Larry A. Smail's Blog

Things were not going very well. I was sanding in the garage and upon stopping the sander I could hear something in the basement. I investigated to see water shooting up from the hot water tank. I immediately shut down the water and called for plumbing assistance.  I could not obtain their services until December 26th. (Lucky for us we had water stored  here for such emergencies and I “fetched” water from the creek for flushings!) I would missing the opener of the flintlock season.

We did, however, have some quality time with family on Christmas Day.

Deer feeding site.

Today, along the road in the area I hunt I could see a buck in the pre-dawn light.  He would be crossing into the area I would be hunting in a short time. I mentally decided I would  be hunting for buck only until 9:00 A.M. I had plans in the afternoon so my day afield would be short too.

I passed up on two bedded deer and watched another walk below and bed down as I was sneaking along. The deer didn’t see me. I shot this deer with the camera. Suddenly, a deer bolted and stopped into the field. A buck appeared out of my range and with that classic head down proved his intentions. He was chasing the doe. They crossed over the road again.

Bedded deer.

I circled around and spotted four more deer bedded in a deep ravine. I was about forty yards from them. They were all doe and they remained until the one noticed the camera being pointed at them.

I worked along a hillside and had a few more deer sightings. I spotted an owl flying through some pines. Two deer walked out of some tree tops and passed me. I failed to shoot. The time was 8:45 A.M. I began to walk up a slope and I saw these two deer again. There was a lot of feeding activity so I knew more deer needed to be close. I saw a place where a buck had pawed his scrape out again from snow.

I approached a small round top area and saw two deer jump up at point blank range. The one went to my left and the other bolted to my right. The one on my right stopped and was wondering why it had bolted. The deer didn’t see me. It had reacted to the deer that had seen me.

Old Jacob and the doe.

The 58 yard shot was true and I found the deer 70 yards farther along. The time of the shot was 9:05 A.M. The mile long walk would be reality now. The snow cover made the drag easy. I saw five more deer as I closed in towards my vehicle. In total I had about 26 deer sightings with some being the same deer I am sure. I am now out of tags and will be “dogging” for my step father, Bob and my cousins.

Tomorrow will begin in a somber tone. We will be attending  a friend’s memorial service. Randy Tost had passed away earlier this month.

Laurie and I will be spending time with her family later on.