Long story short. It's cold, 39 degrees, NW wind about 20 mph, supposed to be around 20 in the AM.
If I was able to hunt, I wouldn't be going in the AM. Maybe tomorrow evening but not in the AM.
Started walking more, made 2 trips from out to main dirt road, yesterday total of about 1 mile and I'm feeling muscles again that haven't done a lot in the last year. The therapist said I might be pushing it too much.
Saw pictures of 3 good bucks that were killed east of us, Jackson County, wall hangers, all of them! No bucks on the camera by the feeder. But the does are there eatin', the bucks don't have to show up on a picture. I tend to think the good ones stay away from the automatic feeders, but they will still be around and maybe our paths will cross after the doc releases me.
Same old pictures this week. One was interesting, as 3 ol' gals were keepin' an eye on something.
Treefarmer
Another week without being in the woods, boy this gets old!
Went down in the woods this morning on the cart and got the card out of the camera with out hurtin' my self, while Miss Joy was runnin' some errands :nono . Good thing I went, the feeder had run dry! Checked the pictures, there were around 350, all around 7am and 4-5pm, not a buck coming in close to the automatic feeder or the camera. Apparently the feeder had run out yesterday afternoon, according to the pictures. We went to the feed store and got corn. On returning home, I told her I would go a fill the feeder before dinner, she said okay and off I went. Loaded the feeder and returned home no problems :rockon . According to the doctor I'm not to lift over 10 pounds till I see him next week, tomorrow will a month since the hip replacement, time to get on with life!
Weather in the panhandle has been cool and overcast for several days, several foggy mornings with the temperature around 50 degrees, great weather for sittin' in a shootin' house, if I was allowed to climb.
Our pastor's youngest son killed a deer last week and has asked if I would help them process it. That should be interesting as this is the boy's 1st deer.
Maybe I'll get a release from the surgeon to climb the ladder at the shootin' house next Tuesday. The only interestin' picture was a doe and yearlin' checking out why the corn wasn't comin' out this morning.
Treefarmer
Boys, it's tough not being in the woods! The surgeon told me in 10 days he'd let me climb a ladder. Maybe we'll get to see an ol' buck chasing around the woods and into the rye patch during February.
Y'all saw the big deer our young friend killed, 135 4/8" 10 point. Several others have killed a deer including our pastor. This was his 1st, a nice 7 point. I told him I would help him take care of the deer and we dressed it, hung it in the oak tree for 2 days with a fly bag, then quartered him up and put him in a cooler before it got too warm. If the temperature will stay in the 30's at night and not get out of the low 50's, you can hang one in the tree for a while.
Checkin' the camera today, showed a regular morning/afternoon feeding pattern at the feeder and then spilling over into the rye. My experience in years past has been that when the does are feeding during the rut sooner or later a buck will come cruising and chasing. Lots of times it is right at dark, like after legal shooting time, but you can still see 'em runnin' and chasing , knowing it's a buck but not being able to see what it is.
Couple of pictures today showing how thick the fog was this morning and also the Preacher's 1st deer.
Treefarmer
Almost feel like a kid at Christmas! Friday mornin', January30th, the doctor said I could climb and drive! Now if it ain't too cold, I'll try to sit in the shootin' house for the 1st time since Thanksgiving. No tellin' how many monster bucks have chased them does and yearlins' around that little Rye patch while my new hip was healin' up and hairin' over! I know this, they haven't showed up at the automatic feeder and I really don't expect to see one at a motorized feeder. But the does are still comin' and bucks are still crusin' so there is a good chance to see a shooter before the season goes out.
There is still plenty of almost scheduled activity at the feeder, morning and evening.
The coons look to be almost as big around as this years fawns and there is a tall, lanky lookin', broken up spike, that hasn't a hint of color on his hocks, I see button bucks that at least have a little color on the hind legs in the pictures.
Lookin' forward to Friday mornin', but for sure Friday evening!
Treefarmer
Well Boys, the "Last minute panhandle food plot" is doin' its' job but the bucks ain't cooperatin'!
Since I've been able to return to the woods, I'm seeing plenty of does and yearlings but no cruising bucks at least not while I'm in the shooting house. Must admit, I've only been 1 morning, but did make 3 afternoons after the doctor said it was okay to climb. Saw a pretty good little spike, not legal for old meat hunters, only kids under 15. For some reason I ain't as mad at the deer as I used to be. Still haven't even been to our lease this year. Just gettin' old :crip .
As mentioned, there are plenty of does as many as 11 last Saturday afternoon, the least I've see was 6, just no antlers. There is one old doe that sure enough needs killin' :chain ! She can tell when I'm in the stand and she spends her whole evening in the Rye, watchin, starin', stompin', walkin' back and forth trying to get me to move! All the rest pay little attention to her, especially her own fawns. She's a light colored ol' gal and makes it interestin'! Miss Joy has asked me not to kill does on our place, it's okay on the lease but I missed out this season.
We've had a light rain all day with temperatures in the 40's, don't sound like Florida does it?
A few pics from the week.
Treefarmer
