Labor Day Deer 2015

[Crappie Buster]

Even with my lack of free time for fishing recently, I have managed to find some time for the woods. Its a lot easier to slip away for a couple of hours than it is for half a day on the lake. Our season came in August 15th and I've been hunting pretty hard in the afternoons when I get the chance. Since we moved into our new house on family land my deer hunting opportunities have been easier to come by.

I've been fortuate to see a fair amount of deer during the first month of the season, but I have struggled to see any with head gear LOL. Does and Fawns have been plentiful though and this is the first year in a long time that I've seen so many yearlings! We can start using doe tags Sept. 15, but I have a personal rule to not shoot does until their yearlings are big enough to fend for themselves.

Monday evening everything finally came together for me. I got to the stand about 6:30 PM and the weather was actually somewhat pleasant. I did have a few mosquitos to deal with, but that's part of the joy of hunting the early season. The ole Thermocell keeps most of those pesky creatures away for me. At about 7:20 PM the first deer appeared on the roadbed I was hunting. A doe and a yearling fed around for about 10 minutes and I enjoyed watching them do their thing. Once they got their bellies full and left it was back to squirrel and rabbit watching until about 7:55 PM when a nice 7 pt showed up. He had a smaller basket racked buck with him, but I had my cross hairs set on him! It took a little while for him to present a good shot, but when he did the .270 barked and brought home the hamburger and cubed steak.

He was no monster, but he's a good deer for our neck of the woods and weighed 140#. We don't manage for trophies (although we enjoy having a few on the wall) so this buck fit the bill for filling the freezer. I hope to get a couple more deer this year, but getting one early is crucial so that I don't have my hunting interfere with my fall/winter crappie fishing LOL

[stumpjumper]

I'd take that one too, but it's been @ 5 yrs. since my 270 barked... guess my fishing does get in the way.... see you @ oct.

[Inkdabber]

Like Stumphunter, my guns sit idle in the closet. It seems with age, the desire to hunt fades. I have a thing going with a friend who lives to hunt deer. When he needs crappie filets, he calls me. When I need deer, I call him. A pretty sweet arrangement. Congrats on the kill!

[H2oHammer]

nice buck! we dont shoot em with rifles until the week of thanksgiving here in wisconsin, i was surprised to read the .270 had gotten vocal... thought that was a bowkill for sure. good luck this fall

[gabowman]

Hey...nothing wrong with that deer Derek. 140#'s will make a BIG dent into filling the empty shelves in a freezer. Our bowseason begins Saturday but my first day off work is gonna be Tuesday next week. Might get to squeeze in a couple evenings before I can hunt mornings but I'd love getting one like that in range of my bow. Congrats on the kill and thanks for sharing the hunt.

[STUMP HUNTER]

Congrats on the kill Derek. Will put some meet in the freezer, that is the main goal.

[SeaRay]

Good looking buck, Derek. Good to fill the freezer with some red meat to go with the crappie. Looking forward to your crappie trips on Murray this fall. I may move up into the river to try some jigging on the brush. The only way I have been able to catch them down the lake is on brush piles and I don't have enough built and/or located to provide much action.

[Redge]

Nothing wrong with that deer at all, he will eat just fine.

[Eatmorecrappie]

Congratulations on the deer CB! Nice one! I have not gone at all this season just been busy with other things. You know if it's not one thing it's another and I usually dove hunt on opening day but that didn't happen. Thanks for the deer report and pic. Good Luck this season.