Wensels & Mittens

[Barry Wensel]

I just saw this. I never shot a buck this year. You guys still like me don't you? Ha. I'm rather picky sometimes. I have to admit I passed on several bucks anyone in their right mind would have shot. I have my own reasons but looking back on it there were a couple I should have taken. The first nice one we nicknamed Tank. He was a 7.5 yr. old heavyweight. The only reason I passed him was it was on Oct. 8th and I didn't want to fill that tag so early in the season. 18 yds. broadside on film. Then I decided I was stupid and should have killed him. Two days later I had him at 20 yds. but it was a bad shot-angle. He didn't get out of the brush/ broadside until he was 30 yds. and that's too far for me. I also had him under 20 yds. twice more but didn't shoot because of low light. It ended up my neighbor killed him, which I was okay with because I know I could have killed him, he's a good guy, it was perfectly legal and it was the biggest buck of his life. Oh well! I also passed up that 6x5 Gene missed when he hit his lower limb on the side of the stand. I had him between 10 and 20 yds. five times (on film) but I thought he was only 4.5 and needed another year. My other neighbor killed him opening morning of the gun season. What can you do? I also had that nice buck Gene killed at 15 yds. but passed because I thought he might only be 4.5 too. Then I decided he was maybe 5.5 and was going to shoot him when another bigger, older buck walked in from behind me to 13 yds. challenging the first one. I hesitated on him too because he had a deformed rack on the one side. I should have killed him though because he was older, had a huge body and wouldn't get any bigger. It ended up I let them both walk off because it was still October. No problem because I had a ball. I have to admit we had a lot of really cold days with high winds this season which is tougher as you age. I ended up taking a big, barren doe for meat in the late season from the ground in my ghilli-suit. 15 yd. shot with a complete pass-through and she went down in 70 yds. A perfect eater. The good news is I pulled Gene's trail camera chips yesterday and got a couple photos of a really nice one (24" wide 4x4)that I never knew existed. Got his pics on Christmas Day so can't decide whether to name him Santa or Rudolph. Next year! BW

[MR BILL SHORTY]

   

[don kauss]

Sweet Mike...John will be stoked!

[Lynch Mob]

Congrats on the bull Mike, and dang it, Carcass does it again.
That smile of his, it just looks like he's thinking of something wicked to do to his brothers. lol
Looking forward to hanging out with you guys in Kalamazoo!!!

[Bill Turner]

Always fun to read the offerings of the Mitten's and the Wensel's. The pictures made me slobber on my keyboard. God only knows what I would do if one of the bruisers they saw/shot walked by me with bow in hand. Thanks for sharing and God Bless you and yours.  

[longbowman]

Thanks guys for sharing your adventures!  Barry, it does us/we? Average guys good to see that all of us get to carry our buck tags home now and then.  The doe I have in my freezer was a great gift from our maker and passing up buck doesn't seem as bad when you are eating a fresh venison burger!

[Herdbull]

I hunted the last three days and closed out the Illinois deer season on Sunday. I saw 15 deer including two 8 pt bucks coming down the chute at in the morning. At 40 yards the lead doe caught a back-push of wind and locked up. She stood there for 15 minutes while all the other deer disperced a bit and waited for her to react. Well she did, and tuck a 90 degree turn into the thickets. The rest of the deer followed. My evening sit was warm and west wind. At 4:00 pm I watch six does and fawns and two bucks coming my way. The first two young deer stood under my tree as the middle doe caught my scent on shifting winds. She didn't blow, just turned around and all the rest went with her. As the sun set on my season, I lowered my bow to the ground and let the haul line slip through my fingers and fall to the earth while thinking of all the close encounters I had this year with great bucks. But, still no punched tag. Ha! Hope to see many of you guys at Trad Bow Expo in K-zoo, Mich at the end of this month. Mike

[Gene Wensel]

Barry and Mike pretty much filled you in concerning Mark and I. I messed up on that big 6x5 with my lower limb tip hitting the side of the stand but killed his 5x5 cousin the next morning using my little wooden clothes pin trick. Plus a couple nice does and a coyote. The bummer was having to sit on the bench for bucks from Nov.10th thru Dec.22. I did have fun hunting a magnificent palmated 4x4 with LONG tines after Christmas. I named him Curly. Those wicked minus  chill factors worked against me. On January 8th, he walked right past my stand before I got there. I hope he makes the winter. Maybe I'll get to share his photo with you next season!