Have two lanes thru the woods to my main deer area. One brings you out at the clearing 75 yards down from the stand. the other one goes right to the stand from the back. Took the lane to the clearing. Went to put up my game camera and see how things looked. On approaching the clearing something looked NOT RIGHT !!! A big ole oak tree had broken a main trunk section and it is hanging down right smack dab in the center of the clearing up towards the stand. Will have to go up tomorrow with The Bawana, take the tractor, chain saw and clear it up. No shot with it like it is. The leaves are turning quick and falling. Should be pretty clear when the season starts second week of Nov.
Got the "half of tree" limed up and cut up into 18-20" chunks. Now have to take the trailer up and haul it out. While its on the trailer will run down to my brother-in-laws and split it with his hydro spliter. He is already workin up wood for the winter. He likes wood heat better than his heat pump. Should make a pretty good jig of firewood for the campfire next camping season. I have to get me a spliter this winter. Have lots of dead trees down and some to cut. A great big ole double trunk white oak in the back of my brothers place died this year and will have to come down. Will be over a cord of good wood in that one.
Yesterday evening I put out a 5 gal bucket of apple scraps from making apple butter. This morning I hauled out the limbs/branches and the cut up wood. I check the critter cam as all the apple scraps were gone. Only had 1 pic. I had the camera to close to the scrap pile and cant tell what it was, buck or doe. But at 0630 this morning a nice buck was in my brother back yard eating bird seed he scatters on the ground. He spooked him and he trotted off up to the south .... towards my hunting area. I talked to my neighbor on the south side and he said at 0830 there were two large bucks at his pond. The time date stamp on the camera is off.... I think I set it 12 hours off as the date shows the 20 ... thats tomorrow .... I believe it was at 1912 the evening of the 18th. In any case I reset the time date and have it back out. I moved it back about 20' from the previous location. I have a mineral block out now.
I have been wanting to get out since season opened the 17th but been out only one time. It is awful dry and we have fire watch advisories so I have been careful where I point that thing...the Kentuck I built, because I have seen what spews forth when firing at the range at dusk. Just like a psychotic beauty queen...beautiful, but deadly in the woods. Finally got some rain tonight and it is supposed to clear up late this evening. Tomorrow looks promising if I get out early enough. I will make sure I take some little rubbers for that Beauty Queen because though I am sure I could eventually light her fire, though her nipple may be rain tight, that big ol mouth aint. It would tick me off royally if my powder got wet.
Checked the critter cam this afternoon. A little 6 pt. early in the night and twice early in the morning. The date was still dorked up, think I got it fixed, but I thought that last time also ..... we will see. the time is correct and that the most important. Not a real big one, as Ive seen lately but he will be good eatin.
My second buck looked a lot like the one shown in the snapshot. Except my deer had a deformed antler. Aged at 1 1/2 years. He weighed 178 on the hoof. Anyone want to take a guess?
Always heard it was either a vitamin or mineral deficiency in the deer or physical damage to the antler while its in velvet.
Cameron (The Bawana) went out turkey hunting at 0630 this morning. He came back in at 1000. Said he was sitting against a tree at the edge of the clearing, looked around and a little 4 Pt. was standing about 8-10 feet away. He thought a bear had him ...... Probably came in early to change his shorts ... Oh and No turkey.
If this is the buck that gets got, guess the weight...dressed/on the hoof. No winners...just for fun. My guess is 156 field dressed.
The antler had been broken probably when in velvet. Looked like it was his first set because he was smallish but plump and the antlers were spindly. 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 yrs old. Very good quality meat by the way. Lost all my deer pictures just last week. I dropped my external HDD off the edge of the table and POOF! It was dust.
