Can You Bait Deer With Pound Cake??

[Whip]

First, a little background to set the stage.  Back the calendar up to last June, and the annual St. Jude auction right here on Trad Gang. Those who followed the action as the auction proceeded might well recall the Pound Cake Wars.  

Lil'D, the beautiful daughter of Duckbutt, offered up to the highest bidder a portion of her hand made mouth watering pound cake. Her baking ability is legendary, and has lead to fierce battles over mere crumbs.

Once again this year sides were chosen, members recruited, and battle lines drawn.  A week of heckling, cajoling, bribing, and all around good fun ended up with the MK LLC bidding consortium  on top.

As the auction progressed I could see we were in a tough fight for a chance to taste Lil'D's precious pound cake.   I personally had never tasted so much as a morsel, and dearly wanted nothing more out of the auction than to remedy that.  

As a little pot sweetner in an effort to push the bidding along, I offered up a Wisconsin whitetail hunt to high bidding members of our little group if we ended up as the winning team.  Low and behold, we did it!  And this past week I made good on my part of the offer.

Charles Suttles, elkken (Ken Gettman) and Doc Nock (Dave Landis)all arrived in Wisconsin last Wednesday, and we headed for my hunting cabin for five days of chasing whitetails.  USPS Priority Mail delivered the pound cake the day before their arrival, and the stage was set.

I will leave most of the story telling up to the guests, but to start things off right, here is what brought us all together in the first place.

 

 

 

Left to Right, Charles, Ken, and Dave
 

[Whip]

I had a trail camera in place before our arrival and in checking the pictures we found some worthy candidates of our attention.  We arrived on the afternoon of the 19th.  These were smoking fresh!

 

 

 

[Ragin Bull]

 This should be good  

[beachbowhunter]

Love it!

[GRINCH]

Dave tell the truth you made the trip hoping for pound cake.  

[Steelhead]

Dont eat all the pound cake Dave.It Would ruin your rock hard ready for the hunt look.Have fun guys and good luck!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

go whip go!

[Whip]

Oh, I'm going to go alright.  I'm going to go right back to the cabin again today.  

My story of the week is short, and I'll tell it quickly.  And then I'll leave the rest of this up to the three guests.

It truly was an honor to have these three fine gentlemen share the place I love.  We hunted, we laughed, and we ate like kings.  What more could a person ask?

After a couple of days of windy weather we enjoyed some of the finest sun filled days Wisconsin has to offer.  Crispy mornings, and just right afternoons made for perfect weather to be at the cabin.

These guys were studying up.
 


I have time to hunt and the luxury to go back, so I was picky with what I wanted to shoot this week.  We don't have a strict QDM management on the property, but do tend to let the smaller bucks grow.  

I saw deer from nearly every stand I sat, and passed multiple opportunities at does, fawns, and young bucks.  But the bigger bucks from the trail camera pictures never came my way, so my tag remains unfilled.

One morning I had these two little gents come strolling by.  Sorry for the blurry picture on the first one, but check out his back.  He found out just how irritating cockleburrs can be.  

 

 

[Whip]

Oh, and the answer to the question in the title of this thread is absolutely not.  

While it would seem that any living creature would swarm to a bait site if they ever got a taste of Lil'D's pound cake, it will not work.  There's just no way there were going to be any leftovers for the deer!

I was gone for five days on this trip and came home five pounds heavier.  The trip was too short, but I think it's probably a good thing I didn't stay longer!

[Duckbutt]

[Jeff Strubberg]

Dunno about baiting deer, but it looks like a winner for baiting hunters!

[Doc Nock]

Before we launch into the levity of it all, of which there were copious amounts, I'm sure, I would like to pay homaqe to a few fine folks myself.

First, my presence was due to the extreme generosity of a Gang Ex-patriot who made the required donation to join this austere group and then donated his slot to my furry behind for my cheerleading on the pound cake thread!
 :rolleyes:  Amazing!

