3:50 AM, up and at 'em, throw on clothes and out the door.
Drive two hours to farm in Southern Ohio, roll in at 6am.
Didn't eat any breakfast 'cause I didn't wanna have to take a dump in the field.
Just as I'm getting into my blind I get the snort-wheeze. Dammit!
Stayed in the blind until about 9, then was gonna climb a 400 ft hill still hunting.
Ate a pack of cheese crackers and a mini snickers. Ended up being all I ate till 7pm.
Tons of tracks and sign all over the hillside, but I saw nothing all morning. Just before noon I was almost to the top of the hill, and I was outta gas, needed to sit down. There was a tree that had fallen across the logging trail I was walking up, so I brushed the snow off and sat down to rest. Leaned my muzzy up against the log next to me. Next thing I know I'm dozing sitting there. Sitting up, dozing. Woke up and said "sit here just another minute or two, then onward and upward". Next thing I know I'm waking up from a doze, and two does are loping past me from my left at about 25 yards. I reach over to get my gun and they see me move and pick up the pace, running up the hill. I have one in the scope but don't wanna shoot at 'em moving...tried to stop them but they were having none of that and kept moving up the hill. Finally they near the top and stop, and one offers a broadside shot. It was about 100 yards, uphill, I was standing up, leaning to one side trying for a clear shot...and I missed.
Didn't see anything the rest of the day, except for a blood trail that was not mine, headed downhill. No other tracks in the snow, so nobody had tried to track the injured animal. Neither did I, cause I was almost to the top and I'd be danged if I was going down. Still wondering about that situation.
Moral of the story: Stay alert!
Drive two hours to farm in Southern Ohio, roll in at 6am.
Didn't eat any breakfast 'cause I didn't wanna have to take a dump in the field.
Just as I'm getting into my blind I get the snort-wheeze. Dammit!
Stayed in the blind until about 9, then was gonna climb a 400 ft hill still hunting.
Ate a pack of cheese crackers and a mini snickers. Ended up being all I ate till 7pm.
Tons of tracks and sign all over the hillside, but I saw nothing all morning. Just before noon I was almost to the top of the hill, and I was outta gas, needed to sit down. There was a tree that had fallen across the logging trail I was walking up, so I brushed the snow off and sat down to rest. Leaned my muzzy up against the log next to me. Next thing I know I'm dozing sitting there. Sitting up, dozing. Woke up and said "sit here just another minute or two, then onward and upward". Next thing I know I'm waking up from a doze, and two does are loping past me from my left at about 25 yards. I reach over to get my gun and they see me move and pick up the pace, running up the hill. I have one in the scope but don't wanna shoot at 'em moving...tried to stop them but they were having none of that and kept moving up the hill. Finally they near the top and stop, and one offers a broadside shot. It was about 100 yards, uphill, I was standing up, leaning to one side trying for a clear shot...and I missed.
Didn't see anything the rest of the day, except for a blood trail that was not mine, headed downhill. No other tracks in the snow, so nobody had tried to track the injured animal. Neither did I, cause I was almost to the top and I'd be danged if I was going down. Still wondering about that situation.
Moral of the story: Stay alert!
