It had rained all day yesterday, and most of last night.
This morning I settled into my local ground blind about 6:45am. The woods were dripping wet, dark, silent, and chilly. Suddenly; "Ka-Ploosh --- Ka-Ploosh". I could not see anything in the dark, but I knew that sound. A beaver in the creek nearby must have heard me settling in and smacked its flat tail on the surface of the creek either because I had startled it, or it was just nervous about my presence.
By 7am there was enough light for me to see the trees near me. Then; "Whoosh. Whoosh." A deer had come down from somewhere north of me, hit the trail that I had just walked in on, and catching my scent it immediately sounded it's loud, sneezing-like alarm. It continued to call the alarm as it ran off. I couldn't see it, but I heard it as it ran for a long way.
About ten minutes later I saw an apparition, ghost-like, drifting down the bluff, through the pale skeleton trees on the other side of the creek. When it came to a stop in the open beside London Creek, I could see that it was a deer. However, in the dim light I could not tell if it bore antlers or not. It stood there for a moment or two, scanning the forest around it, then it stepped into the creek.
It emerged on my side of the creek and stopped to poop at the end of one of my cleared shooting lanes. I thought I saw the gleam of polished antlers over its ears, but I wasn't sure. I cocked my long rifle and pointed it at the deer, but there wasn't enough daylight to clearly see the gunsights.
The deer moved on. When it passed in front of a large oak that stood out in the gloom because of its light gray bark; then I saw antlers. Not big, only maybe a fork-horn, or maybe a 6-point. But, I still couldn't see my sights very well. Nevertheless, my finger was tightening on the trigger when the buck disappeared through the underbrush.
Nothing else moved until some birds fluttered through around 9am. Sparrows, kinglets, and a titmouse.
At 9:45 a little doe appeared in the open spot on the other side of London Creek. She poked around for several minutes and then ambled on up the bluff and out of my sight.
After that, I packed up my gear and walked the 1/4 mile back to my house for coffee and to warm up. It was a good morning.
Due to the holiday and family things, I won't be back in the woods until next week.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
This morning I settled into my local ground blind about 6:45am. The woods were dripping wet, dark, silent, and chilly. Suddenly; "Ka-Ploosh --- Ka-Ploosh". I could not see anything in the dark, but I knew that sound. A beaver in the creek nearby must have heard me settling in and smacked its flat tail on the surface of the creek either because I had startled it, or it was just nervous about my presence.
By 7am there was enough light for me to see the trees near me. Then; "Whoosh. Whoosh." A deer had come down from somewhere north of me, hit the trail that I had just walked in on, and catching my scent it immediately sounded it's loud, sneezing-like alarm. It continued to call the alarm as it ran off. I couldn't see it, but I heard it as it ran for a long way.
About ten minutes later I saw an apparition, ghost-like, drifting down the bluff, through the pale skeleton trees on the other side of the creek. When it came to a stop in the open beside London Creek, I could see that it was a deer. However, in the dim light I could not tell if it bore antlers or not. It stood there for a moment or two, scanning the forest around it, then it stepped into the creek.
It emerged on my side of the creek and stopped to poop at the end of one of my cleared shooting lanes. I thought I saw the gleam of polished antlers over its ears, but I wasn't sure. I cocked my long rifle and pointed it at the deer, but there wasn't enough daylight to clearly see the gunsights.
The deer moved on. When it passed in front of a large oak that stood out in the gloom because of its light gray bark; then I saw antlers. Not big, only maybe a fork-horn, or maybe a 6-point. But, I still couldn't see my sights very well. Nevertheless, my finger was tightening on the trigger when the buck disappeared through the underbrush.
Nothing else moved until some birds fluttered through around 9am. Sparrows, kinglets, and a titmouse.
At 9:45 a little doe appeared in the open spot on the other side of London Creek. She poked around for several minutes and then ambled on up the bluff and out of my sight.
After that, I packed up my gear and walked the 1/4 mile back to my house for coffee and to warm up. It was a good morning.
Due to the holiday and family things, I won't be back in the woods until next week.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
