Wednesday, October 31, 2012 pm

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 pm. Sunset: 5:54 pm.  Hunting closes: 6:24 pm. Temperature 48 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind NW10-15 mph.   I go down to Romance at about 12:30 pm.  I wanted to get a new stand up at the top of the hill at Romance above the goat prairie.  I had already marked a tree, so I just need to climb up there with a portable lock on stand.  It took a while and a lot of sweat, but I was able to get there in about 15 minutes.  On my way up, I kicked up two does.  As I was putting in the steps a , big coyote crested the hill to the north of me.  It took a minute before he saw me, but he took back off to the north.  After getting the shooting lanes trimmed out, I decided to give the area a rest and head back down.  If the wind is right, I will plan on sitting there all day.  I was back down at the house by 3:15 pm.  I grabbed a quick shower and was off to the box elder stand in the creek bottom.  On my way in a dragged a scent line from the south.  When I got to the stand, I dropped my gear and continued up to the field edge to the north with the drag.  On my way up, I kicked up a small 2 1/2 year old buck and they ran off across the field to the north.  I was able to climb into the stand and get settled in by 3:55 pm.  At 4:10 pm, I head something grunting to the east of me.  A 2 1/2 year old 7-8 pointer came through to the north of me.  He stopped in the brush to the north east of me (about 15 yards away), but never came out so I could get some video.   It was pretty quiet until 5:50 pm.  I could hear something to east east of me.  I thought that it was deer, but it sounded like they were splashing in water.  At about 6:15 pm, I heard a grunt and new immediately that is was some deer.   At 6:15 pm, I could hear them coming.  I had already stood up and was ready facing to the SW.   On cue, a mature doe came out from east about 15 yards to the south of me and ironically passed down wind of me undetected.  She passed though my shooting lanes; at 10-12 yards, fairly quickly as she had a nice 8 pointer (Cap't Hook) following her.  He stopped briefly in my shooting lane,, but I elected to pass as I could hear a much larger and louder deer coming.  When he stepped out, I knew that it was him.  It was "Raji."  He did not even pause.  Somehow he had lost sight of the doe and the other buck.  He ended up picking up the trail of my scent line that I had dragged in a he took off to the south.  I was furious.  I stood there waiting a light began to fade.  Just then, I heard him grunt and he was heading back my way to the north  I saw him coming and turned on the camera.  The first shooting lane that he came through on a steady walk, he was quartering towards me.  I had already made up my mind that I was going to draw when he walked behind the branch on the tree that I was hiding behind.  As I was coming to full draw, he spooked off to the west.  He was 10 yards away when he took off.  I am not 100% sure what happened.  Three things could have happened.  One, he could have seen me.  (not sure as he kind of just trotted off the the west and then stopped about 40-50 yards away.  Second, he could have seen the other buck and doe out in the field and he wanted to join them.  Or third, he caught a whiff of my scent wick and he took off past it.  Frustrating.  He was the largest deer that I have ever come to full draw on.  Hopefully, I will get a chance to redeem myself tomorrow.  Stay tuned.  The good news, is I have cell coverage up on the ridge, so I should be able to post my day fairly quickly after the hunt tomorrow.  So check back again tomorrow night.  Buck slayer Out.  Totals: Bob - 4 deer. 3 bucks and 1 doe. Two shooter bucks.

Monday, October 29, 2012 am, Sunrise: 7:36 am, Hunting opens: 7:06 am. Temperature 22 degrees, mostly sunny. Wind S-SW 0-5 mph.  Again I was out early this morning, arriving at Everest by 6:25 am.  I love getting there early in order to cool down.  It is crazy that you can be wearing a short sleeve shirt on a morning when it is 22 degree and work up a full blown sweating walking into the stand.  Those hills/bluffs are a killer.  At 7:25 am, I had a doe and two fawns come down off the hill from the north and walked 30 yards to the west of me.  Behind them, was a small 7 point buck.  He started chasing them and they wanted nothing to do with him so they took off to the west.  At 9:05 am, I saw a nice shooter buck walking across about 50 yards off the top of the ridge going from east to west.  I  know this much, that I need to get a portable stand higher up on the ridge.  I tried calling and raking the tree so sound like a buck making a rub, but he just kept on moving.  At 11:00 am, I looked down the hill and saw 2 does and 2 fawns down near Octopussy.  I am not sure what scared them (they were upwind of me), but one of the does started blowing and stomping.  They ended up heading back to the east.  I decided to get down at 11:30 pm, and get ready to head back to Minnesota from my hockey game at night.  I will plan on staying in Minnesota until Wednesday and then head back down to Wisconsin.  Totals:  Bob - 7 deer, 5 does and fawns and 2 bucks.

Sunday, October 28, 2012 pm. Sunset: 6:01 pm.  Hunting closes: 6:31 pm. Temperature 43 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind S-SW10-15 mph. I came in and watched the Packer game and went back out right afterwards.  This time I decided to give the north side a rest and went to the Recliner stand.  I was all set up with "Hairy" by 3:45 pm.  On my way into the stand, I did kick up a doe who was right next to the stand.  She ran up the hill to the SE.  At 5:30 pm,  I heard  the unmistakable sound of deer running.  I stood up and got ready.  Then I saw 4 does running down off the hill from south to north about 125 yards to the east of me on the other side of the ditch.  I was expecting to see a buck chasing them, but there was nothing.  At 5:45 pm, I heard a buck grunting to the south east of me.  I tried calling but nothing.  At 6:00 pm, I heard some grunting in the valley to the north of me.  Again, I tried calling, but it did not solicit a response.  At 6:15 pm, I had a doe and a nice shooter buck come off the hill from the south to the north again about 125 yards away on the pother side of the ditch.  He was running at full speed and did not respond to any calling either.  It was too bad, because none of the deer that I saw this evening ever saw "Hairy."  Totals: Bob - 6 deer, 5 does and 1 buck.

