The Hunting Times

Davey got permission to go out tonight, so I picked him up at 3:30 pm.  We went back to Marshall's S farm since we are seeing deer there. Davey dropped me off at the S property line on the W end.  He drove back around to the square woods and set up a chair in the middle of the woods - where the deer ran through earlier today. I walked W to E and sat on the S side of the swamp.  I kicked nothing out of the SW woods or the swamp when I walked in.  We sat until sunset, at which time I walked W through the swamp to try and push anything out to Davey.  No dice.  There was nothing in the swamp. I then walked N along the E property line and sat until dark at the NE corner - Davey, at this point, has started walking S out of the woods. And then the deer appear.  Ten of them.  All feeding from the W to the E at the W end of the swamp.  If I would have stayed there, I would have my pick of which deer to shoot. Well, this does not sit well with Davey.  There are still 5 minutes wort

I picked up Davey at 6:35 am.  There was snow on the ground.  It was 34 F with wind out of the NW. We drove to Marshall's S farm and set up a bit different.  Davey went to the S side of the top / square woods and I walked to the N of the swamp. We sat until about 9, when Dave saw deer running through the woods at Mach 2.  They came from the NW and ran out the SE.  He was hoping they would come to me.  They did not.  They continued E and ran off Marshall's property to the NE. We did hear some shots this morning.  Four to be exact.  Sounded like 2 guys took 2 shots each.  None of those shots were from us. But hey, we saw deer.  We called it at 10 am and drove into Hoops for some breakfast. Text I sent to RePhil about how we're doing hunting this morning.   Looking S at the swamp with fresh snow.  Still a bit dark, but certainly legal light. Looking back to the NW at the square woods on top. Davey is on that S side somewhere. The deer never ran b

I met RePhil out at the golf course.  Ken (owner) was there working on sprinkler controllers.  Ken said he had run a doe off earlier in the day, but witnessed deer squirting out of 16 to 4.  Our plan was now taking shape. It was 46 degrees F when we arrived at our spots by 4 pm.  RePhil was overwatch on Hole #15.  I went N and sat along the fence at Hole #12. About sunset, I started walking the woods along Hole #16.  It was thick.  But ne'er any deer did come out.  We returned to the truck at dark to celebrate the season with a brewski. And so ends RePhil's firearms season. Nice evening, out of the wind.  Kinda wet and misty.

Well for the 20th of DEC, it's hard to beat 46 degree weather.  The wind laid down a bit as well, only blowing at 10 mph. I picked up Alex and we met RePhil at the Golf Course.  Alex took over watch on Hole #5, RePhil sat on the Jenkins line overlooking the bowl of Hole #15, and I took the N side of the property, along Hole #14. And we sat.  The only action we saw were squirrels - which we each saw multiple of them.  I did have a walker come strolling through.  He and his dog popped up on Hole #13's green.  I moved out so they could see me and they turned around.  They walked S down Hole #17 and then I lost them.  No one else saw them on the course. We did, however, get to see one awesome sunset (well, Alex and I did.  RePhil was in the bowl).  This is Alex's last shot at getting a deer this year as they leave for his family's Christmas gatherings. We celebrated his end of the season with one of our sponsor's beers.  Thanks Leinenkugel! The sun starting

I picked up Alex at 3:30 pm.  We drove out to the golf course.  There was some rain earlier today, so the humidity is on the high side.  The temps hover around 40 F and the wind is down to 8 mph. Alex decided he wit sit over watch on Hole #15's tee box.  I decided to sit down in the bowl on Hole #4.  We were both in place by 4 pm. At 4:30, I looked N due to noise and saw two racks coming S, directly at me.  I cocked my muzzle loader and turned to face them.  The smaller buck saw me and both deer came to a screeching halt.  At this point, both deer are in the woods.  I can see the smaller buck, but cannot see the big one.  I wait, watching the smaller one in my scope.  He is nervous, but he cannot see me - his head is behind a tree.  He starts to stamp his front leg.  He is on the verge of bolting.  Decision time. Do I take the tough shot in the woods on a broadside deer, or do I wait it out.  Maybe if I miss I can scare them back to Alex.  I fire.  And all I see is smoke. T

I picked up Davey at 6:45 this morning.  It is a warmer day, like 34 F and the wind is down to about 10 mph.  We drove out to Marshall's S farm in the dark. I dropped Davey off at the W edge and he set up along the creek - covering E, N, and most of the S (the exception being the property line which is too far to even see).  I drove around the N and parked.  I then walked E and S to the swamp. It was still not legal shooting light when I came around the last point before the swamp, and promptly scared off two deer.  Mind you, I never saw them, I just heard the snorts and the loud crashing as they pushed SE through the swamp and off property. That would be all we would see for the next three hours.  We walked out and met Harold by my truck.  He needed a ride to the N farm, which we gladly provided.  He said we now have permission to hunt next year. My view of the swamp - facing almost due S

Alex and I got up early to head out into the 20 mph wind.  It was 24 F.  Not a great time to be climbing a deer stand unless you are dressed like Bob Gregory's kid (if that reference is too vague for you, think Randy, Ralphie's little brother, in A Christmas Story). Alex walked N onto Neal.  I walked E to the bottoms on Marshall's N farm.  At least I would be out of the wind!  I had not gone 100 yards when I saw what I thought might be a young deer coming across the field.  Nope, the gait is wrong.  It's a coyote.  Nope, I hear a dog.  Must be a dog.  Wait, the dog is in the yard.  It IS a coyote.  No shot as it was too close to the house.  It winded me and bolted.  I continued on down the road. This coyote, however, wanted to go S really bad as I caught it again trying to sneak around Harold's implements on the other side of the house.  It saw me again, and that was the last time the two of us would meet today.  Again, no viable shots.  And all this excitement

Me, Davey, and RePhil drove out to Nebraska and met Phil's son Aaron (A-A-Ron) there.  We stayed in a luxurious cabin owned by Kent Burget.  Trust me, it was awesome.  We hunted pheasants for 2.5 days and ducks for 0.5 days.  And it was COLD.  The warmest day got up to like 23 F.  Brrr. We had a blast.  Not a lot of birds died, but we would go back tomorrow.  My iPhone said we walked just short of 15 miles.  RePhil's FitBit said we did almost 17.  Regardless, walking in the high CRP grass while chasing dogs, it FELT like we had walked 40 miles! As usual, I am creating My Secret Public Journal of the trip.  This is a PowerPoint presentation with all of the photos and my recollection of what happened on the trip (yes I do keep a daily written record in my journal as events unfold).  I do this so that we can remember all of the trips we have taken.  They are fun to go back and watch again even.  Please note that these slide shows represent what I want them to represent.  It

Back from vacation.  Muzzle loader still not shot in.  Shame on me.  Ran some errands in town (Christmas shopping) and then sighted in muzzle loader.  Took 5 shots and had to adjust scope. Headed off to golf course at 4 pm with Alex.  We walked out to our posts at 4:24.  I heard the first shot at 4:25.  Sadly it was not either one of us, but someone was at least out hunting.  Alex posted over-watch on Hole #5.  I walked out 18, down 13 and posted on the tee box of Hole #15.  We sat until dark.  I never even saw a squirrel, let alone a deer.  Alex at least saw one opossum. It was chilly this evening - about 24 F, but the wind was blowing between 15 - 20 mph from the SW.  Hey, the odds improve greatly of shooting a deer if you are actually in the woods... Over watch on the tee box of Hole #15 Sun going down as I walk out