Hunt Thread November 5th - 11th
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: BW
05-Nov-18
Rutcation ends on Sunday for me, getting a little nervous. Only had one good day of bucks so far, not sure if there are just not a lorry of doors around or if they haven't hit estrus yet.
From: DoorKnob
05-Nov-18
truck full of doors?
From: BW
05-Nov-18
Hahaha.. A lot of does
From: BW
05-Nov-18
Hahaha.. A lot of does
From: Drop Tine
05-Nov-18
Got home from work about 2:15am. Stayed up and hunted this morning. Had a 3 point go through about 15 yards out at 7:45am and that was it for the morning.
From: rut freak
05-Nov-18
Saw 13 deer 7 bucks most just cruising. Just watched a 4 pointer chase a doe all over about 15 mins ago. So much action gotta make it an all day sit. No big ones yet. 14" 8 was the biggest.
From: RUGER1022
05-Nov-18
Hunted 9 til noon . A 130 class 10 pt was 15 yards away at 1 time . Did a pratice draw on him .
The colder it gets the harder it is to draw the bow . I guess I can't complain , some of my hunting buddies can't hunt or their not vertical . Will head out at 2:00 .
Be safe . Its wet & slick .
From: Live2hunt
05-Nov-18
I was thinking I could get out after work today, no trials for Jury duty today. I look at the weather, more fricken rain coming later this afternoon. Can't win.
From: bowhuntndoug
05-Nov-18
Got a doe today
From: BW
05-Nov-18
Awesome bowhuntndoug! I couldn't buy a doe if I needed to. Hunting is just miserable by me. Nothing but small bucks. No does, no shooters or even decent bucks. Scouted the woods and didn't jump a single deer. Nothing but a few rubs on tiny trees. Definitely need to look at public land next year because the land isn't holding deer like it use to.
From: xtroutx
05-Nov-18
Sat from 1pm till dark. Half hour before dark one big doe moves though stops and messes around by where I did a drag line to my stand. Then a second doe and a third, first doe kept looking back and wagging her tail. Figured a buck was chasing and sure enough here he comes nose to the ground. Looked like a smaller buck..hard to tell, but he was no big boy. Lead doe ran off and all followed. Tried to grunt the buck back, but he wanted nothing to do with that. Fun late afternoon.
From: Drop Tine
05-Nov-18
Two doe beat me out to the stand this afternoon. Those were the only deer seen tonight. Very still night. Deer cast said it would be poor. Guess it was right.
From: Franklin
05-Nov-18
Slow in Richland Cty….small spike shadowing a doe this evening....no real action.
From: Pete-pec
05-Nov-18
Driving today I saw three real nice bucks, mouths agape. Two real pretty tall tined 8 pointers, and a very nice 10. I could have hit any one of them with my truck. on stand, I saw nothing right until 4:15 when the rain was too much. Got a call from a friend who is short on time, and not real selective that he shot a 9. It was a nice basket rack 2 year old. Just finished butchering it. Bad news for him, he tore muscles or ligaments in his elbow pulling out the deer, so he was of little help butchering. I'm worried he really did some damage. He was literally wincing in pain several times while trying to help me.
These are the times that every bow hunter anticipates. You cannot let wind or rain defeat you. The deer are moving, and it is time to be in the woods. I decided to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday then off for up until gun season. I took off for muzzle loader hoping to get a crack at a few deer I had to pass earlier. Good luck all!
From: BW
06-Nov-18
Wisconsin Dells - Out in the rain this morning hunting a field edge. Very little sign anywhere on the property for bucks. Trying to stay optimistic but getting antsy
From: GoJakesGo
06-Nov-18
Im frustrated. Doe's in the area but zero daytime movement of anything wider then 12". Very little sign yet a few shooters at night. Weather sucks to boot. Marathon Co
From: slimm21
06-Nov-18
I don't hunt the rain or right before the rain because I do not want to deal with loosing a blood trail.
From: BW
06-Nov-18
GJG, I'm with ya
From: bowhuntndoug
06-Nov-18
Zero this morning - going in for dry cloths. Stopped raining not long after sunrise but nothing moving here.
From: RUGER1022
06-Nov-18
At 4:30 I had 3 does feeding . A perfect setup . The Deer run off & a guy & gal walk in & start trimming branches . They carry in a homemade deer stand & start working on a tree 50 feet from me .
I said "good evening " & they jumped about 2 feet . He said " not to worry this stand is for gun season only " . I told him he is surrounded by 5 stands for gun season . He continued to put up the stand .
GEEZ . Public hunting gtounds .
From: RutnStrut
06-Nov-18
Ruger, isn't trimming stuff illegal?
From: BW
06-Nov-18
Nothing. Toughed it out until noon. Was soaked and cold. Raining all morning, get down from the stand and the sun pops out for a few minutes....what does that mean?
From: Jeff in MN
06-Nov-18
Sitting in my favorite stand, in the recliner watching dirty jobs. An average buck runs thru the apple trees up the hill where doe frequently hang around in a thick stand of cedar. It was about 12:40 ish. About 10 minutes later he runs down. Another 10 minutes later, I think the same buck goes lumbering up the same hill, I think he is getting tired looking for the doe. It is game on for him and I don't think his day is done yet, I wish him luck.
I didn't even finish typing and that buck, another slightly bigger buck, a doe, and a fawn just flew down the hill. Game on...
Fourth day of light rain in a row plus some wind today.
Another update, minutes later. The two bucks and the doe just do a fast circle thru the apple trees. The bigger buck and doe disappear in some brush, the small buck is standing on my lawn looking where the others just went. To be continued...
From: Franklin
06-Nov-18
Man things were hopping....mom and dad where at the local motel and the jr. high kids were having a party. Small bucks and abandoned fawns running all over the place this afternoon. Then right at 3:30 it was like someone turned off a light switch....everything stopped and never saw another deer. Pretty raw night.
From: RUGER1022
06-Nov-18
RUT , years ago a warden told me that he had no issues with lightly trimming shooting lanes .
He went after the people that used saws & axes . Thats the guideline I use .
I kinda feel sorry for them . The spot he picked doesn't have a chance during gun season .
From: Badger_16
06-Nov-18
Had a pretty decent 8 come strolling through at 2pm this afternoon. It was wet and windy but I stuck it out most of the day.
From: Novice
06-Nov-18
Saw a doe and fawns, flock of turkeys and a small buck. The fawns hung out, but mom knew something was up. The buck was seeking and went back and forth. That was all before 4:30.
From: Live2Hunt
06-Nov-18
Went out for an hour tonight, one standing close to my truck, that was it. Don't know what it was.
From: BW
07-Nov-18
Jumped more deer on the way to my stand today than all days previously combined. Does must have come out of lockdown.
From: Chief2
07-Nov-18
The problem with seeing almost no deer all season is that when a shooter 10 shows up this morning nerves got the best of me arrow deflected off a branch I should have seen... Oh well at least I saw one today
From: Novice
07-Nov-18
Chief, ouch. Been there. Sucks, but keep at it. I have not seen squat this morning, other than the neighbor drive into the woods at 8:30. Picked the wrong spot I guess.
From: Franklin
07-Nov-18
It will get rough from here on out. Gun bangers will start preparing....shooting their guns...checking stands....driving ATV`s around etc. Hunt hard until the weekend and next week. Gun hunters will do well with it being a week early.
From: BW
07-Nov-18
Dead, dead, dead. Not a single deer since my walk in. No responses to doe bleat, buck grunts and rattling
From: Live2hunt
07-Nov-18
It's humbling and upsetting Chief, I can still see the hair fly off the back of the buck I missed.
From: BW
07-Nov-18
Came back home at noon after seeing nothing in the stand. Worst bow season, in terms of seeing deer, by far. Don't know where they are. Privacy on neighboring land with crop fields that are still up
From: Chief2
07-Nov-18
BW that sounds like my season, I was looking back at my log from last year by this time I had seen around 30 deer thus year 3-4, might be the weather and standing ag fields by me
From: Ranger rick
07-Nov-18
7 doe/fawns, 3 small bucks this am. Might be a mistake, But I left the funnel. Just moved to observation stand to try and figure out where the big boys might be. I can see over a big grass area, 2 alfalfa fields, picked beans and the edge of 2 standing cornfields from here. Several big ones on camera some daytime activity. Just cant seem to get it done. I agree with others toughest season ever. However, the last 2 sits have been the best of the year.
From: Glunker
07-Nov-18
Patience as the next 7 days legendary. Stay out, stay alert, pick a spot.
From: smokey
07-Nov-18
Southern Bayfield County today. I hunted for about four hours this afternoon. I saw three yearling bucks. One was bird dogging and the others looked like they were running away from something; the dominant buck? Also, a lone doe with no buck behind her.
I am getting midday photos of bucks. My Birthday is Friday and I will be sitting all day on a stand in northern Sawyer County and hope for the ten that is in that area.
From: Live2Hunt
07-Nov-18
Good luck on your Birthday Buck Smokey
From: RUGER1022
07-Nov-18
Sat for 4 hours at stand BT#1. 31 degrees , stiff winds from the NE . Lite snow & 1 inch on the ground . Perfect right ?
