Category Archives: Hunting

Hunting logs and adventures

2016 Deer Hunting

Successful Deer Hunter

Deer Hunting.  A northern Michigan tradition.  Many years of history, stories, and hunting adventures passed down in the generations of family hunters. Another year of tradition within my family has passed, and it has been a very memorable one.  This year, the weather was warm through opening day and a few days though the hunt.  I talked to several folks with mixed reports of deer movement activity; some reporting lots of movement, and other reports of little or no movement. Whichever your experience or theory, plenty of deer were harvested this season in Michigan.  Winter came in quickly by Saturday, and I’m sure that held up some of the movement for the next couple of days after that.   

I started my hunt this year two days late.  That’s not unusual for me, I was unable to make it a four-day hunting excursion away from work and falconry responsibilities.  So as I arrived on Wednesday eventing to a temperature of 58° F, there was nothing on the buck pole.  Not surprising, given the warm temps.  The two deer that had been taken at deer camp so far were hung, gutted, and processed as quickly as possible to save the meat. My first evening was filled with laughter and stories with family and friends, as we packaged up some of the bounty harvested the day before.  Always a good time.  

I awoke abruptly out in the camper to the sound of a started pick-up truck.  It seems that my alarm did not go off as expected. No worries, I had plenty of time to get a cup of coffee, pack up my lunch, and head out to my blind.  The preparations this year were very easy, as I had planned everything to make it especially easy.  I suited up halfway and drove out to the *NEW* Death Valley deer blind that had been restored the previous month.  

The morning started like every other one: dark. The exception to this morning was the left-over “SuperMoon” was waning and still brightened up the landscape a little.  The beauty of sitting out in a deer blind so early in the morning is the solitude that you get when you finally get your gear settled.  The silence of the woods early in the morning is incredibly peaceful and it’s one of the few times where you can hear the trees whisper. As the morning progressed, a few deer crossed my viewing area across the meadow.  Typically, a doe, followed by her yearling were the usual visitors through the valley.  Occasionally, there was a spike-buck following the pair, or a larger 4-pointer.  The key to watching deer cross the valley is to be keen to the bucks trailing the does a few minutes later, after they pass. Always be ready for them, for they are walking with a purpose.  So with a total of 10 deer spotted before lunch time, I was satisfied with the activity and movement in the area,  and still hopeful to be successful on my first day.  The lunch period was slow, and there was no activity until about 2:30 pm.  A pair of does ran up the valley from behind the blind and veered off to the right.  I was ready for the buck following them, but he never appeared.  I waited intensely with my gun to the ready, holding out for the buck that should have been pursuing them. After a little while, I heard some rustling off to my right.  The river runs through the area, about 150 yards off to the right of the blind, and I noticed a deer browsing.  It wasn’t until he lifted his head up that I could see the 8 points above his ears.  I lined up the shot, and waited until he showed me his shoulder, and I pulled the trigger. 

I gave him enough time to lie still, dragged him about 30 yards or so out of the woods and drove back to deer camp with an 8-point buck on the trailer. What a great day of deer hunting!  The next day,  a couple of us drove into town for some provisions at the local market.  We stopped by the DNR office the next day, even got my successful deer hunter patch! 

November Squirrels

November Squirrels

Hunting adventures with Team Austringer have been very successful and exciting.  Over the weekend, Cedar was successful on a great big Fox Squirrel that bailed out of the second tree she was scouting.  There is such a thing as watching your hawk and trusting that the reason they flew across the field to *that* tree was for some game that she saw.  Sure enough, after a few minutes of carefully laddering-up the branches, she scraped a squirrel off the main trunk.  When the squirrel maneuvered higher up in the tree, she gave it enough room to make a mistake.  As the squirrel traversed the canopy, it moved over a tree and scurried down the trunk in the hopes of making it to a shelter a few trees away.   When it hit the ground running, I was sprinting after it, full speed right behind it, yelling the game call at the top of my lungs.  Cedar dove from her high perch, sailed over my shoulder and nailed that squirrel in a tumble of sticks and leaves.   I was right there to prevent the squirrel from biting her in rebuke.  It was an awesome chase and Cedar earned her prize that day. 

The next day’s hunt was truly a team effort.  Kelly, Kida, Cedar and myself found a new hunting area close to the house that needed a good walking to scout out the entirety of the landscape.   Plenty of good area for both rabbits and squirrels, Cedar flew hard and found some squirrels to swipe at. We are definitely going to give it another try someday. Until next time, Good Hawking! 

Halloween Hunting

Halloween Hunting

Happy Halloween!  The evening is full of tricks and treats.  Cedar’s first successful TRICK was to catch a rabbit on an afternoon hunt and the TREAT was to have him for dinner.  The whole team, Kelly, Kida, Cedar and myself went out for an afternoon hunt before all the spooky creatures came out in the evening.  We flushed the first rabbit within the first 10 minutes and Kida was hot on the trail.  She’s getting better at following along with the hunt and is definitely keyed into flushing game.  Cedar gave chase after the “HO-HO-HOOOAAAH!” game call but had to pull up due to the thick underbrush.

After exhausting the effort to flush him again, we moved on to another part of the forest.  The dog was on scent and Cedar flew ahead of the crew.  The rabbit flushed, and Cedar hit the brush hard and connected with the bunny!  After pulling Kida back so as not to crowd the hawk, we soon had a bunny in the bag!  A great coordinated effort by “Team Austringer!”

Bonus props to my lovely apprentice, Kelly, for the great assist out in the field and for the great photography!

 

The Annual Bird Hunt 2016

The Annual Bird Hunt 2016

As previously mentioned in my blog, every October, we venture out in to the fall woods for a weekend of small game hunting. The family hunting tradition continues this year with an extended hunt at the cabin and with some new team members.  The weather was mostly cooperative and the crisp fall air was a joy to breathe for a few days.   Our hunting adventures with Cedar were good afternoons out in the field.  Game for the Red-Tailed hawk is scarce up here, which is why you don’t find many of them the more north you travel.  Cedars’ afternoon hunts were successful in getting out, flying, and recalling to the lure.  This picture was from a new area we tried together. 

This year begins a new era in hunting on several levels.  There were some additional hunters in the field that hopefully will be part of the team for many years to come.  One of those new team members is ‘Kida’, our new German Munsterlander puppy.  This was her first exposure to the wilderness, our hunting expeditions, and wild birds.  After three days of consistent hunting, she recognized the  routine and truly enjoyed the experience.  While as a puppy, my expectations were exceeded by how well she did in the field.  Her recall is great and her nose and strength are very strong assets out in the field. I look forward to many more years of her partnership out in the field as she develops into a great hunting dog. 

Improved Deer Blind Construction

New Deer Blind

The trusty deer blind that had served me for several years in the woods had deteriorated beyond repair. The inside of the blind had been covered in black mold, the roof was no longer protection from the rain, and the walls had rotted beyond stability. So, this year a new deer blind was constructed in it’s place with a few new amenities, like additional headroom. The construction of this blind was the brainchild of my brother, who put together a brilliant plan and orchestrated the entire construction effort at Deer Camp.

We are going to let it ‘blend in’ to the woods, finish up a few additional details in a couple of weeks, and then we’ll ready for deer camp in November. Shelter from the wind, rain, and snow is minimal, at best, but a necessary shelter for hunting the elusive White-Tailed Deer in Northern Michigan in the fall. Wish me luck this year!