One week from today- is everyone getting ready?

Been trying to get things lined up.
Yesterday late after noon. Came home with with truck blowing transmission fluid all over place. Was to much a mess to even see where was coming from last evening. So I got a week to figure that mess out get it fixed. I'm hopping it just cooling line goes to radiator?
Always something but at least my trucks not sitting out by woods, or along highway.
I will get to the woods next Saturday if I have to take the wife's jeep.

Mac

Due to age and death my hunting group is down to me. I am still going to go but it doesn't have the excitement of years past.

X2

Ok- we're off to a bad start- this was supposed to be more motivational
Let's try this:

You bet we are!!! Love it, grandson with grams and I and the gang for ten days.
Working on making him a good man. Deer are a bonus. Kids are on a two doe order. Each.
My mom 84 is my other focus, she is all geared up also.

That more what your looking for

I see Michigan isn't on that list. Primarily a buck hardly gets a chance to get beyond a 2 1/2 old before taken.

I am trying to get excited. Dad will miss opening weekend, he's out of state for a funeral. My great aunt, whose farm we hunt, is in her 3rd year of dementia, so staying at the farm is not as easy as it used to be. I'll hunt my back yard opening weekend and dad and I be at the farm on Monday. Next year I will have to get serious about finding somewhere new to hunt.

Yes , washing , packing , getting the turkey out to thaw buying groceries

sighted in the guns last Sunday

sounds like I am talking on the mentor role this year for my cousin's kid this year he is 14 and it is his first year hunting , also my cousins first year hunting he is 47 he talked about it back when we were in high school and just never did , now that his son wants to try hunting they took hunters education together.


my own son is 19 and is quite independent at deer camp been hunting since he was 11 trapping before that

I know it stinks we lost my great uncle right before season 2019

we are carrying on for as long as we can still got a good crew 9 maybe 10 this year, it is definitely changing and that average age keeps creeping up my great aunt who hosts camp is 87 and doesn't get out in the woods like she used to , lots of land ownership changes put us to not doing the drives we once did all weekend

I know how to get the mood , we need deer hunting songs

The 0- 6 Is sighted In. The elevated box blind Is ready. Deer have been working the food plot.
My younger hunting partners are ready to gut my deer and drag them out. Life Is good.

Good luck to those hunting the speedy beef.

We have switched this year and last year to hunting near home in zones where they want anterless harvests so we can work on our taco, chili, and Barbeque meat and sausages. We will go north to think about hunting for a buck but mostly to fush some grouse. Deer hunting pressure in the national forest where we are the last days has been almost zero.
Walked the area we will hunt two days ago. Lots of corn standing around us so we won't be able to see movement until it gets really close. Like sitting point, things happen quickly.


Bryce

Our main group of 5 will be at camp Thursday through Monday. Stands are all set, menu is worked out, cases and cases of beer bought.

Hopeful we'll have a little better luck this year than the last 3. Three consecutive years without hanging a buck from the buck pole. We've shot 1 or 2 does in that time, but the buck pot continues to grow!

That buck was giving you a nice broadside shot! Too bad it was 15 minutes before legal shooting light!

Chris

15 min? More like an hour and 15 min.

The sun comes up earlier in Northern Wisconsin!

Chris

3:20?

No moon this year...

Is anyone planning to put in any sets? I plan to drop an Otter float set at the cabin, might put in a couple Fisher sets but don’t to put boots on the ground until opening day.

i brought traps one year to deer camp, but where I wanted to set them were also some of my best places for deer so I didn.t ans with as tired as I was deer hunting , I haven't brought them with since.

I think about it every year but other than a couple dps near the shed I don't want to be traipsing around the woods during good shooting hours.

Several times when we hunted the first weekend up north and had a fisher tag I would set 4-6 body gripper sets. Have not for a decade, hardly see a fisher or sign anymore.

