THE LAST DAY - Part One

THE LAST DAY
By: Ray Hansen


As I fumbled around the house in the darkness before sunrise Sunday morning, I was struck by the thought that this was the last day of the deer hunting season for so many people.

Here in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, that portion of the deer hunting season in which the use of modern rifles is permitted, ends November 30. Hunting deer while using bow and arrow, or primitive firearms (muzzleloaders) continues, but for most hunters, the season ended thirty minutes after sunset Sunday.

I spent most of the daylight hours the last day thirty feet up a big spruce tree, surveying an expanse of second-growth poplar, spruce, cedar, black ash, and elm. I call this spot the “Owl Stand” because I once watched a pair of owls roost nearby. Snow covers the ground, offering better visibility than was possible when this part of the season began on November 15.

While many trees grow in this spot, I can see for one hundred to two hundred yards north, northwest, northeast, and east of the stand. The heavier spruce and cedar cover bordering this opening stands like a solid wall along the edges. Deer come out of the thick cover at random times.

The many long hours sitting high up on a tiny platform in the frigid weather left me stiff, cold, wind-burned and tired, but not bored. I saw lots of deer. The fact that I did not shoot one did not diminish my enjoyment. I was outside in a natural setting and was able to watch animals I hunt go about their daily routine. I learned things as usual. Here is a recap of the day’s events:

8:48 a.m.: I have been hearing brush break near this stand since daybreak, but I have not identified what is causing the sounds. I suspect it is from a buck chasing does, but I do not know that at this point. I have been trying to lure deer out by using a call.

Suddenly, one big deer busts out of the heavier cover north of me, with another large one chasing it. They zig-zag back and forth for half a minute or so, and I can see antlers on the second deer. I need to stop it to get at least a brief look at the headgear. I may decide to take this buck, but I need to confirm that it has at least four points on one side or more to make it a legal target. They are running nearly full-out, cutting corners, changing direction, and leaping over fallen trees.

I blow several loud grunts on my deer call but fail to stop this buck. The pair crashes off into the woods east of my stand and breaks more brush before moving out of sound range. Watching them from a thirty-foot perch has given me something akin to a hawks-eye view of the proceedings. It is like watching a play from a balcony level box seat.

9:20 a.m.: A lone spikehorn buck appears on my “radar”, walking slowly from north to south and browsing on weed tops sticking up through the snow and the woody tips of branches on small trees. He is stopping to scan his surroundings frequently – probably to try to pinpoint the source of the calls I have used.

Note: I am calling frequently today, using doe bleats, buck grunts, a fawn-in-distress sound, tending grunts, and buck “clicking” calls at fifteen minute intervals. I am also using my “Treestand Rattlr’” rattling bag to simulate bucks sparring (www.brushwolfgear.com). As the day wore on, I seem to have attracted some curious bucks as you will see later in this report.

10:20 a.m.: A 2 ½ year-old doe walks by from the direction of another stand I have placed near here called “Powerline #2” stand. The various stands were originally set-up as bowhunting spots, but some do double duty as firearm hunting sites as well. This doe has a fawn walking behind her. They turn northward near the stand I am using today and walk out of sight.

End of part one. Check in tomorrow for part two.

Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008