3" snow for the Wisconsin gun deer opener

Our 2 day trip 3 with travel and set up went great!
Temps at start...12 deg. sat am 6 deg Sun am. not a cloud both days.
2" fresh snow. The scrapes were easy to find with fresh dirt on them.
I hunt with 2 sons,2 of my brothers and 1 nephew,1 niece.
2 large bucks seen..4 of 7 had shots. Including me. :grin:
Deer numbers up slightly.All saw deer.
I wiffed on a big doe making tracks....rats!
I'm the odd man out ..the only bp shooter in the bunch.
Youngest son double on does Sat. 9:15 am.
We saw lots of eagles,turkeys and squirrels..I missed the ducks due to ice up.
Large ice flows filling the big rivers..only birds left are the tail end of the swans.

This was my view Sun am at 8:45 am..back side of a river bottom lake....the deer head to this type of cover when the shooting starts.
A chunky spike buck did the bunny hop right there 10 minutes earlier.


My 2 sons on the way out to set stands.
sunny and 18 deg.



Hard to get this bunch to stop for a group shot.



Water less than knee deep this year..Needed waders in the past.


We all had stories on how we kept warm..The best was my nephew who filled a large zip lock bag with his warm fluid and kept his toes warm for 2.5 hours.
He was suffering from the too small of a boot sindrome.HaHa!

My deer hunter shuffle was productive in that I bumped deer into other hunters in our party...
A couple of them need to go to the eye doctor..
There was some big time missing going on. :rotf:
Just more ammo for ribbing till the next hunt.
We all enjoyed this hunt..Lots of good food,(Grandma's cookies,wifes carrot cake)good company,Great but cool weather the bond only got stronger as a hunting family..And that is what it's all about.

Life is good! Amen! :grin:

Thanks for sharing! :hatsoff:

Good pictures. Reminds me of my teenage years trapping muskrats and beaver out on the Mississippi backwaters. We always had snow and ice in November back then.

Congrats to your son on the double...even if it wasn't with a blackpowder gun. Just staying out there earns anyone a merit badge given the cold!

You still have time left. Puttin' in some time around your home area?

Yes!.. Will get back out after Thurs. afternoon.
I'll be doing the catail shuffle.
Got a couple of nephews that have energy to burn...
Then add 10 days for muzzleloaders. :grin:

Dan,
It was the coldest openning day that I can remember in a long time. I sat from dark to dark openning day. Used a 21st century traditional deer stand complete with windows and a heater. Believe me the windows stayed shut too! Stand got real cold real quick if the windows were open. Saw 7 bucks, but none that I wanted to shoot. Sunday returned to hunt the 2nd shift (afternoon) and saw 15 anterless deer. Buddy passed on a real nice buck as his buck tag was filled and he was hunting my tag. We looked at trail cam pictures last night, and he now is rethinking that buck. It must be cause I'm getting old, but I just can't stay warm like I use to years ago.

Rat Trapper..I do the wool thing,fleece neck gaitor,dry gloves..went through 3 pair sat.Heavy rag wool sweater..
At 56 the cold has not caught up to me.
I'm still working (outside)and keep moving for a living.
Think that keeps the arteries working..HaHa.
We take what walks by on public land.
Thats great to hear the deer numbers are good in your neck of the woods.. :thumbsup:
I took a doe with the recure in late OCT. could use another for the freezer
will get back out latter this week.
Shoot straight....dan

Dan,
I shot 3 does during our archery season, but need to test some muzzleloader loads too. Was so cold this week end, just didn't want to mess with one unless he was a big one. The thing on the wall says it is warmer today, but I don't believe it! Planning on going out again today on the 2nd shift hunt. Got a good load worked up for my GM fast twist 50 and for the TC 54 Hawken. Need to try those loads on meat to see how they perform.

Pretty country Dan. I saw that water and thought "beavers" as well. But one little old beaver is as much or more work than a deer, when you get it all said and done -- and most like to eat a deer.
Look forward to your success in the next few days. Sending good hunting ju-ju from out here at the end o' the trail in Oregon.

