Author’s Note: This is part four of the series I started earlier this week. Today Duane and I took the thirty pounds of summer sausage we made out of the smoker. It was absolutely delicious! We had five six-pound sticks of it so I cut my part into smaller sticks, wrapped each in self-sealing food wrap, then placed each shorter piece in a sealable freezer style plastic food storage bag and put them in the freezer. These bags are the type that can be vacuumed-packed using a small hand pump to remove the air from them. They should store well, and I’ll have sausage all winter and more.
Anyway, today’s part of this series starts where part three left off. Enjoy!
THE PARADE STARTS
8:00 a.m.: The first of a series of deer show up, as three does approach from the tag alder swamp northwest of me and enter the hill well out of range. They ease closer however, and end up feeding on maple leaves from five to twenty yards from my stand. I almost immediately decided to simply watch these animals go about their natural activities and act as “live decoys” for the buck I heard earlier. I’m hoping he is still in the area and will pass by to investigate the sound of the foraging deer. The day is so calm I can clearly hear the “snap” as each leaf is pulled from the stem and when the does are close enough I can make out the grinding sound of their chewing.
One of the does is a one and one-half year old that would offer some very good venison, but I’m not even thinking about taking this one. I watch as it offers some near perfect shooting opportunities, but I am thinking about that buck. The does do not know I am there and go about their activities just as they normally do each day. I never tire of watching them forage, and I learn new things just about every time out. For example, I always knew they ate maple leaves, but this is the first time I have seen them target these leaves almost exclusively. In the future when looking for stand sites, Ill watch for spots where the visible mature maples send out these small “sucker root shoots”. There are probably thousands of them on this hill, but very few anywhere else. I have hunted a 160 acre tract here and this is the best growth of this type I have seen.
At some point after I first spotted the three deer, two more filtered into the clearing. This pair was a 2 ½ year-old doe with a fawn. I now had five deer within sight, and another that continued to circle this spot. It acted like a buck, or maybe a very experienced older doe. Hard to say. I could not get a good look at this sixth deer except for occasional glimpses of its silhouette as it move through the pines. This deer was obviously trying to get downwind of this spot so it could tell by scent what was going on. That is the sign of a deer that has learned caution – especially around places where groups of deer congregate. Their noise and milling around sometimes attracts coyotes of wolves.
This parade of deer reminded me of some of the trips Bob Buske and I made to the big woods out in west-central Illinois. Once in a while we would have as many as seven deer move past our spots at one time. This was a firearms hunt though, and when Bob saw that many deer he usually picked one he wanted and took it with one well-placed shot.
Anyway, back to the Michigan hunt. Eventually all five deer wandered off, having browsed as much maple as they wanted. This season is still quite new, and I’m under no pressure to fill one of my tags yet, so I am content to watch them for the time being. I sat back down for a welcome fifteen minute rest before another group showed up.
PASS THE CACTUS
9:45 a.m.: Three more deer came in from the north /northwest again. Two of these animals are unusual examples among whitetail deer, and I’ll describe them in a moment. The first one in was a normal yearling doe fawn. It began browsing on the maple shoots as did the previous visitors.
The second in line was a 1 ½ year old, four-point buck. This buck however was what hunters typically call a “cactus buck” because its antlers were stubby and full of short, pointed spines. It looked like a deer with two small cactus plants growing out of its head! These are not often seen and are not trophies. They don’t look very good, and most hunters simply take the opportunity to watch them in their natural setting. There is nothing wrong with them physically.
Come back Monday, November 3 for part five.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
CLIMBING TREES
Author’s Note: This is part three of the series I started earlier this week. Once again today, I am busy making summer sausage and bratwurst from the deer I killed last Saturday. The hamburger I ground yesterday is vacuum-packed and in the freezer after having been mixed 50/50 with beef. The seasonings Duane and I mixed yesterday for the brats and sausage has been mixed with the remainder of the ground venison and pork. That mix sat overnight in a refrigerator out in the garage and will be stuffed today.
