Tuesday, November 15, 2017 am

Tuesday, November 14,  2017. am Sunrise 7:05 am Hunting opens 6:35 am. Temperature: 40 degrees. Wind- S 8-10 mph. Mostly cloudy. Foggy. Light sprinkle and the ground was wet from an overnight rain shower. I am back in Cannon Falls. Heidi got back from her NSM yesterday afternoon, and she was kind enough to let me go out and hunt this morning. I decided to give Spaghetti Junction a try. I was in my blaze orange, with my bow in hand, and in the stand by 6:20 am. I sat until 9:30 am in the misty rain. Nothing to report. Totals: 0 deer

Sunday, November 12, 2017 am

Sunday, November 12, 2017 am. Sunrise 6:50 am. Hunting opens 6:20 am. Temperature 32 degrees. Wind 0 mph. Partly cloudy. I stayed at Haag’s again last night after taking Charley to her first Badger game. Haag had to head back to Madison, so I was hunting solo. Haag suggested that I go back to the Renovation stand.  I brought my buck and doe silhouette decoys with me this morning. Before shooting light, I had one behind me to the east. At 8:00 am, I had a little 5-6 Point  buck to south. He came into food plot. It was just to the north of Paradise. He came in from the SW

And got to about 75 yards away. He they trotted off to the east. At 9:55 am, I had a medium sized doe come into the food plot to the south of me from east to west. She spotted my doe decoy and slowly fed her was over. When she got to 30 yards, she didn’t like that the decoy was not moving and she blew an spooked back in the direction she came from. Just as i was about to get down, had a coyote sneak through from the west about 20 yards to the south of me. Was unable to get a shot. That was it. Totals: Bob - 2 deer. 1 buck and 1 doe. 

Saturday, November 11, 2017 am

Saturday, November 11, 2017. am Sunrise 6:44 am  Hunting opens 6:14 am. Temperature: 24 degrees. Wind- S-SE 10-15 mph. Mostly cloudy. Drove over to Haag’s cabin last night. Got here around 9:00 pm. This morning I went to the Bermuda Triangle.   I sat until 10:20 am, and never saw a deer. Totals: Bob - 0 deer

Friday, November 10, 2017 pm

Friday, November 10, 2017. Pm. Sunset: 4:44 pm. Hunting closes: 5:14 pm. Temperature: 16 degrees. Wind- E-SE 10-15 mph. Mostly cloudy. I decided to go to the short ladder stand between TT and Black Diamond. I parked on the road and walked along the field edge. I did spook a deer on my way into the stand. I was ready to go by 2:15 pm. Nothing to report. Bob- 0 deer. 

Friday, November 10, 2017 am

Friday, November 10, 2017. am Sunrise 6:50 am  Hunting opens 6:20 am. Temperature: 11 degrees. Wind- E-SE 10-15 mph. Mostly cloudy. Frigid cold. I went to double D. At 7:55 am, I had a small doe come straight down the hill from the east. She got to witching 10 yards and bedded down. She hung around for 20-25 minutes. She then took off up the hill to the SW. I also heard and saw 8-10 turkeys. I could only sit until 9:15 because of work. Totals: Bob - 1 deer, 1 doe. 

Thursday, November 9, 2017 pm

Thursday, November 9, 2017. Pm. Sunset: 4:45 pm. Hunting closes: 5:15 pm. Temperature: 25 degrees. Wind- E-SE 10-15 mph. Mostly cloudy. I drove down to Copper and decided to sneak for a short sit. I parked on the road and cut through the corn. I was in the stand by 3:45 pm. At 4:55 pm, I heard something behind me to the SW. Two does came through the shooting lane a cautiously stepped out to the edge of the field. When they got out into the field, they got down wind of me and they both spooked off to the NW. Steve went to Lon’s gun stand and saw one small 5 pointer. Totals: Bob 2 deer, 2 does. Steve. 1 deer, 1 buck. 

Saturday, November 4, 2017 pm

Saturday, November 4, 2017 pm.  Sunset 5:51 pm. Hunting closes 6:21 pm. Temperature 42 degrees. Mostly cloudy. Damp. Wind: E-SE 10-12 mph. Heidi let me go back out tonight.  I decided with the wind to go to the Ridgeback. I was in the stand by 2:55 pm. I grunted and bleated periodically all afternoon to no avail. 0 deer. 

