The weekend after the previous story, I went out hunting again. This time I had a coworker with me named Steve. We drove up in his truck and stayed at the cabin. Friday late in the afternoon we got a stand up out at Tracey's in the north triangle woods. Steve sat in the stand while I sat on the edge of the field (playing the wind -not in a likely spot to shoot something) to see what came out so we could set up better the next night. I saw lots of deer, I quit counting after 40. I only counted that high cause I told Steve that I'd see about that many.
Steve saw quite a few of them, but nothing in range. I didn't see anything come out worth using someone else's tag on. Dark came and we went to the cabin. Steve grilled some duck he shot last weekend for our supper.
Saturday we woke up to snow on the ground. This is perfect I thought. Time to try still hunting! We went back out to Tracey's and still hunted south of the farm. Steve went to the South end and headed N through the middle. I hugged the river and went S from the farmstead. I spooked a deer as soon as I crested the dike. I crossed the ditch and was slowly entering the woods when a small doe got up 25 yds in front of me. It stretched and walked behind a tree away from me. I squatted down and waited for it to move on so as not to spook it. But it didn't go far. It was milling around and came back towards me. I was sneeking a bit closer hoping to get into shooting range, but it caught me. So then I played on it's curiosity to get it back within 35 yards, but no shot. Eventually it decided my hand flapping in the wind wasn't all that interesting and wandered off. I moved slowly and gave it a wide berth so as not to spook any deer ahead. I worked my way through some promising looking spots hoping to spot a bedded deer (or at least spook em to Steve). The conditions were great. The snow was melting off, so it was wet and quiet, but enough remained to spot deer. About an hour and a half into it, I spotted Steve and turned toward him till he spotted me. I turned around and we both headed north back towards the truck. I watched a deer get up between us and look toward Steve. I was about 50 yards away and made it 10 closer before it wandered off. Probably the same yearling doe as before.
Back at the truck we decided to move Steve's stand to another trail a bit further south where we thought a large percent of the deer had come out last night. We then headed back to camp for lunch and to switch into wamer clothes for the evening. I decided to sit at the end of the ditch dump road a mile west of the cabin to see what was near home, while Steve went to his stand. I saw eight deeracross the field, one was a small buck. Steve had a wild time stating that he had never before seen so many antlered deer at once. A group of bucks came running in on him and milled around his stand a while just out of bow range. At one point a small buck came snifing under is stand and Steve leaned over and spit. The buck looked up just in time to have the spit hit him between the eyes. The buck looked up for a while then wandered off. A while later a pickup scared several deer out of the field and past him. One was a nice ten point, but it wasn't about to slow up for a shot. Steve was very excited and called the wife, getting permission to stay for sunday. We went to Dave's for the evening. Dave enjoy steve's fun hunting experience and of course had a few for us. Very good times had by all.
Sunday found us at dave's for a quick shower, then church, then.....hmmmmm
We set up a stand for me just N of the farmstead, and steve went out to his. I watched several deer cross the small field behind me toward steve. Then I spotted a critter coming at me from the east. It looked like a large cat or small coon, but moved a bit different. It took a while to get it in the binocs as it russled through the grass. It was a fisher. It wsa about 50 yds away and turned back to the east and ran off. I thought, Lord, it would make my day to see that critter up close, right there. Then I went back to watching deer. One doe grunted near me, so I mimicked the sound. It looked toward me and grunted twice more. It's fawn ran up to it from across the field and tried nursing. They moved on and my attention turned to a deer a bit further north. It was intent on something to it's east. Hmm must be the fisher again I thought. Sure enough it came along near me after a bit. It sniffed along several downed logs working its way toward me. It came 10 yds from my stand and stopped right There. I chattered at it like a squirrel and it looked up at me. It then worked its way off to the east again still hunting for mice. A while later I chucked to myself as I watched a squirrel cut the fisher's scent trail. I always love watching animal's reactions. Natually, the squirrel shyed away and cautiously worked its way to safety. I was well pleased with my hunt and took down my stand at dark and went to the truck.
Steve came along after a bit and told his tale. He watched a buck pass by to his north and stop near the field edge. He broke out his grunt tube, and soon had the buck coming to investigate. It came withing 20 yds, but wouldn't look away. Eventually it glanced toward the field and he started to draw. Unfortunately the ten point looked back too quick and caught the movement. Steve let down slowly, but never got another opportunity to draw.
Both Steve and I were pretty excited about the events of the weekend. We were standing by the truck slappin each other on the back saying "That was awesome!" Then the coyotes started howling acrost da crick. We just laughed and howled back. What a great weekend.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
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