I apologize in advance because this will be a long post. I am on vacation this week but had to be at a meeting this morning at 8 am at a location that would normally be about 50 minutes away. I got up at 5am to plow out our driveway and my oldest son was getting ready to leave for work. We live in a fairly remote area that is difficult to get out of after a heavy snow. As I was plowing snow with the ranger he left for work. A little while later I see some movement on the gravel road and it is him walking home. He got stuck at the neighbors house about a 1/4 mile away. He gets in the Ranger with me and I am able to push him out of the snow drift with my blade, and he takes another run at leaving, but ends up coming back home because he doesn't think he can make it with his car.
I finished clearing our main driveway and took a shower to head to my meeting. I took our trailblazer instead of my 2wd work truck and my son said to text him and let him know if he could follow my tracks to leave. The snow was very deep and wet and I had a hard time getting through the 5 miles to the highway with 4wd so when I got to the highway I stopped and texted him to just call in for the day.
My 50 minute trip took 1 hr and 40 minutes but I left early enough and made it on time. Right on time. The meetings were done around 11:30 and I headed home.
I made better time getting home and arrived around 12:30. My inlaws live about 1/2 mile from us and due to health issues needed some help clearing snow. When I got home my 2 sons hopped in the ranger with me and we went to their house and helped plow them out.
Now it's about 2:30 and I'm getting the itch to hunt an alfalfa patch after this fresh snow. I have a stand set up specifically for late muzzy in a small clump of trees in this about 5 acre alfalfa field. So, I get changed, grab my gear, and decide I'd rather hike to it from downwind instead of driving to it with the ranger. It's a long hike in rough bluff country, but I figured I could take my time and play the wind and maybe see something on the way.
I head out from my house around 3:15, walk the gravel road to the end of my property, and start my slow journey climbing uphill towards the field. Going this route makes it about a mile venture. It also beings me in down wind and with some cover as I get to the field.
At about 4:20 I get to the edge of the field and stop to look around, and see a small deer pawing at the snow for some vittles. I scan the field and see 4 more deer behind it through some brush doing the same thing. They are at about 80-100 yards. At this point I'm kind of in the open by a wooden corner post, and the first deer should be able to see me no problem.
I pressed in tight to the corner post (I weigh 240 and am 5'-10", that post wasn't hiding me...) with my muzzy laying on top the post and wait to see what happens. I ended up watching those 5 deer for a half hour, and that first one walked to within 40 yards of me with no care in the world. In the meantime another group of 5 does came across the bean field next to me and were also digging away in the snow within 100 yards.
Finally it was past shooting time, no bucks showed up to play, and I had to slide my slightly overweight self down the hillside back to my house, so I had no choice but to finally move and spook the deer. I took two steps and they took off running. I walked about 50 yards to where I start down the hillside, and as soon as I started down there was another 3 does within 50 yards that were making their way up the hill to the field. I watched them for a bit then started my way back to the house.
All in all this was the best hunt I've had this year even though I didn't see a buck or harvest anything. Everything worked as planned and I enjoyed watching those does doing their thing. Now hopefully next time they bring their big brother.
I finished clearing our main driveway and took a shower to head to my meeting. I took our trailblazer instead of my 2wd work truck and my son said to text him and let him know if he could follow my tracks to leave. The snow was very deep and wet and I had a hard time getting through the 5 miles to the highway with 4wd so when I got to the highway I stopped and texted him to just call in for the day.
My 50 minute trip took 1 hr and 40 minutes but I left early enough and made it on time. Right on time. The meetings were done around 11:30 and I headed home.
I made better time getting home and arrived around 12:30. My inlaws live about 1/2 mile from us and due to health issues needed some help clearing snow. When I got home my 2 sons hopped in the ranger with me and we went to their house and helped plow them out.
Now it's about 2:30 and I'm getting the itch to hunt an alfalfa patch after this fresh snow. I have a stand set up specifically for late muzzy in a small clump of trees in this about 5 acre alfalfa field. So, I get changed, grab my gear, and decide I'd rather hike to it from downwind instead of driving to it with the ranger. It's a long hike in rough bluff country, but I figured I could take my time and play the wind and maybe see something on the way.
I head out from my house around 3:15, walk the gravel road to the end of my property, and start my slow journey climbing uphill towards the field. Going this route makes it about a mile venture. It also beings me in down wind and with some cover as I get to the field.
At about 4:20 I get to the edge of the field and stop to look around, and see a small deer pawing at the snow for some vittles. I scan the field and see 4 more deer behind it through some brush doing the same thing. They are at about 80-100 yards. At this point I'm kind of in the open by a wooden corner post, and the first deer should be able to see me no problem.
I pressed in tight to the corner post (I weigh 240 and am 5'-10", that post wasn't hiding me...) with my muzzy laying on top the post and wait to see what happens. I ended up watching those 5 deer for a half hour, and that first one walked to within 40 yards of me with no care in the world. In the meantime another group of 5 does came across the bean field next to me and were also digging away in the snow within 100 yards.
Finally it was past shooting time, no bucks showed up to play, and I had to slide my slightly overweight self down the hillside back to my house, so I had no choice but to finally move and spook the deer. I took two steps and they took off running. I walked about 50 yards to where I start down the hillside, and as soon as I started down there was another 3 does within 50 yards that were making their way up the hill to the field. I watched them for a bit then started my way back to the house.
All in all this was the best hunt I've had this year even though I didn't see a buck or harvest anything. Everything worked as planned and I enjoyed watching those does doing their thing. Now hopefully next time they bring their big brother.