Saturday, November 4, 2017 am

Saturday, November 4, 2017 am. Sunrise 7:51 am.  Hunting opens 7:22 am.  Temperature 37 degrees. Mostly cloudy. Damp. Wind: E 10-12 mph. This is a first for me. It is the MN gun opener, and U am not down in Wisconsin bow hunting. It bums me out tremendously, but at least I am out in MN in blaze orange with a stick and string in hand. With an east wind, I am fairly limited as to where to go. I decided to give the ladder stand a try. I was ready to go at 7:05 am. I sat until 9:45 am, as I had to come in to relieve Heidi.  Nothing to report. Totals: Bob - 0 deer. 

Friday, November 3, 2017 pm

Friday, November 3, 2017. Temperature: 38 degrees. Wind- E-SE 10 mph. I snuck out to the ridgeback stand at 3:00 pm after a conference call for Work. I was all settled in by 3:15 pm. I was planning on sitting until dark, but Heidi got tied up with work and her MBA. She texted me at 4:20 pm and said that I had to get Charley. At: 4:30 pm, I heard something behind me to the SE. I spike buck walked up the hill straight to the stand. He ended up circling it to the south and ended up walking off to the west. I got down at 4:35 to get Charley. First bow season in MN...done. Nothing to show for it. Totals. Bob 1 deer, 1 buck. 

8 pointer

as my friend Bob would say, Whacko! Smoked a small 8 point this evening in Oklahoma sitting behind my house. Wind was perfect from the SE and at 6:15 had two does and two fawns come out to the corn pile. It’s legal to feed deer in Oklahoma. Not 5 minutes later they started looking back north and I heard a faint grunt. Then it became a little louder, here he comes looking for a girlfriend, or two. I didn’t have but a split second to decide whether or not to draw back or not. I haven’t shot a deer in a long time so I drew back and let the Mathews loose. 15 yards and double lunges. Done-so!

Goodluck in the woods and I have another buck tag in my pocket and there is a big boy lurking back there too. Drought is over!

Sunday, October 29, 2017 all day

Sunday, October 29, 2017 am. Sunrise 7:31 am.  Hunting opens 7:01 am. Sunset: 5:52 pm Hunting closes: 6:22 pm. Temperature 25 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind: Calm in am turned to S-SE 10-15 mph. A new stand to the north of Paradise food plot. At 7:40 am, I  had a doe fly through with a small buck chasing her. They were 30 yards to the north of me going east to west. At 8:10 am, I had a small fork horn buck come through on the same trail 25 yards to the north of me going from east to west. At 8:55 am, I had a doe come flying through to south of me. 30 seconds later another doe and fawn came through and stopped in the food plot then took off to the west. Nothing was following them though. At 9:25 am, I had another small spike buck come through 30 yards to the north of me going from east to west. At 12:25 pm, I saw a doe slowly feeding from east to west about 100 yards south of me. At 5:05 pm, I had a small 5 pointer come into the food plot from the west. Fed for a few minutes at 35 yards. He then turned and walked down the trail to the west of me heading north. He walked by at 8 yards. I got some great video. Once he got down wind of me, he sensed something wasn’t right and walked off to the NW. Totals: Bob - 8 deer, 4 bucks. No shooters. 

Saturday, October 28, 2017 All Day.

Saturday, October 28, 2017 am. Sunrise 7:29 am.  Hunting opens 6:59 am. Sunset: 5:54 pm Hunting closes: 6:24 pm. Temperature 34 degrees. Partly cloudy. Wind: W-NW 15-20 mph. I am still at Haag’s place. He directed me up to the NW Territory. At 8:20, 4 does came into the food plot from the north. They fed for about 10 minutes and walked off to the NW. At 2:45 pm, A doe ran through to the SW of me on the other side of mound. Nothing chasing her though. At 6:20 pm, a lone doe walked into the food plot to the west of me. She stayed out there until dark. Total: Bob - 6 deer. 6 does. 

