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Good luck Paul.

Have fun Paul!

I noticed it had been very dry, the ground was hard as a rock in most places and the majority of the farm ground in the SWA had been planted in millet, (no corn, wheat, beans or rye,)not the best food attractant for deer but good for quail, pheasants and turkeys. I found out later that it seemed most of the deer were feeding off the SWA in private land in the corn or rye fields and when I looked in the traditional places that I had found deer, there was a lot less sigh then in the past. Hard to find any buck sigh like rubs and scrapes. I check with the local biologist and found that gun hunters had killed 176 deer from this SWA last year, around 110 bucks and 50 or more doe WTs. Not unusual but I and others have noticed over the years that finding a mature buck of three years old was becoming more difficult. After a week of so of hunting, this was confirmed, less deer and only four mature bucks were seen and three of these were on adjacent properties properties..

The weather started out good but then the cold and snow came for three days. I holed up in a local motel for two days before heading back to the pop up trailer. I had some action the follow day but with small buck over the decoy, pictures to follow.

Well the weather went for cold to hot-hot, yep up to 85 degrees for a few day, and then the wind came blowing from the south, gusting to 40--45 MPH. I felt I was in a wind tunnel and the deer did not like it either as they were not moving until last legal light of the day and just a hour in the AM.

I sat up on a hill over looking a private adjacent farm and counted 32 deer, (does and fawns) and only one small buck in the morning. They were feeding in the rye fields. The private property next to my camp I would see 15- 17 does and fawns around 5 pm and only one spike and one forked buck. Of the 6 ground blinds and one tree stand location, I would see deer at each set but the majority were does and fawns with a few small buck mixed in. Where are the mature bucks? Later I saw one mature buck two days after the snow storm and cold weather. Even then the Pheasant season started I thought the deer might be pushed around but with the lack of birds and then bird hunters, that did not happen.. When I got back to the pop up last night, the wind was gusting and steady at 30 MPH and the pop up canvas was flapping loudly and I awoke at 1 am, droved 2 mile to puck up my deer decoys, returned and slept in the truck., woke before light, dressed and headed to the tree stand just over the hill from camp. NO luck. Packed up and headed home at 8 am, tired after giving it all for most of 2 1/2 weeks. I might have stayed until the end of the week if I had not killed a bull elk this season. Just finished a home cook meal and I am sure the bed will feel good tonight without the high wind noise. Following will be a few pictures of the hunt.

I’ll bet Chase is ready to get after those geese!

Good luck, Robb