Nothing, not a chippy, tree rat , or Deer . Man it was cold walking out .
From: Jeff in MN
07-Nov-18
I was treating buckthron all day and the guy hunting the same land shot a 4x2. He said he watched it for 10 minutes at 20 yards trying to decide if he should punch his tag. I was treating BT about 150 yards from him and he said the buck came from my way. So maybe I helped him out. BIG body, mature deer.
From: xtroutx
07-Nov-18
I also sat this afternoon for about 3 hours. Swirling winds were a problem so I hit the edges of the swamp, no deer to be seen today for me. First sit with no sightings of deer. Oh well maybe better tomorrow. Only a week left before the orange army turns everything nocturnal. I see the gas stations bait pile sure do deminiss quickly for no baiting ban going on.
From: Franklin
07-Nov-18
Didn`t hunt....still fixing my driveway/bridge from the flood. Saw ALOT of activity in the fields. 2 small forks chasing does everywhere and saw a 2.5 year old 8 pointer in the same crowd. Also saw a nice 2.5 yr old 8 pointer shadowing a doe in the front yard.
These 2 8 pointers are bigger deer than I have seen recently out in the open. Should start seeing bigger bucks shortly.
From: rut freak
07-Nov-18
Hunted last 4 hours saw a spike around 330. Than a 6 pointer at 4. Doe around 415 and a fork chasing her all over. Have 5 leases and hunted all week seen over 30 deer not one shooter. This is by far my hardest year.
From: BB81
07-Nov-18
They are chasing in Richland County. Several deer seen while driving in on the fields at 1pm.
Plenty of action all afternoon. Lots of grunting heard and chasing seen in the bedding areas around the stand. Saw 8 total.
Deer Cast app seems accurate so far this week!
From: Sheldon
07-Nov-18
Also hunted all day. One yearling and one 2 year old fork. Very slow in Marathon County as well. Maybe the cold snap will trigger some action.
From: Novice
07-Nov-18
After 5 hours of nothing during the morning sit, I went to check the nearest camera. 7 pictures all week. Only 2 had a deer on it, the same 1.5 yr old buck. Took a 2 hour break and headed to a stand we just hung a week ago. Doe and 2 fawns were already in a nearby food plot. Continued on after blowing them out of there. Stand was 200 yds off the plot on the edge of a swamp and what we assumed would be a staging area. At 430 I rattled and heard some other noise. Caught a glimpse of a tree getting punished by a buck. Thought I would get to call him in, but I noticed another deer in the food plot. He then proceeded to run her all over creation, except in front of me.
From: Badger_16
07-Nov-18
Had a 5hr sit tonight, didn't see a deer while in the woods. Walking back to the parking area at dark I hit the auto start for my truck when I was about 100yds out, when my truck lights came on there was a small buck standing in front of my truck. The auto start scared him off but I noticed deer standing across the street in the private ag field, pulled my truck around shining my headlights out there and saw 3 bucks and 1 doe. 2 small bucks prancing around while 1 big 8 was all over the doe. She was running circles trying to keep away from him. I think the best stand tonight might have been sitting on my tailgate!
From: Ru4snow
08-Nov-18
Adams County Saturday on the 3rd I had a nice buck in the woods off food plot taking inventory of doe’s that came in towards dark. Had to drop antlers hoping to spook buck that was about 40 yards away so I could get out of my stand because it was getting dark . Doe’ Ran but I never heard buck leave. I waited a little longer and got down. Anyway, back up Wednesday and sat at 1:30. Windy as hell. Saw a yearling buck come into plot and a fawn. Small buck bumped fawn out of plot. Got down around 3:00 because I had a feeling I’d be stuck there after dark again like Last Saturday. Went back to cabin and half hour later see a few doe’s milling around on trail heading to plot. Bigger bucks are probably tending doe’s around here and need to wait for the next doe in estrous. Plan is to sit that stand today with a NE wind of only about 3 mph where they can here some calling and I can hear the chase if it’s happening. Haven’t really heard the chase yet. Of course yesterday was so windy.
From: Crusader dad
08-Nov-18
Sat 5:45 till 7:05 this morning. I heard a grunt as soon as I opened my car door and had my resident doe and her two fawns come past at 6:40. She’s not ready yet.
From: youngcd12
08-Nov-18
Buffalo Co...sat last night 2-5 and saw a 2.5 yr old wandering around and watched him make a rub on a tree. Also saw 3 does alone with no followers. This morning I’ve seen 2 fawns with 3 adult does. No followers.
