Rick Sime
Posted By
Chad Lathrop
at
10/14/2009 12:00:00 AM
Rick Sime lives on a farm in western Wisconsin with his wife, Mary, and their four daughters Erin (10), Lindsey (6), and the twins: Kwynn and Kaeli (1). Most of Rick's hunting takes place on private land in the rugged and steep Mississippi River Bluff Country. In addition, the area is heavily wooded, so these factors along with a low to moderate deer population can make for tough hunting at times. On the plus side, these same challenges also allow a few bucks to grow old despite heavy gun hunting pressure and very few quality managed farms in the region. Check out Rick’s hit list below to see some of the bucks he will be chasing this fall in this scenic area of the state.
Rick's 2010 Hit List
"Magnum"
I encountered this buck early last November as he was cruising a south-facing hillside bedding area. Despite rattling and calling I could not get him close enough for a shot. He had tremendous mass and should blow into a giant buck this year. If he fulfills his potential, he may be the biggest deer I have ever hunted. This year’s approach will be the same. I will be hunting him on ditch crossings and in bedding areas in late October and early November.
"The Tall G2"
I filmed this buck with his bachelor group in late summer. There are two others in the group that are shooters, but this buck is the biggest. I hope to pick him up on my frigid forage food plots during early season. If that strategy fails I will hunt him near a small woodlot in November.
"The Split G2"
I have trail pics of this buck two years in a row scent checking a small woodlot that holds several does. I am hoping that pattern repeats itself this fall, because this buck spends most of his time on another farm. He has great mass on a basic eight point frame and should be a slammer this year.
"The Short G2"
This is the buck I have the most history with on my hit list. I found his sheds at 2 ½ and then found one side this past spring (3 ½) while shed hunting with my daughter’s Erin and Lindsey. I have two years worth of pictures from this buck and he is most visible in the late season. I think this buck will be in the 150’s this year as a 4 ½ year old and it’s likely that if I get a chance at him it will be with the muzzleloader.
Rick's 2009 Hit List
The following words are Rick's:
"FISHHOOKS": Trail camera pictures from October of 2008 revealed this buck was cruising a small wood lot surrounded by crop fields. I will be hunting him in that same area this fall. It should be a challenge, especially as the season wears on and the foliage becomes more limited. Even camera placement in this area is a tricky proposition. He received his name from the makeup of his G1’s which both curl backwards in the shape of a fishhook. He appears to be a deer with the potential to be something special.
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"TWISTER": I spotted "Twister" in the back corner of a large alfalfa field in mid-summer following a bout of severe weather which spawned a tornado near my home. He is running with a younger ten pointer and another smaller buck. Early season success with this deer will depend on the farmer’s hay cutting schedule. As the season wears on I will be hunting him nearby on and inside corner the bucks love to travel through looking for the does that like to bed in that area.
"SWEEPER": "Sweeper" is a buck that shows up fairly often on my scouting cameras each year in late October and November. I have pictures from the past two seasons of this deer. His summer range is a fair distance from my farm, so hopefully he will be back again when the weather turns cold. He is a basic eight point with main beams that sweep across his forehead in a distinctive fashion. He will not score as well as the first two deer on my list however he is in that upper age range that makes him a great trophy regardless of what the numbers say. I will be hunting sweeper on an inside corner where three separate long bedding ridges come together.
"BUSTER": "Buster:" is an older eight-point deer that will likely only score in the 130’s at best. Despite this, I am very intrigued by this deer as he seems very aggressive by nature. I have several pictures of this deer and I feel like he has a small home range. I will hunt him early on the edge of a clover field surrounded by soybeans. During the rut, I will be after him back in the timber as he searches for does on the side of a long bedding ridge. He is definitely a buck I would like to remove from the farm to keep him from pushing out some younger three year old bucks with better genetic potential.
