Lets set the mood. Friday evening at 4:30 I noticed a group of 4 slick heads in the field beside the house. I then notice movement over the fence at my Feeder / Mineral Lick location. I have 4 more slick heads licking the 2 White Salt Blocks and eating Mineral. They then cross the fence into the pasture. Then we see 4 more at the far end near Wilma's platform stand. By 4:45 we had 17 slick heads in the field. We then spot a nice bodies probably 6 point. Pretty fair spread, but not a lot of points. Probably 5 minutes later we spot a smaller fork horn buck. While watching all the deer in the field I again spot movement at the Mineral Lick. We have a nice buck over the fence, probably a 10 point. He finally comes over the fence at a little after 5 PM. That brought us up to 20 deer total within 200 yards of the house. We have never seen that many deer in the field at one time.
NOTE: No Corn has been in the feeder since last EDIT: Spring. The Mineral Lick has a mixture of MFA Deer Mineral, Salt, and Granulated Molasses in a hollow log section. We also have two White Salt Blocks on the ground near the mineral.

I had planned on sighting in the 35 Bullberry Contender Friday. That did not happen. We have record cold weather moving in Friday Night. I have been doing a remodel on the house. Siding, 8 new Windows, 3 new Storm Doors, new Patio Door, and boxed in the old porch. The boxing in the porch part is what slowed down the sight in. I needed to get it insulated before Friday nights 15 degree COLD weather. I finished up the last of the wiring, and got it all insulated by around 7 PM. No time to fire the 35 Bullberry however.

The main reason I planned on hunting with the 35 Bullberry was no case for the 7.62 x 53R Encore just yet. I have a Legacy Case ordered from Mike Russel, but it will probably not be delivered before the end of deer season. Looks like I will be hunting with the Encore without a case for today.

With the temperature at 15 degrees as I type this, my plan for today is to head to the Lumber Yard for more Box Car Siding for the porch addition first. When I get back home it should be a little warmer, and I will head to the ladder stand then. It is hard for me to get excited when it is this cold.

Bob R

My son hunted the stand where I killed the seven with my CVS Optima V2 muzzloading pistol last Saturday afternoon and I hunted the stand he hunted. I saw nothing but he killed a good eight point with his muzzleloader.

Stay with the plan Bob, its just a matter of time!

Saturday Morning was indeed Blue Cold. The wife saw three slick heads in the evening. I did not see anything. Sunday morning got off to a good start. I am cooking oatmeal before heading to the stand. I take a look out the patio door and can make out a dark spot in the fence line about 100 yards from the house. I pick up the Steiners for a better look. It is a nice probably 8-10 point. It crosses the road and heads of into the woods.
I see no other deer from my stand that morning.
Sunday afternoon I have a buck and doe come by my stand at about 110 yards down in the valley floor. By the time I spot them it is too late to set up a shot. I really need to open up another shooting lane before the December Season.
At 4 PM I hear deer running to the South. I have at least 6 slick heads running from a nice buck heading towards my brothers stand. Unfortunately they did not come into the food plot my brother was hunting. He could make out the buck and two does up hill in the trees, but no shot.
Monday was a good day to hunt, but it is also one of the two days a week that I work at the local hardware store.
Tuesday Morning another Blue Cold Morning, and Wednesday is more of the same with a 10 degree start for the day. Deer season is way more enjoyable when cold weather is in the 30's.

More to come.

Bob

Tuesday afternoon I see the first Buck at around 3 PM. It is going North in the woods. No Shot.
At around 4 PM I have another nice buck moving East towards the food plot in the valley floor. Again I spot him too late to set up a shot.
Around 4:20 I have deer running West just down hill from my stand. I count eight slick heads going by at a run. I get set up for the buck that I know is chasing them, buy he never crosses. I did see a little white moving behind the does in the trees. I suspect the buck had turned one of the does before getting to my opening.
No other deer were seen Tuesday afternoon. As cold as I was by the time I got out of the ladder stand, it would have needed to be a Big Buck for me to have shot it.
Wednesday I work at the Hardware Store. So I have the day off from hunting. I hope it warms up a little later in the week.

Bob R