Da blind yah

[Addicting]

That's frustrating...

We typically have 10-13 different bucks with at least 1 being a 140 class or better. 5-6 years ago they killed a 196 bruiser about 3/4 miles away. Neighbor has a creek and found close to 30 bucks along it in September. We will need a few years of shooting does to recover. They seemed to make it thru the EHD fine.

 

[rjthehunter]

We typically have 10-13 different bucks with at least 1 being a 140 class or better. 5-6 years ago they killed a 196 bruiser about 3/4 miles away. Neighbor has a creek and found close to 30 bucks along it in September. We will need a few years of shooting does to recover. They seemed to make it thru the EHD fine.

196 is a tank!

At that point, I'd almost just travel some distance away and hunt some public ground assuming your typically hunt private. I did that in the past when we had 3 years of wolves that killed/ran off the majority of the deer on/near our property. You'd be lucky to see 1 deer in weekend of hunting at that point. It is interesting how it seems the does manage to survive.

 

[Addicting]

196 is a tank!

At that point, I'd almost just travel some distance away and hunt some public ground assuming your typically hunt private. I did that in the past when we had 3 years of wolves that killed/ran off the majority of the deer on/near our property. You'd be lucky to see 1 deer in weekend of hunting at that point. It is interesting how it seems the does manage to survive.

We don’t have much public and still a surplus of does. I had 15 winter in my back yard plot. Neighbors had 20-30 in the stubble every night.

Boy really wants to shoot one with a bow so we will see if he can get it figured out before season starts.

 

[gwhunter]

We don’t have much public and still a surplus of does.

During undergrad at wmu I would hit up the state land near schoolcraft with my bow and was always able to connect on a 4 or 6. Its no 196" but it was fun. Although I've heard almost everything was wiped out over that way. So public land might not be faring any better.

What about the public up near Allegan? Did that also get hit just as bad with EHD?

 

[Addicting]

During undergrad at wmu I would hit up the state land near schoolcraft with my bow and was always able to connect on a 4 or 6. Its no 196" but it was fun. Although I've heard almost everything was wiped out over that way. So public land might not be faring any better.

What about the public up near Allegan? Did that also get hit just as bad with EHD?

I don’t know, I avoid Allegan in gun season. I’ve been up there twice and it was not something I want to repeat.

 

[gwhunter]

I don’t know, I avoid Allegan in gun season. I’ve been up there twice and it was not something I want to repeat.

I feel you on avoiding the public land during gun season. It's a zoo for sure.

I made the mistake of getting in the Ft. Custer hunt one year and to say that was a zoo is an understatement. As I was walking down one of the roads back to my truck during the middle of the day, dressed head to toe in blaze orange, I watched a doe start running across the woods from my left to my right. A guy on the top of the ridge about 100 yards from me(with me in between the him and the doe) starts unloading on the doe as it's running full tilt. The doe runs in front of me by about 20 yards. The guy firing at the doe hits the tree 10 feet to my left as the doe runs in front of me. Never again!

 

[Addicting]

I feel you on avoiding the public land during gun season. It's a zoo for sure.

I made the mistake of getting in the Ft. Custer hunt one year and to say that was a zoo is an understatement. As I was walking down one of the roads back to my truck during the middle of the day, dressed head to toe in blaze orange, I watched a doe start running across the woods from my left to my right. A guy on the top of the ridge about 100 yards from me(with me in between the him and the doe) starts unloading on the doe as it's running full tilt. The doe runs in front of me by about 20 yards. The guy firing at the doe hits the tree 10 feet to my left as the doe runs in front of me. Never again!

That’s why you need to hunt the impact area behind the ranges.

 

[Addicting]

Moved to its final spot today. Each angle with it’s corresponding view from inside. The woods pics don’t do the view justice. Most of the big trees are 70-100 years old. Their canopy makes the place very serine. My daughter tried it out for a book reading retreat. Got the good job Dad stamp of approval, which is an amazing compliment from a 13 year old girl.

 

[Addicting]

We even saw our first deer out of it today while setting it up. We need to work on some lanes but we should be able to get 150 yard lanes pretty easily. Oh and we decided to get some solid cement blocks to set the skis on when we level it. Hopefully that bit of air under them keeps the rot at bay for a few more years of service.

 

[gwhunter]

Nicely done on that setup!

 

[Sheltowee]

Great work, @Addicting ! That will be money with a little buddy heater on a cold Michigan late season morning.

I've yet to discover more optimal habitat for yellow jackets and red wasps than a shooting house. Once climbed into a shooting house doing preseason cleanup and, at the last second, thought I'd better take a glance under the office chair sitting in it. There was a paper nest so thickly covered with red wasps that it looked like the whole thing was shimmering. Popped a can of HotShot into it and dove off the ladder.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Nice work man! I wish I were as crafty.

Are those stairs/door reasonably quiet? I like the option but would be concerned about noise.

 

[pabearhunter]

I really like the camper steps ! GREAT looking blind.

 

[Addicting]

Nice work man! I wish I were as crafty.

Are those stairs/door reasonably quiet? I like the option but would be concerned about noise.

We live in constant noise, our deer don’t care. They live in my yard.

The stairs are quiet but the door is a camper door so there is some. Once inside there is carpet to kill any noise we would make. Windows are silent.