2009 Pre Season

[Professor T]

Journal runs from February 1st 2009 until Openning Day of Bow season on October 1st, 2009

[Professor T]

2009 Deer Season Log Book

2009 Season begins February 1, 2009 with the preparations and ends January 31, 2010 with the close of the hunting season.

May 29, 2009 I brought the two rocking chairs and a shop-vac to the camp. Dr. McGaw passed by and we talked for a while. I told him about the bear and showed him around my land a little. We also looked at his trees near his camp. He suggested growing Chinese Chestnuts and Keiffer Pears both do well. His crabapples are full of fruit.

Brady and Gordon showed up around 3 pm. We unloaded the equipment, hooked it up and went to the back. We planted RR corn and RR soybeans with a little sweet corn mixed in that was left over from Brady’s plantings. I paid Gordon $150 for the seed and gave him $50 to cover the cost of diesel. He intended to do it as a favor to Kevin. After planting I took the back rack off my 4 Wheeler and mounted the spreader on the back. Scott Pittman passed by and I paid him for bush hogging and moving the pecan tree on the west plot.

[Professor T]

June 1, 2009 I bought 4 sacks 8-8-8 and 4 sacks 13-13-13 at Lowes for $134.07.

June 3, 2009 I went to the camp to spread fertilizer on the freshly planted summer plots. I spread 80 lbs of 8-8-8 and 80 lbs of 13-13-13 on Kolton’s Korner and the East Plot. I spread the same amount on the West Plot and T-Plot combined. The RR soybeans were starting to come up. The RR corn is not up yet. I pulled trail-cam pics from Buck Point and Midway mineral licks. Midway continues to have low activity. I moved the Midway camera to the Lone Oak Stand where a deer trail comes out of the cut over. I put 1 sack of corn in the feeder and changed the battery.

I also noticed that two of the saw tooth oaks at Kolton’s Korner have acorns. The persimmon tree on the West Plot has a lot of persimmons this year. All the roads are in ill repair due to the heavy rains lately. Stopped by Rambow’s camp on the way back home and met his SIL. They were putting the floor on his new camp.

No hogs or bear on TC’s.

June 10, 2009 I met Cooyonboy (Casey Francois) at the feed store where I picked up 3 sacks of corn. We drove to the camp got some fresh batteries and went to check the trail-cams. We went back to the camp to see the pictures and work on the bathroom ceiling. We completed all that we had materials to do and then stopped and talked about deer hunting for a while. Cooyonboy’s eyes started itching, which is what happens to me quite often so we didn’t return to the back. After Cooyonboy left I mixed some Roundup and sprayed the plots.

The corn and soybeans are up but there was a lot of grass coming up also. Deer have not touched the beans yet.


June 13, 2009 I picked up a can of wasp spray and 2-1/2 gallons of Eraser (Generic Roundup). I got to the camp around noon. I loaded the sprayer and filled with Roundup mixture. Sprayed Kolton’s Korner and half the E-Plot. I picked up the disk and changed batteries on the TC at Buck Point and went back to camp. I refilled the sprayer and cooled off while checking the pictures. After this I mixed a small amount of mineral for buck point mineral lick and went back to the E-Plot. I finished spraying the plot and poured the minerals over the stump then went to the W-Plot. I finished that load of Roundup, pulled the disk and changed batteries on the trail-cam at the Lone Oak Stand. I then went to Midway and picked up the hog trap and moved it to the E-Plot. I placed it under the Killing Tree stand where it will have shade all day. I did not set up because I want to be there over night to try to trap the hogs. It is just to hot right now.

I went back to the camp for another load of Roundup and to cool off some more. I checked the pictures from the Lone Oak camera and out of 163 pictures none were of deer. The grass movement and sunlight conditions caused most of the pictures and there were a few birds.

It is clearly to early for me to set up cameras on the plots. So on the third trip I moved the camera to South Fork, which is an old, stand sight on the road where I caught Mr. Cull last year on July 2nd. This area has always had good activity primarily with does and yearlings but the occasional good buck this time of year.

I then came back to the camp to cool off some more and take measurements for renovations in the bathroom. I intended to do some more cleaning up but the sun had whipped my rear end too much.

The corn and soybeans are growing good but the deer are hitting them already. I noticed several areas where they cut the tops off the beans and the corn leaves on many of the plants are half cut off. We need rain bad.

Pictures showed good antler growth and one large hog. Activity around the lick stays high with over 100 pictures at buck point in three days. If browsing has any indication of how many deer are present this should be a very good year. Everywhere I look something is bitten off. I am looking forward to the days when I can spend some quality time just sitting in a tree.


June 15, 2009 I picked up materials at Home Depot to finish renovating bathroom.

