_It started on the morning of November 5, we rendezvous in Tilbury and depart for the spoils of Norfolk County’s controlled shotgun hunt, also known as deer camp, an annual family tradition that I cherish. On board for the trip my father Richard driving his new Dodge Cummins 4x4, his older brother Rene who is on his first trip to deer camp, my brother Kevin who is two years my senior and our pal Brad, our camp comedian and hunting guru. We meet up with locals Greg Debuck who we call the chief scout, based on his intuitive scouting ability, and his daughter Amber - college student taking a break from the books to try and shoot her first deer, and friend Greg Piper, who has been scouting the area and has more trail cameras than I have underpants, he's got the bucks in his area patterned ready to break in his new Savage .220 shotgun. Our camp is a far cry from roughing it with satellite TV for watching Sundays pigskin games, and hunting shows.

_ farmer will not be happy with as it is very short and the deer have really taken over with bedding areas all over, the field is long and relatively narrow and in the shape of a horseshoe surrounded on three sides by bush that has been recently logged out, leaving a easy and quiet walk in on the series of logging trails. A month before Brad and I had made a scouting trip to this farm to look for the best area to put up stands which saved us a lot of work on this busy morning.  
            While setting up the first stand we bump a few young does that take off into safety of the corn field, after all our stands were set up and shooting lanes cleared we head onto a few more farms to set stands and scout,  we return to our HQ and complete a few routine camp maintenance chores. Saturday evening is steak dinner barbecued by Brad, and watch hockey night in Canada. Sunday we set up a heavy wooden stand for Greg Debuck and his daughter to hunt from on a newly aquired hunting property, we return to camp and watch football and enjoy a large ham cooked by my Dad. After dinner its gear check time, and everybody discuses their expectations for the morning and what scents and calls they plan on trying, I am excited to try my new slug barrel and scope I purchased for my old 870 after watching a mature buck walk past me out range of my smooth barrel setup. My ammunition of choice is “light field hybrid elite”, a high tech sabot slug with a good reputation for being accurate at ranges beyond 100 yards. We all head to bed and dream of shooting the bucks we will see in the morning, an effect opening morning can have on a hunter

_ shine on the corn field with the wind blowing into my face, and ideal setup. Civil twilight ticks, and I remove my shotgun from my gun sock and load up weapon. I feel a vibration in my chest pocked and check my phone, it reads 6:53 text message from Greg piper “buck down”, 5 minutes I get another saying, “another buck down”, “I then get picture of his beauty buck, nice 8 point worthy of a wall mount.
            My stand is set up  25 yards from the edge of a corn field and in front of a pine tree bush lot, a high traffic area. The rest of the morning goes on, I feel as if I may not see a deer on this first hunt, at 9am I see a small 6 buck walking through the short corn field about 3 rows in,  he is totally unaware of my presence so quietly and slowly ready my 870 express slug gun, and put my Bushnell scope crosshairs on his shoulder and wait for him to step out of the corn and into the harvested edge of the field. I take a deep breath, exhale and I squeeze the trigger and the small 6 pt buck drops in his tracks, 36 yards, no need to track this one. The sound of my shot got the attention of my uncle who is only 200 yards away and my father who can see me from the opposite end of the field, before I can even grab my phone to text my father, he beats me to it, asking what I had shot. 3 bucks down by 9am, good start to the week, he writes. I wait about an hour and decide its time to get down tag and field dress this nice young buck, my uncle meets me at my long since expired deer and congratulates me on shot, now time for the real work to begin.

_ Day 3 which was a full moon Piper shoots yet another 8 pt and Brad does the same. We are very thrilled to have 5 bucks hanging - four of which are 8 pointers and all are large bodied animals. Day 4 is lousy weather, a few close calls but no tags filled.
            Friday morning my brother shot a doe, first doe down all week, we couldn’t believe it took until day 5 to finally fill one of our additonal doe tags. I drive the atv back to my brothers tree stand which has produced many harvest over the years. My brother and I have never shot a deer on the same year, a strange stat which was really strange how this had yet to happen, which made the day kind of special. I watch him field dress the doe and we bring it back to camp and hoist it up the now full buck pole, Brad is a stickler about all of the heads hanging evenly on the pole to make the picture look good. Friday evening and the last hunt for most of the camp who are heading home in the morning. The evening hunt is pretty quiet, until the last 15 minutes of legal shooting light, I spot a doe crossing the field approx 130 yds away. I steady my shotgun on the shooting rail and ready my safety.  I put my crosshairs on the does shoulder and squeeze the trigger, the doe drops to her knees and quickly spins around, so I put another round quickly into her shoulder. A shot which was probably not needed however with darkness looming I do not want to risk a flashlight tracking job. I walk out to this doe and tag her with my additional doe tag and begin field dressing her, I am greeted by my Dad and Brad who help me drag the doe to the truck waiting at the road, about 200 yds away.
            Back at camp we begin to celebrate and eat a nice pork roast fresh from the oven and talk about our exciting week. We had never shot so many large bucks in deer camp  in one year, Truly a special year with good friends and family, lord willing we will have a hundred more of these trips.  Saturday morning we say goodbye to our host the Debuck family and take our camp pictures and head home to return to our spouses. What a year!
Brian Tellier © 2011