Sunday, October 28, 2012 am, Sunrise: 7:35 am, Hunting opens: 7:05 am. Temperature 23 degrees, mostly sunny. Wind North 5-10 mph.  This morning found me back up at the Sherpa stand.  I was in early this morning and was at the base of the tree by 6:25 am.  It was nice to be able to take off my sweaty shirt, towel off and cool down.  At 8:05 am, I looked back up the hill and saw a nice buck walking the ridge about 150 yards to the north of me heading from east to west.  I tried to grunt and rattle him down, but he wanted nothing to do with me.  At 10:30 am, I looked down the hill and saw 2 does walking along the field edge going from east to west.  I saw them stop and smell my scent trail, but they just continued on to the west and never came up the hill towards me.  At 10:45 am, I had a small 3 point buck come off the hill to the NW of me and head down to the S-SW about 80 yards to the west of me.  That was it.  Totals: Bob - 4 deer, 2 bucks and 2 does.

Saturday, October 27, 2012 pm

Saturday, October 27, 2012 pm. Sunset: 6:02. Hunting closes: 6:32. Temperature 43 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind S-SW10-15 mph. I came in to watch the Badger game and watched the first half.  I was back out in the stand by 4:00 pm.  This evening I took "Hairy" and went out to the boxelder tree in the creek bottom.  As I was dragging out a scent line tot he north field edge there were already 2 does making their way tot he field edge.  At 5:00 pm, I had a doe and 2 fawns come in from behind me to the east.  They ended up getting downwind of me and they kind of spooked back to the NE in the brush.  At 5:45 pm, I had a small doe come in from the east and she ended up to the south of me.  She was in the brush and when she saw "Hairy" she froze and began stomping her foot.  She ended up spooking as well back to the east.  At 6:15 pm, I had open doe on the trail to the north of me.  She was 60 yards away and saw "Hairy."  She ended up heading back into the field.  Totals: Bob - 5 deer, 5 does.

Saturday, October 27th, 2012 AM

Saturday, October 27, 2012 am, Sunrise: 7:34 am, Hunting opens: 7:04 am. Temperature 26 degrees, mostly sunny. Wind S-SW 5-10 mph.  I decided to try my luck at the Sherpa.  I was all set up by 6: 30 am.  It was a beautiful morning with very little wind to start.  At 8:10 am, I heard something coming across the hill from the east.  I grabbed my bow and picked up my binoculars.  It was a beautiful shooter buck about 40 yards across the hill from me.  I was hoping he would continue on the lower trail and would give me a perfect 20 yard broadside shot.  He kind of sensed something was wrong.  He finally wagged his tail, but turned and went up the hill.  He did stop at 34 yards and was broadside but in some brush.  I was hoping that he was going to step out.  Unfortunately, he had gotten downwind of me and smelled me.  That was it.  He blew and snorted as he worked his way up the hill to the NE.  I did get some video of him, but since he was locked in on me, it was tough to zoom all the way in on him.  I ended up sitting until 12:00 pm and then moved over to to Badger Hole.  I sat there until 1:30 pm and I got down to head in.  If the wind is right, I am going to give the creek bottom another try this afternoon.  I am planning on bringing "Hairy" the buck decoy with me.  Totals: Bob - 1 deer.  1 nice shooter buck.

Friday, October 26, 2012 pm

Friday, October 26, 2012 pm. Sunset: 6:03. Hunting closes: 6:34. Temperature 43 degrees. Mostly sunny. Wind N-NE 10-15 mph. After a nice morning sit at Romance, I decided to give Copper Creek a shot. I had to replace some gold tip screws on the north fort stand before I could get out and hunt tonight. I was still able to get settled in the new ladder stand out on birch point where Dan shot his nice 10 pointer during gun last year. I trimmed a few branches and was all set to go by 3:00 pm.  That was it.  I did hear one while I was walking to the Ranger.  When I got back to Romance I checked the camera.  Evidently, the neighbor had shot a nice buck on Wednesday.  They had been tacking it across birch point and down cherry valley.  We had several picture of the guys looking for the deer on the trail camera.  Lon called them after I got home and they told him that they finally found the buck on Friday morning.  Unfortunately, so did the coyotes.  There was really nothing left of the buck but the horns.  The worst part about it, is he shot "Farley" or his "Majesty."  He was the buck with four brow tines on his left and 12 on his right.  He was a 14 pointer.  What a bummer.  I guess this explains why I didn't see anything last night.  Now, I will have to focus on Romance for a few days.  Buck slayer Out!  Totals: Bob - 0 deer

Friday, October 26, 2012 am

Friday, October 26, 2012 am, Sunrise: 7:35 am, Hunting opens: 7:05 am. Temperature 32 degrees, mostly sunny. Wind N-NW 5-10 mph.  I decided to try my luck at Everest.  I was all set up by 6:40 am. At 9:00 am, I could hear a deer running down in the valley to the south of me, but it never came up the hill so I am not sure what it was.  At 10:20 am, I saw a big deer moving across the hill about 100 yards to the north of me moving from west to east.  Again, I could not see what it was, but I think that it was a buck.  I ended up sitting until 11:00 am, as I wanrt to get down to Copper and do some hunting there Totals: 1 deer, 1 ?.