of the country again. I still feel it was a privilege that I was able to witness all that I have on these past weekends and the last 20 years.

That was the end of my 2003 bow season.

Hope to see you in the woods or on the water. Horntagger

  BACK TO TOP

BACK TO MAIN DEER PAGE 

THE MISSOURI SPORTSMEN'S INFORMATION NETWORK MOSPORTSMEN.COM