Family Christmas Party

We had our family Christmas party Friday night at Eric and Jodie's house. Here Eric is preparing the tenderloin steaks. Everything tasted great. Don't tell the girls but he slipped in some venison steaks and no one even noticed.

Gisele loves to hold Deacon.

Grandpa and Grandma and Deacon.

Gisele loved Jacobs tool kit.

Jacob loved Gisele's new talking cat.

Jacob and his new horse.

Gisele and Chico, her new horse.

Saturday Kendall Steigenga had a deer roast party at his house. Eric and Gisele stopped by and Gisele loved the venison.

Ashley moved to live in Chicago a few weeks ago. She came home for the holidays. Was the Sunday storm bad or what. Here she is keeping the walk clean.

Sitting at Home

I didn't really want to post this on top of my last post but I'm bored. I had carpel tunnel surgery this morning on my right hand. Don't really know why I had this problem but Mary's Dad had it done last week so I think it might have something to do with both of us going to Bitely so often. I have to keep it wrapped and not use it to much for the next week. Sure glad my hunting season is done.

"I GOT HIM"

I GOT HIM, that is what I was telling everyone who I talked to last night. I have been hunting for this buck hard all season. It all came to an end last night at 4:45 when he ran out into the field.
Now for the whole story. I have to thank Eric and Jason for all their help in finally shooting this great buck. Eric and Jason got their bucks early in the bow season. They then went to work to help me get this one. Eric hung tree stands and put up tent blinds where he thought I could get him. Jason never stopped putting up and always moving the trail cameras as he tried to find out where this guy was living. I shot him out of a blind that Jason had moved to this field this fall. I never hunted for a specific buck before this year. We had so many trail cam pictures of him but never in the day light. Then on November 12 Eric got video of him at 10 yards. Whenever we got together we talked about how to hunt this buck. Just Monday Eric and I were looking at aerials trying to figure out where he was living and where to sit. Our last picture of him was December 13 so I knew he was still in the area. It was then that I decided to sit on this field where we have all the pictures, the rest of the season. It was a perfect night to hunt. Cold and a storm coming, they would be feeding on the food plot early. The field was full of deer when this buck came running out onto the field. It was all over in 30 seconds. I made a perfect shot through the heart at 100 yards and he folded up after running 25 yards. He was just under 23 inches outside with a nice double brow tine. He scored 152 inches gross. My biggest Michigan buck ever. Thanks again Eric and Jason and Mary for putting up with me the last two months!

It was a family affair celebrating in the barn last night.

Even the Gisele and Jacob got in on the fun.

A group of happy hunters. This group shot eight bucks this year with five of them being personal best ever scores.

The Last Day!

The only thing more beautiful than the sun rising over an Iowa bean field is the smiling faces of my grandkids when I see them again . Its the last morning of the season and it is 5 degrees. This is about all I saw today, nothing seemed to be moving and nobody filled the last tag. Tomorrow we will clean out the blinds and head home. It was a great season and can't wait to come back in the spring and go shed hunting.

BBD IOWA CONTINUED

Two days two bucks. Jason shot this nice Iowa 10 point just before dark on Sunday night.
We have one tag left, who is going to be the lucky one to fill the last tag?

BBD in Iowa

Eric did it again! For the second time this year he got his buck on opening day. He shot this beautiful Iowa 10 point at 10 am Saturday morning. Everyone is seeing bucks so I hope I will be able to post more bucks in the next few days.

The truck box is working out great. Here is Paul warming up.

Here is a nice nine point that I saw from my blind. He needs a little more width. Maybe next year I will see him again.

Also seeing lots of doe. It has been cold with snow on the ground which makes for great hunting.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Mary and I spent the weekend at the cabin with Ashley, Ryan, Eric, Gisele and Jacob. We spent a lot of time in the barn playing with ABC the cat. Grandma and Grandpa Huyser were there also.

Had to feed the fish at Eagle Lake.

The kids had fun playing in the cabin.

