# Muzzle loader seson 2019 Michigns zone 3.



## alleyyooper (Dec 7, 2019)

After 3 days this week fighting the weather, scopes and other stuff I feel I am ready

I had a VA annual check up doctors appointment yesterday. Did a bit of shopping after and returned stuff to HD and buy the correct stuff. So it was just after what will be legal shooting time when we returned home. As we are driving up the road we see 3 deer crossing the road from our drive way, as I turned in the drive a der was at the curve and ran back, couldn't tell the sex. Kare got out and got the mail and I got the two garbage cans. Started down the drive and there is another deer stand on the edge of the drive. it runs over to stand at the edge of the pines and it sure looked in the poor lighting to be the big buck I have been hunting for all center fire arm season.

Just two hours and I will be sitting in my deer blind in the front yard.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 7, 2019)

Decided not to sit in the deer blind in the front yard in the morning. I sat in the blind set up in our old veggie garden where I had a very nice view.

From last season but yesterday the same view but no snow. the deer in the picture is at my 104 yard mark.






Was about 7:15 AM a big doe and 2 smaller ones came marching from east to west taking their time along the edge of the pond 49 yards to the food plot than slowed to grab a mouth full here and there. One got with in 30 yards of me. I saw a deer across the pond 87 yards but it was out of one brush clump and in the next clump so quick I could only tell it was a big body deer.

all a sudden 2 does ran out of some brush about 114 yards out ran across the clearing to the brush on the other side. About 5 minutes later a 3d deer came out into the clearing and stopped. A look thru the binocs confirmed it was a buck and it wasn't the big guy I am hunting. I am not sure if it is the weird 3 point Ihave been seeing or a 4 point but a buck never the less.

Came in for dinner and while waiting for Kare to finish it up I quickly made a single leg shooting stick out of some CPVC pipe a T and two 90 degree elbows with a bit of foam pipe insulation padding. The ameristep dog house blinds do hot have any type of shooting rest so I will use it in them.

After noon found me in my ameristep blind in the front yard. I found I need to shorten the shooting stick a bit as 40" is to tall, with that chair any way.

I had does comeing in and out of the pines all day usually in 3s to browse in the lawn grass and then go back into the pines.
No way of telling if they were the same ones all the time so not sure of the count. but at 5:00 to 5:15 I had a total all at once of 6 does.
It only takes one doe being near being in heat or in heat to draw a buck from the brush.

The day I felt was perfect, not to cold or warm not real windy it came and went as did the sun shine.

16 to go.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 8, 2019)

Saturday morning I fix breakfast my tea for the thermos then dress and leave the house. as I get with in 50 yards of my blind despit deer walking I hear deer on the far side of my blind along the creek moving. Sounded like at least a pair but it is still dark so can't see once they made it to the ridge. I just stand there 50 yards from the blind and listen till the sound of them are gone.

I climb up in my blind and unpack my thermos and back pack and open two of my windows the center one is stuck and I decide not to fool with it till it is light enough to see. Set down and check the time it is 6:40 AM. When I went up for dinner Kare said sounded like you left really eary this morning, you know when sun rise is. I tell her I think it is about 7:30 She laughed and said more like 7:50 some and looked it up on the weather station and said 7:58 AM. legal shooting time is 30 minutes before sun rise so I am in my blind nearly a hour before legal shooting time. I have always tried to make it at least a half hour ahead of time.
I try and take a nap also for a bit after I get in the blind.

I didn't see my first 2 deer till 10:00 AM a pair of does came off the ridge to my right where the dog walking path is. dropped down just as the flood plain opens up and where the revien where the wash out meets the plain. they continue uo the wash out to it raises up on top of the hill and take a trail thru the brush. I figure they will cross on the house side of the pond to go upo in the thorn apples to lay for the day.
those were the only deer I saw before dinner.

I go up for dinner which isn't quite finished yet Kare said about a hour. I go out and get the new chair i had bought Thursday from my truck and take it to my veggie garned blind. this chair has a shelf on it to set my tea cup and binocs on so I don't have to lay them on the ground.
I take the chair that is in there up to the front yard blind to replace the one in there. that chair I am not sure what I am going to do with it. even sitting on a throw pillow in it it cuts into the thigh half way to the knee. not comfortable at all.

I then start the tractor and drive back to pull a fallen cherry tree out of the creek where it has collected a huge pile of leaves sort of blocking the flow. I skidded it to the house and will cut it up one day at dinner time to burn.
Dinner is finished so I go clean upo and eat.