_ The- eagerness of Deer camp was finally satisfied when we stepped into the car for the 6 hour journey to the cabin in the north.  The rest of the gang had headed out beforehand but with the office now in the rear-view we were on our way to meet them.  When we arrived in the late hours, the fire had a few embers left and our whispers echoed off the rock ledge.  Soon the gang awoke and the fire resumed life.  Laughter and tales were told and a plan was made for where everyone would hang their stands in the morning.
    With the recent sale of my old ATV, my options were narrowed, so I settled on riding shotgun with my Dad on his Honda 350.  All the stands were hung and lots of sign in everyone’s area.  We had a new hunter in our group this year, my cousin James.  My brother opted to have him nearby so that he could show him the back country after the morning watch.  

__his crossbow.  The man said to the wife,as soon as the bear is close enough you shine the light and I will rid us of our thief.  As the bear swaggered toward the house in the shadows of the darkness, the trembling of the man’s voice summoned the light.  The man put an end to his midnight bandit once and for all.  As it turns out this bear is Ontario’s second largest Black bear in history, weighing in at just under 800 lbs. What an exhilarating story to get us all pumped up before the morning hunt.
    The morning fog was dense and was hard to see through the mist as everyone headed to their stand.  The fine droplets of water that had suspended in the air, were noisily decending to the leaf filled floor below.  The woods were awakening.  As I sat in my tree I wondered if I would hear or see anything today.  It was just then that the woods echoed with shots fired from the North of me.  Time seemed to stand still as I waited for my two-way radio to ring with results.  It was our crew - two bucks down, what an impressive start to our week.  We aided our friend and it was not long until our hanging pole showed success.  With a hearty lunch and heightened spirits we all took to the field for the afternoon watch.

_trigger at my only opportunity.  The doe rears and dashes toward the South.  Trying to listen above the thumping in my heart, I hear the crash and know she has expired.  I have always been a firm believer in making sure I have the perfect shot but with re-assurance from my gang, and practice I knew that this was a shot I was comfortable with.  This was the first time I released on a deer on the run and my adrenaline was pumping.  As I try to sit quietly in the silent aftermath, I am eager to check out my deer before nightfall.  Just then I spot another doe coming from the East.  The evergreens are thick and it is hard to see through them.  I estimate where she will next appear in hopes of a clearing through the crowded forest.  I steady my Winchester .308 and she appears.  I squeeze my trigger and the large Whitetail tumbles through the foilage to her final resting place. 
    I am eager to get out of my treestand, but knowingly await the 30 minute regulation that our group has established.   With nightfall fast approaching I know that I must get a hold of my gang as they were all awaiting the report.  It was not long and the boys were by my side with cheers and high fives.
    4 deer in one day was a record for our Hunt Camp with only two tags left to fill.  The week was off to a great start.  Great memories with great friends made opening day for 2011 one I will cherish for years to come.

Until next time….Happy Hunting
Danielle Russell ©2011

     As the season draws close to an end, I trek out for once last venture to the treestand.  The air is clean as I fill my lungs with each icy breath.  The snow burdened ground is untouched with only small saucer sized holes where animals had been grazing and the steady path that leads to them.  It looked as though maybe the herd had been here this morning and perhaps I will not see them tonight.  The hours of darkness are near and as I glass the horizon with my Bushnell H2O binoculars, I wonder where my season has gone.  It seems likes only yesterday that my two children shared with me as we watched a beautiful buck grazing on the soybeans earlier this year.  With the beans long gone and the barren flat landscape desolate, I sit and wait.  Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement to the far west corner.  Five does enter the field.  They forage the field back and forth and continue to gravitate towards my Montana Deer decoy.  The clover and alphalpha under the snowfall proves to be a great feeding ground for the hungry herd. I try to be patient.  I hope they make it before it is too dark.  The snow allows for a bit more light than normal which can be deceiving.  As I watch these five does, I really was a little neglectful to my backside and thought I better turn around and make sure nothing else was going on around me.  As I turn I notice a nice buck standing at my bait site (which is buried under the snow).  He is rubbing his nose on the cedars and does not seem to be disturbed.  As I turn I try and hook up my release, but I cannot even see my string.  It has become dark.  The sites on my bow are nothing but a silouette.  I cannot shoot him.  I have waited all season for the big buck to present a shot and this is what he gives me. 

wondering where I am.  The five does that are still feeding have not given me the opportunity to leave.  There shadows still on the horizon.  Finally I feel that they are far enough away and the numbness in my toes tells me it is time to get down.  As I descend a deer to the east blows and this creates the deer to the west to blow back.  I slowly sneek through the middle of two different yards of deer and creep back to my truck.  I can still see the deer silhouettes on the snow if I get my eyes low enough.
     With my trembling hands I start my Chevy and get the heat going.  My feet starting to thaw send sharp pains through my hole foot.  Tonight my buck gave me my opportunity  and I could not take the shot….lets hope he makes it through the winter!