Rat Trapper...Sounds like a good year going! :thumbsup:
Please send a report if a box car doe steps out!
One doe my son shot had an inch of fat on her hinds.
For some reason I did not see any small body deer.
They sure look big and wooly with their winter coats on.
Saw 8 deer Sat,3 on sunday.
Thats a good year for me.
I'm back pounding on the rock pile thru Wed...Then the 58 will come back out.
Go Get-um. :grin:

Bill.... funny you should mention beavers....We have puntured and shredded more hip boots and waders because of those big tooth critters.
We did not hear or see any....too cold. Almost all the back waters had at least an inch of ice...Saw a fishing tent on the new ice Sun afternoon heading east.I'll up date this report later in the week.

Dan,
At least you saw some deer. When its that cold and no deer to be seen, it gets old really fast! Good luck later this week!

I've had my .62 and .58 out a couple of times over the past week just to verify where that 1st shot will print at 100 yards. The good news is that both are shooting POA at 100 and just a couple of inches high at 50, so will be going along for Pa's opener next Monday.

Thats a confidance builder! :thumbsup:
Always amazed at the drop from 85 to 100 yards.

And everybody got out with all their pieces / parts, that's good.
I too know the Ziploc bag / 98* fluid hand warmer well...(I double bag mine just in case, LOL)...and used that trick just this morning at 18* waiting for it to get light enough to see.

Sounds like an overall good outing for the gang...
:thumbsup:

Atta Boy Roundball...Your in good company!
.Yes it was!!!! lots of cool fresh air...
the stars were awesome each morning and night.
And Mother nature put on a good show for us.
We will be back for the opening 2 days next year..
:thumbsup:

Dan,
Passed on my 8th buck yesterday. Still pretty cold here. Glad to have a heater and windows in my blind. May have to move to a different stand today and give up on the windows. Think we have over hunted those warm stands.

Hows that 36 cal finter working for you? Two of us are thinking of making a road trip this spring down to see Tipp if we go to KY this spring. If we don't do that we may try to plan a return trip to Friendship on the way home for Lore of the Laudry. Did you order the rifle or did you go visit him?

Rat you dog..I waitng for a buck any buck! :blah: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:



The 36 cal barrel is at Bobby Hoyts for a 32 cal. liner..
Its a gm swamped 42"flint.

I called Tip one day..He does not do pc's(personal computers) period.
Basicly told him what I was looking for said he had one left from friendship and it was at my door within the week.
He shapes these 4 at a time..they are one step up from in the white guns.
He stains the stock.not finished,does not elongate barrel lugs,super glues the nose cap. come with a nice padded soft case.
Nice rifles..... the M & G lock has been flint flawless.1500 shots.
I would buy another iffin I wasn't starting to build my own. :thumbsup:
Good luck finding "Mr Big' shoot straight....Dan

Dan,

How are you making out with the 32 Cherokee? Did you get any squirrels with it? Cold again today, not going to be much fun in the deer stand if the wind picks up this afternoon.

Dan,
shot the 11th out of 12 bucks I have seen this year yesterday. Not the biggest buck I've taken but a nice 3.5 year old eight pointer. Now the smoke poles get turned on the anterless tags.

Atta-boy Rat! Thats called See-lect-tivity!.....Enjoy while you can!
Deer were in typical lock down mode after 7 days of the season.
..Slight early movement only..No shots here.

Will get the 32 out for squirrels later this month...
One more weekend of muzzleloading deer.
Taking this Fri off looking to fill a doe tag.
Shoot straight....Dan

Dan, I have my fingers crossed for you this coming weekend. Surely your patience deserves reward! Hope you are spared the cold blast that's coming our way out West here tomorrow, with highs around 20, lows around 0. (I know, that's T-shirt and shorts weather for Wisconsin.)
Make that, "I have my fingers crossed inside my mittens."
:wink: