Monday, November 19, 2012 pm

Monday, November 19, 2012 pm. Sunset: 4:36 pm. Hunting closes: 4:56 pm. Partly cloudy. Temperature: 50 degrees. Wind: S-SE 10-15 mph. After loading all of the bucks into the back of Don's truck we took off for Romance. I dropped off Dan at the south end of te property do he could hunt the creek bottom. I went up top. I had forgotten my safety harness so, I just sat next to a tree about 75 yards east of the stand on the ground. I was all set up by 1:55 pm. At 2:10 pm , 4 does came over the hill from the north running to the SE. There was a decent 8 pointer chasing them. He stayed on the ridge and the foes went down towards the valley. Five minutes later the same 4 does came back up the hill with a small 7 pointer following them. They all were within 60 yards , but there were no shooters. The does went back to the NW and the buck went off up the NE. Totals: Bob- 6 deer. 4 does and 2 bucks.

Monday, November 19, 2012 am

Monday, November 19, 2012 am. Sunrise: 7:03 am. Hunting opens: 6:33 am. Temperature: 38 degrees. Overcast and rainy. Wind: S-SE 3-5 mph. I went to the Hog back but didn't stay very log because it started raining. Dan and Steve ended up picking me up at 8:30 am since we were all wet. Totals: 0 deer

Sunday, November 18, 2012 pm

Sunday, November 18, 2012 pm. Sunset: 4:37 pm. Hunting closes: 4:57 pm. Temperature: 53 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind: N 3-5 mph. My brother Steve shot a beautiful 10 pointer that scored 148" net this morning on the north side of 171 on the new property from a seat on the ground. It was s 42 yard shot and he dropped him in his tracks. Well done. I hunted back to the south of circle road on the ground but did not see anything. Totals: Bob- 0 deer.

Saturday, November 17, 2012 am

Saturday, November 17, 2012 am. Sunrise: 7:04 am. Hunting opens: 6:34 am. Temperature: 22 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind: S-SW. Don and I spent the night at Romance. The rest of the crew stayed at Copper. I put Don at Everest and u went to the Ridge top portable stand. From sunrise to 9:20 am, I saw 16 deer with or being a decent 8 pointer. He was below me in the brush and I really didn't have much of a shot anyways. At 9:20 am, I heard Don shoot his 300 ultra mag. I called him on the Walkie talkie and he said that he had shot a nice mature buck that was chasing a doe down below him to the SW on the run. He new that he had hit him, but Don is color blind so I knew that he was going yo need dome help. By the time I got over to him, he was at the place where he had shot him. We were able to easily follow a short blood trail to his buck. When we got there, I immediately knew that he had shot "Raji." A perfect sot through the heart. He only went about 100 yards. I left Don with his buck ad walked out to get his truck. When I got back, I helped him finish field dressing him and we dragged him 40 yards to his truck. Nicely done Don! It was his first mature whitetail buck. Back at Copper my buddy Mike Halder scored on a beast from the Hog Back. At 7:30 "Stickers" a beast of a 14 pointer was shot by him. He green scored typical 180" gross. What an awesome start to the 2012 gun season. I went to the Badger game so I didn't hunt in the afternoon. I did hear from Lon that he found my bow buck from Tuesday. Unfortunately, the coyotes had found it too. I had made a good shot on him (1 lung/liver) and he only had gone about 100 yards from where we has laat lost the blood. I did get some photos of him and took the horns for a European mount. Totals: Bob 16 deer, 1 buck. 2 mature bucks down by our group.

Wednesday, November 15, 2012

Wednesday, November 15, 2012. Today Jim and I went to look for my buck. We started at 7:00 am and sue joined in to help with the search around 9:0 am. We found one small spot of blood about 40 yards from where I had lost it last night. That was it. We looked everywhere and walked al the hillsides until 12:30 pm. I must have just got one lung and liver. It totally sucks! That was the first animal that I have shot and not recovered since 1995. I guess I will need to start a new streak. Gun season opens on Saturday. I will be looking to make amends for my mistake. Good luck to all this fall. Buckslayer out

