The_Field_Ager

I am quite injury prone, and being active this means I am often carrying injuries. I find that initial rest is crucial, even if it is frustrating. Then, when the sharp pains subside and the aches remain, this is a good time to begin some light physio. You need to eat those things that the body requires for healing. Amino acids and proteins are very important, as is vitamin c, zinc and magnesium malate. A good brand of powdered beef gelatin can be added to meals and drinks to speed things along.

Crap, I am torn over this stand move. I just pulled 6 video off the card, 2 small bucks and a doe tearing up the scrape in daylight hours. Hmmm...

What a morning ! So fricken close. I feel a little ill. Here's what happened: Alarm goes off, I hear the wind and rain and decide it is a fool's errand to be out in that crap. Then I remember I have a busy week and am out of town next weekend for hunting camp. This will be the last morning for a while, that I can hunt locally. I slowly get my act together and decide to do the short drive to my neighbors. No one hunt's the area but I have only sat one evening there so far. I did not get any trail cam pics, pre-season and scouting revealed zero fresh rubs. The land is quite swampy too. I figured a hard winter and not much to eat may have done in the larger bucks. However, a couple of days ago I found a line of fresh and aggressive looking scrapes. For a change of scene, and just to see what if, I hit the stand I moved yesterday over a scrape. The stand is set-up for a shot, 20 yards to my left. I don't really have any shot on my right side due to the pine tree I am up inside for cover. Expectations were low, I had started to wander in my thoughts. I was lucky enough to be standing, facing back toward the expected direction of travel. I am literally miles away in thought, but I see movement toward my left side, the wrong side of the stand. Something is coming in fast from about 60 yards off. I see bone, lots of nice bone. This guy looks a shooter. At first he seems to be heading to my right side, the side totally covered by pine tree branches. I maybe have a small window if he passes at 15 yards. He starts to zigzag and each zag pulls him more and more in my direction. I am hoping and praying he is going to peel off and head toward the scrape. Nope, he has somewhere else to be and before I know it he is 10 yards under me, behind me and behind a thick Cherry tree.He stops, looks right up at me, through the pine branches. He knows something is off and doubles back and quickly heads away from me. I try calling, he stops but he is wary and has no desire to check me out. He is gone and out of sight in a couple of minutes. He really wanted to get past me so I figure he may try a long circular double back move and come by further off to my right. The stand is blown, I know that , so I jump down and head toward where he came from, a thick stand of hemlocks. As I approach, another Buck comes out of the exact same spot! A four point this time, not on the menu. I hide behind a tree. He too starts coming right at me. I am annoyed at the time delay this will cause. He eventually heads away and I get in position. All the while I am scanning for a new tree. This area is obviously a corridor for bucks and I need to be on it. I give it an hour. No more action. The 4 pointer is still around though, and he doesn't seem that bothered by me as I head back to the stand, following the trail left by the bigger 8 earlier, I realize I have put my stand in one of his corridors. There is large, fresh poops right next to me. My stand placement was literally too good, too close. I will be moving the stand this afternoon in anticipation of hunting this new spot later, where the Bucks are moving in and out of. A very frustrating morning, but lots of fun none the less. That is probably the best Buck action I have had so far. Actually had eyes on a shooter right under my stand! I may have pics from the camera I put over the scrape. Checking now.

Crappy mornin, but as I am out of town next weekend it will be the last morning locally for a while I can hunt. Maybe the deer will have a lie in and pass by during daylight hours instead of at 6:10 am like the usually do. First am sit on my other hunting property too. Should be interesting. Move a stand by a line of scrapes yesterday.

I have a piece of dental floss tied at the point where the peep should be aligned. I missed a nice buck last year because my peep had slipped. This way I can check the sight immediately as soon as I get set-up in the stand to ensure everything is peachy. And yeah, I never go over 30 if I can help it. Prefer 20 or less in fact. Never took a deer over twenty. Certainly means you need to develop a good sense of where they will be.

Two yearling does passed me at 10 yards at 4pm. No sign of Moma, who was leading them around a few days earlier.

Visited my other hunting spot this afternoon. Found a line of good fresh scrapes, all torn up with toe scrape marks. Moved my stand to take advantage and have set a camera over the largest scrape. I think I will leave it a few days to settle and get some intel pics. Heading out to my own woods after coffee and a pipe.

Crows ruined a good portion of my morning with their endless racket. Couldnt call or hear anything. An owl kept hooting and stirring up the crows again, over and over. I now know why the call it a 'murder of crows'. You just wanna throttle the little sh*ts. A recent mock scrape I made near by main stand has started to see action. Doe on camera pawing and peeing. Hopefully she brings in the Big fella. Kishel's scent have been pretty effective for me this year. That 8 point I passed up on day one, who came along a drag scent trail is getting bigger and bigger in memory, the more time that passes with no serious action.

Coldest morning yet hitting the stand. Let's hope BigBoy 10 decides it's a good morning to stroll on by. Haven't yet decided on a stand to sit.

Paying his respects no doubt. 'Here lies Elmer J Fudd'.

Heading out there myself again for the boys weekend in a couple of weeks. Fav weekend of the year!

I might head out for magic hour. The deer won't be expecting it!

I'm starting to think a whole new system is required, more of a direct democracy type set-up. This 'representative' business isn't working out.

Very windy next couple of days. No hunting till the weekend probably.What is up with this warm weather!?

Great weather for a Hawaiian luau. Think I'll give it a miss this evening.

No scrapes, no running does yet.

crows? Can't hear anything

Big girl

10 minutes earlier one of my cats sauntered past. He must be a real roamer. Surprised he hasn't been eaten yet.

Just had the living crap scared outta me. I don't often sit till pitch dark but I got close tonight.6:55 pm hit and I was pretty much packed and ready to jump down. About 30 or 40 yards off, a pack of coyotes erupts and fills the woods with their howls and yelps. The sounds came from everywhere along a 100 yard stretch on one side of me. Must have been at least 6 or 8 animals.Maybe more. This was my closest encounter with more than one yote. I debated on whether to hang out for 10 minutes and see if they passed, but instead opted to jump outta the tree and make a breathless dash for home. Anyway...I made it. Pretty freaky experience. Oh...and no deer moving tonight.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/92267.html

It makes no sense, I agree. Many things the DEC requires of us make little sense.

Feeding deer, apart from the purposes of DEC monitored research, is illegal.