A Bambi Story

Well sort of anyway.

Interesting item in the news today.

Researchers from the UK build the case for culling the young deer when a stalker (hunter) kills the mother deer.  Of course these are Scottish red deer.  A species different from the north American whitetail.

Here's the take on whitetail deer.

Sometimes it's a tough call.  I had a bead on a fawn last weekend and held out for a shot at mom.  In the end both mom and the twins skedaddled.


 

Where's Waldo?

Can you find the deer in this picture?

Moon Rise

The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon after the Harvest Moon. In 2013, it falls on the night of October 18-19 or 19-20.

So technically tonight's moon isn't a Hunter's Moon.

In any event - these early evening moonrises are pretty cool - you’ll see the moon ascending in the east relatively soon after sunset.

Snow!

First snow of the season fell last night.  Not much but enough to let me know that winter is knocking on my door.

Seems like only yesterday I was picking tomatoes in the garden...

Guard Tower Deer Stand Gets a Makeover

It won't block the wind much and it certainly won't last until next deer season but at least the critters won't be able to skyline a hunter as easily.

Incidentally - As I began wrapping this guard tower two deer jumped out of their beds not but 30 yards to the north.

Should be bow hunting from this sucka...

Never a Dull Hunt

Woke at 4:30 AM to rain.  Bagged the hunting and went back to my comfy warm bed.  Big winds and spitting drizzle most of the day.  Water everywhere.

Hunted the last three hours of daylight from the ground.  Only a fool would hunt from a tree in this wind.  Lost in my thoughts around 4 PM I glanced-up to see a fork horn buck at 25 paces.  Judging from his size about a one and a half year-old.  It was like he materialized out of nowhere.  There he was – broadside to me looking like he was posing for a holy card.  I continued watching him and after about five minutes he trotted-off.  If only a big, fat doe would linger around like that I’d have something hanging by now.  Just after shooting time another deer trotted into view and immediately wheeled-about and vanished.  Too dark to tell if it was a buck or doe.

Slogging thru the puddles in the trail on my half-mile walk home another deer and I almost stumbled over one another.  Neither of us spotted the other in the windy dark.  The deer snorted and bounded off and I chuckled.  Both of us enjoyed a brief adrenaline rush.

It’s snowing…

A Strange Aparition in the Woods

I have a mystery on my hands and I sure hope that it doesn't involve aliens.

If you look carefully at the sequence of pictures taken below you will see a string of four, small vertical bright spots - evenly-spaced - move from right to left.

Initially they appear just to the left of the larger birch tree on the right and directly above the hind quarter of the deer.  Then they move to center.  They continue moving left and are last seen just to the right of the larger birch tree on the left.

And they're gone!

Any ideas?

Exit - Stage Right

A doe wanders into range of the camera, checks it out and then exits the scene...

Consider the Larch

I cannot get enough of my favorite tree.  The tamarack or larch - Larix laricina.  Also called the hackmatack.

The larch can tolerate cold temperatures better than any tree in North America which is why you'll find it in the northernmost regions of the continent. 

I suppose I'm biased since we've nurtured several nice stands of tamarack on the tree farm.  They're well-suited to some of the soil types and are thriving.  They sport some crazy branches that would almost make you think they belong in a Dr. Seuss story but the part I like best is the fall color found in this species.

The needles turn a blazing golden color - then they drop.  It's done.  In the spring the tree grows an entire new set of needles and begins the process all over again.

Talk'n Turkey

I want my pal Lawyer to know that the turkeys are still moving through the big clearing where he was hunting last weekend.

In the rain...

Mud Season Returns

More than two inches of rain in the space of four days.

Water everywhere.  Even the creek is running.

Reminds me of spring time and mud season...

Talk'n Turkey

So far this year I remain turkeyless. 

The spring hunt was a pathetic bust.  Lousy weather and all I saw was a solo hen.

Seeing all sorts of turkeys this fall so there's an outside chance I might get one.

We'll see...

Scouting

Did some scouting for deer sign while making the normal rounds of fetching the SD cards from the trail cameras.

Once of the cameras is no longer recording pictures so it may have to go back to the manufacturer for replacement.  If it's still under warranty.

Here are a couple of very fresh - and large - rubs on some tamarack trees.  This is one of the ways that mature male deer mark their territory.  They're leaving the deer equivalent of their name and phone number for the ladies.

I may have to relocate a blind near-by.

Of course the busted camera is only 50 yards from where theses rubs are...