From: BW
08-Nov-18
5 bucks one doe this morning already. All bucks following does scent. Had a chance at a half rack brute. Wasn't a big half rack, but he would have dressed out above 220. He was a tank. 28 yard shot moving slowly, grunted to get him to stop and he bolted. He was moving slow enough should have let it fly. Wish I could have that back
From: Tweed
08-Nov-18
Nothing yet but cold toes. Listening to the beeping of heavy equipment.
Feels good to be up a tree though.
From: youngcd12
08-Nov-18
Good luck everybody. Couple young bucks walked through, not in any hurry just browsing around.
From: Live2hunt
08-Nov-18
That's a hard call on those big old boy's. It may be rut and they are dumb, but those old one's still have there smarts to them and any odd sound spooks them off. I can vividly still see a giant do a side step full tilt disappearing act when my arrow fell off my rest and bumped the riser as it was chasing a doe by my stand. My broadhead point caught a piece of bark on the tree next to me as I was swinging.
From: budbow
08-Nov-18
Shot a doe a little before 7 this morning. 10 yd quartering away shot I couldn’t pass up. I watched her tip run 80 yds and tip over. There’s a nice buck chasing a doe hard. They just need to come through this funnel I’m sitting.
From: Gusto
08-Nov-18
7 so far this morning 2 bucks, one nice one chasing doe a doe. Passed a small 8 pt that was cruising
My son put an arrow in one at 8 am on a farm a few miles south of me
I told him to wait until 12 and I will come meet him to track
I’m sure he is getting very antsy...
He said it looks like good shot, hoping for the best
From: GoJakesGo
08-Nov-18
What county are you guys in! Every 40 is different but it may help. 2 fawns this morning @ 8. Walked out at 930. Damn I was cold! Marathon Co
From: BW
08-Nov-18
Adams county. Seen more deer this morning than all days combined in that last week.I was getting burnt out but the fire is burning now!!!
From: budbow
08-Nov-18
Buffalo County
From: slimm21
08-Nov-18
Southern Marathon Co
Yesterday afternoon and this morning saw 5 bucks all small. 2 of them were cruising and the other 3 just taking their time. Finally saw some doe last night. There are 4-5 nice bucks in the area but I'm not seeing much of them. Saw my bucks last night at 1, 3 and 5. This morning at 730 and 9.
From: Saukhunt55
08-Nov-18
Sauk county by Plain. Yesterday was slow saw 4 small bucks and two doe. Didn't see any bucks chasing. This morning sat till 930 didn't see anything until 8 then 4 bucks in a row one was an ok 8. Hoping this afternoon turns out been a tough year so far. Good luck
From: BW
08-Nov-18
Just moved to plain a month and a half ago
From: RutnStrut
08-Nov-18
Bored and cold in Pierce county. Been set since 11, nothing so far. I did underdress so this should be fun. It's 2:13 now, hopefully I make it to close.
From: Tweed
08-Nov-18
Sit tight Rut, the giant buck is trying to wait you out.
I'm back up a tree after a nice lunch. On my way out earlier I got turned around and ended up in someone's back yard. Hope I didn't bugger the place up too bad.
This parcel is always dead in the morning but usually sees good afternoon activity.
From: BW
08-Nov-18
I'm bored too, all day sit. Seen a 6 pointer casually with a doe 3 times today. They must keep doing loops or something. Had fun this morning, but been dead for several hours. Keep hearing random grunts, then I'll respond and nothing comes of it
From: Tweed
08-Nov-18
Is it another hunter? Last year me and another guy were grunting at each other for a while.
I dropped my bow....at least I had an excuse to climb down to get my glove I dropped too
From: BW
08-Nov-18
I'd hope not, I'm on private
From: Ranger rick
08-Nov-18
Tweed, Glad to hear I'm not the only one who drops stuff from the stand. This is my sandwich yesterday. Man I was hungry by the end of an all day sit!! I woulda climbed down to get it but I peed out of the stand 5 minutes earlier.
From: Gusto
08-Nov-18
St Croix. My sons deer only made it 80 yards. It’s his best buck so he is a happy camper today! Was fun getting it out of the woods with him. By the time we got home and deer unloaded and hung up, it was after 2pm, and I didn’t have time to get back out and setup So I took the dogs out chasing roosters. My wife texts me a pic of a nice buck chasing a doe in field behind our house (which I don’t have access to )
From: Chief2
08-Nov-18
Rut I also sat from 11 til dark... Nothing just 1 tree rat and a huge woodpecker.... Froze my ass off
From: youngcd12
08-Nov-18
Changed spots for 1-5pm and saw a button buck, a doe way way off in the distance by herself, and a small 2.5 yr old moving with no urgency. Strange.