Friday, October 27, 2017 All Day

Friday, October 27, 2017 am. Sunrise 7:27 am.  Hunting opens 6:57 am. Sunset: 5:57 am. Hunting closes: 6:27 pm. Temperature 39 degrees. Partly cloudy. Wind: W SW 7-10 mph. Eric Haag extended the offer and I readily accepted to hunt his place in Waushara county. I drove in last night and was up before my alarm this morning. Eric took me to the squirrels nest and he went up to the north of me. At 7:20 am, I heard something behind me to the west. I turned and there was a nice thick 2 1/2-3 1/2 year old 8 pointer walking towards me. I was unable to get turned around and get some video. He slowly walked off to the north. That was it all morning. At 12:45 pm, I decided to switch to a 2 person ladder stand closer to the cabin. As soon as I touched the ground , a deer took off to the north that was 80-100 yards away on the other side of the stream. I am pretty sure it was just moving on it’s own and that I did. It spook it. I was all set up in the ladder stand by 1:00 pm. The Amish builders were pounding away on Haag’s new house until 4:00 pm. I was hoping once they left, things would pick up. That was it. Totals: Bob - 1 deer, 1 buck. 

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Thursday, October 26, 2017 am. Sunrise 7:41 am.  Hunting opens 7:11 am.  Sunset: 6:11 pm. Hunting closes: 6:41 pm. Temperature 43 degrees. Partly cloudy. Wind: W SW 7-10 mph. I decided to start this hanging trip with one more sit in Cannon Falls. Heidi and I have been traveling a ton for work, so it was nice to have an evening alone as a family. I was planning on driving down to Copper Creek last night and then sitting all day, but if I ended up getting tempted down there by a nice buck, I would not be able to hunt with Haag this weekend. Also, the farmer to the NW was picking the beans last night, so I had a plan. I decided to go to Spaghetti Junction with both fold up decoys and hope that I could sneak in there before the does come in to bed mid morning. My theory was the bucks would then come searching for them after feeding all night. At 8:25 am, I looked to the NW and there was a medium sized doe feeding in the south corner of Arlie’s food plot about 50 yards away. After feeding for a few minutes, she trotted over and bedded to the west of me in the creek bottom. At 10:05 am, I heard something behind me to the SW, I turned around and it was a nice 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer. He had a bunch of cedar bark in his horns as he has been rubbing them hard. He circled to the south of me (up wind) about 50 yards out. I grunted to him, he looked up and saw my decoys and took off to the SE. He was not a shooter, but a nice buck. I am not sure if I have any photos of this particular buck. It is good to see them moving at mid day. At 1:45 pm, I looked to the NW and there was a small spike feeding along the edge of Arlie’s food plot. He ate for a few minutes and walked up the hill to the west. At 5:15 pm, the same spike came out into Arlie’s food plot again. He fed a bit and the walked up towards the Apple Tree stand. That was it. Totals: Bob - 4 deer. 3 bucks and 1 doe. 

Sunday, October 22, 2017 pm

Sunday, October 22, 2017. Sunset: 6:15 pm. Hunting closes 6:45 pm.  Temperature 72 degrees. Mostly sunny . Wind: W SW 10-15 mph.  We drove back from Wisconsin this morning. It is a little warm, but I just had to get out and hunt. I went to the Sugar Shack food plot. I decided to try “Stumpy” my one antlered decoy. I put him about 15 yards to the west of me. I was all ready by 4:00 pm. At 4:55 pm, I looked over towards the SE and I saw a beautiful mature 3 1/2 year old 8 pointer walking on the trail going from east to west. He slowly worked his way down the trail to the west. I grunted and bleated several times. I am fairly certain he saw the decoy, but he did not come over my way. After about 10 minutes, I lost him over by the VAT. At 6:30 pm, I looked over towards the west and there was a smaller buck in the VAT food plot. It was pretty dark and tough to tell how big he was. Totals: 2 deer. 2 bucks. 

Saturdat, October 21, 2017 pm

Saturday, October 21,  2017. Sunset: 6:11pm. Hunting closes 6:41 pm.  Temperature 72 degrees. Partly cloudy. Wind: N-NE 5-7 mph.  Heidi and I went to Madison today for the Badger game. We left with about 10 minutes left in the game, so I could get back and hunt tonight. I decided to go to TT and I was settled in by 5:05 pm. Steve dropped me off at the base of the hill down by the creek and he headed back up the valley to the south. I saw a tail on my way in and I bumped a deer or two on my way out. Steve didn’t see anything. Totals : Bob - 0 deer. Steve- 0 deer. 

