Limited success in Wi.

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

Well, I returned from Vilas County, Wi after 4 days of hunting. The 4 of us only saw 1 deer. I happened to see it, and the .257 Wby Mag worked better than expected. We walked over 6 miles scouting a 1400+ acre parcel on Friday, and with good sign, we placed our stands. There was about 6" of snow on the ground, so we had high expectations. I placed the ladder stand where a couple of trails crossed a logging trail between 40 and 160 Yds away in an area that we've seen deer tracks at mid day. Saturday dawned cloudy, a slight wind and cool - in the upper teens. I put the 4.5-14 Leupy scope on it's lowest setting and settled in to wait. At 8:15 a.m. I noticed a deer sneaking thru the woods off 130 Yds. or so to my hard right. I see the deer stop, it's head is hidden behind some trees, exposing it's neck to the beginning of it's shoulder and about 4" of it's butt. We didn't get a deer up there last year, and since I had 2 doe tags, I decide to take the shot. I stand up, rest my shoulder against the tree, place the crosshairs at the neck/body joint and squeeze the trigger. As the gun comes down from the recoil, I see the deer lying on the ground, not moving. It looked like a yearling doe, so I am content to sit in the stand and keep looking. At 11:00 the 3 other guys come down the trail to get some lunch. We walk back to the deer, and the closer that we get, the bigger it seems. It turns out to be a forkhorn buck, about 140# field dressed. The bullet entered at the base of the neck, severing the windpipe and exiting while just cutting the opposite shoulderblade. The deer never took a step. 117 gr. Rnd nose Factory shell, mv 3400 fps. I sat in the stand the rest of the day, and Sunday morning 'till 10:00 a.m. I end up getting a bit of the flu, (or something equally nasty) and was in bed from Sunday around noon 'till 9:00 a.m. on Monday.

We end up walking most of the property on Monday afternoon/evening, and notice only 2 other deer taken. I don't know where the deer disappeared to, but next year we need to change out strategy a bit. With permission, we'll probably put in a few food plots and see if it helps. I scattered a bit of clover (last winter) and brassica seed (this Labor Day Weekend) but none seemed to come up. Either that, or the deer just mowed it all down to nothing.

We hunted Tues morning, then packed up & closed up the house. Made it back home a bit after midnight and dashed in to work today. Gotta unpack the trailer now, and hunt the last 4 days of shotgun season here in Indiana behind the house. Then it's a 5 day wait 'till ML season.

Blue-Dot-37.5

 

[big6x6]

Well, I returned from Vilas County, Wi after 4 days of hunting. The 4 of us only saw 1 deer.

WOW.. Glad you got you a spike nevertheless! Also glad that 'ol .257 Weatherby didn't let you down!

 

[Grouse]

Congradulations 8)