Deer Fever…It’s Time

(blog for Illinois Outdoor News)

I’m a little late turning in a new blog, but knowing the reason is simply a matter of
looking at the date; Sweet November has arrived. Even as I drove around our
hunting sections on the afternoon of Halloween, and realized that deer were
everywhere, I was tempted to tell my kids that trick or treating had been
canceled and rescheduled for June 31 instead. But, even during deer season I
have a conscience, so we took our candy-hungry little misers trick or treating.

The simple fact is that my mind won’t allow me to concentrate on anything else but
deer hunting despite my desperate attempt to do just that. Our cupboards need
groceries, my house is in desperate need of TLC, writing assignments are due,
and I’m leaving for Texas thanks to my great friends at the Women’s Outdoor Media
Association, and Ducks Unlimited who provided me with an opportunity of a lifetime
to duck hunt and salt water fish on the gulf of Texas, and there was no way I was
going to turn it down.

Still, I continue to focus my efforts on checking weather, driving around hunting
sections, and viewing rut reports. A fantastic resource is Deer Nation and can
be found on the Cabelas’ website. Anyone can give reports, and it’s a great way
to see what’s going on with the rut in other parts of the country as well. When
you provide reports, you can enter into drawings for awesome prizes! I’m also
constantly talking with other hunters, but most of all, I’m in the woods spending
countless hours in various treestands. There’s comfort in knowing that I’m not
alone and that there are thousands of other hunters suffering from deer fever right
along with me!

Unfortunately, it seems that despite what I’m hearing other hunters say and the
slightly amped up deer activity on my “observation drives,” I’m not seeing much of
anything when I’m actually hunting. Every year though, I go through this same panic.
Early season, I always see lots of does and then the woods seem to go into a
lull of some sort. We do have a lot of corn that needs to come down yet and I
know it will only bring positive changes for the rut when it does. Until then,
I’ll keep seeking information, observing, but most of all, I’ll keep on
hunting! ……… Sending well wishes to all readers of Illinois Outdoor News suffering
with a constant ache from their annual case of deer fever!

Double Column for Illinois Outdoor News

If you’re reading this, you’re reading more of a culmination than a column. I’m a procrastinator by nature, so it was a true oddity when I turned in my column a week and a half early, only to find out that for this particular issue, I was asked to write specifically about the goings on in deer behavior in my area of Northern Illinois. Honestly, I was kind of bummed that I wouldn’t be able to reveal my recent deer hunting calamities to the good readers of Illinois Outdoor News.  Luckily, I have an editor that hid his annoyance well in an attempt to humor my request of a double column.

Don’t ask me why I make intentional choices to make a public reverie of my deer hunting mishaps. It goes against all human nature, and if I think about it too hard, I come to the conclusion that it’s actually a bit weird. It’s certainly not to make a joke out of female hunters everywhere. I guess it’s all about shedding light on the fact that we are human, and despite our fervent attempts not to, we all make mistakes. I mean, think about it. Wouldn’t the hunting world be a lot better place if it contained fewer delusions of grandeur?

One thing, however, the hunting world can’t seem to get enough of is deer reports, and lots of them! It’s a great way for deer hunters to rely on each other’s eyes and ears, in order to pull off a successful season. As of yet, in the 2011 deer season there isn’t a whole lot of excitement to report. But, the small, sometimes almost unnoticeable changes occurring are enough of tangible prelude to tide us over for what is yet to come.

I would be grateful to readers who wouldn’t mind emailing me reports of deer behavior that you’re noticing in your general hunting area. Just type “IODN DEER REPORT” in the subject line, and be sure and tell me what county you’re from. Email your info to: antleraddict2@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance!
Here is my attempt at a double column…

Time frame: Oct 14 – Oct 22, 2011.
Reality Check

Oct 17 – I awoke this morning at 3 AM bright, bushy-tailed, and probably just as annoying as a little squirrel to a writing inspiration that was directly fueled by sheer humiliation. Not wanting to waste the moment I launched out of bed, and scurried to my computer, only to find that it wasn’t where I left it. An immediate search of my 11 year old daughter’s room that could cause someone with OCD to have a breakdown led me to my lifeline.

I’ve always done something different than most who write about their hunting adventures; I’ve always been brutally honest about my screw-ups and mishaps in order to stress the point that it doesn’t matter if we’re new to its lifestyle, or have been hunting our entire lives; there are always lessons to be learned.