June 22, 2009 I went picked up some paneling nails and bar for ceiling at Home Depot then went to the camp. I went to the back to see how the plots were doing and pull the trail-cam pictures. On the E-Plot the corn was doing nicely for the most part. Some was eaten but the majority was standing between 6” to 18” tall. What little soybeans that were left were not fairing so well. It has not rained since we planted them on May 29th. I pulled the pictures from Buck Point and changed the battery.
I then went to the W-Plot. It looked baron with the exception of the grass I missed while spraying. On closer inspection I found that almost every stalk of corn had been cut off and eaten. Very few soybeans were present. The T-Plot was the same way. With single stalks of corn growing here and there and everything else pretty much destroyed. I pulled the trail-cam pictures at South Fork on the way back to the camp.

Trail-cams had very few pictures this time even though it has been 9 days since I was last there. Only one small 2 ½ yo buck, a few does, and a yearling that has a distinct notch in his right ear. It is shaped like a snake fang. “Fang” will be his name. Last year he was the youngest of the fawns and was very small all the way through the season. This year he does not appear that he will have anything more than a few inches of spike. He is still small and I would guess he would not be much above 80 lbs.

At the camp I started to complete the ceiling that we had worked on a couple of trips back. When I pulled the light and the center board most of the ceiling fell…at least part of the way. Duh! I should have known better. I had to replace some of the ceiling tile that broke when it fell. But the ceiling is now finished. Most of the crown molding is up with the exception of where I need to replace some pieces of paneling. I left the place a wreck but I did mop the bathroom before I left so that I will have a clean area to work when I put the new flooring in on my next visit.

June 26, 2009 I went to the doctor at 1:00Pm then went to Rambow’s camp to visit with him a while. His camp is coming along very nice and should be ready prior to this hunting season. I then went to my camp to do some cleaning up. The place was a mess after working last week on the ceiling so instead of working on the bathroom floor I just cleaned up and pulled the Trail-cam pictures.

At Buck Point there was 1 buck with 6 points but I believe he will be a 7 or 8-point. Another yearling there will have long spikes. They are about 4” now and have a possibility of dividing. South Fork had a couple of nice does and a large boar hog.

June 30, 2009 I made another short trip today. First I went into the camp to turn on the AC, then I pulled Trail-cam pictures. I looked at the plots and expected tha I would have a little growth after some rain. The east plot still looked good but the west plot and T-Plot looked like not a drop of rain fell there. Some of the smaller corn stalks that were untouched by deer were shriveled up and dry like paper.

I returned to the camp and pulled the toilet and the old baseboards, which were some type of rubber glued into position. I took my final measurements and cut the floor, laid it in place and did some trimming. Because the floor was rolled up a few weeks there wer some bellies in it. I will let it stretch out and settle before making any needed final trimming and install the baseboards. I did put the toilet back in service and tried it to make sure I didn’t have any leaks.

On the way home I stopped by Rambow’s camp and we talked a little while.

There was a lot of buck visits this week. Some of the bigger bucks seem to be lagging behind the juveniles. There are some decent prospects but nothing really big showing up yet.

[Professor T]

July 7, 2009 Vicki and I stopped at the camp on the way to Colorado. Pulled trail-cam pictures. There was a lot of buck activity at Buck Point. Not much at South Fork where a large boar is hanging around. There are two shoats 20 to 30 lbs. Hanging around both areas.

July 16, 2009 I bought 1 corn & 1 ricebran $19. Pulled pictures from Trail-cams. There was some buck activity. I stopped and talked with Rambow at his camp.

July 18, 2009 I brought 30 gallon sprayer to camp and sprayed T-Plot and W-Plot with Eraser. There is very little to no benefit in planting summer plot on this side. The E-Plot has corn growing on stalks. The area near the box stand did the best and there is also a stand across from the Killing Tree Stand. The soybeans are just holding on to life because as soon as they have any growth the deer bite it off.

Buck Point camera took two pictures, both of me. All the food was gone there. South Fork had over 100 pictures with no racked bucks and no pigs. There was still food there. This was the first time rice bran was presented this year.

I moved the hog trap to South Fork in hopes of capturing that large boar that is hanging around. It is baited but door is tied open.

July 24, 2009 I brought the palm leaves from the date palm we moved this week. I brushed in the Lone Oak Stand. It looks pretty good. It will need to be freshened up just before hunting. I also sprayed the W-Plot with 25 gal of Eraser.

Persimmons are increasing in size and watermelon vines are getting about 7 feet long. Corn on E-Plot has some ears that are pretty good size. Something knocked down a few stalks and pulled one ear off and chewed on it.

The big boar is gone but the two small shoats are still hanging around. There is also a big white hog with black spots. Austin calls it “Cow Hog”. A lot of buck activity. Had 750 pictures between the two cameras.

July 29, 2009 I went to the camp with the intentions of finishing the floor and baseboards in the bathroom. When I arrived the power was out so I scratched that idea. All I did was pull the TC pics and leave. I stopped by Rambows camp on the way home.

