Monday, Nov. 13, 2023

 


  This morning when I got out of the car, it was 25 degrees. I can't quite figure it out, but for some reason the area we've been hunting is about 10 degrees cooler than all the surrounding areas. I'm not complaining, especially with the high heat we've been experiencing in the day. Today got up to 75 again before it headed down the other side toward nightfall. It has definitely influenced the deer movement in my opinion. 

  With Brian headed to track the deer he wounded yesterday, I headed into the area I hunted the first day I got out here. I felt optimistic about it but didn't really know what to expect. It was calm as I made my way to the stand, and it gave me a sense of relief after dealing with the wind for the majority of the trip. 

  About 8:00, I had a few deer appear out of nowhere. They were in my lap before I knew it. One of them had a spike on one side and four points on the other, and the other one was a basket six. I enjoyed watching them, knowing they had no idea I was in their world. 

  At 11:00, I heard all sorts of commotion over my right shoulder. Looking to find the source of the noise, I saw that two big bucks were chasing a doe... or so I thought. As soon as they got out of sight, I took out my grunt call and blasted on it in an aggressive manner. 

  Although it took a few minutes, I got the response I was looking for. One of the bucks was headed in my direction to find the source of the call, and he was a giant. It was a no-doubter. However, a doe trailed him and when he stopped, she ran in front of him. Then she led him down a trail to my right, still about 70 yards away. 

  They both milled around for a bit, and they were on edge. Eventually, the doe laid down, and the buck stood over her like a gladiator. I was witnessing what people refer to as "lockdown." The term has always made me giggle because I don't believe in it, and this experience didn't change my mind. The bucks simply follow the does, and the does still travel. It's just that the bucks don't run all willy nilly through the woods. 

  She laid there for about 15 minutes before he decided to lay down too. He laid down for no longer than three minutes before getting back to his feet and posing as a gladiator. When she got up, she headed down  a trail toward me. 

  Instantly, the wind swirled and hit the back of my head. I figured it was game over. However, she got a whiff of something she didn't like, but it didn't alert her to the point of spooking her. She walked back and forth on the runway a few times, eventually deciding to head to greener pastures. I watched the buck follow her, and they went into the thick stuff out in front of me. 

  The rest of the day went by rather quickly, considering I was baking in the sun. At about 4:30 a nice little 8-pointer decided to pay a visit to the scrape I was sitting near. I took a video of him rubbing the tree that has the licking branch on it. He did his business for a few minutes before continuing to wherever he was going. 

  I climbed down at dark and headed out. No shots today, and Brian didn't locate the deer. Time is winding down. Although I keep thinking things have been slow, I can't ignore the fact that I've seen a lot of deer. We will see what the next few days bring. 



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