Posted on

No Deer tonight!

 

 

Friday, October 15th Sit

This is the 1st Friday I have sat out.  I don’t normally sit out Friday night as I work until 4:15 pm and by the time I get home and ready it’s getting late.

I worked from home Friday and I just had the itch at the last moment.

My new enclosed blind!

It was a tad bit windy and cool, but the sun was out.

I sat in my new blind, so the wind didn’t blow my scent into the food plot.

The sit was nice and peaceful and of course, I was hungry because I had just got off of work, I was hoping the guys ran to get me a fish fry before I got home.

The hawk I was watching!

I had the privilege of watching a hawk of some sort fly from spot to spot looking for dinner.

I rarely have a night where I don’t see deer(in all the 6 yrs. I have hunted, I can count on less the one hand the times I have not seen a deer while out hunting).

Tonight…… would be one of those nights….not a deer in sight.

I was surprised, but not disappointed I love sitting outside in the fresh air, enjoying GOD’S beauty.  Any day in the outdoors is a good day.

Of course, the fish fry was splendid.

 

Old Wind Mill I am fascinated with!
Those are geese in the sky!

Posted on

3rd sit

 

Saturday, October 9th, 2021

Put screens up. View of the small food plot.

3rd sit of the season……..

I got a late start to my hunt, the day got away from me as I was trying to conquer some projects before day’s end.

I remember I looked at the clock and it said 415 pm.  I checked the closing time for the night and it said 641 pm….oh heck I gotta get going.

Of course, it’s youth hunt in our area, so I had to make sure I had some blaze orange on….so I had to go rummaging through hunting gear to find something. Time is ticking away!

Gotta love those moments flying around the house trying as fast as ever to get ready and sure as heck not forgetting anything…..like arrows.

I was a tad concerned about the weather as it had hit the high 70’s throughout the day.  I figured it would be a warm sit so, I only wore a t-shirt, certainly not thinking about mosquitoes or getting colder out.  I normally wouldn’t wear a t-shirt, but that was the only blaze orange I could find in a hurry.

I walked in from the back of the property to my blind, normally we have an ATV trail carved out that I would use to walk in, but we haven’t been back in the area with the ATV yet, due to having corn on both sides of the pathway.  So, I had to follow the cow path the deer have made and it was quite an impressive trail.

As I am walking in I immediately question my wardrobe choice, as I now have bare skins showing and a few skeeters chomping at the bit.  And….of course no thermal cell tonight! The walk-in is peaceful and tiring walking through such tall grass.

Once I get to the blind and settled in, I play around with my set-up adjusting windows.  I have only had this enclosed blind for a year.  I have not shot anything out of it.  So, the windows are a work in progress for me.  I am about 5 feet off the ground, so I worry about exposure.

I sat in this blind tonight due to the direction of the wind, I tried to avoid having any scent blowing into the big food plot.

About 5:36 pm I had a Momma and baby in the bean field about 125 yards from my blind. They hung out for a while and meandered on.

I was concerned about heat, but it was not warm and it was quite windy, windier than I expected or like for hunting.  At one point I got a little chilly as the sun went down.

I loved the wind tonight…….as I sat enjoying the peace I thought about bottling the wind for another day, as I was enjoying it way too much. The cool breeze on my face and hair.  I even caught myself a few times closing my eyes and embracing the feeling.

The large food plot! Look at how beautiful that field is.

I hear a lonely goose above, he is honking away as he flies through the sky all alone, I wonder why it is alone and what he is honking about????   Yes, strange things I ponder in my peace.

At approx. 6:32 pm, I lean forward to look around as it is getting close to quitting time and I spy out of the corner of my eye deer, I think 2 doe, they are far back to my right, like I said I had to lean forward and look almost directly back to see them.  I just moved back to my position and let what be….be what it was going to be, never did see those deer again.

 

Well…my hunt is over, the wind had calmed down.  Decide to check 2 trail cameras on the way out.

Of course, only fitting for my life, the SD card I put into the camera, yeah you know how they are spring-loaded, well it jumped out right into the tall grass.  So, imagine this, it’s dark, I have my crossbow backpack on and I am down on all fours rummaging through the grass looking for an SD card.  Very thankful it took me less than 5 minutes to find, with minimal bites and obscenities.