In any case, all the work we have done since taking the two deer we got is a big part of the responsibility a hunters takes when going afield. We use the meat and enjoy each meal made with it. In January and February of 2009 we will be out ice fishing and carving off chunks of the sausage we made this fall as a snack. No doubt we’ll remember the details of this successful hunt while out chasing perch across the big weedflats on nearby Little Bay de Noc. For us, the hunt is so much more than just the kill.
I hope you enjoy this part of the series.
CLIMB CAREFULLY
7:20 a.m.: I slowly climb the spruce I’ll hunt from, one careful step at a time, branch by branch. It is just about like going up a ladder, except I use branches rather than steps. My bow is tied to a pull-up line while I ascend toward the small seated platform I hunt from. I always secure a “three-point hold” tactic while climbing. That means I have at least two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand firmly planted before moving up to the next branch. On a spruce, the branches are strong and grow out at a right angle to the trunk so they are great climbing trees.
Once I get up to the platform, I ease into place and fold the small seat down while making sure my safety strap is in place. The entire device is small, measuring about eighteen inches wide by twenty-four inches long. The small padded seat is just large enough to sit on, and it is comfortable enough for a five hour hunt or more.
I have a small backpack that I hang on a branch next to me. It is filled with stuff like deer calls, binoculars, a bottle of water, a package of granola, a small notebook, an extra wool cap, and a dozen other things that make the hunt more comfortable. I don’t have a cell phone because they don’t work up here anyway.
I pull my bow up using the cord I leave attached to the tree, and nock an arrow, check the mechanical release strapped to my right wrist, and lay the bow across my lap, ready to use. It is still too dark to see much, but I lean back and relax as I try to tune in to the sounds natural to the forest. Legal shooting time starts thirty minutes before sunrise, so I simply check my pocket watch to see how much time I have.
7:30 a.m.: I slowly reach for the adjustable tone deer call I have hung next to me where it is easily accessible. Deer use many sounds in the woods, the most common being a sort of raspy “urp” vocalization and this is what I’ll use to send out a message saying “hey! I’m over here” in deer language. Older bucks have a deep tone, mature does have a kind of medium tone, and fawns give out a thin, somewhat reedy call that can even sound bird-like at times. I’ll use what is called a “doe bleat” just to try to communicate the message that there are deer here on Birch Hill and everything is clear and safe.
Just after getting settled in, I removed a quart-sized resealable storage bag (like a sandwich bag) full of dried corn from the backpack. I fling several handfuls out in front of my stand to attract bluejays and squirrels to this spot. There are several reasons for doing this. First off, the presence of other wildlife is somewhat reassuring to deer. They may be more likely to pass near my stand if they think the birds feel safe enough to be there. Secondly, jays and squirrels are among the noisiest of woodland creatures. The distracting sounds they make, help mask any noise I make while trying to get in position for a shot. Finally, the longer I watch jays feeding, the more I have come to believe that deer actually swing by to check out what the jays have found to feed on. Anyway watching squirrels and jays squabble over the few corn kernels I toss out is entertaining.
BUCK PASSER
7:45 a.m.: I hear a single deep-toned grunt from just east of my tree and not far away. I’m fairly certain it is the sound of a buck and I hope to see it pass by. I go on “high alert” straining to hear footfalls, the buck rubbing antlers on trees, any other deer calls, breaking branches, or the common “snort” deer make when alarmed.
Weather is quite comfortable now with temperatures about 40 degrees, an overcast sky, and no wind to chill me. If I had a choice though, I prefer a mild breeze. That rattles branches, creating movement which helps hide the movement I make while drawing my bow, and the wind increases the sound level which also helps conceal any sound I may make while moving into position. Conditions are too calm today.
Incidentally, getting into position means very slowly standing up and drawing my bow – however there are plenty of times when I’m already standing because I know a deer is approaching or because it is a day when they are very active and have been passing by frequently. I didn’t know it at this time, but today was going to be a day when I was standing with bow in hand for about three and one-half hours out of a four and one-half hour hunt.
Stay tuned for part 4 tomorrow!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
In any case, all the work we have done since taking the two deer we got is a big part of the responsibility a hunters takes when going afield. We use the meat and enjoy each meal made with it. In January and February of 2009 we will be out ice fishing and carving off chunks of the sausage we made this fall as a snack. No doubt we’ll remember the details of this successful hunt while out chasing perch across the big weedflats on nearby Little Bay de Noc. For us, the hunt is so much more than just the kill.
