A happy soul in the outdoors!
11/25/20 5th day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season
I had to work until 1:15 pm today
The hunting party did 2 drives, about halfway thru the 1st one it started to rain.
They pushed the drives through
However, it rained into the evening and I did not go out hunting.
2 days of nu hunting, bummer!
5 more hunting days to go!
11/24/20 4th day of the Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season!
I had to work until 3pm today!
Snowed throughout the night and almost all morning and rained in the rest of the night!
I have this thing about hunting and rain!
As it would be my luck to shoot a deer and lose the blood trail because of rain and wet ground.
Maybe if I had better luck!
No hunting for this girl!
5 more hunting days to go! I do not like the feeling of not hunting tonight!
11/23/20 3rd day of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season
My sit tonight was short. I had to work until 3 pm, but I am pretty sure I was out the door by 3:02 pm I chose my traditional route due to time constraints and went to sit in my elevated enclosed blind. I shall call her Betty from now on. Why, like Betty Crocker, my blind is home made with love.
I got all bundled up as I knew once the sun went down it would get cool. Oh, but I love the sunshine it makes me feel alive.
My 1 hour and 43 minute sit went fast and there was very little movement. I really found it eerily quite so I focused on the silence.
It was quite enough to hear movement, but this time of year the ground is damp and soft, which deters noise when walked on.
I didn’t hear many shots ringing through the air tonight
About 435 I spot 2 doe far off in the big food plot. I watch then through the binoculars for a while, next thing I know I have 5 doe/fawns frolicking through the field. They are being silly, jumping around and playing with each other. It is about 440 already and before I know it, they pranced away.
It is now time to end my sit as another hunting day come to an end.
Only 7 more hunting days to go! The weather isn’t looking the greatest! I have to work 2 more days.
Shoot straight y’all!
11/22/20 2nd say of Wisconsin 2020 Gun Deer Season
Up and at it this 2nd day of gun season
It was a little colder this morning and the sun was not as present this morning
As it took most of the morning for the frost to melt off of the world
It was a rather dull morning and very little shots filled the air
Even the birds slept in
It wasn’t freezing out but it was cold
Maybe cold for a girl like me
This was the 1st time using my little buddy in the blind.
It kept us toasty
Oh, the bad timing sometimes
A little buck, a doe, and 2 fawns had paid us a visit, just as I was firing up the old little buddy
They wanted nothing to do with coming in close
Mom was a smart woman
As she knew something wasn’t right
That is all we saw this morning
We headed in around 1030
As the hunting party wanted to do a drive
I did not participate in the drives all the time, long story
But Hailey whom is like 11 or 12 did shoot her first doe, with a perfect shot
I did got out at 2 pm and sit
I sat up on top of a very high hill looking many many miles
It is always windy and cold on this hill if you hit the right wind
Somehow I always hit the right wind or should I say the wrong wind
I used to have a blind in this exact spot
For some reason just never got around to doing it this year
So, I just popped up the ole’ Ghost Blind
Well I saw nothing this night
I did get sprinkled on and even hailed on a bit
And I got plenty of wind burn on my face
I didn’t expect to see much this night
I was hopeful as this spot butts up to woods that I have seen many a deer
Walk in and out of over the last few years
I love sitting in this spot
I can see for miles and miles looking at this beautiful earth
My son advised me that while I was sitting there was more deer action right below my house
then I had seen all night
Day 2 of the in season in the book, only 7 more hunts to go
Shot straight y’all. Make some great memoires
11/21/20 Opening day of Wisconsin Gun Deer Season!
Well the dreaded get up early of opening day, which I manage to not get up one early morning during bow season.
And of course I wasn’t able to fall asleep last night
So, I was running on 4 hrs. of sleep
Marcus may have gotten a tad bit more sleep than me but not much
You do know that there are very special deer opening day of gun season right
More special than deer any other day??? 😊
The walk in was fine, with the usually rushed feeling making sure to get to the blind before it gets light
We had plenty of time to spare, but you don’t know that when you’re walking in, no matter how much time you leave yourself
We got in and settled to hear gun shots in the distance many minutes before opening
I anxiously waited that opening minute, gun in hand ready to see the “BIG GUY”
step from the cover, well shoot he never did, as he usually doesn’t, no matter how much you play the scene over in your head.