After lunch I decided to go sit in thr veggie garden blind and try it out. Ya the new chair is nice and I can have my tea cup on the shelf and the binocs and camera.
I think I will see if I can get a stick on foot square chunk of carpet to recuce thr noise when setting things on it.
I saw one deer a doe come out on the east end of the pond and stand there drinking for a long time then go back down the center dog walking path.


15 days to go yet.

 Al


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## SuperDuty04 (Dec 8, 2019)

Good luck!

Started here yesterday but i had to work. Pulling the ML out today to get her sighted in. Hopefully can hunt tbjs evening. I've got two monsters running my land taunting me.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 9, 2019)

Sunday I awoke to wind, weather station was bounceing from as low as 6 MPH to a high of 15MPH in the few minutes I stood looking at the read outs. Was 35F with a wind chill of 28F, wind out of the south. The wind chimes hanging from the east end of the screen porch over hang were really banging.

Decided to have my scotch flavored pancakes and eggs for breakfast, but ended up with just bacon and eggs as I had let the bag of chips run low and there were not enough for my pancakes.
Ya the bacon was a new addtion also, good thing it was thick cut as if it was normal you could have read the fine print of a warranty thru it.

Since I have been getting to my blinds nearly a hour before legal shooting time I was able to watch the local news and weather on the tube before dressing an heading out the door and making it to my blind of the day a half hour before legal time.

I chose my PCV pipe portable blind in one of the old farms fence line. This is my favorite portable blind of the 3 I own as it is roomy and has gun rest rails with pipe insulation for padding also tall enough a person could reload a Muzzle loader in it.





I have since brushed it in more and pruned the tree behind it.

I had only been in thre blind a short time when 2 doe's small ones I figured this springs fawns came from the east along the creek then at a finger turned and came up it to the south into some heavy brush where they bed down during the day. I see deer bedded in there all the time when I walk my dogs.

Shortly I look over to my right, south where the horse pasture fence is and there is a deer browesing on grass along the fence where i had mowed.
Turns out there were two a lage doe and a smaller one possiable a ealy spring fawn. They had no sooner moved on and here come more up my dog walking path behind them from the west. There five more all strung out some hurrying and some taking their time to brows on the grass as I mow it and is about 5 inches tall now. they also I believe were going back to that brushy bedding area or even farther across our back line fence where it is also thick brush covered.

I look at the time and it is 8:40 AM. things settle down except the wind shakeing the blind some times really good.
I soon see a pair of deer comeing from across the rear fence along the north side of the creek and they quicky went upo mid way on the ridge and turned North heading for the corn field over there i suppose.

Those were the last deer I seen in the morning before the call came dinner was ready.

The afternoon I am in one of my ameristep blinds in the front yard. I see a deer thru thre pines as I walk to it across the lawn and it must have seen me as it took off to the east down the hill.
I am settled in and giveing thought I really don't like this blind at all as one of the poles inside that supports the roof is missing a section. I inhearted it when we bought the property next door. it had been left set up at least a year before I removed it from where it had been with one of the support rods sticking thru the roof. I patched the roof and some day maybe buy a new support pole. Any way I am thinking of moving it to an area where I can sort of hang it from tree branches and not need support poles so much.

I am there about a half hour before a little deer one of the smallest I have seen in a long time with out spots comes out to brows all by its self in the lawn grass.
It gets about 30 feet away and figures some thing isn't right and starts doing rhe high step from the east side to my front. stomps it fee ta few times and bobs it's head then turns and runs back into the pines. all the deer I saw in thr afternoon.

Opening day doe's in my food plot by 8:30 am.





A doe drinking from the pond Saturday afternoon. the white dot is my 100 yard mark a plastic pail I sat out there for a marker.





Today the forecast is calling for rain. I know how to keep my powder dry haveing tested the method several times. But I am taking the time to go renew my drivers licence since I have a birthday coming soon. I will be 73 years old then.
I also plan to take Kare some place different for a nice dinner. I am thinking a fancy place in Flint near the mall that I have been told has great fried cat fish.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 11, 2019)

Sun rise is so much later now I don't leave the house till about 6:45 and I arrive at a blind well before the 30 minutes before sun rise still.
I like getting there early gives the area time to settle down and for me to take a small nap. That small nap allows my breakfast to settle in also.