I hope you enjoy this part of the series.
CLIMB CAREFULLY
7:20 a.m.: I slowly climb the spruce I’ll hunt from, one careful step at a time, branch by branch. It is just about like going up a ladder, except I use branches rather than steps. My bow is tied to a pull-up line while I ascend toward the small seated platform I hunt from. I always secure a “three-point hold” tactic while climbing. That means I have at least two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand firmly planted before moving up to the next branch. On a spruce, the branches are strong and grow out at a right angle to the trunk so they are great climbing trees.
Once I get up to the platform, I ease into place and fold the small seat down while making sure my safety strap is in place. The entire device is small, measuring about eighteen inches wide by twenty-four inches long. The small padded seat is just large enough to sit on, and it is comfortable enough for a five hour hunt or more.
I have a small backpack that I hang on a branch next to me. It is filled with stuff like deer calls, binoculars, a bottle of water, a package of granola, a small notebook, an extra wool cap, and a dozen other things that make the hunt more comfortable. I don’t have a cell phone because they don’t work up here anyway.
I pull my bow up using the cord I leave attached to the tree, and nock an arrow, check the mechanical release strapped to my right wrist, and lay the bow across my lap, ready to use. It is still too dark to see much, but I lean back and relax as I try to tune in to the sounds natural to the forest. Legal shooting time starts thirty minutes before sunrise, so I simply check my pocket watch to see how much time I have.
7:30 a.m.: I slowly reach for the adjustable tone deer call I have hung next to me where it is easily accessible. Deer use many sounds in the woods, the most common being a sort of raspy “urp” vocalization and this is what I’ll use to send out a message saying “hey! I’m over here” in deer language. Older bucks have a deep tone, mature does have a kind of medium tone, and fawns give out a thin, somewhat reedy call that can even sound bird-like at times. I’ll use what is called a “doe bleat” just to try to communicate the message that there are deer here on Birch Hill and everything is clear and safe.
Just after getting settled in, I removed a quart-sized resealable storage bag (like a sandwich bag) full of dried corn from the backpack. I fling several handfuls out in front of my stand to attract bluejays and squirrels to this spot. There are several reasons for doing this. First off, the presence of other wildlife is somewhat reassuring to deer. They may be more likely to pass near my stand if they think the birds feel safe enough to be there. Secondly, jays and squirrels are among the noisiest of woodland creatures. The distracting sounds they make, help mask any noise I make while trying to get in position for a shot. Finally, the longer I watch jays feeding, the more I have come to believe that deer actually swing by to check out what the jays have found to feed on. Anyway watching squirrels and jays squabble over the few corn kernels I toss out is entertaining.
BUCK PASSER
7:45 a.m.: I hear a single deep-toned grunt from just east of my tree and not far away. I’m fairly certain it is the sound of a buck and I hope to see it pass by. I go on “high alert” straining to hear footfalls, the buck rubbing antlers on trees, any other deer calls, breaking branches, or the common “snort” deer make when alarmed.
Weather is quite comfortable now with temperatures about 40 degrees, an overcast sky, and no wind to chill me. If I had a choice though, I prefer a mild breeze. That rattles branches, creating movement which helps hide the movement I make while drawing my bow, and the wind increases the sound level which also helps conceal any sound I may make while moving into position. Conditions are too calm today.
Incidentally, getting into position means very slowly standing up and drawing my bow – however there are plenty of times when I’m already standing because I know a deer is approaching or because it is a day when they are very active and have been passing by frequently. I didn’t know it at this time, but today was going to be a day when I was standing with bow in hand for about three and one-half hours out of a four and one-half hour hunt.
Stay tuned for part 4 tomorrow!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
BEAR TRAILS AND TREESTANDS
Author's note: I have a couple of preliminary observations prior to posting today's blog. First off, this has been a long day (29 October, 2008). Duane Deno and I spent many hours grinding venison, mixing it with pork and beef, adding various spices, packaging it into hamburger, summer sausage, bratwurst, and much more. We will freeze some of this meat, smoke other parts, and simply refrigerate other cuts. We killed these deer, and we will use all the meat we harvested. In the end, it is all worth it. We'll be eating venison well into next year (and we are not done hunting yet).