Second, Joe stepped up as a seasoned traveler and guided me through the morass of booking airline travel. I felt like the 9 yr old kid in that area and he was a patient and diligent gentleman coach and mentor. Thanks, Joe!

Lastly, I got to share an incredible camp with three of the finest and well-traveled hunters I've ever met! My personal circle doesn't include folks who do this sort of thing, so I've watched in awe and tried to learn a few things from grand stories posted here, but to actually sit down amidst some of the most humble, down-to-earth people-- who have traveled hither and yon to hunt everything imaginable, was pure magic!

As I told Whip, this was my personal "African Safari" to go this far afield on a hunt. Period!

It was quite the experience!

Next installment: The tale of the revenge of the rubber attack boots!

Gotta go make some sheckles to pay for all the fun!

[olddogrib]

Okay, Dave. this couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, but if you're going to torment us folk who only get to hunt puny, in-state, Tarheel whitetails by telling this hunting tale in bits and pieces, then you better have killed something besides time and cake...lol!  Glad you got the opportunity, brother.

[awbowman]

Those deer are either FAT, or they have pea sized heads!      

...... sure ya'll didn't give them just a little of the pound cake?

[straitera]

Noticed first thing the really great knife! Accounted for the names & knew it had to be good time at the very least w/Joe, Charlie, Ken, & DocNock Dave. Quality folks around. Agree Dave.., rare chance encounter.

[Gen273]

   

[Doc Nock]

Ok...Ken is still likely in transit or just touching home base...he visited some folks while he was mid-country.

Charlie will be along hopefully to add pics and stories especially about "the knife".

Now for the saga of the "Revenge of the Rubber Attack Boots"

BACKGROUND:
As stated this was huge deal for me... never traveled where I didn't drive to hunt...and 18 hrs alone at my age wasn't happening so flying was the key.

I spent WEEKS sorting, packing then building boxes and then throwing half the stuff to the "stay home" pile that wouldn't fit my hand built box.

It arrived safe at Joe's and the trip was on.

Arrival at the airport at 4:30 AM    

Arrive in Madison after connecting with Charles in Cleveland to be picked up by Joe at 11:30.

We 3 drive 2 hrs to town near his camp. Met up with Ken who drove over from Min/St.Paul airport.

Bite of lunch, off to Wally World for groceries and license and we're off to camp.

mad dash to unpack, assemble bows and put food away and get set for the PM hunt.

Wind was squirrely so we walked Joe's perimeter to find good spots he had stands with a decent wind.  My spot was back the way we'd come and up behind the cabin.

After Joe shows me the spot, his last words were, "if there are deer around, wait them out so's not to spoil the stand" Duh! But of course, Joe!   :rolleyes:

[Doc Nock]

And then begins the saga:...

I sit, the temps start to drop w/a nice cold front moving in... and I was over dressed to do the walking, worked up a decent glow but not enough to sit long with the dropping temps! But, the anticipation keeps me fueled!

15 min before quitting time, here comes legs! First deer I see in WI is a 4 or 6pt youngster.

Wait...there's another behind him. Now, I know our gracious host would like to have us hold out for 2.5 yr old bucks at least! Ok...but I never saw a birthdate on either of these suckers!    :p    

The 2nd deer appears to be a good bit bigger in body size and has pretty nice wide horns for an old PA boy used to seeing forkies and spikes...

But it's only a 6pt with wide horns. He stops in front of me, tests the wind directly away from me (toward camp) and offers a few shots.

I finally see he has some rather small brow tines. 8pt! First night? Nah! I pass! (later learned viewing the racks in camp there seems to be a genetic disposition there to small brows)

These buggars go down below me 80 yards and start to chase a doe and fawn, then proceed to feed well into dark...

I'm getting cold sitting there but it's neat to be able to see down there as it's a bit more open over-story so w/ binoc, I can watch them.

They start sparing for a while...then back to feeding.

