Wisco with K114
Whitetail Deer
When Scar Finga came up with the K114 knife I knew I had to take it on a Wisconsin bowhunt. I originally tried to sign up for a rut hunt but it was already spoken for so I took the last weekend in September. Early season hunting can be feast or famine in Wisconsin but where we hunt, there’s always a chance of a monster walking by.
In coordinating with Mark about the knife, I threw out an invite and he jumped at the chance to hunt a true whitetail Mecca. The flight was booked and the dates set. I’d pick him up from the airport after my workday and we’d head straight to my bro in laws in Jackson Co. we had four full days to get it done.
We would split our time between a huge tract of public that is a 2 minute drive from my bro’s house and my in-laws private farms which are about 40 minutes from my bros house.
I’d messaged the last guy with the knife my bros address and K114 was scheduled to arrive on Friday. Friday’s weather called for a steady light rain all day so we planned to hunt until 8ish and then scout the area, meet back at the truck around 9:30 and head to scout the farms.
Our public spot is a series of high oak littered ridges with fingers coming off of them. I thought that with the acorns dropping those ridges would have all the deer in the area roaming them. I split the spot in two and Mark took off one way while I went the other. I’d seen a lot of deer in this area the year before including a couple really nice bucks.
The deer in this spot tend to bed high up on the hills or on the highest points of the fingers. If there’s a buck atop one of those fingers, it’s literally impossible to walk by without him seeing you. They come down out of the beds and browse their way to the bottom. There is a well defined scrape line that follows the bottom of the main hill. Mark went right, I went left.
I planned on givingMark any info and tips I had but overall this was his hunt and he was to be his own guide. I had a hang on stand with steps but this terrain is actually perfect for just sitting on the ground. I chose to sit a bit higher but in the same spot I had a fun encounter on my last day of last year. (Doe at 3ft) (I was at full draw and let her walk).
The weather was shitty and I saw nothing. Scouting didn’t look too promising either. I did manage to find some good buck sign down low in between a couple of the fingers but that was it.
He was just hanging around:)
He was just hanging around:)
First off, I want say a huge thank you to Shane and David (Bro-in-law), they made me feel right at home and their hospitality was second to none! They both have an open invitation to my house any time!!
The drive to David's was non eventful, and I finally made it to bed around 1AM. We were up at 4 or so and headed out for the first morning. After we split up, I hiked to the top of the ridge, and found this guy.
The saddle I sat down from, I has a buck come in behind me and blow out in flash.
The saddle I sat down from, I has a buck come in behind me and blow out in flash.
I was more scouting, than hunting but I found a good spot near some trails and sat down... Here is the boot shot and some trees from the first morning.
We need a knife that can say,,, Hey I've been on a hunt in all 50 states.
Hopefully we can get some more people to take it... Perhaps we could extend the time frame to allow it to go to several states it hasn't visited yet. Something to think about, and ask Morgan if she would be alright with that.
The oaks are on the right and there is a stand on each corner of the connecting road. Our field is planted in ryegrass this year due to a wet spring. The upper fields above our area is all corn.
The oaks are on the right and there is a stand on each corner of the connecting road. Our field is planted in ryegrass this year due to a wet spring. The upper fields above our area is all corn.
After the morning hunt it was on to show Mark my family farms. These places are full of memories for me. Plenty of kills, misses and miles walked. I have my own blood, sweat and tears and money on this ground. I even taught both of my sons to drive on these rural roads as soon as each boy reached 10yrs old.
The first spot is what has historically been my best buck area. It sits just across the highway from town and although I don’t like the road noise, it’s a great spot. We walk in to a group of oaks that I have a ladder stand in and immediately bump a deer. Mark has his bow with and goes into hunt mode. The deer is only about 40 yds away. I am still in guiding tourist mode and I screw it up and keep moving. True to my promise, as we cross the grass road that connects the big field with the small one we enter the spot that has so many tracks that you can’t take a step without stepping on a deer track.
Unfortunately the deer didn't cooperate, Shane didn't screw it up, the deer was just smarter and more alert than we were! And it was gone.
I want to add that this farm land is absolutely beautiful and had sign everywhere!!! Shane is very blessed to have this at his disposal and I am very grateful he asked me to tag along!
