Deer | Diva in the Outdoors

December 4, 2020

Scouting Day!

Well we made it to Kansas to visit Mom/Ron and participate in Kansas’s Gun Deer season. Marcus says they have really BIG BUCKS here!

To get a grasp of where we are in Kansas, they are dirt roads, all over dirt roads, rolling hills and prairies, the closets gas station or town is 25 minutes away, black cattle all over in the cut corn fields, and long skinny, tall blue water towers. The roads that run east and west are names with alphabetic letters. The roads that run north and south are numbered with number. Between each road is one mile of property, basically like square grid. We are way out here in the middle of nowhere.

Jeep packed full from top to bottom. We pulled into Mom’s/Ron’s place around 8:30 pm Monday night, yes that included a stop at the Bass Pro Shop in Iowa.

It was nice to see Mom/Ron as it has been a awhile and they make me feel right at home.

Not sure if the 2 cats, Tiger and Winnie are happy we are here, maybe Winnie more than Tiger.

Tuesday morning, we were met with homemade biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast. This is a favorite of Marcus’s.

Late morning, we went out to replenish 2 bait piles. This is something we are not accustomed to as we are not allowed to bait in Wisconsin!

We set up a blind in a new location that we have never had a blind. The birds were very active and we saw 2 robins. My dad told me once that some robins don’t migrate and stay all year long. Tuesday afternoon was nice and sunny and we found ourselves not even wearing a jacket in December!

In case you are wondering Ma/Ron own private land down here in Kansas. Mostly farm fields, but plenty of options to hunt. They also own some wooded area as well. Mostly thorough ways for deer making there way from one location to another.

Late afternoon we ran to a nearby town, Bellville. They have a little grocery store, we needed snacks for hunting and of course, why wouldn’t we stop at the liquor store!

We drove around the area looking for some public land and of course the later it got in the day the more we looked for deer.

We did see several groups of deer here and there throughout the area.

We saw a group of 50 plus turkeys in a field nearby.

On one of the old dirt roads down here, we caught a coyote laying on a side grassy hill, sunning himself. He did not scare easily, so we were able to get some pictures.

We ended the night with some pork chops and a bit of relaxation and of course a great sleep. Oh, and the pumpkin dump cake with cool whip wasn’t to bad either.

Tomorrows the big day!

December 4, 2020December 12, 2020

So close yet so far away!

Opening Morning 2020 Kansas Gun Season!

Start time is 7ish. So, getting up at 6ish aint so bad.

I had gotten up earlier during Wisconsin Gun Deer Season.

Forgot to pull my hair back, I am not a happy girl if my hair is not pulled back during hunting.

I have long hair, yes yes I do.

Plus, I found this new pullover hood thing in blaze orange that keeps me toasty, and when my hair is not pulled back , well let’s just say hair in the face and hair on my neck just don’t work for me, I don’t like the feeling!

Anyways, also forgot my Chapstick, oh my gosh yes Chapstick!

The morning was a little brisk, glad I started the jeep early as there is frost covering the windows.

The place we hunt is only a little way down the road.

The walk in not too bad, except for it was a lot colder and windier than expected.

The moon was bright and lite up the earth rather nicely for our walk in.

The chair placement in the blind was not ideal and needs a little tweaking.

It was a rather drab morning with little to no sun, the frost glistened on the ground.

I did not hear one gunshot all morning, which I thought odd for opening day.

Back home that is all you hear for the 1^st few hours opening day!

Plus, the wind was really nipping at my nose with an icy cold touch.

We had spotted a rather large buck on the far fence line, unable to get a clear ID on the big fella.

We headed in mid-morning for a rest and breakfast.

So, glad for electric start.

We decided to try some public walk in only land for this evening.

We drove up a big dirt road to get to the top of a hill.

There is no public parking so we parked off the road.

We walked in through this vast area of cedars and tall grass/weeds.

