Season 9: episode 4

I have learned 2 things this hunting season: 1. I can now wear enough gear (awesome wool jacket) to mimic an owl. I bundle up so much that all that is exposed are my eyes and nose. I move my head and that's really it when I am in my tree seat. 2. I need to sleep the night before. Thursday night, Dad told me about the huge tracks he saw around my seat. I went to bed at 10 and tossed and turned about the big buck. At 5:30am, I was in my seat waiting for the sun to come up. I sat and I sat. 5 hours later, dad came to get me. Nothing. He did see 3 does and hoped there was a buck near by but that was not the case. We sat in the Sky Condo in the afternoon. It has been windy every day that we have been hunting. Not a crazy wind, but windy enough to keep your ears sharp for the difference between leaves blowing, squirrels running around and a deer. Or so I thought. I was in the SC, checking all of our shooting lanes. I looked straight ahead, where we have been seeing deer before the season started and where we shot our deer last year. Looking. I heard leaves to my right but assuming it was a squirrel, I didnt really pay attention. When it got loud, I turned to see a deer run by. It was maybe 100 feet from the SC and by the time I realized it was a deer, it was gone. I saw the whole deer, but I could not tell you if it was a buck or doe. For the sake of my self-esteem, lets say it was a doe. We left the woods empty handed. Saturday - nothing. We own 400 acres near my parents house and Dad had seen a lot of scrapes and rubs (finally). We walked around for 2 hours trying to jump something. Dad put me on a skidder trail and told me to walk up and over the mountain and we would meet at an intersection. I took my time and followed the trail. Dad lets bikers ride around the mountain, and I got off on their trail and not on the one I was supposed to be one. Crap. I found tree with orange tape and trees with yellow paint. Not an intersection and no trail really in sight. Im glad we carry cell phones. I had to call Dad to find out where I needed to go - he was literally 60 seconds behind me following the yellow trees. While it was a lot of fun to walk around the mountain, we need some meat. This weekend is the end of the season. Thanksgiving, Friday and Saturday. Fingers crossed I have a nice picture to post!!!