Thursday, November 24, 2016

It’s Thanksgiving today. We have had some incredible experiences on Thanksgiving over the years. We have also killed some of our biggest Adirondack deer on the holiday. It always reminds me of the first day of school when I was a kid. I go to sleep with anticipation of what the next day will bring.

The bad weather just won’t let up. It seems that it’s following us around this year. The night was relatively quiet, but morning greeted us with snow. The snow fell fast and furious and soaked my clothes.

Around 8:15 a.m., I heard a deer grunting behind me. Turning around, I could see it making its way through the swamp. Straining to get a better look, I spotted another deer behind it. Amazingly, the grunting was coming from a fawn. It didn’t appear to be a button buck, but I couldn’t tell for sure. I guess it goes to show you that when you hear a deer grunting, it’s not always a buck.

After they made their way past me, I sat back and waited, hoping that a buck would follow them,  but I knew my time was limited. I had to be home for Thanksgiving dinner by noon. Sometimes it only takes an hour or two to get the job done, and that’s what I hoped for on this day. I decided to take the chance instead of hunting close to home.

At 8:45 a.m., I could see some more deer coming from the same direction as the first two. After a closer look, I could see that there were two fawns and a doe. They didn’t waste any time getting past me. Shortly after they disappeared, I made my way out of the woods. I didn’t want to leave, but family commitments come before hunting. I had a pretty good feeling that deer would move well the rest of the day. The snow stopped when I headed out of the woods, and I had already seen five deer before 9:00. I wish I didn’t have to leave. Today could have been the day. I have to work tomorrow morning for a few hours, but I should be able to get out in time to get in the woods for an afternoon sit.

Today was the 25th anniversary of the killing of the Freezing Rain buck. I shot him on 11/24/1991. It was an unforgettable day. I never imagined that the pictures taken that day would make it onto the cover of a book.

If any of you young guys are reading this, you should always take good pictures to remember your hunting adventures. Pictures are the best things we have to return to some incredible days. As time passes, these memories might be the only thing you have to look back on.

Something tells me that one of us might get a look at a buck over the next few days. I’d like for Brian or my dad to get a good one. They both deserve it. I’ve had plenty of opportunities this year. I’ve passed quite a few smaller bucks, and I blew an opportunity at a good one.

Here are a few pictures of past success on this day. I was pretty young in the last picture, but it seems like it was yesterday.

  

 

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