Albia, Iowa 2013 Midwest Whitetail Summer Meeting

This year's Summer Meeting down in Albia was a good one. The show has made several adjustments over its few years of existence, but the biggest one last year was moving from state shows to regional shows. So now instead of having a Minnesota Pro Staff, there's a Great Lakes Pro Staff. This year instead of it being just Joe and I, we had Sam Palowski come with and experience some of the camaraderie. We were able to get in a 3D archery shoot, some film school, and some face time with the sponsors. It was a great trip and I even won a prize! Each Regional team was awarded a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize package for "best effort", which was determined by good footage, consistent updates, and high quality kills. I got 3rd place for the Great Lakes Team and so I won a Muddy Tree stand, $50 gift card to Cabelas, and a ScentMaster sweatshirt. So that was good, but now there's some real pressure on me to get a good kill on video this year. Before I knew that I was winning anything, I bought two used Muddy stands, one hang-on and one ladder. So I should be a little more set up than I was last year.

He's Alive!

Well, before I get way too far behind, I need to write about the Trophy Rocks and the mineral season. Although they'll still hit the rocks periodically, the biggest rush for salt is now passed. I was able to get a few pictures of some decent up and comers. As we expected, we eventually got pictures of Pencil in the shack field and on the oak ridge.

He is way behind. He will need a soybean miracle to catch up to his previous year's rack. We are realistically about 3-4 weeks behind last year's growth (which was exceptional) and about 2 weeks behind the average year.
The biggest surprise was the reappearance of The 6x5. I'm not surprised that he showed up, but he did when the entire lake bottom was flooded! At what point did he leave his wintering quarters and make his way south?

That buck is going to drive me nuts! He's already come and gone, so now the job is to move cameras until we relocate him on his summer food source. I was too much of a chicken last year, but not this year. I'll just put a wildview where I want to test my hunches. The date and time stamp were wrong on the 6x5 pictures. The daylight photo was actually taken on June 12, so it was at least 16 days off. So his last year's May 24th pictures were about as grown as he was this year about 2-3 weeks later. I have a feeling that he'll still find a way to pack it on, now just to find him!
We've got some other bucks coming in, but nothing we're on the edge of our seats about yet. There are two bucks coming in to the gravel pit that are both four years old this year. I have pictures of both of these guys since they were yearlings. So they have finally earned their place on the hitlist.

Year End Totals

Well, if the mosquitos are any indication, summer is finally upon us! I figured that before I get too far ahead of myself, I should post a photo of my year end tally for shed antlers.

I founds 21 antlers and acquired a few more by trades or some were simply given to me. I pieced together a few mysteries this year and have lots to look forward to for the 2013 hunting season.
The story of the biggest sheds was by far the highlight of the shed season, but I did manage to find some up an comers' antlers.

Antler growth is way behind this year, similar to 2011. Hopefully these bucks can pack it on in a shorter time frame this summer.

More Pins In The Map

I was finally able to make my way over to another neighboring hunter's farm yesterday to look at some of the sheds that they had found over the years. I have to admit, my hopes were very high, because I knew some of the bucks that had been visiting the farmyard eating spilled grain that winter. When I got to the house, my anticipation was through the roof! Which would I see? Inside Crab Claw? Curly? Bullwinkle? SkyScraper? The Clown? As I looked up on the dusty shelf, I scanned across some decent sheds, and only one immediately clicked. It was Bullwinkle. So I climbed my way up and looked more closely. I felt like an Egyptian archeologist removing artifacts from the cobwebs, dust, and christmas lights. I grabbed for Bullwinkle's antler and assumed it was going to be from his 2009 rack, the year all the different bucks were coming to the bins. It looked to be from his 2010 rack and was significantly bleached. It looked as if it had been collected from the field before discing, spraying or seeding.

I went down the line pulling down anything that I thought was significant. There was a set of 5 point sheds that looked to be from before our time of trail cameras - although she insisted that almost all of the antlers up there were picked up in 2009 (or the year John cleared out his bins with sunflowers). Well if that were true, I never received any pictures of this buck.

