I wimped out before 10 o’clock Friday morning. I actually started wimping out with a sky full of stars overhead when I stepped out of the Ranger and felt an icy, biting wind come racing out of the north up on our ridge. I drove back home and decided on spending what was left of the dawn napping in the tripod stand in the Mushroom Hole. The light came quickly enough. At least two deer crossed in the woods above me, quiet, hushed ghosts - that is I heard them but did not see them. Crows called and then songbirds and squirrels started making their rounds. A confused tom turkey gobbled from across the coulee. I thought I heard a buck grunt over by a cornfield, but maybe it was just my imagination. Traffic picked up on the nearby road and I imagined a cup of coffee with one of Ellen’s cookies. The chill stealing into my midsection and neck was real enough, so I headed in to warm up.
Ellen and our patient greeted me on the patio. They had just gone down to retrieve the paper. Scout usually is an outdoor dog. She wants to be again, but right now she is recuperating from surgery. Dr. Knight removed a softball-sized fatty tumor from between her front legs on Wednesday. Scout is wearing a blue, kid-sized Star Wars t-shirt to hold bandages in place. Scout looks pretty sharp I might add, and she seems like her old self already; once when we weren’t looking, she even ran off to the neighbors’ for a few minutes.
Drew and Pat came in for lunch. While I heard two deer, Drew had seen three, and Pat “got a rock.” They still scored a hot bowl of Ellen’s venison chili. After a strategy session, they were off to wait out the big bucks somewhere in the woods. Drew arrowed a nice fat doe.
Last week Wednesday, Ben texted from the backcountry that he tagged out. He attached a picture of a dandy mule deer. The 3x3 buck was huge. I called him and congratulated him. I told him I wished I was there to help him get it out. He said, “No you don’t.” He was on a steep, frosty mountain side looking at a long and gnarly drag and carry out. He was able to text a buddy who came and helped carry out the meat. Anyway, he (and we) were pretty pumped up for him.
Speaking of pretty pumped, we have taken a few deer here this last week. Drew Rouse arrowed another nice doe to fill out his out-of-state antlerless tags. Pat Kolbe killed the buck we called Splitter 2, a dandy 12-pointer with high split G2s. I even got into the act, pulling the trigger on my crossbow with a deer in my sights. More on this next week.
The weather has been fantastic for some things. Not for deer hunting maybe. Regardless, “The Big One” looms large. If you got fooled by the nice weather like a lot of us, you might not realize that the 2017 Wisconsin Gun Deer Season opens on Saturday morning and runs through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This Saturday three-quarters of a million nimrods: old timers, seasoned veteran, casual participants, newbies, men, women, boys, and girls, along with camp cooks, card players, story tellers, bar tenders and deer hunting- hangers- on will take to forests, woods, fields, swamps, deer camps, farms, bars, and/or just back to good old home for the whitetail hunt all over the Badger State. Tom and Steven Downs will be here from Iowa, staying at Grouse Hollow while Ellen and I head south to hunt with the Burton Deer Hunters.
The long-range forecast (this is Sunday) is for wet on Friday with dropping temps on Saturday and dry, so it should be a good opener. After the foggy Sunday two years ago, and last year’s blizzard in the southern counties when we went out hunting in a foot of blown and drifted snow this sounds pretty good.
Speaking of forecasts, the Wisconsin DNR forecasts a good deer season in 2016 because of the mild winter we had. You can also read about the new rules and other details suggested and/or required of deer hunters online at: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/documents/deerfallforecast.pdf.
El and I have had our deer hunting tubs on the dining room table for a week or more. Those plastic tubs hold shells, warm gloves, rubber gloves, hats, hand and toe heaters, suspenders, dry socks, neck gaiters, face masks, knives, binoculars, radios, and more. Our licenses and stuff are in there too. I tossed my now unneeded back tag holder on the table - now a relic of past hunts I may just stash up in the shop. Ellen has been talking strategy with her sister, Barb - not deer hunting necessarily, but kitchen strategy as they prepare to feed a hungry mob of hunters on opening weekend. El stocks up on stuff all fall and starts making stuff ahead.
I have to get our trailer serviced with bearing grease and a tire pressure check and a tail lght check so I can haul our four-wheeler and small trailer down to Grant County. I’ll be pulling it with our “new” used Ford F150 pickup as we donated the Ranger to Ben and Christine’s new home savings account cause. El and I shot our rifles on Friday last. They were on as well as ever; of course Ellen shot better than I did as always.
If your freezer is full - or not, consider donating a deer to the Wisconsin DNR Donation. According to their website, “Wisconsin has a network of venison donation partners including: county land and water conservation departments, food pantries, charitable organizations, Hunt for the Hungry, USDA - Wildlife Services and participating processors who all help implement and administer the program.” Westby Meats is the Vernon County site - but remember to call first. Perhaps your local church or a food pantry or shelter could use some venison too. Also remember that the Wisconsin Lions deer hide collection profits all go toward the Rosholt Lions camp for children with visual, hearing or mild cognitive disabilities, and children with diabetes. Some of the many places you can drop off hides for the Lions are: Westby Rod and Gun Club, Charlie’s Inn, Norm Jambois Garage, and Ace Sportsland in La Crosse; you can find donation info online.
Until next time, get out - good luck hunting and be safe. Last season was the deadliest deer gun season in a long time. Safety means not only in firearm control, but stand safety. Almost all tree stand hunters can relate a fall or close call story I bet. I have a couple for sure. Wear a safety harness when you hunt from a tree stand and use a rope to pull up and lower your UNLOADED firearm. Even a 12-foot fall can break your neck and dropping a loaded gun can kill. At least one study I read said that hunters who hunt from stands run risk as high as 1 in 20 to have a fall and/or other stand related accident. Anyway, again be safe and have a great hunt. Enjoy.
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