The Wait

Well the official gun season of the year has been closed.  I now have to wait until muzzle loading starts up before I can hunt again.  I could use my bow but I think that I will just wait and in the mean time I will be able to get a little bit of fishing in.  I know a couple guys that have went out already and they were doing alright considering that it is early yet for fish to be in.  They called me up and said that they got about twelve in four hours, they were just hogs though.  My friends said they did not have one under twelve and I didn’t believe him of course because being a fisherman I knew that fishermen lie.  So I went over there to help him clean up his catch and sure enough there in his pail sat a little mess of fish and there really was not one under twelve.  Where he caught them that is usually what they catch out there is big ones.  It is usually hit or miss with the location they sit but for the past few years it seems like it has been mostly hit. 

                                                

                                                                                           

    

 My grandpa also caught a mess of perch.  He ended up with thirty one the morning after thanksgiving.  I was not really too happy to hear that because I was supposed to go out with him that morning but I got suckered into work.  We will get out eventually and probably catch our limit.  Being the man he is he knows just about every location where the fish are biting and what they are biting exactly. 

My friend is making a killing with all of his traps that he has set up.  He has a line which runs from my town to his and he has about sixty coons already so that is a pretty decent year so far.  I was considering buying some traps and getting involved with that more, but I couldn’t swing it this year.  Trapping is really a lost art, there isn’t very many people who do it anymore.  It seems to me that if it wasn’t passed down then no one would continue the hobby.  I think it is kind of cool and it will bring in some extra cash during the winter.  Sure it takes time to do but what doesn’t.  Usually people just sit around in the winter time because they don’t like the cold but I like to be active all the time and who couldn’t use a couple extra buck, I know I could.

Getting an Itch

This week was really slow for me out in the field.  I haven’t been seeing a single deer and I am starting to worry about getting skunked this season, at least buck wise that is.  The way it has been going I might not even get a doe, my friends keep telling me to be patient but that is pretty difficult when the best to hunt is coming to a close and will be here before I know it.  I hope they are right when they tell me that I will get something, they seem pretty positive so I will give them the benefit of the doubt and listen to them.  With the temperature and signs of snow spear to become more and more visible I am getting excited for one thing and that is ice fishing. 

                Winter has always been one of my favorite times of the year simply because I like ice fishing a lot.  Sure all the other things that go along with winter are nice as well, but some years we do not get a lot of snow, so I can’t ride my sled around.  It does always get cold though, and cold weather equals ice.  Ice fishing does freak a lot of people out, just the thought of being out over the water gets to people, not me.  I do realize there is a ton of stuff that could go wrong while on the ice but there are safety precautions you can to assure a safer trip.  We always go out with a group of guys and that’s a blast. 

                We gather our shanti’s early in the morning and are sitting by day break.  Also we never hit the ice equipped with our heaters, grills, and whatever we want to drink that day.  Whether its brats or hot dogs coffee or whisky we very rarely go on the ice without what we need to ensure a comfortable and fun day. 

 

                                                                                        

I think that we will be able to sit on the water by Christmas time with all the cold weather we are supposed to get.  Also the water level is up so I will be able to go where I usually like to go.  Hopefully there is an abundance of perch this year, I need more because I just fried up my last three bags last week.  I am itching to get out there, almost as bad as I am to actually shoot a deer this year.    

Opening Weekend

               Well it wasn’t a very successful opening weekend for me this year.  I didn’t see anything.  Waking up early that Friday morning was pretty refreshing though, I haven’t got to go out in the morning since October 1^st, opening day of bow hunting.  Walking out with my muzzleloader and my big bubba mug full of coffee was just about perfect.  The fact that on my way out I saw the one thing I didn’t want to see, my blind had folded in upon itself, and with the wind blowing as roughly as it was, putting it back up was no easy task.  Further into my morning I also spilled doe pee on myself so if you have ever smelt doe pee you would know that it is not the most pleasant thing in the world.   I have to say though, it was nice sitting out, and if you don’t have at least one thing go wrong, what fun is that?

