Doug saw 13 does yesterday, and I saw one. I do believe it was the same doe I’d seen the night before on her way to the test plots. She’d come straight in out of the forest and I watched her for 30 minutes as she munched on the veggie tray we had set out. Yesterday morning I watched her walk from my right, back to the plot but she didn’t spend a lot of time there. I do believe she was waiting more for dark than anything else, and yesterday she was heading back to bed. She was alone so I can’t honestly say her size, but I’m almost postitive she was young. I also saw one spike horn around the same time, but he looked to be a little haggard, as though someone was recently trying to shoot it.
Around noon yesterday, I moved from my O.P. to Marks to see how things were going up there. On the way, I checked out the other test plot, which was empty and no recent hoofprints as well as one of the major trails leading to it. There weren’t any prints on that trail either. When I got up to Marks post, I could see that the material we’d placed the day before hadn’t been touched and after a closer examination, no recent prints were visable. The only obvious signs of life were a woodpecker and a chickadee that kept landing on my window. Late in the afternoon, Doug saw all those doe walk into the field he’s been watching with zero bucks sighted.
We’ve been hearing shots fired all around us for the last three days and don’t know if they’re bucks being harvested or does. In either case, I believe they were having luck due in some measure, to our operation. Whether they know it or not.
Doug is back out this morning and will take Jarrett out with him this afternoon. I talked to Jarrett last night when I came in and he sounded like a kid on Christmas eve. It’s people like Doug who are taking part in these crops and then taking his child hunting with him, who will save this sport.
Our part of the operation came to a close last night when I realized I had enough gas to either hunt more, or go to Gaylord to a doctor’s apointment. I’ve opted for the appointment and our season has closed. Muzzle loading season is the second week of December so we have one more chance yet. Stay tuned.
In other news: Don and his brother Randy were successful yesterday, both scoring hit’s on bucks. Don with a 6 point and Randy with an 8. Randy also got a doe opening morning, and Don got one last night. Jamie Crandall had some excitement with his son yesterday. Jamie took a shot at a deer and it dropped like a rock, but a few minutes later when his son threw his chair to make sure, it bolted. He lost the blood trail after 3 miles of tracking.
I heard from Jimi and he shot a doe and her fawn yesterday and this morning he’s back in his tree looking for more.
Doug called a few minutes ago and it’s still nothing doing out his way. He’s heading up to Mark’s O.P. with Jarrett and they’re going to see what happens. This afternoon he’ll go back to his post and carry on the watch, there.