There was sign throughout the area with rubs and scrapes.

I had no idea how to navigate this area, but Marcus had a good grasp of where he was going.

Back home we don’t hunt much wooded area, so that is what he wanted to sit in and me to experience.

Well we ended up in a woods on a ravine with a very sharp drop off to a woods below.

This area was sloped so it was hard to find a flat spot to sit. I sat behind Marcus as bit.

The view was magnificent.

I am afraid of height so I don’t sit in tree stands back home.

SO, sitting up on this ravine overlooking the woods below, must be what it’s like for those who sit in tree stands.

The wind up here was blustery and cold.

The owls hooted and hollered throughout the woods.

A few birds flew here and there.

And that was all she wrote.

We saw nothing!

Heard 2 other shots in the distance all evening!

It was a nice sit, one that I won’t forget!

Oh, the shrimp, Ceasar salad, and twice baked potatoes were so yummy!

Marcus’s mother sure is a wonderful cook!

Better hunting tomorrow!

December 4, 2020December 12, 2020

Uneventful Hunt!

2020 Kansas Gun Season Day 2

Another chilly and frosty morning.

A little more prepared this morning than yesterday.

The seating arrangement this morning consisted of an old fashioned pail with a fluffy pillow to sit on.

The accommodation did work, as I was able to sit closer to the windows on flat ground and could easily see out the windows.

Sitting on a pail in your 40’s ain’t as easy as it was in my 20’s!!!!

Ahh girls gotta do what a girls gotta do

Life ain’t perfect all the time but it’s a beautiful ride.

We sat in the same blind as we did yesterday morning.

We are getting plenty of movement of trail camera, with a few potential shooters for sure.

Just a matter of time.

Cool, bland morning with the wind nipping at my cheeks.

The sun didn’t make her presence until 830am

But was not even warm enough to melt the frost off the earth

I like to say we saw nothing, but we did see some

Boone and Crocket fox squirrels😊

The coyotes were very vocal this morning as well.

The bait pile we had in the area of the blind has mostly disappeared.

So, we know there has been movement in the area.

Again, a rather dull morning, but any day in the blind is a better day than at work.

We checked out mid-morning, walking out being serenaded by the coyotes.

The coffee and thick bacon, yummy warm eggs and homemade fresh bread really hit the spot.

Ma Ma Kirchoff is amazing!

The weather tonight was nice and didn’t warrant wearing a heavy coat.

The sun was out and the car temp read 47 degrees and there was little to no wind.

Once the sun went down it got a bit chilly.

I managed to get wind burn on my face with little to no wind.

This evening hunt we headed over to public land again.

We basically sat in the same area as yesterday.

We had a few other places we wanted to try,

But one had cattle nearby so we didn’t want to hunt there for safety reason.

We also ran into 3 other trucks with blaze orange on, not sure if they were pheasant or deer hunting, so we tried to avoid them.

At the end of a dead end road there was a car parked, so we wanted to avoid that area if there was another hunter on public.

We don’t hunt public in Wisconsin. So, we are a tad bit leery hunting public in a different state. Due to the thick wooded areas, wide open fields, and the vast area that public covers, it is hard to see other hunters. The idea: NOT GET SHOT!

We walked across a large hayfield and into a woods. Past the woods there is a large open field. It’s a hidden field with woods along the edges. Pretty secluded area. I had high hopes that we might see something.

There was many signs of deer movement as we walked in the woods to the field. The way we walked in was quite a cow path created by deer. There were several scrapes on our way through the woods.

We settled in the tree line of the field in some brush.

The owls hooted and hollered again tonight. This time there was at least 4 of them. One we basically had right above our heads, it pretty cool to hear an owl that close.

The only wildlife we saw were 5 turkeys making thier way through the field from one side to the other.

I met a new friend, a small rodent of some sorts, below my chair. I could hear it skitter and scattering below my feet. It didn’t scare and I was waiting for it to climb up my leg. I shall call him Elroy and he was my new friend! Stay strong Elroy!

