09MSDHC Team #2 - Buck Busters

[TIMfromTroy]

Where's everyone going to be for the opener?

I'm heading up to the UP near Iron Mountain. A friend of friend has a camp up there with 120 acres. I know it has less big buck potential than SW Michigan but there is something special about the big woods of the UP. We're heading out very early on 14th and won't be back until late on 18th.

[Mightymouse]

^^

We were just up near Iron Mountain for our bow camp last week. We are NE of Iron Mountain about 40 mins or so by car. Love that area, god's country. We saw lots of sign this year, more people in our camp reporting scrapes and rub's than usual. No bucks taken by anyone this year but did take three big does, one of which was BIG. Took a good buck up there a few years back, scored 113 and dressed at 191 lbs.

As for opener I will be on our lease which is near Marion.

I use to hunt the Mt. Pleasant area on family land outside of Shepherd till we started leasing our own land near the in laws cabin. Great hunting around Shepherd, tons of deer and some nice bucks as well.

[thunder river outfitters]

i dont know what it is with this one lease, but good lord, another shooter buck....this should amke 7 bucks on this lease that should score over 120.
with this crap weather i have yet to get a good sit, rain, bad winds...and customers that need their hands held..i should knock one of these down sometime in the very near future.

this one is a 10 point...ya gotta love food plots

[jme]

Wow, Thunder, that's a nice piece of hunting property you have. Can't wait to see some close up pictures of your hands wrapped around a nice set of antlers!

Not sure where I'll be on the opener. If some of the kids I'm mentoring are able to hunt we'll go to state land, Waterloo, in Jackson County. If not then I'll probably be at a friend's farm near Chelsea.

Sick kids and new duties at work have killed the hunting the last week and a half. If I'm lucky I'll get out for a sit this Sat or Sun morning - with rattle bag, grunt tube and bleat call. What a great time of year!

[Mightymouse]

Well, headin back up to our property after work today. Have been watching weather.com for the last few days and the forecast has changed every time. Winds have gone from easterly to westerly, now calling for more rain (as if we need any more rain right now!). At least the temps are staying down, at least last time I checked anyways.

Nobody has been on our place for the last two weeks so hopefully that will work to our benefit. Plan right now (assuming the wind is right) is to sneak into a stand overlooking a bedding area well before light Saturday morning. Gonna try a little calling at first light and see if I can stir anything up.

Good luck to everybody this weekend!!!

[thunder river outfitters]

lol....im not trying to look like a show-off here, but this lease is looking like something out of illinois or kansas....i have leases that i cant buy a rub or scrape....but this one is outstanding...wow...check out the latest dude i caught on camera

[thunder river outfitters]

[thunder river outfitters]

[thunder river outfitters]

sat last night and had a great time, i seen 2 small bucks, the first was running across a crp field hot on a doe...the 2nd was about a 100 inch 8 point that wouldnt leave this doe alone in front of me about 50-60 yards... i have only 1 customer in this week...if the rain holds off im hoping to see more good bucks.

[jme]

Sounds exciting TRO! Yesterday I had a great sit in the morning - beautiful weather and I was expecting lot of action. Unfortunately, the guy who owns the property that border's the place I was hunting decided to go out. He drove his truck along the edge of the winter wheat field around 6:15am and parked about 80 yards from me. Since I'd been on stand since before 6:00 he had no idea I was there. Right at first light he walked along the edge of the field. He walked back at 8:30am and within 2 minutes a buck came out of the woods, right where he had walked, and dashed across the wheat field. He was a couple hundred yards out but still looked decent. That was the only one I saw. I did see a white/grey turkey - are they common? If all goes well today I'm hoping to sneak out of work a bit early and hit another spot for 90 minutes. With the change in time I can still be home for dinner - and mama doesn't like it when I miss family stuff for hunting!

[Mightymouse]

Nice looking bucks TRO, lets see some close up's of one of those bad boys!!!


Nothing much to report from my weekend.

Braved the ridiculous winds on Saturday, sat in the "Big Pine" stand and despite some crazy gusts I actually stayed relatively comfortable. Saw our resident goofy spike in the morning and then all heck broke loose in the afternoon. Saw 18 deer Saturday evening, they were running every which direction around the alfalfa field. All does, fawns and a few small bucks though.

Sunday morning I was shutout and then went back to the stand I was in Saturday night and saw 10 more, all does and fawns this time. Had a big momma and her fawn work into the bedding area and she offered a 25 or so yd shot but I am holding out for Mr. Big right now. She stays around that alfalfa field till late gun and she better watch out!!


I am home for the week and then back up hunting from Saturday though Wednesday of next week. Nothing like 5 days right in the middle of prime time!!!

[TIMfromTroy]

It was a slow weekend for me also. Sat in the rain Friday night and saw not a single deer of any kind. I think it has been 3 or 4 years since I sat out without seeing any deer at all.

Saturday and Sunday morning were better but nothing in range. Plenty of deer but nothing came closer than 45 yards away. I didn't notice all that much rutting activity. I saw one small buck chase a doe but not much other than that.

I'm hoping for some better weather this weekend.

[thunder river outfitters]

well i had my first crack at a good buck this year, it was this guy. i first noticed him about 300yards out going across a crp field where some does just crossed and he was hot on their tails. i hit 2 different grunt calls to try and get his attention but he couldnt hear them...so a slammed my rattle bag on the tree...he stopped turned and looked...i hit my grunt...and he was off and running in my direction...back into the woods he went.. but this time he was about 60 yards from me. i kept grunting and light rattling for about 15-20 min.....nothing,,,,,grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.so i hang up the bow and sit back down thinking i spoked him.....noooooooooooope...he came out in the same spot he went in, but this time he wanted nothing to do with me. owell.....i guess a bad day in the woods is better then nothing at all

[Mightymouse]

Originally Posted by TIMfromTroy

I didn't notice all that much rutting activity. I saw one small buck chase a doe but not much other than that.

Our resident spike, who I call Screwball because of his goofy "rack", was out on Saturday night doing his best to woo the ladies but they were having none of it. He ran into the middle of a group of 5 or 6 does and they all scattered, did it a few times. He checked the air for scent for a few minutes and then went back to feeding on the alfalfa. I had to chuckle, like watching a nerd try to pick op the hot girl at a high school dance.

Also have had a few scrapes pop up recently along with a bunch of new rubs.

[thunder river outfitters]

well hmhmhmh....im thinking we have to many good bucks on this lease. what do you think>?