In case you missed it on Scott Bestul’s blog, here is the hottest story in deer hunting so far this fall—with video.

From the Post Crescent:

A large crowd gathered Monday afternoon in front of Dutch's Trading Post as sportsmen and passers-by admired "Lucky Buck" — an elusive 30-point whitetail buck taken by bow Sunday night west of Fond du Lac.

Fond du Lac resident Wayne Schumacher was accepting handshakes and pats on the back as he related how he had managed to down the buck. . . .

The 30-point deer has an inside antler spread of 20½ inches. Its field-dressed weight was about 225 pounds. Estimates are that the deer is at least 4½ to 5 years old.

Don’t forget to check out the video.
 

More Whitetail Headlines:

Wisconsin To Hold Public Hearings Over Longer Gun Season

Florida Mulls Deer Season Changes

Woman Arrested Trying To Put Car-Struck Buck Out of Misery

Arkansas Gets New Deer-Check System

Sue Falkner enjoyed her first season of bowhunting only last year. The Mondovi, Wisconsin, kindergarten teacher was introduced to the sport by her boyfriend, Kyle Stay. “I shot my first doe, but fell in love with the sport,” she says. “I just love being out there, watching animals and relaxing. It’s so peaceful!”

Sue got her second season off to a great start a week ago, making a perfect shot on this 145” 10-point. It was her first buck and she has not lost a bit of her initial excitement. “Kyle had me sitting in a blind in an alfalfa field, with an apple tree next to the blind,” she says. “It’s a perfect spot. Except opening weekend was hot and buggy!”

On the first evening, Sue watched a pair of coyotes run off two bucks near her stand, including the 10-point. The second afternoon she was back, armed with her book, a ThermaCell, and a bow that Kyle had increased the draw weight on only a short time ago. “I heard a munching sound behind me, and I looked up to see the 10-point right by the blind, eating apples,” Sue says. “When I tried to draw on him, I couldn’t pull the bow back, and he got spooky and left, running up into the woods. For some reason, he came back to the field, and this time I managed to pull the bow back and make a perfect shot!”

The buck ran off and Sue immediately got the jitters. “I was shaking so bad I couldn’t even text Kyle and ask him what to do next!” she laughs. “Finally, I got it done and Kyle told me to stay put; that he would be there in a few minutes. When he finally arrived, we followed the blood trail and found the buck lying 80 yards away. I still can’t believe it! I keep thinking ‘I’m over this and not as excited’…but I just keep looking at pictures of the deer. The feeling isn’t going away!”

Well it’s gonna be tough to top the New Mexico mulie that we got to ogle the other day, but this photo proves that the early stages of the ’09 season aren’t just for Western deer.

No real details about this Kentucky giant, except that it was killed in the opening days of that state’s archery season, by a bowhunter who had two season’s worth of sheds from the deer. The towering velvet rack supposedly scores in the mid-180’s, though I have no confirmation of that figure.

Anyone know anything about this Bluegrass State monster?

This morning, I sent my kids off to school, their first day of 5th grade. That event alone is the most dramatic sign that summer is over and fall has begun...the one transformation I can witness without ever leaving the house.

Out in the woods, autumn’s signs are more subtle, but no less dramatic; sumac and dogwood are showing hints of color. There are white oak acorns falling from a handful of trees. The fields of my farming neighbors, full of soybeans and corn, are slowly morphing to yellow. The last hay crop of 2009 is mostly-harvested as of this past weekend.

The deer have their own way of showing that fall is here, of course. Most of the whitetails I see now have lost their red summer coats and sport the sleek brown hair of fall. I pulled a couple of trail cameras this weekend, one of which was set near an apple tree dropping fruit in a big way (above). Five different bucks stopped in for a candid photo, and two of them had shed their velvet. Those still holding velvet sported fully-formed racks. In the days ahead they’ll join their hard-horned buddies.

Fall is here! The archery season is less than a week away in Wisconsin, a mere 12 days off in my home state of Minnesota. It seems slightly surreal that I’ll be in a tree stand in mere days; while I’m obviously excited about the season opener, I’m a little slack-jawed that yet another summer has whizzed past.

So how are things looking in your neighborhood? Are bucks still packing velvet, or has the transformation begun? When do your earliest deer seasons start?