The Planning Meeting

For a couple of reasons those of us at Camp Pug have decided to plant food plots this year.  One, supplemental feeding and baiting have been banned due to the discovery of a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive deer on a game farm in the next county to the east.  While I do use whatever legal hunting methods are available, I’m not particularly fond of baiting.  However, I really like to get pictures of the deer in the area using my game cameras.  Some of these cameras have extremely slow triggers that benefit from stationary deer utilizing supplemental feeding locations.  Second, this is just my opinion, but I think the current pool of hunters at camp see the benefit of food plots for more than just shooting deer.

We don’t know much, but we do know that something like this requires planning.  So, one recent evening we gathered together at my house for some snacks, a glass of red (huh?) and to watch Food Plots 101.  Read the rest of this entry »

I still have a perfect record – no sheds found this weekend.  Turns out deer camp seems to be in a sort of “snow pocket”.  There is still eighteen plus inches of snow on the ground in many places.  That makes it pretty difficult to find any sheds.  Never-the-less I persevered and hit the woods.

We awoke Saturday morning to minus three temperatures, but it was still and sunny outside.  The fishermen took off for the lake and I took off for the woods.  The depth and duration of the snow and its effect on the deer concern me.  We’re going on two-plus months of this.  It has got to be hard on them.  The fresh snow was two days prior to my visit, but in a day-and-a-half of woods’ wandering I found only one new deer track.    They can’t wait that long to eat in these temperatures.  Read the rest of this entry »

We have a few traditions at deer camp.  One is to hunt closing weekend of archery deer season despite the weather.  Another that was started last year is Ice Fishing Weekend.  We get together at Deer Camp and everybody goes ice-fishing.  Well, almost everybody. 

I need another hobby like I need a broadhead in my noggin (youch!).  So, while the rest of the guys are at the local lake I stay behind, do some coyote calling, shed hunting, a little deer and turkey scouting, a little napping and cook up dustyvarmint’s Best Blackbean Huntin’ Chili for dinner.  A triple batch is required and one will include javelina from my recent trip to Texas.

Despite my once annual trip I’ve never successfully called a coyote or found a shed antler in the state of Wisconsin.  While growing up in Kansas we successfully did both on occasion.  I’ve even found bullets and arrows, but no antlers.  However, I keep at it.  Perseverance is the name of the game.  This year I won’t be coyote calling, but I’ll definitely be looking for sheds.  Hopefully it isn’t too late.  A friend found a matched set the first weekend of January in a period of extremely heavy snows.    

Deer Camp has no electricity or running water.  Some might consider that an inconvenience.  To me it is more of a comfort.  It settles my brain to hang out at Deer Camp with ten to twelve inches of snow outside.  Very relaxing.     

So, wish me luck with the shed antlers.  I’m off to (not) Ice Fishing Weekend!

happy hunting, dv