Bryce

Getting everything ready, if I owned more land I'd love to have a deer camp but as it stands I'll be hunting my better half's family farm

I hope yall shoot all of them! Lol. Just recieved this picture. Another set ruined.

I set some fisher sets a few years ago, strategically placed them around the property so the guys going to their stands could check them for me. Got a text from my buddy opening morning that I got one. Worked great!

Yes, I'll drop a few DPs and a couple of fox/yote sets around the property when we get to the lake on Friday

This is what we do- if we set... same thing with weasel boxes, easy to drop them off and check on trails.

I have the granddaughter hunting deer for the first time, she is 14 and said she is not shooting a doe, bucks only. Youth hunt saw a fork right at closing, came in facing us from the neighbor's lawn, told her to look at it in scope, she said I can't do this. It was about 80 yards and turned into corn. She exclaimed why didn't you tell me to shoot, I could have had him when he turned. I said you said you couldn't do it, she said " because I was so panicked ", so I said I guess we know you're ready to kill one. As cold as it will be opening morning, I am glad we are in a tower blind with a heater.

it is good practice to look at every one through the scope and get calm

Forecast for opening weekend looks nice, but cold. 12 for a low Friday, 8 Saturday and thats here in Sheboygan County. You boys up north better put the wool snuggleis on. Lots of shooting around here this afternoon, every back yard is a gun range the weekend before opener.

We have some lanes in our food plots and the corn in two fields was combined Friday so we are in good shape. We will be hunting where we can each shoot 2 anterless. I doubt we will shoot 4 deer but today when we selected our stands we decided it will be brown and down this year. This will be my 2nd year hunting in farm country with food plots etc. Really a whole different feel to the venture but the venison tastes good. Yes it will be cold but the deer are moving a lot the last 3-4 days.

Bryce

We hunt public land and this morning the boy and I walked in to check his stand site. Couple weeks back we hiked in to find a trail camera on a tree probably 10 feet from where my son has sat while hunting for last 8-10 years. We hiked in again today and yes camera is still there. But on our way in my son says there is a deer. We stopped in our tracks. Put the dog on sit. Here come this 6-8 point buck walking right towards use. Wind was right and it strolled by at 38 yards. I ranged it later when we walked back out. Seeing as the camera was still where my son usually sits.He decided he will sit in different place near the trail the buck was on.
The buck would have been an easy shot with the bow or cross bow. My son was carrying a 20 ga with bird loads. I only had my walking stick. Sure was an encouraging site to see.
My son was bummed about the camera still on his stand. Always chance one take on public land someone sitting where you want to be when you get there. All I know for sure is unless something major happens. We will be some where in that 2x3 mile chunk of woods for opener.

Mac

My buddy was cutting corn yesterday at his farm in Layfette County and told me that he pushed a very large 10 point and about 6 does into the woods at one area and 2 smaller bucks in another feild.
No one else hunts it so I will probably head there.

A piece of land that the owner will let you hunt in Layfette county with out 10 people laying claim to it , you should definitely get over there. if I wasn't headed north I would say stop and pick me up on the way I never saw such a thing around here before that actually had a deer on it. I would bring the beer and lunch.
he not have any family or they all made him mad?

2 relatives hunted it about 10 years ago but stopped from " not seeing any".
No one else in his family hunts, or cares for venison

I got to deer hunt already this year with my grandsons in SD with the youth tags. One got a deer while I was with them, This weekend I will have a passel of grandkids here at the farm shooting deer. Have been seeing a couple dandies.

We have 2" of fresh snow on the ground in NW Wisconsin that will be here to stay for gun season. I'd rather deal with 8 degrees -than brown or rain. Conditions should be right... from all the beer talk, it looks like the forecast is going to be drunk and cloudy in a few camps

Good luck and be safe to all going out tomorrow!

Good Luck - make some memories!

Good morning all. 17 winds north at 3,4 inches of snow in North East Chippewa Cty. Good luck all, be safe, shoot straight!