Until next time
Danielle Russell  © 2010

    The year began with the ambition of getting into bow hunting. After years of hunting with my dad and brother with rifle / shotgun, I thought it was time to try something new. After months of searching and deciding to buy new or used, I decided to buy a BRAND NEW Excalibur Exocet 200 crossbow from our local archery store "ATKINS ARCHERY". After knocking on some doors I acquired a few woodlots to hunt for the fall and I was all set to go. Know I just needed the deer.
     I baited for about 1 month with apples and corn with molasses (Rolling Acres deer feed from TSC Stores), and built a few ladder stands out of two by four studs. A little paint and I was all set-up.
    The season was here!  It all started  one day afer work.  Upon arriving to my stand around 5:30pm and sitting patiently for an ideal shot.  The doe appeared for the first time after bleeting my (Red Head doe bleat call), she walked across in front of me first at 30 yrds but never gave up a clean shot.  About 10 minutes past and I bleated another 3 times, no more than 2 minutes later the doe returned this time heading my way on the edge of the field.  After she stepped in a clearing on my right quartering to me, i unleashed my excal, the shot went right through.
   I must say I loved the experience and look forward to filling my buck tag now. After only 5 hunts I was successful with my Excalibur, I can't wait for the big buck now!
Brian Tellier © Oct 2010

Opening morning, my alarm goes off at 5:20 but I was already awake lying in bed going over in my mind how I hoped the morning would unfold.  A quick shower, cup of coffee and out the door to a stand I couldn’t wait to get into.  My PRIMOS TRUTHCAM 35 trailcam has shown that two mature whitetails have frequented the area I was planning to hunt.  Stands were hung in July, practice showed that my Hoyt Alphamax was tuned and ready to go, the new Scent Blocker suit my Girlfriend Ashley bought me was laid out, video camera charged, packback packed, opening morning was here. Lets get it on!
     I guess the real beginning of this story starts 11 years ago with the pull of the trigger from my Grandfathers .308 on my first whitetail.  I have lived and breathed hunting since a very young age, of all people my Mother bought me my first BB gun when I was 8.  Hunting game animals for food has been a part of my heritage now for four generations.  I was introduced to it at a young age by my father and Grandfather who are both still whitetail hunters themselves, I have been lucky to have shared some of the most memorable hunts with them that I will never forget. I owe all of my success in this sport to them for introducing me to this great Canadian heritage. Hunting groundhogs with them on a dairy farm my Great Grandfather started and my two uncles still run today is where my hunting roots began.

Being blessed with this great whitetail habitat to hunt on, I successfully harvested numerous mature bucks over the 120” mark over the years with rifle and within the last 3 years with bow.  However, the 2010 hunting season was going to be something special to me.  I would finally be hunting land that I could call my own.  I purchased a house with 89 acres of prime whitetail habitat in WMU 59 with mixed bush, mainly hardwoods with two small swamps and about 20 acres of pasture fields in the spring of 2010.  The work started right away, I had a good friend come over and plough 8 acres for me; soybeans, peas and clover were planted for summer forage and Rackstacker Superb-uck for late season hunting.  The spring showed lots of wildlife and I was lucky enough during the spring turkey season to take a great Tom.  While scouting mainly with my Girlfriend who planned on joining me during the upcoming season, 6 different bucks were showing up on cameras and frequenting food plots before dark, three of which were mature and the plan was made to take either one if given the opportunity.
      So it’s now 6:00am, opening morning, the rush of another season is boiling inside me!  In the stand I am going over everything to make sure, take an arrow out of the quiver, nock it and hang my bow in the hanger, put on my release, go over my distances with my range finder, every thing is perfect, the morning is still as can be, a slight breeze which is perfect for this stand that had lots of recent action.  As day breaks I can see that the apples I put out were gone, perfect, someone made a visit recently.  I am doing the usual slow head turns and as I look to my left, there, the flick of a tail.  In stand for half an hour and I spot the first deer of the season.  He was slowing poking his way from my left to behind me not making a sound and was only 60 yards away, how did he sneak in without being heard?  Being very thick with underbrush where I was hunting the maximum shot I would have, would only be 23 yards, a chip shot for my Hoyt.  As something caught his attention on the opposite side of him he threw his head up, throwing dead ferns into the air.  It’s him I said to myself, a buck that I had hundreds of trail pictures of.  As he’s looking away from me, I slowly grabbed my bow from the hanger and clipped on my release.  He’s now about 35 yards and very slowly walking quartering towards me stopping every few steps to sniff and look around.  He has now closed the distance and I kept saying to myself, just two more steps, just two more steps, and all of a sudden there was my shot at 18yards, I draw, anchor, picked my spot and release.  A loud smack and as I watched that beautiful luminoked Beman, tipped with a 100gr 3 blade Rage blow clean though his vitals, he gave a good donkey kick and bolted into some balsams about 40 yards in front of me and stopped.  I could hear him staggering in there and then, that all amazing sound you never forget, the sound every hunter remembers, the crash of a mature whitetail hitting the dirt!  What a rush!  The time was 7:09am Oct 1st 2010 and I was packing up my stuff for the 20 min walk back to my house.