I'm sure there is not many knifes that can say they have been on a hunt in all 50 states. It only needs to be on a hunt for a day to say that.
This is not my project, but I think it's a cool idea. Is there any idea of what states it's been to?? Number? Ed
On to show the next spot. This is my sons area. We call it horseshoe valley and the finger. Year after year, a mature buck makes this his core area. They either bed at the bottom of the valley along the base of the hill, halfway up the hill on a bench or out towards the end of the finger. An atv trail separates the valley from the finger. My theory about a mature buck making this place home would once again prove correct. We snuck in just enough to see plenty of tracks on the bench and backed out so we didn’t booger it up.
Mark is old and was getting tired from all the walking so I only took him to one more spot. This is the point. If I had to pick out of the three spots, this is the one most likely to produce a booner. The entire surrounding area is heavily managed for trophy bucks. The guys around this area are total dicks and think they own every deer but it’s truly an amazing hunting spot.
We head back to David’s and gear up for the evening. The wind switched so we’d have to adjust our positions a bit but we headed back out to the public land hills. No deer seen that evening but I know they’re in here so we remain optimistic. After the hunt, Mark drug his old ass to bed and I headed to the casino because apparently I took too much spending money and my pockets were heavy. They were much lighter when I left the casino.
Saturday morning started calm and clear. We headed back to the hills for our morning sit. I chose the same spot as the night before and saw a young buck sidehilling about 100 yds away. Nothing more but I did go for a nice walk and took a few pictures. There is a fire tower at the top of the ridge and the view from there is amazing. I climbed it last year with my son but was feeling a bit lazy this year. Below are a few random pics that I took during my walk. It’s a beautiful area.
The views alone are worth the price of admission.
The views alone are worth the price of admission.
My memory corrected itself. Scar sat out the Friday night hunt so my nephew Logan tagged along instead. He made a perfect 20yd head shot on a squirrel. He saw no deer either.
Scoot, Scar was back at my bros house trying to drink like a Wisconsinite. My nephew Logan shot the squirrel. He’s an absolute killer and fishing fool. His dog is pretty badass too.
Ok, I guess I will need to clear things up a bit because obviously Shane cant tell a proper story!
While I may be older than this wet behind the ears youngster, I am certainly not old! 51 this year to his 35....
And not to make excuses, but I will... I had some stomach issues and was going on 6 hours of sleep in three days, more trips to the bathroom than I care to think about... Probably that crappy WI beer I was drinking:) (Actually it was probably the airport food I ate the day before. My tummy was very angry!)
And while we are talking about drinking, I learned 15 minutes in that there is no way in HELL I can hang with WI boys when it comes to drinking beer! I was drinking 1 to their three and was buzzed pretty good!
OK now that I have cleared that up... can we get back to the hunting story???
Logan is a great kid and I was happy to let Shane go hunting with his nephew! His dog is pretty badass! A great family all the way around!!
I will post more tomorrow, but I am dealing with a backed up septic tank today:/
DANG! You MUST have had some SERIOUS GI issues to mess up your entire septic system, Scar! ;-)
Yep it's that half raw chicken they feed you back there! LOL (Shane will understand)
I had a plug at the inlet to my septic tank. there was a little rough edge that was catching debris (CHIT AND PAPER) . My plumber buddy figured it out and fixed it... thank God! YUCK!!!
After the sat morning hunt we took a quick ride a bit further down the forest service road and found what would become Wyoming. This was another ridge system further into the forest. The bottom half of the hill had been clearcut and the top half left alone. At the bottom is a huge pine forest. There are lots of young pines growing along the side of the hill in the clearcut. I expected the deer to be bedding up top and side hill their way between the mature woods and clearcut. I sat at the blue dot with the wind in the direction of the arrow. The green lines are the expected travel routes. Things never go exactly as you expect...
Similar to this knife that Mark gave me as a gift. It instantly became something I can cherish and pass on to a grandkid someday.
Similar to this knife that Mark gave me as a gift. It instantly became something I can cherish and pass on to a grandkid someday.
By the time we arrived back at David’s from the morning hunt a few of my other family members had shown up. Of course the Bush light was already flowing for them. I grabbed my sister in law and left mark to babysit the rednecks.
I had some honey do projects for my mom in law so off I went. At some point Mark gave David a knife which started a gift giving war between the two. David even got out his ladder and removed a banner that was hanging on the wall that mark liked. They were so cute together and I swear if David was just a little prettier Mark would move to Wisconsin for him:-). At one pointDavid proclaimed the knife to be the single coolest gift he’s ever received as he nearly stabbed himself while drunkenly brandishing it.
David is an attractive man, and I can only say that because I am very secure in my masculinity! But, he is missing a few very critical antimony items that I find very attractive and essential!!! Now Shane and his Bro in law are "VERY CLOSE" In a way that I find strange and complicated! LOL!
This is way things went while I was there, lots of good razzing, but meant with good hearted fun!
The knives are some of my favorites from Pine Ridge Custom Knives... I am very pleased that they will cherish them as I do! They are meant to be used, but also meant to last several lifetimes and handed down from father to offspring! I say it that way because I only have daughters, but I or they will present these knives to their sons or daughters.
This is one of the prettiest hunting spots I’ve ever sat.
This is one of the prettiest hunting spots I’ve ever sat.
My view from that spot was pretty great. I was 20 yds inside the hardwoods with a 5ft pine behind me and blowdown in front. I was daydreaming with about 40 minutes of good light and heard something behind my left shoulder up the hill. All went quiet and I quickly dismissed the sound. A full fifteen pass and out of nowhere a snort comes from ten yds directly behind me. Then silence. I slowly turn and can make out a rack through the tree that separates us. After a minute or so he lets off a series of snorts and bounds off blowing the whole way.
Saturday night ended with a few failed attempts at curing the hiccups. Once again Mark couldn’t keep up and was fast asleep by this point. Full disclosure, I drink coffee (usually black) and leave the beer drinking to the other guys.
Sunday morning comes way too quickly and we are headed to the farm! I’ve chosen to sit the oaks where we jumped the deer while scouting and Mark sat in the stand near the small field to the north. As we pulled into our parking spot we saw deer and I jumped one walking in but it was WINDY and I saw nothing from stand.
Sunday midday brought some sightseeing and a shooting competition. I don’t want to say how far I’d be confident in Mark taking a shot but he’s damn good. He’s earned the right to stretch it further than me in my opinion.
When my dad died this spring I bought his truck from my sisters. I drive it in his honor.
When my dad died this spring I bought his truck from my sisters. I drive it in his honor.
Sunday afternoon found us int the same stands as the morning. Windy windy windy. No deer.
The forecast for Sunday was pouring rain in the morning then turning HOT. We’d hunted in the rain on Friday and Sunday so we elected to sleep in. After cleaning up and packing the truck we headed out to the farm. The forecast was right and by the time we got to my mother in laws house it was sweltering. My MIL didn’t hesitate to put mark to work weed whipping while I did the push mower. She hopped on the rider and we made pretty quick work of it. After visiting with her for a while it was time to head out for our last hunt.
I meant Monday not Sunday. It’s my busy time of year and these long days are catching up to me.
Fun write up Shane. Looking for more.
Have a great season.
I chose to sit horseshoe valley. It was hot but the wind was perfect and I know this area has a nice buck every year. I sat on the very top overlooking the bench and the bottom. I set the hang on about two feet off the ground right on the edge of the 15ft drop.
From my vantage point I could just make out the very bottom of the hill through all the trees and about an hour before dark I notice the flicker of a tail and a deer moving off to the right and out of sight. About ten minutes later I notice movement just below me on the bench. Meet my buddy Sonic. He visited within 2feet of my tree for about 10 minutes without a care about who I was.
Sonic moves off and then I see him. About 75 yds away walking the bench slowly coming my way. I’m not a trophy hunter and this is a really nice buck for me. Solid 8 with really nice mass and just outside the ears. He’s heading right towards me munching on stuff and smelling the wind as it comes up the hill from the field. My wind is perfect and he’s at 20 yds quartering to with no idea I’m in kill mode right above him. He continues in to ten feet and looks down the hill one last time as I come to full draw. He’s perfectly broadside and standing still.