Secondly, I have to post a complaint against my internet provider, Hughes Satellite. I had to make six attempts to get logged on tonight to post this blog. Each time I went through the same series of steps I normally make, but it continued to come up with different destinations - none of which were the place I needed to be to post a blog. It stinks, but is the only service provider available in my area.
In any case, I'm on now and this is tonight's blog. It is a continuation of yesterday's story about a typical half-day hunt. I hope you enjoy it!
P.S. When Duane and I returned from the day's meat processing at his brother's house, we got the word that his nephew had taken a nice buck today while bowhunting. I also have to note that I have witnessed some early stage rutting activity (pre-rut) here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The bulk of this activity is still one to two weeks away, with the main rut most likely starting after November 10.
Here is the continuation of yesterday's blog:
7:00 a.m. We are well on our way toward the stands we have chosen to hunt for the day. The route takes us to the end of the old, overgrown road, across a ridge planted with red pines that are now eighty feet tall, through a passage past the ruins of an old trapper’s shack, and across another ridge, this one planted with spruce that are now about sixty feet tall apiece. A thick carpet of pine needles covers the ground, making our movements as quiet as the night.
BEAR TRAILS
Once through the spruces, we drop into a thick tag alder maze, following an old bear trail well worn into the dirt. In past years we have had to use thigh-high hip boots to get through some of these parts due to standing water and the resulting muck in the alders. Recently though, things have been much drier and we find no pools of water in this swampy stretch. We don’t use flashlights. Full darkness is more appealing, and lets us slip through the woods with the least disturbance possible.
While crossing the alder maze we come up to a small one-acre rise with a few maples growing on it, cross this higher ground, then drop into low ground again. Another rise comes up after a while, and a big spruce tree on this higher spot marks where we split up, each going on alone to that day’s hunting spot. In 2006 I sat on the ground behind this same spruce tree and bagged a fine eight-point buck on the third day of the rifle hunting season. Today though, Duane and I are hunting with bow and arrow and it is a lot harder.
NAME YOUR TREESTAND
7:15 a.m.: Duane is hunting at a spot we call the “Pocket Stand”. This is a small rise of higher ground surrounded by low ground. A maple so big that you could not even come close to encircling it with your arms, grows here. This old tree has seen pioneers, lumberjacks, hunters, bears, deer, bobcats, and maybe a mountain lion on occasion. Deer trails cross this higher ground, and the deer stop at the old maple in the fall to pick up leaves from the forest floor that the maple drops. Once they have been exposed to a frost the starch in the leaves begins to turn into a sugar and deer eat them. Many times I have seen bright orange, red, and yellow leaves sticking out of deer’s mouths as they amble along.
I am hunting at “Birch Hill”, which is also a small patch of higher ground – maybe two acres – with tag alder swamp surrounding it. My spot also has maples, but most are younger trees. Small shoots of maple that grow from the roots of mature trees extend up out of the ground. Each of these shoots looks like a miniature maple tree, and has full sized leaves growing on the tiny branches. Most are two-feet tall at maximum. Deer show up here to browse on the leaves as well.
Live birch trees grow here along with some cedar, spruce, and hackberry. Dead birch logs lay scattered across this small hill like so many soldiers on a battlefield. Limbs lay entangled and broken, while the new maple shoots find a way to grow up through them. Deer trails cross this place like cow paths through a barnyard. Local bears come through once in a while, but we never see them while hunting. We attach a trail camera to a tree to monitor the worn bear trails though, and get pictures of the big, black bruin. He passes through at odd hours like 2:00 a.m., on his way to whatever bears do during the night. We don’t bother each other, and that relationship works very well, thank you.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Stop by tomorrow for part 3.
Secondly, I have to post a complaint against my internet provider, Hughes Satellite. I had to make six attempts to get logged on tonight to post this blog. Each time I went through the same series of steps I normally make, but it continued to come up with different destinations - none of which were the place I needed to be to post a blog. It stinks, but is the only service provider available in my area.
In any case, I'm on now and this is tonight's blog. It is a continuation of yesterday's story about a typical half-day hunt. I hope you enjoy it!