After looking them over more closely, it seemed that the also had another side off the same buck, which would also suggest different years of finding. I told her that she had a set, and she said, "Oh really! See I don't know if we knew that!" Haha. Then when I showed her the possibility of them having the previous year's antler, we began a conversation about deer management and restraint and age class. "How do you know how old they are?"
The next antler I focused on was a decent brown 4 point with a longer main beam. Looked to be from a 3 year old buck. Something about the antler begged me to continue staring at it. I could not place it. I had never had a trail camera picture of this buck. What deer was it. I even set it down only to pick it up after a few more minutes. I measured it at 50 1/8". It wasn't until well after I measured it that I figured it out - this was the other side to Hanger! When I say Hanger, I mean the original antler I found hanging in a red willow in March of 2008! It clicked.

There were several significant differences, but as many similarities to let me know I was on to something. I told her all about it and I think my recollection and my deer knowledge started to scare her a little. It did me too. Haha.
I snapped some pictures of a few other antlers, just for record keeping. There was an old weathered antler that had two big cracks in it, like it had been run over by a tractor. It had some unique features that made me think it could have been a previous year to one my brother found on the top of the hill when we were in high school. He had to have found it in the mid-late 1990s. We actually found both sides. One side had broken off most of its main beam. Anyway, this buck shared a ton of resemblance.

Then there was another little antler that could've been an antler to Crazy 8. It looked familiar, but again, we didn't run trail cameras back then and so it'd be nearly impossible to tell. I might just switch out most of her antlers! It looks like a stud yearling or a week two year old. It probably was a stud yearling.

Lastly, was an odd shed that had some familiar characteristics, so I snapped a photo. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was probably a yearling shed to the stud two year old I passed up on November 16th, 2010. Mom found one of his sheds and the brows look identical.

So at the end of our time I figured once again, I had nothing to lose. I asked her if she'd ever trade antlers, at least for the one that I had the other side to. Eventually, she said, "You know what, just take Bullwinkle, too. You know way more about him and Eric's probably not even going to know that it's missing." Sweet!
So I've gained three antlers by trade this year. They all have more significance than the ones I've let go. I need to pick some meaningless antlers to give to her one of these days. Next stop - The West Farm.

The 9 Year Mystery - SOLVED!!!

Of all the deer stories I've come up with, heard about, and especially cared about, this one could top the list! So I have to start back 13 months ago. On March 30th, 2012, mom and dad and I went out for a perfect shed hunt day. Traces of snow remaining in the cedars, but cool enough to walk for hours on end - even for dad. We were reaching the end of a fairly long hike, when I heard my dad yell, "Hey Mitchell, come and look at this."As I hurdle-walked through the crazy cedars in a B-line for my dad's voice, he said again as I got closer, "I figured you'd want to see this." There in a little cedar hole (made by the void of cedar roots) lay what was left of a very hefty antler.
Dad's Monster Dinosaur - 3-30-12 from Mitch Haaby on Vimeo.

My mind was stretched in many directions at the same time; I know I had walked this area several times over the last few years, what the heck deer could this be from, and way to go, dad! He left it as it lay so I could get some pictures and a video, which I am now even more grateful for. He picked it up and we did some ooo-ing and aaahhh-ing. The thing that was so unsettling was the length of this giant browtine! The thing had to be 8 inches.
So that was where the story began. I was staring at the antler and I was trying to figure out where this buck could have went to. How long had it been laying there? Could I remember any bucks with huge brows being shot? That's when it hit me. This G2 had a very even fork up at the top, which reminded me of a buck a neighbor had shot back in 2004. I rifled through the pictures on my phone and was able to locate one of the mount of the buck. I showed it to dad and he said, "Oh yeah. No doubt."