[Professor T]

August 4, 2009 I went to the camp to pick up the 4-wheeler in order to install the Groundhog Max I had purchased. Picked up TC pics (only 1 buck “Split Left Ear”) Coons have utterly destroyed the E-Plot corn patch.

August 8, 2009 I arrived around noon and checked the TC’s. I baited both areas and the hog trap. This time I set the trap because I was spending the night. Both TC’s showed plenty of hog activity with a big boar showing up at South Fork. TC’s showed only two bucks, “Cutoff” and “Let-Him-Grow”. Fawns are showing up regular now.

The E-Plot corn patch is 95% destroyed and I noticed this time that there are a lot of stalks pushed over instead of being bitten off. This indicates hogs more than coons. Very little corn ears partially eaten on the ground most are completely gone.

I worked on the floor in the bath and finished putting the base boards and metal strips. I cut the floor a little to close by the sink so I will have to install a metal strip there as well. I am not much on finish work but this is a deer camp so I will call it done instead of well done. I did a little house keeping to finish up the day.

August 9, 2009 When I got up I went to South fork to check the hog trap. To my surprise I caught a big boar. He didn’t appear on the TC at the same location but showed up at Buck Point around 8 pm. I didn’t want this guy for eating purposes so I made a call to see if I could find someone who wanted it.

One of the neighbors has hog dogs and came to get it. His original intention was to turn it lose to let his dogs catch it and then slaughter it but he said that it was a real good trophy hog that was not torn up and would bring it to a pen and sell it for someone to shoot with a bow. He estimated the weight to be 280 to 300 lbs. It was decided that he would go to church and return later to pick up the cage and all to transport the hog to the pen. We took a few photos and he was to return later.

I hooked up the sprayer and sprayed the E-Plot and W-Plot with Eraser because the grass is trying to return. I want a clean plot to start the fall with a clean slate.

August 15, 2009 Vicki, Austin, and I went to the camp. We were followed by Kevin, J’Nelle, Little Kevin, and Kolton. Kevin and I took Austin and Little Kevin to the back with us to work on the feeders. We have three set up now and in service. E-Plot, Kolton’s Korner, and the Lone Oak Stand on the W-Plot. We baited the hog trap and set the trigger. We took a trip up the creek to see what kind of access we will have during the season if we shoot one and it goes in that direction. There are two areas that are blocking 4-wheeler travel.

We went back to the camp and talked over what we wanted to do for the rest of the day. We decided to go BBQ at my house and return tomorrow to check the trap. That is what we did.

August 16, 2009 Vicki and I went to the camp. I went to the back to check the trap and both the little shoats that have been hanging around were in the trap. I pulled TC-pics and called Kevin to see if he wanted to bring the kids. My brother Paul and little Paul and I went to Austin’s Alley to look for a suitable site for filming in late October when Bayou Bucks is coming to film. I left the two of them back there to trim out the are they found and went back to the camp to wait on Kevin and family.

When everyone came we went back to the trap to shoot the hogs. We took a little video of them in the trap and went back to the camp to clean them. I pulled up to the camp on the 4-wheeler with Little Kevin sitting on the gas tank and the hogs on the back of the bike. Little Paul came and said he needed some marking ribbon for the trail to my brother’s new stand sight. I backed up the 4-wheeler to give him room to get some out my TC bag. We were talking and I wasn’t paying attention when Little Kevin grabbed the throttle and pressed it wide open. Brakes would not even slow it down and I could not pull his hand free from the throttle. We backed into my brother’s trailer and then around to the back of his truck. When we hit the bike turned on its side while going over I grabbed Little Kevin and held him to my chest. Then I pulled my legs back so I could push against the seat so the bike would not turn over completely.

I bumped my head, and hurt my shoulder, neck, side and arm. Little Keven bumped his head by his eye. This scared us more than the physical injury but we both got checked up by the doctors at Lake After Hours.

August 27, 2009 Austin and I went to the camp to check the TC’s. He was really excited about going. When we got to the camp I sprayed him down with Off and he changed into long pants and tennis shoes. We pulled TC’s at BP and SF then went to the west plot to check on the watermelons. There were nine melons with the biggest not quite as big as what you get in a store. We picked the biggest one so that if the deer or hogs decide to eat them we would at least get one.

Austin want to move the hog trap as we had done once before but I told him we have to see where the hogs are showing up before moving it.. We looked at the persimmon tree and the first persimmons are ripening. The birds are getting to them. The saw tooth acorns are still small and may not completely develop this year.

We went back to the camp to look at the TC pics and found that a family of three sows and three young shoats were at South Fork. This is where the hog trap is located so Austin was disappointed that we did not move the trap. But we went back to the trap and I showed him how to set it. We let it snap once so he could see it operate and then baited tied the door open and pulled the trip wire tight so we could tell if it would be hogs or coons eating the bait.