Happy new year
Well, we missed the snow, it was east of us. The doe days were unproductive. Saturday didn't see a deer on the lease and Sunday afternoon it was raining enough to keep this old man in the house. Monday evening I sat in the shooting house here on our place and saw 5, no bucks. Then yesterday afternoon I went back again and had the most interesting hunt I'd had in a long time. First off I didn't see an antlered buck but I had a total of 18 deer in front of me when I was leaving the stand. It was one magical afternoon! The deer just kept showing up from 3 different directions. Every time one would look up and stare into the pines, I would look with my binoculars and find one heading for the feeder and food plot. Couldn't grow a horn on any of them. I just knew a buck would show up with that many does and yearlings. Checking the camera this morning I found several small bucks had been in the area and one that looks to be a least a 6 point early this morning before daylight. Maybe he'll come visiting when these gals are in the oats and clover. They are actually grazing in the new Durana clover and the oats are cut short. Probably won't see that many at one time again, reminded me of riding the Nova Road through the Mormon's when I was a young feller! I usually slip my camera in my pocket but forgot yesterday.
Cold weather is really set in on us, right now it's 29 degrees. Lookin' for some Florida weather.
A few pictures to accompany the post.
Treefarmer
Nice looking does and that’s a nice buck thick neck,
This morning I almost didn't go to the stand, in fact I went back to sleep and finally go up and got to the stand at 7 am. This is the same stand where I saw 18 at one time a couple of weeks back. The last 3 afternoons I had sat and didn't see a thing!
About 8am, I saw a deer moving from east to west in the planted pines below the food plot. One look with the binoculars and I could see it was a legal buck. He stopped and started browsing on something and I couldn't see for all the glare looking into the sun. Used my left hand as a shade and let one fly. Didn't see him run but he was not in sight. Called my wife and asked her to turn her dog loose. She came running down the road and I watched her run straight to where I shot. I knew he was down. This may be the buck in the last picture I posted a week or so ago.
We are waiting on another promise of snow tonight and tomorrow, I'm ready for some Florida weather to return. I miss my "Global warming".
Still have 4 more weeks of rifle season and then one of M/L and the rut is going full steam, finding scrapes everywhere!
Treefarmer
Congrats, wish I was still hunting down here, my thoughts have already turned to fishing season and getting the boat ready.
