[VaRedneck]

I got in the stand early today...cold...mid 30's...maybe...heavy frost. A nice bodied buck 50yds away, cut my back trail at dawn....I could make an 8count...though still kinda dark. He wasn't concerned and stepped on out into the pasture...maybe 65yds. Browsed a bit then cruised leisurely down the hill away from me. He was a shooter...but I'm still looking for the big guy and hoped he was hangin back...nope. A half hr later that same buck come on outa the cedars about 100yds from where he went in. He then cruised right in front of my stand...25yds...he'd just showed signs of being aware of the "scoped" scruitiny when he spied a doe and fawn crossing the fence as well and beating feat away from him...heh....he had other things on his mind and forgot all about me. He was a 9ptr...small rack...but a big deer...maybe next year I thought and let him walk.

An hr later my son-i-law let the dogs out....and walked the fck back into the house...my Rott had his nose in the air and was edging for the fence and my s-i-l barely called him twice and said "fck it...I'm cold"...and went back in the house. That was all my Rott needed...he was off...headed right down my back trail...well sht the other two thought...where you goin?...and then they came as well. I couldn't believe it...couldn't fckn believe it. They ran everywhere. BlackDog cut that bucks trail and raced for the far side...pit in tow...heard them run down the far tree line then on into the thick sht at the west end of the field.came out at the salt lick and back to my stand...he's got a nose...but never did look up and recognise what he saw looking down at him. They hemmed and hawwed for the next 20 min...still nuthin from the house...gradually and rather disapointedly...BlackDog headed back to the house....alone...w/o a deer in tow. They ran around the house for another hour or so barking at everything and nuthin...till he let them back in the house.

After all that excitement...I didn't see nuthin for the next 8hrs.

Long about 4 a button buck came out...kept me company then stationed himself at the far corner of the pasture and bedded down. I paid attention to his ears every chance I got but no go...nuthin else moving. Just as I was about to call it early...3 lil ones...one with a busted front leg...come out of the cedars. At about the same time another comes out onto my back trail....gitten on to dark time....scope is having a hard time...then another buck crossed my back trail. An 8ptr...another big deer with a small rack. He strutted around a bit then spied the 3 down the hill and headed that way. At full dark I took the opportunity to get on down and back w/o spooking anything else.

No meat in the freezer...but it's not like I havn't had the chance.

Rifle season opens tommorrow...may just call it time to start filling the freezer.

....edited because of a change of heart....