An Outdoorsman's Journal

   The 2nd Week of Deer Camp and All My Friends are Here

Hello friends,

     Wisconsin's nine day deer gun season was so fun for the 53rd year in a row that I have no choice but to return for a 54th. The following column is some highlights from Tuesday through Sunday and about all I can say is, Thank God it’s not a 16-day season.

     Tuesday, November 26th
     High 33, low 17

     This morning I woke up at camp and there were only 5 of us left until Friday when the flood gates open and there would be 17. Today's plan was to hike 1.5 miles into the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge where no one had hunted so far this year. I was going to have Jeff and Ross Moll as well as Doug Cibulka be standers and I was going to do a 2 hour slow walk in an oak forest that is intermingled with hundreds of acres of marsh.
    Two very cool experiences happened, one Ross Moll had 4 times that deer came by him and on the 4th, he shot a forkhorn which would give this gang its 2nd buck for the 16 hunters that were here opening weekend. As soon as Ross shot his buck a wolf started a long and wailing howling spree and it was literally only a hundred yards from me.

    Thursday, November 28th
    High 27, low 16

   This buck does not count on The Red Brush Gangs total, but it was important. When Michelle Chiaro passed away 26-months ago, I abandoned the food plot behind my house. Simply put, I could not go back there as it was just too emotional for me. I came home for Thanksgiving and this afternoon hiked through a beautiful oak forest to the food plot. I worked my grunt call, and a beautiful 6-pointer came in and thus, perhaps I can start spending time at the food plot again. That buck was cut up with the help of my daughter Selina who came home for deer camp and was sent to Montana when she went home.

    Friday, November 29th
    High 29, low 17

    Today the whole gang returns to camp, and we do deer drives the next 2 days. There were some shots fired, and one buck was harvested by Tim Rittmeyer. Last year our group only harvested one, this year we whacked 3.  The days of our gang killing 10 is over as there is simply too many wolf and I have to admit, we do a bit of missing at running deer.
    Another interesting story involved my nephew Riley Schuster. We do one-mile-long drives that are just about as wide. Today part of one of our drives went through an area where a tornado passed the same day Michele passed away. Riley was a driver and trying to sneak through a deadfall when he came face to face with a wolf that was bedded down. The wolf was not budging and just stared at him. Riley gave us all a heads up on his walkie talkie and retreated.
    One funny story is that every night we have a heck of a dart tournament. I am the worst dart thrower since the creation of man. I have crushed my throwing hand in a wood splitter and caught it in a 330-beaver trap, plus I only play once a year and am drinking beer when I play.
   Tonight in round one, I was paired with the almighty God of Throwing Darts, Riley Schuster. The look on Riley's face and all the Red Brush Gangs was worth a million dollars when I took him out. On round 2, my daughter eliminated me.
   The following night I beat Nate Moll who now flies an F-35 for The Wisconsin Air National Guard. It was with pure joy that I "ELIMINATED" these 2 kids.
   In the world of wrestling, I took on three of these kids this year and it did not end as well as my dart game with Riley.
   The Red Brush Gang is a bunch of working class, very fun people that get a long really well and I am proud to be a part of it.

   Sunset