P.S. When Duane and I returned from the day's meat processing at his brother's house, we got the word that his nephew had taken a nice buck today while bowhunting. I also have to note that I have witnessed some early stage rutting activity (pre-rut) here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The bulk of this activity is still one to two weeks away, with the main rut most likely starting after November 10.
Here is the continuation of yesterday's blog:
7:00 a.m. We are well on our way toward the stands we have chosen to hunt for the day. The route takes us to the end of the old, overgrown road, across a ridge planted with red pines that are now eighty feet tall, through a passage past the ruins of an old trapper’s shack, and across another ridge, this one planted with spruce that are now about sixty feet tall apiece. A thick carpet of pine needles covers the ground, making our movements as quiet as the night.
BEAR TRAILS
Once through the spruces, we drop into a thick tag alder maze, following an old bear trail well worn into the dirt. In past years we have had to use thigh-high hip boots to get through some of these parts due to standing water and the resulting muck in the alders. Recently though, things have been much drier and we find no pools of water in this swampy stretch. We don’t use flashlights. Full darkness is more appealing, and lets us slip through the woods with the least disturbance possible.
While crossing the alder maze we come up to a small one-acre rise with a few maples growing on it, cross this higher ground, then drop into low ground again. Another rise comes up after a while, and a big spruce tree on this higher spot marks where we split up, each going on alone to that day’s hunting spot. In 2006 I sat on the ground behind this same spruce tree and bagged a fine eight-point buck on the third day of the rifle hunting season. Today though, Duane and I are hunting with bow and arrow and it is a lot harder.
NAME YOUR TREESTAND
7:15 a.m.: Duane is hunting at a spot we call the “Pocket Stand”. This is a small rise of higher ground surrounded by low ground. A maple so big that you could not even come close to encircling it with your arms, grows here. This old tree has seen pioneers, lumberjacks, hunters, bears, deer, bobcats, and maybe a mountain lion on occasion. Deer trails cross this higher ground, and the deer stop at the old maple in the fall to pick up leaves from the forest floor that the maple drops. Once they have been exposed to a frost the starch in the leaves begins to turn into a sugar and deer eat them. Many times I have seen bright orange, red, and yellow leaves sticking out of deer’s mouths as they amble along.
I am hunting at “Birch Hill”, which is also a small patch of higher ground – maybe two acres – with tag alder swamp surrounding it. My spot also has maples, but most are younger trees. Small shoots of maple that grow from the roots of mature trees extend up out of the ground. Each of these shoots looks like a miniature maple tree, and has full sized leaves growing on the tiny branches. Most are two-feet tall at maximum. Deer show up here to browse on the leaves as well.
Live birch trees grow here along with some cedar, spruce, and hackberry. Dead birch logs lay scattered across this small hill like so many soldiers on a battlefield. Limbs lay entangled and broken, while the new maple shoots find a way to grow up through them. Deer trails cross this place like cow paths through a barnyard. Local bears come through once in a while, but we never see them while hunting. We attach a trail camera to a tree to monitor the worn bear trails though, and get pictures of the big, black bruin. He passes through at odd hours like 2:00 a.m., on his way to whatever bears do during the night. We don’t bother each other, and that relationship works very well, thank you.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Stop by tomorrow for part 3.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
GUT INSTINCTS AND MORNING COFFEE
Author's Note: In the next few blogs, I'm going to describe a typical half-day bow hunt based on an actual day I recently enjoyed in the woods. The routine described here would take place when I drive to my friend Duane's home and we go to the hunting area from there. In other cases, we would be staying in a camp and hunting near there, or I would be going out alone.
GUT INSTINCTS
Three hours before sunrise: I get up, stretch, and wander out to the screen porch to take a look at the sky. I see no stars and conclude that it is overcast. We do not have television and I don’t watch the Weather Channel. I could fire up my computer to see what the forecast is, but I’m not invested in what they might report. This is hunting in the old way. I’ll go by what my guts say; what the sky looks like; what I might hear on the pre-dawn breeze; and what experience tells me about hunting with a bow and arrow at this time of year.
