Left the house at 5:15 AM to meet the hunters in the woods. We had a successful hunt. I didn't get one, AGAIN, but the party did well. I will tell the story.

To set the stage for those who might not be aware of hunting regulations. Hunters, at least in Wisconsin, wear blaze orange during deer hunting season for safety reasons. If you are ever out there, you will know why. The orange shows up no matter what the weather and from great distance.

About noon, I heard four shots coming from over to my left above the swamp and beyond Shane's spot. Right around where Cory sits. Next thing I see is a HUGE deer running into the breach between the woods and the swamp in front of Shane. Shane shoots and misses. (He knew he had missed but still felt he had to search for signs of blood because it was SO big and he was hoping against hope that he was wrong.) The deer whips around in back of the ridge across the swamp and worked its way back around to where Randy is sitting. He shot twice and hit it a killing shot but it did run for a bit and he was afraid he lost it. So he went and got Jeff to help him follow the blood trail. Shane was so antsy because he lost it that he had just arrived that Jeff's site to commiserate when Randy ran for help. He said he never saw Randy so outwardly excited in his whole life. Randy is usually calm and collected. They found it very quickly.

It is a 10 pointer and has to dress out at least at 200 lbs. It is the biggest deer the Deeley's have ever taken out of the Kettles. Wow.

Cory said to tell Bobbie that it came up towards him from right in front of her stand.

Now I want to tell you something really cute and then sign off so I can get ready for bed.

I decided at about 2:00 that I had had enough. I had only seen the big one and a doe that came up in back of me on top of the ridge and had posed in a totally unsafe shot. So I didn't.

So I walked around the side of the swamp to the clearing where the falling down fence that my great great grandfather built is. I took some pictures and then walked down to Shane to tell him that I was going to work my way to the road. He told me the story of the "great hunter" and said that - When I got to the fork in the trail, I should look to the left about 150 yards and there I would see a large brown fuzzy lump with a big smiling pumpkin standing next to it..

And I did. There was the biggest deer I've seen in my hunting years and Randy, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

He is so happy and keeps saying that he never thought he'd ever get a big buck and here it is. WOW. I'll send a picture tomorrow. I am too tired to try tonight.

Love

Mary