Oh man, what can I say. Just like every other year, it’s been a roller coaster ride. The first couple of weeks I went not seeing one deer. Trip after trip resulted in seeing nothing but squirrels, turkeys, and the occasional raccoon. My luck started to turn when I decided to go deeper into the woods, and of course when the weather started to cool. One thing that bothers me now is that I’ll usually see a couple big boys roaming around in the distance. So far, I haven’t seen one buck over 100, yet.

Small Buck Party

I’m usually hunting in the Mid-MIchigan area, so I don’t expect to see monsters roaming every time I go out, but it still makes me wonder if the area I hunt doesn’t provide the right environments, or they’re just nocturnal. One thing I did notice is the increase in the number of small bucks. I have never seen so many 1-2 year old bucks cruising along before in my life. This leaves me with contradicting thoughts; on one hand, I would presume that the deer population is starting to increase. However, on the other hand, we still have to think that if the deer population has increased, that may also mean an increase in the amount of deer that may be affected with Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD. Just some thoughts I had.

Here are a few Instagram posts I have of small bucks:

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Harvest

However, I can’t complain too much, I’ve been fortunate enough to harvest a 5 point with a decent body and a mature doe. Here’s a picture of the 5 points as I found it – warning: lots of blood:

I understand the notion of “let them go, let them grow”, but there are more factors that play in it than just letting deer go. For instance, what about the weekend warriors that only has the chance to get out a few times a year? It’d be such a waste of money for tags, equipment, and other necessities to get out there; only to pass up deer because they may get shamed for shooting a small buck. Another example are the people that are hunting specifically for food. And in my example, I’ve been passing up these smaller bucks for nearly half a decade in hopes of shooting a big one. I think I deserve to shoot something with antlers. On top of all that, it’s not likely to see deer every single time one person goes out. So in my opinion, have at it. As we all become more engulfed in our busy lives, it seems like we have less and less time to be enjoying the outdoors.

Equipment

I’ve added and changed a lot of things for all my equipment this year. Here is a list of the main pieces I’m using or what I found to work well for me

Mathews Halon 5 – Self-explanatory.

Easton Full Metal Jacket Arrows 5mm – These arrows have definitely increased hard-hitting potential and help group my arrows better.

Bohning Blazer Vanes – In parallel with my FMJs, they have helped with stabilizing my arrow air flight.

Wasp Jak-Hammer 100 SST 1 3/4″ Cutting Diameter Broadhead – These just work for me. They’re solid, easy to clean, and can do some damage to deer.

Summit Treestand Skin Sound-Dampening Tape – I have a Summit climbing treestand. When my boot would partially move across my platform, it would make squeaking noises and noises I don’t want to make. These have helped dampen the sounds and has provided a lot of comfort for my feet.

Third Hand Climbing Stands Stabilizer Straps – I didn’t know you could buy these, but I’m glad I stumbled upon them. These have definitely made me feel safer in the tree because how tight my stand is once your pull the straps on these. The tops and bottoms are connected and you’re stand will not go anywhere.

Cabela’s Insulated Base Layer – I’ll admit, these are a little pricey, but it does keep me warm, and it does reduce the amount of layers I need to bring into the woods when I put on my clothes. One thing I really like is that at the elbow section, there is no padding, so it doesn’t bunch up when you pull your bow back and your elbow bends.

Benchmade Grizzly Ridge Knife – This is a little costly too, but man, I’ll pay to have a knife be sharp when I need it.

Anyway, there’s still a couple of weeks left for the regular archery season; important rut-type weeks. I’ll probably have the chance to get out 3 or 4 times. Hopefully I’ll be lucky enough to have a big boy walk by close enough for me to let an arrow through. Wish me luck!

Also, go ahead and enjoy this little footage my cousin and I put together. We can’t seem to harvest deer on camera, so behind the scenes will have to do: