Gun Season 2014 - Most Wanted List

 This is the #1 suspect.  He can be identified by his 12 point frame including massive brow tines.  The left brow time is forked into two daggers.

 Early in the season, while still in velvet, he frequently posed for the cameras.  Later in the season, he became nocturnal and camera shy.

 #2 suspect is a main frame 10 point with a kicker on his right G2. He seems to have recently entered the region making his first appearance in daylight just one week ago.

 #3 suspect is a 10 point typical with the body of an enforcer.  He is suspected of intimidating and beating up more vulnerable residents.

 #4 suspect is a 9 point with a small crab claw on the right side but with nice brow tines.  This suspect has been scarce lately and may have left the neighborhood.

#5 suspect is an 8 point who also has the body of an enforcer.

 The remaining suspects are a gang of wide 8 points that are hard to identify individually.  They each seem to have racks in excess of 20".

 One of them has a distinctive hooked right brow tine.

 They ran in a gang earlier in the season but have been camera shy lately.

One of them was spotted in broad daylight in recent weeks harassing a female.

Your assistance in apprehending any of these suspects would be greatly appreciated.  Please report any knowledge of their whereabouts to the appropriate authority (me and me only).

Next Visit - Gun season

I archery hunted this weekend without success (again).  Never saw a buck but saw lots of does.  I think the peak of the rut has passed.

 How's this for a nice, broad daylight visit by an 11 point buck?  Nov 19, 3:56pm.  Right in front of the ladder stand.  First time I've seen him but I'd like to see him again during gun week.

 This guy looks pretty good too.

 Bucks of all sizes and ages were moving in broad daylight last week.

 In multiple locations.  We had a few inches of snow.

 Maybe we'll get some more of this daylight movement before the 2nd estrous cycle.  Just happens to be gun season.

 My friend Irish took this buck in KY this weekend.  He saw a good rack, took the shot, and later discovered that he was broken on one side. 

 Here's the turnips - still not being used much.  They prefer the chicory at this point.  They're also working on the oats that I planted with the turnips.

 The chicory with the main field hi-rise.  That's where I hunted Friday evening.

 A couple of does coming out at about 4:00.  I ended up with 5 does feeding but never saw a buck.

 Sunrise on Saturday morning.  Not much moving.

 Saturday evening I hunted the pond stand.  There were six does in the field and two more down in the main field.  No bucks.  I hunted the barn stand on Sunday morning and never saw anything.  I could hear some racks rattling but nobody responded to grunts.  By the sound direction, they seemed to be in the vicinity of the hanging stand.

Poop of the week - a magnificent buck pile.

 There are rubs everywhere.

 Especially on the pine trees.

 The orchard camera had been acting weird.  I finally figured out that its internal memory was full.  For some reason, it hasn't been recognizing or writing to the card.  So I downloaded about a month's worth of images from the internal memory.

 Here's the mutant on 10/23 - right side still intact.

 Here he is on 11/5 with the right side broken off.  This is a mature deer - check that neck size.

 There were a ton of coyote pictures - here's some of the highlights.  Enjoying an apple.

Looking for that owl?

Daylight.

A pair.

 back to current photos.

 Really nice buck. Looks like a 10 - don't think that it is the 11 shown earlier.  I haven't seen that really wide 8 point in awhile.

 We passed a pack of 3 dogs on the driveway on our way out tonight.  The yellow lab lives at the head of the driveway.

This camera was being flakey and so were two others.  Once again I think I have them fixed.

Brrr...It's Cold

Saturday morning it hit 16F.  There was an extremely heavy frost when we arrived at the farm.

 This is the turnip plot - probably the heartiest stuff around and pretty well wilted from the freeze.  I think they'll still eat this stuff but I'm amazed how little of it they have used so far. They'll use the turnip bulbs well into the winter.

Saturday evening I hunted the main field.  First a harassed doe came out and she was followed shortly after by this buck.  He chased her all around the field.

 He was limping a little bit and seemed to have trouble keeping up with her.  She'd run 100 yards ahead and start feeding and he'd eventually work his way over to her.  She'd take off again and they did it all over again.



























I put this short video in of the buck walking by the stand.  It sure seems to mess up the formatting of the blog.  I can't figure that out.
 

This might have been the buck.  I think the guy I was watching had a higher rack than this but similar size/age. In addition to this pair, 4 other does and a spike buck came out in the main field.  Joan said she spotted some more deer down in the barn field.

 Poop of the week is a buck pile near the orchard.

 These tracks were nearby.

 Sunday morning I hunted the pond hi-rise and didn't see a thing.  As I was leaving the stand, I spotted this dead mouse.  Don't know if it was there when I went in since it was dark.  Dropped by a hawk?  Just happened to croak here?  Froze in the cold weather?

As I was walking in for breakfast, I spotted 4 deer out in the barn field.  That was where I originally planned to hunt but I changed my mind at the last minute and went to the pond.

 Dave hunted the Michigan gun opener and took this 10 point.  Compared to some of the previously harvested bucks up there, this guy is a giant.

 The cameras had a dog parade this week.  One of the usual suspects - the black lab.

 This yellow lab lives at the house at the end of the driveway.

A mutt

 A pack including a wiener dog.

 I thought that this camera was interesting.  Notice the rubs on the trunk below the camera.

 I expected to have great shots of a buck but this is what I actually got.

 I don't think that she actually did that rubbing - probably checking out the scent.  Don't know why there were no photos of the buck doing the rubbing.

 Daylight buck activity is definitely up.

Night time too.  No sign of the really big bucks though.  Where are they?

Decent but I've seen at least 4 better bucks either live or previously on camera.

 coyote

 fox

 The good news was that the wind was calm. 

 Had a dusting of snow on Sunday morning.

27F at almost noon.

 This is what I did instead of hunting on Sunday afternoon - Ikea (and then assembly).  What a zoo.

Snow on the pumpkins in Mason - 3" to 5" predicted overnight tonight.