5:20 a.m.: I’m in the truck, driving toward Duane’s place. I see lots of deer on the ten-mile drive. They seem quite active today. I hope this carries through into the hours I’ll be out in the woods.
MORNING COFFEE
5:30 a.m.: Duane and I have a cup of coffee. We have a long-standing and fundamental disagreement about coffee strength. My preferred recipe is one heaping handful of fresh grounds per person, boil for thirty minutes then throw a horseshoe into the seething cauldron. If the horseshoe sinks, add more coffee. This is called “campfire coffee” or “cowboy coffee” at times.
Duane on the other hand, starts with a full pot of water on Monday, using just three miserly, tiny, teaspoons of grounds. This brews something – certainly not worthy of being called coffee – that one can easily read a newspaper through.
On Tuesday, and each subsequent day, he sprinkles a few additional grains of finely ground coffee on top of the soggy grounds remaining from the previous day. The result is the creation of some unknown heated liquid that he relishes each morning.
PRE-DAWN DEPARTURE
6:15 a.m.: We head out to the woods in my truck. Sunrise is not until just before 8 a.m. and we have a long hike through the woods in the dark so we can be in our stands well before it is light enough to see. Watching the woods come alive on frosty autumn mornings is a treat not many people take advantage of. It is especially enjoyable from a small platform twenty-five feet up a large spruce tree. (Yes, I’m still climbing trees at my age!)
6:40 a.m.: We park on an old logging road adjacent to a large marsh flooded by beavers some years ago. We suit up in camouflage coveralls, gloves, and camo facemasks. After that we spray down with scent-blocking spray from plastic spritz bottles and put on eighteen-inch high rubber boots. Deer have an incredibly well developed sense of smell, and that is the number one thing hunters have to try to defeat if they plan on seeing any animals.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
GUT INSTINCTS
Three hours before sunrise: I get up, stretch, and wander out to the screen porch to take a look at the sky. I see no stars and conclude that it is overcast. We do not have television and I don’t watch the Weather Channel. I could fire up my computer to see what the forecast is, but I’m not invested in what they might report. This is hunting in the old way. I’ll go by what my guts say; what the sky looks like; what I might hear on the pre-dawn breeze; and what experience tells me about hunting with a bow and arrow at this time of year.
5:20 a.m.: I’m in the truck, driving toward Duane’s place. I see lots of deer on the ten-mile drive. They seem quite active today. I hope this carries through into the hours I’ll be out in the woods.
MORNING COFFEE
5:30 a.m.: Duane and I have a cup of coffee. We have a long-standing and fundamental disagreement about coffee strength. My preferred recipe is one heaping handful of fresh grounds per person, boil for thirty minutes then throw a horseshoe into the seething cauldron. If the horseshoe sinks, add more coffee. This is called “campfire coffee” or “cowboy coffee” at times.
Duane on the other hand, starts with a full pot of water on Monday, using just three miserly, tiny, teaspoons of grounds. This brews something – certainly not worthy of being called coffee – that one can easily read a newspaper through.
On Tuesday, and each subsequent day, he sprinkles a few additional grains of finely ground coffee on top of the soggy grounds remaining from the previous day. The result is the creation of some unknown heated liquid that he relishes each morning.
PRE-DAWN DEPARTURE
6:15 a.m.: We head out to the woods in my truck. Sunrise is not until just before 8 a.m. and we have a long hike through the woods in the dark so we can be in our stands well before it is light enough to see. Watching the woods come alive on frosty autumn mornings is a treat not many people take advantage of. It is especially enjoyable from a small platform twenty-five feet up a large spruce tree. (Yes, I’m still climbing trees at my age!)
6:40 a.m.: We park on an old logging road adjacent to a large marsh flooded by beavers some years ago. We suit up in camouflage coveralls, gloves, and camo facemasks. After that we spray down with scent-blocking spray from plastic spritz bottles and put on eighteen-inch high rubber boots. Deer have an incredibly well developed sense of smell, and that is the number one thing hunters have to try to defeat if they plan on seeing any animals.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
PREDATOR AND PREY
Author’s note: I enjoyed a successful hunt last week in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I spent the week in a bowhunting camp owned by life-long friend Duane Deno of Gladstone, Michigan. Duane and I have hunted together for many years, and as usual, we were the only ones in camp during the nine-day hunt this year. Hunting is far from over. Bow hunting continues until the end of December, and the annual “rifle season” (the firearms portion of Michigan’s whitetail deer hunting season) runs from November 15 – 30. We will also be out in the woods with muzzleloaders in early December.
