Friday Mid-Day Report

On Thursday, the weather change started.  It was 65 in the morning, the downpours started, and it was in the mid-50's by afternoon.  The rain stopped for the afternoon hunt and colder weather was on the way.  It seemed like ideal conditions to get the deer out in the field eating before the storm. 

That's exactly what happened. We ended up with 18 deer in the fields.  Kristen and I waited for the bucks and they never showed up.  Leo, who already had his buck, went ahead and shot two does.  Shooting the first doe in the barn field didn't discourage other does - they just kept coming out to eat.

I sat in the driveway stand and watched 7 does come out, cross the driveway and go up to the turnips.  Kristen only saw one doe at the pond hi-rise.  Leo had 11 or so does in the barn field.

Of course, shortly after the evening hunt ended, the skies opened up again.  We decided to deal with Leo's does in the barn - dry and light.  First we had to go recover them and one of them needed a pistol dispatch (spine shot). 

You may be noticing a size difference between the two does.  Leo has a well-earned reputation as a Bambi-killer.   Think of it as veal or lamb.

One doe is a nice sized 98.9 pounds. 

The other one is a new property record - 37 pounder! 

 Between Thursday night and Friday morning, we got the buck caped and all the deer skinned and quartered.  Leo's mega cooler wouldn't hold it all but I had the shipping package from the elk that I received a few weeks ago.

I made a camera tour on Thursday and mostly had pictures of ourselves.  That's me. 

Dave looking for sign after his missed shot. 

Leo shortly before shooting his buck. 

Dave walking in from ridge stand. 

This is Dave, BB and me after collecting Dave's doe in the valley. 

Lots of turkeys on camera. 

A fox just above the spot where we recovered Kristen's doe. 

This is just one of the culverts running - normally a dry creek bed. We decided to sleep in Friday morning because the weather showed 100% chance of rain and 39 degrees.  When I finally got up at 7:30, the rain had stopped so I decided to go for a walk.  Everything was so soaked and the creeks were running so loudly that I could move thru the woods without detection.  I pushed two does out of the orchard as soon as I walked out of the barn.  I walked within 10 yards of three other deer in the woods.  Two does and a spike buck. By 10 am, the rain started again and the temps gradually dropped to freezing. 

 

We have had freezing rain all day turning to snow tonight.  I may go out to a stand this afternoon but it is probably wasted effort.  I doubt if anything will be moving in this mess.  The weather channel shows 5" to 9" of snow predicted at home in Mason. 



Thursday Mid-Day Report

Kristen had some does out below the pond hi-rise stand.  She waited for the buck until she was losing light and then she shot this doe.  She made a great shot and dropped her in the field. 

Swayzes take two deer today.

 

I didn't see much of anything in the main field.  Two does were on their way in after legal shooting light had passed. 

Kristen's doe weighed about 112 pounds field dressed - a nice size doe. 

The weather got warm so we put both deer in a Ranger and put some ice on them.

 

Dave got home with his doe and his processor was closed.  He hung it in his garage and will process himself. 

When we got up this morning it was 65 degrees.  Kristen and I went to stand and after about 1 hour the skies opened up.  By tonight it is supposed to be in the 30's with freezing rain and snow. 

We waited for a pause and ran in for breakfast. 

If this rain keeps up we're all going to be going crazy in this cabin. 

Kayla is perfectly happy though. 

Breakfast and then a nap - maybe for everybody.

Wed Mid-Day Report

On Tuesday evening, I had 4 bucks below the pond Hi-Rise stand.  One button buck, one four point, one decent six point, and a very respectable 9 point.  I elected to pass on the 9 pointer - tough call.  I had him out for 30 minutes and studied him.  I changed my mind 12 times.  I think I made the right decision.  One of the other hunters may get a chance at him tonight.

