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2nd Sit

Sun is out today! There is a deer over there, I promise!

Friday September 18 2020 2nd weekend after opening day.

The work week much less the workday couldn’t get over quick enough.  Even if I was working at home today, plus Marcus was on his day off.

I was totally pumped because the big buck was on camera in the vicinity of my blind late last night

I was hoping he hung out in the area and bedded down close by

But in all reality I knew he had moved over to the next field, through the huge corn field

And through the swamp and onto the neighbor’s woods, because if I were him that is what I would do

4:15 rolled around and I am flying around the house, trying to make sure I didn’t forget anything.

Ok what do I need to hunt:

Bow check

Arrows check

Backpack check

Release arrow check

Binoculars/range finder check

Bottle water check

Camo fleece check

Cloths, hat check

Boots don’t forget to take off the camo sandals check

Check I think I have everything

Ohhhh wait SD cards, got to check the trail camera on my way out

It was a chilly day……I mean sunny just a cool breeze

I think I am ready………..Marcus send me off with a kiss and a shoot straight comment

I hop in the mud duck(four wheeler)

As I drive down the road

I make a mental note to create a word document………Of the things I need for my hunts

Engine roaring

Fresh cool breeze on my face

Driving fast as the wind flows through my hair

Driving the mud duck down the road always feel so good

Speed, freedom, the rush, open air

Ahhhh!

The road into my stand was dry……..Sure, was glad to so that

Last week I drove through water…….It was flooded last week

Flooding drives the deer away

And that is always a fear this time of year

And the grassy drive wasn’t as muddy as I thought it would be

Actually, the whole curve was dry

Parked in front of the big bush so the deer can’t see the mud duck

Last time the area where I parked was flooded

Time to get ready…….Be quite I tell myself

Putting my pack back on is always a treat

Each time I do it

it gets easier…….It just heavy to toss over my back

Oh, the bugs were horrible…….skeeters I assume

Or some bug with wings………Swarms

Just tons of swarms as I walk in

I wonder why I didn’t  get out the thermal cell

And put it in my backpack yet

I always creep quietly to my blind

As I have to walk the outer edge on the big food

 To get to my blind

No other way to get there

Need to be quiet

The bedding area is on the other side of me

Grounds drier from last weekend

Food plot looks nice

I am about to make the curve to my blind

I always sneak because I walk right up on a small food plot

Don’t want to scare anything……All clear

Blind was a little warm

No puddles this time…….Getting all settled in

Shortly after I got in

Around 452 pm

Mom and fawn walk out into the big food plot

Near where I 1st walked in

They came from the cattails on the river side

Mom and fawn ate in the field for over a half hour

Up on that same notch as last time

I don’t think they saw me I mean they ate in the field for over a half hour

but Mom is smart she knows something is off

Ahhh the blind windows are open……..Moms aren’t stupid

Saw nothing for the next hour

But I sat their mesmerized by watching the flock of birds

Several flocks of blackbird I assume

Fly through the air

In their synchronized flight

Hundreds of them

Breaking into smaller flocks

And then I would see the bigger one

And wonder why they don’t all hook up together

They just flew all around above the cattails

Occasionally I would spot a lone bird

And wonder what flock he is trying to catch up too…….And what he is thinking

I wonder what all these birds flying in a synchronized dance…….Are thinking

And I am so content thinking about the birds

Such a peacefulness……that I actually smile

4 sandhills came into the big food plot

They had a little snack and walked to the cattails

Towards the ditch

I was trying to check for the injured one I had seen last week

As that was traumatizing to me

It could have been with that group……..They are gone now

Ohhhh and that darn cat bird tweeted almost the whole time

They birds were very active this evening

The sun was bright

And as I looked towards the sun I could see all the skeeters/bugs flying

Strangely the skeeters/bug did not bother me in the blind at all

So many bugs that it filled the air above the small food plot

It was quite a sight…….I wonder what kinds party theses bugs were having

About an hour in the winds picked up

And I was cold

Oh, wait I hear an owl in the distance

Back to being cold of course I didn’t take my fleece out of my backpack

When I first got in the blind like a responsible hunter

because I figured I would be fine

Nope I got really chilly

The wind was brisk

And I had at least an hour to sit yet

And didn’t let up

Mom and fawn came back out to the big food plot around 7

Made their way back over to that nob

They didn’t stay long

But soon they trotted away back into the cattails or bedding area and outta sight

It is getting close to closing time

As the sun goes down and nightfall creeps up

And you know in the back of your mind any second now a buck could peak his rack out

My heart skips a few beats over these next minutes

Waiting and watching

It always seems as though time stand stills during these last minutes towards closing time

And not a sound is made in the whole area around me

Eerily quiet and peaceful

In those minutes leading up to closing time

It is getting close

I look to the small field

And there is a doe

Barley visible with the darkness behind her

We made a brief eyeing and she trotted away

Baby was in front of her, but I missed baby cross the field

I sat the last few minutes…….And then its quitting time

Reminding myself the whole time I am packing up to not forget to check the cameras before I go

Packing up is always a chore and most night I am a hurry to get going

As supper is waiting and there are chores to be done

And I have been gone for a few hours

I don’t like that closing time right now is so late

By the time I walk out and drive home it will be close to 8

But nights, like tonight

There is not work tomorrow

Chores can wait until tomorrow

The weekend is here…….No real urgency……

I always feel a little more peace in my soul these nights

The fellla’s are back at home and chili is cooking

Which I was looking forward to as it was a slight brisk sit

I get back to the house to give my full report

I didnt see much

But there is no bad day in the woods

And I am reminded of my many blessings.

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Opening day!

