This morning greeted me with a brisk wind. It was damp from all of the rain we’ve had over the last few days and created a slight chill when sitting.
I headed back to the same stand that I set last night. I arrived a little before dark and settled in for a few hours. The time passed quickly. I didn’t see anything except a few chipmunks.
It was in the low to mid 50’s with a clear blue sky. There was a north wind which was good for that stand location.
This evening I headed to an old reliable spot. If you’ve read my book you’ll recognize it as being my favorite place (the big pine) where I killed “The Grunter.”
I set my camera up in hopes of getting a picture of a buck that I’ve been chasing for the last three years. I know he’s in there, but I haven’t been able to catch up with him yet. It would really help if I could be there during prime time in November, but I’m glad to be going out of state, too. After I got the camera set-up I didn’t like the location but I left it anyway. I would be surprised if I get many pictures.
Around 6pm I heard a few sticks cracking down below me. Soon after a medium size doe appeared. She fed past me, but continued looking down the hill. About 5 minutes later I could see another deer coming. Another doe was making its way up the hill.
They fed up the hill and disappeared after 15-20 minutes. Then, I saw some bushes rustling. A raccoon was crossing the hill as if he was on a mission. Within seconds I spotted another raccoon following the first one. The leader continued past my stand while the second one came right to the tree I was sitting in.
When it got to the rock where I rested my pack before climbing the tree it knew something wasn’t quite right. Then, I saw something that I don’t think I will ever see again. He quickly stood on his hind legs (like a human) and raised his front paws over his head like the was posing as the heavyweight champion of the world after a boxing match. As he was posing he turned his head upward and looked directly at me. With his hands raised he almost smiled at me and then got back on all four legs and scurried down the hill. His buddy immediately followed. Five minutes later I climbed out of the tree and headed home.
That’s why I love hunting. You never know what you might see on any given day. Tonight was incredible. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Hunt hard and hunt safe.
There was a north wind again tonight. I’ve attached a picture of “The Grunter” in case you haven’t read the book. I killed this buck in the same spot that I sat tonight.
