Although my better judgment told me not to go out today, I couldn’t resist. I’m going retro this year when I head north. I’m only going to put one, maybe two cameras in the woods. I’ve decided that I liked it when I didn’t have any clue what was wandering around in the woods.
I think it made me concentrate more on being in the right place. Instead of chasing cameras the entire season, I will be able to chase the sign and locate the best place to intercept the bucks that are laying down the best sign. It worked wonders back in the day, and sometimes making things simpler it what people need to do.
Although I’m doing that up north, I’m approaching things a little differently around home. I’d like to see what goes on throughout the year with the local deer herd. I’ve spent a fair amount of time around home already, and I’ll probably set some things up to determine what goes on when I’m not around.
Ultimately, I would love all of the local people to get together and manage the deer herd. Our area could hold some really big deer, and it only takes a few years for big deer to appear if things are done the right way. We’ve done our part, and it almost appears as if a few others have been following the same path the last few years. We seem to be capturing more images of nice bucks. I’d love to see the trend continue in the direction it’s currently going.
Well, I didn’t head into the woods until 5:00 this evening. I had to shoot my muzzleloader to make sure it was hitting behind the crosshairs. With the season opening this coming Saturday, I wanted to make sure I’ll be able to hit something if I shoot at it. After shooting a few bullets into the center of the bullseye, I felt confident. It’s amazing how crisp the trigger on my Thompson Center Encore is, even after having it for as long as I’ve had it.
It was 78 degrees today, and the deer didn’t move very much in the area I hunted. Doug hunted tonight, and he saw a big doe right before dark. Brian wrecked his truck this morning when he smashed a deer while he was on his way to work. That might put him out of commission this weekend.
I finally put a camera in a place where I know there’s a big buck, even though I haven’t been able to get a look at it yet. I don’t really expect to get any pictures. I put the camera in a location that I figured would give me the best chance of getting the big buck that people have been talking about, but at the same time, I know that I also might not get a thing on it. I could have put the camera on a trenched runway, but I chose to put it somewhere that appeared that a buck might go to avoid the main travel routes of other deer.
The weather is finally supposed to get into the 60s tomorrow. Although that’s not cold, it would be nice to break free from the July weather. When I quickly looked at a camera that I set out on Sunday, I was happy to see that a nice 8-pointer had walked by it last night. The camera is still in the woods, so I don’t have any pictures to share at this time.
Shoot for the moon and wish upon the starts. This season might just be the one that allows you to recognize your dreams. Patience and persistence will help you achieve your goals. Without those two things, you are wasting your time. Hunt hard and see how many opportunities you get.