WT? HEY! I'm freezing sitting up here y'know... can see a twinkle of a camp light and am ready for some warmth now...go home!

Nope!

I quietly and slowly put the haul rope on my bow and lower it. Put on my fanny pack quiet as I can...and sit.

An hour later, they start to move...back the way they came. Stop in front of me, spar again.

All I can see is dark blobs moving and listen to the clickity clack of antlers and the scuffle of hooves as the bodies twist around and around.

This is really cool, but I'm freezing my kiester off and afraid I'll spook them from my teeth chattering!

Finally...finally, they merge with the darker woods where the land drops off and I wait...and wait...and finally climb down and gather my gear with my teeth doing their immitation of a Tijuana dancer's castenets!

[Doc Nock]

I was all a thither from seeing these boys spar not once, but 2X! Saw great action my very first night! Wow! This was proving to be a wonderous trip already! I was smiling cautiously so's not to bite myself with my teeth chattering, but I was happy!

I get to the cabin and tried to talk and my teeth chattering made it difficult... I went out to the screen porch to change out of my hunting duds to get back inside to the warm wood stove!

Ok...so being up since 3am EST, now 7:45PM Central, I'm a bit fuzzy and don't see the sneak attack of the Rubber Attack Boots coming!   :(  

I have these old Servus knee high rubber boots... and forgot since last year and grabbed a pair of wool socks that like to act like velcro in these boots. I get ONE boot off, but the other won't budge.

Tired, chilled and stupid...I kept trying harder and harder to pull it off, but no, wouldn't ask for assistance. That would be so not manly!

I finally twisted my right leg hard and pulled up as hard as I could with my other foot on the heel of the glued on attack boot!

The rest of this is somewhat a blur! All I remember was feeling like I got hit in the butt with a 220v wire, something exploded and I screamed like a girl... and it didn't STOP hurting.

Someone asked me if I was "alright" and I can recall hollaring "hell no I'm not alright or I wouldn't be screaming like a girl!"

Old age, cold muscles, sitting too long early and late in the day with a good walk in between led me to actually tear my right hamstring pretty badly.

Never knew I gave home to Rubber Attack Boots...but I have living proof!

 

I realized from my more athletic friends when younger that there isn't much to do but live with it. I put some ice on for a while... then a pain patch I'd found of my Dad's when I cleaned out his apt... and limped around.

Didn't hunt Thur, thinking it best to try to rest it if it was torn... then Fri I gently tried to stretch and went for a short walk out the tree line to an ladder stand across a flat bean field...dragging one foot behind me like the humpback of Notre Dame!

That was pretty much it. Got out Saturday afternoon too, as it took several hours to loosen the leg up enough to walk...

Alas, I still had a blast.  Past 19 mos, have been visiting my Dad every night since his stroke and watch him spiral downward. I get precoius little time to myself...

This was a beautiful camp, comfortable, and cozy, so I stoked the ole pot-belly stove with Joe's cut/split wood     and cleaned up coffee cups from breakfast, prepared for a main meal lunch (already had volunteered to cook) and hobbled around enjoying the cold temps on trips to the wood pile or the outhouse.

I read, rested, and tried to live out a quote here used by one of you for your signature line attributed to Charlie Lamb: "Being there was good enough!"

My only disappointment isn't related to the trip, but this unfortunate injury now locks me outa my own PA remainder of our season. I was so caught up preparing for the trip, I didn't hunt PA yet... so that is a bummer as motoring on level ground a block is about all I can muster.

Doc says it will heal in 3 weeks or so, but to expect a good bit of pain. Yeah, ok, Doc! Like you have to tell me that!?!

Now on to the real hunter's stories!  At home, locked in my new camera are pics of some of the views from one late week stand and a few from the cabin.  

I hope this weekend to shake the camera hard enough to get those pics out and post!  

[Froggy]

Dang Doc...sorry to hear and see that bud !! Heal well and quick my friend.

Lanier