A better look at Marks area.
A better look at Marks area.
Meanwhile, Mark is back in his spot on the north field. The wind is iffy but it’s his last day and we know the area is loaded with deer. They like to bed up in the corn and then work their way towards the connecting road. When our farm is planted in corn they tend to bed in the north field and the swamp between the oaks and marks spot. Mark can finish his own story so I’ll get back to mine.
I settle my pin on his heart, breath and squeeze my release. My heart sunk as I watched my arrow go right under his armpit without even shaving a hair. He bounded off and that was the end of my hunt.
Ten feet. TEN STINKING FEET. I could have jumped on him. It’s official, I suck at hunting. The good news is that I’m heading back up for the first of Nov.
You may have noticed that we didn’t mention K114. On our way home Monday night I got a call from my wife letting me know that it had finally arrived. It ended up at my house and not my bro in laws so we didn’t actually get to hunt with the knife. I am thankful that it did get safely into my hands. It’s a beautiful knife and the journal is great.
I do have a small ten acre urban spot that I am currently hunting so K114 is officially hunting in wisco and I have another week to give myself a chance at sending it on with a bloody thumbprint.
Bowsite and this knife created a lifelong friendship. My family has officially adopted Mark and even though I plan on leaving, He will always have a free place to stay and raw chicken to eat. I had a great time showing my home state and my family land to a stranger from the internet.
Sunrise in wisco this morning.
Sunrise in wisco this morning.
So back to the story... Sorry for the delay, I have been slammed at work and home! So Shane has pretty much covered most of the story except my last night hunting.
I hunted the field with the corn again that evening, and the wind was iffy for the treestand. Shane and I had a little miscommunication about an adjacent property that has corn on it. I was supposed to set up along that line of corn, and would have the whole field in front of me and the wind in my face. When I went to set up there, I realized I couldn't without being on the neighbors property, so I went with the treestand. Here is the miscommunication. I didn't realize that the two families have an agreement in place, and I would have been fine sitting in corn field edge! My bad!
So to make a long story short, I set up in the treestand and got busted by a deer that came in down wind:/ Had I been in the corn I probably would have had a shot, as I had a buck and doe tag. The stand still offered other shot opportunities IF a deer came in from other directions, and there was plenty of sign all around the treestand on every side.
Well nothing else came in that night, and our hunt was over. I had an absolute blast, and now I have an adopted family in Wisconsin!
I will add some photos and notes and wrap this up.
Well I keep getting an error message, so I guess I will add pictures later.
Boots in the tree stand:)
Boots in the tree stand:)
Bow in Tree
Bow in Tree
Ready and waiting!
Ready and waiting!
The neighbors property is at the corn field line
The neighbors property is at the corn field line
View to the right. This entire area was just covered in tracks!
Here is David and his kids... BBQ'n chicken... Kind of.
Here is David and his kids... BBQ'n chicken... Kind of.
Roasted marshmallows anyone?
Roasted marshmallows anyone?
We had a great fire that night Wisconsin style. It was very huge a one point and the pictures don't do it justice.
Well, that's about it... Like I said, we had a great time and the entire family is a true pleasure to be around.
Shane... thanks again for inviting me, and thanks again to your awesome family!
Until the next hunt, God Bless and shoot straight!
I was a little disappointed. With all the mentions about the beer, not a single pic of any cheese nor a brat! If beer drinking ever becomes an olympic sport, better than half the team will be cheeseheads.
Great write up guys! Looks like some new friendships were formed in the making of this story.
Awesome story guys! I know Kelly would have greatly appreciated this one. Lots of beer was drank, great times were had, friendships formed, and nothing got killed. Sounds a lot like one of his excellent Ohio adventures! Ha!
LOL ^^^ That's Funny^^^
Sad, and true, but funny!
I did not consume one brat my entire trip. I was really disappointed in that!
Next time someone is bemoaning how the internet is ruining the hunting lifestyle, just remember.....
.... this fun filled, happy-go-lucky tale would not have happened. Hunting, family, new friends and adventure. Congrats guys!!
But one correction. Light beer is not real beer. It's just an organ flusher.