I was able to shoot a doe Friday night.

Another Accident

This time I am in the accident. Friday morning at 6:30 I was on my way to go deer hunting when someone pulled in front of me at US 31 and Hayes Street.

This is the truck that I t-boned when it went through the red light.

This is a truck that was driving next to me and got caught up in the wreck .

My truck on the hook. Thank God everyone walked away from this accident which is a miracle.

I have a sore chest from the seat belt but otherwise I am fine.

Remember to always wear your seat belt!!

Iowa Iowa Iowa

People always ask me why we go to Iowa so often. ( six times this year) Below is why we go ! BIG BUCKS

Here is another picture of the same buck. On December 6 we will be waiting for him to show his pretty face on our property.

Opener 2008

Here is part of the group ready to go out on November 15, 2008.

Grandpa Huyser and myself got nice bucks on the first morning.

The buck to doe ratio is way out of wack at Southfork. Thanks to Ralph, Gordy, Ken and Mark we put a serious dent in the doe population. Not sure how many are here but maybe you can count the legs and divide by four.

Back To Iowa

We made it to Iowa but could not get in the road to the property. We borrowed the neighbors tractor and we towed it in with no problems.

Here is our new home away from home in Iowa.

That Time Of Year

Getting close to deer season. We had to make sure the guns were sighted in. Here is Jason shooting his Ultimate muzzle loader.

We have been working on this truck box for the last few weeks. We are taking it to Iowa to use as a storage container.

This is before I painted the inside. We put a gas stove and heater in it to make life a little easier in the woods

Here is Eric loading up the old Mule.

Loaded and ready to go. We leave for Iowa on November 12 with Jason and Brian Meeuwsen.

It is a quick trip, we have to be back in Michigan for opener on November 15.

Every Party Needs a Pooper!

Tonight was Keith's birthday party, we won't say how old he is. We went out for dinner to Two Tony's in Spring Lake with the birthday boy, Mary, Jason, Martha, Deacon, Jacob and myself (Ashley). After a delicious dinner we came home for presents and apple dumplings! After a long night of partying, Keith was partied out. While everyone played with his new present (Wii Deer Hunter), he fell asleep! I guess every party needs a pooper...

Hey, that's what you get for leaving the party early....Happy Birthday Dad!!

The Accident

After church this past Sunday, Mary and I decided to take a ride to the cabin . We were driving north on Maple Island Road when we saw something in the road ahead of us that didn't look right. When we got closer we realized it was a head on collision that had just happened and we were the first to arrive on the scene. I jumped out of the car as Mary was calling 911. I was not prepared for what I was about to see. The young man who was driving the car was not moving. The man and woman in the van appeared to be seriously injured. In the back seat of the van I saw a 4 year old boy who was crying but seemed to be alright. Other people started to stop and began to help, but we couldn't get any of the car doors open. Someone handed me a tire iron and I broke out the back window of the van. Another man went inside and carried the boy out. Then we realized there was another boy in the back seat. I was able to open the side door and carry him out. The young boy seemed to be unconscious and not breathing, so I laid him in the grass. A woman and I started to perform CPR. Not long after we started, emergency help arrived and took over. After aeromed had arrived and the ambulance had left, we left with pits in our stomachs. We later learned that the drivers of both vehicles and the two year old boy that I had carried out of the van had not survived. The four year old suffered a broken arm and a concussion. The woman in the front seat was flown to Spectrum and remains in serious condition. We also learned the man and woman in the van were grandparents of the two boys. Please keep the family and friends of the victims in your thoughts and prayers.

Trick or Treat

Went trick or treating Friday night.

Even Quincy had a costume.

Another BBD

This time it is Jason! I saw this buck from my stand but it was to far for a shot. I knew he was heading towards Jason but I still couldn't believe it when he called me and said he just shot the big eight point. We let it sit for a few hours before we tracked it. Eric came and we all went together and found it. Congratulations Jason! Check out the Pigeon Creek blog for more pictures.