DEER DAZE

Yesterday I tried my best to get in the woods without making too much noise, but the frost had turned all the oak leaves into potato chips. It was impossible. I worked my way to my new blind spot before dawn (crunch, crunch, crunch) and......I swear I put it right there...... Once again thieves had struck. This year I have lost a ladder, a stand, a baptism sign and post and now a portable blind. This really sucks. The blind rip off is esp. troubling as i thought I had this chunk of woods holding a big buck all to myself. Oh yeah, I jumped him. He's a beaut! But now he's wise to me. It ain't gonna be easy.

I'm bummed. I've hunted hard all season and the freezer is still bare. My one shot went wrong and now we are entering the worse time to hunt deer. The rut is over. Hunters have stunk up the woods and tipped off every critter. There's plenty of mast and the weather has yet to turn, so the deer are hunkered down safe and sound. Nothing is moving. Mupp and I went to Cooperstown and saw a few but nothing to write home about. Ray Key shot a spike. No deer with horns is safe within a mile of this old school dairy farmer. The trip to Cooperstown has turned into a family visit with guns. Word on the street is Savage got a big 8 but I've yet to get the full report. Down on the farm they're taking does and up here on the mountain I've barely heard a shot. Today I'm doing chores, washing clothes and planning my next move. Pray for snow.