Lakewood, Townsend, Mountain areas

How has the deer activity been in the Townsend, Lakewood, & Mountain areas?

How is the gun season going so far.  Lets hear some stories.........

Buck came out yesterday at 10:00 am, stopped and put his nose in the air and continued to walk the length of my food plot. Had another buck walk right up to my decoy last Sunday at 8:00am. Most daytime activity seen this November.

Lot's of deer movement since Monday. One camera provided over 90 pictures. The most I have ever seen in one week's time.

After indulging in a brief period of self loathing, having blown what was in all likelihood the only real chance at a nice buck I’ll get this season, I was back at it Friday 11.03.23 and then again today, Tuesday 11.07.23. Saw absolutely zero deer either day.

Monday 11.06.23, however, I did observe a fine young buck (not a monster) that came trotting through my yard (in Riverview) while I was out on the deck slurping my morning coffee.

How aggravating.

RR

RR, kudos to you on holding off on shooting. Even as a veteran of many seasons, an encounter like that had to get your heart pumping! Hopefully you'll be rewarded with another crack at him or a bigger one after they've finished up with the ladies!

3 time's this past weekend I saw deer crossing the road on a full run. No bucks though. Could be they were being chased or people in the woods jumped them. I did see adult Doe's with their yearlings come into the apple trees each evening. So no separation there yet.

Well, I have no venison in the freezer, and no photographic evidence to prove it, but this past Thursday (11.02.23) I saw the biggest whitetail buck I have ever seen in the Nicolet National Forest. And I’ve been hunting up there with my Dad and Grandpa since 1965.
I stopped about half-way into my evening stand site, and took a seat upon a convenient freshly fallen birch tree to rest (on account of my being old and all). My Tenpoint crossbow was strung with a bolt in place. I sat there for a few minutes, when suddenly I sure thought I heard a deer approaching. Then I heard it again.

A massive doe came thundering to my left at 20 yards, with an equally massive buck in hot pursuit, grunting and snorting. The buck made a wide circle, and passed by me broadside at 20 yards. He was looking right at me, apparently unconcerned, and continued his circle, seemingly attempting to locate the path of the doe. I had him briefly in the sights, quartering away at 25 yards, and then again broadside at 40 yards. Then he was gone.

I never fired the weapon.

So there I sat, stunned, cursing myself for passing this opportunity to take my first nice buck with the crossbow. There again, the quartering away shot was ugly, and the second broadside shot was at the far edge of crossbow range. I sat for several additional hours in that spot, but the magic was gone, as you can imagine.

I’ve made peace with myself that I didn’t maim this magnificent animal, and he’s not lying out there suffering in agony with my careless and sloppy crossbow bolt in his guts. They’re still out there gentlemen.

RR

Hows everyone been doing in N Oconto County?  I havent been up in a tree yet up there.  Hope to live through this thread until then!    

Food plot is thriving, apples are plentiful and dropping, and haven't got a horn on camera yet this year. Very unusual! I do believe that many deer are following the food source which is the clear cuts from the wind storm from 2019, but you would think that there would be a younger one hanging around. Can't wait until the first frost!