So then I had to show the neighbor as I know he'd be thrilled to see it. If this shed was in fact off the same buck, it would've been from a 2003 or earlier rack - most likely 2003. That means that if it fell in the spring of 2004, it had been laying somewhere in these woods for 8 years! After closer examination, we concluded that there was no doubt it was a shed from the same buck. The main beams curled in really tight and weren't exceptionally long. That was the first twist in the story. Fast forward to this May, 2013. I had arranged to go for a walk in the woods with an outdoor writer for the Grand Forks newspaper. He owned a cabin up west of Pinecreek, closer to the Refuge. I knew the place, but had never been inside. I met him out there on a Monday morning - May 6th to be exact. He welcomed me and said, "Come on in." As I entered the little mobile home, I noticed a pretty respectable antler mounted to the wall and buried under blaze orange hats and vests right next to the door. Without even asking a word about it, I found myself compulsively removing the debris from this buried treasure. It was large enough, I thought it might be a cut-off. I glanced down to see that it was in fact a cleanly shed antler.

Simultaneously, I noticed a large fork on the G2 and lastly revealed a giant browtine. I thought wow, that's a pretty nice shed!

Too bad they just put screws through the mainbeam to secure it to a board. Because of our location, I was kind of assuming that it was found locally, but in the refuge somewhere. As I circled the desecrated treasure, I was able to look at the antler from a straight on angle and as usual, thousands of trail camera and other photos were filing through my mind when BAM!

It clicked. "Where did you find this antler?", I asked. "That's a funny story.", he said. "A couple of friends of mine were up grouse hunting from the cities and they found that thing over by Minnesota Hill."
"Seriously?" I asked as I saw the pieces coming together and began locking in on the reality of this mind-blower. "You know where that old overturned bus is?", he asked me. "Yeah!" I was getting closer. Now it was my turn to fine tune the questions. "2004 about?" "You know that sounds really close.", he added. "My dad has the other side!", I nearly shouted. I was sure of it! "You gotta be kidding me.", said.
I pulled out my phone and rifled through pictures until I came to the video of dad picking up the weathered side just over a year prior. I paused it on the frame where you can really see the browtine. "Boy that looks like a match alright!" He said amazed. I oo-ed and ah-ed for a while and we got to talking about life and how my folks were. I tried not to fixate on the antler hanging right above my head. We went out walking for sheds in three spots - two of them were great spots, with no luck. The entire time we were looking for antlers, I was trying to talk myself through how in the world I could come to possess this antler that for the last 9 years has been preserved in safe keeping only 7 miles from where dad found his side.
As we approached his cabin at the end of our time together, I figured it was now or never. "Ok, Brad, I've gotta ask ya - Is there any way you'd be willing to part with that antler, whether by sale or by trade?" He said he wasn't sure since he didn't find it and that it made a nice coat rack by the door. I told him that I had lots of antlers that could make really nice coat racks. I told him to think about it and that he didn't have to answer me right then and there. We took some more pictures when we got back to his place and I mentioned it one more time before I left, just casually. The whole drive back to town I was contemplating which antlers I had that I'd be willing to part with. I took a picture of three that I could think of and sent it to him and said, "Here are some possible trades." By this time, he knew that I was going to be persistent and that the antler obviously meant way more to me than it did to him. HE WAS RIGHT! He said, "I'll tell you what, you give me two of those three and you've got yourself a deal." "Done." I texted back. "Which ones." He chose the Chicago shed (measuring 63") and the Skime shed (measuring 58"). Two nice antlers, but to have the biggest shed ever found at Minnesota Hill was worth it. Id've given him all three. I figured as it hung on his wall that it had to break 70", maybe upwards of 74" or so. After we finally were able to make the trade one week later, I taped it right as I hopped in my truck: 78 7/8"!! This was an 80" antler if it hadn't been chipped. This was 20" bigger than the ones I gave up. There was even some remnants of cedar boughs on the backside of the mainbeam to confirm why this thing was able to be picked up in September/October and not be faded. Thank You CEDARS!

The unfortunate part was that I knew I would have to break the news to the guy who shot the buck in 2004. Of course he wanted the set really badly, but I told him I didn't think I'd be able to give them up. Having the set reunited was a pretty exciting experience. We really set dad up to for the big surprise. We got to talking about his antler and how great it would've been to see what it looked like when it was fresh. We went on and on about how massive and chocolate it probably was. I quickly ran out of the room and ran back and without saying a word just handed him the dark one. The suspense was thick! It only took him between 5 and 10 seconds before he locked in. This is the other side to the one I found! I helped him hold them side by side because he was just staring at the dark one.

