Hunting for Kong Bucks 10-29-09

Wisconsin Archery Season 2009 started out a bit rough this year. The family hunting land of more than 9 years was sold and which I had been hunting my entire hunting career. Where to hunt now? Tried a large piece of state owned property and found that it was swarming with people much like bees swarm their nest to protect it. So where to hunt now? I was fortunate to find some state land that is nearly untouched by humans, obviously there is some human activity, it is still however Wisconsin State owned land. Much to my surprise there seemed to be relatively low human activities and some nice deer activity.

The rut feeling beginning to linger in the air, any deer hunter knows what I'm talking about. The smell of frost covering leaves and thawing frost in the morning leaving a musty, almost mystical smell in the air. The air is cool and the wind feels like the sudden cool blast from opening the freeze door and reaching in to grab a bucket of ice cream. Every leaf crunches under your feet, and you could swear you were walking on saltine crackers. Everything looks golden the grounds is covered with orange, red, and yellow leaves. The grasses are drooping and no long green but yellowish-brown. Yeah, the rut feeling is what I’m talking about.

The 27 of October 2009 had the rut feeling. I scouted this new property for the first time walking with the guide of my trusty Garmin Summit HS, like a ship mate listening to his captain I followed the topographic map readings from valley to valley. Finally, the ever distinct sighting of bright orange with a gray background, sticking out like a Reese’s Pieces Wrapper in a pile of dirt, wahoo my first rub of the season! The rutting activities I could feel were not only imagined, but were real, the rut has begun. I walked out of woods right then and there with no hesitation. I knew I was on his grounds now and didn't want to wake him up or scare him out. I walked out quietly like I was walking out of a sleeping baby’s bedroom.

Now the 29th of October comes around and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to go hunting in the morning. I had a lite homework load almost as if my college professors knew the rut was on. Oh and let me tell you it was too. I walked into the woods not really knowing where I was going. Of coarse I forgot my GPS at home, after taking it from my hunting equipment to go scouting two days earlier. I walked into the woods like a modern day Elmer Fudd sneaking up on rabbit, except I was seeking out weary whitetail deer. I sneaked into where I believed was the trail that I saw the rub on two days before. I set my Hoyt Trykon on the ground and took my Lone Wolf Alpha Sit and Climb off my back. I very quietly fastened the stand to the tree and began to climb the tree. I never climbed this tree before and found it in the dark, and much to my surprise it was crooked, but actually turned out to be a nice tree to climb and sit in.

The day light breaks on the foggy morning and surprisingly it was not cold and just did not have the rut feeling. I witnessed several turkeys come leave there roost looking to start there day of scouting out bugs and other vegetation . I heard several turkeys clucking, I didn't think much of it. I knew from driving down the road to the stand that someone else was hunting the property as well but was far from my end destination. About an hour passed and I heard two very load shotgun rounds being fired off, like a roar of thunder breaking the silence before the storm, and I nearly fell out of my stand from the sudden jolt of noise. About 15 minutes later the turkeys were walking around me eating bugs and just walking around doing what turkeys do. The turkeys slowly walked out of sight and decided it was a good time to retire for the day. Although the rut had begun today wasn’t the day and the teachers lightened the course load it would appear the professors did not think they were doing their jobs unless they gave some homework. Before I left to go enjoy myself with homework for the rest of the afternoon I had to check out the trail for any new rutting activities. The tail had exploded with rutting activity. Scrapes and rubs were everywhere and grasses were all matted down as if they two mystical monster bucks fought there. Most impressively, was a two inch diameter tree rubbed to shreds lying on the ground, the buck broke the tree off at the base to leave the tree just laying there. I realized I wasn't messing with a spike buck anymore, but rather what I call a Kong Buck, and left the woods. The rest of afternoon rather than doing my Accounting Homework was spent writing this blog because of the overwhelming excitement of mornings hunt I couldn't put myself to doing something as boring as accounting homework. Check back to see if I get a Kong Buck.

Good luck in the woods,
Andy