Good Luck MI Hunters!

[JO_EZ]

We camped out up in osceola co. last week (10/17 - 10/21). It was rainy, rainy, rainy, but I think that had the deer on the move and made it quiet for hunters to move about. So, we saw plenty of deer. My oldest son (14) got his first bow shots. Missed both. One a spike and one a 4 pt. He admitted to severe buck feaver.

We had one buck chase a doe past us. She got to 12 yards and he flared off at about 25 yards. They both moved off without offering my 11 year old the shot. We had improvised a blind in a blowdown with a tarp and a bunch of brush so that we could sit in the rain with out getting soaked to the bone. The buck didn't like the blind, I think. We hunted it, again, on Saturday night and a group of 5 deer came through about 60 yards away. I think the last one was that buck trailing the group. I figure they didn't like our blind and just started moving through a little ways down the ridge.

One guy in the group saw a black bear. That was pretty cool. I wish I had seen it.

While sitting by myself, I had 2 other deer at the 20 yard line or closer, but none offered a shot.

I was a great camp out.

[Rathbuck]

Forgot to post this on this thread (put it up in Highlights), but took my second doe of the season with my recurve.  Here's what I wrote up in that thread:

Went up to Northern MI this weekend, and decided to go back to the same area (different stand) the morning after my father shot a nice buck the night before (buck was trailing a doe that was definitely close to being "in", and at 8:00 it was like someone flipped a switch - all of a sudden I had deer everywhere around me...does to the North, others to the South, walking directly at me from the West.

10 minutes later, I had 8 does and fawns within 15 yards of the tree, so I picked out the biggest doe, waited until she turned broadside, and just as I started to draw the bow, another doe caught me moving and went on high alert. After a 5 minute stare-down, she finally accepted that I wasn't a danger, and went back about her business. One of the other old does got nervous and left with her fawns, leaving two does and one doe fawn. The biggest doe turned broadside at 17-18 yards, and knowing that it's right at the edge of my comfort range, I purposefully aimed low, knowing she'd either duck into it or I'd miss her clean. Got the 'tip to full draw and let it go, and watched the arrow arc through the air, saw her duck, but didn't see the arrow hit. Got my binos out and saw my arrow stuck in the ground covered in blood. Regrouped everyone, went back, and she'd barely made it 50 yards (went around the edge of some pines - couldn't see her fall).

Autopsy showed a heart shot - I definitely hit her low - much lower than I expected, but turned out great. 40th overall with a bow, and 3rd traditional

Entrance hole on her upper leg:
 

Bloodtrail:
 

With the cold front dropping temps today, I'll be back out in the tree Saturday afternoon looking for a decent buck...

[Rick Butler]

Good one Rathbuck!  

[wooddamon1]

Nice, congrats! Heading up to camp in the morning, should be a great weekend for seeing deer!

Good luck everyone!

[Brad Arnett]

Public land buck who was chasing a doe this evening....his last doe chase (grin)

[Gib]

way to go guys ,very nice animals congratulations, gib

[tzolk]

@Brad , that Centaur head looks like the way to go! Have to try that one!

Got this guy from the ground in Salem Twp (Northville, MI) on a woody/ brushy 5.25 acre parcel we own across the road from Maybury State park. About a 9 yard shot.  Asbell wool did a damn good job.

[wooddamon1]

Nice deer, guys! Now I'm super pumped to get up there! Finally get to hit the woods again this evening til Tuesday...

[Brad Arnett]

Good luck guys, its starting to kick off here and guys I'm talking to are seeing lots of chasing the last few days.

Nice one Todd! Do you work as a Medic down there? I take my Medic Nat. Registry test here in a few weeks.