Just went out and turned the heat on in the fur shed. to start skinning and the 16-year-old grandson called. Just to tell me he shot a nice big d o e right after daylight he was not going to wait for the big one this year he said due to the cold weather. I see some fresh tenderloins in my future.

We have winds of 25-30 MPH and about 5-6 inches of crunchy snow on the ground. Deer are holding tight and hunters like me are taking mid day breaks.

Bryce

Taking a break would involve way more work than sticking it out.lol

The morning sit was cold and uneventful for me. 27 shots counted from 6:11 am until 10:45 when I got down and headed towards my brother, he shot the only deer he saw. Headed back out in half hour for another ride in the tree for the evening!

Saw 17 does and 3 bucks… shot an 8 and my son shot a doe. We usually shoot nice bucks- this isn’t one of those. But I was pretty jacked about filling my Fisher Tag. I’ll try repost a couple pics tonight- if I don’t look like Hatchet Jack tonight. The 3 bucks I saw were small- post rut kinda small, mine was trailing a group of does the other two hung out at my drip scrapper.

good luck to all, be safe.

As for me all my past deer hunting buddies are either dead or have stopped hunting altogether.
I Just don't have the desire to shoot a deer anymore either, last time I went I let one walk past me and decided that was it the last time for me.

Seen 5 bucks, 4 does, 2 fawns. Passed them.

Everything frozen solid including me… our buck doe ratio runs on average 3:1 … a lot more does than what we typically see… our harvest goal this year was (3)… we’ll watch this winters severity index and might up that with a mild winter. Fisher Tagged Out was the best part of today.

Hard to hear anything today in that wind. Nothing this AM. Son missed a smaller fork and an hour later got a doe. I saw a tail. First year that on opening day I only hunted for 5 hours. Took a mid day break to warm up. Not a lot of shooting near us today.

Bryce

6 degrees and no wind seems tropical compared to yesterday

Great day for you Eagleye. I've been at it 30 years & have never seen those kind of numbers. Keep it up .
Your drip scraper sounds interesting

Hunted all day- never saw a deer until 4:00. Definitely Post Rut activity with little forks and spikes moving back in to try their bravado at pushing does. Had 4 does come in at 4:15 and shot 3. My son passed on 3 smaller bucks all around 4.00. Weasel boxes stuff with mice but got one. I’m bow hunting tomorrow and my son will try to tag out.

Opening day I saw 15 does between 6:30 and 7:15. Two buck came by about then and I took the larger of the two. Not huge but a decent five pointer. Back in the house drinking coffee by 7:45.

You had me at coffee…. best post thus far

Awesome

Awesome

Son and I hunted both days, all day behind his place. Cold and wind were brutal but we stuck it out and wound up having a great hunt. Deer sighting or killing is usually very minimal at his place but this year was certainly different for whatever reason. Hardly any shooting in the area at all.

Opening morning he nailed a nice doe very near his ladder stand 20 minutes after opener. Given how we usually do there we both figured that would be it and we'd be happy. Today dawned at right around 11 degrees. To make a long story short, we saw 6 more deer. Shooting was tough because they were moving like rockets as there were a few guys apparently cold and moving around. Five minutes before closing time, when I was thinking about packing some my stuff away, I heard him shoot. He made a 125 years shot through the woods and blew a big hole in the heart of a monster doe. Both of us happy as clams.

A very cold but wonderful hunt!

Moosetrot

Is that a spare BOX of ammo on the floor?

Son came up yesterday afternoon to pick up a couple of snowmobiles. Deer walked down the road right on thru his tire tracks last night.
A few more shoots were fired late morning today.

I have 10 bullets left and can’t find anymore.Everything else I try throw a 12” group at 60 yards.Luckily I didn’t use any up Saturday lol.

What caliber and bullet is it?