Just like that the hundreds or thousands of dollars we invest in this sport, the hours upon hours of work, the endless scouting, the sweat running down your face and mosquitoes chewing at your arms while you hang those all important stands in the dog days of summer all pays off with the release of one arrow!  It’s what I live for, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about whitetail hunting. 

  Scent control is a major problem when hunting in the heat. Many if not most bow hunters do an excellent job of washing their clothes in unscented detergent, storing them in airtight containers and spraying themselves with odor eliminators, when they go out in the field. As important as this is, they are not enough in hot weather. Throughout a warm evening on stand, I periodically reapply natural cover scents.  Another way you can keep your body odor under control in hot weather is to wear a backpack with fresh hunting clothes inside.

     I have used the doe bleat call several times to lure whitetails in. Does especially will investigate a bleat, but my experience is that bucks are much less likely to heed the call early in the season, which leads to the next point.
     Several other calls that are options are the fawn bleat and fawn distress sounds. If I have been on a stand for several hours with no deer sightings, I like to employ a fawn bleat call. Mature does especially are very much attracted to this call.
     The use of the fawn distress call is not so clear-cut. One call manufacturer I know calls a fawn distress call "the woods sweeper." This sound, which imitates a fawn that is experiencing great misfortune, can entice every buck, doe and fawn in the area - or cause every deer within hearing to vacate the immediate surroundings. This individual told me that the fawn distress call is virtually worthless for luring in big bucks, and that any deer that comes in to this call will likely be on full alert.
     If you are of a mind to lure in bucks during hot weather, consider making very soft, social grunts. These so-called contact grunts are natural sounds at this time of year and could possibly lure a buck in.

      One of the hardest tasks for people to master during the sizzling hot early season is to maintain a positive attitude. When your clothes are drenched with sweat, your face has swarms of mosquitoes swirling about it and you haven't seen a whitetail in what seems like ages, wouldn't it be better to just stay at home? I don't think so.
     Deer go through many stages during the bow season. They not only experience different sexual phases, but they often change how, when and where they feed and bed. If we are to keep up with those changes, we need to be in the woods. Spend time in the woods, and keep a positive attitude: Even if you are not seeing deer now, you soon will.
     And last, if a deer does come by your position, be absolutely sure that you have a perfect shot. The vast majority of us bow hunters are very good about this, but it never hurts to be reminded of this fact. Hot weather is no time to be looking for a deer hours after you have shot it.
     Until next time, See you in the woods.

      Everyone's heard of "buck fever"
      You've been sitting in your stand for a few hours and haven't seen much. You hear twigs break and leaves rustle and crunch. It sounds louder than the squirrels you heard frolicking before. You start to wonder what it could be. Your heart starts to beat faster. Suddenly a large buck trots into view. A rush of energy runs through your body. It's a bit too far and the shot isn't quite good enough. Eagerly you wait on the buck to come closer. By now your heart is beating out of your chest, your hands are trembling, and your knees are knocking into one another. After what felt like hours, the big old buck is finally within range. You lock your sights on him and squeeze the trigger. What a rush!
      Unfortunately, that same rush may also mean a slight jerk when you pull the trigger or a tremble that makes it difficult to line up your sights. Your ability to stay calm may be the difference between hit or miss. Over the years I've learned the only way to maintain your composure at that crucial moment is practice.
      Most of us aren't lucky enough to experience the opportunity to shoot a deer frequently enough that it becomes so routine we're able to control our natural reactions. We all can however, take the time to imagine the experience enough to prepare ourselves for the actual encounter. It's very important to really visualize the entire setting. Close your eyes and imagine your exact view from the location you'd be hunting from. See the trees or the grass and leaves moving in the wind. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face or the chill of the breeze against your skin. Smell the autumn leaves. Hear the birds calling all around you. Now, imagine that deer coming into view. See the rack, broad chest, and whitetail Stare into his dark black eyes. Visualize how calm you can be setting your sights on him, squeezing the trigger and dropping him right on the spot.
      Set aside time to practice frequently. Make sure to practice in a place you will not be disturbed where you can apply your full attention without interruption. Be sure to breathe deep and evenly.
      If you practice enough, you will gain confidence and remain calm when the time comes to put yourself to the test. Using these techniques I've seen the accuracy and consistence of my shots greatly increase. I know you will to!