After keeping them in suspense to the remainder of the story, I told them all about it and how there was a much bigger reward to the GF paper article than the actual article - although that turned out really well, too. What a tremendous story that I don't know how we'll top it. Maybe if I had shot the buck and then all this unfolded. Maybe someday the neighbor will find sheds of a buck that I shoot and it will be a complete story, where everybody gets what everybody wants, but as for now, it will remain a little lopsided. I'm ok with that.

Busy Week! -

So on Monday, the 6th, I got permission to look through a grove of trees that I've daydreamed too many times about what I might find out there - either sheds or the remains of Skyscraper. I had an outdoor writer from the Grand Forks paper with me to write an article about shed hunting. We first walked through one of his woods up near the refuge, then we walked through this pasture with high hopes and lastly we walked through a long east and west woods that thought might produce as well. We walked away empty handed! There was one turn of events that was very unexpected, but we'll discuss that in another blog!
Then on Wednesday, I checked on a few things and on a short walk I was able to find a set of spike sheds and a dead buck from several years ago.

The spikes were sheds 20 & 21 for the year. Thursday offered a short amount of time so Zach and I headed up to walk through the ridge and comb through the bowls and see if we couldn't find a little antler or two. We came up empty handed, but we saw lots of good sign and it seemed that the deer were definitely comfortable staging and criss-crossing through the bowls.

We found a good late fall-late rut bow stand site. On Friday I was stopping by my office to get a few things done and I found laying on my desk, two antlers that I couldn't recognize for the life of me. A few minutes later I found a note that read: "We kept the big ones. - Randy". Are you kidding me? I knew that every year the DNR does a dead deer search and they must've finally found some antlers! But bigger ones? How big were they? Where'd they find them? I needed answers!
On Saturday, Zach and I took a 5th grader and a 7th grader out for their first real shed hunting expedition. We hiked a long, long ways and tired those boys right out.

Nearing the end of our walk, the older of the two boys shouted, "There's one! I found one!" I shouted back, "Don't touch it!" Haha. In hindsight, he would've had no idea why in the world I would've ever told him to not touch it. A person's first and only instinct at that age is to scoop it up and celebrate! We got a few pictures of it and then had him tell the story. The shed actually turned out to be a broken part of a yearlings left antler.

I was able to track down a couple pics of what buck I thought it must be. Shortly after we picked up that antler, we continued heading east. We were south of the west slough (near the spring) and all of a sudden several trails began to emerge that I'm not even sure if I've ever been on them before. We didn't spend much time there, but the next time I go check that camera, I'm going to have to walk through that area again. There definitely was good sign and that is very near Pencil's core area.
Earlier that afternoon I called Randy at the Bog and he had to confess that he was pulling my leg. He gave me the only two that they found. That was cool. He did say in church the next day that Stuart Rice may have the other side to the better of the two.
Lastly, Yesterday (Tuesday the 14th) Zach and I tried to walk south around the outside of the stuff the cut south of Steve's stand last winter. We went all the way down to the point where the old stand in the tamarack is. We cut in to the west and then stayed northwest of our track all the way back to the truck. We found good sign, pulled my crazy 8 stand down, but never found any antlers. I dropped him off and mom, dad and I headed right back out. We walked south of the cabin and tucked into the cedars behind dad's stand and walked south - 3 wide. When we got to the south end of the shack field we started to curl south west towards dad's SW ladder stand. Dad found a little 3 point yearling shed right before we got to his ladder.

That was honestly some of the best sign around. It was mostly rut sign, with lots of trails and rubs. It was a very educational trip to say the least. We pulled off about 20 ticks between the three of us and I absolutely destroyed a pair of jeans. It was an exhausting day. I have less than one week to find Pencil's antlers. Down to the wire.