From: Chief2
08-Nov-18
Maybe late season will be better
From: Crusader dad
08-Nov-18
First snow of the year predicted for me tomorrow morning. Racine co. I’ll be out again till 7:45. Then work. After work I’m grabbing the boy and heading back up to my bro in laws. I have an all day sit planned for sat and Sunday. Already have my natures valley granola bars and fun sized snickers in my backpack. Drury DeerCast says great so I’m expecting to kill something!
From: Pete-pec
08-Nov-18
Another reason to quit pissing out of your tree stand lol.
From: Live2Hunt
08-Nov-18
LOL, I Dropped my cell phone down to the ground last week. It laid there face up vibrating and lighting up every text and e-mail that came in. Was kind of funny, couldn't read any of them and was sure not wanting a deer to come up to it.
From: Franklin
08-Nov-18
What a difference a day makes....today was dead. Does feeding in the fields unmolested...momma does are back with their last spring fawns. Things are slowing down but a good time to tag that mature buck looking for the last hot doe.
From: RutnStrut
08-Nov-18
Nothin today. But tomorrow I'm pulling an all day sit in my favorite funnel. Finally a North wind so I can sit it. Hopefully I don't freeze out.
From: BW
08-Nov-18
Good luck tomorrow, temperature is going to drop all day! 17 by sundown tomorrow
From: rallison
08-Nov-18
Saw a few does tonight but only one buck. He was chasing every skirt he could find, and at a high rate of speed! Sauk county.
From: Bloodtrail
08-Nov-18
Woods blew up on me today...evening sit and saw more than 20 deer. One group of 6 does came through with one smaller buck dogging the bunch.
Let pass a fairly respectable 7 pointer and will probably regret that.
Best day in the woods yet!
From: slimm21
09-Nov-18
I had a few things to attend to this morning but should be out about 10-close.
From: Tweed
09-Nov-18
I was out this morning. Windier than I expected. Didn't see anything except for two xbow hunters coming in at 8am.
I'm going to pick up the kindergartner from school then go to lunch with her then head back out.
From: Live2hunt
09-Nov-18
I'm hoping to get out this afternoon. From the sounds of it, the does must be in the first wave of estrus, just not a lot of action going on. Well, Ruger was to provide some action but sounds like he play'd hard to get.
From: Crusader dad
09-Nov-18
Good luck this afternoon boys. Hold on to the tree cause it’s gonna be windy.
From: Franklin
09-Nov-18
A lot of the breeding has already occurred in the S.W area. Things have slowed down drastically the last couple of days. Hopefully the gun guys don`t trample the woods this weekend preparing for their opener.
From: Live2hunt
09-Nov-18
Ground sit planned for tonight, I thought maybe of leaving work early to get into a tree but that's looking bleak.
From: BW
09-Nov-18
Hunted the ground this morning where I saw a shooter chase a doe yesterday. Fork chased her early and everything started out the same as yesterday except no big boy. Darn. Still hunted the entire property with no more deer....frustrating
From: Glunker
09-Nov-18
Iowa Co saw 4 small bucks. Inch of snow came in handy as i hit a coyote but had to track it 400 yds to get another arrow in it. Took me through some nasty brush.
From: Tweed
09-Nov-18
Great job Glunker
From: Tweed
09-Nov-18
I took a nap and just woke up at 330......ah well
From: Live2hunt
09-Nov-18
Waste of a night it seems. West wind is blowing every direction
From: xtroutx
09-Nov-18
Lots of movement today by me in Marinette county. Tonight I seen a large spike running a doe and two minutes later an 8 following close behind. Seen 9 different deer today. Very cold sit though.
From: smokey
09-Nov-18
No Birthday buck for me this year. I passed two small bucks. One at 9 AM and another pestering a doe around 10 AM. I saw a doe with a fawn around 2 PM. Snow became real heavy so that and one other reason I had to leave stand around 415 PM. I probably won't hunt on Saturday; saying good-bye to a good friend that passed away this week from cancer.
From: xtroutx
09-Nov-18
Sorry to hear that Smokey. I hope you still had a good birthday.
From: RUGER1022
09-Nov-18
Temp 23, swirling winds, snowing . Tough hunting . No Deer . Lincoln cty .
No hunt Sat . got a few Deer rifles to look at & fix .
From: Live2hunt
09-Nov-18
Sorry to hear that smokey.
From: Jeff in MN
09-Nov-18
Ranger Rick, I don't see any yellow around that sandwich, You would have been good to go with what was left of that sandwich. I know, easy for me to say.
