Happy holidays to all, I have been on but not posting. Hope all had a great holiday. I must have been good this year. there was a nice muzzel loader under the tree this year. I dont get into the gun season much, but might be a bit more fun this way.
Nice cart!! I usualy just about kill myself draging thoes deer out. This year I did make the trip home and back to the property with the 4 wheeler. saved me about 300 yrds of drag. I may not have made it out of that one.

Is everone done hunting on our team?

Hope the new year brings good to all.........

I'm still chasing the deer....had a HUGE buck working his way in last night....just to follow some other deer just out of range. He's only a 6....but WOW is he big! I'm going after him again in a couple of days if the wind is right.

Shed, Eastern has had some good basketball teams, and baseball as well. I don't know much about their football program.

Button, good luck on that big 6! Hope you drill him ... !

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I did make it out three other times in December with my bow. I don't know what the weather was like for you guys but here in Southwest Michigan it was but _ss cold for this time of year. In fact, I can't remember too many other Decembers (the first three weeks) that quite as cold as this one. But back to the bowhunting...no luck with a shooter buck. I did have a 2 yr old six come in one evening that was decent but just not what I was looking for. The last week of December I spent doing family things. However, I did make it out two more timesbut I sported my shotgun. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to fill the freezer. I managed to take three more does in two hunts. I kept two for my family and gave one to a lady I work with whom is a single parent raising three children.
Anyway, sorry I couldn't produce a buck for us but damn it...I had fun trying.

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to check in as the post is finally slowing down and our New Year has begun.

I have had a very busy last 2 weeks, got in a fender bender and I am trying to sell my ranch (owning to places can be a pain and expensive) anyway things are looking good right now as I have two different buyers very interested.

I have plans to shed hunt all day Saturday. I am looking forward to that! I need to get away from all the stressors of the last week. I will take some pictures and hopefully find some good bones! The whitetails are dropping, the elk wont until late March and into April.

All of our lower elevations snow is GONE... lots in the high country though, several feet being reported...

As for January and February, I will be shed hunting/scouting as much as I can. I have been out once so far and found 3 sheds, nothing fresh, all old bones, one being chewed very badly.

I have plans for Turkey and Spring bear come March and April. How about you all? Any spring hunting/scouting plans? shed hunts?Archery shoots?Hunting shows you attend?etc..Have a good one guys.

I will need to get that list together again, I am sure I have it somewhere with everyones address. I will start working on those rattling antlers here when the contest finishes up.

I will be engraving HNI 2005 CHAMPS and your Initials...that sound ok guys?

Troy

Sum,
Good job filling the freezer, don't worry about the buck, you just didn't find one you wanted.

Hey Troy

Ihope to get out a few times over the next month to do some fox calling, that's about the extent of the hunting I have to look to until turkey season in May.

I plan to do a good bit of shed hunting this year to help get in shape for those mountains. I've never really focused on trying to find sheds before. I do have some real scouting I need to get in being that my one property I hunt, got logged this past year, so going into the fall was scout/hunt on the fly. Now I'll be able to pin things down again, as it'll only be the 2nd year getting to hunt it.

I'll be hunting turkeys in the spring and although I haven't talked to him lately, it's a safe bet me and Quick will be getting together to hunt them. Springtime also brings on trout fishing and bass fishing. I use spring turkey to keep tabs on scouting deer some more. I run into lots of deer, sometimes too many when I'm set up to call.

HNI 2005 CHAMPS....that does have a sweet ring to it.

It's been great getting to know all you guys and we get to keep it up and do it all over again next season.

Hey guys I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I did. I will be out trying to do a little turkey hunting but this is going to be my first real season. I tried it a couple times last year but really don't have a clue at what I am doing. I don't have but 2 calls to work with and I don't know much about using them so it will be a learning experince. If anyone has any advice I would be more than happy to hear it. I think it is going to be fun.

Troy I think that HNI 2005 CHAMPS sounds great.

I wish everyone the best of look in thier hunting. I hope we are all around next year to do it again.

William

WEll, my hunting is pretty much done for now.. Bow season ends tomorrow I think and I will not be going out. Finally saw deer moving again semi normally the past few weeks but nothing that I wanted to shoot came any where close to me. I don't need the meat, have freezers full of stuff right now, so I just watched them. Hoping to get a lot of scouting done in the next few months and prep for next year knowing my weaknesses and knowing that I need to get these critters more pegged if I want to bow hunt. I will not be taking 70 yard shots with a bow anytime soon but if I did I would have had some more opportunities. But that is neither here nor there because I wasn't gun hunting...

Did just pick up a gun for some coyote hunting in case they come back this year and go after my calves and lambs like they did last year. A little bit of over kill for the pups but the price was more than right and I can find some ammo that will work. Oh well, than it will be no hunting for me until next October probably as I don't Turkey hunt in the spring or fall, at least not yet.

I am hoping to have a little more luck shed hunting this year but who knows, I kind of do it haphazedly I guess so I shouldn't be surprised that I don't find too many. Only found one side last year and even that I basically ran over with my tractor.. Okay, no basically about it, I absolutely ran over it. It was a nice, young buck. Probably a 1.5 that would have scored, I have no idea. It was 4 point on that side... Our weather here is just a disaster right now. From bitter cold to 55 degrees today, the mud is unreal. Glad I am not calving yet but the lambing has started, gotta go back out in a bit and see how the ewe I saw in labour is doing.

I am in an internet spot league that I need to shoot this week. Hopefully tomorrow won't be to windy and I will just do it out back here. Otherwise I have to drive 30 miles to do it since the local shop closed down its range. Come April the 3-D shoots start up (The outdoor ones that are remotely local that is) and I will do those. I like to shoot.

Good luck with your ranch sale Troy, I know realestate and realestate deals are a pain in the tookus... And sorry to hear about the fender bender too, those are a PIA.

Anthony

Guys, my season is done here in IL. No luck trying to fill the tags, oh well......I did get permission on a great spot for next year. It was alot of fun this year and great chatting with you all.

Hey guys -

Anthony & Sum - sorry that the big guys didn't stroll by close enough, but that always gets me stoked for the next year earlier!

Troy - sorry to hear about the fender bender! - good luck with the sale - and if you want to discuss some tax strategies - shoot an e-mail. Also - could you shoot me everyone's address - I need to get some prints heading out!

That goes for the rest of you guys - Tax Season is cranking up and if anyonehas any questions etc. shoot an e-mail [email protected]

My plans - like an idiot - I am leaving Friday night for the brush country of South Texas for Boar & Aoudad (the idiot part comes when I get back and am burried!) I will take my laptop along and can check PM's - and may try to post some if I can WiFi there. Going to see if I can find a bowhunter league over the winter at a new shop that just opened up. Chase some longbeards in April/May all while getting in better shape for next FALL!!!

If they have a bow turkey contestwe should see if we could apply as a team!

This was the greatest - I am glad to have gotten to know everyone and will try to keep in touch till we crank it up again next year!!

Take care - Mike