mondrella
11-30-2004, 10:56 PM
Well gun season ended today. I can say it was a good season for me. I know many who are depressed. My family had a great opening day again this year. I had my buck on the ground by 7:20 opening morning and seen some small ones through out the day. Granted my buck was just a 6 point. I was happy with him. Where I hunt a buck that makes it to 21/2 like mine did is about as good as it gets. There are just to many public land hunters in our area. I hunted a few more times hoping to see a wall-hanger and my normal spot I just saw 1 more buck that was a 21/2 year old I let him walk hoping to see him next year. I heard over towards Baldwin and Northen Newaygo County things where fairly poor. I went over there and hunted the 28th and 29th. I have to admit unless you are in just the right spot things are very poor. I went over and hunted public ground. The first couple of spots I just could not find a bit of sign. I did find two spots on the 28th that had some decent sign. I decided on the 29th. I would hunt one in the morning and one in the evening. The first spot I seen 7 does in the morning with 4 fawns. The second spot I figured would be the ideal evening set up. I figured I would stand a chance at seeing antlers come out of the thick stuff heading over to the private land where there appears from the road some decent food sources. I seen a handful of does and one spike early. It was hard to tell how many because of the thick stuff they went thru onto the private land. I did see one dandy buck just before dark. It was big deer and appeared to have great main beams. I just could not tell how many points because of the darkness setting in and the stuff he was traveling thru. I did notice if you get just a 1/2 mile to 3/4 mile away it was near impossible to find a track. There are definetlely fewer deer than when I lived over that way 4 years ago but once you find the areas they are useing you can have a chance at a deer. I did notice the fawns seemed much bigger than where I hunt so I would guess the food sources available to the few deer there are good. I did notice many of the areas where I could find deer in the past there was just nothing there for them to eat year round.
Today I went back to my normal hunting area to fill my freezer for the year with a doe. This morning it was so foggy I heard some deer but just could not see them. It was like trying to see thru a cotton ball. This evening I went out and took a good size doe. I was hoping for one a little closer but it looked like the close as they would get was 200 yards. Settled in and felt I could make the head shot I wanted and touched the gun off. She dropped in her tracks. A little lower than I like but took out the first vertebrae in the neck below where the head attaches. Thought it was 200 yards actually was closer to 250.
I am not going to deer hunt anymore this year. Decided that the big boy can get bigger for next year and I don't want to take the chance and accidently take a buck that has lossed his rack already. It seems each year by muzzleloader a buck or 2 are taken that have lossed thier horns where I hunt. I hope to see them next year instead.
For those still going to brave December GOOD LUCK and hopefully you get a deer.
Today I went back to my normal hunting area to fill my freezer for the year with a doe. This morning it was so foggy I heard some deer but just could not see them. It was like trying to see thru a cotton ball. This evening I went out and took a good size doe. I was hoping for one a little closer but it looked like the close as they would get was 200 yards. Settled in and felt I could make the head shot I wanted and touched the gun off. She dropped in her tracks. A little lower than I like but took out the first vertebrae in the neck below where the head attaches. Thought it was 200 yards actually was closer to 250.
I am not going to deer hunt anymore this year. Decided that the big boy can get bigger for next year and I don't want to take the chance and accidently take a buck that has lossed his rack already. It seems each year by muzzleloader a buck or 2 are taken that have lossed thier horns where I hunt. I hope to see them next year instead.
For those still going to brave December GOOD LUCK and hopefully you get a deer.