Headed up for firearm season on Friday the 13th. Once we all got settled in for the night we began to relax, the relaxation was interupted when Derrick decided to test out his new hunting knife on his finger. Since I was the only one who hadn't yet consumed a beverage I was elected to drive to St. Joe's in Tawas. Arrived back at camp about 4am, slept for a couple hours and was in my stand by 6:00am for the last morning hunt of regular archery season. The action was slow, had one little spike come through that I easily passed on. On my walk out, I jumped 2 does and either a 6 or an 8 point, oh well.
Saturday afternoon put us all out in the woods clearing some brush near our blinds and hanging a couple last minute stands. Sunday came and went with little gunfire in the area and no shots fired from our group of 5 hunters.
Sunday evening we went to check out the local buck pole, which had a fair ammount of deer, but only one very impressive 9pt, this thing was big in every aspect. Monday I stayed back and hunted my parents place since Ashley was getting ready to head home. I took a hail mary of a shot on a doe at about 280+ yards, it fell short, no big deal, I'll take a clean miss over a bad hit any day of the week. Tree finally seen 3 deer on monday afternoon that were on the haul and he was unable to take a shot. Tuesday was slow again as well, the afternoon hunt included grampa and I out in his blind. Seeing deer was the least of my concern for this hunt, only would have been a bonus.
Wednesday morning came in with a slight overcast and right at daybreak I had deer moving under me, the action had been slow and I wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to fill some doe tags. I took a shot on one about 45yards out in front of me, she ran and cashed with a vengence about ten yards to my left. The second one was at about 80 when I took the shot, she ran off side by side with one of the others she was in with. It was definately an amazing sight as it always is to watch her slow down, get a little wobbly legged, and ten fall over, the true feeling of a successful hunt overcomes one at that point.
The DNR aged out my deer as a 2.5year old and a 5 year old. Both nice mature deer.
After hangin up the deer, Kevin and myself took little Joey fishing at grampa's place for a couple hours, it was slow but he was happy with the 6 bluegill that he caught.
Unfortunately nobody else in the group had any such luck as I did. Dave and Derrick headed home Thursday afternoon. Tree and myself headed back Friday after the morning hunt. It was an awesome week spent with some of the best people I know, hope that we can continue to do atleast that throughout our lives regardless of how far we drift appart elsewhere.
Not sure what is going to go on for thankgiving weekend yet, might go up north, might have clients lined up for a trip on the AuSable Saturday, might stick around here and spend time with Ashley and get out and hunt locally and maybe do some steelhead fishing on the huron. I would honestly prefer the last of the three options.