A few pictures from my hunt! Not the best pictures when I am trying to go undetected!

 
 

Saturday September 12, 2020

1st sit

Opening day has arrived

I don’t normally sit in September

But I switched jobs earlier this year

Which resulted in Iess time off this year

Long story

Anyways

Let face it I am not a fan of getting up early to go out hunting

I mean there are days that I will but most I won’t

Why you ask, well I do things that make me happy

1st off there is nothing appealing to me to get up that early to hunt

It throws my whole days off for the rest of it anyways

Usually I will be so tired and less motivated

In return getting nothing accomplished

And let’s face it I have enough lazy days already

Maybe morning hunts are appealing to others

I don’t feel any less of a hunter because I do not get up in hunt mornings

I will once the rut begins and a few other days here and there

I am an evening hunter

So, the condition this evening where not ideal

It had misted and sprinkled most of the day

Plus, it had rained the last 3 days

It was hazy and cold

But I was itching to get out there

You know that adrenaline rush

You feel through your bones

Plus, I suppose I was excited to sit in my new blind

I wasn’t even sure I could get to my blind

As the week before the road was flooded

I decided to put on the old waders

And was just going to walk in through the water

Hoping the water hasn’t risen that high since last week

Wasn’t really hoping I would have to do this as I am not a pro walking in waders

Especially Marcus’s waders that are 5 times too big for me

I do not have my own

As walking in water in not something I particularly enjoy

I am not a duck hunter, yet either

As I pull out of the driveway it is misting

Enough as you can see it in the distance

So, it’s a good mist

The drive to my blind is still flooded

But it appears to have went down a bit

So, I drive through the water to get on the other side

So, I can walk to my blind

I parked in front of the bush against my better judgement

As I wanted to park behind

But it was flooded with water

As I ventured in mom and fawn were eating in the big flood plot to me right

They scattered quickly

The ground was mushy

And the skeeters were horrendous

I get to my blind and have to figure out a system as this is the first time

I have sat in a raised blind( I am afraid of heights)

Plus, I have my crossbow backpack on

Eventually I managed to get in the blind and get all set up

I was in the blind by 5(why so late you ask, that another blog entry for another day)

At 630ish a doe walked across the big food plot 100 yards plus away

 But appears to be on a mission

I assume it was mom from earlier going to find her child.

A short time later 2 sandhills are walking across the big food plot

Looks like an adult and child

The child wing looks hurt

It is acting suspicious

It eventually leaves the adult, which I find strange

And comes straight towards my blind

The wing looks broken

I can hear it making some type on call/noise

it walks right by me and on to the hidden path

No idea where the adult went

The wing looked broke but I am aware that cranes can fake an injury to avoid predators or deterred

Predators from other cranes

So, I wonder what is going on here

If this crane is faking it is a good actor/actress

I say a prayer for the crane

The skies are dark and bleak

And the clouds at times look like a sky will open up and it will storms

It never does

It mists from time to time

I hear noise behind me occasionally

I do not have any windows open behind me as it is all willows and I have no shot

Plus, I don’t want over exposure

I know for a fact that the deer bed in here as well

Hence the location of this blind

This area I am in is the bedding grounds

 for many of fawns over the years

See my other post about my blind(not up yet)

About 15 minutes later child crane and adult walk out on to the small food plot

Hang around for a minute or so and turn around back down the hidden path

I wonder to myself

What is up you guys

About 7 to my right on the other end of the small food plot

I see 2 deer frolicked toward to hidden path

Small deer

Then a doe comes out from the willows to my right

Behind me about 25 yards from the stand

She knows something is different

Something makes a noise below the blind

Its new it is working its kinks out

Well miss doe

Hears the sound and we play a staring game for 5

Well I notice at the back of the small food plot behind ma

There is a fawn eating on the bush

Ma is still standing about 25 yards out

I have no interest in shooting a doe at this point

Finally, baby runs over clumsily

And stands by mom

And then a teenager runs up from the hidden path

The hidden path goes into a hidden field

Obviously

So now I have a teenager, fawn and ma all looking at me

Waiting for me to just screw up enough that I move

Nope sorry not this time

Eventually after 5 minutes or so

They cautiously meander behind my blind and out of site

The teenagers get within 10 feet of me as there is a path in front of my blind

that the deer travel. 

I do not have any windows open to the front of the blind there is a big bush there

And I don’t like to overexpose myself

Plus, there isn’t that great of a shot there anyways

As the teenager gets to the left of the front of the blind he gets skittish and tramps away.

I figured mom and fawn went into the woods to walk around my blind to get to the big food plot

What its getting close to closing time

It is raining now

I start to back up

I won’t shoot a deer in the rain

I fear losing the blood trail

As I walk out the path about 10 feet from my blind towards to big food plot

I am met by a fawn about 10 feet from me

There is no other way to get back to the mud duck

One of us has to move

I stop and we admire each other for roughly 5 minutes

I flail my arms in the air letting baby know a threat is coming

I do this several times

But she just hangs out and looks at me

So, I slowly start walk towards the fawn

And eventually it decided it is time to move

The walk back to the mud duck is long as it is raining now

Not bad for opening day

I saw 5 deer tonight

Any night seeing deer is a good night

Plus, I got to see deer on opening night as well

Back home I share the stories of my hunt

Eat some dinner

Watch a show and off to bed I go.

(sadly, I write this entry a week after and have probably forgotten many a detail, lesson learned)

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Ma and fawn in my backyard!

I got to take a picture of ma and baby in my backyard. we have at least 3 sets of fawns, with one being twins. Ma has been hanging out in the field for awhile know, usually coming out in the same place. I think if I had to guess baby was close by. Soooo glad I was in the right place at the right time!