I got a little buck Sat mourning with my uncles old 1907 351 self loading, very windy about 10’ up in a big oak tree, but was done in an hour. He was chasing a doe and on their third pass she stopped right in front of me, and him a little ways back. I sheared off a twig the size of my little finger and the 351 still blew him right over at a whopping 15 yards.

Nothing I or the have wanted to shoot yet
. But God is giving us a beautiful morning of peace.
Sorry forgot to rotate pic

Looking for these if anyone can help out.

My son and I tagged out with (2) bucks and (4) does…deer were moving on normal travel corridors all day. Good Luck to everyone still in pursuit. Time to start planning for next year.
[quote][/quote]

1907 technology! Just don't loose the clip or crack the forearm.

160, the forearm has a crack already, I have 1 original 5 shot clip and an aftermarket 10 shot, I may retire it I just wanted to shoot a deer with it. Open sites aren’t as fun as they used to be. Old uncle Jim only had three guns a 22 pump a 12 gauge pump and the 351, all he ever needed I guess.

Brian, lot of deer early to help keep you warm. Nice buck and yes the coffee sounds great. Sunday AM I could have used a cup as a hand warmer. One doe here through Monday. Two huge flocks of turkeys today, one all hens and hte big one all toms and jakes. Flying over, around and behind me. Must have been 50-60 total.

Bryce

Save your ammo and brass.

This mornings portrait.

That's awesome

Very impressive buck Keven!!
Passed up two fawns yesterday, some of the smallest deer I have ever seen during hunting season in 53 years hunting. Wednesday afternoon at 3:50 PM I shot a small racked nice bodied 6 point buck. Nice in the woods today.
Now we need to hurry the processing with over 50 forecast for tomorrow.
Bryce

Good job Bryce. Sometimes hanging out with family cutting up a deer is the best part.

did any one else notice a almost complete lack of squirrels this year

I heard a few , saw a few tracks in the snow but saw 1

I am normally over run with them all around me

Opposite where we were. Tons of squirrels, more than I ever remember. All fat and stupid too. Would run right up to you and bark at you.

strange my son was at work today and all the guys he talked to that went north for opener said very few squirrels also.
we were in door co most all the Squirrels I saw were in sturgeon bay , just thick there nothing in the woods.

Says they have them in stock.

We have a lot of squirrels here and we have the Eastern Fox tails the greys and those darn noisy reds in the pine grove across from where we hunt. About 30 acre pine plantation, reds all over the place.
The woods at my son in laws has hickory, oak, basswood and a few maples. Everything is after the nuts and acorns. Big flock of toms and jacks yesterday when going to the stand. Turkeys running and flying over and around me. Noisy for a minute or so.
Bryce

saw 9 turkey opening morning but they were about 200 yards out

Wednesday I saw flock of about 20 hens and 300 yards further into the woods I ran into a flock of 20-30 toms and jakes so 50 plus birds within 10 minutes! They roost many days accros in the pine plantation wow is it noisy when you are setting in the early AM and they all start coming down to the ground!

Bryce

3 passes, wow, that is amazing

Congrats

You are encouraged to report illegal activity:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...-encouraged-to-provide-tips/69655952007/

Well back to the world of internet now, had a great 6 days in camp. Was very cold and snowy opening weekend but we saw 47 deer but didn't take my gun as I had 2 shooters in my nephew and The Boy. It was my nephew's first hunt after finishing his hunters safety at the age of 19 a few weeks ago. He tagged a real nice doe Sunday morning. The Boy sits with me on his mentored tag and passed many opportunities on does and fawns (we don't shoot fawns if we can help it) and yesterday was our last chance to hunt before packing for the trip home. Saw a flash of a deer going south right as we were getting set up at first light but no shot opportunity. At 8:30 he spotted a deer coming in from the west he saw it was a spike and took a long poke and it didn't look like it was hit so we made a plan to wait a half hour then go look. About ten minutes later we caught movement from the south, looked and could see it was a fork he waited till he thought he had a good shot and took it the buck started trotting I said shoot again he did and it bucked hard and started running I told him to put another one in it and as he shot it fell and kicked. Turns out he missed the spike completely and hit the fork on the second shot, quartering away hit liver, lung and heart. When we walked up on it it was in fact a small 6 he is still riding the thrill of his first 6 point buck and must have called everyone we know to tell the tale. I'll go out near home this weekend and see if I can fill a tag or two.

