Waxing & Waning

The last two weeks have really taken off with buck activity. The evening of my last post was the beginning of seeing mature bucks at the cameras. I got a series of pictures on three different cameras of the same four year old 10 point buck. From the first camera to the third was nearly a mile and a half in a somewhat straight line. They are on the move. On the night of the 22nd, I got a few other pictures of mature bucks. That night, the 25th, and the 30th, 31st, 1st, and 2nd were all great nights of getting good bucks cruising for does.

I got one picture the morning of the 2nd that was a 4 or 5 year old 10 point 2 minutes behind a doe. Both of they're mouths were open as if they had been running quite a bit. She had some darkened tarsals, and his neck was pretty swollen. Some of the three year olds have been very visible. I've caught a wide 9 point nearly once a day between the three or so cameras I have out. I need to put out two more soon, but I need to figure out where.

Rifle season starts tomorrow. Last year's Minnesota season was cut short in order to get to Alberta. This year, I'm anticipating some action in the deep woods. Morning, midday, and evenings are going to be crankin' once the 10th, 11th, & 12th hit. That seems to be the magical period when the bucks are chasing during daylight. So my plan is to catch a big one back in the timber. I'll worry about dragging it after I drop him in his tracks. No binoculars, no worrying about the cape, no excuses. There's no reason I can't get at least a three year old and two does.

Lastly, I've watched the territorial rubs come alive in the last few days. the 2nd and 3rd were some of the first I noticed. I put my camera back in the swamp of the west. I can't wait to check it in two weeks. I can't wait to bow hunt that edge.

The moon was full on the 2nd, and is new on the 16th. The weather has been great, but we're expecting a warm weekend (55-60) then getting nasty again later in the week. I'm rolling up my maps, grabbing my calls, and checking on the wind. We're going to have a great season.