At last light, Kristen had 3 deer come into the turnips below the new Hi-Rise.  BB was sure that one was a nice buck.  It was pretty dark and Kristen didn't have her glasses on (sunglasses don't help).  She took a shot and appears to have had a clean miss.  Almost the same spot where Dave missed the night before.

This morning I hunted the ridge stand and didn't see anything.  BB hunted the valley and saw a small 4 point.  I got down at about 9:00 and walked the bottom up toward BB and Leo (in the Hi-Rise) in order to try to push something towards them.  At 9:15 Leo had a buck break out of the treeline and he had to spin from one window to another to get on it.  He didn't have time to get a rest and he took an offhand shot.

Leo watched the buck and he was hit but he ran across the driveway and down into the woods.  He found a good blood trail and we all came to help track.  We followed a good blood trail for 200 yards and then it just stopped.  We fanned out and looked and didn't see anything for quite awhile.

Then I spotted him right by the atv trail below the barn.  He's a nice 9 point but he had 3 broken tines. 

 Here's Leo with him.  He had made a good shot thru both shoulders and a lung.  Amazing how far he ran after being hit that hard.

He measured 18.5" spread. Has an interesting twisty G-2.

This is rumored to be the Xmas card picture this year.

Here's a trailcam of this buck on 11/21 with rack intact.

Same buck on 11/23 after losing a fight and having 3 tines broken. 

Gutting in process.

Final cleanup.

Tale of the tape - almost 156 pounds field dressed.

BB is taking an early flight tonight to avoid the ice storm.  He needs to be back for a wedding.

Tuesday Mid-Day

The evening hunt was pretty uneventful.  A couple of small does spotted.  At absolute last light, Dave took a shot at a doe and we never found any sign that it was hit.

My neighbor called me after he got home and read my note about the trespasser.  He apologized and told me he has rescinded the permission that he gave the guy to hunt his property.  He said that he clearly told the guy his boundaries and he disregarded his instructions.  We did hear some close by shots in the evening but I don't think they were on property.

In the morning, Dave shot a nice doe from the valley stand.  We also took a daylight look for the one he shot at the night before.  Still no sign of it.

There weren't nearly as many shots in the neighborhood this morning.

Dave is pretty skilled at this field dressing task. 

Gutted and hung. 

A new field dressed weight property record for a doe.

Kayla might have been getting a little cabin fever so she went out for a spin in this car and in the Ranger. 

This is our neurotic gun shy blond dog - Chloe.  She's wearing her thunder-shirt which is supposed to comfort her. Our black dog could care less.

Getting Ready for Gun Season

Dave and I making the camera tour on Sunday afternoon. 

Kristen, Leo and Kayla are hear to hunt. 

Sunday dinner - Kristen, Leo, Joan, Dave and BB. 

Nice 10 point been showing up in daylight recently. 

This guy lost a fight - broken G-2. 

Opening Morning

So there I am sitting in my new stand as day breaks.  I starting hearing some rustling.  Then I hear steps.  I look out my back window and there's a guy climbing up the stairs to my stand.  I wait for him to get eye level with me and I say "You're Trespassing".  Unbelievable.

He claimed that he thought he was hunting on my neighbor Rob's property.  He apologized and left.  That's when I noticed he wasn't wearing orange - head to toe camo.

About an hour later there was a shot just below the hi-rise pond stand.  It wasn't any of my hunters.  I went looking for the next trespasser and never found him.

After breakfast, I drove out to Rob's place to talk to him about his hunting guests.  Nobody home.  I left a note for him on his front door.

As I was pulling out, a guy was hanging out the trailer door across the street.  I went over to talk to him and he admitted to being the guy who climbed up my stand.  He said he didn't know anything about the other shot.  He acted like he was hunting alone but there were two cars in his driveway.

I told him not to trespass, that we had 6 hunters on the property, and that he was running the risk of getting shot by hunting without orange.  He didn't really have any explanation for himself.

Hope the rest of the week goes better.  Several deer sighted this morning - no shots taken by legal hunters.