Morning greeted me with a light rain. It was a nuisance with the capability of becoming a beast. I decided to try my luck and head out. Shortly after first light I had a doe and two fawns work their way past me. They munched on some apples as they went. To my surprise they didn’t stay long and they seemed much more cautious and alert than I figured they would be for this time of year. I couldn’t last long in the tree because the heavens let loose and began dumping buckets upon buckets of water on my head. After I felt it start dripping down my hat and run down my back I knew it was time to go home. If it was near the rut I gladly would have stuck it out. I don’t have the youthful exuberance that I once did.
In the evening I had an awesome experience. I saw what I thought was a coyote cruising through the brush in search of an easy meal. A few minutes later and it was under the apple tree about 50 yards in front of me. After getting a better look I realized that it was a gray fox. He sat right down and started eating apples. For some unknown reason it reminded me of my dog. I still feel the pain every day of losing my dog last January. He lived an awesome 18 years and added a tremendous amount of happiness to my life. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. It’s the quiet times in the tree during this first week that I can see him, hear him and feel him just like he’s with me. He was my soulmate.
I won’t be hunting much this week. I have a lot of things going on and limited amount of time to get in the woods. Until next time……………..stay alert and shoot straight when an opportunity presents itself.