SEASON UPDATE

The last day of bow season was a bust. I hunted the afternoon out at WSS. It was rainy and warm. I saw one doe and six turkeys. Then on my way home, waiting to turn onto Rt.52, I saw a deer attempting to cross the road. Traffic was coming in both directions and this deer was not waiting. I laid on the horn to no avail. A car hit it broadside. I got out of my truck to see if the driver was ok. A woman, holding a cell phone, was shakey but unharmed. The deer did not fair as well. It was a spike buck and he was hurt bad. I had no gun and did not want to release an arrow into a flopping deer in the dark, on the side of a rainy highway. I grabbed my knife and headed for the buck. WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING? Luckily the deer read my mind, struggled to its feet and disappeared into the woods. I had to remember I was no Savage Lynch.
Opening day of gun brought more rain and 60 degree temps. Shitty weather for deer hunting. I never saw a deer all day. Bird and Ginger hosted our traditional Opening Day Night Betheroo Birthday Party. Shewo came up and I cooked wild turkey and the backstrap of that doe I got last week. Mmmmmmmm! Many were in attendance, but sorely missed were Milawyer and his parents Vic and Georgia. Vic got a "honker" and was wiped out and Milawyer was in the process of extracting large sums of money from some nameless corporation back in West Virginia. A great time was had by all.
The morning of the second day brought high wind and cooling temps. I moved from my high stand down at GNJohns to a spot behind the cemetery where it was more protected. Through the thick woods I could see a doe darting back and forth. The rut was still on. Then I saw a big body and horns. It was the high six I'd seen during bow season, but he was too far and moving too fast. The doe circled and came right for me. I saw another deer behind her, raised the gun, and fingered the safety. The lead doe made me, stopped and started to head bob. Then what I thought was the buck stepped out giving me a shot. Fuck! It was another doe. The buck had vanished.
On Monday I hunted hard all day and never saw a deer. Yesterday I got in the GNJohn stand early. It had snowed Monday night and you could see movement a mile away. Aside from spooking four does off of Ray Gilkey's lawn I never saw a thing. At about 8:30 I decided to climb down and head for the mountain behind the old white Denniston house. Just before I crested the top I spotted 3 does feeding way off in the woods. I set up against a tree where I could see above and below me. I wasn't there 20 minutes before I heard crunch-crunch coming behind me. It was a buck. He crossed 10 yards in front of me and headed down the hill at a steady clip, oblivious to everything. I tried to get the scope on him to see if he had brow tines. He was a good sweeping four. At about 50 yards I was able to stop him with a bleat. He turned his head and I saw a brow time. I put the cross hairs on his front shoulder and squeezed the trigger.
He hunched. He kicked. He ran. Then I lost sight of him. After waiting about 10 minutes I followed his tracks in the snow. I saw where he spun. But no blood. I dropped my bag and tried to follow his tracks, but lost the trail in the briars. Still no blood. How could I have missed this deer? I circled the area for a half hour and was just about to give up when....there he lay against a tree. He hadn't gone 30 yards. He was a six with two broken brow tines. Phew! The wave of relief is indescribable. Aside from my aching neck and shoulders, and a near heart attack dragging the buck out, it was a perfect morning. Stay tuned.