                After I came in from my hunt I made my way over to the not so deer camp we were doing.  A couple of my friends got in trouble so they stayed home from their original deer camp so we had to do a mini one.  We all got back around the same time and started playing cards and sharing stories about our outings.  We ate and drank like kings and it actually turned out to be a pretty decent time.  Like me they did not see much of anything either.  In a way that is a good thing because we had a bet going on between our work crew that whoever shot the biggest buck would get 50 bucks from each person.  Luckily none of them shot a deer either or else to add to my crappy opening weekend I would have to pay someone the money that I don’t have.

                I also had to help track one of my buddy’s deer a couple days before season opened up.  We tracked it for about 3 miles before realizing and getting told that it went into a guy’s woods who wasn’t about to let us go in there.  It is a real shame, the deer was a nice six point but that type of stuff happens. 

Hopefully this next week I can get something to walk in front of me.  Whatever is walking around out there is walking and eating at night because all of my beets are just ate to hell.  I am not sure when or what but I am positive that I am going to get something.    

Heating Up

This week in during my hunts I was not as usual as the previous weeks.  During my adventures my bucks are starting to come alive and walk around a lot more frequent.  I was sitting out in my tree stand Tuesday afternoon and at about 4:30 I had a big six point.  His rack wasn’t huge but it was thick. I would say that he was about a two and a half year old buck.  I would have shot him with my bow but he was way too far away, about 80 yards.  I could have tried to shoot but I don’t shoot at deer that I am not comfortable with the range they are presenting themselves to me.  Plus, it is about a week away from what many would call a holiday here in Michigan, and yes I am talking about opening day for gun season.  I for one am really pumped about it. 

                I just put my blind up out at my sand pit last week and this was not an easy task.  The wind was just howling and it was a pain in the ass to get my blind up.  My buddy and I went out and set my blind up and laid sugar beets out Thursday after noon.  It is always better to get your stuff situated and aired out so that the deer can get used to it by the time the season opens up.  You don’t really want the deer to be scared of the new unfamiliar object that rests in their woods, it will spook them.

                During this afternoon I was also helping my friend site in his Savage for the season as well.  His luck just about disappeared while we were doing this.  We were shooting at his target and we couldn’t get it even close.  The patterns of the shot weren’t even tight, and if you know about Savage, that doesn’t happen.  Come to realize his scope was muffed up and something shifted inside his Nikon scope.  I also find this hard to believe because Nikon does produce some really nice products and these scopes are not cheap.  He was extremely bummed about this because he had just purchased this gun and when he thought he could count on his scope to be there for him, it wasn’t.  If I were in his shoes I would be pretty upset as well.

                My muzzleloader on the other hand is getting mounted with a scope and ready for use.  I am looking forward to shooting this gun and bore sighting it in because I have not yet been able to shoot it.  Hopefully all goes well with it and I don’t run into any problems, or else I’m right out of luck. 

Season Arising

It was another average week out in the woods; I am still getting a ridiculous amount of does and still no bucks.   That is perfectly fine with me so considering the other seasons coming up.  The farmers finally took the corn off behind my woods so the deer are starting to walk around me a lot more than they used too.  Unfortunately no bucks though.  But I will take anything I can get to put some of that good ole venison in my freezer.  If not with my bow than with my black powder rifle, my CVA Wolf muzzle loader.

            I have finally purchased all of my bullets, cleaners, propellants, patches, and all that other stuff that you need for muzzle loading.  I decided to roll with the PowerBelt bullets because unlike the Sabots they do not have a plastic casing around them to form the gas seal but instead the PowerBelt.  This will essentially expand on the shot to form a tight seal with the barrel.  Plus, with the PowerBelts I actually get to shoot the actual size caliber for my gun, this means i am going to have more kinetic energy and the deer will fall faster.  That is what my goal is, to make a fast and ethical kill; I never like to see the animal suffer.  Another thing with these PowerBelt bullets is that they are a lot cleaner and simpler to load.  With the Sabots you have a pretty dirty gun from the plastic disintegrating during the shot.  That calls for a clean up after every shot if you want to have a consistent accurate shot.   Considering how naturally dirty a black powder rifle is I wanted to get the cleanest ammunition and propellants possible.  Which lead me to get the White Hots. 

