Hunting 2020

[Mac66]

Got back from the cabin last night, going back up tomorrow afternoon. Seeing lots of deer. Lot of doe and I've passed on 3, 4 & 5 pt bucks. I've seen the same button buck every day for the last 3 weeks, I call him Buttons. He walked within 5 ft of my blind and looked in once. I was perfectly still. He didn't recognize what he was seeing. Haven't seen the big guys I saw throughout Sept and early Oct. So here are some trail camera pics just because.

Saw this guy several times in the last couple weeks. Just not close enough for a shot


Haven't seen the bears on camera in awhile. This was on the other side of the property from where I usually see them.




Early shot of the bobcat. I've seen him about once a week on camera...



And a coyote doing his business



This guy walked right past me this week. Not enough points to waste my buck license on. Notice the time, just about 1 in the afternoon.



I generally get out before sunup, hunt until 10-11am. I then go back out and clear trails, or shooting lanes. I'm in the process of clearing one ridge of small pines and another of Aspen saplings. I've cut at least a hundred of both so far, doesn't even look like I've done anything they are so thick. I then go back out late afternoon and hunt until it gets dark. Like I said, seeing lots of deer, just none big and/or close enough to shoot with a crossbow.

[mdell49]

Nice pictures, great looking food plot

[Mac66]

And this is what the food plot looks like in snow. Supposed to snow today and it did flurry all day until about 4pm. Then it just snowed and snowed. By 6:15 when it got dark and I left the field we got 5". Did have a 5pt buck come out and chase 3 doe off the field. By the time I left for home after dark I had to use 4wd to get out. The cabin is a couple hundred yards down a two track off a dirt road and and then about 7/10s of a mile back to the black top. Visibility was just the length of your headlights and the main blacktop road was completely covered. Speed was about 20mph until I got about 5 miles south...then nothing. No snow at all, road clear and dry. Though it did snow off an on most to the rest of the way home (about 3 hours) but not hard.

[mdell49]

Ouch!

[Mac66]

Supposed to be in the 50's tomorrow and upper 60's by the end of the week.

[Mac66]

Sat out until dark tonight (damn DST) it was 59 degrees. Saw 8 deer, one 6 pt got within 50 yards. Just a bit too far with a crossbow.

[Mac66]

A big buck walked out in front of me last evening. Try as I might I couldn't put more than 4 points on his big wide rack. Still waiting for the one with 3, 4 or 5 points on each side to show up.

It was 74 degrees in northern Michigan today, currently about 65 as I'm sitting in my deer blind. Two years ago on this date it was 10 with a couple inches of snow. Last year it wss 28 with 5" of snow on the ground.

Opening of firearms deer season is a week from tomorrow Nov 15. Temps are supposed to drop back into the 30s next week, well see what opening day brings. It was 18 on opening day last year.

[Mac66]

Just looked at the extended forecast for next weekend. Mid to upper 40,s. 51 and rain on opening day. Mid to upper 40s but dry the rest of the week. Subject to change minute to minute in Michigan.

[Mac66]

54 degrees this morning as I am sitting in my blind. 2 button bucks and 3 doe came out at between 0700 and 0730. Still waiting on the big guys. Temps in the 70s today again.

[Mac66]

Back out in my blind. It's 75 degrees.

Saw 4 doe, came out at different times between 1700 and 1800 hrs. Still waiting on the big bucks to return.