A story I forgot to post from November! With the deer season over in MA I found this story in my Google Drive almost two and a half months later and reflected fondly upon my time in the woods this year. It was a very successful trip according to what I define as successful!
So far, Thanksgiving break is off to a great start. I woke up before dawn this frigid November morning in order to be in the stand by 5:45 AM. An hour or so sped by as I was able to pass the time doing my favorite form of meditation, bow hunting. Without warning, a gray line streaked across my vision and stopped abruptly. A Cooper’s hawk had swooped by me only feet from my face, then alighted on the tree directly in front of me. The hawk appeared orange and yellow in the morning light. It’s black barred tail and speckled breast hit directly by the sun’s rays made me hold my breath in awe of the scene’s beauty. As soon as I let my breath out, the hawk immediately spotted the steam coming from my face mask covered mouth. It’s beady eyes seemed to penetrate my soul in a way only a bird of prey can do. With a few powerful strokes of it’s wings, the hawk left its perch and returned to the frightfully cold air.
Minutes later a doe came by behaving like I’ve never seen a deer behave. She was smelling some sort of scent trail, and would constantly flee ten yards or so and then return to investigate as though she was a child who knew she was doing the wrong thing, yet gave into her temptation. After a couple minutes she continued on her daily trek to the her next destination, wherever that may be.
Wanting to incite the bucks, I decided to rattle with a pair of sheds I found. With the rut in full swing I thought I may have a chance of bringing one in. My sheds seemed brighter than ever in this low morning light as I bashed them together, simulating the sound of two bucks fighting. A minute later, two spike horns trotted into view, eager to get in on the action. I watched as they got within ten yards of me, the whites of their eyes and breaths clearly visible. One made a scrape right there in front of me, much to my delight. While rubbing the scent glands on his head all across a spruce tree’s branch, he pulled the leaves and dirt beneath his back and urinated in the exposed earth, marking his territory. They trotted along soon after, but not before I snapped a few awful quality iPhone photos. By then it was around 8 o’clock and I decided to call it quits. I slowly waddled back to the car with a numb body and a smile on my face. What a great start to break!
Cast and Blast with Tucker 