So I make my way to the PVC blind, got settled in took a short nap and was ready as soon as it got legal light.




Wasn't till 7:59 I see my first deer way back by where the east line and creek come together. I watch it as it works its way along the creek all by it's self then it goes up the ridge I figured to work north to the corn field over there.
But about half way up it turns back west working along the ridge for a bit then dropps back down closer to me along the creek.

Finally when it is straight out from me I see it is a buck a spike, crosses the creek and continues coming my way. I think it is goijng to come up the finger right in front of me but it doesn't it turns west makes it way up a finger that comes down from the west and is gone. 
I check the time and it is 8:03 AM.

Kare calls me on the radio about a hour later, I heard the dogs barking so knew she had went and let them out of thr kennel to their our side pens. She says guess what I saw and I said a buck as the one I had seen had not came up the finger in front of me like I had thought it had turned and went up the hill and would pass by the dogs out side pens.

She then tells me She had gotten ready when she got in from doing the dogs to do her grarge cats. Looked out the window and in the front yard were a pair of does and a really nice antlered buck then the spike steped out of the pines and they spared in the front yard for a bit then after them being in the front for a half hour wandered off to the pines divideing our old orginal property from the new year old place.
I had thought this morning about going to the front yard blind to set in the blind I have there.

While talking to Kare 2 does come from some place in the west working along the creek to the bedding area across the fence in back.
about 20 minutes later 4 more doe's come from the west along the creek to cross the fence to the bedding area back there.

After dinner i sat in the garden blind saw a bit of one deer up the hill in the thorn apples as I got to the blind and stayed till the end of the day, I didn't see another deer.

Got me to thinking how I have changed since I first started hunting. back then I was ready to take a spike or even fill a doe permint I had applied for and bought when I got drawn. today I allow Spikes to walk by even 4 points and even though I can buy 5 doe permints a day over the counter now I don't buy even one.

Early one after much scouting I was willing to pile a bit of brush and sticks up and lean againest a tree for a day. today if it is going to be real cold I will go to a hard side blind to sit and even fire up a small heater. 
I have lived here so long I pretty much know where thr deer are going to travel to and from even when spooked and have a blind near by.
Not going to sit out on the ground with out a wind block any longer 

11 days to go.


 Al


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## esshup (Dec 12, 2019)

If you aren't wanting to put something in the freezer, then wait for something good to put on the wall. Nothing wrong with that! I have a few people that either can't/don't hunt but need some assistance with food due to medical circumstances, so I will usually get at least one doe for each of them. Here in Indiana our deer bag limit on antlerless is by county, so I can stock a few freezers being able to hunt in a few different counties. I have a lifetime license, so there's no added expense of buying tags. 

I have a customer that farms a lot of ground and next year I bet the biologist will give him 20+ depredation tags due to the crop losses he's seeing.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 12, 2019)

Yesterday when I woke and looked at the weather station and saw 23F and feeling like 11 the wind was howling. Didn't instill a great deal of insperation as a good deer hunting day nor did the weather guesser on the TV as I was fixing my breakfast saying the temps would drop thru the day.
Could have worse how ever it was 8 below zero and felt the same way at my daughters home.

I finished breakfast and dressed in my extreame cold long johns and headed out the door .
Arrived at the blind about 15 minutes before legal light and set back for a quick nap. Light inproved on time and I poured a cup of tea and while doing so heard the leaves crunching deer approching the blind. peek out the window and there are two does coming from the east along the creek going west.

The lead doe finally made it to 10 yards from the blind and continued past. the second one got to that 10 yard mark and just would not go by. I have no Idea why as the one now behind the blind out of my sight I could still hear going along the creek.

The one still out front finally turned so I thought she was going to jump the creek which I could see was making ice on the edges. I hear another deer coming from the west so looked and it was a doe across the creek going east. Have no Idea if it was the one that had passed the blind and jumped the creek at a narrow spot behind me. once it got up the hill on the other side of the creek it angled off to the north east leaveing the one in front working back east along the creek. 

Two more does came down the wash out off to the south. one worked over to the creek then also went east along it. the other continued browseing along in the flood flats to meet it at the back line to the east.

All the deer I seen for the day.


 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 12, 2019)

I could buy 5 doe tags a day in this county. But I am wanting that wal hanger I saw before the season and kare saw on in the front yard this week.

