the queen travels: The Great White Deer Hunters

On Monday, Oct. 5, I was up and my bags were packed. It was time to get them loaded onto the bike but wait, I didn’t need to do that. Actually, I loaded the one on the back seat as I also use it for a backrest, and the other went into the truck. Biker Bill would be driving as that’s how we’d be doing our hunting. Off we went; I let him lead.

We took our time as we really didn’t have all that far to go … and I’m glad as the day was overcast and there was a bit of a drizzle here and there. It seemed further than we really went as I just don’t have the riding gear here that I have at home. The temperatures are in the 50s and sometimes 60s, but it feels colder due to the dampness in the air. Suck it up. Okay.

Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, was our destination for the day, and we got there pretty early. We got checked into the hotel and then we waited as closer to dusk is the best time to hunt.

This one looked like she was in jail.

Hunting was good. The little one was so cute. And only a little curious.

Off we went … hunting the elusive white deer. Some here are albino with the pink eyes; others are just white with light eyes, but they aren’t a true albino. It doesn’t matter. A white deer to me, is a white deer. They’re spectacular, they’re beautiful, and I love seeing them even if I can’t get the perfect photo. The one tonight was a true rare one … a white doe that had a white fawn. Most of the ones we’ve seen in the past have had brown fawns, so this sighting was a treat that had me laughing and practically jumping up and down. I would have except I was in the car.

This one was part of a group of about 14 deer that we saw in someone's yard.

We drove around some more, and while we saw about 18 deer, we only saw the one white one and her baby.

Butt shot ... mom and baby.

I never got a shot of them together that was that good. She mostly stood between us and her fawn, and it was nearly dark by now.

The young one was ready to run.

And wasn't nearly as graceful as mom.

Then it was time for a bit of dinner … and back to the hotel for the night.

We were up again and out on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

There are some colors here but I never did see the ones we had hoped to see on this trip.

This time we saw 27 deer. Most of these run in a herd, and there was even a little spike buck. He was so cute. And we saw a different white doe who had a brown fawn. So my visit here to hunt the white deer was complete. Some people never see them, but I had a guide who knew how to give me what I wanted. Yay!!!

Off in the brush to the right you can see her brown fawn. It really blends with the foliage.

In this one she looked like she was saying, "What you lookin' at?"

It was time for our good byes.

You're leaving?

We're so sad to see you go.

And we even saw a 7-point buck. That's the biggest one we've seen.

Just go ...

Then it was time to head down the road again toward Park Falls, Wisconsin, where we’d spend our last night together and I’d then head south and west, back to Phoenix.

It was a pleasant ride. There were some beautiful colors, and the riding today made me think of Alaska, except here you look for deer rather than moose and the road signs don’t have multiple bullet holes in them.

Beautiful colors were around this little lake although they still didn't seem quite as numerous as when we were down a couple of years ago.

Near Park Falls we were going to drive around looking for the place to walk in to where there's a deer stand that a friend of Biker Bill's has.

In preparation, we stopped and got a couple of pumpkins to put out for the deer. This guy had a good system. You figure out the size of the pumpkin and pay according to size as shown on the sign, and put the money in the mailbox.

We found the place, although we weren't sure of it until later. We didn't walk in. The mosquitoes were terrible, so I was glad. So now he gets to keep the food he got and take it back to Michigan.