Sunday, October 15, 2017 pm

Sunday, October 15, 2017. Sunset: 6:27 pm. Hunting closes 6:57 pm.  Temperature 53 degrees. Partly cloudy. Wind: W- NW 5-7 mph. I met Steve up at a brewery in Wayzata today to watch the Packer game. It was a terrible game and Rodgers went out with a broken collarbone. I left with 3 minutes left to go in the game so I could get back and hunt. I decided to go to the ladder stand on the edge of the border patrol food plot. I was ready to go by 4:40 pm. My hunt sucked as much as the Packer game. Nothing to report. Totals: 0 deer. 

Minnesota Bucks - First buck is really nice with a split G2 on his left side

Sunday, October 8, 2017 pm

Sunday, October 8, 2017. Sunset: 6:39 pm. Hunting Closes: 7:09 pm. Temperature 71 degrees. Mostly sunny.  Wind: S-SE 3-5 mph. We got back from a road trip to Lincoln, NE for the Badger football game.  Heidi was kind of spent so she let me hunt tonight.  It was great to get out in the woods.  I decided to give the Apple Tree a try.  I was all set up by 4:45 pm.  At 5:30 pm, there was a couple of does over in the Boarder Patrol Food plot.  They took off to the North.  At 5:45. pm, I had a small 5 pointer come in from over by the BP.  He walked though and hung out about 30 yards from the Stump Blind.  He eventually worked his way to the AT at the bottom of the hill and then came up the hill towards me.  He ate a few apples and then cam under the walnut tree and ate for 20 minutes.  I could have jumped on his back several times.  He ended up walking up the trail to the west.  At 6:00, I saw three does about 100 yards to the SE of me along the edge of the corn and bean field.  They fed to the north, but never got closer then 70 yards.  At 6:30 pm, I saw a coyote come in from the east, but he never got closer then 60 yards.  There eyesight is incredible.  At 6:45 pm, there was a small 8 pointer and a doe in the BP food plot.  They hung out there until dark and walked off to the south.  Totals: 8 deer, 6 does and 2 small bucks.  

Saturday, September 30, 2017 am

Saturday, September 30, 2017. Sunrise: 6:59 am. Hunting opens: 6:29 am. Temperature 59 degrees. Mostly sunny.  Wind: W-NW 2-3 mph. I made it down to Copper Creek last night. Mick and Steve came down as well. I tried to convince Steve to go out this morning, but he decided to sleep in. I went to double D up the valley to the south and then up yo the west. I bumped a bunch of deer on my way into the stand, but was all set up by 6:15 am. At 7:50 am, I heard something to the NE of me. I looked over and saw 3 does come over the ridge. They sensed something was not right and they ended up blowing a warning call and walked off to the west up the hill. They never got closer then 35 yards away. One was a huge doe but she never came close enough. At 8:00 am, I had a 2 does come from the south west behind me about 25 yards away. They stayed below me for about 15 minutes. They sensed something was not right and never offered me a shot. They ended up walking off towards the east. I ended up sitting until 8:45 am. That was it. Totals: 5 deer. 5 does. 

Big 9 and Split G2

Few more Minnesota Bucks

Minnesota Bucks

Sunday, September 17, 2017 am

Sunday, September 17,  2017. Sunrise: 6:53 am. Hunting opens: 6:23 am. Temperature 61 degrees. Mostly cloudy.  Wind: W-NW 5-10 mph. I decided to go to the ladder stand and Dwayne went to RF. I was in and set up by 6:00 am. At 8:00. Dwayne had 3 does underneath him. They were staring at him so he could not draw his bow back. So close. I sat until 8:50 am. Nothing. Totals: Bob - 0 deer. Dwayne- 3 deer, 3 does. 

Saturday, September 16, 2017 pm

Saturday, September 16, 2017. Sunset: 7:18 pm. Hunting closes 7:48 pm.  Temperature 72 degrees. Mostly cloudy. Humid.  Wind: W- SW 5-7 mph. Pretty cloudy this afternoon. Very humid. This hunt might get cut short because of a rain storm. I decided to go to the ladder east of the Muddy foot plot. Adam went to Pisa. We were both in by 4:40 pm. I did work up quite a lather on my way in. At 5:55 pm, I looked to the west and there was a big doe with 2 fawns feeding under the Apple Tree stand. I sure wish Heidi would have gone out. At 6:55, I looked over to the west and there was a beautiful 115-120" 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer directly under the AT stand. 10 yards broadside. I wish Heidi was out. At 7:03 pm, I looked over and there was another 8 pointer in the same spot. This guy was a little bit smaller. Totals: Bob - 5 deer, 2 bucks and 3 does/fawns.