Both Duane and I tagged adult does during the bowhunt, and we both retain tags legal for one antlered buck each through the remainder of the season. We also have the option of tagging another antlerless deer with archery equipment if we want to use our buck tags in that way.
Anyway, I keep a detailed journal during the hunt since we normally have a number of experiences worth writing about. Today’s blog is about an injured deer I observed while hunting this year.
To set the stage for this incident, I was hunting from a small tree stand about twenty-five feet above the ground at a spot I call Birch Hill. I was experiencing a lot of deer activity that morning, and had seen nine different deer in five hours. Some offered easy shots which I decided not to take. I was confident I would see additional deer and was enjoying the activity. A group of three deer were browsing around my stand, consuming maple leaves and small, woody roots growing up out of the ground from the main roots of nearby maple trees. This is what I witnessed:
PREDATOR AND PREY
The third deer in the group was hanging back while the others began browsing. It was small, and did not have the somewhat “sleek” look of a healthy deer during the autumn season. As it maneuvered closer I saw that it had recently been attacked by coyotes or wolves. Perhaps a mountain lion or one of the local black bears. Its sides were raked heavily as if by claws, the lower jaw was broken, and its tongue protruded out of its mouth sideways from the right side. Once in a while, deer survive an attack from these predators, and make an escape. The injuries could also have been caused by a vehicle, but we were so far away from the nearest road that I did not think this was the case. Even then, the closest roads are dirt and quite rutted. Ten miles per hour is about top speed.
I decided to kill this deer if I could. I watched it try to eat with the others, but it could not bite effectively. It stayed out on the fringe of the group, and when it got closer the others would drive it away. Unfortunately (I guess) the injured deer walked away toward the east, and I had no opportunity to get a clear shot. That’s just the way it is when hunting with a bow.
Although I spent a lot of time hunting many different spots in that area for the nine days I was in camp, I did not see that deer again.
In upcoming days I will detail other hunting adventures I had. See you then!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Both Duane and I tagged adult does during the bowhunt, and we both retain tags legal for one antlered buck each through the remainder of the season. We also have the option of tagging another antlerless deer with archery equipment if we want to use our buck tags in that way.
Anyway, I keep a detailed journal during the hunt since we normally have a number of experiences worth writing about. Today’s blog is about an injured deer I observed while hunting this year.
To set the stage for this incident, I was hunting from a small tree stand about twenty-five feet above the ground at a spot I call Birch Hill. I was experiencing a lot of deer activity that morning, and had seen nine different deer in five hours. Some offered easy shots which I decided not to take. I was confident I would see additional deer and was enjoying the activity. A group of three deer were browsing around my stand, consuming maple leaves and small, woody roots growing up out of the ground from the main roots of nearby maple trees. This is what I witnessed:
PREDATOR AND PREY
The third deer in the group was hanging back while the others began browsing. It was small, and did not have the somewhat “sleek” look of a healthy deer during the autumn season. As it maneuvered closer I saw that it had recently been attacked by coyotes or wolves. Perhaps a mountain lion or one of the local black bears. Its sides were raked heavily as if by claws, the lower jaw was broken, and its tongue protruded out of its mouth sideways from the right side. Once in a while, deer survive an attack from these predators, and make an escape. The injuries could also have been caused by a vehicle, but we were so far away from the nearest road that I did not think this was the case. Even then, the closest roads are dirt and quite rutted. Ten miles per hour is about top speed.
I decided to kill this deer if I could. I watched it try to eat with the others, but it could not bite effectively. It stayed out on the fringe of the group, and when it got closer the others would drive it away. Unfortunately (I guess) the injured deer walked away toward the east, and I had no opportunity to get a clear shot. That’s just the way it is when hunting with a bow.
Although I spent a lot of time hunting many different spots in that area for the nine days I was in camp, I did not see that deer again.
In upcoming days I will detail other hunting adventures I had. See you then!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
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