Recalling 3 days earlier, Oct 14

Leave it to deer hunting to bring me to my knees with humility as it reminds me of the obvious once again; I’m not perfect. This past weekend was not just a lesson, it was an all out bonk on the head – literally.

By noon on Friday, Oct. 14, I was dying. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit dramatic. I was longing to be in one of my favorite treestands, but I was supposed to pick my kids up from school, so my chances weren’t looking good.

Yes, kids, Mom has officially lost it

Throwing caution to the changing wind that was bringing in cooler temps, I called my 17 year old daughter’s school, had her paged, and got everything straightened out. Not happy about rearranging her plans, but not being above accepting a bribe of free gas money, she agreed to help me out, but not before dishing out, “Geez Mom! Really?”

What was I thinking?

Never, since I began deer hunting have I attempted to sneak into the woods in the middle of the day, and trust me when I say that I will never do it again.
It was 12:47 when I wheeled into my entrance of choice, parked, and retrieved my gear. Performing a personally biased stealth-like stalk, I made my way to the stand that made the most sense according to the wind. On the way, I was ecstatic to find the need to tiptoe around 4 giant scrapes. Three quarters into my walk, the sense of “feeling lucky” disappeared without a hint of consideration.

Busted!

Two deer stood looking at me as I crested a hill while two remained bedded in the field behind my stand. Instinctively, I dropped into the muddy bean field where I laid for two hours. A walnut falling on my head was probably God’s way of reminding me that I should have been more patient.

It was my backside that made the decision to get up. Not seeing anything, I figured they had moved, so I trudged on toward the stand, stopping about every 10 feet to peer into the woods to be sure they weren’t bedded just inside. Not surprisingly, they saw me first, and all I saw was a flash of white tails. I should have gone home, but went to my stand instead. Needless to say, my deer hunt was over long before it started. Sometimes, it’s really hard to feel like you’re at the top of the food chain!

Here we go again…

Always a glutton for punishment, I went back out Saturday afternoon, but this time at a more normal time of day to be heading out for an evening hunt. My hunt went perfectly. I even had a little black capped chickadee land on the cam of my bow as it lay across my lap. The 186 squirrels were annoying as ever, and I saw a couple doe’s that never came within bow range. I’m one of those annoying people who don’t measure the success of a hunt by the kill. As long as I’ve seen deer, I’m happy.

With shooting light over, I made my way back to my car; popped open the hatch, grabbed, and opened my bow case. What was the first thing I saw? Sure as the squirrels playing tricks on my ears, there hung my release, dangling from the Velcro straps. Again, this was another first because I always attach it to my wrist as soon as my bow is out of the case and the quiver is on. But, worse was the harsh fact of not realizing in the three hours I sat in the stand, that I’d not only forgotten a necessary piece of equipment, but remained totally unaware of my brain malfunction! We all know the saying. Sticks and stones will break my bones, etc…. Well, if there was ever an assembly of words that stung like rattling horns on cold fingers, “stupid is, as stupid does,” kicked so hard that it bruised my already fragile, and battered ego. I may have been receiving lessons in patience and thoughtfulness, but was lucky enough to be spared the consequences that would have occurred if a bruiser had come within bow range.

Time to re-boot

This next week, I’m staying out of the woods. Not because I’ve been defeated, but to establish that lessons we learn tend to create the exact opposite effect. It’s a trait of human nature that doesn’t happen in the realm of hypothetical ifs. It’s a matter of when our arrogance gets the best of that we are outsmarted by creatures with fur and four legs. And, truth be told, I got what I deserved.
So, after a little reading of hunting material, and a lot of reassessing my goals for my 2011 archery season, come next weekend, I plan to be in the woods, and back on top of the food chain!
***For the next few days, I hunted strictly for information. I spoke with fellow hunters and made some extra passes via car around our hunting areas***

Part 2

When this issue of Illinois Outdoor News is being slipped into mailboxes, deer hunters everywhere will already be tangled up in dreams of big bruiser bucks as the mocking fire of anticipation is finally extinguished, and “Sweet November” winds blow into the prairie state. The 2011 pre-rut will have all but consumed the minds of us diehard bow hunters, myself included. Truth be told, this should be an easy column to write, but since honesty is supposed to be the best policy I’ll readily admit that I’m having a ridiculously hard time concentrating. A perfect northwest wind blowing the tassels on the corn still standing in the field behind my house keeps distracting my train of thought, as I zone out to a different place, my favorite place; the deer woods.  As a bow hunter in Northern Illinois, the only thing better than waking up on a mid-October morning to the sound of a combine whirring through the fields, is to fall asleep listening to the same hum with the glare of combine lights searing through the window.