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 pm

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 pm. Sunset 4:35 pm. Hunting closes: 5:05 pm. Temperature 34 degrees. Wind: S-SE 5-10 mph. Mostly sunny. I got back down to Wisconsin at 11:00 am. I just had a feeling that the farm at Copper Creek had the potential to pay off. I ended up at Dan's ladder stand off the north side of birch point. Lon was kind enough to drop me off up top and when I was getting dressed up top a nubbin came out of the field and watched us. I laid a scent line from the west and climbed up into the stand. It didn't take long. All of a sudden all hell broke lose. I had a doe being chased by three smaller bucks coming from the NE and going to the south about 100 yards to the east of me. Five minutes later a doe, with 3 shooter bucks came flying through in the same area. They crested the hill and ran around on the opposite side of the hill to the south of me. Two minutes later they all came back over the hill. They got to within 25 yards but it was complete chaos. I tried to find the biggest one, but they all took off in seconds after the doe back to the NE. I did get some video. Five minutes later a doe came from the west of me and a a small 8 pointer was following her. He came through the shooting lane to the north of me, but he was too small. Wow!! An absolute incredible experience. At 2:00 pm, I heard something behind me to the SW. It was a really nice 3 1/2 year old 9-10 pointer. He was south of me but I got some video of him but had to video all around the tree in order to get him. I ended up turning a complete 360. When I got to the other side, I determined that he was worth shooting if he presented a good shot. He was 30 yards to the west if me, but he was quartering away. I decided. That's I would let him go. He then turned and came to the NW of me and was heading towards my shooting lane at 15 yards. I quickly changed my mind and determined he was worth taking. I drew before he got to the shooting lane nd stopped him as he was walking through. I settled my pin and let him have it. It felt like I hit him great vertically, but was a bit further back than I wanted. I still heard ribs as the arrow went through him. I was sure of a lung/ liver. I sat until 2:30 pm, and then snuck down to see if I could find my arrow. I was able to find it right away and it looked really good. I got out of there to the south and walked down around circle road and up to the new house. I met mom and then called dad on the Walkie talkies. We determined that he should keep hunting till 4:00 pm, them get down to come help me. We got up top at 4:10 pm. We found blood right away and did not have much trouble following it across the hill to the NW. At about 200 yards he bedded down. He must have not been down very long as he got up and started bleeding again right away. He ended up on the logging road again and crossed it to the west. He went around the hill to the south. We were running out of light ad Lon went back up to get the ATV. He drove it down the hill to meet us and brought along the lantern. Thank God. I went back after him to the south. He bedded down again on the west facing slope. He got up again and continued to the south. I ended up losing blood after close to 500 yards. Frustrating. I will be back at it looking for him in the morning. Stay tuned. Buckslayer out. Totals: Bob- 11 deer, 8 bucks and 3 does. 4 shooter bucks.

Saturday, November 10, 2012 am

Saturday, November 10, 2012 am. Sunrise: 6:50 am. Hunting opens: 6:20 am. Temperature 49 degrees. Mostly cloudy. Wind: E-SE 10-15 mph. This morning, I decided to give Theron's stand a try. I was pleased that I was able to walk directly to the stand in the dark as I have yet to put out the reflective pins to help mark the trail. I did run a short scent line on the main trail to the north of me and I put out a couple of scent wicks. I was up in the stand and ready to go by 5:45 am. At 5:50 am, I had two deer run through the valley to the north if me going from west to east. Obviously, it was too dark to see what they were. At 6:20 am, I had a nice shooter buck come through the valley about 70 yards to the north of me going from west to east. I grunted to try and get him to come up the hill but he just kept going. At 6:45 am, I heard a buck grunting and chasing a doe up in the field to the north if me. He was chasing her from east to west. I was never able to see what he was. At 9:10 am, I heard two deep grunts to the SW of me up the hill. They seemed fairly close. I grunted back and even did a light rattling sequence, but he never came down off the hill. At 9:30 am, i heard two more grunts to the SW of me up the hill. I grunted back, but he just would not come down. That was it. Totals: Bob 1 deer, 1 buck.

Friday, November 9, 2012 pm

Friday, November 9, 2012 pm. Sunset 4:48 pm. Hunting closes 5:18 pm. Mostly cloudy. Temperature 49 degrees. Wind E-SE. I drove back down from Wisconsin this morning. I had to stop at Romance to drop off the dogs and pick up my gear. I got down to Copper Creek around 1:00 pm. Lon an Sue were working with Jim building some new roads with the bulldozer so I had to use the company car to get me up top. The roads are in pretty good shape with lots of water bars, but I was able to make it up top. I decided to hunt up on the goat prairie, and I could here Jim and Lon working to the south of me. I was all set up by 1:45 pm for the evening sit. At 3:20 pm, after an aggressive rattling and grunting sequence, a nice tall 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer started to work his way uphill from the west of me. He stayed on the lower trail, but just didn't want to come up to the goat prairie He ended up walking to the south and around the base of the hill. He wasn't a shooter buck anyways, but it was nice to see. I did get some quick video of him through the brush. At 4:05 pm, I saw a small buck heading down the hill towards the NW about 100 yards to the SE of me. I just got a quick glimpse of him through my binoculars. That was it. Totals: Bob - 2 deer, 2 bucks. No shooters

Thursday, November 8, 2012 am

Thursday, November 8, 2012 am. Sunrise 6:50 am. Hunting opens: 6:20 am. Temperature 30 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind: W-SW 5-10 mph. This morning found me again up on top at the Ridgetop stand. I was at the base of the tree nearly an hour before the hunting opener. That was good since I wanted to run some scent lines and I needed to cool off. At 7:55 am, a big doe came up the hill from the south. She passed through both shooting lanes to the south and south east. She ended up on top of the ridge and walked off to the east. At 8:40 am, I saw a big doe about 40 yards down hill of me moving from east to west. I tried calling to her, but she just kept going. At 7:45 am, a doe came over the hill from the NW. She walked through all the shooting lanes to the SW, S, and SE at about 15 yards. I was hoping a buck would be following her, but no such luck. I saw some movement uphill to the NW and it was a grouse sitting I. A brush pile. Pretty cool to see as there are not a lot of them around here. At 9:25 am , I had a small buck home up the hill towards me from the SW. He got to 20 yards and turned and walked to the east. I did get some good video. At 9:30 am, a saw another buck come up from the south heading north about 60 yard to the east of me. It may have been the same buck that I had seen a few minutes earlier. I stayed until 11:15 and then I got down n headed in. Totals: Bob - 5 deer, 3 does and 2 bucks.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012. Sunset: 4:48 pm. Hunting closes: 5:18 pm. Temperature: 42 degrees. Partly cloudy. Wind: N-NW 3-5 mph. I drove down this morning from Minnesota and arrived at Romance around 11:00 am. I checked the weather, made a sandwich and grabbed a quick shower. I was all set up in the creek bottom Box elder stand by 11:45 am. I dragged in a scent line and set up "Hairy" about 10 yards to the NW of me in the trail. I am excited to be back out as today celebrates my 20th year of bow hunting. I shot my first buck with a bow 20 years ago today in Marquette county in central Wisconsin. I have been addicted ever since them. It was a nice day, and I hopped to catch a big boy cruising the willows in the creek bottom looking for a receptive doe. We will just have to wait and see. I was a little upset as my parents neighbor to the west was doing some chainsaw work to the west of me about 200 yards on the other side of the creek. He was only there for about 30 minutes before he shut it down which was nice. Then he came back and I watched him put up a pop up blind right underneath the tree that he had been cutting on. It is too bad since this now takes away the skit to the west with a rifle. At 12:25 pm, I heard some noise to the SE of me. It was a deer that was trotting through the swamp grass, but it was too thick to see what it was. Unfortunately, it never came out and showed itself. At 3:05 pm, I had a doe come down the trail from the south. She got to within 20 yards of Hairy and stopped. She stood there for a minute staring at him. She finally stomped her foot and turned around and went back towards the south. She went 50 yards and turned in towards the west on one of the trails through the willows. That was the last that I saw of her. At 3:40 pm, I looked behind me to the NE and saw a doe coming along the edge of the ford towards me. She was being followed by 3 more does. They got to within 35 yards when they finally spotted Hairy. They did not like what they saw and they all took off back to the E-NE. Totals: Bob - 5 deer, 5 does.

Saturday, November 3, 2012 am

Saturday, November 3, 2012 am. Sunrise: 7:44 am. Hunting opens: 7:14 am. Partly cloudy. Temperature 38 degrees. Wind: E-SE. Today found me back on top at the Ridge top portable stand. I was in early this morning and was at the base of the tree 50 minutes before shooting light. I laid a scent trail from the east on top of the hill back towards my stand. Taylor went to Sherpa and Lon was in the portable on the hillside below me. At 8:20 am, I heard a doe mewing below me to the SW. I mewed back and grunted as well but nothing came up the hill towards me. At 8:35 am, I heard something behind me to the NW. I looks over my shoulder and there was a nice 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer standing in the brush 35 yards away. He is a different 8 pointer than I saw yesterday. He ended up heading down the hill to the NE.  I had to get to Mankato for the MSU vs. UM hockey game with Heidi and her parents, so I had to get down at 9:45 am.  Totals:  Bob - 1 deer, 1 buck.

Friday, November 2, 2012 all day

Friday, November 2, 2012 all day. Sunrise: 7:43 am. Hunting opens: 7:13 am. Temperature: 23 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind: N-NW. This morning found me again back up in the Ridge Top portable stand. On my way in, I had deer running all around me. I was able to get in early again and was all set up 30 minutes prior to the opener. That was good because it didn't take long. At 7:15 am, I heard something behind me to the NW. Then came a doe with another for behind her. Then came a decent 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer. With all the eyes and ears around, I was not able to capture any video. Then, a small 1 1/2 year old 4 to 6 pointer stepped out. Both bucks ended up following the first doe that had come in, and didn't bother to pay attention to the other doe. The doe and bucks ended up heading back over the hill towards the NW. The other doe ended up browsing down below me to the south. She ended up as close as 8 yards down wind of me but she never spooked. While this was going on, two more does came over the hill to the north of me. They both got to within 15 yards of me and also browsed and smelled my scent wick. Finally, at 8:30 am, the three does that were still left, departed over the hill to the north. At 9:15 am, I heard something to the NE of me. I then saw a doe on the ridge about 75 yards away. She bedded down for about a minute. Then I heard something behind her. It was a beautiful split brow buck. I think he is an 11 pointer. I looked at the video and it is "Raji."  I did get some decent video of him. The doe ran across the hill to the west to about 50 yards away and the she dropped over the hill to the north. The buck followed her. They ran around on the other side of the ridge just to the north of me, but never got close enough for a shot. At 9:25 am, a nubbin buck came over the hill to the NE of me. Instead of following the buck and doe, he came right down towards me. He got to within 6 yards of the base of my tree to the east. He ended up hanging around for a while and finally left to the SE. That was it until 5:00 pm. I looked up to the NE and a big doe had just come over the hill from the north. She walked into about 50 yards on my scent trail but the blew an spooked back to the east. At 5:15 pm, I had a 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer come in from the NW of me. He slowly worked his way down to the SW of me. I was able to get some pretty good video of him too. He ended up turning around and heading back to the north and over the hill onto the neighbors.  At 5:50 pm, I did hear another buck grunting to the SW of me, but he never came up the hill towards me.  Totals: Bob - 11 deer. 7 Does and fawns and 4 bucks.  (1 shooter "Raji")

Thursday, November 1, 2012, All day

Thursday, November 1, 2012 All day. Sunrise: 7:42 am. Hunting opens: 7:12 am. It was a long steep climb to the new Ridge Top portable stand. I love the location and if it pays off, I plan on building a permanent stand there next summer. I was at the base of the stand by 6:25 am. Before i climbed in, I put down a short scent line and some scent wicks to the NE and NW of me. It took a while to get dressed an cooled down, but I was up in the stand and ready by 6:45 am. As I was getting ready I heard footsteps to the north of me. I saw a silhouette of I think a coyote. At 8:30 am, I could hear a buck grunting to the south of me moving from west to east. He was probably 75 yards down the hill, but I couldn't see him. I tried to grunt back to see if he would come up the hill but to no avail. At 12:05 pm, I looked to the NE and there was a big doe that had just come over the top of the hill about 50 yards away. She heard a buck grunt to the east and she took off after it on a slow trot. At 12:10 pm, I heard another grunt down to the SW of me. I grunted back but nothing. At 3:45 , I heard something to the SW of me. It was a big doe. Behind her was Captain Hook. She stopped in the brush 30 yards away. He got behind her and smelled if she was ready. He then proceeded to mount her. I got some great video. They ended up going back to the west. Damn. Another close encounter. At 4:05 pm, I heard something to the north of me. It was another big doe at 15 yards. I saw some movement and there was another smaller buck to the NW of me and straight west of her. She went back down the hill to the north and he followed her. At 6:00 pm, I had a doe sneak through to the SE of me. She was heading to the east.  At 6:10 pm, I had a nice 2 1/2 year old 7 pointer come in.  He was 7-10 yards away and had no idea that I was there.  He ended up circling the stand and I got a lot of great video.  Totals: Bob - 3 bucks and 4 does.