I didn’t hold out much hope as the deer movement the last week or so had drastically decreased.
We always play this game when a close gunshot goes off, what neighbor shot it and what bucks was it.
I had to laugh occasionally at the amount of gun shots heard around us
I even joked at some point and asked are there any deer even alive anymore?
I tried to soak in the beauty around me
As the white frost had clung to every inch of the earth
The crystals sparkle so pretty
And with this white pretty frost came complete silence.
I caught myself a few times with a smile on my face recognizing how beautiful this morning was
I found the fog from the ground jumping high into the air very magical and found it fitting for the 1st day of gun season
I was warm enough but usually I always am, I pretty much always over dress
Marcus on the other hand thought it would be cool to just wear a t-shirt under his big orange hunting jacket
Yup caught him a few times shivering
A little doe had come out to the food plot to eat
She strategically hid behind the bush so I couldn’t see her all the time
The birds happen to be busy as the sun start to shine through the clouds
We decided last minute to sit all day
I have not ever done a sit all day
It wasn’t as bad as I thought
Glad I had some water and snacks to hold us over and the company of my man
I choose this man to sit in silence with 10 plus hours in a day, any and every day
It was a long afternoon
As there was little to no movement
Marcus has no problem falling asleep anywhere, any time and got a few cat naps in
I am sure my head hit the floor a few times as well
Around 330 we had some action with a little fella coming into the small food plot
He was such a little buck but so proud
When I look at these little bucks…I think of all the life they have to live and all the fun they have yet to have chasing girls.
He didn’t want anything to do with us, as if he were on a mission
A short while later a 4 pointer came into the food plot
This time this one came within 20 yards, and actually worked the scrape stick we have set up near by
I love watching deer so close in their natural habitat
It was so cool to see him working the branch
He never did spook and just got bored
About 15 minutes later a doe, 2 fawns and a small buck
Are nearby, pretty sure one was a hot doe
I figured they knew something was up when they looked over in our direction,
And did a quick slide under the radar move
You know how them old doe’s are so smart
About 5 to 10 minutes from close we hear close by gun shots
Well one of the girls in our hunting party, Sierra had taken a shot or 2
A small buck, there was potential that this buck might double back and come our way
Well just about a minute before close I have a deer to my left and in front of me, it ducks for cover into the bushes
I could not make out what gender, and it was moving slow but didn’t look injured.
Well its closing and we head back to the Mud Duck
The party had found blood
So, Sierra did get a shot to stick, I am happy for her and say a little prayer that they find her deer
Not knowing if the deer I had seen was the deer they were looking for
I told them where I had seen the deer last go in and to my surprise, what do ya know there he was
They walked right where I told them I had seen the deer and there it was
Glad I was able to help them find it
It was Sierra’s 1st deer/buck and I was happy for her
It was a good 1st day
Weather was nice, sun was out
I had 2 opportunities within shooting range to harvest a small buck.
But we all have the gut feeling, that ah ha moment, that moment in time where we say he’s mine
When I see this deer, I will to take my shot.
In the memory books it shall go as my 1st time sitting all day.
Only 8 more days to go, as I try to remind myself that this 9 day gun season goes pretty fast, so live in the moment.
Saturday November 8 2020
Saturday night hunt with Marcus
Got out in the woods a little later than I like
Lazy Saturday I suppose.
We are the King/Queen of random ground hunting
After all, I did shoot my bow buck last Friday from the ground with less than a 10 yard shoot.
Marcus has a bad knee and had surgery to repair it,
However, he needs the knee replaced and is too young according to the doctors to have it replaced
So, he can no longer climb a tree stand
Well the guy is pretty smart and he over thinks many of things, especially anything hunting
But he does know what he is doing
So, he picked out a really cool place to sit at the edge of the marsh
Oh, and if you read my blog from yesterday
I could handle this walk
Cut beans to my left, tall grass to my front, a tree to my back, and tall grass to my right
My front and right beyond is all marsh
It a small hidden field, well not really a field, I don’t know how to explain it.
Last year we cut it and made a food plot
This year time got the best of us.
We nestled into a bush and put up the good old Ghost Blind.
