# Fire arm deer season starts tomorrow.



## alleyyooper (Nov 14, 2017)

Tomorrow will start my 54th firearm deer season here in Michigan. Lots of memories to think about, I am the last of a group who traveled to my Michigan's UP deer camp. I no longer travel far to deer hunt I think about 200 yards from the house to my box blind on the edge of the woods or just a tad less than 400' to a box blind in my front yard. 

I started in 1963 as a young boy in a off and on hunting family, dad saw I really was wanting to deer hunt the year I came of age. I was given a old well worn Ivers Johnson break barrel 410/44lug in one stamped on the barrel. Took 2 1/2 inch shells, I was given 5 shells to shoot at a tin can around 50 yards out on a fence post. I think I may have hit it once, then I was given 5 shells to hunt with on what we called the 80 which was down the road a mile and was half cleared and half woods that had been clear cut about 10 years before so it was really thick.

I was given a red hooded sweat shirt to wear which satisfied the law but sure didn't keep a person warm sitting on a stand. Also that darn itchie wool long jons didn't help either.
So I still hunted HA today I wouldn't call it still hunting more like seeing how many acres I could cover in the least amount of time. But I did stay warm and the itchy wool long jons weren't on my mind, Iwas seeing a lit of *white tails.*

It was prearranged we would meet at the truck at the gate at noon so we could go to the house for dinner. I was walking the old logging road back to the gate when I hear a lot of shooting off to the north fairly close like across a 20 acre field where the river ran. I stood there a bit watching when a doe comes crashing thru the brush from the north, crosses the logging road. In the blink of an eye a buck come thru the brush not far behind the doe and stops in the road like made just for me. I lift that old shot gun and fire, that dumb buck just stands there, today I believe confused. I broke the shot gun and fire again and again till I am out of ammo but I had hit the buck I saw as it ran off to the south. I was shakeing like a leaf in a noreaster, didn't know what I should do. Sure wasn't get dad mad because I was late meeting for dinner and farm chores.

Back at the truck all excited and telling my dad who is pissed when he learns I am out of ammo and no deer, he didn't believe the story one bit. I was given more ammo and a lectrure not to be shooting birds and trees with it. We could not go back out right after dinner as we had some farm chores to get done. My 2 year younger brother came home from school so he was able to go with me to help look for that buck. We tracked the blood trail about 150 yards up thru a stand of hard woods that had not been cut, thru a dry low spot with tall weeds and found him just oin the other side. My first deer was an 8 point buck, Oh field dressing my first deer was a chore too. being dumb as a rock I stuck the knife in, OH what a stink arose not sure how many times I puked and spit but I got her done good enough to drag to the nearest logging road and send brother to get the truck, dad could wait.

Dad sure was baffled when I gave him back the 5 rounds he had gave me just a hour or so before and there is a buck in the back of that old truck.

My 71st birthday is just 29 days away now but for 1963 on my birthday I was given for my birthday and Christmas combined a use Winchester model 94 in 30-30 with strict orders to save the brass every time I shot it.
Dad was buying reloads from a guy he worked with in town. I have a box down in my room with the recipe on the tag, I don't remember the powder or primers. I do remember the bullets were Winchester silver tips. Wasn't till 1965 I got another buck, 66 I was in VN, 67 I was AWOL to deer hunt. haven't missed a year since and have a bunch of stories but all who gave a dam are gone.


 Al


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## cuinrearview (Nov 14, 2017)

My first deer was very similar. Another hunter on the property shot and missed, deer ran right in front of me and stopped. I dropped that four point right where he stood. Hunter came out fuming that I shot his deer. Only problem was the only two wounds were an entry and exit from a 20 gauge slug. Dad and I almost lost rights to hunt that property when that red assed old man went and bitched to the land owner. This will only be my 27th season. Good luck to you Al and all of the MI firearm hunters tomorrow.


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## wrx-snowdrift (Nov 14, 2017)

Thanks for sharing.


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## Ted Jenkins (Nov 14, 2017)

An excellent story indeed. My stories do not quite match the color of yours. I have plenty of guns and ammo, but just have been loosing the urge. I could walk across the street with a bow and legally bring home a nice buck. But the damn things have been making friends with me. Some times when I walk with my dog they just stare at me with big eyes. Forty years ago I could get up early and shoot one from my porch, but now houses all around. Where I cut wood which is about 15 miles away directly west of me they come to my camp and just stand around at night with those big round eyes again. All the hunters always come up to me and ask have I seen any deer? I always tell them not recently. What I really mean is not in the last 15 or 20 minutes. Thanks


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## alleyyooper (Nov 14, 2017)

Don't know when it was for sure but all the land owners posted their property and would even get over heated with neighbours on their property.