From: Chief2
09-Nov-18
For those that have had a tough season like me any thoughts on why... My guess was the weather
From: Splittoe
09-Nov-18
Well I don’t know about the weather chief, but I know out here in Racine county I hunt 100 acres of private land nobody else hunts it, there might be 3 or 4 doe that stay or pass through but I never see them constantly I might see them once or twice a month, I’ve scouted hard and long it good habitat lots of white oaks and thick cover, and never in my 40 years of hunting have I had such a hard time seeing mature bucks or sign I don’t have the answer I did everything I know to do , I think we’re i am there is just not that many deer plus a lot of poaching around me, I had a 2.5 8 point 5 feet from me yesterday but I just couldn’t kill something that young, I might have to eat my bow tag and gun tag and deer meat I can eat 7 days a week but I just can’t shoot a young buck with that much potential even though my surrounding neighbors might kill him, it’s been the toughest I’ve seen in 40 years for me,good luck guys I will stay after it I can’t give up
From: Beerbobber31
09-Nov-18
Went today to move my camera over to my gun stand. Sat from 9:00-1:30. Didn’t see a deer. I should went out yesterday. Had this guy checking out his scrape just after 1:00. Camera won’t let me reset year for some reason and time not adjusted for day savings.
From: Beerbobber31
09-Nov-18
Went today to move my camera over to my gun stand. Sat from 9:00-1:30. Didn’t see a deer. I should went out yesterday. Had this guy checking out his scrape just after 1:00. Camera won’t let me reset year for some reason and time not adjusted for day savings.
From: GoJakesGo
09-Nov-18
Same luck here. If you read my season thread Im irritated. Still only 1 rub, 1 old scrape. Last year I had 4 bucks over 130" running random days from Oct 30-mid Nov. This year deer are like vampires. Yesterday 2 does in the morning, no bucks. Tonight 2 does and again no followers.
From: Beerbobber31
09-Nov-18
Also had this buck hit same scrape. Is it me or is his rack small for his body
From: Splittoe
09-Nov-18
Beerbobber31, that’s a cull deer not getting in your business but I would cull that deer out, yes his rack is very small you definitely don’t want him breeding
From: Beerbobber31
09-Nov-18
That’s all I got around me. Junk racked bucks. Property I hunt is about 40 acres 15 wooded rest carnary grass and willows. Fdl. County. Had this junk buck on camera earlier in year.
From: Splittoe
09-Nov-18
Well I was hunting Missouri and Oklahoma and Arkansas always had big bucks every year I killed 8 wall hangers from 140 to 160 in 14 years off one ridge in Missouri then I missed some that was a lot bigger, but here I can’t seem to see a deer bigger than a 120 or 130 , I just probably hunt were there is not good genes in the bucks, I don’t know but I’ve seen more basket racks than I have anything I just keep hoping for a cruiser big buck
From: Pete-pec
09-Nov-18
Check into the average age of a harvested Wisconsin deer lol. Age, genetics, food, and water. We have the latter three in most cases.
From: RutnStrut
09-Nov-18
I sat my best rut stand on our land in Pierce county today. Got in the stand 45 minutes before light. First light I had a 1.5 yr old 6 come through doing the rut trot and grunting. Next was a doe and fawn, nothing following them. Then it started snowing pretty heavily. About 9 a nice buck with split G2's snuck in. He was through my shooting lanes before I even knew he was there. He walked right downwind of me right through my scent stream and never flinched. After he was well out of downwind I grunted at him and he cut into the heavy cover seeming to cut back towards me. But he disappeared in the cover. At 11 or so he came out bumping a doe, the doe was coming right through my funnel. She was 14 yards away and he was about 10 yards behind her in thick brush.
The neighbor picked that time to start sighting in his rifle. This made the doe skittish and she turned and headed back the direction she came from with the buck in tow. This neighbor is quite a ways away. I have watched many deer never flinch as he shoots. But this doe did not like it. I left the woods at 1:45 as I had an event to attend in Chetek with my wife and daughter. Home tonight in Chippewa county and back in Pierce tomorrow through Monday.
From: BW
10-Nov-18
Chief, I'm thinking the weather as well. Just another season with no antlers to show. Last 2 days of my rutcation, but based on what I see, maybeI'll just hunt this morning and be done
From: BW
10-Nov-18
It's going to be incredibly cold out, so stay warm!!