Using the blind has been by trial and error
Marcus kept eye to the right and I to the left
Those same flock of black birds from yesterday flew all around the sky
Here and there and everywhere
With all the tall grass around me
I had hoped I would look up and see a big rack appear above the grass,
Well no such luck. Not a single deer was seen
A whole bunch of ducks flew out form the marsh at a few minutes before closing
For sure teal and wood ducks.
The weather again was beautiful
Marcus loves to hunt and he loves BIG BUCKS,
So, I said a little prayer the BIG BUCK makes an appearance.
Cuz my man needs to get a BIG BUCK
The day light is getting shorter and that makes me sad
Day light saving time is not my friend.
As I love to hunt in the evenings
Ahhh probably will go out tomorrow!
Shoot straight!
Friday November 6 2020
I have been looking forward to this hunt all week
As it has been a whole week since I have been out hunting
Oh, wait I don’t need to hunt right now
I got me a big buck
However, going out hunting even if it’s not my hunt
Is as rewarding as if I were hunting myself
I love being outdoors
So, another Friday night hunt it is
This time Marcus had the bow in his hands
He said he had a new place to sit, I mean I trust him with my life 🙂
At 1st he just wanted to old school ground sit
But I said let’s take the Ghost Blind
Some cover is better than none
Well the walk in was horrendous
The field we thought was half plowed
Was fully plowed
You ever walk the edge of a farm field
Were the field meets the grass
Horrible especially for a girl that had ankle surgery this past year
I was carrying a hunting chair with no strap
I have carried this chair before and it sucks
I know my arm strength is weak
Thanks for the reminder that I am a wimp
So, the chair got the best of me
Plus, I carried the Ghost Blind, I have not broken down and bought the backpack for it yet
But the thing is awkward to carry
Long walk over
I can’t even tell you how far that walk was
But I never wanted to walk it again
I thought of how I could get back with out going back the way I came
Marcus had picked a spot on the bottom of a huge bean field(that was tilled up already)
This bean field butts up to marsh and lots of cattails
Next to an ancient huge tree, which I have always been fond of
I knew this to be a promising spot
As over the years I have seen many a deer here
Once we got settled in it didn’t take long for a deer to be spotted in the field over to our left
Far away for sure
Then another comes out in front/left of us
From the cattails
100 yards would be my guess
I don’t know my yards from feet, so who knows
The weather was so nice 70 degrees for sure
It was nice to bask in the warm air
As I know soon it will be gone
I spot a flock of birds over head
This turned out to not be a normal flock
I am assuming they are blackbirds, red wing black birds, and grackles
Their flight in the sky went on for over 10 minutes
10 minutes of continuous flight of birds
Like I said I haven’t seen this type of migration for over 10 minutes ever.
I notice a doe cross the bean field diagonally
To our side of the field
They seem to be all congregating to the same area
There must be an area in the beans yet for them to eat
All does no bucks
Its closing now and we must pack up
A few does are still down the tree line from us eating
Which leads to a tricky pack up
As I am standing up now
And I see the deer(big deer)
To me left, over in the direction of the does, in the field beyond
Binoculars up
Big Buck
Marcus got a good look too
Big Buck
Its past dark but his rack is big enough to make out
We think it is BUD, he has a real tall rack
He slowly walks up the tree line at the end of the field
Of course, on the other property
He then turns around and walks back
He has his eyes on the does that have been in the field with us most of the night
It was a nice sit
Saw my biggest buck of the season so far
The walk back killed me and I had to draw inner strength
To keep my sanity on the way back
I really just wanted to scream and cry out loud
Instead I screamed and cried on the inside
And it was loud
About halfway back I had to dig deep
Mind over matter
Boots to the ground
Focus it will end and it did
I really liked the spot we sat in
It covered a lot of area and I could see lots of land
So much possibility in this spot.
Oh and I cant wait to see how sore my body is in the morning!
Shot straight! !
Just a typical Friday
I had flexed time during the week to get done early from work to get a jump start on my Friday night hunt.
I have not missed a Friday night in 7 weeks.
I had thought to go out Saturday morning to my Radix Blind, so I didn’t want to over hunt that area tonight, so I thought we should go back to where Marcus had hunted the night before.
I had hoped that the buck Marcus had seen the night before might make a special appearance.
We got a later start than I would have liked.
This was the 1st night that Marcus and I would hunt together this bow season.
We Mud Ducked(4 wheeler) down the road and up to the hill.