 Al


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## esshup (Dec 12, 2019)

With all the does around, there's nothing better to draw that buck in than live bait!!


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## alleyyooper (Dec 12, 2019)

Yes I know about live bait. 
When I used to work the clowns always asked how big of one I had tied up?

Silly boys why would I tie one up that was alive when I could have it in a pen fatting up!!!!!!

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 14, 2019)

Friday the 13th, Some how it didn't set in my mind being the 13th was a friday till I was all the way back to the rear most blind.

I left earlier so I could really take my time crossing the logs across the creek. I really need to make some hand rails for my impromto bridges or just stop crossing them in the dark.

Show morning for some reason, not one deer came down the creek or crossed the back fence. I saw one lone hen turkey clucking her way down the top of the ridge, many squirrels at work and play. the work ones were again gathering leaves and carrying them in the trees.

I wonder if that could be a sign of some really cold weather coming soon?

When it was time to leave the blind, walking down the logging trail I have on the ridge top. I stop in a area where I can look south and see the horse pasture fence all the way across the new property. As I am standing there I hear snorting and see four tails as the deer laying in some brush raced off. They didn't smell me as the wind was in my face but some thing spooked them.
Figured the neighbours dog so stood watching to see if I could see it.

After dinner I go back to my PCV blind as the wind had really died down and I wanted to instll the Zip & Fix. With no wind I was able to pull the zipper together and install the Zip & fix repair medium size and fix my zipper on the blind. Works way easier then the bobby pins in the dark to get in thre blind. I saw 2 does as I sat there but along about 5:00 a half hour before quit time 3 turkeys decided to roost in the big Oak tree the blind is under. Of course when I got out to head to the house at 5:30PM they flew thern I kept spooking turkeys from big Oak trees on the edge of the woods till I made the turn away from the woods. I belive I spooked a total of 14.


 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 16, 2019)

Saturday morning found me not making my butter scotch flap jacks since Kare had picked me up a new bag of chips when in town Friday.

I had a smoked turkey omelet instead, some thing different to use up some smoked turkey lunch meat we had on hand.
Kare told me to use if for some thing since we were not making any sandwiches to use it up.

Just laid it on the chopping board and chopped it up and sprinkled over the eggs before the fold.

While doing breakfast I was thinking about the blind I was going to hunt from. I decided the Ameristep in our old veggie garden over looking rhe pond.

When it got light enough to see a single turkey comes from the west doing the come meet me call, then I hear more back in the woods to the east calling. I do believe there ended up being a turkey reunion back there.

Soon after I see deer coming from the east only to make the turn on the path that goes over the culvert I have in place to drain the ponds over flow. There ended up being 5 does all together once across the culvert on the path they took the old fence line path back to the east. comeing to the rear of my PVC blind I believe.

That was the only deer and turkeys I seen for the morning hunt. I do believe I am the olny one out deer hiunting any longer the deer just don't seem to be moving from thr brushy areas to the east and I know there are a couple of blinds back there.

In. the afternoon I went to the blind in the front yard and had about six doe's come and go till a half hour after sun set.

Tinyest deer I have seen this year dur the season. Front yard. It is 325 feet to the tractor.










Looking out my north window in my back blind, never saw the deer when I put the camera out the window to take the picture.






This is the view due north. I have some down trees to clean up after I finish hunting.





Looking west down the logging trail.





Looking south east down to the creek. full south.









South from the PCV blind.






The two turkeys over my head in the big oak the PCV blind is under.










Front yard Saturday afternoon.








I called Kare on the radio to come out the front deer and talk to the deer so it would go away as it was late.








 Al


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## esshup (Dec 16, 2019)

Where's all the snow? We had a bunch right around Thanksgiving (Presque Isle, Wi. area), it was knee deep the Sunday after Thanksgiving.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 16, 2019)

Sunday morning is cold with a nice wind chill to go with the cold.
I make my way back to my PCV blind, I see more deer than just about any place other than the front yard.

I get in there and it is a hour and a half till sun rise so I streach out to take a nap for a bit. I wake up and still have about 15 minutes till the half hour before sun rise to find it snowing heavy.

If it keeps coming down like this we will have a good amount and I will have to clean around the mail box at least to get mail Monday.
It quit as quickly as it started and I notice movement out my north window. I pick up the binocs and look them over a older doe I presume with two early spring fawns.

