In Memory Of

Three years ago today, I killed my first mature buck (and with a bow). He grossed 144" NT and net 127 4/8 P& Y. Shot him at 30 yards with my PSE Nova at 6:10pm. I was nearly sleeping in the tree when I heard what I thought was just more birds messing around in the leaves. He came right to me. It was unreal. I was set up off the edge of a field that had been disced in the summer and had just grown back with some nice green grass. This spot was also hot in November, as my buddy Joe and I had another encounter with a 4 year old. The conditions were right in that spot, but as for this year, things look very different. Trying to find a location to hunt a buck in the middle of October is very difficult. A person can somewhat predict where those bucks will be as the end of October and the beginning of November rolls around, but it's a night and day difference - those two or three weeks. At this point, it's still a matter of finding a food source where the deer haven't been disturbed yet. Then to set up just off of it in hopes to catch a buck staging or scent-checking. Hmm. There are a few hunches I have for the early morning that overlook a slew where I'm sure some deer go to bed, but how early are they getting back to bed up? The temperatures are finally starting to fall back down to where they need to be, but at this point it's still just gambling.

I got a phone call from my grandpa about an hour ago saying that he had heard they're going to be doing some logging up near our cabin on some state land. Interesting. This could do many things good and only a few negative. It could bump deer our direction during rifle season. It most certainly is good for the habitat - there are way too many mature trees up there and we need some diversity. It also could improve early archery season for 2011. It will be interesting to see if they're going to take cedar, popple, or some of both. This time of year, I'm sure it will be popple.

I'm taking Zach Johnson out with me tomorrow to film me. I'm hoping I can do the best educated guess possible.