What a lovely weekend!!! Lots of close calls for you Dave. Took Throbbin Rods for a guided hunt this morning, he had quite a few close calls too!! We ended up seeing over 20 total, I think we saw 11 together, only one big one, but he did not stay long enough for the bro to dump him.
Slept in yesterday, said the hell with that. Stoped raining at 3, the boys and I suited up and went in. Started raining again at 5, this time with the thunder and lightning,and heavy downpours, called them on the radio to leave, they had 3 does out in front of them and did not want to go, so, we stayed and got some kind of soaked, but they really got a thrill out of that!!!(I didn't!)
Brother is working, kids are gone, I'm the lone ranger this afternoon.
Good luck...
Did you get any snow? I might have to go north if you got some.

Hey capt. Sampson,
The best time is after dark until about dawn. But they got this rule about that.

Popeye

Is it like fishing, so much after sunset, etc. We used to go out with flashlights when I was a younger, only kidding.

Dave, all I can remember about being in the woods when I was in my 20's is that it can be "scary", your mind can play some awful tricks on ya. I shot at a bush once thinking I was being stalked myself, turned out to be a white tail and of course I missed. Another time I thought I found some shallow graves, wrong again.

I haven't been in the woods to hunt (or for much of anything) in 35 years, maybe longer.

I'll sit here and read all you guys hunting stories and enjoy it just as much.

John S.

Hey Popeye if we get snow I'll give ya a shout it's actually snowing right now if we get any good amount I'll def. let ya know after the generous offer to go with you, your more then welcome to come up here and hunt with us. May not see as many as down your way, but when you see a buck up here He's normally a monster LOL Take CAre God Bless and Good Hunting, Heading out in about an hour to sit the favorite spot, as windy as it's been up here today hopefully they'll move tonight??????? LOL Dave From up North

When I need a fix for the big woods I usually go to Groveton. I like the looks of some of your hills.I was up last week delivering mail,(saw a monsta track on a scheduled break!) Use to go to Upton Me. for a week, loved it up there to. I really don't mind going without seeing them, I just like to go out after the giants.
6 tonight, all bald.
Good luck this week.

Popeye

Sat last p.m. with daughter, flathead came in no shot. Hunted alone today saw 1 woodcock, 2 snakes, 20 ducks, and one cow moose. On three weeks vaca, headed to ME. Sat for 2 wks. Keep u powder dry,Sun at your back and wind in u face. Good luck to all. W-FAT

Here is Trav's and my Maine report!
We went up Sunday afternoon to do a little scouting. We stay at Mt. Dustan camps which are owned by Jason Parents Dad. Great set-up and even better people. After checking in we headed for the area we like to hunt and found logging operation in full swing, so we headed off checking out some of our other spots and headed for the high ground and found 2-3 inches of snow! We drove around on some different roads marking locations on our gps units at different old log landings so depending on where we end up chasing a buck we then know alternate shorter ways out of woods with our buck.
As a bonus we also saw four deer,all bald, like the writer, but none the less a good sign.
Monday morning we had good snow and Trav and I both tracked good bucks that gave us the slip. I ended up seeing four doe and Trav saw two doe, not bad for spending half the time looking up to make sure you weren't standing under a dead tree branch as the wind was still gusting in 40 mph range.
On Tuesday Trav saw two more doe , a bull and cow moose. I saw only one large bull (50" maybe) in the middle of path thru some xmas trees in a clearcut and I was in his way. I stepped off to side to see if I could give him some room to get by. When I moved to side he went crashing thru xmas tees where there previously was not a path! Glad he went the other way. If any of you guys ever get drawn for moose permit in Maine(Zone 7) I will give you gps coordinates(:
All in all great hunt even though no shots were fired.
As Dave LOL would say it is Priceless to hunt with your best hunting buddy!
We will give it try again next Monday if not sooner. Good luck to all!

I love a good scouting mission. Will have more of the white stuff next week, and maybe the wind will be down to a gale. week of the 13th will be a good week to rattle, if your into that. its different up there, but they do respond to horns in Maine.
I went last night, it was a great night to snipe. Got into the tree at 130, ended up seeing 3 reds and a couple munks...It was so quite you could hear forever...I was in the wrong spot, as I didn't even hear a deer walking anywhere. I did find a hugh scrape walking in, with the track of a 220 lb lard ass in it. They have started to move, but only at night, still.

Good luck

Popeye

Sounds like the deer up at my house LMAO most times they are strictly Night Stalkers UGHHHHHHHh if i could only screw up their timing i would be all set LOL almost 6 years of living up there and only twice have i seen a big buck during the day UGHHHHHHHHHHHhhhh I figure in another 6 years i might have them figured out LOL Take Care God BLess and Good Hunting LOL Dave From up North (Wooo Hooo be back at it this weekend if i can finish my school stuff LOL only problem now is that i have to see the horns first UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh)

We are seeing the same stuff down in my area. You can stand on the deck at night and hear them playing grab ass and grunting like pigs out back but during the shooting hours all you see is an occasional doe or skipper but that's why they allow us the zone M tags...........

Dean

Only one I saw last night was after dark, but he was a good rack. My son had 9 out in front of him for the evening, all baldies.......

Popeye