IST 1-18-2026

Area 6
Cold. Around 30° with a little breeze out the NW
Mathews lift RS

Same spot as yesterday evening. On the end of this little ridge. I was planning to hunt where I was yesterday morning, but I had a bunch of deer come out on me at dark in this spot. Had to stay in the tree until 6:30 so I didn’t spook them. Nothing yet, but they should be moving all day. Good luck!

Too many white cans and chili last night for me to go this morning. Packing truck now and then heading home.

Area 4
48 degrees, winds N@8
Ladder Stand in some pines
.350 legend

Time is winding down baws, good luck

Smithdale,Ms
43 with a WNW breeze
Tripod on the edge of the creek. Watching a road that follows the creek.
Ruger M77 257 Robert’s

My son is on a ladder stand south of me
300 wsm

I made it into a food plot for the evening hunting with a 30-06. I feel kind of lazy hunting the same spot but this spot has been busy with deer activity on colder weather days in the past. I'm hunting anything legal this afternoon. 41 degrees with temps dropping and a steady wind from the west. I ate a pile of fried chicken for lunch and the desire to nap is getting to me.

For the past 3 seasons except his year, most of the deer I've killed were in January. I'm still hoping to get one to two more this year. Hunting in January is becoming my favorite time to get in the woods for deer season.

Woodville
NNW wind 45 degrees
Old trusty Remington 7600 .308 pump
Redneck blind in my favorite plot
Giving it one last go. Been a rough season for us because we have so many white oaks.

Saturday morning I went bow hunting for the first time with my new bow. Set up perfectly on the ground and a little four point showed up 25 yards, right where I expected him. Took the shot and he jumped forward because he was alert. Hit him in front of his pelvis and the arrow stuck in him. Trailed lots of blood for hours and bumped him once. Went off the property pretty far so I gave up.


This is why I’m back with my old Remington. I feel like shite for what happened.

I landed an 8 point with about 5 minutes before the end of legal shooting light. I had no action up until about 20-25 minutes left and then the deer started pouring in. Fun hunt in the cold. I've got the deer gutted and hanging overnight. I'm sleeping in tomorrow and will get after skinning him when I wake up in the morning.

One plus was getting my 5-year old out there. I knew where the deer was, but I didn't tell him. I just pointed him to where the blood trail started and I had him help me follow the blood trail to the deer. He was doing a great job of finding new blood, but he was also stomping all through the trail making it hard to come back and find later if we really needed it. He was pumped when his flashlight found the buck. That was an unexpected bonus tonight getting to enjoy the end with him.

Ended up seeing a nice 8 point 2.5 year old right before dark. I could see him well with my binos but it would have been a tough shot. When he walked the entire field it was dark but I could see his body....let him live.