It warmed up during the night, but the leaves were still crunchy in the morning. Dad and I went to a different area today. I found this place a few years ago, and it’s easy for Dad to get into without much effort. However, after the last few days in the woods, I saw that he is still able do what many much younger guys could never imagine doing.
We were in the woods well before daylight, and I felt confident about the morning’s hunt. I climbed a pretty good mountain to get to where I wanted to sit, but I made it in time to watch the sun come up.
Around 8:15, I could hear a deer walking. Then, I got a look at it and realized it had antlers on its head. Retrieving my gun from the side of the tree it was leaning on, I shouldered it and eased the safety into the first position, waiting to see if it would be necessary to push it into the fire position.
As the deer marched down the hill toward me, it stopped behind a big yellow birch tree. A minute passed, and I still couldn’t see it. Finally, it took a few steps, and I pulled the gun tighter to my shoulder and eased the safety into the fire position. Then, I realized it wasn’t the buck I was after, and I let it keep walking. It walked within 10 yards of me and never noticed my presence. It never picked its nose up from the leaves and kept on cruising.
That was the extent of my morning, as I didn’t see anything else. I did explore for a few minutes before heading down the mountain, and I found an area that intrigued me. About four runways funneled into a bowl along the edge of a cliff. I need to think more about it to understand what goes on in there when the deer are in cruising mode. I think it could be a place where I could kill a big buck every year if I hit the timing right.
After picking Dad up near the road, we began our short walk to the truck. Dad didn’t see anything. Before getting to the road, we came upon a man who had two walking sticks. He was headed in for an afternoon hunt. After talking to him for a bit, we learned that he was a retired schoolteacher and did his teaching in a town near where we live.
When we introduced ourselves, he smiled and said, “Gee, if the Meads hunt here, it must be a good place.”
I laughed and told him I was trying to determine if it was a good place and that’s why we were in there. I still haven’t made my decision if it’s a place I will ever hunt regularly, but it serves its purpose right now.
Kentucky and Brian also went to check out a new area today. They found some impressive sign, but they also found a lot of shady shit. They found where local landowners had made a bunch of wheeler trails all over state land. They also saw a few trail cameras and tree stands, and they saw a guy drinking a beer on a 4-wheeler while in hunting clothes and with a hunting rifle. Although, they think they will go back due to the buck sign, I will never go there and endanger myself. I’m not going to put myself in a position where something bad could happen due to someone else’s negligence. I know many other good places where I can hunt and not have to deal with people like that.
Mom is headed to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City tomorrow. Although we don’t expect much good news, we know the trip is still something that must be done. I’m not even sure what to think about it. My mom is a trooper. She never complains and lets us do whatever we want to do. She has always been my father’s backbone and is responsible for his well being. I’m thankful for her for so many reasons other than the typical mother-like things. I love my mom dearly, and I hate watching her suffer. I’d take it from her if I could. She has given so much to all of us in the family that it just doesn’t seem fair that she must fight yet another battle, a battle that cannot be won.