Temp: 15 degrees, -6 Windchill
Wind: WNW
Weather: Snowing, already 8 inches on ground.
This was the first Saturday of the New Year. Winds were high, snow was high, and I'm sure deer were not moving. So I decided to set out on foot with my bow and try to track a deer or catch some bedded down.
Nothing had really been moving all week so I headed to the big woods and waited until noon to start. It took me about 45 minutes to find my first tracks. And right when I spotted them, two small does took off running out of their beds. They were next to three small pines in a clearing. I should have known they would be there. Pics below:
The two deer split up and ran opposite ways. I tracked the larger one. It ran for about 200 yards where it met up with the other one. They trotted off and on (so the tracks showed), maybe seeing/smelling me, and then eventually ran onto private property. This stalk lasted about 45 minutes.
I walked to a good lookout spot and walked a ridge to look for bedded deer. Found nothing. No tracks. Nada. Walked some more to an old logging camp. I always knew of this foundation, but never knew if it was a camp, old home, or shanty. I read something this past winter that old logging camps used to plant apple trees right outside, for quick snacks. Well, there are plenty of apple trees around. I've kicked up a lot of grouse around these trees but never got a shot at one.
I decided to walk through a bunch of pine trees to a lower trail and head out right at dark. All the magazines say pines offer thermal cover for animals. Why didn't I see anything in them then? Wrong time and not a lot of food I guess. Most of the hemlocks were tall and old.
The next day I was packing my stuff up to head back home and realized I lost my hunting license. The holder was sliced apart by some sort of brier or sharp branch. So I had to sign up for a replacement license ($6.70). Not a big deal, but I planned to go out for the last day of archery (Jan 9th) and that can't happen now.
My goal...keep this thing going. It should be better than writing notes in an old binder!
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