The IMR White Hots really are the cleanest burning propellant I found.  Which I really was attracted too right away considering that I like a clean operation.  It is the newest form of propellants which are the powder pellets. These pellets are very convenient and save time when you are out in the field and don’t feel like measuring out your black powder or the black powder substitute Pyrodex.   Plus, it is already measured out so it is more accurate than the others as well.

            I am extremely anxious to see how I do during the season considering this is my first time hunting with a black powder firearm.  I believe that it will pay off for my seeing how thick my spot is with does right now.  That’s all I can do is hope for the best and maybe I’ll get to mount one on my wall this year.

A Problem

I got a call from another one of my friends telling me he got a deer. Unfortunately where he hunts he has a pretty big problem. The guy who owns the woods right by where he hunts is a real tool. He will not allow them to go into the woods to track down the deer. It really pisses me off knowing that the deer that was shot will now just lay there and rot instead of being used for a purpose. I can not believe that guy won’t let anyone into the woods to find a deer but instead let it rot. They have been having problems with this guy for a couple years now. From him calling the DNR on them for no reason to dumping diesel fuel on their stands and blinds the problems and their relationship is pretty much ruined. It isn’t like they are going and messing up his property, he just won’t let them into the woods and I don’t quite understand it. Damn though, it seems like everyone is getting a deer except me. I am not worried about it, like I have said before I have a while and it isn’t even prime time yet. I do have to get my muzzle loader around and purchase a new scope for it. I have my scope choices narrowed down between two choices, the Nikon Buckmasters 3-9 x 40 and the Bushnell Trophy DOA. The Bushnell has the drop reticles and the Nikon has the mill dots which are essentially the same thing. Both are water, shock, and fog proof. I just have to run to the store and check the clarity and the quality of each scope. I might even change my mind and get something out at that point. I would like to go out and buy a nice Leupold but I do'nt feel like spending an arm and a leg on a scope. I also think i'm going to look into some traps for this year. I have a couple friends that are into trapping and I could always use some extra cash in my pocket. I also don't thing that the traps cost a whole lot of money so as long as I put forth the effort I could do alright for myself in this lost art. I will definitely be looking more into trapping and checking out the equipment needed for it when I go to purchase my scope. With the help of my friends there is really now way I can go wrong.

Higher Hopes

Well it has been another typical week out in the woods. This cold weather and all the stuff that it brings with it are awesome. This is by far my favorite time of the year besides winter of course. The deer are getting a lot more active and are moving around more frequently now. I have been seeing smaller bucks almost every time I have went out but unfortunately they are too small for me. I have a decent sized four point walking around but I want something bigger, something I can mount on my wall. I also have small six point and he’s only a year and a half buck so I will let him go till next year. I have also noticed the pre rut has been engaged. Sitting up twenty feet that small six point appeared, coming out of the corn at about sixty yards. I scared him away with a grunt so this tells me that there are bigger bucks in my area which makes me extremely happy. At least this I hope for. I got a call from a good buddy of mine at about seven thirty at night and he shot a nice six point. It was probably a two and a half year old buck which is pretty decent. He only hunts about five miles from me on state land so I just packed up real fast and helped him track it down. Tracking him down was a giant pain in the ass. It was sprinkling so we had to do it fast because our blood trail was disappearing by the minute. About a hundred yards from where the shot took place we found a bushy white tail sticking up from the ground. He didn’t put the best shot in world on him but he still got it. After finding it, dragging it out took a lot of energy, he was one heavy boy. When we got it all unloaded at his house we called a couple of our other friends and we cleaned it all the night. Personally I think that cleaning the deer is half the fun. Hanging out with your buds always alright with me. When I shoot mine they always help out with it so we all expect the same whenever one of shoot one. I have a good feeling about this next week. The deer are only going to be walking more and more and with my location, if I don’t get on with my bow I always have my gun. My location is great for both seasons, so I’m not worried about it. Come November I will start dropping deer.