I am not impressed by public land right now. Impressed by the beauty, not impressed with lack the of deer.

Tomorrow we are going to check out some more public land and replenish the bait piles.

Better hunts ahead!

December 2, 2020December 2, 2020

That’s a wrap!

11/29/20 9^th day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season

Last Hunt!

No body from the hunting party hunted or did drives today,

as they had a few more deer to process before the weekend is over.

The wind was a little blustery today and the sun had no interest in coming out.

This did not give me much motivation to hunt this last day of the season

I figured yesterday was my last day and time was dwindling down,

because we leave for Kansas for their 12 day gun deer season the very next day.

Marcus kindly reminded me that, “hey ya never know what you will see, we don’t absolutely have to leave for Kansas tomorrow, go shoot the big one will ya!”

He was right, live in the moment!

I didn’t go out until a little later than normal, just due to limiting my time in the wind

My propagative , I guess!

I had not seen anything, but did hear a bird, if that counts.

The animal world was not very busy today, I am guessing due to the wind.

The last 10 minutes of the night, 2 fawns came out in the big food plot to my left.

I felt they were alone but ma could have been nearby, but we did take a doe or 2 this season, so maybe mom isn’t here anymore.

That thought makes me sad, but that is part of nature, no doubt.

The fawns were fun to watch as they were playfully frolicked in the field.

Well…..that’s a wrap. 2020 Wisconsin Gun Deer Season Over.

I didn’t harvest a deer this season, but that was by choice, as I had some good opportunity.

It was the year of the girls as Hailey and Sierra both got their 1st gun deer. I got my 1^st bow buck as well this year.

The hunting party ended up harvesting 8 deer this season.

With all the flooding, I wasn’t sure if anybody would get any deer.

Focus on the blessings!

Until next year!

November 29, 2020December 2, 2020

Make it count!

11/28/20 8^th day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season

Nobody from the hunting partying hunted today or did any drives.

However, they did spend a majority of the day cutting/process the deer that were harvested.

I went to sit in my blind “Betty” for the evening hunt

I wasn’t feeling very hopefully as they had pushed this half of the property the day before,

so, I figured whatever was here is here no more

The sun was out, so that always gives that little more motivation to sit

But it was windy, not as bad a yesterday

Plus, I wasn’t sure how the wind would be once I got to my blind

My walk in was bittersweet as I knew that this possibly may be my last walk to my blind for awhile

Gun season ends tomorrow as I am not sure if I will hunt.

There is always archery until January, but let’s face it I am not a cold weather hunter

So, the likely hood that I will get back out to my blind in little

I tried to relish in my surroundings as I walked in

The wind was not too bad once I got settled into the blind

I had terrible wind burn after my sit yesterday

I hate the wind burn as hurts it my whole face and makes me hot, I find it a very unpleasant feeling

I always put on face cream before I head out, but that didn’t seem to work very good yesterday

So, before I went out tonight I rub shea butter all over my face

Anyways all settled,

Come on I will take that story that no more than 5 minutes after you get to the stand a big bucks’ steps out and boom, got me a big buck.

I don’t know maybe those are fairy tales. But I did get this:

I hadn’t been sitting 5 minutes when Mr. Tom turkey made his way out to the food plot

He didn’t stay long but he had a nice beard.

They rest of the night was peaceful but dull

I did not see a thing

I embraced the sun on my face and the cool air on my skin, as I know the season will soon end

About 10 minutes before close I could here some rustling in the woods in front of me

And well you know got myself prepared, for nothing, it was nothing, or was it

Nothing stepped out for me to shoot.

I closed up the blind and made my way out.

I always have to chuckle when I hear gun shots in the distance 2 or 3 minutes after the fact.

It was a slow walk out as I am just about to close another gun deer season,

With out a deer to add, but that was entirely by choice.