Friday, Oct 21 – Probably one of the best tools for hunters to utilize is the men and women who harvest the crops around their hunting grounds that deer up until this point have been using as choice bedding areas for obvious reasons. In fact, about an hour ago, I crammed on my rubber boots, and painfully finagled my way through picked corn stalks in attempt to get some info from the guy in the big, green tractor.

His observations mirrored the other hunter’s that I’ve spoken with – not a whole lot going on. Yet. Of course, when it comes to hunting, there’s always more to it than meets the human eye, because despite the predictions, and the extensive knowledge we’ve gained in recent years, we’re still dealing with one of the largest and uncontrolled forces; nature.

Keep in mind that you’ll be reading this approximately a week and a half after I’ve turned it in for publication, so as I said earlier, deer activity will more than likely have changed dramatically.
It’s been a good year as weather is concerned, so farmers have wasted little time getting their crops picked, which has the deer switching it up a little. A few hunters I’ve talked to have seen bucks still in small bachelor groups. We’re noticing a few rubs here and there, but mostly scrapes, which are probably being made while we’re sawing logs.  The scrapes on the edge of a bean field that I tiptoed around last week were scraped bare on the ground, but the licking branches above them remained intact and unscathed, so I’ll be watching for that to change shortly.

Younger bucks, 3 ½ years and under are being seen crossing the now bare fields during late morning hours, but from my personal perspective, and the accounts of fellow hunters, the monster bucks remain elusive, and guarded.

As far as the female gender of the whitetail population, all focus should really be on them. Research says that bucks at this moment are quite literally ready and waiting, and probably have been for a while. A select group of does will come into estrus early, just as a select few, typically the younger, will come in late. If conception doesn’t occur in a doe’s first breeding cycle, the doe will come into estrus again 28 days later. Sometimes, if a doe comes into estrus early, she’ll join a larger group to help ward off the inevitable for as long as she can.

At this point, the does are still calm, and appear to still be with their fawns, but do seem to be herding into bigger groups now. For the antlered giants, the elite members of the buck hierarchy, it’s a waiting game for the moment of truth to arrive; a moment that makes the possibility of ending up on a wall worth the risk. So, while they wait, so will we.

Gonna Get My Duck On, Texas Style!

By: Keri Butt ~ Illinois Outdoor News Blog

As hard as it is to remove my ever spinning thoughts off of deer season and the upcoming 2011 rut, which is supposed to be a sizzling nine days for deer hunters everywhere, I have to remember that this year I’ll be missing the last few days of the pre-rut. Fortunately, and yet strangely, I’m thrilled at the prospect.

Typically, should someone or something come between me and my treestands between October 15^th and December 1^st, it’s likely that they’re not going to do so without encountering problems.  Heck, even my poor kids know the rule; “Unless you’re bleeding or barfing, don’t call mommy when she’s in the deer woods.”  But, this year my leave of absence is a good thing. Well, maybe not for the ducks flying across the gulf in Texas!

Thanks to an awesome group of ladies from the W.O.M.A, (Women’s Outdoor Media Association) which is an organization I’m a member of, and a generous sponsorship from Ducks Unlimited, I will be headed down to Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, Texas on November 7^th to meet up with a select group of other women in the outdoor media including my friend, and fellow Outdoor News writer, Kristen Monroe.

Since duck season in Illinois coincides with deer season, which is my sole purpose for waking up each morning, along with the fact that Northern Illinois isn’t exactly waterfowl central, I’m headed to the Lone Star state as a duck hunting rookie. For some peculiar reason I have an image in my head of huge duck flocks flying overhead pointing their wings at me as they chortle some sort of odd quack-like laugh.

That’s why I’m asking for advice from those who are confident waterfowl hunters. Back in March, I went down to Missouri on a snow goose hunt, but that hunt encompassed a completely different set of circumstances than I’ll be met with in Texas.

So, perhaps asking for advice isn’t exactly what I meant. I think pleading would be more like it. I encourage any and all readers to send some good advice this duck hunting rookie’s way as it would be much appreciated.

I’ll be sure and post the hopefully exciting details of our hunt when I get back. Of course it may be a bit delayed.  See, I’ll get home around midnight on November 9^th, and the inferno we deer/big game hunters call the rut, is expected to ignite hot and heavy on November 10^th.   I guess sometimes you can have your back straps and eat them too!