Oh, the walk….I repeat that again…….. oh, the walk
Thru that long long green hay field.
I am not a fan of long walks to a blind. Or long walks in general.
I always seem to become a sweaty hot mess by the time I get to the area I want to sit.
Plus, to top it off I am carrying my crossbow on my back and a heavy hunting chair all the way across the field.
Marcus had to carry his hunting chair and the Ghost Blind.
By the time I got to our location my back was on fire from pain, but I consider myself a STRONG WOMAN.
Anyways, we both get settled in, I sat behind the Ghost Blind and Marcus nestled in way behind me in the bush.
Marcus choose to not hunt tonight, and just hang out with me; we do that sometimes. Or rather he does that sometimes as he works very hard to set me up for success.
He was going to do a little calling for me here and there.
I am hunting in the Ghost Blind and I am still trying to adapt to the blind, trying to learn the techniques of hunting behind it. I have only used it 4 times so far.
There were a few blind spots I was not too happy about.
But you know how that goes once your set up, your set up.
I would have to adapt.
I will save the Ghost Blind story for another post
At 431 pm there was a doe up on the hill in the bean field
I figured she had come from the top of the hill, where Sam, Marcus’s cousin was sitting in the woods
In a tree stand up in the valley hundreds of yards away.
I figured he kicked her up.
For the next hour it was quiet.
In the distance the combine was cutting beans towards our house
There was little to no wind, so still. The weather was enjoyable.
The corn stalks did not move and I could hear the wings from the birds over head
As they flew into the bush all around us.
A blue jay here and a cardinal there.
A few morning doves flew up from the corn field in front of me
I though that might be a sign of movement in the corn field, nothing though
It had to be about 5:30 pm and Marcus had said my name from behind me
I looked back at him to see what he wanted; his eyes pointed to me in the direction of the corn field.
I can read them there eyes to mean deer over there.
The blind is blocking my front view (still trying to adapt to the blind)to the corn field so I had no clue what he was seeing
However, as I looked to my right thru the shooting hole in the blind there is a BUCK, a nice buck about 20 yards out
It was a nice rack to my standards and so I pondered the theory could this be MY RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Closest buck I have had in the last 8 weeks
In all the years of hunting this was the 1st time I had consciously made the decision
That I was going to shoot this buck, LORD willing!
I have passed Bucks up before; you know how that goes
It wasn’t the right BUCK for me.
So, this here buck is to my right. 20 yards out.
I had actually used the range finder on this exact old wooden post in the ground earlier.
All I can see out of the shooting hole was a head, ears, and antlers
I knew I had to be stealthy to get my bow up and in position without him seeing me.
He never did turn his back at me.
I always thought if I had to raise my bow to a deer that I would see him coming and long have my bow ready to go. I could prepare, plan it out ahead of time.
Guess it doesn’t always go the way it plays out in my head a dozen times.
I could not see his body at this time, I am pretty sure he wasn’t concerned about me and more about the beautiful hot doe he was following around. Hmmm wonder where she went.
I thought the buck was gonna go straight to my right up the hill and outta sight. At this point Marcus doesn’t not know why I am raising my bow for, he figures maybe I will shoot the doe or maybe he thought there was a buck with that doe, come to find out that he had no idea a buck had walked out from the corn
All he saw was a doe that stepped out of the corn, looked in our direction and turned right back around. He had no clue that I never seen the doe he had saw.
Well that Buck did a 180 and walked right to the front of my blind.
The way this played out in the next minute was crazy, I got this buck right in front of my blind, 10 yards
And I can’t see him, blocked by the blind. I mean the blind did its job, perhaps poor placement on my part.
At this point Marcus gives out MEHHHH, mind you I cannot see the buck in front of me.
I am unable to get him in the opening in front of me
So, all I had was “HOPE”, hope he took 3 steps further to the opening I had my bow pointed out
Then it happened, he took those 3 steps, he should have been long gone, but he took those 3 steps.
I have no idea when I took the safety off, no idea that there was lines in the scope I was suppose to line up, no time to breath, BAM
Made contact, just a hair high would be my guess, he was a lot closer than I thought
But who thinks at this time. Marcus always told me to watch where the deer goes, its important.
I felt confident the arrow went in. No doubt in my mind.
I watched him run down the hay field into the corn, jump up and down the length of the field an as he exited the field I see his one last jump and he was gone, disappeared.
He should have kept running straight ahead up the hill thru the beans to the other side, but I never saw him again.
I continued to watch for movement but none, I was excited.
I felt as though MY BUCK had taken his last breath in that vey place. I am a good Christian girl and prayed for a quick and painless death and a joyous transition the to BUCK HEAVEN!
I started packing up, but Marcus told me just to chill, that I had to give him time……I ain’t got no time…..I just shot a buck.
I packed everything up and Sam stopped his hunt to come down to help.
Marcus began looking for blood as did I, but we didn’t find any! Was there supposed to be blood????
He also looked by the corn field, no blood! Oh great….no blood!
The hay is green and short, now I started to doubt myself. Marcus of course jokes, hope the RAGE opened up, you know you hear those stories. Really guy!
I decided to send the guys on their merry way to search for my buck.
I walked back thru that long long field to get the Mud Duck and pack everything up. Yes, it was a long walk as I prayed we would find my buck.
As I walked back, I walked next to the corn field, just to look for blood. I thought he went in further down the field and he did.
I found blood, lots and lots of blood, sprayed all over the corn stalks.
I tried calling Marcus on my walk back, 3 or 4 times, I figured he had his phone on silent.
He finally picked up and I told him that I had found blood.
What a relief.
He said to bring the Mud Duck and then walk up by them.
They were standing about right where I had last saw “MY GUY”.
Yup that is his name “MY GUY”
So, I figured they were waiting for me to confirm exactly where I had last saw him.
Well, I get there and they tell me that they found blood and the trail that he came out of from the corn field.
Sam said he was going to go look down by the corn for blood
Marcus and I walked the bank trying to look for any signs
I didn’t take but 3 steps and there he was down the slope
At the edge of the corn field, he looked so peaceful.
Here was right where I last saw him
He tried to jump the little hill and ran out of blood.
Them guys…..they had already found him prior to me getting there, but they wanted me to be able to find MY GUY on my own.
He is a beautiful buck. The 1st thing I did was say a prayer and thanked MY GUY for his sacrifice.
I feel very blessed, blessed beyond words. I finally did it. The right place and the right time finally happened. Do you know how hard it has been for me to find the right place and the right time and to not give up HOPE??????
I take no pleasure in the kill itself.
I am extremely thankful to be given the experience and be able to provide food for my family.
I pay no attention to the stats; all I know is he had 9 points, a 13 inch spread and weighed roughly 135.
He has a sparkling light coat, a nice white patch, and cute little white patches on his feet.
4 years bow hunting and this is my 1st harvest. I hit it hard this year because I had switched jobs and didn’t have the time off like I am used too.
This was my 8th day in a row sitting out.
My heart is happy and my soul content.
When I hunt I take pleasure in being out in nature spending time with GOD and his beautiful creatures.
Its nice to get the monkey off my back so to speak and to put some food in the freezer.
Getting to experience this hunt with my love, Marcus by my side means the world to me as he has been by my side for the last 4 years cheering me on, keeping up my hope, providing his expertise and working the calls.
Thank you Sam and Marcus for getting him home for me.
I have officially joined the tagged out club and I could not be more proud.
The top 3 pictures are of the deer I walked in on while I was walking to my stand. The 4th picture is of 2 one years old, the doe on the right is in heat right now. The 5th picture, not that you can see it but one of them is the little buck walking up to the HOT doe.
10 Sit
Saturday October 25, 2020
Didn’t accomplish much for a Saturday
I guess you have those days every once in a while.
Boy did the day off go fast because before I knew it, it was late afternoon already.
I don’t normally hunt 2 nights in a row
Much less in the same place
But the wind just wasn’t right for anywhere else
And there was a call for rain/snow on Sunday
So I had made the decision to not hunt Sunday, but Saturday
Marcus finally came out hunting tonight
The Ghost Blind had arrived and he was goanna try that.
Marcus has not been too thrilled with the current situation
With the river flooding and flooding our land
As this limits access to out hunting land, hunting options, and wildlife movement
So, Marcus has been a little down on his luck
It didn’t take much arm twisting to get him to go
I helped him get set up a little and then he told me to go to my blind, as we were a little late getting to the woods.
I like to get in a certain time.
