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.