Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
- BackWoodsHunter
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Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
First of all I want to apologize for not being around the site much. I finished school in December and started out in a decent career actually using my degree. (I know a lot of people with degrees that are not, and never will use them) That combined with some other nonsense and a new found love of waterfowl hunting has left me with little time for the internet. I remember joining here as the site was getting rolling and I have to give a major congratulations to the Infalts and everyone else who has made the site what it has become. The growth and success could not be for two more deserving and helpful people. Way to go Dan and Carol!
Enough of that now and on to the hunt. This buck is not a monster but we have been running three trail cameras all fall and this was the biggest buck on camera in the last month. We put in a few good size food plots and they were drawing in a lot of nice deer until about mid to late october. We own 120 acres in northern WI but this hunt took place on a 40 acre vacant piece that borders it.
I got dropped off before 5am on the side of HWY 51 north of tomahawk with my alpha, 7 sticks, my rifle, a lunch and enough clothes to sit all day. I pride myself in being able to navigate the woods and set up my stand with out the assistance of any light but I've never experienced a morning as truly dark as the opener. I clicked on the headlamp and off I went to a large white pine overlooking a clearcut that is about 10 years old. There is a gap in the branches about 30 ft or so up and that is where I wanted to be. I managed to set up 4 sticks and then free climb the branches another 12+ ft to the spot where I wanted my stand. I got all set up and waited. Passed on a spike then this guy came chasing a doe through the clear cut. He stopped and leaned against a tree with his head down for a minute or two it was very weird. Then the doe came right under me but he tried to cut her off through the brush to my right. I spun in my stand and took the running shot and he froze. I am used to shooting my semi auto duck gun so I couldn't figure out why my bolt action rifle wouldn't fire when I pulled the trigger a few times to tap off another shot. He watched me work the bolt and I shot again. I heard the zinngggggg of a ricochet. Pull the trigger again and no shot. WTF?! Work the bolt and the third shot did the trick I destroyed the top half of his heart and he piled up within site.
As a lot of you know I do most of my hunting with my grandpa and love spending time up north with him. I have a lot of spots to hunt where I could shoot a lot bigger deer but escaping to the northwoods and spending time with gramps wins every single time. Here are a few pics. The DNR people aged him at "2yrs old". He wasn't a big deer but based on my trail cam pics fawns are generally nubbins, then at 1.5 they have spikes or goofy 3pt racks and by 2.5 they put on 6-8points. I would like to think this as a 2.5yr old deer and that is what I had my sights on this year. It could be a 1.5yr old. Doesn't much matter to me really. Here a few pics of the stand, gramps helping drag the deer out and one of the deer and me.
Enough of that now and on to the hunt. This buck is not a monster but we have been running three trail cameras all fall and this was the biggest buck on camera in the last month. We put in a few good size food plots and they were drawing in a lot of nice deer until about mid to late october. We own 120 acres in northern WI but this hunt took place on a 40 acre vacant piece that borders it.
I got dropped off before 5am on the side of HWY 51 north of tomahawk with my alpha, 7 sticks, my rifle, a lunch and enough clothes to sit all day. I pride myself in being able to navigate the woods and set up my stand with out the assistance of any light but I've never experienced a morning as truly dark as the opener. I clicked on the headlamp and off I went to a large white pine overlooking a clearcut that is about 10 years old. There is a gap in the branches about 30 ft or so up and that is where I wanted to be. I managed to set up 4 sticks and then free climb the branches another 12+ ft to the spot where I wanted my stand. I got all set up and waited. Passed on a spike then this guy came chasing a doe through the clear cut. He stopped and leaned against a tree with his head down for a minute or two it was very weird. Then the doe came right under me but he tried to cut her off through the brush to my right. I spun in my stand and took the running shot and he froze. I am used to shooting my semi auto duck gun so I couldn't figure out why my bolt action rifle wouldn't fire when I pulled the trigger a few times to tap off another shot. He watched me work the bolt and I shot again. I heard the zinngggggg of a ricochet. Pull the trigger again and no shot. WTF?! Work the bolt and the third shot did the trick I destroyed the top half of his heart and he piled up within site.
As a lot of you know I do most of my hunting with my grandpa and love spending time up north with him. I have a lot of spots to hunt where I could shoot a lot bigger deer but escaping to the northwoods and spending time with gramps wins every single time. Here are a few pics. The DNR people aged him at "2yrs old". He wasn't a big deer but based on my trail cam pics fawns are generally nubbins, then at 1.5 they have spikes or goofy 3pt racks and by 2.5 they put on 6-8points. I would like to think this as a 2.5yr old deer and that is what I had my sights on this year. It could be a 1.5yr old. Doesn't much matter to me really. Here a few pics of the stand, gramps helping drag the deer out and one of the deer and me.
"The history of the bow and arrow is the history of mankind." Fred Bear
- RaisedByWolves
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Great post Matt. Glad to see you up spending some quality time with your gramps. Congrats on a good north woods buck!
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- Pullintoobs
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Sounds like a great hunt! Congrats. I love the ol Big Red. Had tons of fun on one of them when I was a kid!
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- Dewey
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
First of all.........welcome back!
Congrats on the buck! Any northwoods buck is a trophy in my eyes. Spending time with grandpa is time well spent. Years from now you will cherish those memories.
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Congrats on the buck! Any northwoods buck is a trophy in my eyes. Spending time with grandpa is time well spent. Years from now you will cherish those memories.
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- Edcyclopedia
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Spectacular!
Glad you made it back around and that 3-wheeler (Big Red) is a classic!!!
Glad you made it back around and that 3-wheeler (Big Red) is a classic!!!
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
- BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Thanks fellas I've got a pile of questions to post here in the upcoming weeks as we roll into scouting season. Also have a bunch of duck and goose pics to add to the birds forum.
The Big Red is a classic no doubt and gramps keeps his stuff mint. He has a newer Rancher but prefers his big red. Some sort of attachment, I guess. I spend as much time up north with him as I can and have done that ever since I was real little. I can't count how many times we have gone to the gas station to fill up the machines and he has had guys asking to buy that thing. Its a beauty!
PS this buck was shot in Oneida County...thats my northwoods
The Big Red is a classic no doubt and gramps keeps his stuff mint. He has a newer Rancher but prefers his big red. Some sort of attachment, I guess. I spend as much time up north with him as I can and have done that ever since I was real little. I can't count how many times we have gone to the gas station to fill up the machines and he has had guys asking to buy that thing. Its a beauty!
PS this buck was shot in Oneida County...thats my northwoods
"The history of the bow and arrow is the history of mankind." Fred Bear
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
You can't beat those memories! Congrats on the buck..
- Jackson Marsh
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Congrats!
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Nice buck congrats.
- Hodag Hunter
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Congrtas again. Nice buck and say hi to gramps.
If you're around this second weekend give me a shout....maybe have time for a beer or two.
If you're around this second weekend give me a shout....maybe have time for a beer or two.
- James
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Congrats
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- UPbowhunter
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Love the northern bucks! Congrats
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- Stanley
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Very cool.
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You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Opening Day Northwoods Buck-WI
Awesome BackWoods. I never got to hunt with a gramps.
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