Bowhunting opener

[Cooter]

So who's heading out this weekend? I'll be out on county land east of Eau Claire for the weekend - hoping for either a velvet buck or some skinheads for the freezer. Good luck!

[DonBo]

I'll be hunting a new farm near Somerset. It's an earn-a-buck zone so I'll be looking for "baldy". Also got a turkey permit for the same area. Saw 2 different flocks while I was scouting there Saturday!

[snoozebutton]

Guess I better buy my license pretty soon. Where did the summer go?

[Cooter]

No kiddin, I need to get my license yet also.

DonBo - I'm EAB also, again, but have a sticker from last year - which is good and bad. Good to have but bad because it means I didn't get a buck last year, oh well I'm used to that. I have a great spot for the opener, should be able to get a doe out of it hopefully. If not there is a bean field I can hunt at my uncles south of Eau Claire that the deer are hitting - a pile of apple trees to there also.

[DonBo]

I've never hunted in an EAB area so this will be a first for me.

Gotta love those apple trees!

[outdoor ran]

Hard to beleive its that time of year again. Summers seem to be getting shorter every year. I'm not ready for bow hunting at all yet. I was suppose to be going on a 2 week hunting trip up north but that didn't happen So now I have 2 weeks off from work. Goose hunting has been horrible in my area and fishing has been slow for me lately. Not sure what to do with all this time off.

I should go muskie fishing, or try the Brule. Maybe try some more goose hunting or maybe I will go sit in a tree stand.

Good luck to those who get out his weekend.

[Cooter]

Gonna start gathering gear tonight. It snuck up on me also.

[Nick Kuhn]

On the way back from the lake we fished to our cabin (20 mile drive) taking county roads we counted (well attempted to count) 65 deer (more than 20 were in a single field)! I'm not a hunter myself but I only 3 were bucks that would have been good for the taking.

[snoozebutton]

Been seeing tons of deer in the fields south of my place. Unfortunately it's all private land. What I don't like is these people are putting in for crop damage every year but won't let anyone hunt there. Well, they let a few people during gun season but not bow hunters. Oh well, there's still plenty of deer north of me in the county land.

Good luck to you guys on the opener!!! I have to work the first 4 days, then I'll be out there (if I'm not fishing.)

[outdoor ran]

Thats the problem I run into. I can bring the family out deer watching from the car and we can count 200-300 deer an evening. To bad there all on private land. Mean while the little public land thats left is shreaded from years of the doe blast.

[fishtrapgirl]

I won't be heading out this weekend due to having to work. It's also too warm for me yet, I don't usually hunt until its cooler, usually around the first week in October. Will be hunting on our property and my parent's, all in Barron County. Only me and my husband bowhunt, we have 40 acres and my parents have about 1,000 so there shouldn't be any pressure. Been seeing lots of deer in the evenings, but not too many bucks. Put the trail cam out a couple of weeks ago, got one pic of a doe and a video of a beef cow's head right before she slammed the camera around to the back of the tree. Had it strapped to the tree. Thank goodness she didn't wreck it! Going to put it somewhere else where there isn't any cattle! Cooter, I hope that MONSTER buck in Buffalo Co. wanders over your way and you get a crack at him. That would be sweet! He could come up here but I would probably pass out if I saw him. Good luck everyone, be safe, and remember to post pics when you get something. I enjoy hearing about successful hunts.

[Cooter]

fishtrapgirl - Work? You need to get your priorities staight! I don't think that monster will make it over to Eleva, that would take one hot, elusive doe with a ton of stamina! I'm still trying to get a P&Y - meet in the freezer should begin this weekend. Must be tough with only 1,040 acres to hunt, especially when you have to share with one other person.....

[fishtrapgirl]

LOL, I know, it is tough because of all the grief we get for being "deer hunters". I cannot believe no one else in my family hunts. My parents raise beef, they absolutely cannot understand why my hubby and me would want to shoot a deer and then eat it. Whats funny though is I have made venison roast before and had them over for supper, they thought it was beef!

[Cooter]

Our group ended up with 2 over the weekend - the rain and full moon are good excuses for not getting more! Had a great time, which is why we do it. I'll head back to the county land in two weeks for the weekend. Until then and after it will be down at my uncle's - have a bean field and the edge I can hunt gets plenty of shade so that section should stay green for a while. Also have apple trees, corn, and acorns to hunt there, plus the wheat and rye in a little food plot in the woods. Too many options, I'll be a couple days behind those buggers as usual but should be able to get some meat and another EAB sticker before rut - need to put in for vacation time for early Nov real soon.

Fishtrapgirl - my uncle raises beef also....I like venison plenty enough but I've never had veni that can compete with a good T-bone or ribeye!!

[imhooked]

I drew a bear tag but never saw a bear.

My trail cam took pictures of a few coming in at night.

Time to concentrate on deer and Ruffed Grouse.

Hope to get one with my recurve

[snoozebutton]

Too bad about not seeing any bear. I've got 7 years of putting in and didn't get one this year so I should next year, they say they're going to be issuing quite a few more. Did dogs or baiters go first this year? I don't want to put in if dogs go first.

Anyhoo, I went out last night expecting to see a lot of deer activity with the cold front moving in but only saw a doe with 2 fawns. I already filled a doe tag so I'm "horn hunting" now. There's a couple of decent bucks around but haven't been able to get close to them yet.

[Cooter]

I believe stand hunters went first - I drew my first bear tag about 4 years ago and got skunked. Speaking of which, I need to get my app in before I forget.

[snoozebutton]

Glad you mentioned that Cooter. I see the deadline is Dec. 10th. And you're right, dogs go first next year.

[Cooter]

Anyone been out bowhunting lately? If not, shame on you! Its actually been a bit slow for me although I have some credible excuses - tons of them! Hoping the best is yet to come, like late this week into early next week.

[Flatlander]

It was like someone flipped a switch last weekend. I spent almost 45 hours in stand before last weekend, with a handful of deer sightings.

Last Sat. I got up to Webster about 11 AM, and had deer moving really well from about 4 PM on. I had a really tall fork and basket 6 in chip shot range, but no shooters.

I did have a wide, heavy 8 with short tines run alongside my truck for about 20 yards. This was right across the street from my buddy's cabin.

The bucks were in full chase mode last weekend. Hopefully we'll get a repeat performance with the cold moving in later this week. I head out tomorrow after work, for 4 solid days of hunting.

Is it tomorrow, yet?????

[Cooter]

Good luck Flatlander!

[Tom Linderholm]

Finally after 20 some sits and passing up many deer under 8 points with out a doe sighting tonight was the night. 3 years of bowhunting with only one shoulder stab prior on a 10 pointer that wound up coming into my brother in laws stand a month later and up on his wall after that I had my chance. Dressed out 90 some pound sweet young doe/fawn! Near perfect shot, ran 100 yards and dropped (redemption). That will tie up the season for me to let all those small bucks grow for next year.

Best of luck to the rest of ya!