They are really slow working their way to the east along the creek. Back about 100 yards from where I set there is a finger that sticks down to the creek, when they got there they turned south for a short ways then went south east to run ingo another group of deer all doe's going north. there were so many deer I lost count at 15 or 17 just don't know they were milling around so much when the group met my orginal 3.

They finally worked out their own traffic jam on the ridge with the north bound group making it to the creek then crossed and angled to the east up the ridge to dissapper.
About then the sun come out thru a hole in the clouds as it begain to snow lightly. Looking off to the hole in the sky with the sun shine, the snow was shimmering in the sky like a billion diamonds.

That is part of why I hunt to things I see as I wait for that monster buck, in awe watch the snow shimmering_ in the sky as the sun dissappers._
It is once again snowing hard. Kare uses that time to call on the radio with a HOO HOO looking a lot like christmas.

She tells me she had 3 doe's down by the creek and rthe huge popple tree there that she thunks came from the corn field to the north. she says they stodd there for a bit looking north and then went up in the front yard crossing into the pines. 
About a half hour later I have 3 doe's come down the wash out into the flood plain. I am guessing they are the ones Kare saw cross the front yard.

They all of a sudden start looking intently to the east for nearly what I would guess a half hour while browesing on some autumn olive. then all a sudden they turn and run back up the hill to the west and stand at the top looking back east again. 

I start useing the binocs to search to the east and find a single doe working her way along the ridge to the east her self. 

Things finally settle down for the hour and half till dinner.
I go up fill the furnace with fire wood to hold till bed time. I had gathered a pair of 3/4x3/4 sticks Saturday night I got and cut square to 39 inches drilla hole in them and used a 1/4" bolt a 1.5"long to fasten them together.

Now I have another set of shooting sticks to use in the ameristep blinds.

After dinner I go up in the front yard.
Not settled in long and 4 does come out to eat some of my nice long lawn grass I had left long just for them and is the best for my lawn too.

they finally leave circleing thru the brush behind me to cross the road to the big field ready for next years soy bean crop.

They are not gone long and more come out slowly browsing across the lawn to cross the drive, but before they cros sthat tiny little fawn I have seen before comes running out to join them. One of them to exception and swated at it with her front leg. So it backed off and only followed at a distance till they had dropped down to the creek to cross and go to the corn field.

That little fawn hung around, I call Kare and ask her to come out on the front porch to scare it away as I don't want to spook it when I leave the blind. 
Kare told me she was up to her elbows in fixing supper so I should just get out. I pitched my thermos out thinking that would spook it into leaving but only got it to work closer to investgate. So I set my back pack out and got the same results.

Finally decided to just get out as it is way past legal shooting time. Unzip the blind door stick my head out watching the fawn who is really looking now. I take one step out watching the fawn the other foot catches the lip on the blind and I am falling out landing on my side. Look around to see if ther fawn was still there but that had finally scared it away. A bear had fell out of the blind I tell kare back at the house.

All in all I guess I saw in the area of 25 deer to 30 for the day.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 17, 2019)

Seen a lot of deer on Sunday but not one buck unless a button buck I didn't see the tiny bumps on.

Monday morning I decided to go out in the old garden over looking the pond and surrounding area.
Still carrying my Remington 700 MLS in 50 cal. I sat there all morning and seen crows and other birds and one doe with a smaller doe in toe across the pond going to the east.

I sat there in the blind thinking I should do a luck change soon. When I came in for dinner I took the time to reassemble the bolt and breech plug on the Remington 700MLS in 54 cal. 
I didn't load it up how ever with the normal load of 100gr. of T 7 loose, the purple MMP sabots, the speer 50cal hollow points I shoot from it.

I went and got a 5 galloon bucket from my stack in the honey house on my way out in the afternoon going out the drive way about 40 yards from the house and set on the edge of the woods againest a big white pine tree looking at the gap the deer come from when I am in the dog house blind in the front yard.

The deer were late this afternoon arriving in the gap at 4:05PM. those deer sure know their surroundings well as I am in full camo grays and browns from head to foot. but those deer saw my face I suppose and knew I didn't belong across the lawn and drive up againest that big pine. Should have wore my face mask hat so my face didn't stand out. 

Still they finally decided I was nothing to fear and slowly worked out in the lawn and up across it to drop down to the creek cross the road and go to the corn field over there.
There were 6 of them of veriering sizes from big mother doe's and early fawns and some later ones.