“PC” Stands for Positive Change!

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don’t do “PC”. In my opinion, “Political Correctness,” is for the most part society’s way of accepting something that’s just plain wrong, or forgiving unacceptable behavior. Sometimes, the only way to make things right is to call someone on their conduct. Just because their attitude may be unforgiving, doesn’t mean that it’s unforgivable as long as it changes.

It’s hard for me to believe that despite the number of professional female hunters putting the fire out on record book bulls and bucks, we still have members of the male gender opposed to sharing the woods with us.

I’ve talked about the assistant at my dentist’s office before. She’s tried for years to get her husband to take her hunting. He’s always passed her off with one lame excuse or another. I’m sure he has his reasons, but I’ve done a lot of research, and for most guys it’s about giving up their own time in the woods. I just call it selfish. Sharing your passion for hunting with someone else should be considered an investment, not a sacrifice. It’s simply a matter of giving back to something we take from season after season.

Last week, I was looking at a selection of hunting magazines when I noticed one with a female hunter on the cover. Impressed, I picked it up to check it out. Turns out, the girl was a model that enjoyed hunting, which was awesome. Truth be told, I don’t care if a woman was previously a center-fold, or if she hails from true back country, and has a full beard. If she portrays hunting in a positive light, meaning being legal, ethical, and behaving respectably, then more power to her.

Then I read the caption that went along with the cover picture. “We thought long and hard before putting a female on the cover…..” Okay, seriously?

I’m the first to admit that I get bent the wrong way too easily, and this was no exception. I’m also the first to admit that sometimes, I need to assess a situation before going off half cocked, and once again this was no exception. While the fact that they had to think “long and hard” about putting a female hunter on the cover bugged the crap out of me, it was also a testament to how unforgiving behavior can relinquish its hold on a tradition that never should have been. After all, women hunters aren’t exactly a new concept. It’s just that there are more now than ever, and the demographic keeps growing. Regardless, a changed attitude like this deserves forgiveness.

The realization that women are an asset to hunting, and that it has nothing to do with gender is catching on, and thankfully spreading like wild fire. It has everything to do with driving up hunting numbers, with the end result favoring not only the future of hunting, but the impending state of our ecosystems as well.

I’d even go so far as to extend a couple thumbs up to the Illinois Outdoor News publication.  Sure, they’ve been trailblazers from the beginning, but the real tribute is that they’re brave enough to stick my mug and opinions in their paper and on their website!

 

Who’s Your Crush?

For the majority of the human population, “crushes” are a part of life. What’s the saying? “If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone ogle over an over-paid, movie star, I’d be rich.”

But, there’s a new group in town, and I’m happy to report that I’m part of their click. We’re definitely not elite, but we are distinct. Yep, this high school class clown finally found a place she can fit in.

We are the diehard bow hunters, and there isn’t a single day that we don’t dream of fall. To us, Hollywood hunks and hotties are a dime a dozen. In fact, I guess one could note that we tend to “crush” on an entirely different species all together; Deer. Maybe the more appropriate term would be ”bucks”.

But, when it comes to each other, where do our loyalties lie? One of the important lessons that I learned as a new hunter many years ago was: Always be happy for your fellow hunter, even and especially when your own season proves less than stellar.

As a hunter, most of my success is due to the good Lord, my husband, dad, and brother. If my brother, Jason is awake and not working his full time job, he’s in the woods. For the past couple years, Jason has had his eye on a particular crush he’s coined, “Studley Dooright”. Back in the spring, he barged through my front door with an enormous smile on his face, but even bigger was the pair of antlers he held in his hands. Studley Dooright, now a 5-6 yr old deer, had made it through the winter.

For the last year, my brother has lived and breathed this one buck. It’s almost been painful to watch. That said, I’ve been praying that S.D. doesn’t walk under my stand this year. I don’t want to have to make the decision that I’ve already prepared myself to make. I will not shoot this deer. Don’t get me wrong. It would be an unfathomably hard choice to make. Maybe, I’m not as diehard as I think I am. But, my brother has worked for this deer.

Maybe someone else will end up with him on their wall, but I’m betting against it. Studley Dooright doesn’t belong to my brother, but I know the history between them. It’s not just because he’s my kid brother, but that he’s a fellow hunter, who I admire and respect. Despite the fact that S.D. is a buck of a lifetime, and would make great wall décor, I refuse to be a hunter who disrupts a history of that magnitude. I will however, be there as soon as I get the call that Studley Dooright is down for an eternal dirt nap.