     The day starts out like any other.  I get ready for work, one child on the bus and the other off to daycare.  This morning is cold and we have a light dusting of snow on the ground.  I arrive at daycare as normal, open the door and exit the truck.  Immediately I loose my footing and down I go grabbing the door for assistance.  Frustrated I unbuckle my daughter and take her inside.  I arrive back at my truck and then realize I have locked myself out.  I must have hit the button when I slipped.  So here I am cold, sore bum from the fall and locked out of my truck, what a great way to start my day.
     Our deer season is coming to an end and the weather is getting very cold.  The deer have herded up and sightings are getting fewer.  I get to my stand early and settle in.  I do not see any deer.  The wind is whirling around and I am sure that nothing is moving in this turbulence.  I sit and wait and still nothing.  I had just about had enough when I spot some movement.  There are 5 deer that have approached from the west and are now in the middle of the field moving south.  I let them walk since they startle by every gust of wind. They get south of me and I give out little call with my PRIMOS can call.  They turn and start walking directly north, eating and occasionally looking around when the wind blows.  They vere towards the bait pile I have located to the north of me. I then see these deer become aware as if something is coming.  Sure enough I see 8 new deer joining my original 5.  I now have 13 deer directly to the west of me.  I decide to let nature play out and put my call away.  It will be hard enough to not get noticed by them in this wind.  Some deer go to the north and some to the south.  I decide that the first one to become close enough is the one that will take it for the team.  I have lots of time to range them and I know exactly where they need to be.  One deer makes it into yardage and I draw my bow back but there is a tree branch in the way.  I slowly release and again wait. This seems to happen repeatedly and finally one steps into a perfect broadside position.  I draw my MARTIN Cheetah bow back and to my surprise in all that waiting it has become too dark to see my sights.  I cannot believe it.  I scan over the snow and then back to the deer thinking I can do it, but again I can not see my sights.
     Questions fill my head.  Should I have shot through the tree branches?  Should I have shot farther than I was confortable?  My emotions send my head on a rollercoster ride and if 13 was not enough one more deer is added to the bunch.  A total of 14 deer surround my treestand and graze through the light snow to get there winter food.
     About an hour and a half go by and my toes are froze and my nose is numb.  I just want to go home but I am still surrounded.  I do not want to educate 14 deer of the whereabouts of my treestand.  I call my husband he says he will drive his car into the laneway and shine his lights towards the bush.  He does this and the deer after staring into his lights for what seem like an eternity, finally walk off.  I decend from my stand and I walk up to meet my husband.  Actually it was more like a run because I just wanted a warm vehicle.  I do think next year I will get a warmer pair of boots and maybe some glow in the dark sights.  
     Today started out cold and ended cold.  I hope tomorrow is a little warmer maybe I will just stay inside.
Until next time….Enjoy the outdoors!
By: Danielle Russell
© Dec 2009

      I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.
      I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up-- 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold.
      The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope .., and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.
      That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no chance.
      That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.
      A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.
      I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual.
Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand...kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.
      Did you know that deer bite?
      They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts.
      The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.
      It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.
      That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.
      Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp. I learned a long time ago that, when an animal --like a horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.
      This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.
      Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.
       I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope......to sort of even the odds!!
      All these events are true so help me God... An Educated Farmer 

Story shared by our friends over at "SOUTHWEST OUTDOORS CLUB"

As I stood motionless downwind for 40 minutes in full camo, the doe and I were having a staring match.  She finally sensed that something was up and turn around to head out of the bush.  The buck was in full rut....super horny and he was going wherever his hot doe went.  I had only one very slim lane for an opportunity at a shot and the bucks rear end was in it for quite awhile.....the buck did a 360' and turned around to head out with the doe.  He finally presented his vital area in my shooting lane...I only had seconds, I drew my bow, put the pin on him and placed a really nice shot 30 yard shot.  He did two donkey kicks, then ran about 15 yards, kicked at the arrow with his front leg and kicked the arrow out in the process while traveling through thick brush and then dropped hard. I could still see a little bit of him from where I was when I shot, I stayed there and laid down while never taking my eyes off of where he dropped.  I gave him over 30 minutes before I went in to take a look.  A nice size Corn Feed BUCK! My first deer, a buck... and I stalked him with a bow!  It was unbelievable, you can't even imagine. I dragged him about 400 yards back to a steep ditch, I had to drag him down into the ditch and then halfway up the other side.  I then backed the Jeep up and tied a rope to his rack, then dragged him up with the Jeep.  Not over yet....I lifted the beast up into the back of my Jeep, dead weight, fun fun fun!  Got him to my house and called the boys to come on over for a party.  Special thanks to the guys for helping me clean him up.
Big Day for me, been trying for one of these guys for years!