The water puddles have went down a little from yesterday and the walk in was silent
I think of Marcus sitting back there as I walk in, hoping he is able to distract his running mind for awhile and hope he enjoy the hunt, the quiet and peace being outdoors offer his busy mind.
As I curved the small filed I walked up on a doe as I was walking in
I immediately stopped for at least 5 minutes, thinking at some point she would trot off
Nope, she didn’t move, basically went about her business while keeping and eye in my direction.
I was able to get picture and a video before
I made the decision to move and allow to her to be scared off
She made her snort wheeze and away she trotted.
Had I been in my blind already she would have come into the field by my blind
As I approached my blind, I hated the thought that there would be deer in the food plot on the other side of my blind and of course there was.
4 deer, doe and fawns
We had a stare off for the next 5 minutes
I knew I had to eventually get in my blind
So, I moved slowly, closer to the steps and took one step at time very slowly
They just kept watching as I was there but not really
Once I got to the platform to enter my blind and started unzipping the door they disappeared
Once I got all settled I figured my chances of seeing deer the rest of the night
Was ruined by the deer I scared away on my way in
There was little wind and the air around me seemed still and at peace.
I kept thinking and hoping that Marcus might be seeing some action
As it was his 1st time out, reluctantly.
Eventually the group of 4 I kicked up returned to the field
They would go out of sight and come back a few times in the next hour
I basically had deer to watch all night
About 5:55 I had a little doe to my right
I have not had much movement on this little food plot
However, this is my best shooting option
The doe was at least 50 plus yards away, it was small and payed no attention to me as she walked away
The group of 4 eventually shifted out of sight
Within minutes they were back and this time much closer, maybe 50 yards
Closest they have ever been in all my hunts
I notice a larger bodied deer in the middle of the field
Well wouldn’t ya know it, we got ourselves a little buck, he would munch a little on the field
But he was most interested in the HOT young doe near by
I always find it quite intriguing
Watching buck behavior during the rut
The buck wasn’t very big as I had a hard time trying to make out at first he was a buck, the darkness didn’t help.
A little 4 pointer
I think it mysterious the way bucks look when they are walking towards you,
And even more so when a buck is walking straight towards you on a mission, but really walking straight towards a HOT doe.
I am pretty sure she had no interest as she ran away every time.
It occurred to me that Mr. Little Buck might actually walk over by me.
But who was I fooling he was chasing a girl.
Closing time had arrived.
Them deer were still in the field as I packed up.
I packed up slowly to not scare them
They were gone by the time I left
Walked back to help Marcus pack up and he was out waiting for me.
He didn’t see anything and I told him all about my hunt on the way back to the Mud Duck
Of course, this time Marcus drove so we didn’t get stuck on the hill on the way out
We put the finishing touches on our supper of Beer Cheese Soup and Bacon, Cheddar, and Beer sloppy Joes.
Mighty tasty for sure
I was glad Marcus finally got out there. I felt it was a pretty good hunt.
We did discuss changing up some trail cameras tomorrow as we didn’t have any camera on the food plot exclusively.
Until next time….shoot straight…… its almost ruttin time.
9th Sit
Friday October 24, 2020
It had rained and misted a majority of the day
Not a peek of sunshine from the heavens
Ohhhh and the wind raced freely thru space every which way
Plus, it was a tad bit cold
Fridays are always a long day at work
Even when you work from home
The taste of 2 days off and the thought of fresh air and hunting do a good job teasing the mind.
Its 4:15, just logged off the ole work computer and I am flying around the house trying to get ready
Well most things are already ready.
As the days get closer to the time change the less time I have in the stand
Here we go!
I parked the Mud Duck further back this time
So, I had a longer walk
I had worn my rubber boots for the walk in
I figured with all the rain we had, I would run into muddy travels
Well I ran into so much more
Puddles, lots and lots of water
In the lower land area
Sometimes way above the ankle of my boots in several areas
Now I am glad I wore the rubber boots
Thinking to myself, Dang girl you got some smarts
I wasn’t expecting the amount of water I saw
This water was not from flooding from the river
As it does a few times a year
The water was a bit disheartening
But it’s the nature of the beast.
