The autumn color was magnificent as usual. For the most part the color has already disappeared. When the leaves fall, scrapes and rubs become more prominent as the deer action heats up. We picked up some day time activity lately, especially on the harvest moon. Had a few cameras fail us. One had a bad SD card, another just lost battery power, and another was way to sensitive for the amount of wind moving the brush and grass, therefore filling the SD card in 30 hours or so. That left a few cameras not working for several weeks. We had a hunter watch a small 4 point battle a big rack for 10 minutes or so, right behind the hunter, a bit out of range. We’ll try to get that video description loaded for you later. 
The autumnal equinox has passed and the gorgeous autumn color is here. We’ve had some beautiful, clear and calm, frosty mornings recently to go with the local color.
On the buck front, I’ve also added a few recent trail cam photos of our western Wisconsin bucks.
Remember, due to illness, my 2012 rifle group has postponed for one year. That leaves an opportunity to hunt Turtle Creek for 10% off this year. Email Don at trophy bucks@me.com.
My rifle group postponed their hunt for a year, due to illness. So, therefore I’m open for this rifle season and offering a 10% discount to fill the slot. Email now: trophybucks@me.com or call Don at 612-201-3585 to reserve your dream. Maybe you’ll have a chance to see this mature, 12 point bruiser, sneaking past your stand.
Isn’t milkweed the best! Not only is it completely natural, it’s beautiful and free. I have a knee high pocket on my hunting pants where the milkweed is kept. When needed, I just reach in and let it fly, float, drift, meander, what ever it does to tell me the story of the wind currents or thermals.
One time while sitting on the creek bottom with a 20 mph westerly wind floating corn leaves overhead some 50 feet or so, I let a series of milkweed seeds fly. You know what? They went every which direction, except east. That wind was coming through the valley untouched above, while pushing down and out along the creek bottom. Those seeds would float, dance, then head south or north and even turn back west.
The thermals are so important. It’s a must to know where your scent is headed, otherwise your’re not in the game. With the milkweed you’ll know if you should react fast, or hopefully you know there’s a bit more time, since the thermal is rising or moving away from the deer.
I still have a milkweed pod in a ziplock bag from last year and they look fine. Use the milkweed and wind educate yourself, all the while helping out the Monarch Butterfly whose life depends on Milkweed to survive.
I have to start off with this photo of the Blue Moon. Ok. actually it was the next day, but close, and I can’t really tell it’s not full anyway. The deer were out earlier than ever the day of the Blue Moon. I usually don’t like a full moon hunting, since it seems the deer become nocturnal. However, I suppose they know it’s not season yet and were out very early, like three hours before dark. They know when to party.
I Paper Tuned for the first time ever and it was much easier than I thought it would be. I only had a slight adjustment to make on the arrow rest and bingo, the arrow was right on.
I’ve also added Lumenok for the first time. So after shooting this past weekend, first time since last autumn, I have to say I’ll probably never shoot at a deer without a lit nock again. I’ve heard the nock weight can change your trajectory, but I couldn’t see any difference between the lit and unlit nocks, up to 40 yards.
And the biggest news for me was the new Schaffer arrow rest I purchased last spring and finally had the chance to try out. I purchased the rest on the advice of Junior at Bwana Archery. Realize I was shooting a whisker bisquet before, and oh, how I was beat up for using one of those biscuits. They were right! I’m now sold on the Schaffer. I’ve never been this consistent with the bisquet, which plays bad tricks on your confidence, it’s awful. Now I’m feeling great about my shooting.
For target practice, just lay the arrow in and the draw sets the rest. Although sometimes the Schaffer will pop the arrow right up and over the rest, then I needed to reset. For hunting, place the arrow, then manually set the rest. So the arrow can’t fall out and your ready to go, and you don’t need to worry about the arrow jumping out.
I like all the changes and can’t wait to shoot again. It was too long since shooting. You know the Zen in Archery!