From: Chief2
10-Nov-18
Heading out now... Feels like late January out stay warm fellas
From: BW
10-Nov-18
2 bucks chasing 2 does already. Get out there if you can. Southern Adams county
From: Jeff in MN
10-Nov-18
Just a guess but I think part of the reason we are seeing fewer medium/large racks and more small ones is that more and more people are passing on those small ones. So they stay in the woods to see. Probably more true on private land. A guy hunting where I am working on buckthron shot a 2x4, even the 4 point side was not very impressive. Big heavy body, probably 180 dressed. Good thing that he took it.
From: Crusader dad
10-Nov-18
Jackson co public. My son just saw two bucks sparring. One big. The amount of buck sign in here is unreal.
From: Crusader dad
10-Nov-18
My boy is in the action. He just had a buck chasing a doe past him. No shot.
From: BW
10-Nov-18
Shot a buck at 740 wandering around. Shot was a little back but he was quartering away to some degree. Backed out giving him a little time
From: RamMan
10-Nov-18
I just got a call that my son in a giant buck. So I left work, and we’re going to go track it. Could you all the luck in the world right now. As this will be his biggest buck ever.
From: Saukhunt55
10-Nov-18
Good luck BW. Saw good action this morning. 4 bucks 4 doe. A nice one was coming into range but got sidetracked and chased after a doe. Trying for a all day sit we'll see what happens.
From: Zonks
10-Nov-18
Took a spin in the ground blind I set up in my back yard a month ago. My land is bordered by farmland on two sides. Saw two does at 6:30am, then the crack of a snapping branch. Does turn tail and buck comes out 30 yards in front of me at full tilt. Short-tined 6pt.
Family obligations the rest of the day....so I could only sit til 8:30am.
From: Chief2
10-Nov-18
Dead all I saw was my breath
From: Crusader dad
10-Nov-18
I saw a big 9 at the bottom of my hill cruising at 9:25. He was dead if I had a gun.
From: Franklin
10-Nov-18
Getting close to the end....some big bucks will be cruising for that last hot doe. I will be after it hard next week. Pre and Post rut are my favorite times to hunt. You don`t see the crazy action but your chances of taking a big buck are better.
From: Glunker
10-Nov-18
So far by 10:30 this morning I have seen 7 bucks, 3 are 2 yr olds. One doe fawn. And a coyote chasing turkeys.
From: Live2hunt
10-Nov-18
My morning hunt got royal'y screwed. A group decided it was a good time to start setting up a hound hunt between my truck and another vehicle back bowhunting. I could hear them talking saying "F them a few times and then let the dogs out. Fn A holes. Now I'm in a spot I haven't been for a week. No rubs before, now rubs all over. Odd?
From: youngcd12
10-Nov-18
Kewaunee County...nothing yet this afternoon.
From: RamMan
10-Nov-18
No lick on his buck. Was bleeding ok for about 100 yds then tapered off. Never bedded down definitely a muscle hit. Tracked 1/2 mile then no more blood. Poor kid was so disappointed.
From: GoJakesGo
10-Nov-18
Sorry to hear that Ram. Was hoping to see pics on the meat pole of it after reading this thread.
From: RutnStrut
10-Nov-18
Didn't head back to the land today, not really feeling it. I am going in the morning, I'll hunt until 11 or so. Then I have a few stands to hang for gun season.
From: albino
10-Nov-18
Very tough season for me. Pretty low on meat so when a big Doe came by on the 8th I pasted it with a double lunger at 20 yards. I don't gun hunt but I may have a spot to bowhunt during gun. The Step G Daughter that is almost 6 asked me to Square Dance with her at Brookfield Elementary yesterday. I don't know how & the rut is waning but I can't say no to that. It was supposed to be 2, 45 minute sets but she was done after one. I hurt so bad by then I was pretty happy. Did have a great time but after getting a big wet muddy Doe out of a corn field & Doe se Doeing for 45 minutes not to mention doing a header from the tree last week there was no hunting today. It just don't get any better than that.
From: RUGER1022
10-Nov-18
2 Does , 1 fat 6 pt . All relaxed & looking for food . Stand # bt2 .Lincoln cty .
I noticed the farm about a 1/4 mile from me has 2 major hiways of deer tracks coming from the swamp to his backyard .
From: Hunt 24/7
11-Nov-18
From: Hunt 24/7
11-Nov-18
Checking in as a new member from Chippewa county. Watched a six pointer mosey thru last evening on an oak flat. He made two scrapes and dug thru acorns eating as he went. He was non-responsive to doe bleats and grunts.
I’ve been reading this thread and thought it was time to contribute. Good info on here. Good luck to all!
From: Beerbobber31
11-Nov-18
Apparently I need to make more noise in the stand hunted this morning till 9:00 didn’t see anything. Cousin called asked me help hang his stand for gun. We were banging around and a nice 8 pt. Came crashing in 20 yards away. Of course I was on the ladder and bow was on the ground.