My blind had water on the floor
I often wonder where it comes from as it is
But it sure did wind and rain the other night
An enclosed insulated blind
But where there is a will there is away
It was a windy, wet overcast afternoon
And I feel the evening would not produce much activity
About 5:00 Mr. Raccoon
Came out from the tree area and wander off thru the field right in front of me
At 5:02, 3 deer are to the left of me, Mom and 3 fawns
Eating in the big food plot
At 5:13, a doe walked out to my left out into the big food plot
This is a popular food plot since I started hunting
Anyways, the doe coming from this area had me thinking
Where that doe came from is a flooded ditch, so I wondered how it got there
Jump the ditch suppose.
Anyways it was neat to watch this doe come into the food plot and how the mother and fawns
Interacted with her
They sure did keep their distance from one another, but I wondered why they couldn’t be friends
But I suppose a mother needs to protect her young
A short time later
I see another doe enter the field from my far far left
It certainly was small and all alone
These deer munched on food in the plot for the next 15 minutes or so
By this time, I am distracted by the sound of four wheelers on the road
Probably the neighbors
But they had successfully managed to disturb the deer and they disappeared
I had hoped the four wheelers would not make their way back by me
Well they better not and should now better
But the sure did screw around and disturb my sound of silence for the next 5 minutes or so
I mean going down the road and back is one thing
But I felt it was so much more
And I can respect that boy need play
I could feel my blood pressure raise
I figured I didn’t have a chance to see much the rest of the night
As I sat enjoying the peacefulness
I notice how unusually quite it is
I also notice this on my walk in
I contribute the silence to the wet ground
Everything was soaked and nothing was made a sound
No rustling of the leaves and grass
Just complete quiet
I found this silence quite eerily, but almost soothing to my soul
Around 6 the big grand owl behind me on the tree line
Gave a few hoots as the light eases into darkness
About 6:10 the deer are back in the food plot to my left
I only see 4, but who knows how many there are
As I cannot not see the entire curve of the field
As I watch the darkness grab the light by the hand
I watch as the deer in the food plot stand at attention
They are looking straight ahead of themselves
Well out comes a deer from the left behind me, in front of them
Again, I wonder where they come from, as they have to cross the water/ditch in order to get to the food plot
The ditch is overflowing from all this rain
It is now well past closing time
I quietly zipper up the window facing the deer and slowly pack up
Trying my hardest to not make much noise
As I am sure any minute I will spoke them
I unzip the door and peak my head out, hoping they had departed the food plot
Nope they did not
I released the cross bow
Below my blind
This time thinking
They would hear this and leave
Nope they are still there
I now see 2 large deer figures walk out to the tall grass
From that ditch area
I was not able to see any horn
I did manage to get a glimpse in the binocs
By the time I was all packed up and ready to step out of the blind
The field was full of deer
I am talking 10 plus deer
I could make out some pretty big bodies
The field was littered with bodies.
I tried to be as quiet as possible
Zippering up the door and climbing down the ladder
But they paid me no attention
As they all remained in the field eating. I was able to walk away from my blind
And they didn’t know, no different.
I was pretty impressed I managed to be so quiet as to not scare then off
The walk out was dark
Which made the walk rough
As I had to walk through the water again, this time there appeared to be more
Mud than my way in
Or perhaps I just found the muddy areas this time
I was smart this time driving out
I put the Mud Duck in four wheel drive before I left
As the last 2 times I got stuck and had to back up and put her in 4 wheel drive and then go
Darn I am smart didn’t get stuck this time
The buck movement so far on camera has been minimal, but a good night hunting
Is not measured by the antlers I see
I got to see lots of deer tonight and I was fascinated by their behavior as they mingled with other deer.
They temp are dipping tonight
Once I got back home, I was getting out of my hunting gear and
I thought I would have to wear my
One rubber boot in the house
As I could not get it off,
I have a bad foot/ankle and could not find the strength to pry it off my foot
Nothing a few choice words didn’t cure
Fish, potatoes and zucchini for supper
The story of my night shared with the guys(you too Dad)
Dad, you will find the humorous in this……..
20 minutes after I left the blind
I had a buck on camera
A nice one, I think the one I had seen a few hunts back
Definitely a shooter
In the very food plot that all those deer where in when it was closing time
I wonder now as I look at that big rack
Was he out there, when I was there?
The heart feels a little heavy(you know that feeling)
Seeing him on camera, so close yet so far way
Until next time…shoot straight…its almost ruttin time!