Skunked Again

 

 

 

It’s officially been another week of getting skunked from deer.  Though the does have become more and more frequent with their siting’s, I have yet to find that big wall mounter that appeared on my trail cam.   Since I haven’t been seeing any bucks in my one spot I decided to change locations where I found a new walkway for the deer.  This was not an easy task by any means.  Thick brush covered the ground I need to enter this new spot and I took a long time to clear a path with my shears.  Vines, thorns, poison ivy, whatever you can think of, I had to go through it to get back there.  While sitting up in the tree I noticed I had a few branches in my shooting lanes so those had to disappear.  So I cut them down with my pole saw and overall it seems to be a nice spot.  Hopefully it works out alright for me.  If not I can always move back to my old spot where I know deer will come after they take the corn off behind my woods.

The weather is still a little too hot for me and I don’t just have to worry about the deer not moving now since duck season opened up this weekend.  The weather sucked for that also.  I went out duck hunting earlier Saturday morning and we didn’t see a single flock.  It just simply wasn’t a good weekend for anything hunting wise.

So since it wasn’t the best hunting weather I decided to shoot a little anyway.  My friends and I gathered our bow arrows and shot for a good portion of the afternoon on Sunday.  Placing bets on who was better I walked away a loser but that was alright because it was still a goodtime tippin them back with my buds.  Overall it was a pretty relaxing way kick back and enjoy the good weather.  If we couldn’t enjoy it trying to bag a buck or shooting ducks out of the sky, we found other ways to enjoy the weather.

Luckily I think the weather is supposed to cool off this week and hopefully it stays down.  This hot weather is just getting a little ridiculous.  I’m ready for the chill autumn air and all the great things it brings with it.  One of these next few good days I am going to have to site in my muzzleloader and get that all taken care before the season sneaks up on me actually opens up.  I had just recently won this muzzleloader at one of my buddy’s bachelor party so for a ticket that was only ten bucks I would have to say I made off pretty well.

Opening Day

Well last Tuesday was opening day for bow season and I have to say that I was pretty excited just like any other hunter would be.  I just couldn’t wait to relax and be by myself for once.  That’s exactly what I got come Tuesday morning, peace and quiet out in the woods. 

                Waking up, usually a big issue for me didn’t seem to play a factor during that Tuesday morning.  I woke up, brewed myself a nice cup of Jo, gathered my stuff and off I went.  Getting out to my spot was boring and lifeless like everything else is during the wee morning hours.  Although when I was walking out I was greeted by a shuffle in the woods occasionally and the howls of the coyotes.  To the normal person this would be enough to make them turn around but to me it was like my sanctuary.

                As daylight dawned on me and my surrounding s I started to see all the squirrels, rabbits, and birds that you could possibly imagine.  Unfortunately no deer have struck my eyes yet.  Sitting and waiting without a sound nothing at would come near me.  I did see a couple of does about 150 yards out walking some pines, but of course I didn’t shoot, who would?  It was pretty hot out so nothing was really walking that day or so it seemed to me.  Everyone I had previously talked to didn’t see much that day either, this weather is really messing with everyone’s game.  So I made my way back in and headed off to work, thinking I was going to try another day.

I would try again two more times this week and see if I couldn’t bag a buck.  The weather just did not want to corporate with me though.  Once again it was to warm out and I did not see a thing.  There was one time that something did decide to walk in front of me though.  It was about 6:20p.m. on a Friday afternoon when I had witnessed my very first in range doe.  It came prancing along like it was no one’s business and it started to suck on my sugar beet.  It was dawning on my to shoot it but there was no way it was big enough.  It was one of those deer you can just through over your shoulder after the shot.  Though I was tempted I didn’t have to worry about her long.  She picked up her head and off she went.

                Even though it wasn’t a very successful first week, it was still better than work and school.  It was nice to get away for those few hours.  That little doe, along with my trail cam give me big hopes for this year.  Only time will tell what’s going to happen though.  Hopefully next week goes a little better. 

