I was adding some information to the deer hunting log I keep. It records everything my family has shot since I started hunting in the early 80's.

There are now enough entries that I can start to see patterns forming. The details are included here:

What the Log Tells Me

I was in the log adding the age of the moon in days. Previously, I had recorded it as Full, New, etc. I found data that let me add the exact number of days since the last new moon. When I was done I found out two things:

1) In our camp, a lot more deer are taken on waxing moons than waning. The average is 11 days.

2) Waning moons produce far more successes on morning hunts than afternoon hunts.

What I was wondering was how many of y'all keep a log, and have you found anything interesting?

Dang! 60+ reads and no one else keeps a log?

I don't but should. I'm just starting to log my ruffed grouse hunts. On the one hand, it's a shame to have let all that data slip by. On the other, I figure while the data wasn't retained, the experience was and informs my ever evolving decision making, albeit much less empirically.

I keep logs on my crappie fishing, have for several years. The sad part is every year I add a bit more detail of conditions, weather, moon phase, and now I wish I had been doing that with the extra details all along instead of just the last two years.

With deer hunting, there are certain patterns that are prevalent enough that I made time when it was going to be "one of those times". Early Nov after an all night rain...bucks move and work scrapes in the AM. Full moon in the rut...midday to early afternoon activity. Spike in activity when the moon is rising in the afternoon. Increased activity before a storm front, etc. I'd just call in sick and head to a stand.

The neat thing is that I've discovered that the Internet now provides a good deal of that missing info. If you can associate the kill with a date and approximate time, there is a wealth of info that you can add back in. I know, because I lost my initial attempt at the log as a result of a messy divorce in the mid-90s. It took a little digging, but in every instance, I could get back to the date, and then from there I could figure out the hour.

Example: I shot a buck on a Saturday Afternoon in October in 1991. I took pictures and found a pic of the deer with the moon rising.

From there, I could figure out that the bow kill happened on the only Saturday that month that would have had a moon in that phase. It was the IN Bow Opener, and the kill had to have taken place around 1825 EDT or else I would not have had the time to look for the deer before the sun set. On Weather Underground, you can look up the local conditions at Rising Sun, IN for that date and time and find that in the 6 PM hour, the temp was 55 F, and it was partly cloudy with an ENE wind at 7 MPH. This fits my memory perfectly.


In another instance, I had a pic of myself with a buck in the back of my truck, parked in my driveway. What threw me was the picture had been taken in the rain. I was able to determine that the year of the tag on the truck, and from there able to research that the only day that could have been was a particular Saturday in October, 1992. Glory be, the afternoon weather at Vevay IN on that date matched my recollection and it rained at home that evening, which was why I had a rain suit on for the picture.

Very interesting detective work.

I expect if you kept your tags (like we have in WY), you would have dates cut out and the year. Then all you would have to do is figure out what time it was. Not sure how other states tag or require validation of kill.

In those days, the states around here issued metal tags that were kept on the animal. The Taxi would remove them and record the number in his log. Bottom line: Coming out of the divorce, all I had were a few un-dated pictures and whatever was in my head.

After losing the original log, which was a Lotus 123 file, I didn't really think about reconstructing it until 2008. By this time, I'd had a lot of deer come through my freezer, but I'd started to write each hunt up as a story I posted here on the 'Fire, then as an article on a website, and finally on the weblog that I started in 2004.

The articles were getting good recognition, but they were a bit opaque when it came to hard data. Finally in 2008, I decided to go back and compile what I knew in tabular form. It's a good thing too. When you get 30 years away from something, details start to fade and run together. You can show me a pic of me with a deer and I can probably tell you what powder, bullet, and primer I used, but date and time? That's when I'd have to start digging.

OK. I just found an error in the log. On 11/12/2011 Mooseboy, my #2 son, bagged a button buck. Everything is recorded-- date, time location, the moon, the rifle, even the load. However, there's a "C" for weather conditions. Was that Cloudy? Clear?

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KCVG/2011/11/11/DailyHistory.html

Clear. The wind was from the south and the Greater Cincinnati Airport reported skies clearing after 1752 ET. Our location is SE from that airport.

Brother and I were discussing this in camp this year. Kicking ourselves again not keeping a log since we started hunting with dad. What a book that would have been to have his knowledge on paper.

I have logged all my hunting and fishing excursions since October of 1989. I am going on volume three now. Each volume encompasses a decade. I started handwriting all entries, and now type them all on my computer, completed with many digital pictures. I transcribed my original handwritten journal to my computer and have had decades one and two professionally bound.

With respect to my deer hunting notes, most of my bucks have been shot on the 10th or 11th of November during our rifle season regardless of the moon or weather.

I have another batch of good bucks shot between the 17th and 21st of November which seems to be after bucks have bread most does and are again seeking them at all hours to service any that are left to be bred.

The bottom line is that I go afield when I can regardless of the date, moon, or any other variable. I do find it very interesting and enjoyable to go over my journals when I am not actually hunting or fishing. The entries bring me right back in time, and the memories are as vivid as ever.

Our camp's log dates back to the early 1950's when the camp was built in Central Pa. Every time anyone's been to camp, they made an entry. From spring turkey hunts, to summer trout fishing runs, fall grouse hunts, and of course every deer season for over 6 decades now. My son is the first third generation family member to hunt from our camp, and I'm hoping to be around when his kids become the first fourth generation family members to experience a Pennsylvania deer opener.

shaman -

I used to keep some records, date, time, WX, rifle, load, distance etc.

I wish I had kept records similar to yours however I do have 1 record that is
INfallable.

If I don't go, I don't have success.


Jerry

Years back I started recording the hunter, date, and location either on the skullplates or the plaques I mounted them on. Time fades and rearranges most memories. That and every license is saved. Nothing like a journal to keep you "honest", though. And with digital photography, keeping a photo-journal is now really easy. Plus easy to share with friends and family.

jwall ++ No memories if you don't go.

i have been keeping a log for 40+ years. my log tells me that most of my deer have been gotten from 10-2 on either the first or 2nd day of rifle season. oddly enough, i have never gotten one past 3 pm in all those years. and i hunt daylight to dark most days.

Understand but trust me I go much more than not.



That's odd to me. I've killed deer bucks & does, early, mid day, and late.

However I've never seen a deer between 1-3 UNLESS something pushed one out.


Jerry

I kept a bird hunting log for years. Upland birds and waterfowl. Date, weather, location, shotgun, dog, bag, companions, observations on conditions, flights of ducks and geese, whose farm, etc etc. Did this in the 70's through the late 80's. Makes for interesting memories these days.

Sure wish I had kept one[and very cool that many here do]. I do have all of my past licenses and check tags.
A few things stored to memory: my best deer have all been taken after 9:00 am[most between 9 & 11].
The pre-rut always seems to get going here the last week of October[our best hunting window for good bucks] and was affirmed this past Saturday morning when a early AM hike of my property revealed 6 new scrapes and 3 rubs that weren't there on Friday evening.
Maybe I'll tuck a pad in my pack tonight.