I’ve been chilled while working from home the last few days. It appears that summer clocked out right at the end of its shift and decided there would be no overtime worked this year. I wasn’t ready for this, as the last few years the blazing heat has followed us into November. I’m sure that the heat will be back, but the last week the weather has been ideal for early bowhunting opportunities.
With the low pressure system hanging on, I didn’t feel opportunistic about my chances today, but that didn’t stop me from heading into he woods. I went with my buddy Jim again, and we tried hunting along the base of a mountain that has some steep terrain. I hunted in one drainage, and he hunted in another. Shortly after settling in, the rain became pounding off the leaves, and before long, it turned into a steady stream. Fortunately, there was enough leaf cover to keep me relatively dry.
I used the quiet conditions to research the area to find the best place to sit. After a short search, I located the “spot.” A swamp ran along the base of the mountain and cut out at 90 degrees toward the mountain, forming an L in the timber. It was a perfect location. Any deer coming along the edge of the high side of the swamp would end up in the hardwood flat, and any deer crossing the narrow part of the swamp at the end of the base of the L would also end up in the same spot. I could cover the entire flat, which had a few big oaks scattered across it. Upon further examination, I found two monstrous scrapes where the swamp jutted out toward the mountain. I haven’t found many places like this one in my recent travels. I probably won’t hunt this area too much, but I made sure to tell Jim about it in case he wants to return. It was definitely a buck-killing spot. However, I’d say it would be more productive if there were some acorns on the forest floor this year. It’s still a good spot, though. I could see a lot of fresh tracks, but I knew it wasn’t like it would be if nuts were on. I could also tell that this place would be great for the rut due to the way the swamp and fingers coming off the mountain funnel everything to an area that is no larger than 100 yards across. It excited me to find this place. I look forward to seeing what happens there in the future.
It got dark quickly tonight due to the cloudy skies and rain. I was happy to get back to the truck and head home. It felt good to feel the rain against my skin. It came as a reminder that my time is here. It’s my time to enjoy everything the weather has to throw at me. I’ll smile and embrace whatever the day gives me. It’s good to be alive and chasing deer. I love putting the puzzle pieces together, and today I felt like I succeeded in getting all of the edge pieces in the right place.
I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, so I won’t be able to get out in the woods. Seventy-degree temperatures are predicted for Thursday, so I’ll probably skip that day too. Although the forecast looks good for the weekend with rising pressure and falling temps, there is high wind that is predicted too. The high winds probably won’t help too much.