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.