Larry A. Smail's Blog

  My friend, Terry Williams and I pursued the deer this day. terry has limited hunting days so I was working a lot and being hopeful to have him connect. That didn’t happen!

We parted early in the morning while the woods were still gray and gloomy. I saw a deer about seventy yards out. I couldn’t determine what the sex of the two deer were. They eventually had enough of my presence and removed themselves.

I edged along quietly until I reached an area that allows me to peer over the to search for deer. I was standing along a tree when I saw a deer’s back already within flintlock range. Soon, I saw two more deer. They were all bucks! All three male deer were about 25-30 yards from me feeding, however, not a one had a legal set of antlers. I later saw another deer that exited along the side of a hill. I quickly went around hoping to head the deer off. That didn’t happen.

I decided to work along a creek bottom to chase deer up and over towards where Terry might be. Later, I worked up the side of the hill only to see four deer..and close. Two ran up and over, one ran and stopped and one just stood up at about thirty yards. I couldn’t shoot safely for there is a home about 250 yards in that same direction. The angle of the shot would have been a 99.999% sure and safe shot.  I never raised the flinter as I watched the deer follow the others. They were heading in the general direction of Terry. He never saw any of them. I believe they must have edged towards the creek bottom.

Red Salamander

I saw a bout 6-7 Gray Squirrels and one Fox Squirrel. I found a Red Salamander.

Terry saw two deer, one being a buck. Step-father Bob came late and left early. He saw one doe.