1 more day to go, ahhh who knows maybe I will hunt just that one last hunt tomorrow.

You got one more day make it count!

November 29, 2020

Friday Night Lights!

Matt and Brady's Doe — Matt and Brady’s Doe

Marcus and I trying to take a nice picture!

11/27/20 7^th day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season

Black Friday everyone!

I sat on “The Hill” for the afternoon!

I got up there around 1pm.

Marcus had dropped me off as I was going to sit the rest of the afternoon and the hunting party was going to do a drive.

Marcus needed the Mud Duck for the drive.

It’s a long walk to where I sit on The Hill.

If I knew my yards from my feet’s I could tell you how long of a walk it really was.

But I can’t.

There is a grassy tree line between a bean field and a hay field off a woods.

This is important to know because there is hardly any flat spots to put a chair.

This is the same area I sat a few night ago but where I sat the other night was in an opening between 2 trees.

This is where I had my blind the last few years.

I felt this left me a little exposed so I moved over and found a flat spot in front of a tree.

Yes, it was windy as usual

And the sun was at my back but so was the wind, I was thankful for that.

The hunting party was going to drive the north half of the property and the deer use this route as an escape.

Shortly after the drive started a medium size doe was running the length of the bean field in front of me.

She stopped in the clearing to rest a bit, to catch her breath and then trotted away to safety.

A short while after that I had a small 4 point buck and a fawn running down the hay field even closer to me.

They too had stopped in the clearing right in front of me.

They were exhausted as I could tell, they stopped to catch their breath and rest a moment.

They stopped and looked back as if waiting for their friends or searching for danger.

They rested here about 5 minutes before they trotted off into the woods.

I was able to get a quick picture as I didn’t want to scare them anymore.

The rest of the night was rather dull and cold.

I thought the wind would die down but it didn’t.

I was hopeful something might step out of the woods the closer I got to closing time, but it didn’t surprise me that one didn’t.

I feel right now the deer are on lock down until it is safe to move and they hear no more bangs in the air.

A tag team effort from the drive, 2 of the guys harvested a doe. Congrats Matt and Brady!

Cindy was also sitting solo and she harvested a doe and nub buck as well. Congrats!

Only 2 more hunting days!

Why is it going so fast?????

November 29, 2020November 29, 2020

Thanksgiving Day!

11/26/20 6th day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Different kind of thanksgiving here this year, as I am sure was all around the world

Due to the lack of people getting together for thanksgiving most of the hunting party was less busy,

As we don’t normally do much hunting on Thanksgiving.

I had ordered premade food from a local meat market, so I didn’t have to make a thing

just heat and go for supper

We usually don’t get together for thanksgiving as we traditionally do an evening hunt

Marcus shot a nice buck a few years ago on thanksgiving.

The hunting party did a drive through the pines over on the farm.

I was part of this drive and was posted on a hill across the road as this is a route the deer

Have fled to over the years.

That is exactly what happened this time as well

I could see them racing through a small woods, cross the highway and head straight for me

This is the part of the drives that don’t excite me very much, the hunting party is much more experienced and have been hunting longer than I.

They were running fast, technically I couldn’t make out what they were. Somene radio’d they were fawns.

I don’t make it a habit to shoot at random things.

I most certainly don’t shoot at running things, I am way to inexperienced shooting at running targets.

Much less the idea of injuring a deer and not finding it doesn’t fare well on my do to list.

Plus, there is a good chance I miss and the thought of a happily flying bullets to freedom is kind of scary and something I don’t want to be a part of.

I had 3 fawns or youngsters run right up by me.

They were so close that they were almost going to run me over.

I had to wave my arms and talk in order to deter them from running me over.

The guys did another drive and I went out for a solo sit.

I sat on Degners, which is basically a big plowed up field right now, the field butts up

to tall grass and willows with cattails all around.

