Buck Season

By 3:30 pm Saturday, visibility and traction had been greatly reduced by the snow. There were flurries all morning along the turnpike but at an elevation of 2167 feet, the temperature dropped to 27 degrees and travel speed dropped along with it. What was to have been a five and a half hour trip was well on its way to becoming seven and a half.

My destination was my late Dad's hunting camp which consists of a recreational travel trailer, a deck, a storage shed and a hunting stand on 45 acres of wooded, undeveloped land.

I was awoken Monday morning at 5:30 am with the start of the automatic coffee maker. Everything had been prepared the day before.

It was still dark and calm at 7:00 am when I reached the stand.

The stand is covered and enclosed at 20 feet above the ground with windows on each side. It provides excellent visability while providing a cloak of invisabilitty to all deer that travel by.

The deer usually travel along a deer trail just down the hill to my left. You can just make it out in the picture just above the binoculars.

And this day, the first two doe did pass just below at about 8:00.

Grazing as they went, the two doe slowly made their way up hill and around the front of the stand. I waited for a buck to follow.  The doe eventually worked their way onto the adjacent property and out of sight.

About thirty minutes later, I heard foot steps. 

Just outside the door, five more doe passed, the last stopping to peer in through the stand door. It appears to be staring directly at me while I snapped this photo.

Sounds made from within the stand do not spook a deer as they do not naturally look up. But it they catch movement, which they can when they are up the hill from the stand, they get seriously spooked.

By moving slowly, I was able to get a picture of each of the seven doe that passed by.

After the doe comes the buck.

I put down the camera.

And watched the six deer graze in the briars for about 15 minutes.

...Waiting for that clear shot.

By 10:30 the buck was in the wagon at the trailer, awaiting travel to the butcher shop just next door.

It has been six years since bagging a buck.

And each of those years I watched as at least one six point and many other smaller bucks pass by the stand.

Finally, the Pennsylvania Game Commission changed the antler restriction in the county to "three points on one side including brow tine".

Growing up, spikes were legal.

Anyway, I am looking forward to venison on the grill!!!!

I will be saying grace over many meals of venison in 2012/2013.