'14 season

[VaRedneck]

Nov 1st..ish.

My ML opening day started early. The rumor of snow had me out of bed before the alarm...psych...low 50's and light rain. Well...I'll be quiet getting to the stand anyway...dark out too. Low clouds took care of the moon. The rain dropping from the leaves made a static, white noise. A herd of bison coulda walked by me and I never woulda heard or seen anything different. As dawn broke, the misty drizzle built up to light rain. Started to worry about my powder. I didn't wear my gloves because it was so warm....mistake. It's warm enough when you don't have to touch cold wet steel...but when you do? Ah well.

A coupla years back I took a spill and busted my azz. That little bruise lit an arthritis fire in my hip. Well...for some reason this mornin...I couldn't sit still for two minutes. Getting old...I can see this putting and end to my hunting faster than anything else....anyway...

The light rain eased up and quit..then the wind started. Steady 10-15mph mostly outa the north. As cold as it's been lately here...the Beech haven't even turned yellow...let alone dropped any leaves. Visibility sucked on 2 of 3 new shootin lanes I started early this year.

Long about noon I saw a rack go past a tree 70yds to my front. Then I made out the doe in front of him. I put the scope on a break in the trees and watched her. She wasn't runnin...she was leadin him on. I jumped ahead to a spot that in the past I've hung scent drippers on...none this year...forgot. She cruised on thru lookin back to make sure ol' studly was still there. When he showed up....I could tell he wasn't a wall hanger...an 8pt basket rack...almost touching. He dropped where I hit him....a lil high and behind the shoulder....both lungs...didn't hit the spine...but he never moved his hind legs. She circled around him for the next 10min...wondering why romeo was taking a nap...then eased back into the mt laurel.

dressed out at a bit under 165lbs. and a decent start to my '14 season.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 9th....ish

Frost on the pumpkin this mornin. 38* and calm as could be. Didn't make too much of a racket on the way in...nuthin busted away from so I figured all was good. About 7am had a deer walkin up Wolf creek. Came up to the neighbor's 5strand..didn't wanna jump it goin up hill so backed up along the fence and crawled under mine. I couldn't see well with the Beech still in leaves...it made it through one lane and stepped into the second. Eyes are goin bad...long about the time it's starting to pay attention to the noisy tree up the hill, 2 does and 2 fawns cross the line at my 4o'clock. The first deer turns out to be a 5pt...with only eyes for the ladies. He chased them around underneath my stand for the next 20min. He went one way they went another. I swear the last doe knew I was about...but just kept her head down and trotted out back of me. Had another young buck chasin does...just a spike. Finally had a 4pt come down the hill above me and posted up in the corner of the pasture. Real young...he wasn't interested in nuthin but clover. No ladies wanted to test that out though and no older bucks showed to push him around.

Not a bad day in the woods and not a bad first day hunting on a Sunday.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 14th

Woke to cloudy skies...no moon....relatively calm. Then I stepped out the door...to clear skies and a fitful early wind. Figures. By the time the sun come up...the wind was rollin in from the north...with a high expected in the low 40's...this 25* wind chill was doin it's level best keeping everything in the thick stuff on south facing slopes. The squirrel that came out today...stayed in the leaves...looked like a rat in a garbage dump....when it finally had enough and went back to bed I thought it wasn't such a bad idea either. 1015 I was back in the house.

I hate whitetail hunting in the wind.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 15th

This morning started off clear and cold...beautiful, especially after the frigid blast from yesterday. Got to my stand w/o kicking anything outa bed..always a good thing. Early...just as the sky was lightening behind me...I heard someone coming down the far hill opposite the creek. Listened to him make one long, low grunt. Yeah...sure...that'll bring all the deer right to you...idiot. Then I listened to him....somehow get across the neighbors fence...and back up the hill to the east...way too fast and quiet for a man. Dang...and I didn't even get a doe bleet out. Ah well...there may be something to do this mornin anyway.

An hr later I catch a glimpse of a small buck 70yds at my 12.....catch sight of him again as he makes his way passed the first shooting gap...gone. Another...this one a spike..maybe a fork...goes the same way. He's movin sneakier...don't see him after the first. Half an hr later the first buck shows in the second lane. He's a 6pntr...pretty lil rack..will be a nice one in 2-3yrs. He takes his time cruising on by....I lose sight of him to my 6 and comeback to the spike...he finally shows in the second lane..took him 30min to go 50yds...yeah..he's not a happy camper. He comes down to the bottom...don't like somethin and heads back into the mt laurel.

I hear somethin to my left and 15yds away coming to the edge of the pasture is a 3pntr. Musta come from the salt lick...wanted to rub his eyes in the bushes...then he calmly made his way back up the hill toward my old stand. I couldn't believe it...deer everywhere..and not a single doe.

The 6pt comes back nice and easy on the fence line. He takes his time...rubs a small tree. Kinda cool when you see them do that. Then makes his way on down the fence line toward the creek. Just as he reaches my 3o'clock...I hear something farther up the north hill...like lumber being beat on...once...twice...two, three more times. The 6pt has now turned around and faced the far hill. Nice and easy I swing my leg around to the right of my stand's seat frame so that I can bring my rifle to bear. Just as I ease into my new position a deer starts blowing across the way. Dang..I didn't see a thing...evidently he saw me though. After 15-20min of trying to locate a twitching ear I ease back toward the left. 6pt is gone...never heard him leave.

As I sip a lil coffee...still not feeling too bad...I'm warm today...extra clothes and toe warmers..."I can sit here all day at this rate" I thought to myself. Then I heard something to my 6o'clock. I look back toward my 5 as far as I can....nuthin....except the shadow of somethin moving, on the creek bottom! That means he's on the tree line to my 7o'clock! With my tree between me and whatever's moving I swing quickly to my left. Got worried when nuthin showed...then I heard him closer....45yds...he steps away from my back trail gonna go up the hill toward my old stand.

He didn't make it. Thought the shot was a bit low but it was a both shoulder/heart shot...he made 30yds back into the cedars.

Not the biggest. But it was one of my best days in the deer woods. 8pt dressed at 188lbs.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 21st

I got out early...fitful breeze...not bad..maybe low to mid 30's. Before dawn I swore I was hearing squirrels, too dark though for them so somethin else was movin around. About 0730 had a doe cruise down my back trail with company in tow. A 7pt, 4pt, and a coupla spikes. 15yds and none of them looked twice at me. I swear though...the doe was hoping I would take one out to give her a break. Had a doe pop outa nowhere to my 12 an hr later...then the wind started in earnest. Couldn't hear much of anything after that and called it a day. Checked my cam...everyone I saw today made an appearance...as well as another young 8pt. Hoping for a turn in the weather for Sun.

[VaRedneck]

Nov 23rd

At 11 had a small doe come in from the western side of Wolf creek. She crossed my northern neighbor's fence and kept on goin to the east. Rain started around 2pm. About 4pm had two does cross my 12 at 75yds. Young doe w/yearling. Got me all pumped...expecting company to be a few minutes behind. She wasn't in a hurry though...had both of them under my scent dripper at my mock scrape. Both eased on to the northeast and outa sight and sound. Still held out hope for a travelin bruiser. Not.

Didn't happen for me today.