I remember as late as 1969 the neighbour next to my dad taking his big flat bed trailer behind his tractor and picking guys up along the road and then dropping them off as he drove back thru the 220 acres of a abesntee owner Who would come up for a couple days of hunting. Strange family the older man would park beside the road and ride the trailer in to where he wanted off. His wife would set in the car all day beside the road. 

I have does follow the dogs and I on our daily walks. I have many that will stand as we walk by and I always make sure to say good morning momma, or good morning babby for the real yopung ones. But the bucks are stand offish so I have no problem shooting a buck. 99% of the time I like and shoot the well indowed

Yes indeed good luck to all Michigan hunters and be safe. Above all being safe is most important. Get help dragging that deer and listen to yopur heart. take breaks often.


 Al


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## Brian72 (Nov 16, 2017)

My buddy and I are heading to his cabin for the PA bear season. This has become our most cherished week of hunting. In the 2012 season, we got to camp Friday night and proceeded to have a little too much to drink and very little sleep. We walked out the door at 4:00 am and started that miserable trek to the top of the mountain. Around 1:00 pm, we were just beat so we dedicated to head back to the cabin. Our path back takes us through a valley with very steep sides and a creek running down the bottom. We're just walking along the creek chatting away, just wanting to get some food and a nap. Suddenly, my buddy stops. We both just stare in disbelief. Directly across from us, on the opposite creek bank, walks a bear! Probably no more than 40 yards away! We damned near walked right by each other without even noticing! Took us a few moments to realize that's what we came to hunt! Certainly one of my most memorable days in the field! What an amazing animal.









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## Sagetown (Nov 16, 2017)

Nice black. Never killed one, but the terrain you talk about is very similar to where I hunted in the high Sierras of California. Can be a little spooky when the daylight fades fast away.


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## Brian72 (Nov 16, 2017)

Sagetown said:


> Nice black. Never killed one, but the terrain you talk about is very similar to where I hunted in the high Sierras of California. Can be a little spooky when the daylight fades fast away.


Definitely some of the best meat I've ever had. We just really enjoy the season and being in the woods. Getting an animal is just a bonus. We do pride ourselves on effort. We're a couple out-of-shape, middle-age guys but the young kids don't even want to hunt with us. They say we walk too much and too far.

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## Sagetown (Nov 16, 2017)

My first deer was on a cold foggy morning in the late fall of the year some 10 years ago. Was exercising that morning in my grey sweats, and decided to finish with a 1/2 mile walk to the north end of the ranch and return home, but it being so foggy I decided to sling my scoped Remington 700 .270caliber over my shoulder. A little over 1/4 mile, some cattle along the trail suddenly appeared in the fog, both them and I were a bit startled at the encounter, and they bolted, and stampeded off into the fog with a thunderous noise. Stunned at the event, I stood still for a few moments, then trugged along a little farther down the trail, and noticing the fog lifting, I saw a strange bush stand in the middle of a small clearing. Curiously, I stopped, and dropped the rifle off my shoulder, and brought it up to scope this bush, which was a very nice racked buck deer. I clicked off the safety, lowered the crosshairs on the scope to the heart area, and pulled the trigger. Immediately after the recoil from the rifle, I tried my best to see which direction the deer would run, but all I saw was fog. I waited, straining my eyes into the surrounding tree line, but saw nothing. Slowing , I moved towards the area where I last saw the buck standing, and at 100 steps from my standing position, there lying on the ground was the big guy. Evidently, I must have bumped the scope, as the bullet sailed high and left of its intended target, striking the deer in the neck bone, and he crumpled straight down, and never moved again.


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## Sagetown (Nov 16, 2017)

This year my grandchildren will be hunting for deer in a couple more days. The game CAM has been showing some nice bucks near their treestand . Here's a pic from yesterday morning.


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## MontanaResident (Nov 17, 2017)

Got my buck this morning. I stalked the area for a couple of hours, and on the way back with a mile or so till I got back to the road was a good size buck. Once I field dressed him he dragged rather easily. I'll tan the hide, only one bullet hole, and dragging over the snow did no harm to the hide. I'll butcher and make burger with most of the meat.


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## MechanicMatt (Nov 19, 2017)

Got two this weekend, my first bear and my first deer while bringing my oldest. She has a blast being up at camp.


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## MontanaResident (Nov 20, 2017)

A neighbor shot a bear a few years ago, that had gotten into the dogs area, and was destroying a portion of the attached garage. He shared the meat, and I was given several pounds of bear burger. Best thing I ever had. My body was tingling with energy. Bon Appetite!!!


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