The First Time

I still remember the day my dad took me out hunting for the first time.  It seems like only yesterday that I was lying in bed, waiting for the sound of his footsteps walking up the stairs to come and get me up.  It is a memory that shall remain with me forever and one that someday I will hopefully get to share with my kids.

            It was 5:30 in the morning of October first, the smell of coffee overwhelmed me as it roamed throughout the house.  He was cooking up some breakfast as I got all of my gear in check.  It wasn’t 15 minutes before we were stepping outside into the frigid air anxiously waiting to get on the road.  The deadness of the town belonged to me and all of the other hunters from around the area.  I have never seen the streets so bare, to me and this image was memorizing and it was something that I look forward to every time I now go out.  Driving down the road I remember a thin blanket of fog that covered the ground, making the road difficult to see. 

            Making our way to our stands was also not the easiest thing to do in this fog.  Trying our best not to stomp on any twigs or leaves we arrived at our tree.  Climbing up our ladder stands we would get settled in and then wait.  There we sat waiting, watching, and hoping for something big to come walking in.  At my age I wasn’t to concerned with how big it was, I just wanted to see something.  I could see the intensity in my dads’ eyes as he would comb over our woods trying to spot something.  Little did I know that there was a decent sized 10 point walking our way.

            There it stood, 20 yards away, just waiting for my dad to take his shot.  As he drew back his bow my blood was pumping, then all of a sudden, schwack.   The deer has been shot, just looking at the blood streaming out I knew that we weren’t going home empty handed.  As we stood there, adrenaline rushing through our veins he reaches down to me and gives me a high five.  It wasn’t long after the tracking started.

            Tracking the deer was one of the hardest things I’ve done; being is how I’m color blind I can’t see any of the blood barely unless it’s real thick.  Luckily, he didn’t have any problem spotting the trail that he created.  As we crept along we spotted a set of antlers sticking up from the ground.  There it lay, 50 yards from our tree. 

I will never forget these images, from the coffee, the fog, the dead town, and this deer that lay at my feet.  It has grown to be apart of me, and in some ways, formed me into the person I am today.  This is a memory that will not be forgotten not only for me but for my dad as well.

Why I Chose This Topic

My blog is going to be about hunting and fishing.  I have a lot of reasons for why I chose hunting and fishing as my topic. Ever since I was a young boy, they have been a huge part of my life and have shaped me into the young man I am today. I am from a great area for these two outdoor sports, surrounded by woods, fields, rivers, and lakes. I can remember my first hunting trip with my dad. We went in a field behind my grandparent’s house when I was 8 years old. The crisp fall air, my grandpa’s 12 gauge, my dad, and me; it was the perfect afternoon for hunting geese.

            See, hunting…you can obviously see is a huge part of my life, and it always will be, according to my dad.  He told me that it teaches you a couple huge factors of life, one being, to have respect for others and their property of which they let you hunt upon.  The other being, just to have fun and escape your problems in a civil manner, don’t take it out and be aggressive towards others but find a way to calm yourself without taking it out on your friends or even your family.  To me these things will bring you to be a happy young and self-fulfilling man.

             I personally have never been happier when I’m hunting, or fishing for that matter.  Being out in the wilderness, by yourself or with friends, there is nothing better than being one with nature.  Either on the ice, fishing, or out in the fields hunting for waterfowl, or those white tailed deer, nothing simply compares to it.  Growing up in my area it is something that you learn to live and love.  It takes apart of your life that you wouldn’t trade or give back for anything.  You hunt and fish not because you like it but because you were raised to do it and it slowly turns into something that you can’t live without. 

            You realize at a young age, that it isn’t solely just you learning passed down family traditions of the hunt, but it is being taught all around you.  You slowly begin to notice that all the young men and young girls are getting taught these skills all around you.  Pretty soon you’re hunting with your friends making your own memories like the ones your old man used to tell. 

            This way of life becomes apart of you, it consumes you, from when you were a young boy or girl you couldn’t escape it, it surrounded you.  Hunting and fishing are both a huge part of my life as you can see and they always will be.  It was how I was raised and it is how I will remain.