From: Cheetah8799
11-Nov-18
Polk county, hunted Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning all public/mfl land. Only saw a handful of does/fawns the entire time out. Lots of fresh tracks in the snow, which seemed to come down fresh every few hours. All deer movement seems to be at night.
From: xtroutx
11-Nov-18
Spent the morning looking for a spot for gun season to take my grand daughter and grandson. Two inches of fresh snow helped. Found a few nice spots on mfl land and county forest land. Seen three does and some nice rubs. Also seen three stands a one climber :(.
From: Chief2
11-Nov-18
Packed up the bow until after gun season, helped my brother and his son set up some ground blinds, tough archery season so far for me, hope late season is better, good luck to those that hunt this week
From: Oforalot
11-Nov-18
I put an arrow in a big one last night at last light. Didn’t find the arrow so backed out. Tracked pretty good blood today along the river for 350 yards until it decided to go for a swim and swam across the river onto private property. Did the door knocking thing for an hour and finally got the ok from the land owner to track it. Found blood right away where it crossed and found the broad head end of my arrow. 15 yards later and we couldn’t find any other blood and too many sets of tracks to determine which way it went. No luck finding it or any blood after a grid search. Really bummed tonight. The hit was not as good as I would have liked and my mechanical didn’t deploy properly. Stopped at fleet farm on the way home and picked up some muzzy fixed blades.
From: smokey
11-Nov-18
I did another dawn to dusk session today. Two fawns about one hour apart and nothing else. This is it for bowhunting for me until after the gun season. My camera had a shooter ten around 11 AM on Saturday. I was unable to hunt that day.
From: Drop Tine
11-Nov-18
Hunted the MFL that I’ve hunted earlier and it was a bust. Had a guy and his kid go back and forth past me on a ATV at 4:00pm so I pulled the plug.
From: RutnStrut
11-Nov-18
Two 1.5 year old bucks and a doe while on stand today. Two more young bucks and multiple antlerless seen while hanging a few stands for gun season. My son didn't believe me that we could hang a stand just inside a bedding area without spooking deer. I was up the tree hanging the stand and a buck walks through 30 yards away and 10 minutes later a doe and 2 fawns bedded 50 yards away.
From: RUGER1022
11-Nov-18
Tough afternoon . 1 Doe . Iite snow all day . About 4 inches on the ground .
Did see a gray fox, that was cool . Don't see many these days .
Lots of Gun fire .
From: Live2Hunt
11-Nov-18
I went up to check our gun area out. Had a camera out since mid Oct. Damn thing took a few pics in the beginning then nothing till I was in front of it today. There were tracks in the snow right in front of it. Time for a new camera. I did have a small buck chase a doe right in front of my truck. Sat up there with my bow, saw zero. My 30 year old son shot his first deer with a bow, his first year bowhunting this year. A doe, but put a perfectly placed shot on her and she went 40 yards. Did I mention I am ticked about my camera?
From: Franklin
11-Nov-18
"Dead" meet "Doornail".....does and small bucks feeding together in cut corn fields. Did get a kick out of watching guys sighting their guns in the field right in front of their cousins box blind.... who lives out of the area and is coming in to hunt this weekend.
From: Crusader dad
12-Nov-18
Had a great weekend hunt and learned a ton about my new public area. Plenty of good bucks and more midday movement than I thought there would be. I hunted from the ground in my mismatched non name brand camo and no blind or cover and proved once again wind and being still is the most important factor. I was able to practice catch and release on a doe that made it within 5 feet of me. Yes, I was at full draw on her well before she busted me. Just chose not to shoot.
From: slimm21
12-Nov-18
I hunted Monday, Wed-Sat for a total of about 25 hours. Saw 3 adult doe (none in range) as I believe some standing ag fields close in proximity are holding them. Their numbers I believe are solid as we saw a lot of them in April and May. Had buck sightings 8 different times but I do not believe any of them were larger than a 6 pointer. Of those 8 sightings I think there were 5-6 different bucks. A couple of them were cruising and a couple were just meandering through the woods.
I did see one fawn by itself in consecutive days looking generally lost and confused. Guessing mom either bit the big one or was getting bred.
To date I've logged about 55 hours in the stand which by my count is the most I've ever hunted in a year -- feeling a little frustrated that I haven't had any close encounters since opening night. There are 5 identifiable bucks on camera that I would shoot but they've been ghost.
Anyways I have a fairly busy work week and am fighting a cold so I may try and hunt 1 day this week and if not will be sitting Saturday morning with my rifle hoping to see one of the 5.
