]Clover/corn food plot Day 191
The short 4 day season beginning Thanksgiving Day was a great success even though we didn't kill a deer. Some of the game camera pictures from Thursday morning showed 22º before daylight, I only went because it was opening day! Before the family Thanksgiving supper, I took my oldest grandson to the shooting house around 4pm. We saw 5 does in the rye patch, so that was a success. Friday afternoon we did the same thing except we took the younger grandson. Last year I took both at the same time, not doing that till they are much older! Friday we only saw 2 and they were by the feeder. Saturday afternoon after the family left, I did the same hunt and saw 10 different deer from 4pm till dark. No racks but several of the ol' gals had dark tarsals.
The little 4 point on Day 177 post is probably dead. One of the neighbors nephews killed a 4 point Friday afternoon near our East fence line around 4pm, we heard the shot from the shooting house. I'm going to show them the picture just to know. Only one little raggedy buck on the camera this week, looks like a young one, maybe a 6pt.
The west side of the rye patch has what looks like a cow trail where the deer are walking for some reason. It is very wet and maybe that edge is packed a more firmly than in the rye itself?
Pictures from this week shows the oldest grandson and a Satsuma in the shooting house, a view of the feeder looking back at the shooting house across the rye, my helper keeping her seat while I service the feeder and the game camera and the one little buck that walked by the camera. (sorry the pics are reverse order)
Beginning Saturday the 7th, we have 7 days of muzzleloading before starting back with the .243 on the 14th.
Y'all be safe and get that Christmas shoppin' done early!
Treefarmer
Clover/corn food plot Day 198
Yesterday the temperature was 70º at daylight, this morning it was 37º! Been going to the shooting house in the afternoons and have not seen deer but one evening during this early muzzle loader season. The does were pretty thick during Thanksgiving, but not this week. However, if I weren't so lazy I probably would have seen some this morning as they were on the camera at 7:44. Sooner or later an ol' buck and I will be on the same schedule and I'll take a crack at him.
Had some very high winds yesterday morning and one of the roof panels on the shooting house was slid about 2 feet as it was rubbed by one of the pine trees that grew up around the stand. All the panels were put in place from the inside of the stand and secured with screws, the last 2 were only glued down with liquid nails as they closed the access to the top side of the roof. Got to take a long extension ladder and slide the panel back in place then set a few screws in the lathe to remedy the problem. Also need to cut off the pine at window height to remedy the rubbing from the wind.
Had to change out the feeder motor on the feeder on the lease property as it was howling/squealing when it came on. This feeder set on the edge of an old clay pit and there is a pop up ground blind set by gall berries and pines in the bottom of the old pit.
Been noticing a duck that is staying in the pond by the shooting house. Any idea what type it is?
Saturday we go back to "real" rifle season, maybe we'll be able to take a picture of deer that gets run over by the .243 before it's over.
3 pictures this week, does this am, roof issue on shooting house and the duck.
Treefarmer
Clover/corn food plot Day 205
Regular rifle season started last Saturday and haven't seen any antlers yet. Some does and yearlings, not following any particular patterns. Some afternoons they are in the Rye patch, one afternoon they were marching throught the planted pines and one evening they were working the corn feeder.
Weather is cold in the mornings, frost on the ground, then 50's in the afternoon hunt. I'm not as mad at them deer as I once was, so they get a rest most mornings, besides that it's too cold for an old man! :crip
Had some new computer protection put on my wife's laptop and then they tried to install it on mine and the ol' boy apparently didn't know much more than I do and he screwed mine up. Got an appointment with the Geek Squad Friday morning to have them fix what one of their bright boys messed up from a remote location. :no So this week I'll not pull the card from the camera as that function is also gone, gee...hopefully have computer back up for next week.
Y'all have a good time preparing for Christmas and remember the Reason for the Season!
Treefarmer
Clover/corn food plot Day 212
Merry Christmas! Weather has been a mixed bag the last few days, warm, cloudy then rain, cloudy after 2.6" by Tuesday morning, cooler, then 29 degrees this morning with a big frost. Too cold for this ol' man on Christmas morning. But At 8 o'clock we had a herd come by the feeder. No corn on the ground when I picked up the card from the camera. Even checked to see if the feeder had corn in it or the motor was fouled. Just hungry deer. Notice the tarsals on the mature does, looks promising!
The deer are grazing on the rye in the evenings. Some of it is beginning to head out already.
A little update on the red corn that we gathered before the deer consumed it all. Had a neighbor grind some for us, we ended up with 2-2gallon bags of "red" corn meal and 1-2 gallon bag or red grits. The corn bread is hard to tell that it's from red corn but the grits are different as they have a speckled red look to them. Just for fun Miss Joy made some fried corn bread that was very red by adding red food coloring to the meal. We enjoyed an early Christmas dinner of red corn bread, mixed greens, pork ribs and tea last Sunday after church.
Haven't been in the woods near as much as I used too, getting old ain't a lot of fun. Maybe we'll bust one in the next few weeks.
Treefarmer
Looks good.