Greg Sweetman
2007

     As the air starts to cool off in the early fall, a different scent begins to take over and start a phenomenon commonly referred to as the rut, which onsets cases of buck fever for me and my deer camp brethren alike.  As season nears scouting trips to the deer management areas become essential and we head into the woods to set up our scout cams and check for deer sign and possible locations for our treestands.             
     We trek up one week prior to opening morning and head into the area where I had set up my treestand the previous season with success.  The area is a crossroad for deer following a drainage ditch in a hard wooded area on the edge of a field which alternates between soy beans and field corn annually.  We found some old tracks, a couple old scrapes and a few fresh rubs. However with spores growing throughout the 50 yard range of the ditch this indicated light to medium deer traffic.
      So came 6am the morning of Halloween, 2 days before opening day and  eager smiles were all around the rendezvous point, also known as my brother Kevin’s house.  A light dusting of frost made us all encouraged that we were right on time for the onset of the rut. We arrive at our deer camp in Norfolk County and get our treestands prepped for field commission.
      We arrive at my location only 400 yards from where my Dads treestand had just been put up just acrross the beanfield i have formentioned.  We enter the bush via a trail we had used the previous season carrying my ladderstand, just as we step into the bush we almost walk right on fresh scrapes and rubs, so we put the treestand down and do some scouting with our troop of scouters and look for a perfect tree to setup on. As I walk closer to the bean field I see two white flags and hear a snap of a twig which surprised me as I was looking at the ground for scrapes and other signs. We all watch the 2 does and are all encouraged that this might be a good spot, especially myself as I cant help but smile the whole time we were fastening my stand the a large mature hardwood.
     After meal fit for a king with 10 oz steaks done perfectly on the grill, we watch some Sunday football featuring Bret Favre's return to Lambeau field.  After a cold beverage we all head to bed with optimism of a successful opening morning.  Before I could barely close my eyes, 4:30 am arrives and we all climb out of our bunks and gear up for the morning hunt.  My dad drops me off at the entry point of my stand at approx 6:04 am. My eyes begin to immediately play tricks on me as every sound and drop of dew makes me paranoid, the hoot of an owl greets me as I look up and appreciate the full moon making out the silhouette of my stand and head on up quietly as possible.
     As legal shooting time of 6:31 am ticks by I remove my gun sock and load my 12 gauge, old faithful herself felt cold on my hands.  No sooner did the first light cast on the horizon of my backdrop I heard the loud and I mean loud crack of a branch, and it sounded as if multiple deer are heading my way in a hasty pounce.  Just as we had hoped the deer had crossed the road and came up the path and were coming at my 12 o'clock.  I notice it is a doe and she tapers off with the ditch toward the fresh scrape to my right, without a moments hesitation I quietly squeeze the safety over to red, at this time I yell "hey" and just like on TV, the deer stopped in its tracks and glances in my direction., no further than 25 yards away.  I pull the trigger with the bead set on the back rear of the front shoulder.  My shot ammo of preference being  3" rifled slug followed by the 3" double odd buck.
     The Doe darts towards the ditch, unsure of my first shot I instinctively squeeze off two more rounds.  I keep a visual track on the deer as it runs off towards the bean field and drops after a 50 yard adrenaline dash.  As I am reloading my gun I turn around a see another white flag heading back towards the road. I curse myself for being busted but begin my 30 minute wait, this feels like an eternity. I safely climb down and track the blood to where I saw the deer drop and follow huge amounts of blood and to my downed game.  As I cross the ditch I see the deer laying on its side and its chest appears motionless and quiet, and it begins to grow as I get nearer.  At that point I take a picture on my cell and text my fellow hunters that I have a deer down at 6:45 it is then that I notice my buddy had already sent the same message, "antlerless down" , I am excited.
     After a few quiet hours pass, my dad walks over to meet me at the road and we retrieve my doe from where it lies and bring her to the truck.
     Another successful deer harvest shared with good friends and family.