When quiting time came I gather my gear and walk around the side of the house pass my blind in the old garden and down by the pond is 5 doe's heading east to the corn I presume that is back there.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 17, 2019)

Tuesday morning weather station read out was 26F feels like 26 F and calm wind. I fix my breakfast and lolly gag around because I had been getting to my chosen blind a hour and a half early.


The time came to get ready for the treck to my chosen blind the PVC framed one in the old fence row. I can make it there and be settled in a half hour before sun rise the legal shooting time.


This morning how ever as I rounded the west wind block fence deer were running some went east and some went up to the south and went west. No I could not see them but could hear them in the leaves and brush.

I stood there just past the wind break till all the commotion had died down then walked the path back to the edge of the woods. Once there I make the turn to the south up to the old fence line. Once at the old fence line I walk down it to the east about 75 yards to my blind. 


I get in and arrange the rifle back pack emptying it of my bionics, Kindle, glasses and camera to use once it gets light.

I place my thermos where I can easily reach it too. A new chair with a side table is on my want list for the coming 2020 season next fall.


I look out the south window and there standing 25 yards away is a 4 point buck, needed 4 more points to make me want to harvest him. Looked at the time and it is 7:23 legal shooting time even this morning. Five minutes later another deer appears down the middle dog walking path where the 4 point had been, this one was a spike with about 5 to 6 inch long. He walked also as I am after the big fellow I saw before the season and twice during the season on brief glimpse.


I had just poured my first cup of honey laced tea when a third deer appears on that path but going west instead of east. It got in the clear area and stopped looking at the blind, I am sure it smelled the tea and honey wafting out the windows. It stoped and turned around leaving the area. About 15 minutes later I see a deer slinking thru the brush and woods going north gets to the creek and goes west up the hill behind my pole barn. I am sure it is the one headed west that changed its mind so I didn’t put it in my count.


I finish my cup of tea and set the cup down along side my chair and when I sat up I see a deer across the creek just meandering west along the creek till it got to a big oak tree I believe it stoped to eat some of the acorns on the ground there. It finally started moving again but kept looking back and stopping to turn and look.

She finally disappeared from my sight. 


Then I see another deer coming from where the doe had came from and it acted pretty much the same but I saw spikes again on it. Then not far behind it came another deer and looking thru my Minolta 10x50 I see this one is a weird 3 point I had seen several times before. He would be a spike except a single long tine on the right side I bet 9 to 10 inches long.

Then be hind him came a nether buck, could never get a real good look at this one but sure it is a 6 point I have seen a couple times before. I would not take a shot any way thru the brush that far with a ML.


They get a a area a bit clearer where a up rooted Oak tree is I have been cutting up for fire wood and the one I think is a 6 point with it’s butt to me starts a pushing match with the 3 point. They mess around that fallen oak tree that has been down for several year for a while before going single file along the creek to behind our property.


At the same time I am also watching 4 doe’s out in front of me and I know the bucks could see them from where they are so I am hoping the bucks will cross the creek and come uno and check them out so I could be sure the bigger one was indeed the 6 point.


Two of those 4 doe’s laid down out in front of me, I was able to laser one at 44 yards and the second one was a little farther I believe around 49 yard as I have a 50 yard marker out the and it was near the marker.

I went back to watching those bucks and when I looked to see if the does were still laying there I didn’t really see them. Grab the binocs and look and yes their still there.

They blended in that well laying in the fallen leaves and brush I could not see them with my naked eyes.


About 11:30 they got up and started working to the south and east where I see them bedded down a lot during non deer season days when walking the dogs.


I have seen so many deer from this portable blind this fall I am going to put up a permeant hard side raised stand in the off season.


Still have this afternoon yet.


 Al


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## alleyyooper (Dec 18, 2019)

Tuesday afternoon finds me all the way nearly to the east line fence. It is a beautiful December afternoon. about 30F I say about because I had looked at the weather station when I came in for dinner and it was 30F then but I didn't look before I went back out. Left my radio on the charger too as I had not pluged it in Monday night so was sure the charge was low.

I get back to the blind and am enjoying the sun shineing thru the south window and the squirrels enjoying a game of chase across the leaves and around the tree trunks plus the dareing act of jumping from one tree to another over the limbs.

