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Sept. 25 - The Weekend Plan
Posted By Bill Winke at 9/25/2009 12:00:00 AM

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This is what the Backyard Buck looked like back in mid-
Aug. of this year.  Impressive growth from last year.

We are determined to get this deer we call the "Backyard Buck" after coming so close to accomplishing the task on Saturday, Sept. 19.  Andrew was behind the gun that afternoon when the buck came out at about 80 yards - up the hill from where we were set up on the edge of some late-planted beans.  The shot would have been just a touch long for Drew and we didn't have the stand set up in such a way that he had a place to rest the gun in that direction.  Besides, up until the last minute, I still thought the buck would come past us.  He didn't.


 

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This what the Backyard Buck (left) looked like on Sept. 19
of this year.  He is a good solid 4 year old and we are serious
about trying to get him.

Drew killed a buck elsewhere Sunday evening.  Now it is Jordan's turn.  She has a youth season tag, as well, and she is up to bat.  The first chance will be this afternoon, Friday Sept. 25.   

Chad Lathrop and I went in there yesterday before the rain and put up a  new stand right across the narrow field from where the buck came out last Saturday.  The beans in that area were mowed, so we are pretty sure that the Backyard Buck is not the only deer using that part of the field.  It is a good looking setup.  Looking at the weather, they are calling for the wind to swing ESE toward sunset. That is exactly what we need to make the spot work. 

This setup highlights one of the stand placement strategies I look for now.  Whenever possible, I set up across the field from where the deer come out and let them feed to within range.
http://c0171041.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/BackyardRidge.flv
/images/gallery/6/BackyardRidge.jpg
450
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The tendency is always to set up right where they come out of the woods.  There is a major problem with that strategy: trying to figure out what wind to hunt it on.  There is no safe wind.  If you set up so the wind blows out into the field to keep the deer from smelling you before they get to the field (an important goal) you will get busted all evening by lesser bucks and does that arrive in the field before the buck you are hunting.  Instead, look for situations (or create them) where the deer actually feed out toward you.  Now you can set up with the wind blowing directly away from the field and not have to worry about getting busted.

20090925104507749.jpgIt is kind of hard to see
here because the image is
small, but the white is
where we had the stand
Sept. 19, blue is where
the buck came out and
red is where we placed
the stand yesterday.