That a mule or whitetail? That is a whopping big buck!!! Congrats!

What's the story with that buck above?

Thanks Matt I saw that also but they have a $100 minimum and both the numbers they list are disconnected.Kinda scary to put my trust in them.

Probably not a 2022 Wi buck. We don't have tags like that. Unless that is some sort of taxidermist tag

I still haven't seen a deer this week but yesterday was a success as my 10 yr old nephew got a buck his 1st year hunting. My dad mentored him as I walked around & tried to kick up deer. 50 yards through the heart. It was neat to see how enthused he was about helping after getting the deer. Some kids all they want to do is show up, pull the trigger, & head home to the television. This was a real rewarding experience for all of us involved.

Good luck on the final day.

Good Luck also!
Finished cutting and grinding burger yesterday and making plans and changes for next year- trading in hides for gloves at Groeny tonight. We took 75 lbs into Lake Geneva Country Meats for sticks and sausage- some good eats for icefishing.

TrapSetter-

Congrats to The Boy AND his Dad! Looks like you had a great time and he wound up with a GREAT Buck!

Moosetrot

Congratulations, that is a real nice buck. I'm sure it will be the first of many.

Not my biggest buck, probably my smallest actually, but lots of good meat for the freezer. I ordered a 3/4hp meat grinder from Cabelas, looking forward to putting it to use.

Set up on my grandma's land behind my parents' house this afternoon around 2pm. Very overgrown from the last time I was back there, didn't have many places I could actually get a shot, but wanted to sit the last few hours of season. After sitting on my butt for an hour I needed to stand up and give my butt a break. This guy snuck up on me, was probably within 50 yards when I stood up, but I finally saw him the same time he saw me at about 40 yards. He was in some thick stuff, but after I stood still enough he wasn't worried about me, he stepped into a small window and I let the .30-06 bark. He only made it about 30 yards. First buck I've got with my gun in a few years.

This one along with a nice doe I got with my crossbow the weekend before gun season, feels good to have some meat in the freezer! Hope all had a good safe season.

Right down to the wire- I love it!

Nothin wrong w/ that spike tl--nice way to finish the season.

My mom is 84 she missed her buck but shot a doe Sunday, nice clean bottom of the heart shot. Gave her a hug and told her I was proud of her. She says it's only a doe, I told every deer is a trophy and gift from God! Well done!

I figured out DNR offers a free online certificate for a person's first deer. I went online today & filled out the form for my 10-year-old nephew & will give the certificate to him for Christmas. He is very excited about the spike buck he got for his first deer in in this his first year ever hunting. I think the certificate will be a hit.

Nice Mike some good vittles there. Horns a after thought ...lol

Really nice buck Mike!

yuppers, nice rack there Mike, next time stick the tongue back in before the pic is taken, eh?

Lone camped it this year, Regular boat landing was locked in ice so put in where I had some current. Dad bought the Grumman used back in the 60s. The Sportspal is a little workhorse, need to replace the sponson on this side. It sees hard use.



10x13 wedge with smoke hole out the back end. Spacious one-man or snug two-man tent. Ran the 4-dog stove so could load it up at night for one wakeup to refill. Had a new fly for it but with the strong winds in the forecast for Saturday and no precipitation in the forecast I never saw the need for setting it up.