By: Brian Tellier
© Nov 2009

     With everything set out the night before and the alarm clock ever so slowly counting down, the anticipation grew. Deer season is finally here. I have an early coffee and head in the truck to my stand, I then realize that I have forgotten my flashlight. With confidence I convince myself to still head out into the dark, constantly referring to the treetops for guidance. Only 50 yards to go and I hear a snap in front of me, still unable to see I immediately stop. Frozen in my tracks I then hear the worst sound you can possibly hear alone in the dark woods. The blood curdling squeal that makes the hair on your neck stand. Oh how I wish I had brought my flashlight, I think to myself. Ever so cautiously I unclip my knife from my belt awaiting what may happen. Still frozen in my tracks I can hear what sounds like three coyotes eating something, maybe a rabbit. I blink my eyes to try to see better through the blackness, this does not improve my sight. Just then the footsteps start to come closer. Do they realize that I am here? Closer and closer and finally I can’t take it no more and I stomp my foot. The footsteps stop. Then they start again. With my heart pumping so fast I stomp my feet again and clear my throat just enough for whatever it is to know that I am human. I hear the footsteps run off and I make it to my treestand before they come back. I can normally make it up my stand without making a sound but not this morning, opening morning. Discourage that I may have scared everything in the area away, I sit in the darkness trying to calm the thumping in my chest.  With a chill in the air the sun starts to peak through the trees, the morning fog starts to lift and I notice something coming through the bean field. I see turkey after turkey appear like funny little triangles emerging from the fog heading straight for the corn pile. All 32 of them hang out for about a half an hour and then one of them make a small chirp as though the mother way saying “OK kids, let’s go”, and they all waddle away. What an interesting morning. I decide to head out for lunch and I will be back.
     When I return later that day, I am sure to walk in alot quieter than this morning. As I approach my last bend in the trail I spot movement ahead. There are two does at the bait pile. One has lifted her head and will not take her eyes off of me. Finally after what feels like an eternity and my bow weighing on my arms she goes back to eating. I take one step to the left and tuck myself in behind a tree. I can only see their bodies now but at least they can’t see me. About a half an hour goes by and the one doe starts to walk towards me and the other one walk the other way. She comes about 10 feet away and does not even realize that I am there. I use H & S Scentaway and I also have a scentlok jacket on. Once I can no longer see either one, I hurry and get into my stand. Not 10 minutes later the other one comes back under my stand to try and catch up to her friend.
What a great day. Opening day has proven to be a great way to open the season , maybe the big one will come in tomorrow.
     Stay tuned to see how the season pans out. Remember hunting is our heritage, be sure to share this tradition with a friend or child.
By: Danielle Russell
  © Oct 2008

After a sleepless night of tossing and turning morning arrives. My dad had seen two bucks fighting 3 mornings ago and with the wind in our favour we head out with a sure plan. We arrive early and get settled in. Dad will post in my BIGGAME treestand to the east and I will be to the northwest of him in the ditch. I would rather be up high but we do not have another treestand in that area and we know there has been action there recently.

This morning must be the coldest morning yet and time passes by with our breath determining the direction of the wind. All of a sudden I hear my two way radio go off. It is dad, he sees a deer by me, he is in the treestand so he can see alot more area that me. I look all around and still do not see what he is talking about. I bleet call a couple of times to see if it will bring the deer back out. Finally I see the deer, but there is two. I radio dad on our COBRA two ways and he can now see them too. Oh no there are three!

I sit as quiet as I could be and try to position myself behind a tree, out of site from where they are. Finally they make there way across the field and I think that they are going to follow the fence row and walk straight towards dad. I wait. I see yet another deer coming out of where these three just came from, she is following the same path.

So picture this. I am blocked by a big tree so the fourth deer cannot see me and brush in front of me to the south. Directly to the east i have no cover. I am confused as to where to look I have deer all around. I can see the fourth deer headed straight towards me. I look back towards dads area to see if I can still see the other three deer and to my surprise they had snuck right into my feild and the largest doe I have ever seen is standing 40 yds. in front of me. This is great, I finally have my chance but I have no cover directly in front of me. I am ready to pull my bow back and she is now 30 yds and she stops and looks directly at me. I do not have my bow drawn. I freeze in hopes that she will continue eating and I will have my chance but instead she hops away slowly towards my dad followed by her friends. They then vere to the south and totally bypass my dad. I do not think she could smell me but rather sense the presense of something. Also she could not see my silouette due to the big tree I was standing in front of.

My chance was there. Should I have risked it and drawn and tried for her or should I have remained totally still in hopes of her returning to eating. If she would have spooked she will not return.

Did I make the right decision? Will she return?

Just another weekend in the outdoors....stay tuned for more adventures in Southwestern Ontario.

