Continuing on a bit, this is what I saw nights before.
Anywho, I got off track a bit with deer and would like to make light of this story in the current day.
After driving back with a quest to readjust my camera to the tree you see in the picture of the elusive deer ear. It's posted up higher but angled down using a stick I found near the tree. I checked the angle ten times over to make sure it was looking down to see anything that crosses by.
Now I reached my entry point after doing a quick scan of the corn field and picking some apples from a near by tree (with permission of course). I drove by my old friend and all of his friends and all was well. After circling back, and not passing by them a second time because it was unnecessary I left my jeep and started walking to my stand.
About half way through the stony field I hear a familiar, non threatening sound I'm used to hearing around these parts and at fairs. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!....
Now when I say I'm used to hearing them, I mean I'm used to them being penned up, in their feeding area, not 50 yards down range of me in a mass of 15 staring at me wondering what I am doing in their grazing area!
I'm sorry if it sounds silly to you but the last thing I want is to spook all of these cows in to running at a threatening object. But then I thought to myself, and talked to my brother while panting behind a near by tree trying to steady my nerves. I wasn't THAT scared but it got the adrenaline pumping. He reassured me that the cows go down there all the time. I knew this, I'd seen the cow pies... But I still wasn't happy to be sharing this moment with them. Well after talking to him for a bit I realized some thing. I'm in camouflage, 50 yards away from a cow, with a line of trees behind me. They are just wondering what is making the weird stomps in the distance. I laugh at myself and finish my walk to my camera.
On the way out I look to see if they are still where I last left them. The answer is no, they've moved and again I'm alert. I start walking lightly and scanning the pasture for any sign of movement and my wish is granted. A cow, singular, 50 yards out moving in the direction I need to go to get out. I look around for a big stick. What am I going to do with a big stick? Swing it if a cow decides to get feisty. Again, foolish sounding, but I'm not one to go down without making a stand.
In hind sight it was foolish. The cows were all grouped up and after seeing me the first time they didn't even care what I was doing anymore. I dropped the branch and hopped over the wire fence to my jeep and double checked with the property owner that they hadn't made an escape.
Well isn't that a thrilling day in the woods.
I feel a bit foolish to be honest, being frightened of those cows. But I'm not a farm boy and I wasn't raised around any large animals. All I know is I always tread lightly, speak softly, and carry a big stick. In this case, literally.
Thanks for reading. Have a good season everyone. And if you aren't hunting this year, enjoy the stories. I'll be following up on this thread as a diary of sorts when the season starts.