The walkout was brutal and exhausting.  At least I had chicken wings waitin’ for me at home.

 

 

 

New location for the locking branch!

 

Posted on

I see you! A nice quiet night for a hunt!

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.

Posted on

Surprising 6th Sit!

The left bow blind window I opened for the 1st time.
Several of the deer I saw
You cant see them all but they are there.

Saturday October 11, 2020

I didn’t hunt my usual Friday night

We had an appointment in the afternoon

And I did not think I would make it back in time

Well we were back in time but it was windy

I am not a fan of bow hunting in very strong winds

Saturday was sunny for the most part and a little breezy

I had made the decisions early on to go hunting and once I had that in my head

There is no changing that

I was a tad bit worried this would be an uneventful hunt

As the guys had been down on the land mid afternoon

Working on a stand

So, I figure if there was any deer they be gone by know

However, the wind was not right to sit anywhere else

So, I choose to sit in my enclosed blind.

We had gotten the Mud Duck back from the oil change

 I was able to take her to the hunting grounds

I took the back way into my stand

I had to drive through the neighbors back yard

Follow the cornfield around to the bean field

Then thru this small area in a tree line to follow a grassy path around several bean fields

To where I parked the Mud Duck called the cherry trees

I had the thermal cell all fired up already anticipating lots of skeeters

They were not so bad

I hadn’t walked this way yet to my blind

It was a little rough

As had to walk through taller grass and lots of uneven grass

The walk was a little more aggressive than going in the front way, plus let’s face it I ant no model for physical fitness.

I was all settled in a little after 4

Didn’t need the thermal cell as the skeeters were not out due to the wind

I opened a new window this time around, a bow windows to my left.

I attached the picture for you to see

Wasn’t sure how I would shoot out of the window

What kind of shot I would get

But it was another option.

 It was colder and windier than I had expected. 

The wind was really blowing through the window

I ended up closing the left windows about ¾ ways

Which actually worked in my favor

Not only was I warmer, the wind blew less

But the deer I saw later would be less concerned that something was different with my blind because the window wasn’t open. 

I didn’t see anything for over any hour

The birds have migrated

So, I missed watching them dance in the sky

It was a peaceful sit

Except for the tractor far off in the distance doing some harvesting, is my guess

I always find that annoying this time of year, but I get it

I don’t get enough quite time, this is my quiet time

It the only time that the world stops for me

It just sits quietly and still

And I think about nothing, and lord knows there is enough to think about in this world

I even didn’t mind the wind so much as I try to soak up as much fresh air as I can

Even if it triggers an allergy attack.

Finally, 2 deer I can see in the big food plot to my left at 534 pm.

It’s a mom and fawn, came out the same location as always

I figure they must bed in the tree line right up against the cattails

Way too far to shoot

I don’t pay them much attention.

Eventually they get spooked by something coming behind then and trot off

At 550 I realize what spooked them, as I now have 6 deer in the big food plot field to my left

No bucks but a family with littles.

They have come to munch on the food plot.

At 556 pm I see a rather large doe come from the other direction

On the opposite end of the food plot, she must have jumped the ditch

She is alone and moves slowly to the group of six

She nibbles on the goodies in the ground

Eventually she wonders back where she came from

The group of six move to a part of the food plot I cannot see

And a few short minutes later

The mom and fawn I first saw at 550 peek their head out from the cattails

I waited patiently as the sun goes down and darkness overtakes the sky

The party of dear ate in the field until closing time, about an hour.

No big buck wondered my way.

I pack up quietly as the does/fawns eat in the field.

I am all packed up and peek my head out of the blind around 645 pm

And what do I see……a mom and fawn had come out of the willow behind me as I was packing up

And are now eating in the big food plot

50 yards from me

They were never spooked by the noise of me packing up

I waited a while and they never spooked.

I was hungry and had to use the bathroom

I could not wait forever for them to move

So, I slowly got out of my blind, zippered the door closed, climb down the ladder

And left and they were not any the wiser.

Long walk back to the Mud Duck when you’re hungry cold and have to pee.

On my way out I had to try to maneuver back through the maze of fields

To get back home

Got held up on a rock or something through the tree line

Had to try to use the four wheeled drive to get a going

The boys had supper ready when I got home

We had purchased from the fire department fund raiser earlier in the day

Hot dogs, brats, and wings

They were yummy!