I know there have been deer in this area for years, I have seen them in person and on camera

This was not a traditional hunt, as I have never sat in this spot during gun season.

I have a few sits in this area during bow season over the years.

I thought it might be a promising sit, as I had seen tracks in the fresh mud as I was walking in.

I nestled into some tall grass with my back up against a tree.

I don’t have much shooting here, to my back left beyond the field is a road, my straight left is a house, and to my front left is a tree line and field and factories/building beyond that.

But good shooting to my front and my right if they come out of the woods.

The only excitement I saw were the geese flying off of the sewer pond and want to land in the field right in front of me.

I saw nothing this night as well!

Happy Thanksgiving again!

*Sometimes in the business and chaos of this life, I often don’t concentrate on my blessing enough!*

Only 3 more days of hunting!

November 28, 2020November 29, 2020

Short sit!

11/23/20 3rd day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season

My sit tonight was short. I had to work until 3 pm, but I am pretty sure I was out the door by 3:02 pm I chose my traditional route due to time constraints and went to sit in my elevated enclosed blind. I shall call her Betty from now on. Why, like Betty Crocker, my blind is home made with love.
I got all bundled up as I knew once the sun went down it would get cool. Oh, but I love the sunshine it makes me feel alive.
My 1 hour and 43 minute sit went fast and there was very little movement. I really found it eerily quite so I focused on the silence.
It was quite enough to hear movement, but this time of year the ground is damp and soft, which deters noise when walked on.
I didn’t hear many shots ringing through the air tonight
About 435 I spot 2 doe far off in the big food plot. I watch then through the binoculars for a while, next thing I know I have 5 doe/fawns frolicking through the field. They are being silly, jumping around and playing with each other. It is about 440 already and before I know it, they pranced away.
It is now time to end my sit as another hunting day come to an end.
Only 7 more hunting days to go! The weather isn’t looking the greatest! I have to work 2 more days.
Shoot straight y’all!

November 28, 2020November 29, 2020

Didn’t see a thing!

11/22/20 2^nd say of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season

Up and at it this 2^nd day of gun season

It was a little colder this morning and the sun was not as present this morning

As it took most of the morning for the frost to melt off of the world

It was a rather dull morning and very little shots filled the air

Even the birds slept in

It wasn’t freezing out but it was cold

Maybe cold for a girl like me

This was the 1^st time using my little buddy in the blind.

It kept us toasty

Oh, the bad timing sometimes

A little buck, a doe, and 2 fawns had paid us a visit, just as I was firing up the old little buddy

They wanted nothing to do with coming in close

Mom was a smart woman

As she knew something wasn’t right

That is all we saw this morning

We headed in around 1030

As the hunting party wanted to do a drive

I did not participate in the drives all the time, long story

But Hailey whom is like 11 or 12 did shoot her first doe, with a perfect shot

I did got out at 2 pm and sit

I sat up on top of a very high hill looking many many miles

It is always windy and cold on this hill if you hit the right wind

Somehow I always hit the right wind or should I say the wrong wind

I used to have a blind in this exact spot

For some reason just never got around to doing it this year

So, I just popped up the ole’ Ghost Blind

Well I saw nothing this night

I did get sprinkled on and even hailed on a bit

And I got plenty of wind burn on my face

I didn’t expect to see much this night

I was hopeful as this spot butts up to woods that I have seen many a deer

Walk in and out of over the last few years

I love sitting in this spot

I can see for miles and miles looking at this beautiful earth

My son advised me that while I was sitting there was more deer action right below my house

then I had seen all night

Day 2 of the in season in the book, only 7 more hunts to go

Shot straight y’all. Make some great memoires

November 28, 2020December 2, 2020

Exhausting interesting sit!

Me in the blind, photo courtesy of Marcus!

11/21/20 Opening day of Wisconsin Gun Deer Season!

Well the dreaded get up early of opening day, which I manage to not get up one early morning during bow season.

