2017-18 Live from the tree

My view for the evening. Very little activity in my area. No deer seen by my group. Only couple inches of snow but it’s melting.

Not really in the tree but within 35 yards of it.

First sit on the clover plot at my parents. Hopefully the gun hunters have pushed some bucks up into the neighborhood. It’s sort of the whole strategy when hunting here. One of the mock scrapes I made yesterday was already hit so the plan may be coming together!

Very quiet in 179. One doe for 12 people and not too many seen. Only a handful of shots yesterday. Neighbors shot Bambi yesterday.

Day 10 and the last day of my hunt

Just had a 4 pt come by other than that been slow..
I’m hunting the quiet side of the river

When I bow hunted Wisconsin in high school we would always sit along the river to listen to what sounded like a war zone in MN on the opener.
DT

Pretty quiet so far on day 2. Just a fork so far. Sat all day Saturday. Saw two small bucks and a doe with two fawns twice.
DT

deertracker wrote:

When I bow hunted Wisconsin in high school we would always sit along the river to listen to what sounded like a war zone in MN on the opener.
DT

I heard a grant total of 28 shots yesterday. That’s it. Normally I’d have heard that many in the first 10 minutes of the season and then holy war about 11 on both opener weekend days when the drives start. Darned little shooting, only saw 5 does all day and then the 10 point in the picture.

I got woke up at 1:15 this morning with full blown A-Fib but still went down with the crew. I came back home after finding the heavier clothes too much stress. It was raining to boot. The bonus tag can wait until mid week not if I decide I really want to make that much more sausage and jerky.

We came across a small buck that someone hit with a car a block from home this morning so we called it in and got the receipt, and the deer. On my way home from the hill this morning I saw 5 bucks in fields, not a doe in sight. Three were really nice, large bodied ducks together running across a picked cornfield like the devil was chasing them. Another was very big 10 point at the end of a corn field about twenty feet from the drivers door. He stood there totally unconcerned….until I rolled the window down for a pic.

In for an hour to eat and back at it but in a different stand. Only one small buck this morning.
DT

Live from the base of the tree…

I got out to my parents for a quick sit and my dad was sitting in my stand, what a way to start! Jumped in my truck and started checking public land till I found an area not covered in orange. We’ll see how this goes on the ground wearing orange!

I’ve been neglecting my own thread. Been hunting NW MN since the gun opener. Up until last night I was only seeing maybe 4 deer a day which is weird for me. Last night they came out of the woodwork. Seen 12 to 15 deer with small bucks chasing does. I saw a buck chasing two does and a fawn trying to keep up. All I can think was the mother was being chased. Never seen that before. Someone else in camp also saw a small buck chasing two does and was then confronted and run off by another medium sized buck. Been trying to get my 10 year old his first deer. He was shooting great all summer but has missed 2 deer. His trigger press and rest has been good so not sure what is going on.
DT

Nice sunrise but quiet so far.

I got a late start this morning, so I went for a drive around the country side. After stopping to b.s. with a farmer I helped a couple times in middle school, I now have access to two more farms! After a quick walk I abandoned my original plan for the afternoon, and quick hung a stand for a sit. I can’t wait to do some more scouting come shed season, it looks amazing! Hopefully I can stick an arrow in one this afternoon!

Sounds like you made up for a possible wasted morning.
DT

Lots of deer moving last night. Saw my biggest buck of the week but still not a shooter. Very hopeful for tonight.
DT

Picked up a bit yesterday afternoon. Doe and fawn and a basket 6 came in 30 minutes after getting to the stand. We are still seeing lots of fawn with does including one fawn still feeding from Mom. Also have at at least two wolves running around in the last week. Maybe a sign of deer not here. One big black one on camera two different spots different days.

Where about are you hunting? We had a black wolf on camera two years ago in NW MN.
DT

deertracker wrote:

Where about are you hunting? We had a black wolf on camera two years ago in NW MN.
DT

Grand Rapids. Picture is daytime so very clear. Other two were from 4am. I’ll get photo tonight.

Definitely causes some pucker factor walking to/from in dark.

ScottPugh wrote:

Picked up a bit yesterday afternoon. Doe and fawn and a basket 6 came in 30 minutes after getting to the stand. We are still seeing lots of fawn with does including one fawn still feeding from Mom. Also have at at least two wolves running around in the last week. Maybe a sign of deer not here. One big black one on camera two different spots different days.

I recall something similar a few years ago when we had low deer numbers. The deer and wolves would do a bit of a dance. Wolves move in. Deer move out. Wolves move out. Deer move in.

We have land up by meadowlands and the deer won’t leave with the wolves, but they use all the brush/security cover to it’s fullest. Movement all but stops and they are way more aware of their surroundings. Deer are sneakier and more like Ninja’s when wolves are around. One tip with wolves and deer, hunt around camps or homesteads, wolves don’t like those areas as much and deer know it.

Another day and another sit!

Only my 4th sit at home this year. Trail cams showing very little activity, but it’s November, a guy has to be in a tree.

Late report from Saturday / Sunday…

On Saturday night I had a doe hang around for 10 minutes trying to figure out what I was. She was within 20 yards at one point. Snuck in behind me (downwind) and didn’t really care I was there. She checked out my mock scape which was a 1st for me. Was hoping for horns behind but no such luck.

Cousin had a Doe / Buck do the deed Sunday AM. Doe walked off but the buck layed down to rest (don’t blame him). Cousin couldn’t tell what it was through the branches until it got up after 30 minutes. He had been on hoof at night the last week.

Picture of the nursery I’m sitting in. Seen 6 fawns, one spike buck so far today. Hope Daddy shows up at daycare soon.

Out in the heavy mist this afternoon. Not exactly the most enjoyable sit, but you can’t kill one on the couch! A few of the scrapes have very fresh sign more than likely during the day today. This is the first fresh buck sign I’ve seen since about the start of first gun season. I was starting to wonder what was going on.

First sit of the WI season was a bust for me. (no data on phone so my reports are after the fact)

I saw what I assume were the most severely diseased deer I’ve ever seen. 4 of them wandered through 2 min after shooting light and seemed to have no clue I was there or where they were going, and they were all blaze orange. One hung around like 100yds away for most of the morning just sitting next to a tree……I guess that’s expected on public land. Other than the other hunters I didn’t have any movement other than squirrels and a shrew,

Windy as hell and cold, hope the deer head to the standing corn 75 yards down wind of me.

More small does and Fawns. And since my dad shot a small buck and gifted to me for sausage I was holding out for Mr. Big. He never showed up. This yearling in the video busted me changing the propane bottle in my buddy heater.

Absolutely amazing to see a sunrise like this on a 20 degree day!