All in all not a bad hunt.

Again, any day in the blind is a good day!

Posted on

3rd Sit!

Old School sit!

Saturday September  19 2020

3rd sit

Didn’t want to over hunt my new blind

And the wind wasn’t good for the farm

And we are a little behind with getting the other blinds out

And I really wanted to sit tonight as the weather was nice

And I always enjoy the hunt a tad bit more on a non-work night

And I had made the decisions that I was 90% not going to sit Sunday

Boy that is a lot of ands…..

Decided to go old school tonight

Sitting up on Mueller’s Hill

It’s a very large hill that overlooks 2 huge fields

And a huge marsh/cattails area

Followed by a tree line and then the rock river

This is a very high hill

That overlooks a very wide area.

Which is why I love it here

I can see far and wide

It is so pretty up here and so peaceful

I have been sitting on this hill for the last 5 years

And have seen many of action.

I sit halfway down this field

About a long a foot ball field maybe longer

Under a tree right in the middle of the field

It was good to be back in this little spot.

I have no blind or tree stand here

I prop myself up next to a tree to blend in

Anyways the weather was warm 65ish

But there was a cool light breeze

The hay field had been cut with in the last day or two

It was somewhere between halfway done and done

But omg the bugs

Skeeters I am guess

Swarms every time I stepped

There were so many you could hear them

I was a tad concerned as I did not want to spend my night with

These little assholes

Once I got to me destination yup the skeeters were bad there as well

I hunkered down and got ready for my sit

The skeeters welcomed me for the next 10 minutes or so

I started up the old thermal cell and eventually they all left

I cannot contribute this to the use of thermal cell yet

As it was windy and skeeters I imagine do not like wind

Plus, the lack of movement by myself may have tamed them down

I had a straggler here and there but for the most part

I was not bothered by the wicked pains

But kept the old thermal cell roaring

At 5 I can hear my good old friend owl in the distance

I love to hear owls……As it is a call I don’t hear very often

I find owls quite remarkable…….And wish I saw more of them

It was a around 530 that I spotted a mom and twins way down in the bean field

The beans are tall right now and the little munchkins could barely see over the top

But they ran and frolicked like children up, down, and  around the bean field for over an hour

As I watch the children play them der catbirds sing the distance

And at one point in the tree right next to me

A bird is quite angered that I am sitting here

That it screams at me for about 10 minutes

I am enjoying the crisp air

And looking down over the marsh at the beauty

Soaking in the change of the season that is underway

How green turns to brown in that ever so changing color.

Glad that my allergies are not acting up

Which I found very interesting

however I know I will pay for it tomorrow

It is getting close to closing time

My eyes on full alert

Knowing that this sit was more of a scouting mission than a hunt

As there has not been much trail camera activity in the area lately.

So, no big buck did make a presence

How ever a few minutes till closing time

2 racoons investigated the field below me

Having no idea that I am there.

Closing time…..I start to pack up……Taking care to be quite

So as not to disturb the raccoons

But the racoons don’t care or know I am here

They go about their business

I am all pack up and ready to walk back

I do a once over of the field

And I see a shadow by the woods

I could barely make it out through my binoculars as the woods behind is way too dark

I was able to see short antlers

A young man would be my guess

I watch him for a while and I think he sees me and turn and walks the other way

So, I leave for my long walk back through the field

The raccoons are not concerned as they continue on with their shenanigans

As I am walking just a few short steps from them

Guess the camo works

I get about a quarter way down the field and turn around

I always turn around a few times on my walks out

You never know what is back there

Well shit

That buck I thought turned and walked the other way

Was walking behind me

I can still barley make him out but he just walking almost right behind me

On the same path through the field

But he is still a way back

I turned to continue on

Because the skeeters have awoken from their slumber

As I turned off the field  onto the dirt road I looked back for a once over

And the buck was gone

It was a nice little sit

And I embraced it as I had in the back of my mind

That it will be a few days before getting to hunt again

Not one skeeter bite

Once I am home supper is ready

And I always enjoy telling the guys of my tails when I got back to the house

Ahhhh now it’s time to relax

And appreciate GODS many blessings!

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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)