Had enough of the wind Saturday afternoon and retired to the tent for a warmup and nap. Loaded the stove and got it cranking. Showed this pic to Susan later, thought I was nuts. Well, you know how it is when you get really cold. Lots of heat feels soooo good. Reminds me of a time I was duck hunting up on Brice Prairie back in the 70s while a college student at UW-L and had fallen in over my hip boots and was real cold. Fired up the '67 Chevy shortbox and by the time I got up on the highway the heat was cranking good in the cab. Picked up this hitchhiker and was headed through Onalaska and the fella suddenly starts yelling at me about the heat and says pull it over. I pull over, stop, he looks at me and says "What's wrong with you, are you nuts?" . . . or something like that. Anyway, you know how it is.



No deer, good camp, probably repeat this for the holiday hunt in December if Mother Nature cooperates.

amen

my aunt still loves to have us for deer camp , she doesn't get out in the woods the last 3 years she is 89 she gave up carrying a gun in about 95 she didn't have much confidence in her shooting and it was too much to carry .but she loved to do all the drives she had her compass on a string around her neck and her ski poles to keep balance over obstacles in the woods and she walked 3 miles a day to keep in shape to be ready for deer driving.

I hunted hard all day everyday and didn't have a decent shot at anything. Sunday headed back up north for the morning, Managed to get a doe about 10:00. Drove down to my brother-in laws for the afternoon and managed to get another so we will eat this winter. Spent all day Monday processing and today we are canning all day.

Sorry Mike. I always put the tongue back in its mouth, but by the time I was ready for pictures, it was too frozen and stiff, but I did try as my wife mentioned it as well.

Saw that buck several times bow hunting and couldn't seal the deal. Never saw him on opening day after sitting in that wind all day. Sunday about noon he came down the trail...done deal.

Great memories

Awesomeness

Muskrat's post is embarrassing- I was snuggled up in my footy pajamas- talking about how cold it was outside.

Wow Mike that is a lot of gear for one person at a campsite! Canoes look as if this was not their maiden voyage! But they get the job done.

Mike that is a very nice buck. It is nice to have those where you don't have to "squint" to do the gender thing.

Bryce

Bryce, indeed it is a lot of gear for one person. But . . . what do you leave behind? If you're going to spend four to five days in the river bottoms camped, you might as well be comfy, eh? And if it takes a couple of hours to set camp, well, that's the price one pays for the experience.

There's something magical about a tent deer camp. Once set up and the woodstove purring, no matter the weather outside it's cozy inside. A short walk to the stand and if you feel like coming back to snack or sleep it's there waiting. At night you can hear the beaver letting you know they aren't appreciating your presence and the coyotes will sound like they're all around you at times. Step out to take a tinkle in the middle of the night and the stars are just above your head. Once season is over the camp is folded up, back in duffel bags, awaiting new adventures next year.

Memories made forever. This little girl is now 30 but come Christmas time in several weeks we'll be talking about good times had at fish camps, duck camps and deer camps over the years. Both dogs have been long gone. And Susan has decided the sewing room is more appealing than the tent at that time of the year.



Had several students over the years come deer camp with me. When my oldest daughter was in high school we had two of her friends accompany us to deer camp. Those fellas are now in their 40s and still recall the times they had at deer camp.

When we retired the old rendezvous tent, it replaced the modern tent for deer camp. No skeeter netting to worry about screwing up.





Leftover firewood is stored in the crotch here to escape flooding now marks time passed.



Mother Nature sometimes has surprises in store for ya. Three times now in the last ten years I've had to vacate the bottoms during that opening weekend due to high waters. Had one close call. Sometimes you set camp in the grass . . .



. . . and wake up in white.



Yuppers, lots of gear, takes time to haul in, set up, take down, and stow. Worth it in the long run. There'll come a day when I won't be able to do this anymore. 'Til then . . .

Way cool Mike I have always enjoyed your deer camp post. Keep doing what you do as long as you can.

Mac

Awesome Camp^^^

That is an awesome camp , when my aunt passes she turns 90 in the spring so as much as I hope she live forever no one does and we don't have the house to hunt from , I keep thinking I need to get a tent and camp setup like that

Same in NY.

Awesome set up and camp.