That is all that is happening till about 4:30 when seven doe's and fawns come marching single file down th ecreek going west. They get to the point where on the other side is the finger from the above land down to the flood plain. They are milling around waiting for the first one to jump across when a buck comes chargeing fast from behind me just missing the north corner blind leg it seemed. He almost gets to the doe's and slows down I get one look with the binocs before he is in the bigger thicker timber and brush. he gets to that heard of doe's and they leave comeing back the way they had came leaveing hinm where they had been. they get due out from my south window and climb up on the ridge to the trail and cross the fence for the corn field behind me a bit thru the brush.

Got a couple of pictures even before the battery went dead. I do carry a spare though & had time to change it out.
























No he is not the big fellow I had been waiting for all season. but when he came charging by me to get after the 7 doe's I had down by the creek in front of me I thought he was at least a 6 point.
He gets down along rhe creek and I could see his body real well and kept waiting for him to gwet away from the brush but wouldn't leave. Finally steped out but still couldn't see any thing but body so with the Idea I decided he was a 6 point and a legal buck so I fired. 

He came tearing back up the hill pass the blind before I could reload. I am going to have to do a timed load useing the so called quick loaders.

I start by going where he had been standing, theres is a scarpe what was holding him up I think. No hair no blood so I am doing sweeps to try to pick up any thing as sign. Get to the top of the ridge and the fence and cross the fence on the deer trail he is laying about 25 yards across. by then it is dark and I can't see what I am doing so go to the house change into some grubby cloths, grab my latern which is out of gass, grab my skidding sled and a strong flash lite and the Bota. Go back and take the sled across the logs I have for a foot bridge back there, walk up the hill and get the guy on the sled. is easy to pull him on the sled and then start down the hill now the going is really easy. cross the logs and use the tractor lights to open him up and the front loader to empty him out.


 Al


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## cuinrearview (Dec 18, 2019)

Congrats!


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## SuperDuty04 (Dec 18, 2019)

Congrats, your efforts finally paid off! I'll send ya my address so you'll know where to send the jerky.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 18, 2019)

More pictures Of my hunt.






Feathered friend in the front yard.





Across the front lawn.









See the two doe's bedded down 44 and 46 yards out? I didn't think so.





The buck going for the doe's.










 Al


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## esshup (Dec 21, 2019)

Congrats!! He may not be the big boy, but he will taste good. I shot a 5 point this year, same rack as last year. 4 on one side, a long spike on the other. No sign of an old injury, so bad genetics I guess.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 21, 2019)

Are you sure it is the same buck? I have attempted to put ear tags on them as fawns but little buggers out run me all the time and I worry about mom kicking my butt.

 Al


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## esshup (Dec 22, 2019)

LOL. If it's not the same one it's his twin brother. 

This one is smarter, haven't ever gotten any daytime pictures of it. 










Our season is basically over now, one day left in muzzleloader season and late archery goes until Jan 5. I'm hoping that he makes it until next year and no poacher sees him.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 22, 2019)

Man he is a nice one. I also hope he isn't poched but when they get that big they are a target. I would be hunting him all year not to kill but to learn his haunts. Has to have a real secure bedding area where people don't stumble over him during the day.

I have the same brand game cam, only have one but want more. works really well. even get pictures of waveing weeds that are with in 10 feet of it.





 Al


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## esshup (Dec 23, 2019)

Wal-Mart had them on clearance last year, I believe less than $20 each. A buddy bought a handful of them. I have a few Cuddeback cameras. Quicker shutter speed, I get more pictures/night about 100% more when placed side by side. No blank pictures in the WG cams, but for some reason they don't seem to trigger as fast. 

He's been spotted 1/2 mile North of here during summer when he's in velvet. There is a warm season grass CRP field there too, about 10 acres. All private property around here, and a number of property owners deer hunt. Even where he has been spotted during the summer.

I only plant a fall food plot, but I already have seeds for a Spring/Summer and different seeds for a Fall plot for 2020. Going to try and see if I can entice him to stick closer to here. Going to put out minerals too, but that will need some thinking/planning as here the law says "all traces of bait and minerals *AND AFFECTED SOIL* must be removed 10 days prior to hunting. Thinking of using a large shallow plastic tub and replacing that tub with another one filled with unaffected soil 11 days before hunting. Maybe a smaller mortar mixing tum inside a larger kids hard plastic swimming pool and replacing the swimming pool. Tractor with FEL makes that job easier.


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## alleyyooper (Dec 23, 2019)

Draw the doe's with a great food plot and the bucks will follow.
I only have one food plot I hunt over but can't do it two days in a row they some how know.

 Al


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