By: Danielle Russell
 © Dec 2009

It is finally Saturday and everyday my son has been asking me what I have been seeing, so I decide it’s his turn to come and join me in the treestand. We get in the stand nice and early since we may not be as quiet as usual. After only an hour or so we spot something, it’s a doe and buttonbuck and they walk right into the bait pile of corn and molasses. I think that maybe it is the same two that I have been seeing, but his buttons are getting bigger. I think I can hear my son’s heart beating from here. I look at him wondering what he is feeling. He has the biggest smile on his face. I think he just got hooked.      The thrill of seeing wild whitetails in the woods is a feeling you need to feel for yourself and he just felt it. We watch the deer as they eat and then mosey on down the trail. My son, new to sitting in a stand is ready to stretch his legs and we decide to get down, as we get to the ground I spot two more does in the field. We watch a woodcock then head to the truck. On the way we got to see about twenty wild turkeys go into their roost. What a wonderful site. Imagine a big clumsy looking bird in a tree.

     We had a great first hunt and I am sure my son will remember this for a long time. I hunted many years before seeing that much in one night, he was very fortunate. Stay tuned as the season progresses.

By: Danielle Russell
© Oct 2008

  It was Sunday afternoon and enjoying the peace and quiet of the day my friend calls up and wonders if I am going to make use of the first snow flurries and get out there tonight. Unsure of going out, being that it is Sunday and wanting to hang out with my kids, but knowing that the deer will be moving, I start to get ready. I prepped supper early and make sure everyone will be good for a few hours. I arrive early and get all settled in. The wind is from the west and blowing right in my face. It is cold. The wind don’t let up and thinking to myself, I wonder why I continue to sit in a cold treestand year after year. I loved the fall and the colors and the wild turkeys. Now it is cold and I really haven’t seen a deer close enough in days. I have seen them at a far and I have seen the does flagging there tails letting me know that the rut is now on and the deer will be moving. I sit alone in the frigid temperatures, wind chilling every bone in my body. Occasionally trading my hands from my coverall pocket to bow. Afraid to let my bow not be ready, but too cold to care at times. I try a grunt call and a bleat call every once a while and the whistle of the wind over powers my calls. I feel that calling may be a waste of time.

      Just then I all of a sudden see a young buck step into my view. I stand up ever so slowly. He is coming toward my BIGGAME treestand, he is about 20yds and I pull back my PSE compound bow but my arrow has now fallen off the rest cause I am gripping it so tight. I slowly release just enough to flip my arrow back on the rest and the arrow makes a cling noise. Oh No, he hears it. I wait frozen in my stand with my bare hands getting cold and waiting for him to return to eating his corn. He is now perfectly broadside and I aim towards him. I realize he is only about 13yrds or so now and adjusts my sights accordingly. The arrow hits him and I see him buck and kick his rear legs back and then the arrow come out the other side. He runs toward the wind and ducks back into the woods. I hear a last breath and then hear another, followed by some rustling of the leaves. I know he is down. I wait, but can’t wait any longer and call my husband. My son Cole answers and everyone is happy at home. Scott, my husband drops the kids at my parents house and comes to help me retrieve my deer. The farmer came out to see my new trophy and he shares some stories of the past. With temperatures dropping I knew we had to get back to the kids and get this thing hung up. To Dad’s barn we go and I am met by lots of friends and relatives to share in my moment.

     My first deer with my PSE compound bow. What an achievement. I have had such a great season, with lots of rewards. I have went up north with my dad and brother for a week for rifle season and have hunted near home with my bow. Hunting close to home I have been able to take my daughter to check on the baits and my older son actually in the treestand with me. Having my family share in my hunt has been very pleasing, and I look forward to next season.  My first deer with a bow will never be forgotten.

By: Danielle Russell
© Nov. 2008

So I have been dying to get out during the week but it seems too dark to go after work. I couldn't wait any longer and hurried out last night, knowing I only have about an hour of daylight. My son and I were barely in the treestand and he spots a doe coming from the east out of the corn field. She keeps looking around her, sure enough the buck is following her. The two of them chased each other around like a pair of dogs chasing each other around a tree. They would run then freeze, staying close to the fence row. They slowly drifted towards the centre row that we are in. They are now coming right towards us. I tell my son to get ready because they are about 60 yds away. They arrive at the fence row that goes to the west and are following it. The buck is now downwind of us and he smells my doe in heat scent that I had put out in my little canister. He takes one step towards us and then his doe moves and he decides that a real doe is better and they continue to bounce down the field towards the north.

    They continue to play in the long grass just on the edge of the bush. We can see them and it's an amazing sight to see but we want him to come back. I try very hard to be patient and let nature take it's course. Finally I grab the deer antlers that are hanging beside me and make some noise. Immediately the buck turns, again wanting to come but hesitant because he has a doe right there.

     Finally he lets his doe go into the bush and he starts walking back towards the centre fence row that we are in only he is a good 200 yds away. He laid down in the tall grass, and he watches as though he is waiting to see a buck appear. Time passes by and a doe appears from the same area that these two had originally appeared. She is eating and slowly drifting towards us. Then it was dark and time to go. We can't see her or anything else and we go home.

Oh what a night!

By: Danielle Russell
© Nov 2009