Fillmore County--And Brett Favre

[JIvers]

The standing corn and warm weather definitely made hunting more challenging in Fillmore County. The bucks I saw chasing does the day before opener pretty much disappeared--only once after the season opened did I see a buck chasing a doe out in the open, and he was way out of range.

It took nine days, but I filled the second of my tags in Fillmore County about forty-five minutes before the season closed. It was a long, twisting, strange deer season for me...

I filled my management tag at 7:30 opening morning, shooting a doe. I had my either/or tag left, and decided to hold out for a buck. The first couple days of the season, I passed on several does in hopes of nabbing a nice deer. Then I came down with a nasty case of stomach flu I still haven't shaken off--that cost me some valuable hunting time, as did other responsibilities. Next thing I knew, it was Friday, and I still had a tag to fill.

The deer I got, I got on stand, but I did not see near the traffic I normally would have--only twice did I see more than one deer out at a time. I stalked some standing corn, and saw a few anterless deer, but I did not see near as many hoofprints, much less actual deer, as I normally would have in seventy acres of standing corn in November. The deer in my area were definitely spread out in the corn, and not coming out much during daylight if they didn't have to. I am guessing a lot of the rut activity went on at night, too, since I saw very little.

I finished up tonight with a spike buck who came out to eat some clover and alfalfa--forty acres of it, and this was the first deer I saw make use of it in nine days!

Now, the Favre angle: I heard a rumor that Farve would be hunting in Fillmore County, but I laughed that off--turns out it was true: http://www.fillmorecountyjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=16&SubSectionID=109&ArticleID=23031

If I'd walked downtown to eat Saturday instead of skinning deer I'd have met him. If I had, I wouldn't have told Favre all things I said about him the previous fifteen years.

Favre didn't get a mature buck, either, so that makes me feel a little better.

For second season, more of the corn will be out, and the weather should be colder--that will help. I wish now I had waited til second season, but hunting nine days at the peak of the rut sounded too good to pass up--too bad I didn't have a weather and harvest predicition in hand when I made that decision.