November's End

Today closes the chapter on the best hunting month of the year. There will still be one last wave of second rut activity between the 8th and 12th of December, trailing off by the 18th altogether. I learned some valuable things this hunting season, that I will really try to capitalize on next year. I'll get to those in a minute. I followed my gut and finally hung a camera up on the snowmobile trail in the swamp. It paid off big with 69 pictures in 10 days. I got a few bucks, one of which I am most excited about - CHIPPY!

This buck disappeared last year around the 5th of November. A neighbor's brother saw a buck the week before rifle season and described what sounded like Chippy and hope was beginning to be restored that he might still be alive.

Last year he was a healthy three year old who made a big jump from a scrubby two year old in 2009. He had chips on every point - hence the name. I picked up both sides of his two year old rack. This year he is 4.5 years old and looks like his G3s gained some good length and he added some good mass. He should score in that 130 range. He's not very wide - maybe 15", but his tine length really adds up. The only unfortunate part is that the photo I got of him on the 22nd is terribly foggy. I believe that was one of our warm days (49 degrees) and there must've been some condensation in the camera as the temperatures cooled off. I'm fairly confident that I'll get a good picture of him before the end of the second rut. I might abandon the idea of trying to get Mr. 140 on camera as he's probably already dead by poaching and will surface after muzzleloader season by someone claiming to have shot him with the muzzleloader when really he was shot in the end of October by spotlight. We'll see. 

Anyway, here are the rest of the pictures.

Pegleg showed himself three times. I got a picture of a decent two year old and a couple youngsters. Oh, let's not forget Pete's dogs!

The Bushnell picked up a video of Pegleg and another buck cruising the field edge that I can't make out in the distance behind some trees. For some reason the Bushnell video mode is quite blurry. Way more blurry than the first camera I had before the bear swatted it. It's still under the 90 day warranty. I'd hate to miss the second rut, but I'd also hate to get a bunch of crappy videos. Hmm. I also picked up Pegleg on the camera by John's farm yard.

He's really been on the move in the late November. He'll really be a nice buck next year. Surprisingly, there's no sign of Whitey yet. I'm pretty sure he'll show his face soon. Who knows what I missed out on during the October 28th - November 17th. Lesson learned for next year. I may have missed Curly.
This year was full of lessons. We had an extremely dry summer/fall. It's been very interesting to see what happens when you combine a lack of water with a crop rotation that had more soybeans than ever! This summer the deer had a prime food source around every corner. I believe this spread the deer out and kept people (and my cameras) from seeing them very often.With the drought beginning in the end of June/early July, the mineral/salt licks were abandoned soon after. Why would a deer need salt to regulate it's water content if the deer's body doesn't have a water content? They may visit a salt lick once we have snow, but otherwise, those were left alone all year. We had no water in the ditches. None. The primary water sources became the river, creeks, and any hole way way back in the swamp. The drier it got, the further the deer moved into the swamp - at least on the north side of the road. We have a flowing well back in the cedars that I'm going to move my camera to this coming weekend. I think it will produce once everything's frozen solid as the spring doesn't freeze up ever. The drought also caused a lot of previously wet/inhabitable land to now become a safe haven for deer who don't mind the hike out to the middle of the grassy parts of the section. There are still deer that survived that will be great bucks for the hitlist next year. I just hope we have a mild winter, warm and dry spring, and an average amount of rainfall throughout the summer. 

Sit # 41 - Standing Beans

I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who reads this. I hope your holiday was filled with tryptophan pumpkin flavoring. Steph's brother Donny and his wife Tara were up in Warroad for Thanksgiving with the little munchkin - Andrea. It was so much fun to see her and play with her. Kids grow up so fast.

Anyway, Donny and I had a chance to get out Friday afternoon, the 25th on the edge of the standing bean field. The wind was ENE, which was the best possible wind for that spot. I hadn't hunted it at all and as far as I knew, nobody else really had either. I put two cameras up in that area a week before and I did notice a ladder stand where there wasn't one the year before, but it looked to be accessed from the north, which meant a certain landowning neighbor. That's fine. On our way out there on Friday, we did cross some fresh tracks either from that morning or the night before. Looked like someone came from the road on foot and walked up and cut in to the east into the swamp. As we got near our parking spot we met some loggers out on the road and the boot tracks could have easily been one of them. Regardless, we pressed on and got situated on the ground tucked into a big gnarly willow tree with a couple shooting lanes cut from the inside out. it actually is a pretty good set up. My hopes were really high, but as it got close to 4:45pm, my doubts and confusion set in. We hadn't seen a deer and I was baffled. Finally as I was talking to Donny, I leaned out to my right and right behind the willow, there stood a lone fawn. It looked to be a buck fawn, so I opted not to shoot. That was it for the evening. At least we saw something.

I have been asked by several people now, or at least shared in some conversation regarding the odd fall we've been experiencing. People have been confused and complaining about the low number of deer and especially buck sightings this year. Here's a few things to consider. 

1.) This was the driest summer/fall on record for over 25 years. This could do a few things. Deer need water, they may travel to look for it. However, where we hunt, the farthest they would have to travel would be 4 miles or so to a river. So the deer are not gone completely. And I found a few water sources anyway, so the drought didn't send too many looking for water (my opinion). However, all of the area that is usually saturated with water and inhabitable was suddenly dry and safe for a deer either expanding their range or simply looking for a safe place away from people. This is more in line with what I think has happened. 

2.) We had the hardest winter since '96-'97. Deer were stressed and shed early because of the amount of snow and the cold temperatures in mid December and early January. We have lots of proof of that. Also, we had a cold wet spring that made green food a scarcity in an absolutely crucial time for antler development. A lot of fields weren't seeded until the very end of May and we didnt' start seeing green-up until the middle of May in the woods. That means that deer struggled for food from December 1 until May 15. That's 5.5 months with marginal food. I believe the deer survived, as we found no winter/wolf kills, but their antler growth showed that they suffered in their overall health. Splitbrow shrank from 4 to 5! That shouldn't happen. He wasn't the only one either. 

3.) Predator numbers are on the rise. Last rifle season, everyone I talked to mentioned all the mice they were seeing and hearing while on stand. What I noticed in congruency with the mice was the number of hawks near the road edges - more than I've ever seen in my life! Mice are food for predators, which would create a good winter for the predators around last year. This year, there have been numerous fisher, pine martin, weasel and mink sightings while on stand. I've also seen a few coyotes out in the open lately - not normal up where we hunt. Sure they are out there, but daylight sightings only mean there are more than normal. Since we've had a few skifts of snow, I've picked up on some timberwolf tracks as well. To top these off, we have a couple local dogs that like to take jogs around the section looking for deer. The predator numbers are up. I'm anticipating my cameras proving that in the month to come. There's an incredible article that just came out in the newest issue of Deer & Deer Hunting where a big buck gets taken down by coyotes - right in front of a trail camera!

4.) The last conclusion has no basis yet. We'll learn more as shed season comes and the snow leaves the ground in March and April. I'm wondering if the drought may have caused overheating/exhaustion and may have led to some summer/fall deaths. I almost don't dare discuss this disease called EHD or 'Blue Tongue'. I hope that this fall's deer reports are not caused by anything like that.

All of this is interesting, but my personal observation out in the woods is that the deer are still there. It's just a timing and pressure issue. My cameras are picking up mature buck activity, even during daylight. In fact, the daylight activity is precisely when it should be - November 11-20. No mystery there. A person just needs to be in the right place at the right time. I still can't explain what happened to a few certain bucks, but that's hunting. They either moved, died, or figured out a way to avoid cameras and me.

Mom and Dad picked up a few more pictures of Pencil and another young healthy 2 year old 8 point.

Sit # 40 - The Spring Stand

We've had a blast of warm air in the last day or two and the snow is melting away right now. It feel like the end of March, but it's only a tease because winter is on it's way. I sat this morning in the same spot I've been sitting the last two sits. There are fresh tracks everyday in the snow, but I'm not seeing deer. The last time I checked the camera there, there were does and fawns coming by during perfect shooting light in the mornings, but when I sit there with a perfect wind, I have no deer come by. It's odd. My timing has been really off this year. I was blessed with an unbelievable sunrise and a very peaceful morning just the same.
I climbed down at about 9:45am and checked the camera northwest of the bus and had three different bucks go through there during shooting light - a two year old, bullwinkle, and a yearling.

Bullwinkle came through early in the morning on Saturday, when Zach and I were freezing our butts off 3/4 of a mile south of there. It was a north wind that morning, so he was traveling into the wind (more or less). It looks like he may have chipped his left G3 about an inch. It's amazing how similar his pattern has been this year compared to 2009, but not 2010. I find it fascinating.
After that I checked the camera on the east side of John's yard and picked up a couple of pictures of PegLeg! He sure looks good out of velvet. He must be living up in the swamp. I'm guessing that Whitey, Junky Brewster, and PegLeg are all up in the tamarack swamp. It'll be interesting to see what they do when the second rut comes in. I want to put my tag on Whitey most of all, but I think I'd shoot any of them.

Lastly I checked the camera NE of Pete's on the logging road. There was a spike buck, Zach, and Pete's dogs from this morning. I met them while walking in. If you didn't know the difference between a wolf and a husky, you might've soiled yourself. I was walking east on the logging road and when I came around a bend there was two huskies walking right at me on the trail. I clapped and whistled and they took off.

That was my morning. I'm excited to see what passes by my cameras up by the standing bean field. It will definitely be warm enough to get good video with the Bushnell Trophy Cam. I can't wait. My ultimate goal: get just one picture of Curly, Skyscraper, or Mr. 140. Those three bucks are trophies this year. Gotta find 'em.

Sit # 34, 35, 37, 38, & 39 - Week After Rifle Season

On Thursday morning, I had a WSW wind and so I headed back to the spring stand. I saw zero deer. It was cold and still and I made it until about 9:00am. I pulled the camera from there and checked the camera NW of the bus - one yearling buck (possibly a two year old). I crossed a fresh set of timberwolf tracks - three of them to be exact. I moved that camera back to the logging road NE of Pete's. I figured that I could still maybe get a picture of Mr. 140 before he sheds his antlers around Christmas. I need to figure out if he's still in the area or whether I should give up on him.
On Thursday evening Steph and I took a drive around the east side with the rifle to see if we could kill anything the easy way. We saw a bunch of does and fawns - all of which were on adjacent properties to the one we have permission on.
On Friday, I had the intention of hunting all day, but I decided to sleep in with my beautiful wife and just hunt later. Well once I got up to the hill, I realized I didn't have much motivation to sit out in a tree. I ended up pulling two cameras down and moving them, which took about 3 hours. I pulled down the Bushnell from the scrape and the Cuddeback from near the Crazy 8 stand. I brought both of them up near the standing beans that I anticipate will get hit harder and harder as the season moves into December.
Friday evening I went out with the rifle again to the east side of town and spotted a doe and a buck right outside a resident's woods. Knowing they weren't going anywhere, I drove in the driveway to ask permission to shoot the buck. He was at least a 120 deer probably 3 or 4 years old. After I began the conversation, it was very apparent that she didn't want anyone shooting any deer anywhere near her house. She 'protects' them. So I watched them from across the road in the event that they bolt and take off for any reason. They never did.
Saturday morning came and Zach and I had planned to hunt together for the day. I sent him NE of Pete's just off the logging road. I went north of road just west of Pete's. We both froze our butts off and neither of us saw any deer. I drove up and down the road examining tracks and really only saw few sets all entering the woods together. Must've been a doe in heat with two bucks behind her. After I picked Zach up we were just driving and for no real reason, I decided to turn and head south of Orville's just to see what it looked like this year. We drove until the signs said we couldn't go any farther. We were just parked and staring out into the wide open talking about deer and all the hypotheticals of stand placements, etc, when all of a sudden Zach asks, "Is that a deer?" Way off in the middle of the mile there was a little dark speck. I couldn't tell for sure. Then when I looked through the binoculars, it looked like two heads. Then they disappeared. I pulled out the spotting scope and got a better look. Yup. A buck and a doe. She was definitely in heat. He wasn't leaving her. We drove all the way around to see if we could get a better look. Once we got to the other corner of the section, we couldn't see them. We drove back north up the road a ways until we could see them again. We himmed and hawed until we decided that if we could get the stalk on video, it would be worth it to shoot this buck, which at best would score 115. Probably a three year old buck. We took off walking and made it a quarter mile before we started taking our time and checking every 50-100 yards for heads, ears or antlers. At this point we're about a half mile from the road when all of a sudden, they both pop up right in front of us at about 150 yards. We both hit the deck and it knew it was about to get interesting. It's always deceptive how much sound a person creates and also how well that sound carries. I snuck up to the next patch of cattails and waved Zach up to do the same. I couldn't hear him crawling until he was 15 yards from me. Granted, a deer's hearing has to be better than mine, but that gave me a bunch of confidence if I could stay low enough. I moved up to the next patch of grass and waved Zach up one more time. That was where he was going to stay - about 80 yards from the deer. I crawled up one last time until I was 34 yards from the closest reeds, which the doe was just behind. The buck was another 5 - 10 yards behind her. I slowly creeped my head up enough to see that the doe was looking right at me. I froze. It seemed like forever until she got distracted. I had my bow in hand and I just clipped my release onto the string. I was waiting for the doe to turn around so I could either stand or get to my knees. As soon as I saw her turn her head, I started getting into position. The next glance up, the doe took off trotting away. The buck went right along with her. He had no clue what was going on. They ran about 150 yards. I was tired and I really didn't feel like putting much more energy into a buck of this caliber. He was a nice buck, but I knew there were better ones in the area. It just goes to shoe that a spot and stalk can work if the conditions are right. A doe in heat can be the only thing needed to invade the personal space of a rutting buck. It was an awesome hunt even though I didn't throw an Easton Axis at him. We got almost all of it on film, which makes it memorable too.
After the spot and stalk attempt, we went over to the guy's house who shot The Contender. He wasn't home, but when we were looking for him, we saw the rack out in his shop. We took some pictures and measurements and were on our way.

Contender gross scored 147 7/8" and net 137 6/8". Had he not broken his left browtine, he would have grossed 151 1/8" and net 144 1/8" typical - AS A THREE YEAR OLD! Here's his measurements:

The same group shot another 8 point buck that looked very similar to the Wide Heavy 8, but certain angles didn't look right in comparison to the July 31st trail camera picture. The tines were too short and the overall frame wasn't convincing enough for me. So I'm going to believe that he's still alive.

After that we got a late start getting set up for an evening sit on the east side of the creek near the Tullefson bridge. We did see some fresh tracks and were optimistic for the evening sit. We finally got our stands set at about 4:15 and had about an hour to sit. We had a small spike buck and a fawn come running through at about 50 yards offering no shot at either - had they been monsters. That concluded the 19th of November.
Last night, Dad and I went for a drive on the last day of rifle season in Minnesota. I actually had the idea of dad doing a little drive for me. He walked through the nice woods on the east side of the river and I sat overlooking the short CRP grass to the north expecting anything in the woods to bolt to the north. No such luck. No deer. We drove around and spotted a few does and had some good conversation. That wrapped up the 2011 Rifle Season.
What I observed was very informational. The 18th and 19th both had bucks locked down with does in heat. So there's no telling what can happen between the 11th and the 19th. This period of a little more than a week is by far the best rutting/chasing/breeding activity - the peak of the bell curve if you will. That means that the week to come is sort of the decent of activity leading back to heavy feeding. Does have caught on to food, and there is still the lingering chance that a buck can come check them, or scent check the food source. So setting up inside the edges of food sources and finding natural staging areas may be key until the next sub-rut comes in. I'm guessing that based on the November 11th date, that the second rut will kick off on December 8th or 9th and only last until the 13th or 14th. You can figure that 70% of the does got bred the first time around  (depending on the ratio). The last 4 days of Muzzleloader Season will be good days. Find the food source.

Sit # 33 - The Tragic News

Monday was spent butchering the four deer that mom and dad shot this year. I can't really complain, I got about a whole deer as payment for my time. So we have meat - we won't starve. The weatherman, who I would like to meet in a dark alley, said the wind was going to be WSW at 6-7 mph on Tuesday morning. It started off at zero mph. My breath was going straight up, which isn't all bad. Then around 7:30 it starting hitting the wrong side of my face and pushing my breath down towards the direction the deer should be coming from. BACKWARDS! Then at about 8:00, it straightened out and was perfect until about 8:30. Super frustrating. It still was a 2-3 mph at best which as a tendency to swirl. I climbed down and checked four cameras on my way back into town. No deer seen while sitting.
The more important update than sitting and seeing nothing was that while I was getting set up in the tree, I got an email from a cousin asking me if I knew this certain buck. He had said in church that a neighbor up by where we hunt had shot a nice 10 point buck and I said to try get me a picture. Well two mornings later, I open the email attachment only to have my heart drop like it did last September when Inside Crab Claw got shot. The picture I received was definitely the corpse of The Contender.

There he lay, another genetic anomaly stopped short. I'll write more about Contender in a Mourning Post coming up soon. So now we've had Splitbrow, Scabby 9, and Contender shot off the list, with the possibility of more yet to come. I'm not sad that it wasn't me in any type of selfish way - in fact, I'm really happy the first two got shot. It's just too bad that Contender couldn't've had just one more year. I know he would've been a 160 deer - maybe more.
So without getting too down on the whole situation, I've got a few bucks left on the hitlist, but I think I need to rearrange some cameras to try to pick up on the others that I know are out there.