And of course I wasn’t able to fall asleep last night

So, I was running on 4 hrs. of sleep

Marcus may have gotten a tad bit more sleep than me but not much

You do know that there are very special deer opening day of gun season right

More special than deer any other day??? 😊

The walk in was fine, with the usually rushed feeling making sure to get to the blind before it gets light

We had plenty of time to spare, but you don’t know that when you’re walking in, no matter how much time you leave yourself

We got in and settled to hear gun shots in the distance many minutes before opening

I anxiously waited that opening minute, gun in hand ready to see the “BIG GUY”

step from the cover, well shoot he never did, as he usually doesn’t, no matter how much you play the scene over in your head.

I didn’t hold out much hope as the deer movement the last week or so had drastically decreased.

We always play this game when a close gunshot goes off, what neighbor shot it and what bucks was it.

I had to laugh occasionally at the amount of gun shots heard around us

I even joked at some point and asked are there any deer even alive anymore?

I tried to soak in the beauty around me

As the white frost had clung to every inch of the earth

The crystals sparkle so pretty

And with this white pretty frost came complete silence.

I caught myself a few times with a smile on my face recognizing how beautiful this morning was

I found the fog from the ground jumping high into the air very magical and found it fitting for the 1^st day of gun season

I was warm enough but usually I always am, I pretty much always over dress

Marcus on the other hand thought it would be cool to just wear a t-shirt under his big orange hunting jacket

Yup caught him a few times shivering

A little doe had come out to the food plot to eat

She strategically hid behind the bush so I couldn’t see her all the time

The birds happen to be busy as the sun start to shine through the clouds

We decided last minute to sit all day

I have not ever done a sit all day

It wasn’t as bad as I thought

Glad I had some water and snacks to hold us over and the company of my man

I choose this man to sit in silence with 10 plus hours in a day, any and every day

It was a long afternoon

As there was little to no movement

Marcus has no problem falling asleep anywhere, any time and got a few cat naps in

I am sure my head hit the floor a few times as well

Around 330 we had some action with a little fella coming into the small food plot

He was such a little buck but so proud

When I look at these little bucks…I think of all the life they have to live and all the fun they have yet to have chasing girls.

He didn’t want anything to do with us, as if he were on a mission

A short while later a 4 pointer came into the food plot

This time this one came within 20 yards, and actually worked the scrape stick we have set up near by

I love watching deer so close in their natural habitat

It was so cool to see him working the branch

He never did spook and just got bored

About 15 minutes later a doe, 2 fawns and a small buck

Are nearby, pretty sure one was a hot doe

I figured they knew something was up when they looked over in our direction,

And did a quick slide under the radar move

You know how them old doe’s are so smart

About 5 to 10 minutes from close we hear close by gun shots

Well one of the girls in our hunting party, Sierra had taken a shot or 2

A small buck, there was potential that this buck might double back and come our way

Well just about a minute before close I have a deer to my left and in front of me, it ducks for cover into the bushes

I could not make out what gender, and it was moving slow but didn’t look injured.

Well its closing and we head back to the Mud Duck

The party had found blood

So, Sierra did get a shot to stick, I am happy for her and say a little prayer that they find her deer

Not knowing if the deer I had seen was the deer they were looking for

I told them where I had seen the deer last go in and to my surprise, what do ya know there he was

They walked right where I told them I had seen the deer and there it was

Glad I was able to help them find it

It was Sierra’s 1^st deer/buck and I was happy for her

It was a good 1^st day

Weather was nice, sun was out

I had 2 opportunities within shooting range to harvest a small buck.

But we all have the gut feeling, that ah ha moment, that moment in time where we say he’s mine

When I see this deer, I will to take my shot.

In the memory books it shall go as my 1^st time sitting all day.

Only 8 more days to go, as I try to remind myself that this 9 day gun season goes pretty fast, so live in the moment.